(continued from Part I, My Little Run-Away)
Where has the run-away bunny gone? Into what 18- to 24-inch snowdrift could he be hiding, this Winter of 2009-2010?
Category Archives: meditation
Run-Away Bunny Makes Snow Escape
Part I
Can’t believe I lost the rabbit. Should have forced him into his hutch instead of letting him play in the snow. More than 18 inches fell here the other night. Finally dug out and felt sorry for the critter. He refused to go into the enclosed wooden section of his hutch and sat hunched over in the wired cage, taking in the wind, snow and the cold all through the no-let-up stormy night. I was so grateful just to see that he survived, I did not want to impose any more punishment on him the next morning when I opened the cage door to feed him.
Home visit will provide internal answers
So many choices. So many books to read, words to digest. How do you know where to begin?
Each claim to have the answer, the “truth.” Each offers an inviting path to follow, a way of life that will lead to where we all want to go home.
Be Humble; Let Love Grow Inside Your Self
“Whenever I interact with someone,
May I view myself as the lowest amongst all,
And, from the very depths of my heart,
Respectfully hold others as superior.”
Snow & Zen Usher in Winter of 2009-2010
A white cap of snow covers the head of the Buddha statue in the side yard of my Conshohocken home. Snow blankets his shoulders, his lap and that part of his robe that crosses his chest from the top left shoulder to the mid-section of the belly on the right. His arms, partial chest and kneecaps remain bare and uncovered by the snow — as if to dramatically challenge the white fluffy stuff to hide the bold charcoal black statue parts beneath.
“Do good, do no harm, still your mind”
A Flower Blooms then Rests in the Buddha
Can I give a flower to a Buddhist?
To show the impermanence of beauty.
My Xmas Wish List to the Dalai Llama
Revised Xmas list:
Your Holiness:
Please grant me three wishes the next time I visit a Buddhist Center:
Think Buddha ever signed new members?
(Part IV, Continued from Life’s Journey)
QUES: What did Buddhist want on ordering a hot dog? ANS: “One with everything.”
QUES: What did he say when asked for any change? ANS: “Change must come from within.”
Path to ‘Beloved’ Starts with Steps of Sufi
I tasted the fruit of another’s belief and want to savor it for a long time to come.
Life’s Journey leads me to a Tea Ceremony
(Part III, Continued from Meditation lets my energy flow from within)
Never been to a “Tea Ceremony” before. On hearing about it Sunday, I envisioned something out of “Alice in Wonderland,” with the Mad Hatter sipping a cup at a long white table, and the March Hare constantly glancing at his watch — just a bunch of silliness, per an animated movie.
Meditation Message Moves Me Mightily
Meditation Lets Me Feel:
Meditation lets my energy flow from within
Part II, Continued from On road to Peace, I found some “Bhuddies”
How Do I Meditate? Continue reading
On road to Peace, I found some “Bhuddies”
For the first time in my life, I attended a Buddhist gathering knowing that I wanted to learn more about meditation and the teachings about compassion and loving kindness.
Light shines from a trunk labeled ‘patience’
I sometimes feel that Patience waits for no man.
I will soar from up high with my message
(Part II)Continued from Falcon Opens World of Mystery & Hope
“No,” I scream out, waving my arms and telling the bird to go. I run up the hill, but the falcon hardly takes note of my threats, as it glides off the watering devise, in the direction of the small helpless baby chicken, and then swoops upward away from the bush and out of the yard.
Should Kipling show America the way?
- “When you’re left wounded on Afghanistan’s plains
and the women come out to cut up what remains,
Just roll to your rifle and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
Why We Want No More War Anniversaries
War is good for no one.
No one is good for war.
Falcon Reveals World of Mystery & Hope
A falcon flew in to visit me. Four times, he soared from afar, twice through graceful flights of precision flying, and twice as an attack bird zeroing in on its prey.
Listen: “Beloved” Calls to You and Me
The writing below invokes something that pulls me to a Higher Self, perhaps the Highest. And I thirst for more.
