Featured Post

The link to Americ's SoundCloud (It's wonderful to hear his voice)

https://soundcloud.com/americ

Friday, August 16, 2019

Always a Beginner


I began a long time ago believing in magic, but did not know real magic. I thought magic was a set of powers that could transform the world. You think of something and it happens. That would be magic. As I got older I believed that “you would think of something and nothing would happen”. To think this way was my first and most dangerous mistake. For most of my life, afterwards, I was too worried about what people thought I could do and not-do. A deadly mistake. This is the mistake that rules the world - that causes us to surrender our inner wisdom to others.


Thinking is not doing. To think that way is already lethal to aliveness. We are alive to the extent that we feel where we are, where we have been, and where we are going. That is the nature of sentient being-hood. We are all creators of ourselves and each other. None of us is along. We are all teachers and guides for each other.  

So, I say to myself and feel to myself that I am “always a beginner”. That means: I am allowed to make “mistakes” and that you are allowed to make mistakes. Beginners must make mistakes. There are no mistakes - only exploration. We must fumble around to figure to map the territory. “The sun is new each day”, as Heraclitus, the great Greek pre-socratic, may have said. So today, we are new again. Let this new day be a new you!

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Go Deeper


Today, go deeper into your meditation. 

Look for the quiet zones between your thoughts. Expand these moments of quiet.

Meditation installment plan

When I first practiced meditation long ago, it was highly recommended that we practice two times daily - twenty minutes each time for a total of forty minutes a day. These days most college students find it almost impossible to carve out two twenty minute blocks without creating more stress in the rest of their lives. For these people, I recommend a "meditation installment plan". 

For example, attempt eight minute meditations, five times a day. It's an installment program! One could try eight minutes in (1) early morning, (2) late morning, (3) early afternoon, (4) sunset time, and (5) in the evening. 
Don't be dogmatic - be flexible. Find forty minutes total on a given day. Could be two, three or four somewhat longer installments.

Invite a friend in person, via text, or on the phone to meditate. A designated time keeper helps. Simply contact them, set up a time together, do the meditation, and do a follow up check-in. 

There you have it, a meditation installment program for our busy times!  

Friday, August 09, 2019

Which Will It Be?

Only one body
   but many places
         to be

Only one life
         so many
    possibilities

this or that
which will it
         be?

Tuesday, August 06, 2019

nothing to do


Nothing to do, no place to go
Time passing without limit
Dropping back into the ocean of Being
   here and now
“I want to say or do something profound!”
Instead, know the truth:

   It does not matter what I do now
   except to allow doing-not-doing
   to take over

Let the breaths in and out,
come and go. That is enough
Relax now
I’ve waited all my life
for this moment
Why pass it up? 

Monday, August 05, 2019

Growth God (unreleased)

Economics is deeply embedded with "more is better". Growth output is a god. Everything feels better when there is economic growth. It's easier to get work or grow a business. Everyone loves getting more money. Most find it impossible to imagine being happy in a world of declining income and resources. Sameness is not "enough", it's growth we want. More technology, more services, more energy, more wealth - forget expenses against mother earth. free time, community, and connection to earth and cosmos. 

The Growth God is not based in capitalism but in the seeds of unlimited desire within us. A spiritual distress that is epidemic to humans with their always creating more possibilities monkey mind. 


Saturday, August 03, 2019

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Time-Money-Love


After many considerations, it's clear modern technological life has three fundamental categories: time, money, and love. Insights can be gained by looking at the weight that is applied to these categories in different life circumstances.
We can’t separate time, money, and love. In moments of insight, meditation, and spontaneous grace: it becomes clear that time, money, and love are just time-money-love; like space and time in physics are now fused into space-time.
Ask ourselves the question how does time-money-love play itself out in our lives? More money, less time? More time, more love? Is more money, less love? Yes, no, maybe? Look deeply into this.

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Friday, July 26, 2019

Steve Jobs’s last words: ‘Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow’



Audio spoken shortly after Steve Jobs' death on October 5, 2011.

Steve Jobs's last words were reported in the news shortly after his death. Well worth reading are Steve Jobs’s last words: ‘Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow’ (Washington Post) and A Sister’s Eulogy for Steve Jobs (New York Times). In the past, I asked students to read or listen to Steve Jobs' Stanford Commencement address (2005) .

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Monday, July 22, 2019

Eternal Life


"The eternal life is given to those who  
live in the present"  
~ Ludwig Wittenstein ~ 
(as quoted in Zen Calendar, April 10, 2011)  

Presence is eternal

There is only one present moment 


Saturday, July 20, 2019

Be Real

Many of us constantly try to escape from ourselves. That's impossible - and usually creates neurosis. Instead, face reality even if it is uncomfortable. Slowly the authentic Self dawns. Be real! It's worth it.  

