Friday, June 19, 2009

Bye bye love...


Saying goodbye over & over
again — not only to people
but to things.

Bye
bye
love,
bye
bye
happiness,
hello lonli-
ness. Think
I
am
go
-ing
2 die.

Click here to see the real song.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Hula Hoops at the Circus


The beautiful woman at the circus
hula hooped so many hoops I co-
uldn't co- unt them.
See here for more info on hula hooping.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Where am I going?


A long day looking
at my life, c'ing
where I've been and w-
here I might go.

? ? ? ? ?

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

How young I was...


Today we
sorted
through 50 years
of Art and un-
derstood EW
(Edward Weston)
saying, "How you-
ng
I
was."

Monday, June 15, 2009

Who Am I?


The third question was, "Who am I?" But a world full of me has its problems.

This was the hardest of the Buddha's questions. I kept wanting to say, "me, dummy," but it didn't work. It made sense. No gender issues. No sentient being issues. But everyone can't be "me." So then I thought I was "it." Then, watching people at the airport and seeing how they are joined by the blackness, I realized that there aren't many its, but only one. So "IT" is in caps. That's who I am — part and parcel of IT (the connection of all things).

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Where are you?


The little
prince was
on top of the
earth. But here
he has created
the earth.

Here

This is another question that the Buddha asked. It was not the most difficult. That will be the next one.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Buddha asked: what time is it?



First priest said Buddha asked three questions.
Then I asked the second priest which question
was the most difficult. He said, "what time is it?"
That's not the one I would have chosen.

Maybe I'll do drawings about the two others — another "time."

Friday, June 12, 2009

Not bad, not good — joined at the hips.


One might think that not bad is good, and not good is bad. But maybe they are the same, or at least, just what they are.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Lost and Found


So we
have
our
granddog
staying with
us & we took
a walk
&
got loss.

But now I'm fo-
und.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Saving all beings...


Dad
From our neighborhood elist: "The boy's father stood on the far edge of the pool and ordered the boy -- about four or five years old -- to walk around the pool and jump off the diving board. When he hit the water, the boy panicked, and he started flailing around, screaming and going under. My son [a conscientious lifeguard] dove in and rescued the hysterical boy and swam him to the side of the pool and helped him out. The father stood several yards away the whole time and never made a move to help or come over. In fact, he got mad at my son for interfering!"

I received this reaction from our neighborhood elist:
"ok, I hate to sound dumb, but...

I don't get the picture, Kim. Is it making fun of the lifeguard for saving the kid? I am trying to figure out what you are trying to say here. Please enlighten us."
The Buddhist priest said that karma is relentless, meaning (to me) that good comes from good and bad from bad, always.

(Note: I was scolded for using the words "good" and "bad: Here is a quote from the Buddha that uses pain and happiness instead: "All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him."

And another quote that speaks to the relentless nature of karma:
"All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.")

I was struck with the ambiguity of the situation. A father with the greatest of intentions, trying to teach in the best way he could, and a lifeguard conscientiously doing his job. I felt some compassion for both (as well as for the kid).

And stepping back, I saw some humor in the situation—both the lifeguard and the father were invested in "saving all beings" and yet were in conflict with one another. William Saroyan would have described this as "the human comedy."

Monday, June 8, 2009

Organ Transplant Service



I've been thinking of getting a full organ transplant ((not the same as the (mislabeled) full organ transplants that are current done)), whereby I'd become a totally different person, perhaps assembled from all the attributes that I envy — more hair on my head, a larger (and more able) brain, the ability to draw like my wife and son can, etc. I'm sure it would never be enough... but instead of a new heart or kidney, why not a new (and faster, better looking, etc.) car (so to speak)?

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Friday, June 5, 2009

Birthday Perspective


Close up, his face was a
menacing terrain. From a
great distance, it was
as smooth as a new
car.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

1000 Feet Koan


He clutched the tree
branch with his teeth.
If he opened his mouth
he'd fall 1000 feet. If
he didn't open it he'd
fail the exam.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

SW Air Critiques Kim's Drawing


I love SW Air. The st-
ewardess loved my
drawing and asked if
my not yet 3 grand-
son had done it.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Continental Divide


I wondered if he wo-
uld miss me, not r-
ealizing how much I
would miss him.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Stuck or 2 Close?


Another iphone drawing above. Generally I work on a Palm Pilot. I'm thinking of getting an iphone next month so I can combine photos and drawing, etc.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Car Wash

We took lit' J. to Lowes
and we met the mon-
ster in the car
wash.


Caught by a security camera.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Zen Lesson #4213A


The priest was concerned
that his drainpipe was le-
aking. Others tried hard to
associate the dharma with
their lives.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Reflections on Talks on Buddha's Lists

During a recent Appamada Intensive our students gave talks on Buddha's lists. Here are my reflections on their talks.