tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51428752012-01-14T23:51:21.606-05:00To describe the indescribableRenegadenoreply@blogger.comBlogger881100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-81103488635992532102011-02-16T00:08:00.001-05:002011-02-16T00:12:08.765-05:00

Excerpt from an open letter from Les Kaye to Kanzeon Sangha about Genpo Merzel: The following month, Sept. 1992, a meeting – organized by Chozen Bays and Yvonne Rand of the San Francisco Zen Center, and moderated by a paid, professional facilitator – was held with Genpo, Maezumi-roshi, and others, at Green Gulch Farm, an affiliate of San Francisco Zen Center. The purpose of the meeting was to

Renegadenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-82236828523368533772011-02-08T11:14:00.002-05:002011-02-08T11:14:26.076-05:00

The White Plum Asanga Board of Directors has accepted the resignation of Genpo Merzel from White Plum Asanga membership as well as an Elder of the White Plum. This resignation is a result of his recent disclosures regarding sexual misconduct with several of his students. Please see the Big Mind website for their statement. On behalf of the White Plum organization, I extend our support for Genpo's

Renegadenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-5621935743513236052010-09-20T11:27:00.006-04:002012-01-14T23:51:21.620-05:00

A reward is being offered for the exact address or sufficient details to enable the apprehension and prosecution of Julia Reynolds, in connection with stalking, criminal harassment, theft and criminal libel. Ms Reynolds masquerades as a Buddhist and posts online as LuzdelaLuna in various Buddhist groups and is now in North Carolina. Also added to this and with it's own reward is a request for

Renegadenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-37190722574114711072007-12-07T00:30:00.000-05:002007-12-07T03:10:53.183-05:00

What we see and what has somehow developed as the Buddhist tradition and the Christian tradition through the social fabric of the West, is a notion that we somehow need to suppress or avoid negativity. At all costs. And this is the idea of the Mr. Rogers Bodhisattva; this is the idea of Puritans, this idea that somehow the problem is ourselves, rather than our social order. All of the problems

Renegadenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-83762697594159128212007-12-06T23:49:00.000-05:002007-12-07T03:21:25.555-05:00

Interestingly, there are still those who think that the earth is flat and that one can really be say a Buddhist and a Republican at the same time. And there are those who think that they can go along with the state mechanism of the corporocracy, even use it to their own ends when it serves them and who still consider themselves Buddhist - one of those I know personally and I'll soon be doing a

Renegadenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-92084708571200779062007-12-06T03:38:00.000-05:002007-12-07T02:49:17.178-05:00

THE FOURTEEN PRECEPTS OF ENGAGED BUDDHISMBy Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh (From the book Interbeing)1.Do not be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology, even Buddhist ones. Buddhist systems of thought are guiding means; they are not absolute truth.2.Do not think the knowledge you presently possess is changeless, absolute truth. Avoid being narrow minded and bound to present

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-44845410695995765042007-11-25T07:41:00.000-05:002007-12-06T03:28:44.255-05:00

On a certain occasion the Blessed One dwelt at Savatthi, in the Jetavana, the garden of Anâthapindika.Now at that time the Blessed One was held in reverence, honoured, respected and esteemed, and was a recipient of the requisites of a monk of the Order, such as robes, alms, pallet, and medicines in case of sickness. The Brethren were also held in reverence, honoured, respected and esteemed and

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-22390827735344047902007-10-13T04:28:00.000-04:002007-10-19T04:25:20.480-04:00

"Entry-level Right Speech is speech that doesn't add pain to any situation. This takes care of the obvious mistakes, like telling lies or purposely using speech hurtfully. High-level Right Speech maintains the balance of situations by not adding the destabilizing element of gossip.Gossiping is talking about someone not present..."Sylvia Boorstein, "It's Easier Than You Think"Speech either

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-11469281404716659442007-05-27T04:06:00.000-04:002007-05-27T04:08:34.086-04:00

Relationships Don't Work - from Everyday Zen: Love & Work by Charlotte Joko BeckI recently returned from Australia. I went there hoping to enjoy some normal weather-so the first two days it poured, which was fun. Then for the last five days of sesshin in Brisbane there was a cold gale. It was so strong that we could hardly stand up as we ran between buildings. We had to fight just to keep our