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Uncertainty


Today is uncertain
everyday is uncertain
but we hold on to the illusion
of certainty so we can be brave


Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Spirit inside of you


The spirit inside
is greater than the sky  
positive energy spreads 
it's obvious, all around
you already know
no need to know the path
feel the spirit inside 
it will take you there

Dream on, little Dreamer

Dream on, little dreamer!
This is how it all begins

Move your feet
feel how sweet it is
Dream on, little dreamer!
Follow all your signs

You got to gather up what you need
You got to choose a direction
And when the moment is right for you

You got to go

You got to keep your ideals high
You got to know that the sky belongs to no one
You know you got to go!

Keep on, little dreamer ~ keep hold of all that you are.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJQE4pOgiPg

Above & Beyond: "You Got To Go" Singer: Zoe Johnston

Wednesday, July 03, 2019

Here I Am


Here I am with
Great ease within darkness
Always the unknown
My mind in heaven

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Celestial Harp

If love is blind; can you still follow your heart?

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Tradition


I was born into a traditional Portuguese family. I did not know it - of course. I was just a baby. But with time, I flowered and changed into the various stages of life. My parents wanted me to give me a solid Catholic up bringing. After I left home I rebelled against these traditions. Now as I enter the various stages of old age - I see the flux of science and modern mass communication. The world is complex and unfolding on many levels. Truth and illusion are just a breath away from each other. "Be here now" is all we need to know. Spend time with stillness silence.  Do the tasks at hand. Let everything else take care of itself. 

Monday, June 03, 2019

Great Fall

You are not broken. Working through dark feelings can be crippling, but even in that state, you are not broken. We are not eggs. We might suffer to unimaginable extremes, but we are still not broken. Though, at times, it feels like we need all the king’s horses and all the king’s men, you never have to be put back together again.

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Fortitude

Bella ciao is used worldwide as an anti-fascist hymn of freedom and resistance.

It was the anthem of the World War II anti-fascist Italian underground who fought against Nazi Germany and Italian fascists. They called themselves partigiani (partisans) for the resistance. In a haunting love song, solders always sang these final words to their lover the night before battle.


Questa mattina mi sono svegliato
This morning I awakened
Bella Ciao Bella Ciao Bella Ciao Ciao Ciao
Good-bye beautiful
Questa mattina mi sono svegliato
This morning I awakened
Ed ho trovato l’invasor
And I found the invader

O partigiano porta mi via
Oh partisan carry me away
Bella Ciao Bella Ciao Bella Ciao Ciao Ciao
Good-bye beautiful
O partigiano porta mi via
Oh partisan carry me away
Che me sento di morir’
When I feel death approaching

E se io muoio da partigiano
And if I die as a partisan
Bella Ciao Bella Ciao Bella Ciao Ciao Ciao
Good-bye beautiful
E se io muoio da partigiano
And if I die as a partisan
Tu me devi seppellir’
Then you must bury me

Mi seppellirai lassu in montagna
Bury me up in the mountain
Bella Ciao Bella Ciao Bella Ciao Ciao Ciao
Good-bye beautiful
Mi seppellirai lassu in montagna
Bury me up in the mountain
Sotto l’ombra di un bel fiore
Under the shade of a beautiful flower

E tutti quelli che passeranno
And all those who shall pass
Bella Ciao Bella Ciao Bella Ciao Ciao Ciao
Good-bye beautiful
E tutti quelli che passeranno
And all those who shall pass
Ti diranno che bel fior’
Will tell you what a beautiful flower it is

E questo fiore da partigiano
And this flower of the partisan
Bella Ciao Bella Ciao Bella Ciao Ciao Ciao
Good-bye beautiful
E questo fiore da partigiano
And this flower of the partisan
E’ il fior’ di liberta
Is the flower of liberty

The flower was the red carnation, which was the symbol of the resistance. Stand up for your beliefs, now more than ever. So many are counting on you.
Bella Ciao from recent film (2017)




Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Starboard Bound

Life changes so drastically moment to moment. We look for answers in each situation because justification brings a sense of comfort. Sometimes instead of comfort though it causes us to reflect on our own personal choices. That can be incredibly difficult depending on how far we are to our own personal goals. The fantastic aspect to this process is the human capacity for change. We learn through this uncomfortability how strong we are and what actions are needed for our lives to progress forward. You are at the helm of your ship! Sail towards your destination or get lost in the choppy seas.

Monday, May 06, 2019

Hallelujah

Follow what you hold sacred. Its a new day, new week, and new you. 

