quotes

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Zen Suchness

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Ah, the zen of it. Wherein there seems to be a reflection on everything, if not an actual doing that works. If one applies it—the teaching, the spirit of it, the intention, and on into the practice. What we live, what we do with our intention—the meditating, the meta, and the works—all become our practice. And on with the flow of it. And, as is my own special way, the fall off the Path and the Practice. Distracted by life.

What needs be overcome? For me it is always Lazy. Lazy & lack of Discipline. Maybe they are the same? Finding this, the KAIZEN posted in Lion’s Roar struck a cord of harmony. This seems so easy to practice, how can I not? I like easy. So here we go:

Japanese Suchness—to overcome laziness & to cultivate discipline. Kaizen. One minute, same time everyday. Do same thing for one minute. Kai=change; zen=good.

That’s all, that’s it. One minute everyday. Pick the time and do something, even standing or sitting. Anything. It’s the discipline of same time, same thing. I for one am going to give it a try. I’ll stand for a minute every morning at the same time and watch my breath, in and out. Suchness.

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Today’s Birthday

Again late, my friends. Apparently I am only able to acknowledge birthdays a day past. Nonetheless, here it is.

Gary Snyder…sometimes called the poet of the earth. Some of his poems transcend, may cause an altered state. A caution might precede the poetry: warning, may cause thinking, even loving.

Beat hero, steward of the earth, Zen Buddhist—in his mid-eighties, poet Gary Snyder looks back on an honorable life at the leading edge.

Gary Snyder. Photo by Festival of Faiths.

Gary Snyder. Photo by Festival of Faiths. In Lion’s Roar Buddhist Magazine

I want to share a GS poem with you. Here’s one.

My home was at Cold Mountain from the start,
Rambling among the hills, far from trouble.

Gone, and a million things leave no trace
Loosed, and it flows through the galaxies
A fountain of light, into the very mind—
Not a thing, and yet it appears before me;
Now I know the pearl of the Buddha-nature
Know its use: a boundless perfect sphere.

 

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Depression

It’s not always what it seems, this depression thing. It’s a matter of yes but then you’re not talking about what is called “clinical depression,” or the big D. Lao is the man, as is Buddha, as is the Tao for the get-up-in-the-morning-and-sing variety of depression.

But the decent into the Great Blackness—which is a very different color of Black—that’s something else entirely. When your mind takes hold of itself into a grip with an iron fist that repeats words and phrases and threats and obscenities that are more than a word like Torture can convey, that’s Depression. Imagine buried alive in a coffin of darkness. Imagine a jail filled with horrors beyond Bosch. When the only way out is to silence the thought-hell entirely, that’s Depression.

Whatever. When not there you do not want to conjure it. It’s the film-flam of the Devil. So until then, Lao Tzu will do. Until then, this works.

quantamWorld

Posted by Quantum World 

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The Library

Isn’t there something magical about photos of books and home libraries? It’s especially wonderful when the books have their very own room. Yes, “A Room of One’s Own”—for books. But then, it’s always books, books, books…Living there within the scent and tenor of the things themselves.

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Room With A View Post

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Happiness is…

Happiness is a good book review! A book review was posted by  Reader Views Michel Violante on Goodreads. Mar 19, 2017 Reader Views rated it amazing. 

After giving some plot details as a lead in, Michael had this to say. “L. E. Hansen presents readers with a well-written, page-turning mystery which I found difficult to put down. The colorful setting and characters are as genuine, likeable, and entertaining as the narrator himself is. The plot is intriguing and filled with twists, which felt like a cat and mouse game between reader and author. I definitely enjoyed the plot, well-developed unique characters, and even the narrator’s voice. I don’t know if this is Hansen’s first mystery, but will look into it and follow her for more!

“The Fat Man” by L. E. Hansen is a ‘must read’ mystery, certain to add fans to this author’s followers list. I recommend it as a Five-Star read to all mystery lovers for sure!”

Love love love. Several other readers have put the novel on their “to be read” list.