Jim D.

It does not seem that your response relates to what I have shared. There has been much thought on the subject of life and death in all the years I have spent here on Earth. Nothing that has been said or pondered changes the fact that "we are born, we live, and then we die." The rest that is created in wondering whether I have counted in some way creates existential anxiety.

"This too shall pass." In my will I have requested that my ashes be spread under a tree so that I will live on infinitely. You see my ashes will feed the tree and I will become a part of that tree be it a leaf, or a branch, or sap, or a root. I will have changed in substance and matter but none the less my growth will be cyclical and ever remaining. No matter if that tree dies, I will continue to nurture something forever. In my readings it is obvious that some men are afraid to die, or of death (the process thereof), and therefore find solace in religion, cult, philosophy, endless intellectualizing this existence, attachments and...prayers. I have seen the process of death. The human being fades from now to then. There is no conscious awareness when 'then' happens. The body and mind robs those final moments from the person that ceases to live. And then... The void is filled in by spectators, tears, loved ones, others remorse and post funeral dinners, wills being read, and clothes given away.

Light refraction is a beautiful thing to behold. That which causes this can be described scientifically to a point at which the reason for is undiscernible. The outcome of such is a spectrum of color with borders that bleed into and away from each other causing color that is seen by our eyes. But what of the colors, if they are, that cannot be perceived. This invisibleness perhaps keeps going in some shape or form. Perhaps they are light waves, energy waves, vibrations... So, how is it that Tao is everywhere and experienced in different ways, missed by attention elsewhere but still there. When we rid ourselves of the turmoil within and rest, we enter into the stillness of Tao. We become Tao. We are Tao. Eternal...with neither a past or future. It is a moment that is infinite, universal. Your Tao is not my Tao. Just as the spectrum of light in refraction is an individual unique experience. Jim D.

As I was reading someone's post on their stress over a diagnosis given over from a practitioner of the healing arts, a personal story came to mind. Early in the 90's I was teaching in a prison. A student came to class and asked me if her friend could have a seat next to her. She and her friend seated themselves at the front of the class. This student soon raised their hand and asked if I had a problem with her friend taking the seat next to her. You see, her friend was an invisible rabbit. I replied that I had no problem with her rabbit friend occupying the seat next to her as long as the rabbit gave up its seat, if another student came in and needed somewhere to sit. You see delusional thoughts only become a problem when it violates the rights of others. If the rabbit friend is that person's normal than so be it. But if that person wants the rabbit to drive my car or teach the class, then we have a problem. Jim D.

According to my core values, lying is acceptable when there is a higher good that comes out of lying. As was stated earlier, to save another person's life. Jim D.

I think of water as being a state of being. Tao is a state of being of which we are component of. Interruptions such as resentments disconnect us from being at peace and in the state of calmness and nothingness...wu wei. Yes, we can meditate all day but get nothing done. Once I get into action by living, then the nature of Tao will provide circumstances for me to adjust to or resist. My choice... Jim D.

If someone is delusional there is a possibility of truth. For instance, a person might say I think that someone is watching me, and they seek help because they are distressed and would like to sort it out because someone is urging them too, or this delusion is driving them crazy. The intervention in this matter is to help this person either prove or disprove their feeling or perception. The issue is that this belief could be occupying their time to the detriment of other life areas. Now the student either was testing me for a reaction or believed she had a rabbit friend next to her. Hover, the rabbit never interrupted class or carried on a conversation with her. If that had occurred I would have engaged the CO and had her transferred to Mental Health inside the prison in order to be assessed. The authority for this provisional diagnosis is found in the DSM-5 and personal experiences in the field, coupled with the University I attended educational requirements. Jim D.

What would be taken away in order to achieve perfection? Perfection for me would possibly feel like isolation. But that is my human response. But if I were a perfect being, perfection might feel natural, it would be natural if I had something to compare it too. I also wonder if in the state of perfection if the need to compare would be necessary for my own self awareness. For instance, is Tao aware of itself? Is gravity aware of itself or how it is...gravity. Is a bird aware of its song because it hears its own song? Or is it just noise? Does it become a perfect song when there is a response from the community of birds of its kind? When a bird is geographically reassigned to a different location in this world and it sings without a response, does its song become imperfect because the utility of its song derives nothing, and therefore it perishes because of lack of community, resources and others modeling their protective skills of survival. Jim D.

March conjures up images of lambs and lions. I wonder how the animals got involved in the calendar and lunar process? You can't help seeing either the lamb or lion in your mind's eye when March is mentioned, no matter what year it is. You just hope that March is the beginning of the end of winter, snowplows, rock salt, and endless shoveling. Another animal that gets equal press is the groundhog. I wonder how it got its name, and whether he owns a pair of designer sunglasses. Poor thing. He has to bear up under being handled by who knows who as he is roused up out of his sleep and coaxed into the winter's breeze only to be characterized as either seeing his shadow or not. Notice the gender specific language. What happened to saying her shadow? He can't tell you. And I'll bet he never knew that he had been given an added job description, weatherman. I also wonder if he also suffers from a guilt complex when he hears on the news that we're in for an additional six weeks of winter. Oh well, there is always pet therapy for Mr. Groundhog. But wait, who will pay for the sessions? Maybe we can suggest making it a line item in the Pennsylvania Budget. Hmmmm...I wonder if we have made the Ox jealous with all this attention to Mr. Groundhog. Jim D.

