Andrew Furst's Blog, page 11
November 30, 2018
Dharmakāra’s Enlightenment Trick? – Modern Koans
Ask Dharmakāra: Is the fact that a person can spend their entire life practicing meditation without enlightenment proof that most people can never achieve what the Buddha or gurus talked about?
Response:
What is enlightenment? It’s either something that we have or do not have, right?
If we don’t have it, how do we get it?
If we do have it, what then?
I want to tell you a story about how enlightenment in Buddhism is hidden (and taught) in plain sight. It’s a little sneaky. Buddhists aren’t trying to be sneaky, but they will resort to anything for the benefit of sentient beings.
The Story
My story comes from the Pure Land tradition of Buddhism. The Pure Land or Sukhavati school is centered on a Buddha named Amitabha. There are 2 main Sutras on Amitabha and his western pure land. This story derives from the Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life.
It starts with Dharmakāra – a Bodhisattva of an absurdly distant past. Dharmakāra laid out a path to enlightenment for himself, in the form of 48 vows. The vows would have to be met before he would achieve enlightenment, .
Three of the vows are known as the vows of deliverance. My story is tied to them. I’ll paraphrase them:
Vow 18: I will not attain enlightenment, if all beings who aspire to it, are not reborn in my pure land and achieve enlightenment
Vow 19: I will not attain enlightenment, if all beings who aspire to it are not brought, by me, to the pure land.
Vow 20: I will not attain enlightenment, if any being who is in the pure land does not achieve enlightenment.
Surprise Endings
My story starts a little unexpectedly. It provides a unfamiliar narrative on how we achieve enlightenment. According to this Sutra, we have very little to do in the matter. It all hinges on Dharmakāra success. If he succeeds, he becomes enlightened. If he succeeds, then all we need to do is aspire to become enlightened and poof all the work has been done for us.
What?
Well, if you buy this story, I have good news for all of us. That’s how it ends. Dharmakāra succeeds and becomes the Buddha Amitabha. Clever. Do you see the trick here?
I’m going to boil this down as simply as possible. I want to set aside much of the hyperbole and magic that’s mixed in and get to the point.
How to Become Enlightened:
Step 1: aspire to become enlightened
Step 2: by no additional work of your own, you are enlightened.
Here’s what I think this story is telling us. Our ideas of enlightenment and the work required to achieve it are mostly mistaken or irrelevant. Our enlightenment is already secured, it is up to us to set aside our personal efforts to achieve it and accept that it has been granted to us. We only need to receive it, welcome it, know that it has been there all along.
To put it the most simply: Enlightenment is not achieved, it is discovered. And it can only be discovered by getting out of our own way.
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I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Modern Koans is an ongoing series that recognizes that good questions are often more important than their answers.
The riddles of God are more satisfying than the solutions of man. ― G.K. Chesterton
Dialectic Two Step, Modern Koans, Verse Us, Say What?, and Minute Meditations all copyright Andrew Furst
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Join me for a little peace through reflection, art, video, sound, and poetry
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November 21, 2018
Good Harbor Fog – A One Minute Meditation
Through what window
would we glance our futures?
The mist above the surf
reminds us that while our eyes
often see far,
the distance to the future is guarded;
invisible.
Even when the fog lifts
these delicate windows
are all we have.
Good Harbor Beach, Gloucester, MA
The post Good Harbor Fog – A One Minute Meditation appeared first on Andrew Furst.
November 18, 2018
Thoughts on Impermanence – Collections
Here is a collection of posts with my thoughts on impermanence.
Does Matter Exist? – Modern Koans
Modern Koans, Writings
Why is Happiness Hard to Define? – Dialectic Two Step
Dialectic Two-Step, Writings
Old Timey – Tiny Drops
Art, Buddha, iPhoneography, Tiny Drops (Photography)
Five Things About Meditation – Dialectic Two Step
Meditations
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The Heart of Impermanence – Tiny Drops
Art, Buddha, iPhoneography, Tiny Drops (Photography)
What is the Middle Way? – Dialectic Two Step
Dialectic Two-Step, Writings
How Is Nirvana Better Than Suicide? – Dialectic Two Step
Dialectic Two-Step, Writings
Can We Be Free Of Suffering? – Dialectic Two Step
Dialectic Two-Step, Writings
The post Thoughts on Impermanence – Collections written by Andrew Furst appeared on Andrew Furst.
November 9, 2018
Memories of Past Lives? – Dialectic Two-Step
Where are the memories of past lives stored between death and rebirth?
Response:
I’ll start with an easier question. Where are memories stored in this life? The best answer humans have now is the brain. This belief is backed up by well documented, peer reviewed, and reproducible experiments.
Where are they stored after death? I don’t know, and I don’t think the question is a productive one.