The ‘Call and the Echo‘ Calls Out to Me and You
I am calling to you from afar:
Calling to you since the very beginning of days.
Feeling God’s Presence in this Moment
I never saw God in a Santa Claus.
The right brain activates love & awareness
If you view no other video the rest of your meditative life, please see this one about Jill Bolte Taylor.
If you view no other video the rest of your meditative life, please see this one about Jill Bolte Taylor.
Pranic Healing Begets Mighty Meta Care
I hear a young voice behind me. At first, I think it was a boy. Turns out, it’s Mary Kate, a 7-year-old girl. She’s crying. Not loudly, but softly, as if she’s hurting somewhere no one can comfort her.
Meditation prevents brush with the law
Meditation paid off in an unusual dividend today.
It helped me obey traffic signs, thereby avoiding a ticket I would surely have gotten on another day.  Continue reading
Child wins game, plays Sounds from within
I played in doors today.
Needn’t kill your Self to be like Buddha
Wisdom sometimes arises in the middle of a conversation.
Continue reading
Opening Your Self Can Free Most Kids
Opening up oneself can be hazardous to your health.
PTSD Anquish Served up at Bread Store
Unappreciated . . . Unwanted . . . Unloved . . .
Jew, Christian and Muslim Sheik Agree
A small miracle is happening right before our eyes if we only open our hearts to see.
A minister, a rabbi and a Muslim sheik put their differences on the line and walked away clearing an unobstructed path to God.
VA indignity sours one Vietnam veteran
Originally Cont’d from Terrorists force VA to strip vet’s dignity 11-25-09
Veterans should never have to undergo such treatment as I was subjected to when I was told to remove my belt before entering a VA facility.
Terrorists force VA to strip vet of dignity
The Terrorists Won.
They pushed my face into the dirt. Made me low crawl through those metal detectors. Violated me like no prison incarceration could ever have make me feel.
Continue reading
In the end, “being child-like” curbs aging
I finally did something I thought I would never do:
Look at the end of a book to see the conclusion.
Quantum Physics offered for Christ’s Sake
Quantum Physics is something I can hardly spell, let alone learn more about.
November 22, a day like no other USA day
My 10th-grade mathematics teacher whispers the horrible news: “Somebody shot the president.”
“But, I didn’t ‘intend’ for that to happen!”
— And, You can Count on It, by Jove! —
The original Blog Post listed all of the countries that readers who left messages had lived at one time.
Post Provided Details on my Blog Readers
It also listed some of their emails and possibly other details that may have been a little too personal for other WordPress practioners. Continue reading
Unconditional Love = Warmth, Peace, Joy
The following comments were exchanged with another WordPress Blog Writer about the subject of Attachment which can be seen below by clicking on the blue link.
The Choice is Yours; Inner Peace Awaits
Hate to Choose Things.
So much pressure is self-imposed, you can’t get away from making choices sometimes. Yet I want to decide which of the following has more bearing on my Soul.
Want to choose for me?
Continue reading
Life Lessons Seen In Window Watching
Window gazing often answers some of Life’s Questions.
I look outside, see nature moving, and learn lessons about how to enjoy living in a matter of a few seconds. Let me show you what I digested just now:
Continue reading
Glass half full with wine; half with juice
What does morning orange juice and evening red wine have in common at my house?
They’re served in the same glass, thank you very much.
Continue reading
A good life grows with unforseen charges
The bill from the car garage was almost shocking.
My son dropped off his truck to seek repairs for a pipe that rattled and caused a loud muffling noise.
Continue reading
“At Home Comfort” Missing, Dough No Mo’
The Pretzel Store Closed.
And my reason for celebrating Wednesday diminished. What good is staying at home if you can’t fulfill your one, small wish?
A Soft Pretzel. Outside Philadelphia.
A pick up line is all I need to get to you
Empty. Got no juice to run my mouth.
Ran out last few days with memories of dark passages that still seem to clutter up my mind.
Back Repairs Sought to Bolster Life of Back
I “intend” to repair my back. Not “cure” it. Not “fix” it.