I have not been interested in the upcoming election because I think that the outcome is up in the air and not predictable. Hillary should have been arrested and charged for her email shannigans. Trump appears uncomfortable in his own skin. And does not look like a good fit for the job unless he surrounds himself with savvy people that will work for the People. Observations: Trump is a business man. He appears stilted and unprofessional as a politician. When I watched his acceptance speech at the Republican Convention, he appeared scripted and surrealistic. You could have put a plastic doll image of him on your dash board and gotten the same impression. His stop and go's were not smooth and transitional. His cadence was 1, 2, 3, and 1, 2, 3, as he turned from the middle, to the right and then to the left. When he acknowledged someone in the audience as someone he knew, his facial expressions were not warm and genuine...you might as well have been introduced in a board meeting and been described as a "good earner" in the Trump Corporation. I don't see a concrete plan coming out of his platform. The National Debt is much too great and out of reach to be able to turn it around and reduce it in the next 4 years. You have to be a Richard J. Dailey from the start in order to control all the palyers that have contributed to the problem. The President in practice has to be the boss, and the only boss at the top, without advisors who sway the President by concensus when it comes to big decisions...and at this point everything is a big decision. Our Governmental and Bureaucratic System will not let that happen. The Good 'ole Boys want to keep it the way its been going for a long time. Hillary is a phony. She is in it for her...and maybe her husband, who would like a second chance at being President. When she let Bill get away with the Monica Lewinski issue she showed a lack of character, integrity, self esteem, and trustworthiness. I do not want her to lead me. I vote for the person who walks the talk and is his own person. It would not surprise me if Bernie Sanders gets elected by default. We will have to see if our legal system will do their job regarding Hillary. But they are probably afraid that if they do, she will get her revenge when and if in Office. Trump has nothing to loose. He made his Billions. I think that this could just be another Reality Show for him. He has made some pretty outrageous controversial statements and promises along the way. He has also worked people, backed off from his strongest intentions, and then adjusted to what his Party expected from him...just to get votes. Everyone who runs for office makes promises, rolls up their sleeves like they are one of us, and then shreds the hire me speeches and does what they want or someone else wants them to do. How did it get this bad. I know, corruption from the inside.

Water fall and the ringing in my ear.

Tao Stillness, your post reminds me of the movie "When the earth stood still."

Sagebrush, when I am downloading a program let's say from Microsoft, I am asked if I want to make changes to my program. Most times the phrase "make changes" alerts me and I will say no.

Rain

Contact Adm. They may be able to help.

I can't. I am waiting for it to be deleted.

Well, at this point, nobody is getting my vote. But I can write in my English friend Karl, and Floridian friend Marblehead. Karl will be on the A G20 Non-Secretariat ballad, and Marblehead will be on the Anarchist Ballad. Vote both in and your country will be running effectively and be solvent.

Hey (hey), You (you), Get off of my cloud.

Bumma!!!!

Yes, it is becoming clear to me that a grand plan to get Hillary in is in place here. It doesn't make sense that she has not been arrested for her breach of security protocol. When I was in undergrade and in my 20's there were coffee houses, Carol King, and talks about the war, student government of which I participated in Academic Affairs , and Philosophy courses of which I enjoyed very much.

I am listening to my pond water pump's silence, and the subtle trickle of water hititing the stones placed in a cup to dampen the rain drop sound it could make if allowed to break the water's surface.

Thanks Brian. I am happy with the limited knowledge that I have that people are still me paying to give because I seem to know more then them. If they only knew!!!! I have enough in my tool box. I am still trying to get rid of some. It is getting to heavy, and I can only use one tool at a time. I don't even meditate formally anymore. Haven't in years. Got to be too much work, and habitual. Something became more important.So, it dropped by the wayside. Don't think I will going back that way again soon, if ever. As a Doaist, and that is the reason I came to this site initially, I do not revere knowledge anylonger. I used it as a self esteem booster. I hated teaching because I did not like big words, and big concepts that really did not make a hill of beans when it came to living on life's terms. My mentor once advised me to try and pass along lving tools along with academic tools for learning. I have done so to the best of my ability so far. I believe knowledge is an illusion, that we as a race for the most part, are living an illusion. But I feel something underneath all of this that is pure and simple. It is just out of reach.

Brian, it does make sense that Trump at first was not serious about being President. So now, he is being outrageous, testing how far he can go without getting fired (his own reality show)...but he wants to get fired...he does not want the job. He does not need the job. To me he does not feel like a President. His wife does not look like a first lady. I do not know about the kids. Not sure about them. But Trump seems to like being a "choas agent."

I don't know for sure, but it did cross my mind...that some readers were under the influence. Not saying who. Might make some sensitive "rat" rat on me. Just sayin.

What is really helping is that my involvement in participating on the Daobums is increasing my typing skills, filling up my time, and fending of what may happen, and you and Karl have mentioned this already, late stage Alzeheimers/Dementia. Wait a minute. What did I just type. Fingers don't fail me now!