Common Zen

• you have this precious human body in order to serve other living beings
• speak and act as if everything you do is a real pleasure
• concentrate wholeheartedly
• make it a habit to do nice things for people who will never know it was you
• be kind and courteous to anyone who seems frazzled or short-tempered
• love freely, purely
• if at any time something doesn't feel right to you, why not honor your feelings?
• simplicity brings more happiness than complexity
• allow small disappointments to open unexpected doors

Instant Karma, Barbara Ann Kipfer

• learn how to change your state of mind
• give from the heart
• don't cling to the hope that things will turn out a certain way
• live without need and without jealousy
• it is not our preferences that cause problems, but our attachment to them
• allow feelings to come and go
• know what you can control and what you cannot
• everything counts, everyone counts
• listen before you act
• give away something you love to someone you love

Instant Karma, Barbara Ann Kipfer

• see success as something you already have
• refuse challenges to duel
• focus on those values and virtues that you know are important in the long run
• give things away
• explain patiently
• don't agree when you don't
• answers can often be worked out more skillfully when the mind is allowed to become quiet
• phase out activities, habits, relationships that aren't as rewarding as others
• pause for five minutes to pet a purring cat
• pray by breathing

Instant Karma, Barbara Ann Kipfer

• walk a path as quietly as possible
• practice being brave
• listen to other people's stories
• be content to satisfy the basic needs only
• cast compliments, not aspersions
• respect the intelligence and motives of others
• be tender with the young
• offer to pay for someone behind you in line
• turn the other cheek
• make food for others

Instant Karma, Barbara Ann Kipfer

• eliminate the meaningless chatter from your communication
• believe it and then you will see it
• even if you cannot sleep -- rest
• let Furies become Muses
• when you ask people how they are, really listen to the response
• live your own life
• don't seek love, seek all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it
• develop playful reactions to problems
• rescue earthworms on the street after a warm spring rain
• bear an injustice without retaliating

Instant Karma, Barbara Ann Kipfer

• think of time spent waiting as free time
• ask what action you can take to get yourself to your goal
• stop, sit, breathe, listen, look, feel, smell
• act the part and you will become the part
• overlook no opportunity to play and laugh
• be like the mountain in the face of a strong wind, firm and steady
• stop using disposable cups
• be kind to yourself when you have let yourself down
• savor freedom

Instant Karma, Barbara Ann Kipfer

• begin each day saying, "I am awake and grateful to be alive."
• talk about what is bothering you instead of getting angry when others cannot read your mind
• do metta: "May [name] be filled with loving kindness. May [name] be well.  May [name] be peaceful and at ease. May [name] be happy."
• deepen your relationship with nature and find greater contentment
• be modest
• value what you do and do what you value
• never deprive someone of hope
• hunt for new ways to see and create beauty
• do something that will put a smile on your face
• believe the best of everybody

Instant Karma, Barbara Ann Kipfer

• to understand your mind, you must watch it while it is angry, while it desires, while it is in conflict
• keep a journal of the ridiculous things that happen to you
• live a humble life
• trust in your own inherent goodness
• leave spaces in your day to do something spontaneous
• provide direction and vision to others
• help if it is in your power to do so
• your teacher can open the door, but you must enter by yourself
• be aware of the passing of time and yet the timelessness of each moment
• live in gratitude
• learn to be in the world with a quiet mind

Instant Karma, Barbara Ann Kipfer

• make exercise nonnegotiable
• be a nice person
• keep public places clean
• notice a harsh thought and count to ten before reacting or responding
• be grateful for all you have, even if it's not enough
• you only need that which will make your life better and happier, not what will weigh you down
• love is an unselfish attitude, not an attachment
• share with others how important they are to you
• live for something bigger than you

Instant Karma, Barbara Ann Kipfer

"If only I could throw away the urge to trace my patterns in your heart, I could really see you."

~ David Brandon
(Zen in the Art of Helping)

1st: Earthhaven - An Intentional community in Black Rock, NC with internships on learning sustainability design. Different model than what I envision for my own Haven, but its fairly local and established. Interesting.

