11-12-13

Yep, another trip to the Bosque del Apache (New Mexico's bird sanctuary.)  This is my third visit with the Van (not seen here, just Snow Geese.)  And, this is just a few of the geese that actually come to the 57-thousand acre refuge each fall. 

I enjoy the trip, usually my last of the season with the RV Van before I have to winterize the water pipes (kitchen/bathroom sinks and such.)

So, on this 11-12-13 I talked with Brother Jeff for a couple of hours. His birthday was the 10th while I was hibernating with the birds.  I sent him a Higgs-Boson watch, which he just opened and enjoyed.  Earlier I was working on a short story which I hope to finish this week and submit to Writer's Digest. 

Short stories have not been my forte, but during this cycle of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)  I am not interested in writing a novel or nonfiction, so I've settled on a couple of short stories.  If one grabs me I could expand to a novella, but I'm not even trying to make the 50K goal this cycle. It's my tenth time  (even tho the Nano site says 9th.)  You can do the math.  I started in 2004, so 2013 makes ten events. I've proven several times I can write fifty thousand words in a month.  But, doing so creates a messy word pile that takes a year or more to edit into something coherent.  Been there, done that, not doing it this time.

If I sound disinterested, it's because I'm tired of promoting my writing. I didn't want to be a sales person, constantly begging people to buy or read my books. It's extremely uncomfortable.  

Anyway, I wanted to blog on this auspicious date.

On the "other side"

Ha! Now there's a double entendre for me!  I actually meant on the other side of publishing, but I'm soooo on the Other Side, as well. 

I simply couldn't blog when I was writing the new book.  I published Seeing Clearly in late August, and thanks to my Sangha friend, Barbara Stout, we quickly issued an updated Version 2.0 correcting my typos and errors. I'm told that Amazon sent out updates to everyone who bought it that first week.  I'm optimistic I'll see more reviews soon, as I've been hearing from readers.  Thank you so much to everyone who has, or will, support my writing career by buying the book (only $5.95, such a deal!)  The new book is "e Only" as I  explained in the latest issue of PKD Otaku  (Issue #29, and that's a big PDF 'zine download, for my 2 page article.)  Basically, I explain and defend why I think eBooks are the only way to go from here on out.  Unless you have some over-sized art book, or particular reason to create a hard copy, let's save the trees, clean out the clutter, be light and portable, and go "e."  After all, they don't call me "e. Jamelle" for nothing ;)

Now, that's the other side of publishing, but why the "Other Side?" Well, if you know me, you pretty much already know that answer. I've been obsessed with all things metaphysical my entire life. Starting with my mom's interest in ESP, Houdini, Edgar Cayce, and Ouija board, not to mention my Great Aunt Lorene the psychic Vaudville accordion player.  I was raised on weirdness. My novel was full of it, and the new book explores those topics and more! But, for the past couple of weeks I've been totally preoccupied with OOBEs -- out-of-body experiences. That will be in my next post. For now, I'm laughing at some tweets with the NaNos (national novel writers) about my search for alien plasmatic Sirian spores being one of the wierder Wiki novel searches ;) Me on Twitter:  (https://twitter.com/1ZenWoman)   Thanks for sticking with me during the drought (and the flood!)  Welcome back!

Samsara

For those not familiar with the term, Samsara means the repetitive cycle of birth, suffering, death, and rebirth. It's also used when referring to our physical realm, and some say the Sanskrit word literally means "journeying." Others refer to Samsara as the opposite of Nirvana, sort of like heaven and hell, but that's not accurate. For those who are clearly seeing the nature of things, it's like two sides of the coin. But, there's only one coin, "not two" as the Zenists remind us.  

Okay, so what, you're thinking, get on with it. Many of you know I have not been posting to the blog because I've been focusing my  creative energy towards finishing my forthcoming eBook: Seeing Clearly. Now that's Samsara!  Writing and pondering the Big Questions has certainly been a journey through my own repetitive cycles of awakening, suffering, giving up, and renewal. That's the process of writing, but it's also the process of life. There is nothing else and that's the ultimate message about seeing clearly.  

