Today's Meditation(s): Meditations, 3.4 (Hicks and Hicks) Serious stuff to work on here. Over the years, I've sometimes found my immediate flashes of passion disturbing. Because of my studies, my reflection on mistakes and regrets,, and my natural inclination, I understand  the moral and practical consequences of following such reactions. But I've worked on it and it's become easier. I've become faster at forcefully rebuking those impulses. For this, I am thankful. I know that what first touches upon my mind is not who I am. It's a base protopassion pretending to be what I want, but btinging only error and regret behind.. Is the situation what this impulse pretends it is? Am I adding to what my senses tell me? Forming a convenient narrative, telling myself a story not backed by the fact? What do I want to achieve here? Will following that initial image actually bring me closer to my goal? Or will it cause confusion and delay ? Will doing this threate...

Today's Meditation(s): Meditations , 3.3 (Hicks and Hicks) Go on, git! Git out there and git to livin', ya lily-livered varmint! Why do I let fear prevent me...  From being who I should be? From apologizing when I should? From being appropriately appreciative?  From preparing for potential bad days like losing my job more effectively? From ensuring my family's needs are met and their desires tempered? I need more courage in my virtue.

Today's Meditation: Meditations , 3.2 (Hicks and Hicks) I don't usually find it hard to see beauty in the grotesque. Looking at it as part of Nature has always been my approach. Even traditionally non-Nature categories such as man-made items are part of Nature, too . I can look at many things and see the beauty, if not Stoic providence, within them. But I can do better.

Today's Meditation: Meditations , 3.1 (Hicks and Hicks) Marcus goes all in on the premeditatio malorum of dementia and old timer's disease. It worried him enough he meditates that he must always live consistently well so that, even if he is spared death, he might also maximize his opportunities before mind rot claims him.

Today's Meditation(s): Meditations, 2 .17 (Hicks and Hicks) In the misguided hellscape that is the unexamined life, one hero stands above the rest: Sage Man! But seriously, few things deliver on their promises better than philosophy. Does it actually offer tranquility and peace for merely accepting the world as it is and proceeding as if I'd wanted this result all along?

Today's Meditation(s): Meditations, 2.16 (Hicks and Hicks) Be understanding. Be calm. Be temperate. Be true. Be purposeful. One outta five. If I'm being nice. I have work to do.

Today's Meditation(s): Meditations, 2.14 (Hicks and Hicks)  But I've lost so many moments. They slip by, unstoppable. Immutable. Not even entered into memory. Just . . . lost. So, am I deprived of something I never had, nor had claim to, in the first place? Infinite moments down the drain because I don't focus enough to remember them. None get The Special Treatment ™ without focus. So I choose most of the time of I want to make something a memory. Though mant unrequested memories also emerge on retrospection. So how many more a "captured" when I am here now?

Today's Meditation(s): Meditations , 2.13 (Hicks and Hicks) Preserve the spirit from passion. Interrupt the pattern. Allow a moment to choose an action rather than submit to a re action.  Preserve the spirit from aimlessness. Have a point to it. At the very least, lean into virtue at all times.   Love what Fate brings to me. See the good in the situation. Find the Way or opportunity.

Today's Meditation(s): Meditations , 2.11 (Hicks and Hicks) "Death is an essential benefit of Nature." Absofuckinglutely. The idea of eternal life is horrifying to me. Avoiding immortality is something I never expect to need to do, but if I did, I'd pray harder than ever before that the gods would spare me from such a punishment.

Today's Meditation(s): Meditations , 2.11 (Hicks and Hicks) Indifferents remain indifferent until they impinge on my virtue. The they should be shunned. I don't get many temptations, but when I do, I've always been able to pass them up or actively avoid them. I'm still going to keep up this practice and, hopefully get better.

Today's Meditation(s): Meditations (Hicks and Hicks),  Recognize what is important. Focus my mind. Follow reason. Do good and mean what I do. Accept the world as it is / a mor fati. Should I wish to be loved by the gods . . . . 

Today's Meditation(s): Meditations, 2.4  (Hicks and Hicks) Memento mori. How do I fit in the universe? What kind of universe is it? I'm here for a bit, but then must leave. If I don't ____ now, when will I? How often have I let opportunities slide by because I was too busy or had better things to do? Get active in my own salvation.