Sunday, May 05, 2019

Magic

Never forget that anything is possible

Thursday, May 02, 2019

Pause

Dont forget to breathe. Do it right now. Deep breath three times repeat three times
A little better?

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Butterflies

KING LEAR:
No, no, no, no! Come, let's away to prison:
We two alone will sing like birds i' the cage:
When thou dost ask me blessing, I'll kneel down,
And ask of thee forgiveness: so we'll live,
And pray, and sing, and tell old tales, and laugh
At gilded butterflies, and hear poor rogues
Talk of court news; and we'll talk with them too,
Who loses and who wins; who's in, who's out;
And take upon's the mystery of things,
As if we were God's spies: and we'll wear out,
In a wall'd prison, packs and sects of great ones,
That ebb and flow by the moon.

Saturday, April 27, 2019

Censored

We live in a world where I was about to post about my struggle with social media but hesitated due to the fact that it would further provide data to be consumed about me. We are encountering a pivotal state in human history. We face a faceless violation of privacy that we are virtually powerless over. So whats the post about today? Heres a small snippet of a ted talk thats incredibly powerful:


Sorry I'm not more eloquent this Saturday but these 2 minutes say everything I'd like to type anyway...

Friday, April 26, 2019

Questions

Who do I call when I feel voiceless?
Where do I go when I have nowhere to turn?
How will today change my life forever?
What is going to become of me now?

Why God, why, is this happening to me?

These are all common questions everyone has asked themselves at one point or another during life's journey. Now, while I'm no lawyer, deity or genie, I can try to answer the last one. It's the most important since we all want to take something positive and tangible from a terrible situation; extract gold out of the mud. It is also the question that answers all other questions.

This is happening to you to make you better, make you stronger, and bring you closer to him. It's happening to show you who you might have taken for granted. It happening to show you who's there when the going gets tough. It's happening to show you the importance of every moment. It's happening so you can become the best you, whatever that looks like in your life. 

It's not happening to you sweetheart, it's happening for you

What Ifs

It's normal to be afraid when an uncontrollable situation arises. In order for us to avoid this fear and regain some control, we jump towards an unwritten future or unencumbered past and begin writing or rewriting our stories. Whether they end up terrifying or uplifting us, at least we are the ones who are calling the shots...right? Well, how often in a state of fear do we actually gravitate towards the uplifting ones as opposed to the terrifying ones? It's a false sense of control. We begin to spin and spin on the phrase 'what if'. What would have happened if I hadn't been saved from that shark or what if the person isn't there next time to save me! The odds that these what ifs will end in a massive beach party are very slim. What if is always going to be the beginning of a story you'd rather not entertain. It won't give you any control over the present nor dissipate your fear of the future. Stay present and let the story unfold. Also, for good measure, maybe avoid that part of the beach next time.

Sunday, January 20, 2019

The still clear water


The still clear water
one pebble falls
waves, waves, stillness

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Let love live



Let love live
  Heart holding
    Spirit safe
      Forever feeling
        Grace


Wednesday, January 09, 2019

Sunday, December 30, 2018

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Where Can I Go


"Where can I go. I am here"
    ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi

Monday, December 24, 2018

Woodstock

Woodstock

Well, I came upon a child of God
He was walking along the road
And I asked him, Tell me, where are you going
This he told me
Said, I'm going down to Yasgur's Farm
Gonna join in a rock and roll band
Got to get back to the land and set my soul free
We are stardust, we are golden
We are billion year old carbon
And we got to get ourselves back to the garden
Well, then can I roam beside you?
I have come to lose the smog,
And I feel myself a cog in somethin' turning
And maybe it's the time of year
Yes and maybe it's the time of man
And I don't know who I am
But life is for learning
We are stardust, we are golden
We are billion year old carbon
And we got to get ourselves back to the garden
We are stardust, we are golden
We are billion year old carbon
And we got to get ourselves back to the garden
By the time we got to Woodstock
We were half a million strong
And everywhere was a song and a celebration
And I dreamed I saw the bomber death planes
Riding shotgun in the sky,
Turning into butterflies
Above our nation
We are stardust, we are golden
We are caught in the devil's bargain

And we got to get ourselves back to the garden
Songwriters: Joni Mitchell Woodstock lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Friday, December 21, 2018

Backgammon

Backgammon is perhaps 5000 years old, originating in what is now Iraq - previously known as Mesopotamia. Backgammon balances randomness and order. Your dice throws "determine" possible moves. This reflects a random, somewhat arbitrary aspect of life. Every day, every hour, the unexpected shows up - regardless of how well our day is planned. As the game continues, past decisions "determine" the present. Reflecting everyday life. The sum of our past decisions and nondecisions "determines" the present. Backgammon allows you to talk while playing - providing for deeper interpersonal contact.  Playing backgammon (just for fun and without gambling for money) will improve your life. And even if you have no one to play with there are excellent computer programs who can tirelessly play with you.


Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Life Is Uncertain



We really don't know much
life is uncertain, to assume anything else
is the epitome of stupidity

  

Monday, December 17, 2018

Love Is All We Need


Love is all we need
many songs and poems say this
love is all we need
be love now


Sunday, November 11, 2018

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Let It Be

When the broken hearted people living in the world agree
There will be an answer, let it be
For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be

Faith, trust, and surrender. Practice that today

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Tilopa's Mahamudra Teaching to Naropa


Is space anywhere supported? Upon what does it rest? 
Like space, Mahamudra is dependant upon nothing; 
Relax and settle in the continuum of unalloyed purity, 
And, your bonds loosening, release is certain. 

Gazing intently into the empty sky, vision ceases; 
Likewise, when mind gazes into mind itself, 
The train of discursive and conceptual thought ends 
And supreme enlightenment is gained. 

Like the morning mist that dissolves into thin air, 
Going nowhere but ceasing to be, 
Waves of conceptualization, all the mind's creation, dissolve, 
When you behold your mind's true nature. 

Pure space has neither colour nor shape 
And it cannot be stained either black or white; 
So also, mind's essence is beyond both colour and shape 
And it cannot be sullied by black or white deeds. 

The darkness of a thousand aeons is powerless 
To dim the crystal clarity of the sun's heart; 
And likewise, aeons of samsara have no power 
To veil the clear light of the mind's essence. 
_________________________________________


Tuesday, October 09, 2018

Friday, October 05, 2018

Wild Card


While it can take time to realize that it is never too late; you always have time to change your own fate.

Wednesday, October 03, 2018

Tuesday, October 02, 2018

Sunday, September 30, 2018

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Businessman or Employee

In the 1970's enlightenment was in the air. India, Tibet, and Japan exported many spiritual teachers to the U.S.A. Demand was high for insights from the Buddhist and Hindu traditions. I attended a workshop with one such a teacher fresh from India. He said: "You are either a businessman or employee!" It was an unforgettable comment. A businessperson does not assume there will be a "next" paycheck. To succeed, businesspersons must generate "confidence" (a word based in Latin, meaning "with faith"). A business' source of supply depends on the ebb and flow of clients, the cycles of the seasons, and the economic climate. Nothing is taken for granted. An employee believes that paychecks will keep coming -- hardly thinking the businessperson, the employer, is mortgaging their house to finance the next month's paychecks. The spiritual teacher from India, was a businessman. He scheduled talks, got the word out, collected money and planned for future workshops. He was not an employee. When I saw him, I did not appreciate that businesslike quality. Now, I see it as spiritual, and close to the Buddhist ideal of living with knowledge of impermanence. Employees pay a price for security -- akin to surrender of the ego. Come to think of it: that's Buddhist, too.

Friday, September 21, 2018

Choruses from The Rock – T.S. Eliot

The Eagle soars in the summit of Heaven,
The Hunter with his dogs pursues his circuit.
O perpetual revolution of configured stars,
O perpetual recurrence of determined seasons,
O world of spring and autumn, birth and dying!
The endless cycle of idea and action,
Endless invention, endless experiment,
Brings knowledge of motion, but not of stillness;
Knowledge of speech, but not of silence;
Knowledge of words, and ignorance of the Word.
All our knowledge brings us nearer to death,
But nearness to death no nearer to God.
Where is the Life we have lost in living?
Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?
The cycles of Heaven in twenty centuries
Brings us farther from God and nearer to the Dust.

{First stanza}

Tuesday, September 04, 2018

THE INTERNET IS MY omnipresent conduit to infinite distraction


THE INTERNET IS MY omnipresent conduit to infinite distraction. It is the first thing I do in the morning and the last thing I do at night. In between, my smartphone ensures that I am never very far from my next Google-Facebook-YouTube-Craigslist-Amazon fix. I have been in rooms full of people, each glued to a hand-held device and completely oblivious to the others.
What began for me as a thing of wonder is now merely my drug of choice. I miss my friends — the very ones whose hourly Facebook posts keep me up to date on their every move. I miss sitting on the front porch of my row house on a warm summer evening and talking to the neighbors who walk by. My nervous system spent the past two hundred thousand years evolving in an environment of human interaction, and now that’s disappeared almost overnight.      -- Rick Silberman   Grass Valley, California
https://www.thesunmagazine.org/issues/440/the-internet