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-4105610354387132262007-05-08T05:33:00.000-04:002007-05-08T05:37:43.416-04:00

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-8304912461922076382007-05-04T02:55:00.000-04:002007-05-08T05:38:02.268-04:00

Someone Should Start LaughingI have a thousand brilliant liesFor the question:How are you?I have a thousand brilliant liesFor the question:What is God?If you think that the Truth can be knownFrom words,If you think that the Sun and the OceanCan pass through that tiny openingCalled the mouth,O someone should start laughing!Someone should start wildly Laughing -Now!- Hafiz

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-44426698530852829522007-04-30T05:49:00.000-04:002007-04-30T05:53:04.746-04:00

I'm often asked to talk about "zazen" practice, zen meditation, and I sometimes preface my comments by telling people that if I were giving a class on sex for virgins no matter how well I described the experience, no matter how detailed an exposition was presented, it could never quite convey the actual experience.The same thing applies to any experience, skydiving for example - all the talk in

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1719625672082535812007-04-23T05:35:00.000-04:002007-05-08T05:38:37.545-04:00

Tired of Speaking SweetlyLove wants to reach out and manhandle us,Break all our teacup talk of God.If you had the courage andCould give the Beloved His choice, some nights,He would just drag you around the roomBy your hair,Ripping from your grip all those toys in the worldThat bring you no joy.Love sometimes gets tired of speaking sweetlyAnd wants to rip to shredsAll your erroneous notions of

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-76694919394739310222007-04-18T05:09:00.000-04:002007-04-18T05:15:12.796-04:00

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-46025413076078161102007-04-13T18:59:00.000-04:002007-04-14T18:44:46.129-04:00

I remember an impression of a cat,A transvestite's voice,Holding someone in my arms all night and not sleeping,The sky just before a storm.Small things make me happy.

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-8438743673047801412007-04-12T17:57:00.000-04:002007-04-13T19:03:08.520-04:00

In each of us, there's a lot of softness, a lot of heart. Touching that soft spot has to be the starting place. This is what compassion is all about. When we stop blaming long enough to give ourselves an open space in which to feel our soft spot, it's as if we're reaching down to touch a large wound that lies right underneath the protective shell that blaming builds.Buddhist words such as

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-62883855124808868422007-04-08T17:06:00.000-04:002007-04-08T17:32:37.573-04:00

&nbsp&nbspAnd we begin to understand that the object of desire and the desire itself and the one who desires are one. The three wheels, as they say in Buddhism, are pure. There is no difference between the desiring one and Tao itself.So, especially in difficult times when the tanks are on the horizon, it is good not to neglect the pear and the garden. This will not always help with the tanks. One

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-69071394320459120202007-04-06T02:15:00.000-04:002007-04-13T19:03:39.274-04:00

If you show patience, I'll rid you of this virtue.If you fall asleep, I'll rub the sleep from your eyes.If you become a mountain, I'll melt you in fire.And if you become an ocean, I'll drink all your water.- Rumi

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-73307590633341978582007-04-06T02:13:00.001-04:002007-04-08T17:27:12.544-04:00

Let the lover be disgraceful, crazy,absentminded. Someone soberwill worry about things going badly.Let the lover be.- Rumi

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-34875723346216214352007-04-06T01:39:00.000-04:002007-04-08T17:00:56.612-04:00

Because I may not understand the intensity of my feelings when I am with you, for instance, I may not dare do more than just touch you briefly with a glance... When do we feel safe to truly meet the other with our eye, our heart and mind? When we trust no more may be requested of us than we are prepared to give? With a friend, a homeless person, a partner?Sometimes intimacy arises in unexpected

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-3908859652024643352007-04-06T01:34:00.000-04:002007-04-06T01:54:33.380-04:00

In one of the first teachings I ever heard, the teacher said, “I don’t know why you came here, but I want to tell you right now that the basis of this whole teaching is that you are NEVER going to get everything together.” I felt a little like he had just slapped me in the face or thrown cold water on my head. But I always remembered that. He said, “You are never going to get it all together.”

