Sunday, January 3, 2016
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
blogs, ego
Why write this? Why not just think it and be satisfied?
There is a bit of egotism that goes along with keeping a blog. I suppose it is true of a diary as well. We have to believe that somehow what we think and write, is important, that it matters to others, or else we could just have these thoughts and let them go.
I think that with a blog we place even more potential, than with a diary, on the possibility that what we think is important. A blog can be read by almost unlimited numbers of people, potentially. Our potential readers, those whom we might influence, are as yet not even known to us.
So it must take some kind of ego, to write things down in a manner that allows for that kind of readership.
Why not just have a conversation with a friend, a family member, the person sitting next to you at the bar?
On a blog our thoughts and words can linger in cyber space and are free to be accessed from just about anywhere people might be.
To have such far reaching access to our thoughts and words must indicate some great importance in them. Either that or some great importance we feel about ourselves, or hope for ourselves.
The real time social media forums like MugBook, or Twatter take this a step further. In those forums, it seems that we feel that most of our experiences in life are so very important to the rest of the world that they must be made available immediately.
I could justify my use of this blog by saying that it is more convenient than typing or writing in a journal that is seen only by me, or individuals I actively choose. I could say that I prefer typing on a keyboard to writing in a diary because it is neater and more easily corrected and faster. Some of that might even be true, but it doesn't change the possibility that I believe that what I think and say is of some importance to the rest of the world, enough so that I should give my opinion, or share my story with out being asked to.
I don't know how much of the earth's resources are used up to allow me to keep this blog, or for all of use to keep all blogs and social media connections. Like most things regarding our use and abuse of this life support system we call earth, it is not something that can be isolated for observation and still really give us a meaningful understanding.
Layers and layers of connectivity describe anything that we do. We can't not have an affect on the world. We can however affect the world in a way that is not destructive to the world itself. I don't believe that any of us do this really and in this way we differ vastly and most significantly from most other forms of life.
Some might say that I should feel not guilt over keeping this blog, after all it is such a small bit of energy that allows it to exist. Depends how you look at it, I think. There is this computer and all the base materials that it was made from that had to come from someplace and then be refined, shipped, formed into parts, assembled by machines or humans in plants that need to be energized, and then it had to be packaged and that packaging had to come from somewhere and be processed and shipped, and then the computer had to be shipped and marketed and I had to drive to pick it up, or it had to be delivered. That doesn't even get it plugged in and turned on. Once it's on electricity has to power it. We can chase down the origin and continued source of the things we use until we have the giant web of connectivity that allows us what we think of as simple things until all the lines of the web would fill up any void, and space between them. That is what it takes to have and do simple harmless little things like keep a blog.
I don't think the things I write here are as important as needing to take all that. I don't know what is.
There is a bit of egotism that goes along with keeping a blog. I suppose it is true of a diary as well. We have to believe that somehow what we think and write, is important, that it matters to others, or else we could just have these thoughts and let them go.
I think that with a blog we place even more potential, than with a diary, on the possibility that what we think is important. A blog can be read by almost unlimited numbers of people, potentially. Our potential readers, those whom we might influence, are as yet not even known to us.
So it must take some kind of ego, to write things down in a manner that allows for that kind of readership.
Why not just have a conversation with a friend, a family member, the person sitting next to you at the bar?
On a blog our thoughts and words can linger in cyber space and are free to be accessed from just about anywhere people might be.
To have such far reaching access to our thoughts and words must indicate some great importance in them. Either that or some great importance we feel about ourselves, or hope for ourselves.
The real time social media forums like MugBook, or Twatter take this a step further. In those forums, it seems that we feel that most of our experiences in life are so very important to the rest of the world that they must be made available immediately.
I could justify my use of this blog by saying that it is more convenient than typing or writing in a journal that is seen only by me, or individuals I actively choose. I could say that I prefer typing on a keyboard to writing in a diary because it is neater and more easily corrected and faster. Some of that might even be true, but it doesn't change the possibility that I believe that what I think and say is of some importance to the rest of the world, enough so that I should give my opinion, or share my story with out being asked to.
I don't know how much of the earth's resources are used up to allow me to keep this blog, or for all of use to keep all blogs and social media connections. Like most things regarding our use and abuse of this life support system we call earth, it is not something that can be isolated for observation and still really give us a meaningful understanding.
Layers and layers of connectivity describe anything that we do. We can't not have an affect on the world. We can however affect the world in a way that is not destructive to the world itself. I don't believe that any of us do this really and in this way we differ vastly and most significantly from most other forms of life.
