MY BLOG

As They Are, Judgements, and Lebrón Brothers Call upon the wisdom within, dear friend. Take things as they are. This is the essence of the wisdom traditions from all over the world. Pared down. No frills. No pomp or pageantry. Devoid of metaphysical, or mystical, or mythical language. Without the concepts that are so laden with baggage, and suffering, and human created schemes of separateness, what exists is wordless and complete. Yet human beings are compelled to struggle, a

Tree Wisdom, and St. John Green May we be courageous enough to listen, Dignity flows through life, it's preciousness and value are inherent. Human beings have become so disconnected with this basic principle of life that we are in dire need of a reminder. We have the capacity to connect with the cosmic breath that is breathing us all, but fear the implications. We helplessly cling to those external wrappings that seek to replace the value we have denied to ourselves. From lac

Snow, anxiety, Surangama Sutra, Soulful Illusion When we look at the horizon, where does the sky stop and the world begin? Just as mountain and valley are one so are individual and the world that surrounds them. The deep identification with separateness we carry colors our experience of this world. The way we have formed this world, our relationships, our sense of belonging and place are all deeply rooted in struggle and separation in ways we are not always aware of. The wall

Waves, The Fool waves crashing against a rock, none identical, moments never repeated. lifeless structures cut the wind pillars of humans desire; balk the impermanent nature of existence. grandest fantasies power struggles alienation and species chauvinism hearts hardened by walls of separateness begin to thaw in awe. cosmic dance moves silently playing all the parts, the stage, the curtains, the lights the audience, the gum on the floor, the spider and their web. the early b

Gratitude, Sri Ramana Maharshi, and The Paupers We are here to make each other's lives better. It is so easy to forget, and strive for personal satisfaction. The nature of existence is that everything exists in relation to everything else; nothing exists solely for itself. Seeking gratification or living solely to quench the thirst of desires through external experiences or material conditions, the Buddha identified, is the axis around which our craving surrounds us, and this

100 seconds to Midnight, Peace, and Mandrake Memorial Allow me to make an assumption about you dear reader, that neither of us is interested in seeing our world end any time soon. To be clear, and to signal without dread, we are approaching the darkest part of night despite the day. The "Doomsday Clock" has been set to 100 seconds before Midnight; cue disheveled person holding cardboard placard that reads, "The End is Nigh." Those of us waking up at this late hour must utiliz

Mystery, Tao Te Ching, and Sweetwater Oh wordless well of wisdom, Let us drink and fill our reserves. We are thirsty beyond our own knowing. We seek to satisfy our desires, In blood, in lust, in ephemeral sense pleasures. Parched and desiccated, Tears choked by grief unable to flow. There is a mystery at the heart of existence, Open and unconditioned by time, Out of which all things come, Into which all things return. This is the axis upon which the whole cosmos turns. Our li

Beyond anthropocentrism, and James Gang Well met, dear friend! Those of us who live today have the difficult task of using our intelligence to search out new ways of approaching old conflicts and struggles. We have a long list of historically dubious claims to contend with; some beings are of more value than others, only certain beings are able to enjoy life without inordinate discomfort, the natural world is not as alive as humans are, and other such nonsensical ideas. We ar

It is a marvel to exist at all, The Beach Boys Happy New You! The hungry ghosts of our culture are driving us apart; driven mad with insatiable desire, and absolutely convinced that the endless search for validation, purpose, acceptance, meaning, and worthiness is a material game. The struggle to define ourselves against something or someone else has made us territorial, jealous, and selfish creatures. Although our claws and teeth are manicured and whitened, our ruthlessness

No two breaths are identical, and Jon Lucien May peace be with you, dear friend. As we enter into the final days of the calendar year, it is an auspicious time to reflect on why, if, and how we are connecting with the deep drives of our being. In our constantly whirring world of information, communication, and connectivity we are bombarded with many influencing forces that can steer us from the deep knowing that resides within us already. Choosing to cultivate any form of pra