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-9346285338231303892007-04-03T23:23:00.000-04:002007-04-06T01:44:52.885-04:00

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 1, 2007 - Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) today announced the launch of Google TiSP (BETA)™, a free in-home wireless broadband service that delivers online connectivity via users' plumbing systems. The Toilet Internet Service Provider (TiSP) project is a self-installed, ad-supported online service that will be offered entirely free to any consumer with a WiFi-capable PC

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-22249945097858850752007-04-02T23:47:00.000-04:002007-04-06T02:09:10.143-04:00

"And at that moment of being brushed by the hands of the Beloved, who on earth are we? No-one knows. No-one is there to know..." In posting the song 'Beloved', I wasn't just posting a sad song about a lost love for the sake of it. (Nor was I referring (for those who have asked) even obliquely to my psychotic ex - someone who cannot love. That particular and intricately fashioned hell I leave to

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-87996793427073058712007-04-02T05:12:00.000-04:002007-04-02T05:19:54.968-04:00

It is nice to get a glimpse of a lady bathing --You scrubbed your flower face and cleansed your lovely bodyWhile this old monk sat in the hot water,Feeling more blessed than even the emperor of China!Zen Master Ikkyu - 'Crazy Cloud'. (Written by the way on a cold night when Ikkyu was a little pissed and watching Mori in the tub, with a huge grin on his face. :o) )

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-17991622174627939202007-04-02T03:09:00.000-04:002007-04-03T23:30:26.330-04:00

My beloved do you knowWhen the warm wind comes againAnother year will start to passAnd please don't ask me why I'm hereSomething deeper brought meThan a need to remember...Beloved - VnV Nation The track takes a while to get going, so exercise your 'Ksanti Paramita', or patience for the rest of us.

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-15700598484054254152007-03-06T06:40:00.002-05:002009-08-26T23:24:21.181-04:00

Published from another place:I am baffled by a moment I had a few years ago...Please excuse my limited knowledge on Buddhism. I am a newbie to Zen and the like but practice and a little study has thrust me into a journey that I was not expecting to take. Rewind to this "moment" a few years back, I was pregnant with my fourth child. I was at a bookstore with my toddler on my lap and my two oldest

Renegadenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-72794750172555022542007-03-06T05:55:00.001-05:002009-08-26T23:25:02.355-04:00

Now and thenI go outside.Not wanting to be seen crying.Eyes stung clean in northern wind,I listen to the sound of the treesAs they move,RestMove again.Standing in sunlit cold,Sharing a cigarette -A girl talks about being lonely at night,About her addictions,About Abuse,Loving those who do not love.Caring for those who do not care.A life of mistakes.I recognize my face in hers.For a long moment,

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-43804141386640505982007-02-27T04:21:00.001-05:002007-04-06T01:59:04.290-04:00

"What do you do when your teacher tells you that the deepest problem in your life is not a problem at all? How do you cope and go on when the teacher brings up for you all the things that you most fear?"I would like to learn more about Zen Buddhism. I’ve read a little so far...but I’m wondering how one goes about finding a teacher. From what I’ve read & been told, one should take a great deal of

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1157554853497667582006-09-06T10:59:00.000-04:002007-02-18T02:25:13.506-05:00

I have been loved, Edward told the starsSo? said the stars. (From The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane)

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1157548761462653172006-09-06T09:15:00.000-04:002007-01-15T19:29:48.550-05:00

"If you avoid anyone, you are not a Bodhisattva. Is this the Great Compassion of the Buddhas? Such a vow is just the drunken ravings of someone besotted with the booze of the Narrow Path. Neither humans nor shining beings could believe that such a thing could be the Complete Teaching..."Dogen - Bowing, Acquiring the Essence. Talking of her transmission, Sallie Jiko Tisdale said,Raihai-tokuzui

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1157540801825684282006-09-06T06:18:00.000-04:002006-09-24T16:20:05.513-04:00

"...but the loss of empathy is also the loss of humanity, and that's no small trade-off." -Barbera Kingsolver "When you're in your 20s, then you and your world are the biggest thing, and everything revolves around what you're doing. Now I realize I'm a leaf floating along on the water on top of some river. That's where I'm at." -Neil Young"Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1157176071708489072006-09-02T01:45:00.000-04:002007-12-06T04:55:14.107-05:00

I came across this article originally when I was referred to it by a doctor in Michigan, who was trying to get me to see what Annie Turner was really like. I think others might be quicker on the uptake than I was and so offer it for others who might benefit from it. Relational Aggressor: The New Bully On The Blockby Ken Cox The following discussion of relational aggression proposes to illustrate

