'tween him thumbs...

He held a piece
of paper 'tween
his thumbs gently.

Discovering Emptiness in a Spinning Top

When I looked at th-
e spinning top the w-
ords became concent-
ric circles.

The Wednesday night reading group has been reading Nagarjuna's "The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way" for a while now. We are just getting into the best part. And it is no more difficult than figuring out a child's top that you spin with your forefinger and thumb. Here's why:

Last night we talked about how emptiness is not the same as believing in nothing (nihilism). And that emptiness means "no abiding self," or in the case of a child's top (which wasn't mentioned), no essence.

Barbara was quick to say that hearing these ideas and practicing with them are very different. So today I went to the Blanton Art Museum and the Ramsen center to practice (shirking my volunteer duties to AZC).

First I ate in the Blanton's new cafeteria. I don't like to see art with my stomach growling. Then to the museum store where I found a child's top. It had words printed on a flat round disk. I spun it and voila, the words turned into concentric circles. That proved it, I though. In one spin I saw how foolish both Nagarjuna and Barbara were. It was obvious that the essence was the top standing still (with words), and when moving, is just appeared different (with concentric circles). I was satisfied that my mission was accomplished, and left the store (I though it was too expensive to buy the top that had disproved emptiness at $3.26).

Walking out to the street, I started thinking about a hypothetical top that is attached to an electric motor. The normal state (essence) of that top would be the concentric circles, and seeing the words would be just an abnormal view of the top. But suppose that one day the motor dies and the top comes to a stop. Then has its essence changed (a contradiction for if essence changes then it is not essence)? Then my mind went to the earth, which spins and rotates as if there was no tomorrow. What is the essence of that (a spherical object in motion?). I started to doubt the validity of my "there is an essence" argument.

A minute later, as I went outside, I saw an old truck with scratches, dents and faded paint. So what was this truck's essence, it if had one? Was it the way it was yesterday, the way it is now, or the way it will be tomorrow? Suddenly essence disappeared and Nagarjuna (and Barbara) made more sense.

Nagarjuna wrote,

For him to whom emptiness is clear,
Everything becomes clear.
For him to whom emptiness is not clear,
Nothing becomes clear.

Please come and help us sort out the thinking of this 2nd century Buddhist saint. Find out why he is thought of by some to be the next (2nd or 8th?) Buddha.

Sleeping Samurai

I sat quietly imaging
that I was a sam-
urai sleeping and
fully awake.

8 Sheets of Paper

As tense as I was I co-
uld ^hold 8 sheets of paper
ever so gently.

Holding Paper

So today I tried
to hold the
paper without
touching it.

Most
of the
time I was
too relaxed or ^stressed.

Faceless from Afar

We are faceless from
afar, but powerful neve-
rtheless as we con-
gregate.

A friend sent this picture from China today:
That and the Buddhist concept of sangha inspired my drawing.

Another Sheet of Paper

Lost in Cyber

Forget to meet some1
and feel terrible. Being
human is no excuse.

He touched his hands...

He
touched
his hands
so a piece of paper
could slip 'tween.

Lost Dog

The dog came back
2 a coat she left
in the forest.

Once Upon A Time... (once again)

So as I was saying,
"Once upon a TIME..."

Once Upon A Time...Again

So as I was saying,
"Once upon a time..."

Once Upon A Time...

So as I was saying,
"Once upon a time..."

...your mother's face.

Walk on the earth as
if it is your mother's
face.

Gently.

Smooth, Slithery, Smooshy, Shining, Spiriling, Speeding

TIMES are smooth, slithery, smooshy, shining, spiraling, speeding things.

Well As Well Can Be I Am

Is a TIME a speeding... (version 2)

Is a TIME a speeding thing
that you will ride upon?

Is a TIME a speeding...

Is a TIME a speeding thing
that you will ride upon?

Is a TIME a spiraling...

Is a TIME a spiraling thing
that you may climb upon?

Birthday Dinner Drawing

At my daughter's and her boyfriend's birthday dinner, I got to do my first iphone drawing on his iphone.

Is a Time a shining thing...

Is a TIME a shining thing
that every night, you wish upon?

Magic Wand

Moo n

TIME

Is a TIME a smooshy thing...

Is a TIME a shooshy thing
that you can rest your head upon?

Once Upon A Time...

Once Upon A Time...

Is a TIME a slithery thing...

Is a TIME a slithery thing
that you would never step upon?

Is a TIME a flat...

Is a TIME a flat, smooth thing
that you have put your cup upon?

Upon a Time

Once upon a Time...



What's that, you ask?
"What is a TIME?"

He was blind . . .

He was blind & then
he could see but w-
hat did it all mean?

Passage of Time (NOT)

Some say that time passes
though I spent a lot of
time in school looking out the
window & never saw time
passing [n]or even time stan-
ding still.

?????

No Nus

No nus is good n-
us. That has got to
be as stupid of an
aphorism as they com.

No nu

N O T

Mouse Trap

Now we wait 4 the big
rat trap to go off in
the attic.

How will he like
fine Trader Joe's
peanut butter?

April 20th: Checked the trap and found it ratless.