My shoulders have grown enormously since this afternoon. I feel they’re “indestructible.” That I have durable lightweight plastic pads all around the neck, the collarbone and the head, as well as my upper chest and back. Energy of some sorts is protecting me from all harm to those areas. And it may be rubbing off on what they call the “Chakras‘ to my heart and higher parts.
Monthly Archives: February 2010
Buddha guides me thru VA PTSD path
Possibly Cont’d from Trappist monk helps veteran ‘awaken’ me
Buddha came in the shape of a dark-haired, dark-skinned attractive yoga-practicing woman, smiling upon me in a dream.
Continue readingBlindness warning wraps ’round wrist
Originally Cont’d From Bubble battles detached retina’s blinding 1-16-10 Continue reading
Name-caller gets his butt kicked in the end
Originally Cont’d from Name-calling can get you kicked in the end 1-28-10
Calling a kid names could cause a lasting scar one may have to deal with later in life. It’s either that, or you learn to “toughen up“ as I did, and let the wise-cracks, the slurs, the hate-filled and ignorant remarks simply glide over you.
‘Shining Moment’ sends me ‘Soaring High’
Originally Cont’d from Youth recaptured through football hurdle 1-22-10
You had to be a little tough to grow up in Brewerytown, the neighborhood of Philadelphia I called home for the first part of my life. You also needed to be open to other ways of life, different religions, and those of another race.
‘First Love Found’, never lost a Heartbeat
Orginally Cont’d From Love’s First Kiss) 12-2-09
What was it like to be a pre-teen, meeting a person who’d, maybe one day, be the Love of your Life? And what did you do when someone turned down the lights in the cellar party . . . and you were alone . . . finally. Your hands touched, and your eyes melted while looking at the other’s face, their smile, their warm and inviting eyes.
* * * * * * * * *
‘Letting Go’ Requires Faith and Hope
Cont’d from Seeing is believing in the ‘letting go’ process 1-30-10
“Letting go” is a process I thought I had completely bought into when I “gave up” trying to control things and had surgery done on my eye.
Part III, Don’t “Squander Away” Your Life
Originally Cont’d from Don’t squander away your life 12-5-09
How can I deal with PTSD and prevent “squandering away” my life?
Part II, Don’t ‘Squander Away’ Your Life
(Originally Cont’d from PTSD alert: don’t squander away your life 12-5-09)
‘Don’t Squander Away Your Life!’
Englightenment shines from the heart
Originally Cont’d from Can’t A Guy Get A Break Around Here? 1-9-10
The throne we just put together at the Ethical Society of Philadelphia looks real! I bet folks here haven’t seen its likeness since King George ruled over the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1775, and Ben Franklin was trying to draw us closer as a “Royal Colony.”
Trappist Monk helps Veteran ‘Awaken’ me
Con’td from Schuylkill Expressway miracle paves road to VA
The first Buddha emerged in my dream as a muscular military-type, with short-cropped hair and engaging smile. Asian? No, Hispanic, but with a possible trace of someone from an exotic Asian island.
Visit with Disabled American Veterans (DAV)
Love found ‘idol-ing’ at Omega Institute
Some of my favorite “idols” appeared at the Omega Institute, upstate New York, (USA) while on a meditation retreat for veterans with PTSD in October 2009.
Gender ‘illusion’ fools a macho man
Originally Cont’d from Macho man marvels at mistaken miss 1-5-10
“Enlightened” is the only way I can describe how I felt after sharing thoughts with my new friend, JhanaJian, who shook my reality with something I was not ready to hear. I had viewed this person one way and was forced to alter that viewpoint as truth hit me right in the eye.
Are you the teacher I am yearning for?
Who will be my teacher?
Where can I find that person who can show me where to walk on this new path I’ve chosen?
Flowers offer a heart-felt home-coming
Originally Cont’d from Flowers still brighten up my new ‘home’ 1-4-10
Flowers brighten up any room, and the right vase can add an extra touch, particularly, when the arranger puts a lot of Love into the mix.
“Gotta give ’em a little ‘respect,’ that’s all”
Originally Cont’d from Humility helps love grow despite our Self12-20-09
There ain’t nothing humbling in what I adopted in trying to “get ahead” in my life . . . I can do anything I set my mind to had become my motto — it’s the type of superior attitude that we all admire, don’t we? Those who can’t adapt to this way of thinking ought to simply get out of the way. Look out world, here I come!
