Buddhism explained as I see it
(with help from Thich Nhat Hanh)
1. Dukkha: Life is suffering.
2. Samudaya: Desire creates suffering
3. Nirodha: Eliminating desire strikes at the root cause of suffering
4. Marga: The eightfold path that leads us to refrain from doing the things that cause us to suffer
Right View: Shariputra (one of the two original disciples of the Buddha) described right view as the ability to distinguish wholesome roots from unwholesome roots. First in the eightfold path, right view is imperative to be able to follow the rest. Without right view, we are unable to identify the right and true path from that which is false. We all carry both of these roots within us. When we act in an unwholesome way, we water the roots of anger, craving and violence. Right view is to recognize which roots are wholesome and to encourage those roots to be watered.
Right Thinking: The next step along the eightfold path is right thinking. With right view as the foundation, our thinking becomes the speech of our minds, and makes our verbal speech clear and beneficial. Thich Nhat Hanh suggests that we write the words "are you sure?" on a large piece of paper and hang it where you will see it often. Ask yourself this question again and again. Wrong perceptions cause incorrect thinking and unnecessary suffering.
Right Speech: In considering what to say about right speech, I remembered an essay by Thich Nhat Hanh. He explained it much better than I could:
"Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen to others, I am committed to cultivating loving speech and deep listening in order to bring joy and happiness to others and relieve others of their suffering. Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, I am determined to speak truthfully, with words that inspire self confidence, joy and hope. I will not spread news that I do not know to be certain and will not criticize or condemn things of which I am not sure. I will refrain from uttering words that can cause division or discord, or that can cause the family or the community to break. I am determined to make all efforts to reconcile or resolve all conflicts, however small."
--Thich Nhat Hanh, the Heart of Buddha's Teaching pg 84
Right Action: When we act in accordance with our moral principals we act rightly. Do our actions prevent harm to others? Do our actions promote well being in ourselves, our families and communities? Do we take responsibility for our actions, learn from them and continue to act for the benefit of all? Our actions should reflect our commitment to our beliefs. We need to constantly monitor our behavior, and by our right actions contribute to the well being of society.
Right Livelihood: We all must earn our living. We need to be aware of the consequences of what we do to earn our daily bread. Does your occupation contribute to the greater good? We must be mindful of the effect we have on the world around us. In our thoughts as of late are the police, fire fighters and rescue workers injured and killed in the world trade center tragedy. A more positive example of right livelihood would be difficult to find. Of course, we can't all pursue those occupations, but we can focus our energy in making a living in a positive fashion.
Right Diligence: This is the effort we take to maintain ourselves. We concentrate on the positive aspects of our lives and nurture that effort. We identify the negatives, and discard them. By right diligence, even small tasks become a joy to us.
Right Mindfulness: “There are many beautiful aspects of our consciousness, like faith, humility, self respect, non-craving, non-anger, non-ignorance, diligence ease, care, equanimity and non-violence.
Unwholesome mental formations on the other hand, are like a tangled ball of string. when we try to untangle it, we only wind it around ourselves until we can not move. The basic unwholesome mental formations are greed, hatred, ignorance, pride, doubt and views. The secondary unwholesome mental formations, arising from the basic ones are anger, malice, hypocrisy, malevolence, jealousy, selfishness, deception, guile, unwholesome excitement, the wish to harm, immodesty, arrogance, dullness, agitation, lack of faith, indolence, carelessness, forgetfulness, distraction and lack of attention.”
--Thich Nhat Hanh (once again) from the Heart of Buddha's Teaching pg74
By practicing right mindfulness, we are able to identify and act upon our thoughts, nurturing the positive and discarding the negative.
Right Concentration: There are two types of concentration: active and selective. When we actively concentrate we are aware of all that is around us. When we selectively concentrate, we focus in on one thing.
Enjoying a walk in the park allows active concentration. We smell the flowers, enjoy the beauty of the trees, and the laughter of the happy children on the playground.
When we do our taxes, we selectively concentrate, focusing in on the math and the confusing forms. We close ourselves off from the distractions of life to surmount the problem before us.