The only certainty is change. 

A few minutes ago I was about to give up on writing this message. Nine a.m. and I could barely think with neighborhood dogs barking, kids screaming, chickens and Guinea hens squawking, a chain saw buzzing, and someone revving the engine on his low rider. I wanted to run out in the street and yell SHUT UP!  But, just as my own energy and patience waxes and wanes, so does the noise. It's quiet now and that does feel like Nirvana.  

I read a bit of one chapter of my new book to a friend. It included a quote or two from my favorite, fearless Buddhist nun Pema Chodron. She reminds us that we cannot get "ground under our feet." We are always going to have moments of intense fear and face challenges that we think we cannot handle. But those who have lived the longest (and sometimes younger folks who get a glimmer of "what's really real") SEE the cycles for what they are. Ups and downs. Our darkest hours are followed by illuminating insight and feelings of courage and optimism IF we can wait them out. We simply need reminders during the "rough patches" to bolster our spirit and enhance our creative energy for the process.  

For some it's encouragement from family, or friends, for others renewal comes from solitude and contemplation. It's spring (okay I'm a little late for the Equinox) and the fabulous energy of the May Moon (Wesak, is also a time of renewal), but the Tibetans tell us that today and tomorrow are both highly favorable energy days. So, let's pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and get back in the game of life aka Samsara. After all, if the Buddhists are right that's all there is ;) 

Stay on the Cushion

Lama Karma also drew this leaf and with it posted, "If we are able to maintain our daily practice with good motivation and think about the four thoughts often, I guarantee that we will have good result! Karmapa Chenno!"

The "four thoughts" are described in my previous post. His closing phrase basically means "remember the one who does the work of the Buddha" or even more basic: be mindful. No coincidence that the this end-of-the-month teaching from Sravasti Abbess Venerable Chodron is also about our essential daily practice:

On being Well

This is a drawing from my Lama Karma of the Tibetan word for "well." His photo is below. Lama K is the younger monk being hugged by one of the senior Tibetan lamas Karthar Khenpo Rinpoche. Anyway, his message seems obvious, but as I mentioned in the prior post, we don't always do what makes sense or what might be most beneficial. The lamas teach "Four Thoughts that Turn One's Mind to the Dharma."

First, a human birth is precious. It's hard to obtain and easily lost. I must make this life meaningful. Secondly, this world and everything in it is fleeting. Our life is like a water bubble. Thirdly, our time of demise is uncertain. Finally, at our time of passing, the only thing that can help is the dharma, therefore it is urgent I practice now.

The dharma means "the way things are" aka the revelations of the Buddha (once he woke up and could see clearly.) Dying without regret, living and dying consciously, and a means of clearing our karma and freeing our minds. When the student is ready, the Teacher will appear. Or as Ram Dass once said, "You cannot rip the skin off a snake, but it will shed its skin naturally when ready." You are so right, Lama Karma: To be well resolve the causes that make us unwell. Namaste!

What is the Answer?

A bioethicist (whatever that is) is asking if shaming is the last resort in curbing our obesity epidemic. NO, shaming is not the answer for modifying pet or people behavior. Shame tactics only made me more defiant when I was trying to quit smoking, however fear of death did the trick for me.

It would seem that severely overweight people, along with alcoholics, and smokers, would have such grave concerns over their health they would deal with it the same way you would if your house was on fire. You would run, right? Or would you just sit there and say, "oh well.. oh hell... guess I'm burning up now." Really?  I know it's hard to fight addictions. I'm wrestling with the TV off switch these days, trying to keep my butt on the meditation cushion more, in fact, trying not to be judgmental and angry. But I am trying.

As Buddhists we use mortality as our motivation. That's been one of the tools I've used to modify "bad" (aka life-threatening) habits. I have not smoked for over five years now (about 18,000 cigarettes NOT smoked.) I have lost weight and reduced my cholesterol issues by modifying what I eat and moving around more. Yes, I binged a bit over the holidays, but now I'm back to healthier foods, and working on all my various "bad" behaviors using some of the Buddhist antidotes.
In fact, this is what I find so appealing about Buddhist mind training techniques. It's not a religion of hoping that some outside force will save me; it's a philosophy and set of tools that we can use to steer us away from indulging our addictions.