Just get it back into working order. No more pains while getting out of bed or putting one leg after another into a pair of pants. That’s all. Make the back serviceable again.
My mutiny quash causes pride, sadness
Part 2 (Please see Light Shines on My Mutiny Quash for Part 1)
I had never felt so proud of anything — ever — as I was of their unselfish act of rebellion. For two hours, they put themselves on the line. No, they didn’t expose themselves to a firefight. (That would come later).
Honored for Looking Out for Their Welfare
Finally, Light Shines on My Mutiny Quash
I lied to my platoon to prevent a Mutiny from bursting to a head some 40 years ago.
Today, I granted myself forgiveness. I cleansed a wound that never seemed to heal until now.
Finally, Light Shines on My Mutiny Quash
I lied to my platoon to prevent a mutiny from bursting to a head some 40 years ago.
Healing Technique Sparks Family Fall Out
“Unclean spirits!” The words hit me like a ton of bricks. Across my face.
Besides being rejected, I felt lightning had just stuck the ground beneath me. I detected fear and the raising of a drawbridge that would block out all light, no matter where the Source originated.
EFT Workout is good for what Ails You
EFT Work-Out, Part 2
Previous Blog Post Renewed Here
This article was taken from a Blog Post I wrote years ago when trying to explain the “Emotional Freedom Technique” to a family member.
(From: Healing Technique Sparks Family Fall Out)
Post to Post Synchronicity No Coincidence
Tag surfing is a lot like a Box of Chocolate.
You never know what you’re going to get until you “Bite into the Post.“
Thanks for a Path that Preserved my Life
Ever wonder what life would have been like if you made different choices years earlier?
Choosing a Different Path May Have Hurt You
I was 19 when I felt “separated” from most of the people I hung out with and called friends. I wanted to be so much like them; not to care about such things as “love,” “compassion,” other people’s “feelings.” That was “sissy” stuff; stuff that only a “wuss” would think about. I saw these aspects of myself as a “weakness.“
Short Attention Spans Call for Short Posts
What did I learn at “How to Blog” School?
Short Attention Spans call for Short Posts.
Same as the headline above. My teacher advised me to keep my writing to a minimum. People won’t read anything too long, she said.
Meditation opens a new path way home
Driving Should Always Be This Much Fun!
I’m talking about my ride home from an “introduction to meditation” class I took at Montgomery County Community College the other night (Southeast Pennsylvania, about 20 miles outside of Philadelphia). Our instructors talked us into a place where I asked two simple questions: “Who Are You?” and “Who Were You?” We took part in an exercise to find our other “Self,” and I met what I have come to describe as a friendly “pathfinder.”
Letting Go to “Let God” for under $19.95
Got inspired by a glimpse of another’s soul the other day and it cost me Nothing.
Nada. Zippo.
Not a Penny.
Acupuncture calms stress, a veteran’s woes
Needles punctured my ears for the first time in my life this week.
Veterans’ Day Offers Acupuncture at WON Institute
Acupuncture was being offered for one free session to veterans on Veterans’ Day, and I appeared at the WON Institute in Glenside, PA, to take advantage of the procedure. The practitioner, Ed Cunningham, was kind, offering me some cheese and crackers as we made small talk and I got ready for the event.
PTSD Raises a Monster Head from a Toilet
Put a straitjacket on me.
Hide me in a padded room.
Get me away from people.
All those I can harm by PTSD.
Why mishaps plague me today of all days
Footsteps pounding on the steps woke me this morning. My teenage son was running down the stairs. I heard him as I lay in bed.
Continue readingCan’t Writing Just Be Enough For Ya’ll?
Why do I have to become a Geek?
Took a Course on Typing but not Computers
It ain’t fair. I never was cut out to learn this computer stuff. I write. That means, I think. That means “I am,” to paraphrase a famous philosophical phrase.
A new You: there at the ‘Stroke of a Key’
Am I in trouble?
Do I need to hire a lawyer?