God’s Presence Realized at Breakfast Table
Schuylkill X-way Miracle paves road to VA
Cont’d from ‘Right’ path never obstructed long, Part II
The Buddha appeared in a dream. He took on the forms of a soldier, a counselor and then a computer printer. How could such an entity take shape in such different apparitions?
It all started as I entered a building. President Barack Obama’s picture beamed on a wall as I walked through a large room, cordoned off by dozens of partitions, creating offices upon offices of civil servants working for me and thousands of other veterans from the United States.
Dreamcatcher opens avenues for healing
Originally Cont’d from Pranic Healing Begets Mighty Meta Care 12-3-09
I don’t mind letting my feelings show in public. Especially here, in the “Dreamcatcher” building on Route 73, some 20 miles outside Philadelphia. It’s dark in this room. Hell, I have my eyes closed, and no one can actually see me. Let it flow, I tell myself. Let this expression of purifying Love wash over my cheeks, my beard, my chin.
Dream helps guide me back to Paradise
Originally Cont’d from Dream Reveals Key to Paradise 12-2-09
I realized that I was in Paradise.
No, not the Paradise mentioned in our religious books about an Adam and Eve in a Garden of Eden. My Paradise was within, existing immediately before I had eaten from the fruit of the Knowledge Tree, the source of later intelligence, the later development of the mind and its control of my life.
Being ‘Childlike’ Helps ‘Curb Aging’ – 2
Originally Cont’d from “In the end, ‘being childlike’ curbs aging” 11-24-09
Experiencing Silence
Jury Duty Requires Your ‘Just Reasoning’
(Originally Cont’d from 999 reasons why a Buddhist can sit on jury 1-31-10)
While explaining his enlightening story to students, Tshering noted that a vicious attack ended, as the monster known as Angulimala fell to the ground and the Buddha consoled him offering loving kindness and compassion. This experience completely transformed this lowly criminal. He asked to be ordained a monk, and he went on to practice meditation and self-purification while living in a Sangha community.
‘One-Eyed Jack’ provides more meditation
Originally Cont’d from Steroids Pushed as Far as the Eye can See 2-5-10
I’ve developed a fear of changes I’ve been forced to make and have a concern with the almost constant pain in the bad eye. It’s a low threshold of irritation, but a pain, nevertheless, that is taking more of a toll on me. Like headaches. Nothing acute, but a numbing sensation that increases as my blood pressure rises, or as my heartbeat increases, creating a throbbing pain.
The Eyes Have It Until A ‘Tear’ Catches Up
(Originally Cont’d from Eye “balling” new game for aging vision 2-7-10)
Floaters are common and are usually quite harmless, according to MyDr. (The following is from the site, MyDr see below).
‘Right’ path never obstructed long, Part II
Originally Cont’d from ‘Right’ path may never be obstructed long 2-18-10
Not once did I have to step on the brake. And I left my house shortly before 9 am — the tail end of rush-hour traffic — to get to a 10 o’clock appointment.
Beg Your Pardon; I Mistook Your Attention
Sometimes, you just gotta learn the hard way. Take Blogging for example.
IKEA: good company & meals to grow on
Miriam,
We have to stop meeting like this. People at IKEA here in Conshohocken may get the wrong idea. They think we come for the 99-cent breakfast special, with all the coffee you can drink for free if you’re here by 10 am.
Buckle stabilizing retina called ‘excellent’
The “buckle” holding the retina in place on my left eye the past 30 days looks “excellent,” Dr. Ali Zaidi announced Wednesday. What’s more important, my vision has improved, and there’s hope for more improvement before I’m to get a new corrective lens prescription, following a detached retina operation Jan. 22, 2010.
Retreat causes ‘after shocks’ from within
A day-long Retreat at a Buddhist Center in Philadelphia has taken its toll on me. And I mean that in the best of ways!
A ‘right’ path may never be obstructed long
Con’td from Rooster helps open path to miraculous day
Oh no! I forgot my ID. Second day in a row I pulled such a stupid stunt. And here I am, braving the snow and cold to drive from Conshohocken, PA, to the Veterans Administration building in Philadelphia.
