Archive for December, 2013

Life, Impermanence and Suffering

Samsara 

We delude ourselves

Into thinking…

 

That things are stable

That things are permanent

That we are loved

That someone is there for us

That there is a lasting source

Of happiness in this world

 

Its easy to see why

Because this is comforting

Despite being untrue

We seem to need

These illusions

To go on with our lives

To feel like we are embraced

 

Life, however

Is here to show us

That everything is imbalanced

Nothing is permanent

We are not as loved as we think

In the end, no-one

Is really there for us

 

Everything is fleeting

Everyone and everything goes its own way

People use one another

They get what they want

Then they move on

 

Even physical presence

Does not entail a true connection

As the celestial wheel turns

People grow apart

In ways that even distance

Cannot accomplish

 

To think of this

Brings about sadness

Brings about suffering

Its not what we want

It is somewhat terrifying

 

We want something real

We want something true

We want something profound

We want something lasting

 

We want a life that matters

We want to sing

From the depths of our souls

We want to embrace our loved ones

We want to know that they will alway be there for us

 

Maybe I’m a hopeless romantic

But I believe

That it is possible

The question is just

How it is possible

That’s the great mystery

That we are here to uncover

When I close my eyes, I am at the center of the sun

Solar Portal

Center of the Sun

by Conjure One

Young girl in the market
Music to the men
When the men leave
Her eyes are red
When her eyes are closed again she sees the dark market of above

And she sings
‘They say the most horrible things
But I hear violins, when I close my eyes
I am at the center of the sun
And I cannot be hurt
By anything this wicked world has done’

Young boy in the market
Follows all the men
When the men leave
He’s out of his head
When his eyes are closed again he sees the dark market of above

And he sings
‘They break the most beautiful things
But I hear violins, when I close my eyes
I am at the center of the sun
And I cannot be hurt
By anything this wicked world has done
I look into your eyes
And I am at the center of the sun
And I cannot be hurt
By anything this wicked world has done’

Center of the sun

Young boy in the market
Sees the girl alone
And asks her
‘Have you lost your way home?’
She sings
‘You say the most beautiful things, just like my violins’

I look into your eyes
I am at the center of the sun
And I cannot be hurt
By anything this wicked world has done

When I close my eyes
I am at the center of the sun
And I cannot be hurt
By anything this wicked world has done

‘Cause
I hear violins
I hear violins

I hear violins
I hear violins

Center of the sun

The Celestial Wheel

The comforting hum
Of the celestial wheel
Timeless and predictable
Ever the same
Yet varied slightly
With every turn

Make a Raw Vegetable Lunch at your Desk

Eating lunch at work can be very healthy and cheap. You just need to bring a few things with you and you can even mix it all up at your desk. This particular Avocado and sprout based dish was made from sprouts I grew at my kitchen sink and inexpensive Avocados I obtained for $1 apiece at the store.

This dish cost less than $3 and has me filled up for the afternoon without having to drive anywhere or buy anything during work.

Raw Food Lunch: Ingredients

Step 1: Start with a bowl full of miscellaneous sprouts, two avocados, a handful of green beans and some Himalayan sea salt.

Cut Open the Avocados

Step 2: Cut open the Avocados with your fork, so you can add them to the bowl.

Add the Avocado to the bowl

Step 3: Scoop out the Avocado and add it into the bowl atop the sprouts.

Mix Everything Together

Step 4: Add some himalayan sea salt and mix the Avocados with the sprouts using your fork, then toss on some green beans around the edges.

That’s it, now you are ready to eat a very healthy, raw, vegetable-based lunch. You’ll have energy for the rest of the day and will be getting alot of healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and enzymes.

Love is Not

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By Marcus  Argentarius (20bc-30ad)
Translated by Fleur Adcock

“Love is not just a function of the eyes.
Beautiful objects will, of course, inspire
Possessive urges – you need not despise
Your taste. But when insatiable desire
Inflames you for a girl who’s out of fashion,
Lacking in glamour – plain, in fact – that fire
Is genuine; that’s the authentic passion.
Beauty,though, any critic can admire.”

Not Every Problem that Lands in your Lap is Your Fault or Under Your Control

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When I look back on the years, I have created my share of problems, I have had my share of lapses in judgement.  Its inevitable, especially if you more towards the fringe like I am.  It happens to everyone, in all walks of life.

I understand this and I understand that to ‘err is human.  I don’t tend to find much difficulty in dealing with this, because I can, and have, tended to adapt.  I’ll adapt and adjust; but I won’t be dragged along, stepped on and abused.  That’s where I draw the line.  I do this, because I know that people will do this if you don’t push back, at some point; I’ve tried the completely passive approach to no avail.

The trouble tends to be with people who cannot adapt and adjust to reality.  You know, just the very basics of reality and our state of being.  These things like making sure all of your and your family’s basic needs are met, being non violent and living a stable and sustainable life.  These things are difficult and we take them for granted when we have them.  In fact, when we become complacent enough, we fail to realize just how wonderful and rare, having those basics taken care if is.

There are those of us who don’t have the ability to stabilize, to self-regulate or to control the balance between their emotional and rational centers, which actually gets in the way of basic survival and prosperity.  I’m not sure what it is.  It could be from trauma, upbringing, or maybe its just human nature, on some level, to create unnecessary problems and drama.

This is a situation where a problem becomes, not just a problem for the particular person; but also a problem for everyone else as well.  Because when everything’s just going along swimmingly and someone can’t hold it together, it makes it much more likely that things will fall apart for everyone.  This is not fair, at all, to the people who are doing what they’re supposed to be doing.