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1155524923290082112006-08-13T23:06:00.000-04:002006-09-01T20:18:11.443-04:00

Bury me when I die beneath a wine barrelin a tavern.With luckthe cask will leak.- Moriya Sen’an

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1154102157943173602006-07-28T11:32:00.000-04:002007-04-19T01:40:07.661-04:00

The smiley geezer up there is Maitreya, one of the future Buddhas. The reason he's up there is so that you can visualize something a little clearer. I remember, some years ago, I had a real problem with my body image. I considered myself ugly. It was something that was often at the back of my mind and, in retrospect, it held me back in a lot of ways. I'd like to say that I found some technique,

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1154090506411355092006-07-28T08:38:00.000-04:002007-04-23T06:12:59.193-04:00

Here’s a simple test. If it’s soothing or comforting, if it makes you feel warm and fuzzy; if it’s about getting into pleasant emotional or mental states; if it’s about peace, love, tranquility, silence or bliss; if it’s about a brighter future or a better tomorrow; if it makes you feel good about yourself or boosts your self-esteem, tells you you’re okay, tells you everything’s just fine the way

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1153816264159750282006-07-25T04:23:00.000-04:002006-09-01T20:11:15.783-04:00

Joshu's Mu! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------From - The World a GatewayComentaries on the Mumonkan by Albert Low -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A monk once asked Joshu, "Does a dog have the Buddha-Nature?"Joshu answered, "Mu!" Mumon's CommentTo practice Zen you must pass the barriers set up by the

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1153784433584849492006-07-24T19:39:00.000-04:002006-09-01T20:11:26.110-04:00

Let go of your worries and be completely clear-hearted,like the face of a mirror that contains no images.If you want a clear mirror,behold yourself and see the shameless truth,which the mirror reflects.If metal can be polished to a mirror-like finish,what polishing might the mirror of the heart require?Between the mirror and the heart is this single difference:the heart conceals secrets,while the

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1153038047295892192006-07-16T04:19:00.000-04:002006-09-01T20:11:38.993-04:00

From NPR.org - "Lebanese civilians react to the bodies of 18 people, including nine children, killed in an Israeli missile strike."This is war. This is what it looks like. Don't you dare look away. This man is you and me. This is a human being in unbearable pain. This is what anger, hatred and delusion create and perpetuate. This is what politicians explain away with deft turns of phrase and we

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1153016369374823352006-07-15T22:19:00.000-04:002006-09-01T20:11:55.696-04:00

For those who want to hear this, you need to click on play twice, once after the filehut stuff. And thank you to the young lady that sent me this, I really do like it. It even got me dancing, which the girl next door seemed to find amusing. ;o)

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1152989832955895612006-07-15T14:55:00.000-04:002006-09-01T20:12:06.620-04:00

It seems some of you read this, agreed and then promptly forgot it, or thought you understood it and you didn't. So here it is again, and this time, pay attention:Then said Almitra, "Speak to us of Love."And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a stillness upon them.And with a great voice he said:When love beckons to you - follow him,Though his ways are hard and steep.And

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1152650941391558662006-07-11T16:41:00.000-04:002007-04-23T06:04:13.043-04:00

I've been to some interesting places of late and met some wonderful people. But, as Joe Blow put it so well, Dancing in the Moonlight is getting boring and I'm back so...Partly the delay was because so much is happening of late, and partly because I wanted to sit with the topic that came up about pain and Buddhist practice, the body and Buddhist practice. I didn't want to give a flippant answer (

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1150442544524279862006-06-16T03:19:00.000-04:002007-04-09T13:51:26.029-04:00

"Just give me the damn pie."

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1150009235678280112006-06-11T02:58:00.000-04:002006-09-01T20:12:45.396-04:00

(With a nod to Walt Whitman)Hakuin would say,"Is that so?"I am not Hakuin.I see through no man's eyes but my own.Never Such a SunriseNever such a sunrise -I drink coffee,Smoke a cigarette.

