Podcasts from Manzanita Village and Five Changes
The brighted the light the darker the shadows. Western culture projects fantasies on the real and imagined world.Vampires, Human Sacrifice, Martyrdom
The simple truth is more along the lines of our longing for connection with the life of the world that we have so alienated ourselves from.
A short talk by Caitriona Reed
A solstice meditation on the cycles of life. inter-connection, and love.
By Michele Benzamin-Miki – with our dog Bashu – doing some heavy breathing at the window tat the end of the recording, (in case you wondered what that sound was)..
The pattern printed in my breathing here
Has not been seen before.
Let the moment’s condensation vanish without trace:
The cherished pattern no one can efface. Osip Mandelstam
In Buddhist teaching impermanence (anicca) is one of the three universal characteristics, sometimes referred to as the Three Marks of Existence, along with no-self (anata) and suffering (dukkha).
It is important to remember that the Buddha emphasized practical tools for change, and steered away from metaphysics and theoretical speculation. “I teach one thing.” he said, “suffering and freedom from suffering.” In addition, he recommended that we question and test received beliefs and teachings—including the ones that came from him.
In the West, however, we are not used to challenging beliefs, especially in a religious context. Despite many signs to the contrary, we have a deeply conformist tendency. Challenging authority is still associated with heresy. So teachings that are intended as practical instructions become inadvertently turned into fixed principles.
This distinction may seem subtle, but it is an important one. It is not hard to understand that everything does indeed change, and that everything is impermanent. But when you turn Impermanence into a fixed principle you limit your ability to actually assess your experience of impermanence, and you miss some important distinctions.
The article from which this is taken can be found at
http://www.sweepingzen.com/Article_by_Caitriona_Reed.html
The pattern printed in my breathing here
Has not been seen before.
Let the moment’s condensation vanish without trace:
The cherished pattern no one can efface.
Osip Mandelstam
In Buddhist teaching impermanence (anicca) is one of the three universal characteristics, sometimes referred to as the Three Marks of Existence, along with no-self (anata) and suffering (dukkha).
It is important to remember that the Buddha emphasized practical tools for change, and steered away from metaphysics and theoretical speculation. “I teach one thing.” he said, “suffering and freedom from suffering.” In addition, he recommended that we question and test received beliefs and teachings—including the ones that came from him.
In the West, however, we are not used to challenging beliefs, especially in a religious context. Despite many signs to the contrary, we have a deeply conformist tendency. Challenging authority is still associated with heresy. So teachings that are intended as practical instructions become inadvertently turned into fixed principles.
This distinction may seem subtle, but it is an important one. It is not hard to understand that everything does indeed change, and that everything is impermanent. But when you turn Impermanence into a fixed principle you limit your ability to actually assess your experience of impermanence, and you miss some important distinctions.
Sunday Dharma Talk Part 2 November 23rd, 2008
Meditation Talk. The silence of the owl and the speed of coyote and deer. Nopvember 23.
Sunday Dharma Talk Part 1 November 23rd, 2008
The story of the governor of Kyoto, of the horse who showed the way, and how it’s impossible to sustain negative emotional states in Expanded Awareness.
Click to see a video of this post on YouTube
We can become very distracted in this busy, complicated life that we lead. There is so much to do, but it is necessary to maintain focus so that we can filter out what distracts us. By maintaining focus, we can be on purpose and be deliberate in our lives as well as choose and set priorities.
Focus is very simple. It means simply being in this moment – being present.
The mind is capable of holding onto many things, but at any given moment, it is actually only focusing on one thing. Focus can be so broad that the one thing is actually a collection of many things, but those many things become one complex system. Continue reading ‘How Can I Maintain Focus?’
Click to see a video of this post on YouTube
I choose to imagine that everything that happens to me is based on a decision that I made in the past. I don’t choose to believe this because it is inherently true. It is not a metaphysical filter through which I interpret the world. Rather, it is a practical way of making myself more accountable.
Another way of phrasing this is by asking, “What can we learn from this?” There is a tendency within new age constructive thought that has been simplified and turned into a rigid framework to blame the victim.
To say, “Well, it’s your fault if you’re ill,” or “It’s your fault you were abused as a child,” doesn’t make sense or empower anyone. Turning from effect to cause is not about blame. There are times when this is not possible because the damage, wound, trauma, or shock is too great.
A more appropriate question to ask is, “How can I move from here and be stronger?” Continue reading ‘How Can I Turn From Effect to Cause?’