Why do crazy things always seem to happen to me?
Continue readingLarger print appears for PTSD readings
“Opening up” to a stranger is, at best, difficult to do.
Confiding your “War Zone” fears with a non-veteran can be worse, unless PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) serves as a bond between a brother and a sister.
Continue reading
Primary Source Appears in this Blog Ban 2
Well, there you have it . . . The Pornography ban poster has been transmitted to my blogging site here on WordPress.
Blog Banned; ‘Porn at School Suspected’
Got shut out of my Blog just now.
Can’t get in the front door because the public computer is restricting my entrance. It says that I have, among other things “Italian pornography” in or on my Blog.
“Italian Pornography.”
What the Hell is that?
Gratitude inspires prose, poetry and a post
Gratitude Has Been on my Mind
(A word or two can touch a point within me that calls out for a response. Call it “inspiration,” or whatever, but I feel moved to express deep and personal feelings when I am in a “mindfulness” state of being. Is this what some call a “working” or “writing meditation?” I don’t really know, but I feel positive in performing pieces of prose or poetry prudently per post. Thanks, Ashaglen!)
Posted by Ashaglen on November 9, 2009
“. . . Giving of myself simply because it is born within me . . .”
Ashaglen, isn’t it something to come to a realization of some Universal Truth through the process of meditation? I mean, take your quote I reproduced above. You are “giving” because it is “born within” you. You, me, us… We all have it “born” within us, and all it takes for us to see it manifest is to stop our runaway thoughts and “be in the moment.”
Take time to see and feel the moment when our Inner Self projects love or gratitude or joy, simply because we gave ourselves a “taste” of our child, a picture of our child. (For me, I get to stretch out a warm feeling of love when I think of my dog “Willie” whose been dead for some 20 years but visits me routinely in my dreams.)
I am able to spread out that positive feeling and build upon it with another positive emotion, let’s say “awe,” until I get to a point when I am building blocks of goodness higher and higher within my Self.
Your Writing Inspired Me while Meditating
Whoa, did not want to go this far, but reading you inspired me to take a chance that you might find some interest in how you touched this meditator.
Thanks,
Michael J
Green Eyes demand attention, love and you
That Right Moment Can Really Help You See
Seeing life in another lane, in another person, at another time and place, can bring out something inside of you that was there all along, but was unable to surface until a precise moment developed.
Looking back, you wonder, how could I have not seen this before? Where was my mind, and why did I overlook it when it stared me straight in the eyes, begging me for just the slight payment of attention?
‘Sliding Door’ let’s roads merge right now
Only the Now Exists Right Now!
Was it Gertrude Stein, the early 20th-century poet and writer, who said, ” There was no ‘there’ there?“
Could we not be on a path, but in a circle?
No beginning? No end? Only now!
Continue readingMeditation caps TBI conference in Philly
‘Nothing’s’ Gonna Change My World’
Meditation rewarded me with what Buddhists call “Nothing” at the end of a traumatic day Saturday.
I was at a conference involving brain injuries when I noticed on the day-long schedule that mindfulness meditation would be “discussed” for survivors and their caregivers at Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. Unable to talk my loved one into “taking” a “seat,” I went alone, and was surprised to see so many of the newly acquired friends I had just made while attending previous workshops earlier in the day
Continue readingContoveros’ Nysiros photographs well
First photos from Greece appeared on my Blog today. They were photographed from the Aegean Sea port off the tiny volcano island of Nysiros, which boasts all of four small fishing villages.
Will Vietnam PTSD trap ever set me free?
What do anger, dreams, PTSD, and “Letting Go“ of one’s past have to do with each other? They’re all part of a discussion on vetting our emotions through dreams to deal with our conscious selves. Join me and another Michael J in our recent comments to his post: Practicing for the Bardo by Urbansannyasin
Continue readingBirds play in ‘carefree flight’ above me!
A scene from a Hitchcock movie rushed before my eyes as I saw a half dozen birds fly toward me while stuck in traffic this afternoon.