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1149834443029660382006-06-09T02:15:00.000-04:002006-12-18T16:41:52.256-05:00

I had the great good fortune this week to have Seth McLaughlin do some work on my body. My posture was bad, my spine had come out in several places and my pelvis was out of alignment. Seth, even without knowing much about me, took a look at my body and said that I'd been trying to "protect my heart." My body had tried to protect itself against the emotional onslaught that it underwent through my

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1149467946802199902006-06-04T20:35:00.000-04:002006-09-01T20:13:17.646-04:00

I haven't had any pc access in the last few days, so hopefully today I can remedy the dearth of posts on the blog. This is from a piece that I came across today and thought others might find of interest.The essential practice of peace is giving, dana paramitta. Giving one's attention, friendship, and material aid. Giving and spiritual teachings, community, and organization. Giving is the first

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1149463398357250732006-06-04T19:22:00.000-04:002006-09-01T20:14:28.693-04:00

Declaration of Revocation (Attributed to John Cleese - with thanks to the person who gave me a headsup on this)To the citizens of the United States of America, in the light of your failure to elect a competent President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective today. Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1149440808937573362006-06-04T11:59:00.000-04:002007-04-09T04:36:35.748-04:00

I'm jumping ahead a little at this point, but wanted to thank all those that I've met up here who have been so friendly, so helpful and, not least, so much fun. Allison of course, Seth and Rob, Curtis, Chris, Steve, Cody, Autumn, Nikki, Beth, Kevin, Jack, Two Suns, Rain Dog and Todd. I'm sure I've left someone out here, if so, I apologize. I'd also like to thank Maranda and Cassie at Hooters...

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1148860928986019072006-05-28T19:44:00.000-04:002007-04-23T06:09:10.099-04:00

That's probably a somewhat misleading title, but in a nutshell it's essentially how I see it - in the sense of my own action/reaction with some women. I do have a problem understanding things that seem to be obvious to others when it comes to how I interact with some women. This was bought home to me again just last night, when I was invited out and ended up in a bar/restaurant talking to a woman

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1148844216450014782006-05-28T15:16:00.000-04:002007-02-15T06:06:48.840-05:00

I would like To offer you something,But in the Zen SchoolWe have nothing at all. - Zen Master IkkyuThank you by the way to the person who wanted to know how I looked today, and the simple answer is - rough... So, as you asked for it - here's a pic of me looking distinctly dodgy. I haven't slept properly in several days, I'm unshaven and if I saw me, I'd advise not buying a used car from this guy.

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1148677550759196772006-05-26T17:05:00.000-04:002006-09-01T20:21:15.946-04:00

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1148406930177339542006-05-23T13:55:00.000-04:002006-09-01T19:58:49.093-04:00

A clinical psychiatrist questioned Suzuki Roshi about consciousness. "I don't know anything about consciousness," Suzuki said. "I just try to teach my students how to hear the birds sing."- From 'To Shine One Corner of the World', edited by David Chadwick.

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1148110122762536382006-05-20T02:59:00.000-04:002006-09-01T20:15:07.306-04:00

It's amusing sometimes but also sad that some people habitually react from a mentality of paranoia, of having to defend something, when originally there's nothing to defend. I suppose it's only with some degree of emotional maturity that we can learn to take ourselves less seriously. Certainly the people that we think take us seriously don't nearly as much as we'd like and neither should we. We

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1148089381698752752006-05-19T21:42:00.000-04:002006-08-22T01:39:47.130-04:00

I really miss the children. I keep bursting into tears when I see kids. That caught me by surprise. I thought I was 'over it'. And here I am again, crying, thinking about the kids.

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1148079469643976042006-05-19T18:50:00.000-04:002007-04-23T06:08:26.699-04:00

For more years than I care to remember, I would often have the question come up for me of how I was doing. How am I doing in life, how am I doing in practice, am I getting anywhere, how am I doing in my relationship, how do I stand with the world, and so on ad infinitum. I don't ask those questions anymore...Questions like that really have no meaning. It sounds strange to say that but it's the

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1148030698210440122006-05-19T05:24:00.000-04:002006-09-01T19:59:32.336-04:00

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1148024357667443862006-05-19T03:15:00.000-04:002006-08-14T21:15:36.430-04:00

The monkey is reaching for the moon in the waterUntil death overtakes him he'll never give up.If he'd let go the branch and disappear in the deep pool,The whole world would shine with dazzling purity. - Zen Master Hakuin

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1148019323022340912006-05-19T02:13:00.000-04:002006-09-01T19:57:52.126-04:00

