silent thunder

I recall sitting for a time in the presence of the Maitreya Relics. It was early in the tour some 16 years ago... they were hosted by one of the local groups here in Santa Monica, not long after my wife and I had arrived from NYC. It struck me at the time that coming to the West side had been a very, very good thing for me. Subtle and deeply, penetratingly pervasive... the influence of their resonance. I imagine the vibrations they now resonate after some 17 years of traveling the planet and now coming to rest in the statue...

instinct says none and also whispers... awareness is unavoidable

I'm human. and yet, look within... and what in me is made of the human element? This human being is made entirely from non human stuff. this question keep arising... where in me is the human part? at what point does the organization of all the different individual amino peptides and protein chains become human...

potent stuff and well said... again... oof.

oof... realizations of this nature and magnitude strike my awareness like a full kick to the chest oof. Was just talking with my son on our walk this morning, about circadian rhythms and mechanical time and how recent the idea of 5pm on friday is... how it has nothing to do with how our species developed, or how we naturally operate. It's been overlayed on our experience and because it happens now, before the age of critical process, it slips into the background and is often never even noticed, let alone interacted with, or questioned. and the magnitude of the energetic influence and fall out effect of that one adjustment in our human process... oof. I stopped and stood there just saturating in the magnitude of it... for eons... sleeping and waking... following the cycles of seasons. now, beep beep, up and attum... all so hideously 'normal'.

Ack... milk. Not in my body. No longer a good thing for me, although I used it as a young person... loved the flavor. But these days it seems to complicate the system. After all, it's a reproductive enzyme from another mammal's endocrine system. Milk is hormonal baby cow growth fluid designed to take a baby cow, to a six hundred pound adult in a couple of seasons. Even adult cows aren't set up to process their own milk. But this is only my take on it and my experience...

Well worded, thanks for sharing. and wow did your last phrase ring the bell of old recognition for me... the space between... the space between... this mantra was central to my process for quite some years so much benefit I derived from saturating in this very concept for years my path was creating and occupying space between the space between thoughts the space between me and other the space between concept and form the space between solid surety and awareness of constatnt flow the space between the concept and sense of individuality and the absolutely complete intertwined experience and cross=saturated nature of all the fluid nature of even the most solid seeming objects... the ship of theseus... One of the first verses of the Tao that really had gravity for me, was verse 11. We form spokes into a wheel, yet the empty space in the center is the source for the wagon's motion. We shape clay into a pot. But it is the emptiness inside that allows us to make use of it. We form wood into a house. But the space inside is where we live. Form provides a framework for the uses of emptiness. That verse resonated with such intense gravity for me, that it sparked the subsequent curiosity to explore Taoism further and not be run off by its inherent contradictions and anti-logical truths. It's always been a pivotal point for me, the interplay of form and emptiness, walking the path between, that spiral path of the line running through the yin and yang. I think the mysterious nature of the flow and constant, fluid interplay is what is so alluring about it and also, frustratingly ungraspable and un-tie-downable in left brain manners... yet the pursuit is always pleasant, so long as everyone remains well intentioned and open hearted. I had an intense experience of sammadhi while sitting and sketching in the courtyard of the Getty one afternoon. Full expansion of awareness out beyond the limits of the complex onto the hillside of the hill surrounding the entire Getty complex. I had been sketching the courtyard and was intently focused on the shape of the negative spaces created inbetween the various buildings and then in a moment, my awareness shifted from seeing the forms, to experiencing vividly the space between the forms and then awareness shifted again and my body became the emptiness... and I experienced the space between forms as if it were my body. I tried to put this experience into words some years ago and then left it... I'll go dig it up and perhaps share it now. I do recall though, one of the most vivid points was the exquisitely intimate knowledge of the shape of the space inside of the keyholes of the doors that led into the buildings... I could just feel it, it was me... also... space between reminds me of this song... one my wife and I often share one of my favorites... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvzWRzTh7jg edit: to clarify an idea

*nods* the whole notion of teams stirs nausea... a deep, visceral revulsion. Human race. Earth and Space. One as above so below as within without

I agree... I am my body, how could it be otherwise... but my body is not all that I am. that's the only distinction to this I will add.

dang... those ladies were glowing!

