Saturday, April 26, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Buddhist Thought
Only the curious will learn, only the resolute overcome the obstacles to learning. The Quest quotient has always excited me more than the intelligence quotient. - Eugene S. Wilson
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Today is one of those rare days that finds me with the desire to pound out my thoughts onto the Internet. Not that I've all the time needed to write about what has been happening in San Freakcenteral and what I've been doing. Plus, it might be a bit x-rated and I'm truly not sure if there are any children under 18 that peruse my site. It takes a village, no?
To keep it simple lets just say that currently my mood is good to happy and that the sun shines into my home as this is being typed.
My new dog Music continues to grow into her new life with me as my constant friend, ambassador, canine muse and dog hair/ dog poo contributor.
I've been of course enjoying life as a single gay man in SF. Meeting new guyz and having fun of all sorts is easy and my dance card fills up as quickly as I'd like. Sometimes this isn't always a good thing because overbooking, sustaining old friendships or developing deeper connections becomes difficult. Sustaining relations and communicating to loved ones/people from my past is important for many reasons but chiefly because I care for these humans and the times we've shared are treasures that I'd never willing give up!!
There is so much that I could go on about but I've not the time. Time restraints, vacuuming my apartment and work that requires my attention has seen that this post must be shorter than I want it to be.
My feelings of never enough time is something I'm sure every human can relate to.
The artistic drive and output level I've been feeling trodes on and I honestly feel that my abilities and vision are infinite. Mr. Burns is experiencing a creative Big Bang!!! Once this force is directed, educated, harnessed and focused better: oNly tHen wiLL I kNow and bE able to shoW while mAking tonS of DOugH!!
From the moment we're placed onto this reality the clock of our life ticks valuable moments away. All the while drawing us closer to a time when time doesn't matter.
Oh well. Time for me to use my ticks for other things other than this.
I hope your using your ticks well and productively.
Peace everyone!!
And, eat your veggies!! They'll help you poo!!!
To keep it simple lets just say that currently my mood is good to happy and that the sun shines into my home as this is being typed.
My new dog Music continues to grow into her new life with me as my constant friend, ambassador, canine muse and dog hair/ dog poo contributor.
I've been of course enjoying life as a single gay man in SF. Meeting new guyz and having fun of all sorts is easy and my dance card fills up as quickly as I'd like. Sometimes this isn't always a good thing because overbooking, sustaining old friendships or developing deeper connections becomes difficult. Sustaining relations and communicating to loved ones/people from my past is important for many reasons but chiefly because I care for these humans and the times we've shared are treasures that I'd never willing give up!!
There is so much that I could go on about but I've not the time. Time restraints, vacuuming my apartment and work that requires my attention has seen that this post must be shorter than I want it to be.
My feelings of never enough time is something I'm sure every human can relate to.
The artistic drive and output level I've been feeling trodes on and I honestly feel that my abilities and vision are infinite. Mr. Burns is experiencing a creative Big Bang!!! Once this force is directed, educated, harnessed and focused better: oNly tHen wiLL I kNow and bE able to shoW while mAking tonS of DOugH!!
From the moment we're placed onto this reality the clock of our life ticks valuable moments away. All the while drawing us closer to a time when time doesn't matter.
Oh well. Time for me to use my ticks for other things other than this.
I hope your using your ticks well and productively.
Peace everyone!!
And, eat your veggies!! They'll help you poo!!!
Friday, April 18, 2008
Buddhist Thought
Let go of the past! Let go of the future! Let go of the present and cross over to the farther shore of existence. With your mind wholly liberated, you shall come no more to birth and death.
- Buddha
- Buddha
Monday, April 14, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Buddhist Thought
These teachings are like a raft, to be abandoned once you have crossed the flood. Since you should abandon even good states of mind generated by these teachings, How much more so should you abandon bad states of mind! Conquer the angry man by love. Conquer the ill-natured man by goodness. Conquer the miser with generosity. Conquer the liar with truth. -The Dhammapada
Friday, April 11, 2008
Buddha's Beginning
SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA'S LIFE STORY
Prince Siddharta Gautama was born some 2,500 years ago as a prince in what is now called Lumbini in Nepal. At his birth, many special signs appeared. His father asked a sage living in his kingdom for advice on his son. The sage predicted that Gautama would become either a great King or a great spiritual teacher.