So, rather than using this blog in the future to rant about what bugs me, I'm going to share the Dharma by using specific examples of how to use the antidotes to shift your tastes and tendencies. I will feel much better about myself (not ranting and judging) and hopefully it will help others along the way.

BTW, this is what I consider "writing to clarity." I was kind of pissy when I first sat down, but by using the Dharma, I arrived at posting something useful, rather than harmful. Hopefully, we will all improve (my self included, of course.)

'One Today'

'One Today': Richard Blanco Poem Read at Barack Obama Inauguration

No one dislikes a critic more than me. I just wrote about my dislike of critics in my private Penzu diary yesterday (and may post part of that here), but still, I'm just not sure what I think of this poem for such a monumental moment. The poet, that's another matter: youngest poet to recite at a Presidential inauguration, first Hispanic and first gay. GREAT! It's just that this poem read more like an essay, IMHO.

I kept thinking why not Natalie Goldberg? Although, she might have also read something with lines that struck an equally odd note. Robert Frost was the first poet to be included in an inaugural event (at JFK's) and Bill Clinton included Maya Angelou. Kudos to Prez O for including a poet and I did love this section;

One sky, toward which we sometimes lift our eyes tired from work: some days guessing at the weather of our lives, some days giving thanks for a love that loves you back, sometimes praising a mother who knew how to give, or forgiving a father who couldn't give what you wanted.

As a writer, it's hard not to analyze another's work, but that does mean judging -- my nemesis, my internal enemy, the Klesha that I grapple with constantly. And, Blanco did say Namaste! so will I... NAH-mə-stay (I see you in myself and honor both of us) and I do hope we are One today... at least, for this day. One Today.

BTW: this post is not intended to degrade anyone's theories, ideas, beliefs, or art.

Listen to What?

So, what was the point of all my rambling yesterday that sounds as disjointed as Jodi Foster's Golden Globe speech?

Of course we need teachers (so no offense Adam or any other teacher reading the prior post), but for the second time in two weeks I'm going to say:

We must be constantly vigilant of how we sound or come across to others, and just as vigilant when it comes to who we listen to. Would I recommend the crass Noah Levine to a first time dharma student? Maybe, depending on the student. HHDL, although impeccable in lineage and credentials, might not be the teacher who can get through to certain cynical, angry or disgruntled type. It's actually Noah, on one of his "Against the Stream" podcasts, who makes the hilarious, yet poignant point about the newly enlightened Buddha trying to teach ( #33, "First Teaching", 2:12 in for a few minutes, well worth the listen.) Use your discernment-- on this and all teachings. What else can I say -- really?

the Trouble with Teaching

THIS, I hope, will get to the crux of the problem I was trying to address with my last post. TEACHING and preaching is the issue, not meditation.

This could pertain to any form of religion, or any teaching actually, but I'm going to use Buddhism as the example, since I continue to wrestle with these concepts and labels within this particular philosophy. Let me begin with what happened today as an example of how the problem unfolds.

I posted a link, innocently enough, on Facebook. I thought it was interesting and pretty neat actually, that Bill Clinton was meditating and chanting. What caught my eye was that he had "hired a monk" for instruction. I wondered from what lineage or school. There are far more sects and schools of Buddhism than there are branches of Christianity. Buddhism is older so there has been more time to fuss and fight over the texts and teachings. The fussing itself is one of the points I've wanted to blog about. How we react to the fussing is the other.

But first, let me finish with the incident at hand. So I posted the link. I had never heard of the site "theBuddhism.net" and a bit of reading explained why. It was "hinky" (my friend Adam's word) at best. From Sri Lanka? Mahawela, Mathale?? I couldn't really determine where they were from or what their message was (but they wanted donations.) I didn't want to promote their cause on my page so I removed the link -- end of story, right? Not exactly.