Keep going, Chubby Checker The tv says to "fear the walking dead" But what frightens me are not insatiable folks already dead. More unsettling are people alive and well driven mad by cravings and desires asleep to their own awareness, contentment, and the power of gratitude. We have a three pound supercomputer in between our ears; processing power and an organic neural network resembling the cosmos itself. We spend our time preening our self-image, amassing self-esteem throug

Porcupine's Dilemma, and Bob Dylan Well met, my dear companion, As we round the final curve of this calendar year, may we remember to be gentle as we move along. All too often, our busy lives have us moving at lightning speed. Obligations, responsibilities, and the multitude of choices we make whiz by before we appreciate the impact of our actions on each other. As we approach the next solstice, may we pause for reflection and remember the porcupine's dilemma offered by Schop

James Baldwin, Consumer Culture, and The Human Beinz May peace be with you, This precious vital gift of life is incredibly fragile and fleeting. Although we are largely averse to admit it, none of us know when our last moments on this planet will be. So much of life comes down to molecular forces; the electrical charges that keep our heart beating, the amino acids and vitamins that exchange across cell walls, and the cell membranes themselves that hold our bodies together, an

What is an I anyway? Ramases Giant swaths of space covered by gas clouds coalesce under intense pressure form explosive balls of fission illuminating all directions over sometimes billions of years, and you are in a hurry to become something or someone? Molecules formed over eons converge and accrete collisions create an orbit gravity pulls together dense collections by chance some form of materials resembles life, and our self-worth, belonging, or value is something we must

Offering to the Ancestors, The Happenings Dear ancestors, May we live our lives appreciating the gifts that your actions have given us. Our lives are echoes of your decisions. May we hold your flaws and virtues, triumphs and errors, in equal light. Your search for truth, understanding, dignity, and comfort also came with confusion, judgment, injustice, and grave inequity. The learning, growing, questioning, and discovering our shared humanity is our real inheritance. May we l

The Universal Process, King Crimson Nosce Te Ipsum (Know Thyself) It is startling that wisdom, compassion, honesty, and integrity are rare jewels gathering dust in the rapid-fire age of hustle culture. Genuine concern for the well-being of our own life and the lives of those around us greatly endangered in the dominant paradigm of ruthless competition, one-up-man-ship, spiritual materialism, cognitive dissonance. The sum total of human activity and the flow of the universal p

Commitment, asking for your help, and Mashmakhan As we live and breathe in this moment, ours is the power and privilege to choose and embrace this precious gift of life; to honor, cherish, and uplift it in others and ourselves, is the simple commitment that opens the heart which closes itself in the presence of fear. The world of tomorrow will be populated by the children of today. How we choose to live our lives, right now, will determine the character, culture, and environm

New website, The Chosen Few May the well of steady wisdom be full and free flowing within you. No long diatribe, this week. Only a simple reflection. At a time when social and economic life are all intertwined around staying informed and relevant cultivating a life that is rooted in universal, timeless, and cosmic truths underlying all aspects of history (human or otherwise) seems arcane. However, through grace or folly I have found myself captivated by the most ancient endea

Dignity, The Boston Tea Party Greetings and salutations earth rider, What do we carry for the whole of our lives? Our success and failures, our hopes, our fears, and all our desires are lost treasures only we ourselves prize and cling to. We can no more carry them into the beyond than our memories of days gone by. Our deeds are washed away by the passing storms and seasons of history. Our names are lost utterances unless kept alive by those who remember us. The flame of our l

Listen, The Equatics Dear reader, may this message find you in good health, with ease of mind and heart. To be human is to be a rough stone smoothed by the river of cause and effect. All of us, in our own way, must pass through all manner of experiences that reveal the basic dignity that lives and moves through all things. The opportunity to enjoy pleasure, to revel in what nourishes us, and to connect with what urges us to stand openly in the presence of the infinite cosmic