Sparrows Open Themselves for a Wonderful Air Flight
Continue readingAggression often adds to World Suffering
The following are messages shared on Aggression:
Continue reading
Torn between ‘Writing’ and ‘Meditating’
Having more than an hour before getting breakfast, I wondered whether I should write something or seek refuge in a “sitting meditation.”
Continue readingDespite Road Rage, Light Shines on PTSD
Unable to curb my road rage today, I finally grasped a thread of my PTSD and traced it back to its source.
I Wish I Could Use This Action Whenever PTSD Arises
Continue readingFirst Blog Course May Face a Class Cut
I’m stepping out tonight!
Gonna take my first class ever on how to connect and sustain a Blog.
Walking Meditation Nearly Takes a Dive
Bumping into the wall and walking to the edge of a swimming pool with eyes firmly shut is not the best way to do a Walking Meditation.
Continue readingHope Floats On Bubbling Spa Waters
Close your eyes, and you might see.
See the weightlessness that your body becomes as you float on the waters of a nearby spa.
Floating can Elevate Peace and Calm
‘One Step Back’ leads to ‘Two Forward’
Advising Another Can be a Learning for You
Ever learn about yourself while giving heartfelt advice to someone else?
My kid served as a mirror this morning, as I discussed why he should not quit on his “tech” teacher at school.
It ain’t easy admitting that you, the parent, may need the same sage advice as the child. Worse yet, is trying to reason with a 17-year-old. They are so smart, they know practically everything to know in this world.
Longing Creates the Love for Ever More
A Sufi approach to life has grown on me, particularly in its Spiritual view.
Love has both Masculine and Feminine Sides
Love, according to the wise ones, is both masculine and/or feminine. “I love you,” is clearly masculine, while “I am waiting for you; I am longing for you” suggests the feminine side.
Continue readingThree Positives Trump Anger Every Time
Anger — 2 comments by kaeis
(The following is my comment to a post simply titled, “Anger.”)
You Want Anger?
Eating could be my next great challenge
Here’s a Little Food for Thought:
Why is text messaging confined only to a hand-held devise?
Continue reading
Trying to Make Amends for Vietnam War
How do you say you’re sorry to a people whose country you bombed in the name of peace and democracy?
What words can you use after saying that you are personally sorry for the Vietnam War and the mistakes our government made some 40 years ago?
Continue readingEating right can be such sweet sorrow
Life’s Ultimate Prize Goes to Those Aware
I admit it. I cheated.
I rushed to a finish line and cheated myself. I thought I could complete the course as quickly as possible to move on to the next life event. But it took me but a moment to realize my mistake.
I had cheated myself of real improvement, real growth and I now know that the true challenge in life lies in the smallest detail. Continue reading
I’m saying “Let it go” really means Let it go
Contoveros comments on his Meditation Technique
“[If] . . . we are not keeping ourselves open to the new opportunities that may appear . . . [w]e will miss them because we are still in our old mindset . . .”
Continue readingMother Nature’s quick fix heals the blues
Back For More Meditation and Bird Talk!
Contoveros comments on a Recent Blog Post
Laura,
Watching the birds does help. So does meditation so long as you can nudge out not only the bad thoughts but all thoughts that could intrude upon the present: the watching of birds, the chirping of the birds when you close your eyes; the feel of the sun as it warms your body.
Voice needed to keep us men folk in line
There’s no such thing as “girlfriend aggro”
by Potty Mouth Mommy
This was my response to the above writing 1 day ago:
Spousal Anger Never Truly Understood
Holy Shit!
I stumbled on your post from a thread on “anger” and it blew me away.
Was my wife seething because of my “sports mistress”?
I’m a guy who never really looked at things from that perspective before. I don’t play the dungeon and dragons stuff, but I used to stay glued to a football and/or baseball game come hell or high water.
Family Problems are but “Unicorn Rainbow Poop”
I gotta remember this line from your great post-writing. You have a way with describing something in such earthy, easily relatable terms that makes it a joy to view and ponder.
