Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Why We Accumulate????
So we got a 24' ft
truckl & it is loaded
to the gills. I still
don't understand how ho-
w and why we accu-
mulate.
201 am
It is 201 am and we now need to finish packing my studio. Finally the basement is done...I think the whole house is done.
After spending a year going through my art, I discovered much... mostly that I need to put it all aside (or in the trash) and start anew.
After spending a year going through my art, I discovered much... mostly that I need to put it all aside (or in the trash) and start anew.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
F-- (How Bad I Was.)
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Del's Chair
Saturday, June 20, 2009
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.
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.
hula hooped so many hoops I co-
uldn't co- unt them.
See here for more info on hula hooping.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
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?
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Buddha asked: what time is it?
Friday, June 12, 2009
Not bad, not good — joined at the hips.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
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...The Buddhist priest said that karma is relentless, meaning (to me) that good comes from good and bad from bad, always.
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."
(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)?
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
1000 Feet Koan
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
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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.
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Rhinoceros Fan (an infamous koan) One day Yanguan called to his attendant, "Bring me the rhinoceros fan." The attendant said, ...