Tonight I receive news that a friend has had a serious accident. The information is sketchy --- how? why? So much is unknown. Yet he is alive. There are waves of emotion, then I forget, or they subside. Then I feel something else, and something else, and something else. How must it be for his [...]
It's Wednesday, late afternoon, a balmy day in the city easing to its end. Ran some errands and then had lunch in the neighborhood with an old dharma sister/friend. The grilled salmon was nice and the miso soup, too. We checked in with each other, laughed, listened, shared our differences. Each then went her way, [...]
Off to Portugal on a fine, spring-like morning. The cat is sick; I don't like leaving her. Bag is packed. Can't think of any book to take except a very old translation and commentary of two classic Buddhist texts. Not sure I'll read it. Not sure of anything. Only that now I must stand and [...]
Haven't seen the days go by. Haven't seen myself go by. Surprised by the light lingering longer tonight as evening settled in. Curious about the words that I typed out all day. And also the words here: What course will they follow? Where will they fall? And how? And who? I'll never, never know. Ah, [...]
...After a day of newspaper work, I come home full of so much bureaucracy, theory, policy-making, applied tactical warfare... More NATO troops heading for Afghanistan so that they can all come home. Imposed "democratic" elections in Iraq, where there is ever-more sectarian violence. Science proving this or that, studying the effects of meditation on the [...]
A heightened level of diverse activity in my life of late has made for changed patterns of my daily doings. Like heavy rain swelling a river that then has its course altered or spills over its banks. I have not been able to hold to habitual ways and expectations, as everything is in flux. Writing [...]
What comes to mind tonight is, "I don't know what to say." Then again, that is always what comes to mind if I am honest, if I don't grab hold of "I know what to say." Floating around, then, is a semblance of an answer to a perpetual question about the first Bodhisattava vow ("Sentient [...]
Flip through the morning newspaper. Among the headlines and blurbs and briefs and spreads of type, little catches my attention for more than a minute or so. They say journalism is a rough draft of history. I take in the information - jihads, creditors, deficits, bans, inquiries, rulings, findings, pronouncements, victories, defeats - and turn [...]
Already Thursday. I know by the clock and calendar that the week, the month, the evening are advancing, but I can neither catch nor describe their ceaseless movement. It is without measure, a constant, magnificent flight neither to nor from anywhere. Meanwhile. I exchange electronic fragments with friends and acquaintances on four continents. I walk [...]
So Tiger Woods has repented and promises to become "normal," like everyone else. Wonder what that means. He also vows to return to his Buddhist roots. Wonder what that means, too. And of course, we can wonder why we care. Whatever else, maybe this whole story provides a glimpse for some into the toxic illusions [...]