silent thunder

right there against it the mind that rises to fight fighting only self

sigh. Zen Pig. How I miss your candor, authenticity and willingness to share with such clarity from your experience. You will be sorely missed, but what you were willing to share is deeply appreciated. Hope you return, but fully understand your exit. Might be time for another break.

As light shines through glass. Occlusions in the glass may reflect, absorb, refract and react to the light in a myriad of manners. The light is still the light. If awareness is the light and the glass, our sense of self. Occlusions such as mental projections, beliefs/emotional constructs, desires, attractions and aversions and resistance to what is, are like occlusions in the glass of ourselves which may reflect, distort and occlude the flow of awareness through us, taking us out of presence. I find my main action, is no longer one of dogged imperial willful dominance of occlusions/resistance, but one of effortlessly unfolding in presence and fully accepting my experience of presence among the all in all. This does not imply that I am a limp rag doll, tossed about willy nilly by the conditions of life and decay. Rather that i, through non occluded, non grasping presence, can fully realease into my experience, accepting and releasing into any action, reaction or non action that arises authentically from presence. In this way, the center is maintained as all swirls about, around and through my perceived self. The Sage is in the world, but not of it. Light flows unresisted, through clear glass.

Nicely put. self awareness seems one of the key non-material virtues/aspects that factor in to what is human. That and our notion of time, seems particularly human, or perhaps just mechanical time is purely human. While seasonal cycles may reconcile into a sense of time among the animal/plant and insect kingdoms, certainly mechanical time, which does not exist aside from collective human thought, seems unique to the human process. Can't imagine a scenario where 9am on a Monday has any special relevance to a hawk, aside from, "it's early and the air currents may be warming up enough to glide out and look for a meal."

Wow, it's bizarre how surreal politics and news and public life seems these last twenty years. Struggle seems to be the overriding tone. Struggle against the apparent opposition, with little or no compromise and a lot of vehement rhetoric and inflammatory spin dialogue. It used to be, both sides would disagree, come to the table and hammer out a compromise whereby both sides gained something, while giving something. Lately, there seems no ground for compromise at all. Pure unadulterated rage, hate and accusation. Any offered facts are spun so relentlessly that objectivity dissolves in the bog of rigid opposition to anything proffered that is not only and fully one's own ideas. Even when one has no ideas of one's own yet. I'm reminded of something Bucky Fuller said, which has always resonated and seems very wise. (paraphrase) "To change things, you never fight the existing system. To change the system, create a new model that renders the old model obsolete and the old system will fall away without a struggle." The recurring process I see in American politics, is that our politicos seem immured in a process of not even being able to consider ideas put forth by the opposition. Out of fear, I suspect, that a functional idea would potentially reflect well on their opponents and give them a leg up, so to prevent their opponents from gaining any momentum or credit, they stifle anything proposed, even when they have no alternative model to offer as a solution themselves. Two examples over here. Health care and Education. Affordable Health Care (which republicants despise) and Common Core (which democraps hate) are two processes that are clunky and don't work. Rather than spend effort creating ideas and offering suggestions of new models that would solve the issues with the old, there is simply struggle, and foaming at the mouth rejection of the current model with no solutions offered at all. There are no options offered aside from 'tear this shit down!' How best is life preserved and nurtured? fighting against? or working toward?

Sounds good, I'm in. I love me some Ecuadoran Starjumper and Company. *(particularly the horse and cats, but then I'm an admitted animalphile from waaaay back).

Well said Brother. Descriptions of experience, are seem always but close aproximations. Words. Thoughts. Concepts. Ideas. Paradox. pictures on a menu, versus eating descriptions of water, versus drinking and swimming words describing experiential phenomena a finger pointing to the moon For me, any attempt to convey my experiential awareness of the moon in words always seems steeped, saturated and utterly imbued with paradox. Though in spite of their inherent innacuracy, I still continually reach out with them in an effort to share, and read and listen to them when offered by others, for sometimes, the finger does point to a moon. And such a Moon! Paradox seems one of the unavoidable, indeed perhaps the main product of philosophy. Any longer, I take paradox as a sign that I'm perhaps at least near the ballpark of pointing to a moon that lies beyond words' ability to point to.

hmm... should? how should you? who but you could know. who determines should and shouldn't?

the distinction of where I begin and end grows foggier of late. and describing me seems as dependent upon what seems not to be me as to what I hold as my very own self. how wonder filled!