Through active and selective concentration, we live fully in each moment, and live in the joy of that which is around us. Sometimes joy can be the selective concentration of the beauty of one flower.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Last night there was a tornado touchdown at a Boy Scout camp 40 miles north of here. Four of my brothers lost their lives in this incident. I had never met these four boys, but they are my brothers none the less.
My father passed away when I was a year and a half old. I was the youngest child of a widowed mother, and grew up in a house with her and three older sisters. When I was eight years old, a man from the neighborhood named Ray came to our house one night. He told my Mom that his son had told him that there was a boy without a father in the house. He told my Mom that I needed to come to his Cub Scout meeting and that he would be happy to stop and pick me up the next evening. I went to the meeting.
Over the next ten years, a group of men, committed to the Scouting program, taught me many things. Often, what was being taught on the surface was much deeper than I realized at the time. I learned many skills that have served me well over the years. Along with the skills, I learned how to cooperate with a group, how to be a leader, a follower and what it meant to part of a greater whole. I learned how to plan and carry out my plan. I learned to be prepared. For a fatherless boy from a very poor neighborhood, the Scouting Program was essentially my Father.
As an adult, I spent the next twenty five years working as a volunteer leader. Often, I worked with Ray, the man who came and picked me up for my first meeting. I spent time at the Troop level as an assistant Scoutmaster, then Scoutmaster and a Troop committee member. I moved onto the District staff, and worked at the organizational level. I finally ended up at the Council level as a member of the training staff. I stepped aside about ten years ago to allow a new generation of men to take their turn.
It is very hard to explain what this experience is like, and the effect it has had on my life, to some one on the outside.
Last night, a young man of eighteen was the first to see the tornado approach. He made sure the camp siren was sounded, got a group of younger kids to shelter. Too late to get to the shelter himself, he took a couple of young men into a ravine just in time to avoid the storm as it passed through. When the tornado has passed, a pick up truck had been picked up and blown into a building, knocking over the stone fireplace. This young man, along with others, immediately started to dig the younger boys out of the rubble. When He was interviewed later he was bare chested because he had taken off his shirt and laid it over one of the boys who had died. Thomas White is his name.
Other boys set up a first aid station and were taking care of the injured. A couple boys took an ATV out of a utility shed and went to get the Ranger and his family out of the wreckage of the Ranger’s cabin. When the rescue forces arrived, the young men were taking care of one another, and doing the best they could to get the injured to safety.
I am very proud to say that these are my Brothers…..
My father passed away when I was a year and a half old. I was the youngest child of a widowed mother, and grew up in a house with her and three older sisters. When I was eight years old, a man from the neighborhood named Ray came to our house one night. He told my Mom that his son had told him that there was a boy without a father in the house. He told my Mom that I needed to come to his Cub Scout meeting and that he would be happy to stop and pick me up the next evening. I went to the meeting.
Over the next ten years, a group of men, committed to the Scouting program, taught me many things. Often, what was being taught on the surface was much deeper than I realized at the time. I learned many skills that have served me well over the years. Along with the skills, I learned how to cooperate with a group, how to be a leader, a follower and what it meant to part of a greater whole. I learned how to plan and carry out my plan. I learned to be prepared. For a fatherless boy from a very poor neighborhood, the Scouting Program was essentially my Father.
As an adult, I spent the next twenty five years working as a volunteer leader. Often, I worked with Ray, the man who came and picked me up for my first meeting. I spent time at the Troop level as an assistant Scoutmaster, then Scoutmaster and a Troop committee member. I moved onto the District staff, and worked at the organizational level. I finally ended up at the Council level as a member of the training staff. I stepped aside about ten years ago to allow a new generation of men to take their turn.
It is very hard to explain what this experience is like, and the effect it has had on my life, to some one on the outside.
Last night, a young man of eighteen was the first to see the tornado approach. He made sure the camp siren was sounded, got a group of younger kids to shelter. Too late to get to the shelter himself, he took a couple of young men into a ravine just in time to avoid the storm as it passed through. When the tornado has passed, a pick up truck had been picked up and blown into a building, knocking over the stone fireplace. This young man, along with others, immediately started to dig the younger boys out of the rubble. When He was interviewed later he was bare chested because he had taken off his shirt and laid it over one of the boys who had died. Thomas White is his name.
