Paddy Parties?

Saint Patrick's Day is a Catholic "Holy Obligation Day"-- a Solemnity of the Roman Catholic Church is a principal holy day in the liturgical calendar. The Catholic Code of Canon Law states:

On holy days of obligation, the faithful are obliged to participate in the Mass.

I may be of Irish ancestry, but I am not Catholic, so this day really has no particular significance to me, right?

Then how did this come to be such a goofy "Kiss Me I'm Irish" parade/party, shamrock-wearing, drinking-green-beer day? I guess the same way Easter has been co-opted by bunnies and egg hunts, or Christmas (which really is a mid-winter Pagan celebration) is more about decorating trees and gift-giving, than a religious observance.

I'm glad that most people don't know about our major Tibetan Buddhist holidays, like Losar, Saga Dawa Düchen (aka Wesak), Chokhor, or Lha Bab Düchen. Would they don some colorful Tibetan costumes and mock all the rituals? Acting foolish on Buddhist "holy" days could cause some karma, since in the Tibetan tradition all actions are amplified by TEN MILLION times on those days! GADZ ;)

So today I'll pass on the McD's shamrock shake, reflect a bit on poor Patrick, who was actually from Wales then captured and tortured by Irish raiders (suffering like our monks.) Perhaps the Catholic faithful might consider their canonical rites rather than jiggin' off to another green-faced Paddy parade.

the Playground is Gone

It all started when JJ came to town in her big rig -- a 2011 Forest River "SunSeeker." Actually, her staying in my driveway had nothing to do with the demise of the playground. It just happened while she was here. Drip... drip... I heard all night. Water? from where? OMG, my 20-yr-old waterbed had sprung a leak! I had already thought of replacing the old giant California King playground. Now, now...
before you jump to conclusions, let me explain. It had become a dog lounge, art center, library, internet cafe, TV zone and writing nook. All my papers, books, journals, notebooks, and e-gadgets were strung over half of it. Another quarter of the 6 x 7 foot surface was taken up with the 50 lb dog, leaving only a small section for me to sleep in. I won't even show you that mess. But here's the giant hole after 250 gallons of water, the baffled waterbed and container were removed. Then that big old water soaked platform was removed, leaving only my under storage. At one point the room was mostly empty with all parts of the old bed gone. Then the guys revitalized the headboard, reassembled the two sets of drawers, built a new smaller Queen size platform to accommodate my new state-of-the-art SleepHarmony hybrid latex/memory foam mattress and VOILA...
a new perfect place to sleep. Not a playground for fountain pens, crayons, laptops and dogs, but a serene sleep sanctuary. Ahhhh! Just what I need now. Good Night!! zzzzzzz!

Happy Losar?

Losar Tashi Delek -- we wish!
The International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) will honor Losar by renewing efforts to work for peace and justice in Tibet. They send this Thank YOU note to those who support the cause and "for standing with people of Tibet at this time."

Losar The word Losar is derived from two words, “Lo” meaning “year” and “sar” meaning “new.” For centuries, Losar, Tibetan New Year has been a time of celebration, a time for families to come together and be thankful for their blessings, for religious faith to be honored in prayer and a time when neighbors and friends greet each other with “Losar Tashi Delek!” or (Best wishes for an auspicious New Year!”). But this year’s Losar is marked with sorrow, with repression in Tibet reaching new lows, so it will be observed as a time for quiet reflection and tribute to all those Tibetans who have sacrificed their freedom and even their lives in protest against Chinese policies in Tibet.

As the card says, and as I say to you, "We humbly wish for a Losar Tashi Delek, and best wishes for the Tibetan Water Dragon Year." May it please bring PEACE and resolution to Tibet which has surely suffered enough!! Namaste!

5 Years...

Today (Feb 12) marks five full years of not smoking. So I thought I deserved a little gift. Back to the future with this 1935, "model A", crinkle finish Royal portable. Remember my post of last July, Analog Underground? Well, I couldn't resist this beauty. It's practically perfect. An investment, as I see it.

I'll write more, later. For now I just wanted to post a pic of the Silky Baby (as Darlene at John's Mechanical Antique Repair Shop called her.) And, some of my pens, too. I must say, the computer keyboard is more efficient, but the Royal and the pens are more aesthetically pleasing -- to touch and view!

Just because I'm Buddhist, I don't have to renounce EVERYTHING, do I? sure hope not!

Crazy Wisdom

No doubt, Chogyam Trungpa was one crazy Rinpoche. For me, he is best known as Pema Chodron's teacher, and the reason she is the Director of Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia. But serious Dharma students know him for his prolific, amazing writing and for creating Shambhala for Westerners who found Vajrayana too esoteric.

I was primarily posting the link below, from Shambhala to my blog (rather than sending it to FB) because other than a handful of folks, I don't think the FB crowd really "gets" my incessant interest in Buddhism. I would really LOVE to get a small group of like-minded folks to either share and read our blogs (and of course, we can still use FB to share links, too) and create a Virtual Sangha. I was going to tweet this link to Zatheos, when he emailed in with his own thoughts about life in "the Cave." I don't think he'll mind my sharing this one line with my limited followers:

Most days I'm really ok with it--having no one in my life who really understands this thing I'm so invested in. But some days you just don't want to feel alone in the things that matter most to you. . . I wonder if there were days in that cave that Milarepa wished that Marpa was there.

The irony is I started posting this hours ago, in response to an email exchange Z and I were having about deity worship. When I finally came back to finish this and post it, he sent the cave comment. So, Zatheos, this is mostly for you!! The next time you feel isolated, PLEASE post a comment here and include a link to your Amazing blog!! Vajra fan Ryan would love it, I'm sure!!

Here's that Trunpa link Crazy Wisdom / Choiceless Transmutation

I do have a Pema "fan group" on FB that I moderate, so perhaps a few of them (VERY eclectic folks) would ride this wave length-- Crazy Cave folk ;) OR, the title of another Trungpa book "the Mishap Lineage." Really!!

Auspicious, indeed!

During the last week of my Vajrasattva Retreat, we studied Mahamudra. This is a "secret" teaching, and until recently remained one of the teachings that was very inaccessible. So, it certainly seemed more than coincidental when on the last day of the retreat, I learned that Lama Dudjom Dorjee from Dallas would be in Albuquerque to give Mahamudra teachings over that weekend (Friday - Sunday) at the KTC center which is only three miles from my house! That is auspicious enough. But, then at the initial public talk, I learned that he would be teaching the same translation used by Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche, who is the Abbot of Pema Chodron's Gampo Abbey, two of my "top teachers." Then, we had the special opportunity to have dinner with Lama Dorjee Saturday evening at the home of one of the Sangha members. That was even more amazing and during that time I received a very special transmission.

Our Kagyu lineage actually means "the whispered teachings" and places extreme importance on receiving oral transmissions. I have spent far more time reading than directly receiving the transmissions, but the times I've had these blessings and insights, I am reminded why it is so valuable. Proper guidance. Auspicious, indeed!