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1148018325841192742006-05-19T01:57:00.000-04:002007-01-27T09:00:15.446-05:00

I know the way you can get when you have not had a drink of love.Your face hardens, your sweet muscles cramp.Children become concerned about a strange look that appears in your eyes,which even begins to worry your own mirror and nose.Squirrels and birds sense your sadnessand call an important conference in a tall tree.They decide which secret code to chantto help your mind and soul.Even angels

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1147989929249402042006-05-18T18:03:00.000-04:002006-09-01T20:16:21.863-04:00

Since someone told me last night that I, "danced dirty", I thought some might appreciate this gem, it was almost impossible to find but I did it, and this will eventually lead me onto 'mancing' at some point, but that's a whole other post, and women aren't allowed to read that one ;o) So enjoy this clip of the classic 'Dance Off' scene from "American Wedding":

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1147982424617206892006-05-18T15:59:00.000-04:002006-09-01T20:00:11.740-04:00

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1147832628716514552006-05-16T22:23:00.000-04:002006-09-01T20:16:51.840-04:00

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1147820781584157662006-05-16T19:05:00.000-04:002007-04-23T06:08:51.836-04:00

Trust is one of the trickier issues we meet in practice. When trust issues arise, the feelings are usually quite intense; they carry a lot of juice. Thoughts like, "I can't trust him anymore," "I feel betrayed," and "I feel like I was stabbed in the heart with a knife," can seem very true, very valid, very justified. Yet, what we often miss with such thoughts is the degree to which we're blaming

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1147800115667975842006-05-16T13:18:00.000-04:002006-09-01T20:17:33.083-04:00

You've no idea how hard I've looked for a gift to bring You.Nothing seemed right.What's the point of bringing gold to the gold mine, or water to the Ocean.Everything I came up with was like taking spices to the Orient.It's no good giving my heart and my soul because you already have these.So - I've brought you a mirror.Look at yourself and remember me. - Jalaluddin RumiDrink

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1147798269240789962006-05-16T12:45:00.000-04:002006-09-01T20:17:03.970-04:00

Morgana reminded me of this, which I haven't read in a long time and had nearly forgotton. It bears repeating.On Love...Then said Almitra, "Speak to us of Love."And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a stillness upon them.And with a great voice he said:When love beckons to you follow him,Though his ways are hard and steep.And when his wings enfold you yield to him,

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1147780734595816832006-05-16T07:55:00.000-04:002007-04-09T04:38:20.355-04:00

The Tale Of The Infested ToasterBy KateOnce upon a time there was a small pea-green man call Elephant Hind-Shampoo Fireguard. (I shall call him Luggage for short). Luggage lived in a little yellow brick toaster on the outskirts of a town called Washing. It was a fabulously comfortable toaster with full central heating and a rather fetching shag-pile made from moldy granary crumbs. Luggage was

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1147714130792341122006-05-15T13:26:00.000-04:002007-04-09T04:40:05.747-04:00

Brad Warner on AngerI'd always believed that anger was somehow something apart from myself, that 'I' experienced 'my' anger. But as my Zen practice deepened it began to dawn on me that this was not the case at all. It wasn't that I could eradicate those qualities about myself I'd labeled as negative, while leaving the good stuff intact, like cutting off the rotten parts of a carrot left in the

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1147585509740864932006-05-14T01:33:00.000-04:002007-04-23T06:06:46.442-04:00

This is a long story and I'm maybe not that lucid right now, so bear with me.Tonight I was taken out to Karaoke and soon after I arrived, I saw this huge guy, covered in tatoos, I mean bloody huge, standing outside the bar (where the smokers have to be), talking to one of the barmaids, who I've gotten to know a little, and she looked a little scared. I went over, stood right in his space, looked

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1147542371363865842006-05-13T13:45:00.000-04:002007-04-09T04:39:30.901-04:00

These spiritual window-shoppers, who idly ask, 'How much is that?' Oh, I'm just looking. They handle a hundred items and put them down, shadows with no capital. What is spent is love and two eyes wet with weeping. But these walk into a shop, and their whole lives pass suddenly in that moment, in that shop. Where did you go? "Nowhere." What did you have to eat? "Nothing much." Even if you don't