I had posted the link, which meant a few of the Billion Fbook users saw it on their phones and devices before I deleted it. I didn't have much time to explain, so I quickly composed the post below and linked that to Facebook before leaving for (of all things) my Monday Dharma study group at the local KTC Buddhist center. When I got back, there was already reaction. One person, Dorothy, misunderstood my point and thought I was trying to say that meditation is only for "committed Buddhists." Adam, who posted a comment on the previous post, knows exactly what my concerns are. But, even so, he was ahead of me there. I wasn't really thinking that the former Prez was using tantric techniques, but on second thought... (ha!!)

Wow, this is convoluted and I still haven't even touched on the point I wanted to make about teachers and gurus. Since this is getting long and even my brief comments cause so much confusion, I think I'll save part three for Tuesday to delve into my thoughts on the dangers and pitfalls of teachers. Concern with teachers isn't new or limited to Buddhism. Look at the scandals with priests, preachers and teachers of all kinds. I wasn't even thinking about sexual misconduct this morning. I was simply thinking of the example we set any time we attempt to teach (or say) anything!

The Art of Buddhist Meditation

This is old, but good news, I thought, when I first saw this post,  
Bill Clinton Turns To The Art Of Buddhist Meditation
on Buddhism dot net. But on closer examination, I found the site "theBuddhism.net" pretty suspect. It has nothing to do with any of the Buddhist schools or reliable organizations I'm aware of. This leads to a VERY important point for beginners. For meditation, there's not much trouble you can get into experimenting with various styles and methods, but when it comes to the Dharma and Buddhist lineages, that's another matter. It's a very complicated subject... one that has taken me years to sort through. I'm going to ponder what I can say about this and I'll post more tomorrow (I promise.) I'm actually leaving now for a session at my dharma center where I'll discuss this matter. I deleted this link from my Facebook page, but left it here in this blog post, while I contemplate this subject -- the importance of authentic dharma lineage. If any of my Buddhist friends have thoughts, please post a comment.

Miserable? A Solution!

This is so great, even for non Buddhists, I think.
Give a listen to the first 14 minutes (at least through Ven. TC's comparison to AA):
"Hi, my name is _______ and I'm full of ignorance, anger, attachment and I'm extremely selfish."

Thubten Chodron is the Abbess of Sravasti Abbey the place I did the retreat (from afar) last year and a mini retreat (just ended.) This is from 2004, but still soooo relevant...

Peaceful Year?

Wow, while I was writing my NYE post about Peace and pondering my ability to present the Peace Treatise this year, I inadvertently caused a mini riot in our Virtual Sangha on FB. I didn't even know this until many hours later (today, New Year's Day.) What a lesson!

One of the group members (former member now) always encourages the group to participate in other year-long projects. Last year it was Stephen Levine's "Year to Live" and this time she was proposing we all follow a Thich Nhat Hanh course. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have loved "Thay" (name of endearment for TNH) for years. But this group is called "Pema Practitioners." So I reminded her that perhaps we should stick to our group topic. TNH is Zen and the previous Levine project wasn't particularly Buddhist-oriented at all. I posted my response, logged off and finished my mini Vajrayana retreat. When I logged in this AM I was surprised at the virtual tongue-lashing I received from her. She UN-joined the sangha and DE-friended me. I posted the following apology:

You are right... I must have been "fussy" last night Forgive me. After all this year is all about PEACE, I hope! Namaste and post away! Happy 2013!

I was saying she was right that we had never formally restricted the postings or ideas to only Pema-related or even Buddhist-related. That's true and I said she was right. Too late, she's gone.

Not the way I wanted to begin my Year of Peace, but an important lesson and reminder. We must be constantly vigilant of how we sound or come across to others. We never know what is going on with the other party and how our words are received. I still feel I was considering the greater interest of the group (which I moderate) but in retrospect I should have posed a question and let others decide. A year of lessons - and hopefully Peace, too -- is in store!