Emptiness
refers to the absence of something that, for some reason, one expects
to find—as when we say a glass, normally used to hold liquids, is empty
even though it is full of air. The point is not that there is nothing
there at all, but rather that what is there differs from your
expectations.
— William S. Cobb, "The Game of Go"
You are listening as well as you can to the universe, and often you will see that when things start to happen a certain way, your mind will focus in on that because you’re looking for patterns, which we call ‘synchronicity’.
Often you will just get caught in your desire to find a pattern that will give you an external validation for what you’re doing. You just end up using the universe again to do it to yourself.
So stay with your truth from moment to moment, and get the clues wherever you can. I mean, I’ll open up the Chuang-tzu and read something when I have a question, and if it doesn’t feel good, I say, “Well, that was interesting,” and I close it. If it feels like what I wanted to do anyway, I say, “Ohhh, wow, synchronicity!” And I do it, so I’ve learned that I’m a complete phony anyway, so I might as well just honor it and get on with it.
A deeper equanimity comes when we learn how to be with our life as it is, not as we would like it to be.
—Eliot Fintushel, "Something to Offer"
Walls
and fences cannot instruct the grasses and trees to actualize spring,
yet they reveal the spiritual without intention, just by being what they
are. So too with mountains, rivers, sun, moon, and stars.
—Dogen, "Everything is Holy"
Every
moment is a unique view of a unique territory, both of which unfold in
perpetual motion. Because of the continual flux of it all, holding on to
anything that has happened is futile, while being open to what happens
next is crucial.
—Andrew Olendzki, "This Moment is Unique"
Truth
is one of the vehicles for deepening spiritual awareness through
another human being, and if there is a license for that in the
relationship, in any relationship – with guru, with friend, with lover,
with whatever it is – it is an absolutely optimum way of coming into a
liquid spiritual relationship with another person. But it’s very, very
delicate because people feel very vulnerable. They have parts of their
mind that are cut off, that the idea that’s been socialized is, “If I
show this part of me, I would not be acceptable.” And the ability to
risk that, finally you learn how to have your truth available.
So truth is one of the exciting vehicles to work with in a relationship.
And what I’ve learned is to use my lecturer role to make my truth as
available as I possibly could, and what I find is people say to me,
“Thank you for being so truthful. It makes it easier for me to be
truthful about myself, because you’ve done that.” And I think well,
it’s a cheap price to offer yourself up for that purpose, if that in
itself starts to help other people.
We
know not to get caught in the past or the future, but in order to be in
the Now, we also have to let go of the present. The Now is not confined
by relative clock time, yet it is also not pure timelessness.
—Loch Kelly, "When Am I?"
If
suffering and awakening form a single weather-system, as many a wise
person has come to know, then when storms come, perhaps we can accept
them with less dread and aversion, and more trust, and even hope.
— Henry Shukman, "Beautiful Storm"
I will learn to cherish beings of bad nature
And those pressed by strong sins and sufferings
As if I had found a precious
Treasure very difficult to find.
—Geshe Langri Thangpa, "Breaking the Habit of Selfishness"
When practicing and studying, it’s important to have a motivation that is free from affliction. Among the various pure motivations, the most important is the wish to help ourselves and others, the vast motivation of the Mahayana, which means acting for the sake of all sentient beings, who are as limitless as space.
—Kenchen Thrangu, "On What Is Most Important"
Nobody
can get into the heart of your experience and fix anything for you. If
you want to make your own internal experience more hospitable, only you
can do that work.
—Ethan Nichtern, "Awake with Others"
The idea that all human reason must be empirical is a story that is told to us by our masters.
—Curtis White, "The Science Delusion"
Serve
to relieve human suffering wherever you find it, in any way you can.
Whatever your skills or karmic predicament is, there’s always an
opportunity to relieve human suffering. The major way you are relieving
human suffering is by becoming a conscious being, and then all the rest
of your stuff should also be involved in relieving human suffering in
other beings. You should have enough money and right livelihood in order
to keep your body healthy, in order to allow you to do your sadhana, in
order to fulfill your social responsibilities that are existing, your
karmic responsibility, and all the rest of the money should be
distributed. Simple as that.
The enlightened being, or the person that’s awakened, realizes that the
game is to walk through the path and leave no footprint. Leave no
footprint because whatever footprint you leave is just more karmic
stuff.
In
painting, as in any art, we can escape the prison of our minds and
connect with what transcends ordinary perceptions. And just as a body of
water stays still while a wave-form moves through it, consciousness
remains stable despite the constant motion and flow of our thoughts.
—Fredericka Foster, "Spotlight On: Fredericka Foster"
Soooo... this Trump thing has caused me to rethink my status here as a permanent resident. Brasil has been much more progressive re: GLBTq immigration than WTFistan has been (see my TEDx talk).
