It Is I

The practice of all the bodhisattvas is never to speak ill
Of others who have embarked upon the greater vehicle,
For if, under the influence of destructive emotions,
I speak of other bodhisattvas’ failings, it is I who am at fault.

~Gyelse Tokme Zangpo (1295-1369) (via)

What You Need

“What you need will come to you if you do not ask for what you do not need.”  ~Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj (via)

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"The bare necessities of life will come to you."  ~Baloo

And it's a lonely world, I know…

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I stayed awake most of last night worrying.

There should be a word for the worries that plague a person at night but dissipate, like a murder of crows, when the sun comes up.

I worry about being the last one left.  This is just such a strange world, new souls coming in and old souls popping out; it's like being stranded in Grand Central Station.

I suppose the best strategy would be to enjoy the presence of whoever shares your bench without becoming too attached to either them or the bench.

That's especially difficult at two in the morning.  It's hard to think of your life as a bench that empties, one by one, until you're the only one left, staring at your ticket.

It's a little easier when the sun is up and the flowers are blooming, when the sparrows are hopping around under the feeder,  fragrant incense is burning on the mantle, a warm cup of coffee is in your hand.

But just a little.

Full lyrics HERE.

Hang Tight.

"You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."  ~Jesus (John 13:7)

Understand

"To understand music, you must listen to it. But so long as you are thinking, 'I am listening to this music,' you are not listening."  ~Alan Watts

Anchored

Excerpted from Invitation to Meditation by Howard Cohn, © 2006:

In reality, you never leave the present moment. You're always here. You're never not here. You only imagine that you leave the present moment.

You are anchored to the present moment in three different ways. One, by your body, which contains the five senses. Whenever you feel as if you've slipped away from the present moment, allow each of the senses to reconnect with your immediate surroundings. Allow yourself to be immersed in the sights, textures, sounds, scents, and tastes of the present moment. As you do so-- again, by simply noticing-- you are aware that you are alive in the present moment.

Two, you are anchored here by your breath. With each inhale, and with each exhale, you sink more deeply into the present moment. Inhaling, you expand. Exhaling, you release. Inhaling, you experience the breath. Exhaling, you let it go. Inhaling, you settle into the body's natural stillness. Exhaling, you gently harmonize your body and mind. Inhaling and exhaling, you are aware that you are alive in the present moment.

Three, you are anchored here by your awareness of your thoughts. Notice them as you would notice the sights and sounds around you. Notice them as you would notice a cloud passing through the sky. Notice that certain emotions may arise with certain thoughts. Don't stop them. Don't be afraid of them. Don't react to them. Just notice them. Let them come and go like changing weather patterns. And in doing so, may you realize that they are just thoughts and emotions-- nothing more. And in doing so, may you realize that you are still here-- still anchored in the present moment.

Optimism

As Political an Act

"Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. And once you’ve seen it, keeping quiet, saying nothing, becomes as political an act as speaking out. There’s no innocence; either way, you’re accountable."  ~Arundhati Roy

Other People's Property

"Out of the blue someone I hadn’t heard from in two decades wrote me an email. It was a long letter mostly detailing what they had been doing in the ensuing years. Then they reminisced about the last time we saw each other way back when. I didn’t remember the event at all, but they did in detail. The gist of it was we were crossing a busy street together when a dog ran out in front of us and was hit square on by a speeding car. The impact was so great it spun the large dog round and round like a top. I had forgotten this completely and only after reading their description did I have one of those 'Oh yeah, I remember that!' moments.

"It led me to wonder how much else of my life have I forgotten—lost— but other people still possess because they remember. There are so many things happening to us along the way that we forgot. But someone often does remember them, as we remember things about others that they have forgotten. Isn’t it strange that events in our lives— OUR lives—belong to those others now? Unless we see or talk to these people, we will lose these things forever. Yet even without us, those events live on in the lives and minds of people we often forget or never see again. Our lives on their hard drives…"  ~Jonathan Carroll (via)

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Apparently I am the type of person who buys a xylophone on impulse.  Until yesterday, I did not know that about myself.

In a not unrelated aside, the happy little song posted above is one of the few Fats Domino's songs that does not feature the piano.  It features the xylophone- and my wife Mona has already learned to play the solo.  :D

Courtesy

There is a Japanese monster Betobeto-San, which follows behind people at night making the sound of footsteps. It is not dangerous, and can be escaped simply by standing to the side and saying “After you, Betobeto-san.” (via)

See If

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."  ~Psalm 139: 23-24

You want it darker.

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Listening to this, it felt like I was sitting directly across from him having an intense, somewhat frightening conversation.

I am just completely blown away.

Full lyrics HERE.

Worst. Year. Ever.

The essay below was written by Jef Mallet, creator of the comic strip Frazz:

I’m hearing a certain amount of chatter about how bad 2016 was. I may even be participating in it at times. But after a while, the complaining comes off a little spoiled and amnesic, like when people howl about gas prices going up 20 cents while forgetting how recently they dropped by two dollars. But I’m fine with that. I have to be. I participated in it.

I’m a little more concerned about the worst-year-ever talk. For some folks, on a personal level, hell, yes. I lost some very good friends this year; I can’t imagine the pain of people even closer to them, but I can easily imagine this being their worst year ever. And I’m sorry. So sorry.

But in the wider picture, especially if you remove anticipatory or imagined badness — i.e., fear and worry — I don’t know, it’s just hard for me to picture someone in 14th-century, plague-ravaged Europe looking at 2016 in some kind of time machine and thinking, “well, at least I won’t have to go through that shit.”

I’m not naive — quoting Todd Snider yet again, I was born yesterday but I was up all night — and I’m well aware we as a species haven’t been on our best behavior this year. We’ve made some decisions and continued some neglect that could make for very dicey future years indeed. But we did a few things very well, too, even nobly. And tonight, I’m not even going to look at the whole burnt slice. I’m tossing away the charred bits and enjoying every bit of the warm, chewy, yeasty crumb. Tomorrow I’ll adjust the finicky knob on the Sunbeam and try again.

Parachutes

"Just because nobody complains doesn’t mean all parachutes are perfect."  ~Benny Hill