Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Nothing to Attain Be myself, but not only myself: be the best me that I can be. Be kind. Be loving. Be courageous, just, temperate, wise. Be here, now, present. Be loyal, honourable, and trustworthy. Be honest and calm, friendly and silent. Be curious.. Be straightforward, simple, adaptable. Be responsible. Be prudent. Be necessarily, deliberately, forgiving. Be joyful.

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Deep Seeing Permanence is not necessary for love and understanding. So long as it is, I can approach with loving-kindness. So  long as it is, I can appreciate it for its internal, ephemeral worth. And if it's an instant of here now that cannot be remembered? See it deeply and rejoice that I was here to do so.

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Deep Seeing "...and told Ananda so." It has such a wonderful rhythm to it. I had to look up Ananda again. I'd forgotten. And I'm falling asleep. I apologize to me for shirking my meditations tonight.

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Deep Seeing It is because people cannot see the impermanent and selfless nature of things that they suffer. They take what is impermanent as permanent and that what is selfless as having a self. Damned if that doesn't hit too close to home. Taking the Impermanent as permanent. Hmmph. Had I known, if I truly understood, perhaps my pain would be less. [REDACTED]

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Impermanence I love my family, even though they will be here according to their mortal schedule, regardless of my desires. So all I can do is read the story, pick up the sock, and prepare the food . . . before enlightenment, after enlightenment. They are my focus in this life. More than anything else, they have my here, now, because I know our time is not assured. I have to appreciate it as it happens or it is lost to me.

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Impermanence Depends on the definition of self, I suppose. If self is simply and only utter sameness as the instant before, than he is right. If self means a group of characteristics that makes person X unique, then I don't think he is. But I can still appreciate his point about impermanence and nonself. I can see the connection and hope to learn about it through some further thought.

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Impermanence In Book Club tonight, we covered Ch. 11 of Derren Brown's book, Hapoy . Entitled Debra, it had us talking about death and Impermanence. But it's hard to make it personal, to look deeper into the everlasting truth of Impermanence, which is exactly what I mus do to have any success at incorporating this teaching into my life.

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Impermanence ** *** *** ***********. It helps my to appreciate what is still here. Immortality would be a great curse.

Today's Meditation: The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. by Melvin McLeod), The Buddha This morning reminds me of an old, Vaudeville-style joke: "So I'm sitting in the doctor's office, minding my own business when all of a sudden...." Though I'm not sure why: all is calm at the moment. (Maybe I'm still in the build-up.) I wait for my doctor, accepting the sawdust of missed appointment times, cutting short any narrative in my head that sniffs of people in this office deliberately annoying me. I think of times when I've been the one off schedule, perhaps through no fault of my own, and feeling terrible for it, hoping I can make up for whatever burden I may have placed upon others. Isn't it only fair to assume the same of my doctor and the staff? If I dismiss the feeling that I am harmed, I stop the harm. I transform my suffering. Part of my Buddha-nature showing through.

Today's Meditation: The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. by Melvin McLeod), The Buddha Pain is a part of me. Suffering is not a cancer to be excised, but an injured limb to be made whole. Buddha suffered. He transformed it. He transcended it. He taught us how to suffer properly, moving it to joy, compassion, and healing. I was feeling my special pain earlier tonight, just a little while ago. Riding with my son, missing what might have been with my son now gone, and feeling joyful that I could spend this time with my son here, now. It reminds me that tomorrow they may be gone. I need love them now, no matter how much time I think I have.

Today's Meditation: The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. By Melvin McLeod), Interbeing  Everything is connected. If I look correctly, everything is connected. If the mundane connects, paper to star to mind, then the elevated also connects. The connections themselves are the sublime, regardless of substrate. 

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. by Melvin McLeod), A Day of Mindfulness  Whatever I do, do it with mindfulness. Whatever I do, do it with mindfulness. Anywhere. Anytime. Anything. Everything. Do it with mindfulness.

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. by Melvin McLeod), A Day of Mindfulness  It's not a race. I don't know how many times my dad said that to me as a child. It's not a race. But I missed the deeper meaning he was trying to tell me. The work itself has worth. Doing the thing well is the reward. Satisfaction comes from my attitude, not the job, finished or not. It's not a race.

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. by Melvin McLeod), A Day of Mindfulness  So pick a day, he says. Just one day a week. Simple. But it is too much. One hour? Ten minutes? A few seconds? 'If I find just one upright man in Sodom, will you spare it?' So now I'm bargaining with enlightenment . . . . Who will win? The fact that 'win' came immediately to mind shows a deeper lack of understanding. My impulses still pulse toward incorrect ideas. More work to be done.