Your sharing of words are treasure my friends! Thank you! Layers upon layers it seems, to this human process. So many layers. A repeated experience of pulling at threads and peeling back layers. for decades now, pulling and allowing layers to fall away. to find what resides at the core. an onion is an onion. even as i peel the layers. all of them, to the last, spread out along the table and in the center lies only emptiness. can i prove that an onion is an onion? when I eat it, is it still an onion? or then human? where does human end and the universe begin? The Druids considered a human was always three, simultaneously. They are who they think they are. They are who others think they are. They are, who they are. is one most true? is it dependent upon thinking, feeling? is a human with no mind, still human? Lately, the experience of non separation rings through most others. Where does my humanness begin and the universe end? My parents and many friends are decaying now. Are they still human, while they decay? Or must they move about, talking, eating and thinking to remain human? It used to seem that my skin was the barrier that separated me from the rest of all of it. Now, the unshakable experience that my skin is the very bridge, intimately linking me to the all in all. The forest seems comprised of trees. Each individual tree is not the environment. Yet each tree comprises the environment. The universe seems comprised of us. While I, seem comprised of universe.

release totally, unfolding in simple presence. true nature open... spotless. unmarkable. clear. open as the sky. sincerity of presence emanates. clarity and peace reveal. aware and present what else? Some time ago, all notions of external seeking and my previously nurtured rigidity of forms, expectations, assumptions and praxis began dissolving in presence and awareness and a turning inward. Simplicity. A growing awareness that what arises, arises naturally from tao. You are this. I struggled against this natural dissolving for some time, to no small upheaval and angst. Thankfully energy for such resistance proved fallible and eventually fell away in exhaustion and acceptance of what is. Lately I simply dissolve in presence and simple being. What bliss! What is there to seek without that does not abide within? The following quote, when first shared by fellow bum @rene flowed through me like silent thunder; I encountered it like recalling a deep-seeded memory from infancy, being held to the breast by Mother. The words settling in familiar awareness, catalyzing and reinforcing the clarifying simple truths that had already begun revealing naturally, bringing another layer of understanding. They ring with the familiarity of my own heartbeat. It is a quoted conversation between a taoist recluse, Tseng Lao-weng, and a buddhist seeker John Blofeld and is from the book The Secret and Sublime, which I highly recommend. I saturate and release into its wisdom, settling again in simplicity and smile like a child whenever I recall it: For me, it resonates through all of my being with the raw, unshakable truth of a candle in a dark room. you and i are as continuous with all life and the Tao as one wave is with the entire ocean. release into that which you are and know peace emanate your simple presence awareness what else is there?

ever unfolding life feeds on decaying life decay nurtures life

China builds toward an undustrial labor revolt. Those folks in abhorrent conditions and lack of protection are waking up and it's going to be a big ripple when they begin to move.

uh oh... well... so much for my plans this afternoon. *trundles off with singing bowl*

CCR. Like Pavlov's dog, any mention of them and I instantly wanna see the rain.

The stars compose me galaxies comprise my eyes one, in all, in one

One of my favorite instruments is the Guqin. another is the Shakuhachi flute of Japan.

Ludovico Einaudi is my new boyfriend. I only recently discovered him and shared him with my good buddy Howard: Me: omg this guy is my new boyfriend! the relational progressions in his work are so simple and yet progress into staggering depth... it's hypnotizingly awesome! Howard: oh yea, love him! he's a favorite. Me: (stunned silence) Me: how long have you been listening to Mr Einaudi? Howard: about five years. Me: five years? (viking head shake) you secretive fuck you.

Sunday Morning. time for a visit with Mr Satie.

freeoform's response resonates closely with my own experience. My teacher Zhou recommends meat for blood strength and usually refers to pork as "Big Qi" food. My wife and I have found great benefit in making dense bone broths with heavy infusions of various herbs and veggies over the last few years. Usually we make beef or chicken base, by boiling/simmering the bones of past meals for hours. Then we'll add veggies and simmer all the lovingness out of them before straining the solids and adding herbs and spices. The resulting broth/tonics are rich in nutrients and energy, while not requiring much of the digestion process. This has been particularly beneficial for her as she's been dancing with a chronic inflammation issue in her large intestine for much of her life. I enjoy having the benefit of some lovely broth on hand to sip while at work. I work in construction and find it wonderful to have a way of getting energy without having to stuff a bunch of solids in my belly while engaging in heavier work.