Some might say that I should feel not guilt over keeping this blog, after all it is such a small bit of energy that allows it to exist. Depends how you look at it, I think. There is this computer and all the base materials that it was made from that had to come from someplace and then be refined, shipped, formed into parts, assembled by machines or humans in plants that need to be energized, and then it had to be packaged and that packaging had to come from somewhere and be processed and shipped, and then the computer had to be shipped and marketed and I had to drive to pick it up, or it had to be delivered. That doesn't even get it plugged in and turned on. Once it's on electricity has to power it. We can chase down the origin and continued source of the things we use until we have the giant web of connectivity that allows us what we think of as simple things until all the lines of the web would fill up any void, and space between them. That is what it takes to have and do simple harmless little things like keep a blog.
I don't think the things I write here are as important as needing to take all that. I don't know what is.
Monday, December 21, 2015
Happy Solstice
As this day literally flashes by us,
like the strobe of a lighthouse briefly hitting our sails as we try to make an unmarked harbor in the middle of the night
and the long dark night sits heavy upon our homes, chilling the air, freezing the ponds
we can have hope for the return of the sunny warm days that may yet come,
as they have each year, for millions of years before.
Will mariner's taking noon sights
be repeating altitudes of the sun that they just took days and weeks before?
For them it is obvious that the sun is once again climbing in the sky
Happy Winter!
As another year ends, that point in the circle of days and weeks and months is arrived at again.
As shortest days push against the longest nights, we can now look forward to the return of the light.
The coldest days are ahead still, but we can find hope and strength in the lengthening of the days and all that they might bring.
In our world, that is especially now so wrapped up in things virtual, things imagined, things conjured, and ideologies clung to, here is something that is obvious, something observable by all, something that has formed us and the lives we have lived since before time was recorded.
Something that connects us to all other things.
Here is a day that we can all be glad for.
As with each morning when we wake, the Northern hemisphere can celebrate
the new light, the new year.
No need for myth or magic, reality is a great thing to celebrate
The observable has it's own magical quality
We may choose to give little recognition, or importance to it, but what does our opinion of it do to change it, nothing at all.
But it is an opportunity to celebrate something that is undeniable, not just to humans but to all beings, to all of the planet that is our home.
As this year past has been so very challenging for so many of us this is especially a moment that can inspire hope for what may yet come, and what we might be able to do with the days ahead.
It might also be a chance to reflect on our humble part in the larger cycle of things and to find peace with that understanding.
With that peace we might also find compassion for all the other beings whose parts are just as worthy, but also just as modest.
Hurray for the return of the light!
Happy Winter Solstice
Thursday, August 27, 2015
The road to Shambhala
I'm in about the 5th or 6th book from Chogyam Trungpa and have had a very good experience reading these writings. It is, perhaps, good that I came upon these now, as oppose to earlier in my studies. I think that I am much more prepared to understand these teachings and have experience of my own that they explain and, or, elaborate on.
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Creativity
One of the things that has come up a bit in my readings on Buddhist thought that stands out to me is the inclusion of creativity as something good, and healthful for those pursuing a path of compassion. Creativity, art, is something that appears to be deeply unique to our human experience. It can, not only, help us to see from a different perspective, with a different sense of value for time, and matter, and relation to all beings, things, but it can also do the same for those who experience any art that we create. It should not be like the paintings of the old masters that are just used and financial investments, or strictly as a means to gain money, but should be approached with thought about what it can do or say to help in the life of others as well as ones own life.
I have always gotten great joy from music, mostly music made by others, but also from my efforts to make my own, and by the challenge of learning to play music, or sing it. I am no gifted musician, and all the music is effortful, but it is a joyful effort, like most good things, the work is relative to the reward of it.
Today, and for the past few days the rain has been pouring down. This gives me good excuse to stay indoors and work on music. It is also good to be outdoors enjoying music too.
Make music where and where you can, on an instrument, with your voice, or in your head. Or, you can just listen to the soundtrack of the world, it is always playing and interesting.
My guitar is a found gift from a friend. He found it in the trash, on the side of the street, broken in several pieces. I put it back together and it serves me just fine. Other peoples trash is now my treasure.
I have always gotten great joy from music, mostly music made by others, but also from my efforts to make my own, and by the challenge of learning to play music, or sing it. I am no gifted musician, and all the music is effortful, but it is a joyful effort, like most good things, the work is relative to the reward of it.
Today, and for the past few days the rain has been pouring down. This gives me good excuse to stay indoors and work on music. It is also good to be outdoors enjoying music too.
 |
| while waiting for the truck to get some new tires, Chilly and I Enjoy the shelter of a gazebo in the park. The sound of the rain, the creek the traffic and the guitar all make it seem as though I am playing and singing with a large band |
My guitar is a found gift from a friend. He found it in the trash, on the side of the street, broken in several pieces. I put it back together and it serves me just fine. Other peoples trash is now my treasure.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Books for the path
Just read:
The Road Home: A Contemporary Exploration of the Buddhist Path
By
ETHAN NICHTERN
I learned a thing or two, or three, or four......... Well written. I recommend it to anybody curious about this topic.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
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