Life and death, as my teacher used to point out, are just different names for different states. These are not permanent states. If we have to give it a name, Life with a capital "L" is the basic reality. Ours is not an inert universe, it's an alive universe; so what we call birth and death are just temporary states, temporary transformations, names for our true self at one time, and in one situation.
– Philip Kapleau Roshi, "Life with a Capital "L": An interview with Philip Kapleau Roshi"
Friday, October 14, 2011
Most of the time I get to think about anything that is not a perceived urgency is when I am waiting for a bus. It is almost a time of meditation for me. Today the clouds were moody in the way Joni Mitchell described them in a song on the work Hejira. Let me look up that lyric quickly.
Ah I couldn’t grab the lyric but here is the link.
Today I was thinking about just the ritual of life, the cycles that nature imposes on us. Day falls into day. Bus ride follows bus ride. Work is what work is. Existence does not allow for easy enlightenment. It takes work, it takes practice. To transform what we do with this “L”ife we have to work at freeing ourselves from the easy capture of our minds/our souls in ritual. Just saying.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Don't Let This Beautiful Day Slip Away
I have reached that point in life where glorious perfect days seem a thing of the past. My memory will hold onto a few for a time and then they will be gone.
Imperfection surrounds me, at home, at work, in my public service. In the past couple of days I have been dealing with the skullduggery of the political world I haven chosen to inhabit. In the background I have been hearing a conversation somewhat akin to Bill Clinton and the mother of all political parsing, “ it depends on what the meaning of is is”. Also I have been sorting out/motivating a child to sort out an E in Geometry. What happened to F? I liked F. Got a few of ‘em, those bad boys were drawn in red Faber pencil and they were motivators to me. My feet hurt. My brother is in recovery from cancer surgery still. An uncle I like is in hospice. In reality I think all the perfect days are gone.
But it is okay. Jimmie Dale Gilmore summed up what I feel most days as I awaken. No matter what has occurred or will occur I will accept it eventually.
Tell me now that you know how to greet the dawn each day.
Fearless and unfettered, stand before the sun and pray.
There's no controversy, let silence judge your plea
For justice or for mercy, they both will set you free.
It's a braver, newer world you've found,
Rolling 'round and 'round and 'round and 'round
It's a braver, newer world you've found.
Show me know that you know how to play the winning game.
Laughing 'til the sky stands still with neither praise nor blame.
There's still time for heaven, though we're already there.
The daily bread will leaven all hope, all pain, all care.
Jimmie Dale Gilmore appears from what I can to be a Buddhist influenced cowboy singer. While his stuff is hit and miss for me, when it hits it is really awesome. This song every single time I play it takes me to a different far calmer place than the one I occupy before I sit back and listen to it. It is that last lyric that rings so true. The perfect days may be gone but there is still time for a kind of heaven with acceptance.
Imperfection surrounds me, at home, at work, in my public service. In the past couple of days I have been dealing with the skullduggery of the political world I haven chosen to inhabit. In the background I have been hearing a conversation somewhat akin to Bill Clinton and the mother of all political parsing, “ it depends on what the meaning of is is”. Also I have been sorting out/motivating a child to sort out an E in Geometry. What happened to F? I liked F. Got a few of ‘em, those bad boys were drawn in red Faber pencil and they were motivators to me. My feet hurt. My brother is in recovery from cancer surgery still. An uncle I like is in hospice. In reality I think all the perfect days are gone.
But it is okay. Jimmie Dale Gilmore summed up what I feel most days as I awaken. No matter what has occurred or will occur I will accept it eventually.
Tell me now that you know how to greet the dawn each day.
Fearless and unfettered, stand before the sun and pray.
There's no controversy, let silence judge your plea
For justice or for mercy, they both will set you free.
It's a braver, newer world you've found,
Rolling 'round and 'round and 'round and 'round
It's a braver, newer world you've found.
Show me know that you know how to play the winning game.
Laughing 'til the sky stands still with neither praise nor blame.
There's still time for heaven, though we're already there.
The daily bread will leaven all hope, all pain, all care.
Jimmie Dale Gilmore appears from what I can to be a Buddhist influenced cowboy singer. While his stuff is hit and miss for me, when it hits it is really awesome. This song every single time I play it takes me to a different far calmer place than the one I occupy before I sit back and listen to it. It is that last lyric that rings so true. The perfect days may be gone but there is still time for a kind of heaven with acceptance.
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