Today's Meditation(s): Meditations  2.2 (Hammond) It's not about being learnéd. It's not about how others perceive me or even about how I perceive myself.  It's about my soul. It's about being a good person. It's about loving fate in all its forms. It's about understanding how the world works so I can better be that good person.

Today's Meditation(s): Meditations 2.1 After his list of people and virtues in the first book, what's the first thing Marcus does in book 2? People are annoying and do wrong.  But . . . understand them, forgive and correct them, connect with them, live and work in harmony with them. It starts out so negative and condemning of people we deal with all the time, normal people, everyday people. Then it pivots to all the reasons to be patient with them and let it slide. ("I gotta admit, they had us in the first half.....") Good thoughts to keep in mind when I meet them in my own life.

Today's Meditation(s): Chuang Tzu's Empty Boat He who rules men lives in confusion; He who is ruled by men lives in sorrow. Tao therefore desired Neither to influence others Nor to be influenced by them. The way to get clear of confusion And free of sorrow Is to live with Tao In the land of the great Void. If a man is crossing a river And an empty boat collides with his own skiff, Even though he be a bad-tempered man He will not become very angry. But if he sees a man in the boat, He will shout at him to steer clear. If the shout is not heard, he will shout again, And yet again, and begin cursing. And all because there is somebody in the boat. Yet if the boat were empty. He would not be shouting, and not angry. If you can empty your own boat Crossing the river of the world, No one will oppose you, No one will seek to harm you. A classic teaching for a reason. Let my boat be empty. Let me understand the other boats are empty and react accordingly.  Resist the first impulse. Do n...

Year 6 begins today. Today's Meditation(s): Mediations 2.1 (Waterfield) Do not rush to judge. People share the same sins, the same foibles and nature. I must seek to understand when I might take offense: it's what I ask of others when I err. I must offer understanding and kindness just the same. I can only do what I can do, so I do what I can when I can. That's what's up to me. We are humans together. One, even, when I can see it.

Today's Meditation(s): The end of year 5. Half a decade of these readings and thoughts. I've made progress. I've had failures. I've let things slide. As seen in the plerhora of asterisks in recent months. I'm still me. Wherever I go, there I am. I'm enjoying the last few months sojourn beyond Stoicism. Thich Nhat Hanh writes with clarity and power. He speaks to me and to my limited understanding of Buddhism. He makes me want to learn more. So that will be my next reading. Maybe the Diamond Sutra. . . . right after I spend a little time with some old friends.

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh  (ed. by Melvin McLeod), The Five Mindfulness Trainings, Reverence for Life I will cultivate openness, non-discrimination, and non-attachment. I will make time to do my reading. I will make time to meditate. I will make time for my family. I will find more ways to help others.

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh  (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Peace Work Cultivate joy. It is briefer than suffering. It is more brittle. It fades more quickly and more easily. So find it and encourage it.

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh  (ed. by Melvin McLeod),  Peace Work Both are true. Accept both are true. Still work to change it. Understand the world, beauty and bombs, is worth the effort. 

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh  (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Peace Work Here now in essencenessesses. I can be here for now without waiting for Nirvana to stumble upon me.

Today's Meditation(s): I know, I know when I'm hollow, hollow You take it all away and fill the empty spaces Don't know, don't know about tomorrow, 'morrow But I know that today I feel a little bit lighter When the world's heavy as stone And the colors shine a bit brighter When I'm with you Wherever we go, the cold ain't so cold As long as you're close, I thought you should know I feel a little bit lighter When I'm with you* Things are better with you. The world would be a heavy place without you. Thank you for being here to make me feel lighter. ===== * source

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh  (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Peace Work If life is suffering and any joy is temporary, then I must accept what joy I may find and let it find a place within me. If we all going to die, I must live this life while I can. I can choose. I can try. I can . . . allow it? I don't know sometimes.

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh  (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Art Sublime art. For me, it's usually music that can transport me to that. . .  mighty? ineffable? transcendent? here, now, oneness of. . . place.  Ive touched that sphere a time or two. Taking me away to that special place. I see, when I do.

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh  (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Art Aim at a beautiful and helpful life. Do this through art. Do this through word. Do this through action. Help others and know that this, at least, was worth it.