2nd: An exchange between me and my manicurist, a lovely young Thai woman, over a manicure the day before Easter, 2008:

She:  Why do we celebrate Easter?
Me: Uhhhhh... well??? ~koff~
She:  ~inquisitive look~
Me:  Well, Easter is the day we celebrate Jesus coming back from the dead.
She:  ~nods~
Me: And? its spring time and we're happy about it.
She: ~nods~
She:  Do people who worship Buddha not celebrate Easter?
Me:  well? I think most Buddhists celebrate each day on its own merit.
She:  ~eyes brighten~  oh!
She: Well? do you believe in Jesus or Buddha?
Me:  Both. ~thinks~... yes: both.
She: If someone asked me what I believe, I don't know what I would say.
Me:  You know? Thats okay. You don't have to know. I think its all about being kind.
She: yes! It doesn't matter. Just be good.
Me: yes.
...
...
~one very sincere, very large smile; shared in mirror image on two faces~

I attended another group's sitting meditation last night at a nearby Unitarian Universalist church. Small group. lovely people.

The moderator was a lovely woman named Susan who sat down and explained the proceedings to me before the others arrived. There were just about seven of us in one of the basement rooms. Everyone except Susan and I sat on chairs. She and I sat on cushions on the floor. It was just an hour of silence for us to practice whatever sort of meditation we wanted to in a dimly lit room. Lovely.  Afterwards we each spoke briefly about our experience. I mentioned that my practice is usually between 25 and 30 minutes, so the full hour was a push for me. At about the half-way mark, my mind started to get caught up in the random thoughts passing through, and I wished I had something to keep me present.

No sooner than the thought formed in my head, a pain in my hip started. It wasn't horrific, just a nagging ache, and that gave me an anchor to keep my mind and body present together for the rest of the session. It was very useful.  And? in describing the experience to the group afterwards, there were knowing chuckles and nodding heads.   It was good and I intend to go back. There is a guided meditation and dharma talk tonight in the lower chapel that I'd like to attend at the same church. We will see how the day progresses as to whether I make it out of the office in time. If I end up running late, I still may be able to make it to the other group I went to two weeks ago with the walking meditation.  That's just right around the corner ---> that way.

I have an embarrassment of riches.

Our true nature does not develop, nor is it acquired over time. It always ~is~.

Waking up is a process of stripping away everything *else* to reveal what has always been.

Our true nature is one of love, generosity and equanimity.

There is no separation between "us" and everything "not-us." 

or those of you who gave me heart-felt advice on how to deal with my aforementioned struggle to remain open to those important people in my life expressing anger over my changing routines ~ thank you. Thank you very much for your concern and love. It means so very much to me.

This morning while sitting, I think the path of skillful response began to be revealed as I was inspired by another excellent Drinking Gourd podcast:  I will give my practice away.

We all operate from the place of wanting to be happy. We all want to be peaceful. There is a certain serenity that found only when one can slow down the mind and focus on the present moment (whether by intentional meditation or general mindfulness)... but that ~awareness~ is hard to come by in the rush of everyday life. We suffer because we want things to be different than they ~are~ .

So:  since I have been blessed in my life to have the chance to experience the serenity and peace that comes from intentional mindfulness?  I will give that peace away to those who would benefit from it. I give it to you. May you be happy and at peace.  May you be serene and content. May you be without fear or suffering. 

Namaste my beloveds.

"Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn't anyone who doesn't appreciate kindness and compassion."

~His Holiness the Dalai Lama

When my good friend Cait died, I was gripped with the sense that time was slipping away from me; that there was no time to lose; that there were things I ~had~ to do, right now, right away or else I too would run out of time.

I panicked about all the things that demanded my attention.
I lost my peace and I lost my mind.


But? somewhere along the line, someone wise said something that sunk through all that frenetic panic I was experiencing.

If it is true that there is only so much time in my life left (which is A Truth);  then speeding up to accomplish everything I think I need to do?  will only bring the end faster.