Modern Conclusion Bodhisattva Practices
Below are two versions of the “conclusion” for Thirty-Seven Bodhisattva Practices, starting with the modern first:
The 37 Bodhisattva Practices Conclusion
The “Thirty-Seven Bodhisattva Practices” text was “prepared and distributed” at the request of “His Eminence Garchen Rinpoche” after one of his “disciples” provided me with the small 2-by 4-1/2-inch booklet containing two or three “Practices“ per page. The booklet said its distribution was for “the benefit of all sentient beings.”
Continue readingRooster helps open path to miraculous day
The rooster crows outside my kitchen door. Not once, but several times. Wait a minute! It’s 7:30 in the morning. He’s supposed to be up the hill in the shed converted into a chicken coop. What happened?
You forgot to lock the trap door, Michael J. Forgot to close it. Or simply forgot to round-up the four feathered critters and herd them into their warm wooden environment. That could mean they spent the night outdoors.
A new tutor learns a lesson from real life
I hope to start to tutor Natalka about the English language. And, at the same time, learn more of life than I ever could from any book.
Natalka needs to improve her language skills as a teacher of 2 and 3-year-olds at a pre-school outside Conshohocken, PA, here in the USA. She came from the “Old World,” the one behind the notorious “Iron Curtain.” And while she obtained a master’s degree in Chemistry while in Ukraine, her school “directors” want her to speak and write our language more fluently.
Bodhisattvas’ (Compassion) Practices -37
37
In order to clear away the suffering of limitless beings, through the wisdom realizing the purity of the three spheres, to dedicate the virtue attained by making such effort for enlightenment is the Bodhisattvas’ practice.
Bodhisattvas’ (Compassion) Practices -36
36
In brief, whatever conduct one engages in, one should ask, “What is the state of my mind?” Accomplishing others’ purpose through constantly maintaining mindfulness and awareness is the Bodhisattvas’ practice.
‘Barrister Bu’ — a ‘Buddha nature’ lawyer
I’ve been trying to think of a name to describe myself along this new path I walk — often stumbling — but getting back up like that old Fred Astaire song which says to “pick yourself up, dust yourself off, start all over again . . .“ I figure everybody should have a response when asked what religion they follow, rather than fumbling for an answer.
Bodhisattvas’ (Compassion) Practices -35
35
When disturbing emotions are habituated, it is difficult to overcome them with antidotes. By arming oneself with the antidotal weapon of mindfulness, to destroy disturbing emotions such as desire the moment they first arise is the Bodhisattvas’ practice.
Engine Won’t Start? Meditate, Don’t Panic
Car Won’t Start.
Again. Continue reading
Bodhisattvas’ (Compassion) Practices -34
34
Because harsh words disturb others’ minds and cause the Bodhisattva’s conduct to deteriorate, abandoning harsh speech which is unpleasant to others is the Bodhisattvas’ practice.
Tooting own horn doesn’t work nowadays
How many car “beeps‘ does it take to warn someone of possible danger?
Awakening from the Winter Storm of 2010
I slept in today. It was the third day in a row that my son was off school because of the great snowstorm of the Winter of 2010. How many of us can recall a time in our lives that school closed for three straight days due to snow?
Bodhisattvas’ (Compassion) Practices -33
33
Because the influence of gain and respect causes quarreling and the decline of the activities of listening, pondering and meditation, to abandon attachment to the households of friends, relations and benefactors is the Bodhisattvas’ practice.
Snow chore brings father closer to a son -2
Cont’d from Snow chore brings a father closer to his son
Removing snow was always a small challenge. But I prided myself on getting out of the house quickly and providing a safe route for pedestrians and our family cats and different dogs over the years to scamper in the rather expansive upper yard.
Snow chore brings father closer to a son -3
Con’td from Snow chore brings father closer to a son -2
Nick has completed a fourth of the shoveling that remained to be done by the time I go back outdoors. I’m refreshed following the digging out from our snowed-in house here on the u of the USA Wednesday. I now can walk the full length of the brick path.
Making Way Through Snow to a Chicken Coop
Just have to step onto 24-inch snow drifts another 20 to 25 feet to get to the door of the chicken coop and clear away the ground where the door will swing open. Don’t want to spill any of this chicken food I prepared inside our home. Afraid if I put it down, I’ll knock it over by stepping on it or swinging the door into it.