The King wanted his son to be his successor and tried to keep him far away from all matters of life that could incline him to a spiritual life. Gautama usually spent his life in his father's palace, surrounded by all the possible luxuries of the time. He proved to be a special child, being quite intelligent as well as an excellent sportsman. He married to a beautiful woman he loved, and they had a son.
When Gautama was 29 years old, he discovered there was much suffering in the world around him. Traditionally it is explained that he suddenly recognised the problems of sickness, old age and death when visiting the city. Being shocked by the suffering of all living beings, he decided to search for way to end it. He left his wife and child, the palace and even his royal clothes, and started out on a spiritual quest.
Gautama studied under various teachers and followed their practices until he mastered them all. His first teacher was Alara Kalama who taught a form of meditation leading to an exalted form of absorption called "the state of no-thingness", a state without moral or cognitive dimension. Gautama saw this was not going to solve suffering, and continued his search.
The next teacher was Udraka Ramaputra who taught him meditative absorption leading to “the state of neither perception nor non-perception”. Again, Gautama realised this was not the state he was looking for. (Both Alara and Udraka are by some scholars considered to be Jain followers.)
Next, he tried extreme ascetic practices at Uruvilva in North India, with five other ascetics who turned into his followers. In the end, Gautama nearly died of starvation.
After about six years of searching, he realised that just wearing down his body did not generate new insights, but rather leads to weakness and self-destruction. When he decided to give up extreme asceticism, his five students left him.
The 'Bodhi' tree in Bodhgaya
The Sarnath stupa, at the place of the first teachings
He then sat down in a place now called Bodhgaya (North India) under a Bodhi-tree and decided not to get up anymore until he discovered the truth. Just a short time later, he became a fully enlightened Buddha. This means that he actualised all positive potentials of a sentient being and rid himself of all negative qualities. With this, he realised the true nature of existence and suffering (emptiness), and how suffering can be ended. (On the right is a descendant of the original Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya.)
Seven weeks after enlightenment, the Buddha gave his first discourse in Sarnath, near Varanasi (see image below right). Here he taught the 4 Noble Truths. The Buddha continued to teach during his life, until passing away at the age of 81.
The Buddha once summarised his entire teachings in one sentence:
"I teach about suffering and the way to end it".
Prince Siddharta Gautama was born some 2,500 years ago as a prince in what is now called Lumbini in Nepal. At his birth, many special signs appeared. His father asked a sage living in his kingdom for advice on his son. The sage predicted that Gautama would become either a great King or a great spiritual teacher.
The King wanted his son to be his successor and tried to keep him far away from all matters of life that could incline him to a spiritual life. Gautama usually spent his life in his father's palace, surrounded by all the possible luxuries of the time. He proved to be a special child, being quite intelligent as well as an excellent sportsman. He married to a beautiful woman he loved, and they had a son.
When Gautama was 29 years old, he discovered there was much suffering in the world around him. Traditionally it is explained that he suddenly recognised the problems of sickness, old age and death when visiting the city. Being shocked by the suffering of all living beings, he decided to search for way to end it. He left his wife and child, the palace and even his royal clothes, and started out on a spiritual quest.
Gautama studied under various teachers and followed their practices until he mastered them all. His first teacher was Alara Kalama who taught a form of meditation leading to an exalted form of absorption called "the state of no-thingness", a state without moral or cognitive dimension. Gautama saw this was not going to solve suffering, and continued his search.
The next teacher was Udraka Ramaputra who taught him meditative absorption leading to “the state of neither perception nor non-perception”. Again, Gautama realised this was not the state he was looking for. (Both Alara and Udraka are by some scholars considered to be Jain followers.)
Next, he tried extreme ascetic practices at Uruvilva in North India, with five other ascetics who turned into his followers. In the end, Gautama nearly died of starvation.
After about six years of searching, he realised that just wearing down his body did not generate new insights, but rather leads to weakness and self-destruction. When he decided to give up extreme asceticism, his five students left him.