Like in the Matrix, the key is ~slowing down~ (enough to see the bullets coming towards you) and experiencing every moment mindfully.

In this way? the time we have left expands. There is a spaciousness there where panic and frantic clinging is no longer necessary.

There is plenty of time, and it will all get done... but the key is not to spend all your focus on worrying about the future and how things will be, but to refocus on the here and now and let the moment grow to give you all the time you need.


but  yeah. I'd still do Lawrence Fishburne in that black trenchcoat.

wow.

the thing is? when walking the path (ANY path)  the tests will keep repeating until you can find the skillful way to respond.

deja vu, man.

well.... by now I should know what NOT to do. 

Let's see if I can make it down this set of rapids again without going ass-over-oars.

~deep breath~

last night was my first time attending the local mindful meditation group.

While there wasn't the dharma talk I thought there would be, I did get to experience walking meditation for the first time.  I had quite a bit of anxiety about trying moving meditation as I am fairly new at zazen, so I didn't think I could advance to more complicated forms. But? as is the way, things just ~are~, and we have the choice how we react.

My MonkeyMind?  well, it was walking right along with me.

Of the fifteen minutes of zazen I did this morning, I think I had about three breaths where my mind wasn't chattering away.
i think thats about the longest I've ever experienced.

of course, the goal is not to get the brain to shut up, because hey: it won't. that's its nature.
the "goal", if there is such a thing... is to not get caught in those thoughts. To let them arise (as they WILL do), acknowledge them, then let them go, without getting drawn into the story they want to tell.

so, yeah: about three breaths worth.
I'm getting more skilled.

slowly.

during this morning's meditation, my girlcat tested my zen by standing in front of the altar and swishing her tail back and forth over the candle burning there.




i passed the test.

heh.

"... you should cultivate love or loving-kindness, which is traditionally defined as the wish to see others enjoy happiness, and then you also develop compassion, which is the wish for others to be free of suffering. Love and compassion are two sides of the same coin."

~His Holiness, The Dalai Lama, Little Book of Wisdom



I realized the other day that I think that for right now? I am not able to sit in a jury in judgment of another human being.  Not if it was my role to define actions as good or bad.

This troubles me.

Somewhere there is a line of difference between "judgment" and "discernment", but I'm not sure if I know where that line is.
Is it the right thing to feel compassion for the person, and discernment against the harmful action they may take?  Is that a coward's way of hedging bets?  Is the murder separate from the murderer? the rape separate from the rapist? Do those people, by their actions, remove themselves from being worthy of compassion?  I.... I just don't think so.

Whatever ~they~ are, I am too. Whatever is conceivable out there in the world is also inside me. There is no difference between the two, there is no "two".  I cannot point a finger outwards without having it point squarely back at me, because those two things are not separate.

I can be discerning with the wheres and whos and hows I spend my time, but for now? I am not skillful enough to sit in judgment. I may never be.

Sangha is the word for a practicing community in the Buddhist tradition.  I suppose you could call it a "congregation."

I have repeatedly heard from various teachers that there is value in a student finding their sangha in order to be around people walking a similar path -  both for support and for the increased resonance from sitting together with people with similar intent.   And now? after several years of solitary fumblings, I think it is time for me to find my own sangha. I am coming to a place in my own study where I believe I would benefit from a formal teacher-student relationship.  

I have offered my gratitude for his or her arrival already, as I am sure he or she will appear soon.  For now, I will wait without expectation.  and practice.

So I have been cycling through this argument in my head about attachment and craving. Well, perhaps "argument" is giving it more power than it deserves.  I'm having a ~discussion~ with myself over this.

I have experienced the peace and the joy and the sense of ~space~ that comes from releasing craving for things and people and outcomes. I understand that things are exactly as they should be right now. right here.  I get that.

I also understand that I will continue to have thoughts and emotional reactions to things that will be based on craving and desire and grasping, but just like any other thought, I can learn to not be caught up in it. I can let it pass over and through me and maintain my equilibrium so that I can be of greatest benefit to the world. I see the rightness of that too.