Other boys set up a first aid station and were taking care of the injured. A couple boys took an ATV out of a utility shed and went to get the Ranger and his family out of the wreckage of the Ranger’s cabin. When the rescue forces arrived, the young men were taking care of one another, and doing the best they could to get the injured to safety.
I am very proud to say that these are my Brothers…..
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
This is the ring I purchased at the estate sale. The center stone is slightly less than half a carat, and the 12 rubies that surround it are about an eighth of a carat each. The setting is 18k gold. The guy who ran the estate sale insisted that it was a zircon with lab created rubies. As it turns out, I was right and he was wrong.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
The operation was a success, and now my right eye works much better than it did despite the fact that it is a white hot ball of pain when the Tylonol wears off. The prescription antibiotic eye drops sting, and I hope the International Olympic Committee never finds out about the steroid eye drops, which also sting. The inner portion of my eyelid is a delightful shade of red that complements the bloodshot motif of the rest of the eye.
I really shouldn't complain. thirty years ago, I would be blind. Ray Charles went blind at a young age as a result of lack of treatment for glaucoma. I am not sure when the current method of cataract removal and lens insertion was started, but I am sure it was more recent than that. So, either the glaucoma or the cataracts would have left me blind.
I am grateful, but still pretty uncomfortable
I really shouldn't complain. thirty years ago, I would be blind. Ray Charles went blind at a young age as a result of lack of treatment for glaucoma. I am not sure when the current method of cataract removal and lens insertion was started, but I am sure it was more recent than that. So, either the glaucoma or the cataracts would have left me blind.
I am grateful, but still pretty uncomfortable
Monday, December 10, 2007
Friday, November 30, 2007
Friday, November 23, 2007
I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving. We were invited to my niece's for dinner. It went very well, and we were home in good time to wind down and relax. This holiday weekend was one of the best: I have four days off, it is not my turn to take emergency calls, we got paid two days early, I have a few hours overtime, this is the payday for commissions (I got $186.00 in commissions) and best of all: I got a seven percent raise!
This morning we took the cat to the vet then went out to a lovely breakfast. Once the shopping frenzy was done, I went to the Aple store and bought my new desktop computer. I spent the afternoon cleaning the den and rearranging the cable and router wiring. I set up the Mac and now I am sipping a beer, and installing Leopard (Mac's newest operating system) I have Office for Mac and the printer driver to go, then everything will be done.
This morning we took the cat to the vet then went out to a lovely breakfast. Once the shopping frenzy was done, I went to the Aple store and bought my new desktop computer. I spent the afternoon cleaning the den and rearranging the cable and router wiring. I set up the Mac and now I am sipping a beer, and installing Leopard (Mac's newest operating system) I have Office for Mac and the printer driver to go, then everything will be done.
Monday, November 12, 2007
So, it has been another boring stretch since my last blog update. I have ordered a laptop from Dell. For my personal computing pleasure, I have made the switch to Macintosh. I have had quite enough of Microsoft, thank you, but the applications I use at work are very specific in their operating system needs. I have an old IBM Thinkpad running Windows 98 for use in the systems requiring a DOS base, and The newer applications will only run in Windows XP. The manufacturers will not be updating this software. When we asked about running them under Vista, they replied: "If you can get them to run in Vista, let us know how you did it." I do not plan to do their R&D for them. So, for the future, i will need a solid machine running Windows XP. Dell has them available for now, but in the future will more than likely phase them out.
I have moved my old Windows XP desktop into the small basement study, where it will mainly be used to back up work applications and sync my PDA. I am using my MacBook now, and once I get the reimbursement from the company for the Dell, I will be heading out to the Apple store to decide which Mac I will use for my new desktop.
See: you thought watching golf on TV and watching paint dry was boring. This little glimpse into the mundane and boring life I lead tops them......
I have moved my old Windows XP desktop into the small basement study, where it will mainly be used to back up work applications and sync my PDA. I am using my MacBook now, and once I get the reimbursement from the company for the Dell, I will be heading out to the Apple store to decide which Mac I will use for my new desktop.
