Archive for the ‘Service’ Category
Thursday, August 5th, 2010
Whether you’re tall or short, attractive or not, wealthy or poor, young or old, spiritually mature or otherwise, the following is nevertheless true, at all times:
- At any given moment either you’re present for your life or you’re trying to avoid being present for your life. There really is no other choice.
- Avoiding being present sometimes feels good at first but it often leads to regret, and that’s how we find out that there was no real peace in it. The more we see the effects of avoiding being present, the closer we get to being sick of making those choices all the time.
- On the other hand, being present may not feel good at times, but it helps us recognize a kind of peace that is available to us regardless of the circumstances surrounding our current living. That kind of peace is actually indistinguishable from being present itself, and that is what is meant by the expression “the path is the goal.” This cannot be fully understood, really. Only experienced.
- In some spiritual traditions being present is what is called ‘heaven,’ the promises that come from avoiding being present are called ‘temptation’ and the effects of the avoidance are called ‘hell.’ Ultimately, it does not matter what words are used. What matters is: Are you using the ingredients of your life to fully come alive? The world will thank you and reward you for that choice, in more ways than one.
(In gratitude to my friend Kara Pecson / from whom I learn much / simply by watching her dance.)
Posted in Begin again, Buddhism, Friends, Life, Music, Nirvana, Peace, Samsara, Service, Truth, self=Self | No Comments »
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
I wondered for years why if TW was so effective nobody was as “advanced” as KT was even though there’s now been people doing TW for decades. One day I understood that we were all chasing the end of the rainbow. That day I “graduated.” It was a quiet ceremony. Nobody was informed. I did not receive a special certificate. If I had to put what I learned that day into words it would read like this:
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It doesn’t end.
It’s just not a problem that it doesn’t end.
That’s the freedom.
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The most amazing thing I learned that day was just how much I was like everyone else:
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I
I’m just as fucked up as the man next door,
I just don’t beat myself up about it as much as he does.
That’s the enlightenment I know.
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And sometimes
I notice he beats himself up much less than I do.
Those days he is the enlightened one
and I’m proud to call him
Teacher.
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II
Deep forgiveness for our apparent imperfections.
Deep compassion for our apparent flaws.
A knowing that it’s okay to be just like this.
Even as I try to be a better man with time.
Perfection and Imperfection in perfect harmony.
That is the enlightenment that I know.
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..
III
Anything that I can compare myself to
Is imagined.
Why would that be a fair standard of comparison?
Better to spend my time appreciating
How much of a good friend
I can be to myself.
Posted in Begin again, Buddhism, Innocence, Life, Nirvana, Peace, Poem, Samsara, Service, Sharing myself, Surrender, The Work, The gift of inquiry, Truth, Unconditional love, self=Self | 6 Comments »
Thursday, February 11th, 2010
- Trust your own inner intelligence above anything else.
- Periodically consider points of view different from your own as a matter of practice, and
- Give yourself extended periods of time every now and then where you completely rest from thinking about spiritual stuff in any way. Devote that time to things you love to do like riding a bike, baking cookies, being with people you care about, living your life.
Posted in Begin again, Friends, Innocence, Life, Peace, Service, Sharing myself, Surrender, The Work, The gift of inquiry, Truth, Unconditional love | 2 Comments »
Sunday, February 1st, 2009
The Work is soft landing.
Posted in Service, The Work | No Comments »
Saturday, January 17th, 2009
Shall a man go and hang himself because he belongs to the race of pygmies, and not be the biggest pygmy that he can?
-Thoreau
Posted in Begin again, Poem, Service, Surrender | No Comments »
Monday, January 5th, 2009
To be kind to others:
The joy is intoxicating.
Posted in Friends, Poem, Service, Unconditional love | No Comments »
Friday, September 26th, 2008
To stay out of the way
while fully expressing myself.
That’s the gift.
Posted in Poem, Service, Sharing myself | No Comments »
Sunday, August 31st, 2008
I just want to sit at the feet of the master
and weep.
I just want to sit at the feet of the master
and weep.
I just want to sit at the feet of the master
and weep.
Posted in Poem, Relationships, Service, Surrender, Unconditional love | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, August 20th, 2008
I want to tell you about a retreat I am putting together together with my dear friends at BKI in the San Francisco Bay area on December 12-14th. It is called The Work and Silence and it combines periods of sitting meditation with doing The Work with a partner. Silence will be observed between sessions throughout the entire retreat. It will be a weekend of silence, stillness, deep listening and open ended inquiry.
The retreat will take place at Green Gulch Farm Zen Center, 40 minutes north of the San Francisco Airport, in a valley that opens out onto the Pacific Ocean. It is a beautiful venue with hiking trails that lead to the shores of Muir Beach in only a few minutes. Green Gulch hosts a community of Buddhist practitioners that year round devote themselves to the study and practice of Zen as they care for an organic farm and garden, a guest house and a conference center.
We held this retreat for the first time at Green Gulch in March 2008 and it was a beautiful, intimate experience. I learned a lot and look forward to seeing as many of you as possible there. If this interests you, I strongly invite you to consider attending. Scholarships will be available.
Posted in Begin again, Buddhism, Service, Surrender, The Work | No Comments »
Saturday, July 5th, 2008
The highest level is to be level with everyone.
Posted in Begin again, Buddhism, Friends, Life, Nirvana, Peace, Poem, Service, Sharing myself, The Work, Truth, Unconditional love | No Comments »