Raven figures prominently in our spiritual life. For years they have been calling to my wife, so I'm going to share a bit of my insight into their medicine, since it was brought up. Sorry for the tangent folks. From Druid Lore: Bran, or Raven Medicine brings Deep Healing, Initiation and Protection. Bran offers initiation, protection and the gift of prophecy. What is meant by Initiation may be as formal as an actual initiation ceremony into a new school or practice, or as mundane as an inititation into the mysteries of a new post, or profession. Bran medicine usually portends change and death. Death of one aspect of life that creates space for birth and shift. Bran is often avoided and shunned due to its proximity and affinity for navagating the realms of battlefields... yet watch closely and you will see they also cleanse these places and so bring clarity and space for the healing of new life to come. Always growth and decay are one, not two... they do not oppose, they mutually benefit. The power of Raven can also initiate the deepest levels of healing, referred to by the Druids as the 'resolution of the opposites', guiding awareness to conditions where there is the possibility of resolving conflicts that have long lain buried in the unconscious, or in deep memories of the past. Bran also hovers and moves through and with destructive forces with ease and in balance and so Bran is calling us to become aware of the destructive forces in our own personal sphere. Unresolved, and unacknowledged energies that lie in our unconscious mind, can exert great and often unwanted influence on our actions and reactions in every day life. However much we may wish that destruction and decay were not part of our life, Bran reminds us, without this, the entire world would be a charnel house of dead bodies. Decay is the first step in birth and Raven speaks succinctly about the truths in the dark and difficult aspects of life. How they provide the nourishment and power for new life to emerge into the complexities of the world of form. It is often not acceptable to us, or even acknowledgeable that to continue to grow, aspects of us, or our way of life, must disintegrate and fall away in decay. Raven reminds us of this, but also brings the message that with this process of darkness there is the promise of new light and another day dawning. To a great extent Raven reminds us as well, that what we fear is waiting for us in the dark and in this letting go of existing patterns to disintegration, is often far worse than what actually awaits us. Raven invites us to come to terms... accepting and acknowledging our own destructive forces. A rage perhaps, whose source has lain buried for years. Raven medicine brings then also brings the integration of the unseen, forgotten and disregarded or avoided aspects, which is where the decay of Raven medicine brings the deepest levels of healing. The resolution of the opposites.

11:11 for me for decades 11:11... used to be just clocks, few times a week. now, it's just comical how often and in how many places I am drawn to become aware of it.

The other day, I went to work for the first time in about seven weeks. It was just a quick 3-4 day project. As I was riding in a little before 5am... the image of a well loved workmate 'Chichotka' jumped prominently to mind and I smiled.. hadn't seen him or thought of him in months so I sent him some love and then got back to breathing and driving and listening to my morning music. When I got to work, the second sentence out of my boss' mouth after... "hey good to see you, you handsome devil!" was... "oh and good news, Chichotka will be here today too, we called him in to be your partner on this one." I just smiled all the wider and nodded while chuckling.

fun! as I was rereading that, this just occured to me: so if a biased media tree falls in the digital forest and I'm not online is the other 'team' still wrong?