See: you thought watching golf on TV and watching paint dry was boring. This little glimpse into the mundane and boring life I lead tops them......
Monday, October 29, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Good evening friends,
On HBO FE tonight, I am watching "The Music Man"
I remember a night When My Mom and I took a bus downtown and ate at King Fong's Chinese Restaurant then went to the Orpheum and saw "The Music Man." We took the bus home and got an ice cream cone to eat on the walk home from the bus stop. This was my first Chinese food and my first pistachio ice cream cone.
Mom passed away seven years ago, and I miss her every day. I remember this movie outing like it happened last week. It was forty five years ago. I was nine years old. Tonight, I am up later than I should be, and I have had maybe more wine to drink than I should have, but I am remembering that night so long ago, and watching the movie through eyes oddly blurred........
On HBO FE tonight, I am watching "The Music Man"
I remember a night When My Mom and I took a bus downtown and ate at King Fong's Chinese Restaurant then went to the Orpheum and saw "The Music Man." We took the bus home and got an ice cream cone to eat on the walk home from the bus stop. This was my first Chinese food and my first pistachio ice cream cone.
Mom passed away seven years ago, and I miss her every day. I remember this movie outing like it happened last week. It was forty five years ago. I was nine years old. Tonight, I am up later than I should be, and I have had maybe more wine to drink than I should have, but I am remembering that night so long ago, and watching the movie through eyes oddly blurred........
Well, a couple of strictly routine weeks have gone by since my last attempt at writing the most boring blog in cyberspace. The fall weather here has been creeping in. Last weekend, we caved in to the inevitable and put the hard top back on the jeep for the winter. This weekend we will be making our annual tripp to Arbor Lodge. J. Sterling Morton (of the salt Morton's) lived in Nebraska City. He was the founder of Arbor Day. His property now has a large Hotel/Conference center in the middle of a working apple orchard. We go every fall as the leaves are turning for a calm, quiet weekend of walks through the surrounding forest, great food in the hotel restaurant, and just a general time of relaxation, quality time and renewal.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
A month can go by so fast you hardly realize it has been that long since I bored you with my mundane life. Nothing amazing going on here, just normal activity. A couple of weeks ago Sunflower heard a loud crash in the night and woke me. Just as we got to the door, a neighbor from up the street came to get us. He had been walking his dog and saw a guy in a pick up truck hit our daughter's car then drive away. He had ran behind the truck for awhile and was able to get a partial license plate number, and had called the police on his way down. Sure enough, Anne's car was pretty badly damaged. The truck had been driving on the wrong side of the street and hit it pretty much head on, and the whole front end was mangled. Anne wa pretty upset. She had only had this car for a month, and had just pt the first license plates on it. It had less than three undred miles on it.
The next morning, Anne got a call from a detective. They had found the guy who hit her car. He had called the police to try to turn his damage in as a hit and run and when faced with the evidence, admitted that he had hit Anne;s car and left the scene. Anne was contacted by his insurance company and all worked out well.
The next morning, Anne got a call from a detective. They had found the guy who hit her car. He had called the police to try to turn his damage in as a hit and run and when faced with the evidence, admitted that he had hit Anne;s car and left the scene. Anne was contacted by his insurance company and all worked out well.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
So, it has been a couple of months since I have updated this blog. You haven't missed anything at all. Mainly, work has been real busy, and the weather has been hot. Sunflower and I spend our weekends going to estate sales. Lately we have been going to the City Botanical Gardens often just to spend an hour or two walking hand in hand along the trails.
The girls are doing well. Our younger daughter is talking about moving out at the first of the year leaving us with an empty nest. She had moved out for a brief period before, but maybe this time she will find a place she is happy. Our older daughter has a thriving practice and is making a nice living.
The weather is starting to cool off some, and the weekend is coming up.
The girls are doing well. Our younger daughter is talking about moving out at the first of the year leaving us with an empty nest. She had moved out for a brief period before, but maybe this time she will find a place she is happy. Our older daughter has a thriving practice and is making a nice living.