The 'Bodhi' tree in Bodhgaya
The Sarnath stupa, at the place of the first teachings
He then sat down in a place now called Bodhgaya (North India) under a Bodhi-tree and decided not to get up anymore until he discovered the truth. Just a short time later, he became a fully enlightened Buddha. This means that he actualised all positive potentials of a sentient being and rid himself of all negative qualities. With this, he realised the true nature of existence and suffering (emptiness), and how suffering can be ended. (On the right is a descendant of the original Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya.)
Seven weeks after enlightenment, the Buddha gave his first discourse in Sarnath, near Varanasi (see image below right). Here he taught the 4 Noble Truths. The Buddha continued to teach during his life, until passing away at the age of 81.
The Buddha once summarised his entire teachings in one sentence:
"I teach about suffering and the way to end it".
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Interesting Happenings From San Francisco
Recently, my life has been a jumble of interesting revelations. Also, I've met cool new friends while ending a great friendship because of a very bad decision by him.
Photo's, music and some multimedia has been streaming out my body at a frantic pace. Creating art and self expression continues everyday in some form or another. It's as important to me as breathing air and being alive. It needs to be the focal point of all my future careers and business. My optimism recently has also grown about a possible major and maybe I can finally decide what to persue. Then I can decide on a school and a course of action towards starting class there.
The political realm continues to intensely engage, infuriate and provoke me. Because of my sexual orientation I've no choice but to make myself an example of what a healthy and mostly happy gay man looks like. There are times that I truly feel under attack by religious zealots, homophobia and people who wish to deny my community the same basic rights as other Americans. Most people can't understand what it feels like to be so different and denied.
And are there any gay couples out there who are monogamous? Long term, mature & healthy relationships seems to be missing in our community. Or maybe they never existed. Personally, I'd love to have a traditional one but by no means do I expect it. No one seems sincerely interested and at times this really disheartens me. But keeping the faith in true love continues and will forever be something I know can happen.
This afternoon the Olympic Torch was run through the streets of my City and I barely missed the runners as it ran down Van Ness. It was time for Musics afternoon jaunt and we walked down that street for a few blocks before making a new heading.
I wish it had passed me!! What a photo that would have been!!!
Over all the interesting happenings in San Francisco have been good ones for me. Some have been not so good but that is life.
I remain strong/happy/focused and wish only for the health/best for everyone.
Preparation for lifes big changes must contine. And learning, growing, evoling, creating while loving all of life remain my constant theme.
Nothing ever stays the same and nor shall I.
Photo's, music and some multimedia has been streaming out my body at a frantic pace. Creating art and self expression continues everyday in some form or another. It's as important to me as breathing air and being alive. It needs to be the focal point of all my future careers and business. My optimism recently has also grown about a possible major and maybe I can finally decide what to persue. Then I can decide on a school and a course of action towards starting class there.
The political realm continues to intensely engage, infuriate and provoke me. Because of my sexual orientation I've no choice but to make myself an example of what a healthy and mostly happy gay man looks like. There are times that I truly feel under attack by religious zealots, homophobia and people who wish to deny my community the same basic rights as other Americans. Most people can't understand what it feels like to be so different and denied.
And are there any gay couples out there who are monogamous? Long term, mature & healthy relationships seems to be missing in our community. Or maybe they never existed. Personally, I'd love to have a traditional one but by no means do I expect it. No one seems sincerely interested and at times this really disheartens me. But keeping the faith in true love continues and will forever be something I know can happen.
This afternoon the Olympic Torch was run through the streets of my City and I barely missed the runners as it ran down Van Ness. It was time for Musics afternoon jaunt and we walked down that street for a few blocks before making a new heading.
I wish it had passed me!! What a photo that would have been!!!
Over all the interesting happenings in San Francisco have been good ones for me. Some have been not so good but that is life.
I remain strong/happy/focused and wish only for the health/best for everyone.
Preparation for lifes big changes must contine. And learning, growing, evoling, creating while loving all of life remain my constant theme.
Nothing ever stays the same and nor shall I.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Buddhist Thought
All conditioned things are impermanent - When one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering. This is the path to purification.
- Buddha
- Buddha
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