I find that people who have these imbalances, tend to be destabilized very easily and when they are, they do so in a spectacular fashion and can actually be very destructive.  I know this, in part, because I have gone through my own shit from time to time; but also because I have witnessed many people completely melt down and implode over the years, due to causes that were mostly internal to their self.  It can be extremely destructive, to themselves, their family (if they have one), friends, etc.  Destructive is an understatement; especially in situations where people abandon their families, which happens all the time.

Its a downward spiral.  Its a sort of bipolarity, wherein they perhaps recognize that there is a problem; but seek only to destroy and to change everything; thinking that if they just change enough things, it will somehow solve the core problem.

Its kind of irrational, really, because the main thing that needs to change is the person, in their own mind/body/spirit complex; yet they go about it by trying to change everything around them instead.  Its sort of like having a gunshot wound and instead of getting it looked at, going on a jog in the park.

Don’t even bother trying to say anything about this, though.  Honesty, when it isn’t something that somebody already wants to hear, only causes more problems.

What can ya do?

Well, that’s a tough question.  All I can really come up with is to try not to make it worse, if you can and protect yourself and those you care about; because you never know what can happen.

A melted down and depressed person will take aim at anyone who doesn’t want to play along with their games and will latch onto and have great admiration for, anyone who encourages them to continue doing just what they are doing.  You can take that to the bank.  I have seen it many times.  People in a weak emotional state want to be told lies and not the truth.

Its all about emotional support and distractions, rather than reasoned and honest solutions, rather than striking the root, they hack away at the branches.  I suppose this is why the meltdown ensues and continues; because clearly the coolant has not been injected into the core, which is fueled by out of control emotions, so it does not end up cooling off.

What if I Told You… That This is Just the Beginning of your Journey

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There are some things, that I think you need to know. I’m afraid, however, that many of you may not have the time, energy or patience to know them. Still, these things I want to tell you have the potential to change your life forever, to solve many of your most stubborn problems and to give you new insights into the nature of existence and our place in it.

So, you think you know something about the world and your place in it. Odds are, you’re only aware of a very small slice of what is, or even of what can be known, even from readily available information

What if I told you…

That most of what you believe about the nature of your body, mind and spirit is probably wrong.

That there are profound levels of understanding, that anyone can achieve, with proper practice and dedication.

That the body, mind and spirit are all quite real and hold within their very nature, many marvels that you do not even dimly suspect.

That unlocking these marvels is the key to health, happiness and the mastery of our true self.

If you suspect that there is anything to this, you’d probably find the prospects exciting. Yet, I know from experience, that it is difficult to transition into this kind of holistic awareness.  Maybe you think that you don’t have the time, energy or patience for it.  I think that if you do indeed dip your toe in, you’ll find that you won’t have to make time for it; the time will make itself.

You’re probably busy dealing with your constant problems or escaping into a fantasy world. But there are solutions to these problems, probably solutions to all of them, which would make that struggle irrelevant and escaping merely puts the problems off until later.  So rather than escaping, why not see what you’ve been missing?

I don’t know what to tell you, other than the fact that I’m tired of seeing our lives wasted, when real, deep, profound answers are there to be had. Why not look for the deeper answers? What do you really have to lose? Your problems? Your uncertainty? Your whimsical desire driven listlessness?

The nature of reality is actually simpler than you think; but first, you must let go.

On Attachment

buddhism_leaf

Attachment is a big part of our lives. It can be a driving force of our hopes and fears, our ideas about the past, present and future, our ideas about our place in the world and those in our lives. Much has been said about attachment, particularly by eastern philosophers and mystics. What can we learn from this and how can we apply these lessons to our modern lives?

If you look through philosophies such as Buddhism and Taoism, you’ll find that there does seem to be an emphasis on not becoming attached to particular things. Why is this?

Attachment is to be avoided because all things are temporary. The only permanence is the very process of existence itself, not its particular manifestations. So, we should cultivate relationships with fleeting entities, but should not require their existence/presence for our own happiness. This results in less suffering; because if we require something, in order to be happy, we will ultimately find our self suffering, when that thing either ceases to exist, or ceases to be a part of our life.

This often happens with interpersonal relationships; but it can also happen in many other areas. Anything that you can fathom, that you require, in order to feel happy, is an attachment.

What does this idea, that attachments are to be avoided, mean for us? That is the ultimate question.

Does it mean that we should live alone in a cave somewhere, without anyone in our lives, because we don’t want to be attached? Some people would say that this is the path they should take. I have a different idea, however, which is far less extreme.

I believe that the key to non-attachment, has to do with how we perceive and relate to things internally. When we think of things that we are connected to, we have to be capable of being happy either with or without those things. We have to work towards finding happiness that exists, regardless of these things, a deeper happiness.

So if we find ourselves genuinely attached to something or someone, we need to take note of this. We need to ask our selves why this is. What does this thing or this person provide me, that I could not have otherwise? I think, that if you ponder this in depth, you will find that you are already complete, even without the things you are attached to. The belief in the necessity of these attachments is an illusion.

To realize that you are already complete, allows you to maintain your connections; but be able to let go of them, when the time comes, without feeling incomplete and suffering as a result.

This feeling of incompleteness without something, is an illusion and is a weakness. It is a debt that will one day be paid. Realizing that we are already complete, allows us to live without the burden of this debt. It allows us to let go and in letting go, we lose all of the hope and fear associated with holding on.

We can have wonderful, meaningful, profound connections; but we must remember that these connections are temporary. Even if some of these are connections for life, everything meets its demise. Even many connections intended for life, meet their demise, either by biology or by change.

Enjoy those connections while they last; but be wary of becoming dependent on them. Your happiness will be much greater if you can work on this on a continuous basis.

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