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1147488644172356252006-05-12T22:41:00.000-04:002007-04-09T04:39:50.403-04:00

I've been thinking recently about an old friend of mine. His name was Mark and he was funny, generous, caring and he committed suicide over twenty years ago. He came to see me on the day that he killed himself and spoke of our friendship, of how I'd done so much for him and that he was going away. I didn't pick up on what he was really saying. I didn't hear him. The next day, I found him in the

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1147427125022750582006-05-12T05:43:00.000-04:002007-04-09T04:40:51.331-04:00

Through our sitting, we experience, and get access to, such a range of our human emotion during the rest of our lives – emotions that we might otherwise not have been open to. We tap into tremendous sadness sometimes, tremendous joy, anguish, delight, confusion – so many emotions come. Still, in the way that we’re all brought up, we have a certain kind controlling idea about our emotions. These

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1147307047990147402006-05-10T20:22:00.000-04:002007-04-09T04:41:04.449-04:00

The other day -When you had that thoughtThat you'd almost forgotten my face,I heard you.For a moment,Things went very still... ------------"...Every time I'd sit down on the pillow I'd start crying - not sobbing, but tears would start pouring down and I didn't have any idea what this was. And this went on and on so finally one day I went to Suzuki-roshi and said I would like to talk to you so

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1147282505009981452006-05-10T13:32:00.000-04:002007-04-09T04:41:14.660-04:00

But soon the child's clear eye is clouded over by ideas and opinions,preconceptions and abstractions. Simple free being becomes encrusted with the burdensome armor of the ego. Not until years later does an instinct come that a vital sense of mystery has been withdrawn. The sun glints through the pines, and the heart is pierced in a moment of beauty and strange pain, like a memory of paradise...

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1147162078816634882006-05-09T04:06:00.000-04:002007-04-09T04:41:22.935-04:00

Much more, those who turn aboutAnd bear witness to self-nature,Self-nature that is no-nature,Go far beyond mere doctrine.Here effect and cause are the same,The Way is neither two nor three.With form that is no-form,Going and coming, we are never astray,With thought that is no-thought,Singing and dancing are the voice of the Truth. Boundless and free is the sky of Samádhi!Bright the full moon of

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1147144103240386092006-05-08T23:04:00.000-04:002007-04-09T04:41:44.145-04:00

When I was four,A short white thing,In Africa,With little brown sticky out legs at each corner... I remember running every evening.To be with the Elephants, the Zebra,At the Waterhole.Every Evening my Aia would drag me back."Come John, you cannot play with them.""Very dangerous. Baya"In that husky, dark Swahili voice.I knew otherwise.I knew many things then That I have since forgotten.I would

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1147128194700706762006-05-08T18:42:00.000-04:002007-04-09T04:56:47.695-04:00

A rootless tree,Yellow leaves scattering Against the blue -- Cloudless, stainless. - Sozan-Kyonin

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1147106122102540222006-05-08T12:34:00.000-04:002007-04-09T04:43:05.109-04:00

Let your love flow outward through the universe ,To its height, its depth, its broad extent,A limitless love, without hatred or enmity.Then as you stand or walk,Sit or lie down,As long as you are awake,Strive for this with a one-pointed mind;Your life will bring heaven to earth.- The Buddha, Sutta Nipata

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1147055442655088862006-05-07T22:29:00.000-04:002007-04-09T04:43:15.072-04:00

When we reflect on what we are doing in our everyday life, we are always ashamed of ourselves... Dogen-zenji said, “Shoshaku jushaku.” Shaku generally means “mistake” or “wrong.” Shoshaku jushaku means “to succeed wrong with wrong,” or one continuous mistake. According to Dogen, one continuous mistake can also be Zen.