I like to use something I saw while watching the show "Lost".  In it, the main character is chased by a huge unseen terrifying demon/monster/boogeyman through the jungle. He is running for his life and scared to absolute DEATH.  He is eventually cornered in a tangle of mangrove trees and the thing (whatever it is) is circling just outside.   His solution?  to be absolutely, completely ~present~ in the fear and terror... but only for five seconds.  So he counts: One... Two.... Three.... Four.... Five.

and then? he lets the fear go. He lets the terror go. Those emotions and those reactions are no longer useful. There is nothing else he can do while trapped in that snarl of roots. The monster is there, and so is he, and this is how it is.  So once he has surrendered to that fear and experienced it fully, he lets it go.

Its no surprise that the Boogey Monster disappears almost immediately afterwards.

Perhaps thats just a construct of Hollywood writers and a stranger-than-life plotline, but I have still found the practice helpful to me.

When it comes to being yanked around by emotional cravings towards people and situations and outcomes, I feel like my practice has really strengthened me over the years. I feel freer than I ever have been when it comes to lust towards attractive people.

But, as is the way with so many other things in the world, each time we believe we fully "get" the lesson, we learn we have more lessons to go.

I will use the methods of "surrendering to the feeling" of lust and craving for five delicious seconds, and then I will let it go.

"In a sense we could say that the practice of generating and cultivating the altruistic intention is so comprehensive that it contains the essential elements of all other spiritual practices."

~His Holiness, The Dalai Lama, Little Book of Wisdom

"Tomorrow will be the most beautiful day of Raymond K. Hessel's life. His breakfast will taste better than any meal you and I have ever tasted."

Tyler Durden, Fight Club

"We have to make a sustained effort, again and again, to cultivate the positive aspects within us, and the key here is constant familiarity. The nature of human thoughts and emotions is such that the more you engage in them, the more you develop them, the more powerful they become. Therefore we have to develop love and compassion consciously in order to enhance their strength. We are, in fact, talking about a way of cultivating habits that are positive. We do this through meditation."

~His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Little Book of Wisdom

"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. "

~ His Holiness, The Dalai Lama

"True compassion does not come from wanting to help those less fortunate than ourselves but from realizing our kinship with all beings."

~Pema Chodron, Start Where You Are

The simple. The profound.

Be Kind.

To Whom? to everyone.
Where? everywhere.
How? By giving
Why? We are One.

The Buddha’s Last Instruction “Make of yourself a light,”
said the Buddha,
before he died.
I think of this every morning
as the east begins
to tear off its many clouds
of darkness, to send up the first
signal – a white fan
streaked with pink and violet,
even green.
An old man, he lay down
between two sala trees,
and he might have said anything,
knowing it was his final hour.
The light burns upward,
it thickens and settles over the fields.
Around him, the villagers gathered
and stretched forward to listen.
Even before the sun itself
hangs, disattached, in the blue air,
I am touched everywhere
by its ocean of yellow waves.
No doubt he thought of everything
that had happened in his difficult life.
And then I feel the sun itself
as it blazes over the hills,
like a million flowers on fire –
clearly I’m not needed,
yet I feel myself turning
into something of inexplicable value.
Slowly, beneath the branches,
he raised his head.
He looked into the faces of that frightened crowd. ~ Mary Oliver ~

The path is one of practice; one of conscious choice to make this a priority. Its not something for just Sundays or the five minutes a day spent meditating… but actively seeing the world as a series of opportunities to be present and mindful, to be unified with all beings, and to be compassionate and loving to all beings.

I have found that my path is no path in particular. There are practices and images and concepts from many different traditions. I choose those that resonate and are helpful for me in my discipline, just as you should. There is no right way to practice kindness, the rightness comes FROM the practice.

We are all enlightened beings, in various stages of awakeness. We can all make a difference in the world outside as we learn to awaken on the inside. The change we feel as our eyes slowly open can be brought to the benefit of the entire world.