Where to find me...

UPDATE:  May, 2016    I've been blogging on ZiaLink.org  for the past year.  My book links are there, my social commentary is there, and I'm still VERY active on Twitter.  Hardly on FB lately, but ZiaLink is current, or check out 1Zenwoman on Twitter.  Thanks!!

Even though I dislike Facebook's prying policies, I have pages there. My ZenWoman personal page,  the AKS Book page  and even a page for ZiaLink Ink, my publishing biz.  Sometimes I'm active on Fbook without anyone knowing, because I'm involved in what is called "secret" groups for PKD fans, writing, and some other secret stuff ;)  ha!  Some of the groups are not so secret, but still require a request to join.

I love twitter and the idea of micro-blogging. I can't resist commenting on political matters, climate, and should post more of my spiritual insights--  at least promote my eBooks and writing there.  I have a personal and book page there, and Izzi even has a K9 Twitter account!

Sometimes in November, I hang out on the NaNoWriMo writing site.   Some year I may blog my 50,000 words.  (just deleted a bunch of old links here...)

I don't use Google circles, nor do I like or use Linked In.)  Forget the AKS book website, which only links to my Author profile page on Amazon.com  I've got quite an online presence ;) Of course, I always have since the old BBS days in the 1980s.  I think I still have my old, original blog, too...  over on Xanga (dates back to 2001), but I'm not going to reactivate that! 

Now, please comment and tell me how or where to find YOU!

TOO many books!

the actual "library" room

Contrary to this T-shirt on my library room futon, surrounded by books that need to be shelved or stored, YES there is such a thing as too many. I just spent over two hours trying to count how many books I own.

The real shock, is that I have more books in other rooms (and in bins, bags and boxes) than in my library!  I've been on record for at least two years now, that I prefer eBooks over paper books. HA! Who could tell! The exception to this should be specialty books like rare, antiquarian, collectibles, art books, or in my case my PKD collection, right?  And of course the first edition of my own novel ;) (Oh, look it just happens to be here on the right, a click away in "e" or paper.)  This book analysis began when I decided today was the day to clean up the loose, unshelved books around the house. OMG, I can't even tell you how many-- I stopped counting at around 150! That's when I decided to count all the books in my house. I was blown away to find 250 in my bedroom!
They aren't just on these shelves (left), a niche in the wall-- they're in drawers, on the night stand (of course), stacked in and on my bookcase bed... and sadly, on the bed. PLUS, I found another 335 lurking in the living room (crammed in small shelves), the computer room (more shelves) and hidden in drawers in those rooms!

I quit counting at 1425, because I knew there were those bins and boxes in my storage areas. That is just TOO damn many books. Oh, I know, some of you are laughing at this pittance because you know you have even more! But, look at this through the eyes of a post-millennial who rarely sees paper books. Shocking.  

I actually felt this way when I went to a bookstore the other day. I realized I hadn't been in one for nearly a year.  My new books are eBooks and my music is downloaded, so it was shocking to see a huge store full of what is on the verge of extinction. I must thin the herd here at home!  SPIT OUT a number. What is reasonable?  I think 500 is more than enough...  I have a lot of work to do. 

Grappling

Okay, I've been blogging and grappling over on a new site:  blog.zialink.org  (which for now uses a new blog format called Ghost.)  It's a pay-for place, so I may move that content back over here in February, but for now,  ENJOY!  As Pema says,  "May it be of benefit." 

First Light

In Tibetan Buddhism (at least in our Kagyu tradition) we bring in the new year and new energies with a celebration called "First Light." For U.S. "Westerners" this is held pre-dawn on New Year's Day. It is a puja, meaning a special ceremony with offerings and chanting.   At our local KTC (Karma Tegsum Choling) Center we lit 108 candles, in addition to the usual alter candles and regular rituals associated with our Vajrayana practices.
It was a beautiful ceremony and I'm really glad I attended. However...

I have been grappling with my practice, particularly with the aspects of being part of an organized "religion." And there's no way around it, the KTC is very structured and organized. So much so that I declined the generous offer to be on the board of directors for 2014.  Serving on the board requires an oath of office, basically "pledging allegiance" to the Karmapa (the head of our lineage who represents the embodiment of all buddha activity), the pecepts and tenets of the Kagyu lineage. To take that oath means upholding and always representing the views of the KTD and KTC. I just can't do that.  As I said, I'm still grappling. 

After years of seeking and dharma study, I felt (and still feel) that Vajrayana is as close as I can come to finding a set of practices that are meaningful and beneficial to me. I discovered His Holiness the Dalai Lama twenty five years ago and since then I've considered myself a student of his teachings and his brand of Buddhism. (Before that I dabbled in Zen and other Mahayana practices.) Buddhism is complicated with many variations.

 KTC in ABQ, NM

There are about 20 million people who claim to follow Tibetan Buddhism, but there are several schools and sects. Even though you might hear of four major schools (of Vajrayana), within the   Kagyu "school" there are 12 Dagpo Kagyu lineages, and as that wiki link shows there is disagreement about the number of major schools.  After all this time, I just learned this past weekend that our Karma Kagyu is actually part of the Drubgyu Karma Kamstang sect that falls under the Dagpo branch.