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1146933448551564482006-05-06T18:05:00.000-04:002007-04-09T04:44:02.391-04:00

A person very close to me gave me excellent advice to take joy in small things.Night; and once again,while I wait for you, cold windturns into rain.- ShikiMy arm is warmed by the sunfeeding you ravioli.Your trembling hand, useless as an infant's.I taste the soft saucy square as you swallow.- Chica

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1146902808566871122006-05-06T03:20:00.000-04:002007-04-09T04:44:22.069-04:00

Although we say that mountains belong to the country, actually they belong to those who love them. When the mountains love their owners, the wise and virtuous inevitably enter the mountains. And when sages and wise men live in the mountains, because the mountains belong to them, trees and rocks flourish and abound, and the birds and beasts take on a supernatural excellence. This is because the

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1146727198926718722006-05-04T03:13:00.000-04:002007-04-09T04:44:38.957-04:00

To you who said that I "electrify" you....Perhaps seeing me tired, wired, sunburned and unshaven might put things in perspective. Granted I've put on a little weight since this was taken, even gained a bit of a tan and lost some of the greyness that I'd acquired, but I think I still bear the taint of having passed through shadows, as do you. Thank you for what you said, and for what was unsaid. "

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1146725666621453782006-05-04T02:49:00.000-04:002007-04-09T04:45:21.482-04:00

From the Shodoka - The Song of Awakeningby Yoka Daishi (665 -713)This is not intellectual work, -- just realize, just know.It is not difficult to see images in a mirror,But who can take hold of the moon in the water?Always working alone, always walking alone,The enlightened one walks the free way of NirvanaWith melody that is old and clear in spiritAnd naturally elegant in style,But with a body

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1146443441833313722006-04-30T20:23:00.000-04:002007-04-09T04:47:20.973-04:00

The Book of Serenity (Shoyo Roku) Case Twenty Jizo's Kindness Attention! Jizo asked Hogen, "Joza, where have you come from?" "I pilgrimage aimlessly," replied Hogen. "What is the matter of your pilgrimage?" asked Jizo."I don't know," replied Hogen."Not knowing is the most intimate," remarked Jizo. At that Hogen experienced great enlightenment. How do you continue for another daywhen your heart is

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1146378822430843512006-04-29T23:56:00.000-04:002007-04-09T04:47:29.237-04:00

Early in the morningIn the western sky,One star blinks at me.I love its green light.- Nyogen Senzaki I'm not quite sure why this poem stuck with me. I was going to talk a little about the sidewalk arts festival that they had in this town today. Thousands of chalk pictures are created, just for one day. Some reminded me of Tibetan Mandalas, and that in turn reminded me of the use of colour in

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1146241088568543092006-04-28T12:13:00.000-04:002007-04-09T04:47:38.032-04:00

Thinking back to last night again - I got a lift back to where I was staying with a guy called Jordan. What I didn't realise is that he was a Born Again Christian and had a real mission to convert me. That in itself would have been more bearable were it not for the fact that I didn't have a clue how to get to the address where I'm staying, Jordan didn't seem to have much of a clue either, and I'd

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1146204133874768822006-04-28T01:58:00.000-04:002007-04-09T04:47:45.073-04:00

Tonight, I was talking to a girl called Ashley. She was young and healthy and had this great pony tail and sparkling eyes. She was talking about a concert she'd been to. Every other word was, "Awesome". The concert was, "awesome". The atmosphere was, "awesome". My accent was, "awesome". My eyes were, "awesome". She didn't see what was in front of her."Nowadays there is no one capable of being

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1146203624738918002006-04-28T01:52:00.000-04:002006-10-20T09:17:29.780-04:00

I used to think there was someone out there who understood this. Now, I just don't know anymore.Buddha said, "I consider the positions of kings and rulers as that of dust motes. I observe treasures of gold and gems as so many bricks and pebbles. I look upon the finest silken robes as tattered rags. I see myriad worlds of the universe as small seeds of fruit, and the greatest lake in India as a

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1145821814991033162006-04-23T11:49:00.000-04:002007-04-09T04:48:09.622-04:00

Alexandra and Gerald, it's really good to see you guys here and thank you for the cogent comments. I tried getting an email address for you Gerald so I'm glad you showed up when you did. As to Manjusri's sword - that image of 'cutting through the crap' is one that I'm particularly fond of. Yet one thing that strikes me (excuse the pun), is that the sword is not wielded in anger but in compassion.

Renegadenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5142875.post-1145574801943180472006-04-20T19:12:00.000-04:002007-04-09T04:48:21.335-04:00

"Things as it is." That's what Suzuki Roshi used to say and it'll do for me.Sometimes the hardest thing is to step back and stop protecting people from the consequences of their actions, from their own Karma if you will, the results of their own foolishness, and from things as it is. I think that many of us tend to think of compassion as being 'nice', or being kind, and we can lose sight of the

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