Slowly, I “brush” aside the snow, remove the long metal part bracing the door, then unlatch it. I see very little because of the darkness inside. It’s after 6 p.m. now. We started shoveling when it was still light out but lost the light as the minutes dropped off with each shovelful of snow.
Snow was so heavy in some places, that one of “durable” plastic shovels broke right off the handle. Will use the plastic as a heavy-duty dustpan come the next several seasons. I’ll use the wooden handle as a stake.
I walk inside the shed we converted into a chicken coop. All four of the fowl huddle together on a four-foot-high cage below the electric heater. I barely make out the rooster before hearing some clucking.
My Son Will Soon Complete the Snow Removal
I can feed them and not worry about digging the rest of the pathway, I begin to think. Nick will complete the rest of the task. And, I have enough confidence in him, that I know he’ll do a good job, and not cut corners.
After finishing feeding the birds and the “Cwazy Rabbit,” Nick and I look over our handy work, the snow removal. The falling snow has covered much of what we had just exposed. An hour or two later, we’ll look out the dining room window and see two more inches have fallen, covering the pathway we just dug.
Stuck inside the house while Winter howls outside, we watched two movies together. Looked at pictures taken of Nick when he played in the worst snow storm of the century, the “Winter of ’96,” (that was the ‘Twentieth Century,’ remember 1996?) and I can’t help but feel grateful that it has taken an act of Mother Nature to bring my son and I so closer together. As family. As friends. As loved ones.
Beginning of story:
Snow chore brings a father closer to his son
Snow chore brings a father closer to his son
Never knew having a son would be so rewarding.
Bodhisattvas’ (Compassion) Practices -32
32
If influenced by disturbing emotions, one points out another’s Bodhisattva’s faults, oneself is diminished. Therefore, not speaking about the faults of those who have entered the Great Vehicle is the Bodhisattvas’ practice.
Bodhisattvas’ (Compassion) Practices -31
31
If, having merely the appearance of a practitioner, one does not investigate one’s own mistakes, it is possible to act contrary to the Dharma. Therefore, constantly examining one’s own errors and abandoning them is the Bodhisattvas’ practice.
‘Love you Take’ Equals the ‘Love you Make’
My head slowly rises, as my breathing gets deeper and deeper, and meditation washes over me like the caress from a gentle, loving caregiver. Can’t focus on the movement. Don’t want to detract from this feeling of bliss where there’s no concerns, no worries, no thoughts.
Nothing. Bad or Good.
Navigating Above & Beyond the Known World
I am reaching that “Void” where there are no attachments, no desires, no repulsions. Yet the head continues to move. Upward. Into a more relaxed position. One in which I can eventually offer my full face to the “One” I feel above me. “My Beloved” is what the Sufi would call this apparition. Perhaps, “Spirit‘ is the word a mystical Christian might use to describe the state I have navigated my Self into.
I receive a kiss. It’s bestowed on me with all the Love our small world and tiny universe can contain. Now, I feel totally sated with the comfort and assurance that this Love will always be there. I let my head gently touch and rest against the wall behind me, where my back is propped up while sitting in a half lotus position on the floor.
I’m at the Resiliency Center: A Healing Arts Collaborative in Ambler, PA. Some 10 other meditators are “voiding” themselves of unnecessary thoughts, presumably with eyes gently closed and hearts fully open.
“You Are Perfect, Just the Way You Are!”
One, whose name I have not gotten permission to use, is also moved by this meditation experience. She tells the group how she would approach her children, a young girl and boy, and assure them every night that they were “special.” She gestured with her hands as if cupping the chin and face of the child and said to each: “you are perfect just the way you are.” She then kissed each youngster.
Five years ago, when the marriage in the family home had begun to end between husband and wife, she shared this other part of the story. She said she followed her daily routine, going to her children to say goodnight.
She went to the top bunk where her son was resting. But before she could comfort him, the little boy named Joseph put his hands on his mother’s chin and cheeks and had said to mom “you are perfect just the way you are.” And kissed her. Just the way you would expect a 6-year-old to kiss.
True Love is Totally Unconditional
I did not realize it until later, that the Love that had visited me while meditating, may have touched that woman the same way, re-awakening inside both of us — perhaps all of us — a better understanding of what true Love is all about. It’s totally unconditional. And, if we’re lucky, maybe even a little karmic.