The weather is starting to cool off some, and the weekend is coming up.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Good evening friends,
It has been a real busy week, but what else is new? The Fourth of July hit in the middle of a crashing heat wave here. the day before, we noticed it was rather warm in teh house, and by Wednesday morning we had to admit that the air conditioner was blowing hot air into the house. My nephew is a technician for a local heating and air conditioning company. He was able to come Thursday evening and look the unit over. It is old, tired and worn out. We found that it was installed in 1974, so we really don't have a complaint. We have lived in this house since 1986, and it has done fine. My nephew charged it with some freon to get us by while he comes up with a new heat pump for us. he should be able to put it in next weekend.
In the meantime, the heat wave broke, and it is a very pleasant night. I am sitting on the patio with my trusty MacBook and a chilled glass of Eye of the Toad, a dry pinot noir rose from the Toad Hollow winery. I hope you are having a lovely evening too.
It has been a real busy week, but what else is new? The Fourth of July hit in the middle of a crashing heat wave here. the day before, we noticed it was rather warm in teh house, and by Wednesday morning we had to admit that the air conditioner was blowing hot air into the house. My nephew is a technician for a local heating and air conditioning company. He was able to come Thursday evening and look the unit over. It is old, tired and worn out. We found that it was installed in 1974, so we really don't have a complaint. We have lived in this house since 1986, and it has done fine. My nephew charged it with some freon to get us by while he comes up with a new heat pump for us. he should be able to put it in next weekend.
In the meantime, the heat wave broke, and it is a very pleasant night. I am sitting on the patio with my trusty MacBook and a chilled glass of Eye of the Toad, a dry pinot noir rose from the Toad Hollow winery. I hope you are having a lovely evening too.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007
SO, despite appearances I have not abandoned this blog. I have just been very busy. Work is as usual, lots to do and not near enouhg time to get it done.
Last week we were notified that my cousin's youngest son (23 years old) was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq. The funeral is Wednesday. My cousin and his wife were able to arrange to pick the casket up late last evening. They were told the remains were "unviewable."
Decorum prohibits typing my response to this horrendus mess Mr. Bush has created for us.
Last week we were notified that my cousin's youngest son (23 years old) was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq. The funeral is Wednesday. My cousin and his wife were able to arrange to pick the casket up late last evening. They were told the remains were "unviewable."
Decorum prohibits typing my response to this horrendus mess Mr. Bush has created for us.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Good afternoon friends,
So, another week has come and gone. It was amazingly ordinary. Work remains busy as usual. The girls survived yet another barbecue festival and returned safe, if a little hung over. The holiday weekend was one of unhurried relaxation. we went to a morning matinee of the new Pirates of the Carribean Saturday, then an early dinner at Ruby Tuesday. Sunday, the ladies took me out to lunch to celebrate my birthday. Monday we did some yard work. We planted a good sized holly bush and some lilies. After cleaning up, I cooked some steaks on the grill and we enjoyed them with a nice bottle of Bourdeaux.
Today it is back to work.
So, another week has come and gone. It was amazingly ordinary. Work remains busy as usual. The girls survived yet another barbecue festival and returned safe, if a little hung over. The holiday weekend was one of unhurried relaxation. we went to a morning matinee of the new Pirates of the Carribean Saturday, then an early dinner at Ruby Tuesday. Sunday, the ladies took me out to lunch to celebrate my birthday. Monday we did some yard work. We planted a good sized holly bush and some lilies. After cleaning up, I cooked some steaks on the grill and we enjoyed them with a nice bottle of Bourdeaux.
Today it is back to work.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Just another beautiful evening, Sunflower and I have had the last few days off to celebrate our anniversary. The girls are in Memphis for a long weekend of drunken debauchery. We will pick them up at the airport tomorrow evening, We haven't really done much with our time off except relax. We have slept in, ate at our favorite restaurants, gone to the gym to swim, and caught up on some yard work. Tonight, Sunflower is in the recliner watching a movie, and I am sitting on the patio again with my trusty MacBook and a glass of really nice Zinfandel. Tomorrow we will have the last day of this vacation and then back to work Tuesday, Tonight, we drink wine and relax.
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