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| If I had been moving faster just now, I could have got a picture of a perfect V of Canadian geese flying low over the building. Instead, some slower moving crows from the other day. |
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Study Hall
"Once we have an experience of selflessness, our confidence grows...We can see now that the trip is transforming the traveler. Our path, at this point, becomes less about traveling to a destination we call 'liberation' and becomes more a way of life. We no longer focus solely on how to get out of our own personal suffering. It may come as a surprise to us, but by studying our mind, we discover our heart; by freeing our mind we open our heart; and our vision of freedom naturally expands to include others. Instead of seeking to protect ourselves from confusion and chasos, we begin to appreciate that confusion as being full of opportunities to train our mind further. The possibilities are actually infinite. For that reason, we feel a sense of delight at being in the world and working with others; it never becomes tiring. Our budding experience of selflessness opens a door to a new sense of appreciation for the full range of human experience" - Rebel Buddha, Dzogchen Ponlop.
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9 comments:
When I hear geese honking above while heading south, I run outdoors to wish them safe journey. But crows are near and dear to me. By far my favorite bird (and I have six parrots). Studies now show that they have very sophisticated tool building (not simply use of) skills and even have the ability to recognize human faces. It is now thought that they far outpace parrots and perhaps even chimps with their cognitive abilities. They appear to mourn the loss of a member of their flock (a "murder" of crows). They gather quietly in branches above the fallen comrade and sit. Then, very abruptly and in unison they take off in complete silence. I don't question their sorrow for a minute.
Hi Stephen,
I love having so many crows about the place here - they often hang out on the electric wires next to the building. You can see that the one on the left is checking me out to see what kind of threat I might pose.
Pow! That quote hit me right in the gut. Been occupied with coming at practice from a place of "fullness" and not being occupied with the tired and almost cliche "emptiness." This came to light during assembly on Sunday during Dharma talk and it has stayed with me all week.
Glad this resonated Mike. I hope you get completely occupied with fullness and emptiness.
Shundo and everyone
I feed a mob of crows that hangs out around the house I live in. When they see me walking up the road from the zendo (1/4 mi away) they call to each other and congregate in the tree until I get inside, find the offering du jour, and set it out for them. We had them in the tree outside the kitchen door of my childhood home, where they would wait for my mother to feed them. Pow! They live a long time, too - 30 yrs. in some cases. with a bow ---
The ones that hang around the fire escape make a kind of trilling/clicking noise that I haven't heard so often, in addition to the usual repertoire. I wonder what they are talking about.
Easy. They are talking about you and the menu. They have trained you well.
:)
Hey Shundo: I do not have your email so I have to stupidly communicate through the blog. Sorry. Please just delete after reading. Anywho - we are making a handout card for David's service next week (10/29) and we would like to use a photo you took if that is OK with you. It is attached to your July 22 blog entry "The Morning Schedule". It is the photo of the blue mountains which you noted "The first part of David's dharma name, given to him at Tassajara, was Blue Mountains. These were his mountains." I will attribute it to you. It is a wonderful photo. You know Massachusetts is Algonquin for "great hill place" which refers to the Blue Hills Region south of Boston where we are from and some of us still reside. I can walk or bike to a few trail heads from my house. David's obit appeared today .
Of course Stephen, please go ahead and use the photo. I'm very happy to contribute something.
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