But would you have been so inspired to bring forth such an informative and entertaining post if life provided you with a Rose Garden?
Ok, ok, you’ll take a rose garden any day over a life of thorns, weeds and creepy, crawly, critters sometimes called a spouse.
The Better Half and the Lower Half
You “are” appreciated. You ARE loved. You are “needed” to share your voice with both the better half (you women) and the lower half (” some,” . . . all right, . . . “most” . . . damn it! Do I really got to say “ALL” . . . men?) [present company excluded, particularly when you will only be able to see or hear me bellowing out words that’ll appear on a “man-made” computer terminal.
{Crap. The automatic edit machine wanted me to change “man-made” to “synthetic.” The computer has no balls, let alone an eye for literary art . . . Humph!}
Please continue with your contributions. It could help keep some of us in line or to get “back” in line.]
— Michael J Contos
(Comments are from a post on spousal (righteous) anger two weeks ago)
Safe Place Still No Guard Against PTSD
My Correspondence with a Woman with PTSD
You got it Sweetheart!
PTSD is what this Vietnam War veteran is talking about.
Comments Cure Contoveros’ Curiosity
Thanks for Opening Eyes With Your Mind
* * * * * * *
(For more clarity, click the underlined sentence above.)
PTSD alert: don’t squander away your life
A Teutonic Plate shifted inside of me.
I felt someone had thrown water at my face, had “hit me upside my head” and looked me dead in the eye demanding my fullest attention. Have I been squandering away my life?
‘Infinite Mercy’ May Set my Teacher Free
My son’s favorite teacher killed herself.
She was depressed, they said, when she took the life of her three-year-old son. Then . . . she committed suicide, leaving a note for her husband and the child’s father.
Meditation Aimed at All PTSD Veterans
I’m off to the Omega Institute where I will take part in a workshop on PTSD for Veterans while also exposing myself to meditation techniques that will open me more to the “untrodden path.”
Tibetan Book Winds its Way Thru My Life
I got a chill when I saw the word “Tibet” today because it took me back to the late 1960s when I was a newly minted second lieutenant trying to make his way in the US Army. The words that impressed me then, however, had nothing to do with the military. It had everything to do with life. Nearly 40 years later, I see that the “Tibetan Book of the Dead” called out to me, though I may not have known it then. Continue reading
When Is Using God’s Name Blasphemy?
God damn it. I forgot the lead I wanted to write here.
It was on the tip of my tongue (pen, key board key, etc.), and Christ, I lost it.
Continue readingWhen Your Helping Just Isn’t Enough
I offered to help some people today whose car had broken down.
Also learned that offering a helping hand sometimes is not enough.
Music (mantra) melts the mind madness
When I want to (need to?) quiet the chatter inside of me, I play a little music in my head — sort of like a mantra — that becomes a lullaby for the Mind.
Release Me; I Swear I’ll Never Sin Again
Hey. Please get me out of here.
How the hell did I end up here, this empty place where no one can see me, touch me, or, more importantly, hear me?
Why am I locked up, away from the world outside this jar-like existence. Who did I piss off? What was my grievous sin?
Identity Loss Leads to New Outlook on Life
I lost my wallet.
And found a new freedom that only the loss of identity could possibly grant me.
Continue readingGoodbye Love; I’m Off to Find the Wizard
I must go.
And so, I simply say Goodbye.
Can aspiring to be “God-like” be heresy?
I felt so inspired by Robert Terrell’s guest column for Confessions of a Mystic that I penned a response that asks if we can ever become “God like” in our daily lives:
* * * * * * * * *
* On reading Robert’s excellent article, I was reminded of a philosophy espoused by a fellow named Sartre, in a play called “No Exit.” It dealt with life after death and how a man living with two women in one room viewed existence. “Hell. . . ,” the man said. ” . . .is . . . other . . . people . . .“
Continue reading
— Who’s to Blame For War After War? —
I Blame God for War.
I blame the Most Powerful Force in the Universe for not using its Almighty Abilities to stop war dead in its tracks.
Contoveros 