*wonders* is there still bias in the media I don't consume...?

fingernails and hair... kind of give me a clue that my body is not my true essential self. they are integral parts of my body and hence part of my self... yet when they are cut off, I throw them away without much consideration and with no sense of loss (actually with some sense of satisfaction and relief usually)... these bits that were just a few moments prior a direct and connected part of me... but once cut off, become trash. of course... the toe and fingernails I confess I do tend to keep around just a bit... while they're still pliable. I nudgy them and squish them a bit, if they're being clipped while reading something... then set them aside in a small pile to be thrown away when they are dry hard and brittle... (I mean, who wants unpliable, nonfresh toenail clippings... ? not me!) And I never go looking to reclaim my old shuffled off skin cells. In fact I diligently scrape them off in the shower and rejoice in their loss... nope, my body is not my essential self, yet it seems central to my experience of this life. I get the sense that my essential nature is a field of awareness, shaped much like my avatar pic... and my body is a dense manifestation within the core of that field... my body manifests within my awareness, not the other way round. But that's just my current sense of the situation. I reserve the right to change my perspective on this, if my perspective changes that is...

For me, sin is only possible on the level of the relative... in the midst of duality. From universal, foundational awareness... there is no sin... all is spotless, untaintable, raw and pure.

I just love California and Los Angeles... 17 years almost to the day that I arrived here and I dearly love it... it is a stunning incredible mix of culture, people, topography, surfing, skiing, camping, sailing, entertainment, museums, but really just the mad mix of cultures and people and their food and art... it. is. incredible. Though I am always being called by the long, deep, quiet of the groves of ancient trees and the moist earth up north and when I retire from the hollyweird machine, my wife and I have tentative plans on heading a bit further north to Oregon to finish our days of this incarnation up there... however that may be, by bear, bullet or bus.

I was told to avoid qi gong after eating... by a teacher I highly respect and whose advice I've followed to discover that my entire being is far healthier now than it was some twenty years ago... that said: My job is very demanding physically and mentally, great attention to detail is required to craft what we make. Acute mindfulness is a must as we are around large equipment and dangerous tools constantly... and qi gong is working its way into every movement of the lifting and pushing aspects of my job. So I engage in all of these almost every day I work, right after lunch. I have noticed that I am eating less and eating different types of things which makes life much more effective and pleasant. But this is one area where what my most treasured and honored teachers have told me, that doesn't appear to stack up to my experience.

My gal spiritually, is nigh on every ounce a bear... though that embodies both the grand depth of detailed loving and nuzzling care along with the force of reckoning should one endanger what she perceives to be a cub in her energetic care.

silent thunder ponders where and how Michael procured a picture of his wife...

thanks mate... appreciate your clarifying... I was still rather theta'd out even now, from intense dream winteractions and early morning breath work. The data here reinforces my experience while living in NYC. It was very surprising to this naive white boy from Minnesota that there were (and I assume still are) vast areas where police will simply not go in the boroughs, which are left to govern and police themselves. It was described that the reason for this is that it is not possible to safely deal with issues on the street, when there are 40 stories of windows above you on either side, from which death and problems can rain down upon you while you are otherwise engaged. The reality for me was driven home when my wife and I were chased on sight for several blocks by a mob of half a dozen thugs, when we strayed into one of these areas ignorantly... We quickly learned to consult locals when venturing into new areas of the city before heading there as it could just mean death. This data also supports my observations about the issue in that... the vast majority of the issues and problems are created by a very small minority of the people and in this case, that seems to be consentrated into very small areas. Very enlightening info... thanks for sharing.

Perhaps I'm conflating something or making an assumption, please help me clarify this, because I don't want to assume, I'm just very wary these days... but that quote I added... this one here which is found just below the header on that site... seems to indicate that the crime research center site you are linking to is associated with the NRA itself? am I just high?

Well data is data.... and this seems striking. But I noticed near the header this site is NRA in source? I grew up with hunting. I have an extensive firearm and blade collection and have studied and used them for years. My family is populated with police officers... homicide, CIA, FBI, all retired now, or passed on now, (some on active duty), so I am also a bit of an insider and am aware of how the reporting of stats can be buffered and outright played at times. In this age of spin it's tough to be openly believing of anything put forth by the NRA, or any large agency. But that may just be me. When I see NRA in the source of this reporting though, my spin meter goes up.