I didn't know you went on a bike sabbatical mate! Good on ya! I used to put about 4,500 miles a year on my bike. Camped all over the midwest throughout my teens and twenties using my bike. Biked all year round in Minnesota, even managed to make a functional metal stud tires for Winter riding. Ok, as for Ed and stones and what ifs... I've always loved a long deep conversation about what if's. It's one of the few passtimes that still engages me, while most others have lost all gravity to draw me in. I'm not bothered by questions without firm answers and as I don't believe everything I think, or hear, I enjoy thinking, listening and ruminating on many things that some parts of my own mind, society at large and even family/friends don't like to engage in. Always have preferred a good unfolding question, to a pat firm answer. This questioning drew me to my path, over the last few years the reason why some of my teachers offered serious warnings about entering the path have become evident. It is rather shattering to steadily and relentlessly have all notions one thought to be unchangeable certainties, once rock solid foundations for interacting with life, dissolve like fog. Of course, there seems to be nothing solid about rock. Physics has been comfortable talking about this for over a century now. It's all a matter of frequency, resonance and vibration. Tesla comes to mind as a resonant author on the subject. The Tibetans are noted to have been using acoustic levitation in the buidling of shrines on cliffsides. Here in the west we're now using standing sound waves to float tiny needles along channels. Magnetism is used to levitate thousands of tons of train along tracks at moderate speed. I love Nunners. He's a friend. I don't mind, nor am I surpristed he finds our conversation about the possibilites of Ed absurd and ridiculous. I am ridiculous. I remind myself (as does my wife and close friends). I welcome the voice of certainty, even when i can't share it. Fortunately, I don't believe everything I think. I do still like to play with thinking a bit though. Some time ago this notion arose in awareness. "just because you thought it creighton, doesn't make it real, true, or even important. it's just a thought... you have 50,000 a day, don't believe everything you think." They're just thoughts, have fun with them once in a while. So few pleasantries left in the process. Lately, I regularly don't even believe what I see and hear. The interpretations of the fraction of life's that enters my eyes and ears I no longer confuse with what is really 'out there'. Not sure there's even an 'out there' at all any more... Still tend to believe what I taste, smell and touch. But given the way my path has been unfolding these last few years... my gal has watched in dismay and love as I've slowly dissolved from the man she married to the fluid, amorphous field of awareness I'm unfolding into... nothing much surprises my close friends when it comes to unexpected things coming from my face hole. So here's some more fun from my headspace to yours. Here's an article related to what Swedish Dr Jarl observed regarding Tibetan Acoustic Levitation practices in the creation of shrines high up on cliffsides back in the 1940's. This report from civil engineer and flight manager, Henry Kjelson and a similar one by engineer Olaf Alexanderson describe this acoustic levitation phenomenon in the publication. Implosion No. 13. They relate to observations made by Dr Jarl. A friend of theirs who while attending Oxford, befriended a Tibetan Monk, who in 1939, implored Dr Jarl to travel to Tibet to help treat a high Lama who was ill. While there, Dr Jarl witnessed and later would return and film the process of Tibetan monks levitating large stones up a cliff side using acoustics. The film of course is in the possession of the Royal Science Academy vaults, but the conversations remain. Acoustic Levitation of Stones Fun stuff. Glad you brought it up, haven't had a nice bone to chew in a long while. Edit to add: The first part of this blog post is a repeat of the Tibetan article, but in the second half, he delves into Ed's work with magnetism and his own exploration of electricity. While this article deals solely and more indepth with Ed's exploration of the current of magnetic flow and electricity. Fascinating reads.

Often have this on loop in the background these days.

That still shot is from one of my all time favorite animated series Mushi-shi. The chief illustrator of the manga is Yuki Urushibara. Ginko, the character in the shot, is a mushishi, a wandering shaman of sorts who can see and influence the realm of mushi (ethereal beings neither human nor animal). Wherever the crossover between the worlds of mushi and earth brings conflict, he wanders in, drawn to the area where he then attends a slow, meditative, deliberate process of bringing balance, if he can. Fascinatingly presented, with insightful writing. It's a real gem in my opinion.