You can see the similarity to Christian churches--  one on every corner in America, each with their own set of precepts and peccadillos. Which brings me to the crux of my issue and angst. It was this kind of nitpicking and divisiveness that drove me away from Christianity as a teenager. While I must admit that in general Buddhism is more tolerant and forgiving than my "bible belt" experiences, this oath-taking and pledging of loyalty to one sect is more than I can handle.

We could have a lively discussion about why lineages and traditions are so important. In general I have great confidence in our "whispered transmissions" that have been passed down for over a thousand years. But, I still think blue deities (as seen here in my favorite Medicine Buddha iconography)  might be ancient aliens. Even HHDL has laughed with a twinkle in his eye when asked about that possibility, and did not dismiss it! Namaste!!

PS --  I'm about to embark on a new blogging process called  Still Grappling and may do that on a new site or platform.  I will link here for those who read or care ;)  It's mostly for my own sake, as is all my blogging and writing. But I always love and appreciate feedback.  "May it be of benefit," as my dear Pema Chodron says.  (Acharya Ani Pema strongly admonishes fundamentalist views -- yay!  And, beloved Thrangu Rinpoche is her Abbot. She also takes spiritual direction from Shambhala Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, who isn't KTD, or even Kagyu. My kind of gal! ;) ) 

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!

Farewell 2012

More than usual I feel mixed emotions about saying goodbye to 2012. It's a year I had long anticipated with both dread and awe. My own "transmissions" had referred to it as far back as 1988 and of course the Mayans had pointed to it many, many years ago -- like several hundred (or possibly thousand) years ago ;) But, the Tibetans seemed to have understood it best. Since the early 1990s His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and many other lamas and monks, assured us the world would not end in 2012. HHDL relies on the famous Tibetan Nechung Oracle, as well as his own omniscience, and he remained steadfast that the "Changing Suns" (as the Mayans called the end of this calendar cycle) simply referred to another evolution in consciousness. Perhaps an end to war and strife.

I hope this is true. My dad spoke of Peace on Earth from his death bed. He told me a time would come when I would write a Peace Treatise. Even though I ended AKS (the novel) with "the Gift of Peace" it's not the Peace Treatise. I feel it coming... SOON.
For now may you find your own peace in 2013. Happy New Year!

the Peace Page

Nearly ten years ago (2003) I wrote "the Peace Page." I sent it as a holiday letter and then posted on my old web page. I was going to post it here, and had thoughts of using it and some other material as a first draft of the Peace Treatise my dad so wanted me to write. But, I have to say it's just not as great as I remember it. Here is a quickly edited, abridged version:
On Being Mad: Many of us spend a lot of energy on anger. We feel frustrated when things don't go the way we want. We get angry at others who hurt or disappoint us, or steal our joy. The truth is, no one can make us angry or steal our joy. We make ourselves mad, sick and angry. Being mad only hurts us. We get sick and dis-eased. Remember;

• How people ACT is their business. How we RE-ACT is our business.
  
• Hatred does not hurt our enemies -- it only hurts us.

On Letting Go: We often hear, "just let it go." Buddhism teaches about "letting go." But how do we do that? We can know that clinging to bitterness and other toxic emotions, like anger, only hurts us, but how can we actually let go of those emotions? Visualizations can help more than layering on more thoughts and feelings. Picture the hate, frustration, despair (insert any emotion here) as an actual object. Make it gross and disgusting. Perhaps a rotted, stinking piece of food. Why cling to that? Would you want to consume that thing? Hell NO! Then why keep bitter, rotting feelings within you? Remember, toxic emotions -- like rotted food -- only hurt you, no one else. Let go of them! Okay, that's just a couple of ideas from the Peace Page. Next I'll post my edited "take" on a friend's Facebook note about the Shift. Did it happen and what is it? Til then, take a breath, smile and toss out the rotted food. ahhhh!

Last Word...

Ha! Last word before the conversion, the shift, the 2012 Solstice. At 4:12 am (Mountain Standard Time) the shift begins. I say begins, because if you watched the Ac Tah Mayan message, he says there is an 8 minute window to experience the full affect of the alignment. He also says this does not occur at the beginning of the Solstice, but actually around 24 hours later. Why?

Ac Tah says think of this like an eclipse or full moon. With an eclipse the most dramatic moment is not when the eclipse first begins, but at the midpoint. For this particular alignment (with the Galactic Center) he says midpoint will come between 12.21 and 12.23. To me, this must mean about 24 hours later... so around 4 am Saturday morning (in my mountain time zone.) And what exactly do we expect at that time? No, not "the end", but a beginning.

I know this is a disappointment to some (like Niki, who wanted the world to end ;) or it may seem like a "cop out", but it's not. After reading many books and articles, I can see there never was a prediction of the end of the world by the Mayans. That was the hype of profiteers. It will feel like insights or realizations, Ac Tah says. He says have paper ready to write down your ideas and new concepts. It might feel like a dream or emotion that seems real for a time, then fades.

The trick is to not let it fade. To not let the moment pass and go on with our unconscious ways. It's the same with making change after the Sandy Hook shootings, or when you make New Year's resolutions. If you don't honor the change, "habit" or routine, the importance will fade away. Years of letting things pass and not caring add up to a lost life of "who cares", "oh well" or "next time."

For once, let's seize the moment and make a change. For ourselves and the world.

Silence

Some days silence is best...

Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.

the Buddha