And now that things are schlepping to the evangelical right here as well, it is now or never… So my hubby and I had a long talk and decided it is best for me to be able to vote – since I pay taxes and enjoy all the other rights and responsibilities. And if things really go south (pardon the pun) up in WTFistan, I can sponsor my family down here in Neverland.
So I reacted by the Trump coup, by applying for the Brazilian half of what will be dual citizenship.
Kinda complicated, but soooooooo much easier for me to become a Brazilian, than the crap my husband has to put up with (again a plug for my TEDx talk way back when). Went on line to the Brazilian Immigration (I am a permanent resident - like a green card), got a list of jobs/things I have to do to organize a file to get a Brazilian passport, etc. I talked to my lawyer bud here in Ouro Preto.
The worst is the FBI report, I asked around and I met folks who were stranded like I was 6 years ago up there for a month... no can do! So I contacted the US Consul in Rio and we talked/bantered back and forth for a while and he offered to write me a letter to get my fingerprints done here in Brasil, then mail the prints/forms to the FBI.
That letter.
So yesterday I took the letter to the Polícia Federal (PF) in Belo Horizonte (BH), which is a cross between the FBI and the “migra” in the States. I got in the “foreigner line” strangely short, which faces the Brazilian (abandon the countryside of the waiting area – very full). Showed my letter, and the delegada (officer) was so apologetic, I know it says for you to come here, but you need to go to the office in… (The HEAD office for the PF – of course all the way across town on the top of a hill – think a very 1970’s collection of ugly buildings (Minas Gerais has a talent for building really ugly buildings – my campus is just one example) which forms a fortress/military/ Star Feet base complex next to a hospital… got there, went to the even more imposing gate, and went thru security (picture, badge, chatting up the security folks), all the time the Brazilians are looking at me like a strange flower, or lost puppy “why would you do this, I want to move to Miami” kind of look. I was directed to follow a blue line around a building (Which I did) just “follow the blue brick road” across a green space, a couple of “soldiers” greeted me and I felt even more like I was in Star Fleet, albeit a very “brega” one. I followed the blue line thru another lobby, and then upstairs in another building got lost, more Star Fleet delegados helped me, smiling… found the place, and the guy helping me was so surprised. The rest of the office was so happy to see me, and have something happy to do, just a dumb gringo who isn’t in a crisis. After a minor problem downloading the FBI form to BH Star Feet, I was inked and on my way in no time…
I left base and headed down the hill to a taxi stand, and called a dear friend from UFOP who is off for the semester while she finishes her doctoral thesis. She directed me to go to her house (across town) and we walked to lunch, and everywhere we went she just had to tell everyone, restaurant, museum, and her family… “Daniel is becoming a Brazilian!” Oi such a shunder…
When I got home (Neverland is a good 2 hour bus ride from BH over impossibly green mountains)I put all the docs together, and this morning on my way to campus SEDEX’d (we have our own DHL/UPS/FEDEX here in Neverland) them to West Virginia where you send stuff that allows you to get a criminal report. I walked back to campus all verklempt… and REALLY happy! It helped that a gentle breeze was blowing, the sun was out, the mountains are as green as green can be, and birds were singing… “Vem ti vi! Vem ti vi!”
So step one (of about 20) done… check!
Next step: The report I sent to FBI HQ needs to be “autenticado” in the Brazilian Consulate in San Francisco – a dear amiga in the California State Senate Int’l office will do that for me – she earns extra dharma points. Then it has to be translated and collected with the rest of the documents. This will take a few months at best. Which gives me time to do all sorts of other tasks… copies of the house contract, proof of my work as a federal employee, copies of the marriage certificate, etc. all authenticated and stamped and registered in “cartorios”.
So you can see why I get snarky at folks in WTFistan, who think “I’ll just move to Canada or France”, yeah good luck. I had to tell one guy, start with grad school and marriage… moving abroad ain’t like moving across WTFistan cowboy.
So to make this very long story short, keep me in your prayers and send lotsa love and light to all who I need to facilitate this… I am just so really fortunate and blessed – a great job, in a great little college town, in a funky state, in a more than dysfunctional but wonderful country. Despite all the problems here in Brasil, there are so many really, really fine people here and it will be great to be Brazilian in a few months!
September 7 is Brazilian Independence day... hoping to have it all done by then! Dedos cruzados!
Judgmental criticism is one thing; judicious criticism is actually a gift. That’s why the Buddha never formulated a precept against talking about other people’s faults or errors, because there are times when you have to speak up against harmful behavior.
—Thanissaro Bhikkhu, "Gossip"
Gratitude,
the simple and profound feeling of being thankful, is the foundation of
all generosity. I am generous when I believe that right now, right
here, in this form and this place, I am myself being given what I need.
—Sallie Tisdale, "As If There Is Nothing to Lose"
