After tonight’s meditation on Pema Chödrön’s Don’t Bite the Hook: Finding Freedom from Anger, Resentment, and Other Destructive Emotions: Library Edition, I thought I might apply her wise teaching on Śāntideva’s discussion of patience and joyfulness. The gist of her teaching was to add cheerfulness to our every evaluation of the world. Not to be fake about it – ever. But rather to counteract our very human tendency to dwell on and emphasize the negative. We see three good things and one bad and tend to cling to the one bad thing. Then, if you’re like most people, you find yourself beating yourself up over your own negativity later on.
So I’m re-doing my last post somewhat. Same basic stuff. New commentary.
My watch, with a rainbow inside. Just submitted to Photography 139 for this week’s “macro” theme. This little trail runner watch has been very good to me over the last year or so since I’ve been ‘seriously’ marathon training, accompanying me to China as well as on my marathon itself.
Strawberry. From my Nikon D3000 – a pretty good ‘starter’ dSLR, though I’ll always recommend bumping up to the D5000 or the D90. If you can’t afford that jump up, get the Canon SX20IS, an amazing camera with many bonuses. It’s just not a dSLR, but with a 20x zoom lens and great results on macro, you’ll rarely find yourself missing anything.
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Our kitchen. A growler just waiting to be filled at the local micro-brewery (just 3 blocks away). Locally made bread… well I’ve just had a couple slices, with the wonderful olive oils. The mortar and pestle in the picture were to grind peanuts for a homemade African peanut soup. Low-tech goodness.
Easter dinner at the folk’s place. One of the people who most embodies Pema Chödrön’s advice tonight is my father (an old post with a pic or two). A little over a year ago his mom passed away. And just about two months ago now his father passed away too. Seeing the way he has handled himself after losing his remaining parent has only added immensely to my admiration of him. Never a ‘poor me’ moment, never overwhelmed by the decisions and disagreements between siblings or the new world of paperwork and technicalities. Simply thoughtfulness, an eye on fairness, and a good sense of humor all the while.
A visit to the Archie Bray Foundation. A must see if you’re ever in or near Helena, MT. This simple assortment of odd ‘throw-away’ bricks becomes a new work of art from each new perspective and distance.
Not too sure what this was, but there was a matching piece nearby that was shaped so that it would fit into this. The simple sense of spiraling inward and downward to the darkness was enough to catch my eye and imagination.
Yesterday, in addition to being Easter, was the 43rd anniversary of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Anti-war speech, “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence.” It is as relevant today as it was then. Read it, listen to it. Share it with friends.
And excerpts of a Sermon at the Ebenezer Baptist Church on April 30, 1967. (click on the video for the Youtube page with more info)
May his words be heard far and wide and reach the hearts of all that hear them. May all beings be well, may all beings be happy, may all beings be free from suffering.
American Buddhist Perspectives
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