“And in the end, the love you take,
Is equal to the love . . . you make,”
— the Beatles
Being ‘in the moment’ beats being ‘on time’
A vehicle knocked a utility pole to the ground Tuesday morning, causing an accident that pulled down “live wires” and tied up the north side of Conshohocken, PA, the entire day.
Bodhisattvas’ (Compassion) Practices -30
30
If one lacks wisdom, it is impossible to atttain enlightenment through the other five perfections. Thus, cultivating skillful means that do not discriminate among the three spheres is the Bodhisattvas’ practice.
Bodhisattvas’ (Compassion) Practices -29
29
Having understood that disturbing emotions are destroyed by insight possessed with tranquil abiding, to cultivate meditative concentration which perfectly transcends the four formless absorptions is the Bodhisattvas’ practice.
Are you the one from a path not taken?
Originally Cont’d from Part I Mc572 – who are you & how can we talk?
Why are you following me?
Mc572 – who are you & how can we talk?
Who is writing to me? The Name or Tag of “Us.mc572” just doesn’t cut it. Please let me know who you really are. I’ve seen you at my site for weeks, maybe even months. You visit almost every day but have not left a “comment“ or any message to indicate what your interest might be. I have tried, but have been unable to reach you, to determine if you’re a friend or a foe.
Bodhisattvas’ (Compassion) Practices -28
28
Even hearers and solitary realizers, who accomplish only their own welfare, strive as if putting out a fire on their heads. Seeing this, taking up diligent effort — the source of good qualities — for the sake of all beings is the Bodhisattvas’ practice.
Eye “balling” new game for aging vision
Got me a built-in “jelly” toy for my left eye. It’s about the size of the pupil, you know, that part of the eye that we say is the color shade of blue, green, or in my case, brown.
Bodhisattvas’ (Compassion) Practices -27
27
To Bodhisattvas who desire the pleasures of virtue, all those who do harm are like a precious treasure. Therefore, cultivating patience devoid of hostility is the Bodhisattvas’ practice.
Bodhisattvas’ (Compassion) Practices -26
26
If, lacking ethical conduct, one fails to achieve one’s own purpose, the wish to accomplish others’ purpose is laughable. Therefore, guarding ethics devoid of aspirations for worldly existence is the Bodhisattvas’ practice.
Meditation energizes Meet-Up Group
The 11-year-old boy misses the shot on the basketball court, and the coach takes him out of the game, benching him in full view of family and friends who came to watch the group of youngsters play Thursday.
Steroids Pushed as Far as the Eye can See
I’m hooked on steroids. And no matter what I do, my doctor won’t let me get off of them.
Bodhisattvas’ (Compassion) Practices -25
25
It is necessary to give away even one’s body while aspiring to enlightenment, what need is there to mention external objects? Therefore, practicing generosity without hope of reciprocation or positive karmic results is the Bodhisattvas’ practice.
Bodhisattvas’ (Compassion) Practices -24
24
Diverse sufferings are like the death of a child in a dream. By apprehending illusory appearances as real, one becomes weary. Therefore, when encountering disagreeable circumstances, viewing them as illusory is the Bodhisattvas’ practice.
Damn War To Hell & Take PTSD With It
Damn PTSD.
Many different voices beckon me to India
I gotta stop pestering all these Indian women I meet.
I find myself wondering if they are, indeed, from India. And determining that, I try to think of some way to ask about their religion. Without seeming to pry.
Chickens know “egg xactly” where to lay
A dozen eggs lay in a circle as if some god “racked” them like billiard balls and left them in the hay for us to find the day before Groundhog’s Day.
Bodhisattvas’ (Compassion) Practices -23
23
When encountering pleasing sense objects, though they appear beautiful like a rainbow in summertime, not to regard them as real and to abandon clinging attachments if the Bodhisattvas’ practice.
Continue reading
EFT raises a son’s job aspects, a dad’s hope
Nick got the job.
He’ll be working as a busboy at Houlihan’s Restaurant at the Plymouth Meeting Mall outside our hometown, Conshohocken, PA, here in the USA.
Bodhisattvas’ (Compassion) Practices -22
22
Appearances are one’s own mind. From the beginning, mind’s nature is free from the extremes of elaboration. Knowing this, not to engage the mind in subject-object duality is the Bodhisattvas’ practice.
Contoveros 