I venture to say that no one has conducted well documented, peer reviewed, and reproducible experiments that would indicate that:
Memories are transferred out of the brain to some other receptacle between death and birth.
Memories are received, stored, and available for recall without external stimuli in another brain in the future.
Past Lives – A Thing of the Past
The concept evoked by your question shares a common theme with the afterlife, the resurrection, and astral projection. They are beliefs that cannot be verified.
From a Buddhist perspective, I would encourage you to abandon questions like these. They are a goose chase that will contribute nothing to your liberation.
Further they fail the triple seal test for authenticity which asks whether the concept speaks to impermanence, not-self, and nirvana.
Ask Yourself Three Questions
Belief in the transfer of memories from one brain to another seems to contradict the teaching of impermanence and not-self. My experience tells me that I carry no memories from a past life. The personal memories of my dead love ones are gone with them. This is consistent with impermanence.
The idea of the persistence of personal memories also contradicts anatman or not-self. To paraphrase the Buddha – It’s not about you.
Why Suffer?
Simple thought experiments also invoke an absurdity to the idea. Here are a few.
If memories are passed from one generation to the next, what happens when there are fewer numbers in the next generation? Are memories lost? What happens if there are larger numbers in the next generation? Are some people born without memories?
If memories are passed from one generation to the next, presumably I would be born with the collective memories of hundreds of thousands of my karmic ancestors. I don’t remember any of it. If this were true, how is it we construct so many false narratives of the past?
This question is a trap, it’s a hydra that only leads to more pointless questions. In other words, it is a source of suffering. I suggest you free yourself from it.
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Dialectic Two-Step is an ongoing series of my thoughts on questions that come my way.
Wisdom lies neither in fixity nor in change, but in the dialectic between the two. - Octavio
Dialectic Two Step, Modern Koans, Verse Us, Say What?, and Minute Meditations all copyright Andrew Furst
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November 6, 2018
The Best Articles of October 2018 from Andrew Furst
Here’s a selected list of what people were reading here on andrewfurst.net in September 2018:
Helen Hunt Falls – A Two Minute Meditation
What if God exists outside of scientific detection? – Modern Koans
Henry Rollins on October and November – Quotes
Learning Buddhism Systematically? – Modern Koans
Religious Tolerance? – Dialectic Two-Step
Black & White – Collections
Thoughts on Happiness – Collections
Militant Progressives? – Dialectic Two Step
The Oxherd Series – Riding the Ox Home – Modern Koans
Ballade Of Worldly Wealth – Andrew Lang – Compass Songs
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The post The Best Articles of October 2018 from Andrew Furst written by Andrew Furst appeared on Andrew Furst.
November 3, 2018
What’s the Big Deal With the Buddha? – Modern Koans
How do we know that the Buddha was the enlightened one? Did someone give him a certificate? What’s the big deal with the Buddha?
Response:
Enlightenment, such a nasty word, misunderstood, and maligned. If there was an aversion to have, this word might be the perfect candidate.
I’ll latch onto something I was reading recently (Spiritual Materialism by Chogyam Trungpa). He said it nicely. I’ll have to paraphrase. Enlightenment is not something we get or achieve, it’s something we uncover or discover.
So really, we come with the certificate and its ours to find.
You then went and said “enlightened one”! Phew, who’d have thought adding one little word could make a bad thing so much worse.
If we all come with the certificate, why is\was Buddha the “one”. What’s the big deal about Siddhartha Gautama? Maybe its just a grammar thing. He’s not the only one, he’s not more enlightened than anyone else. If you would ascribe anything special to the Buddha, it would be that he did a decent job articulating the fundamentals of liberation and that his followers did a good job keeping his message alive.
For every Siddhartha Gautama, there are countless other Buddhas, past present, and future, surrounding us in this very moment. For this I am deeply grateful.
If you enjoyed this post, please like and share.
I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Modern Koans is an ongoing series that recognizes that good questions are often more important than their answers.
The riddles of God are more satisfying than the solutions of man. ― G.K. Chesterton
Dialectic Two Step, Modern Koans, Verse Us, Say What?, and Minute Meditations all copyright Andrew Furst
Subscribe to My NewsletterJoin me for a little peace through reflection, art, video, sound, and poetry
The post What’s the Big Deal With the Buddha? – Modern Koans written by Andrew Furst appeared on Andrew Furst.
October 30, 2018
On Being Right – Dialectic Two Step
A stranger who is an evangelical Christian has been sending a series of emails to me. According to his address, his name is Jeff. Jeff has offered some lengthy expositions touting evidence that Christianity is “right”. The latest edition offers an earnest four part treatment on the trustworthiness of the New Testament, the historicity of Jesus, and the virtue of miracle-claims and predictive prophecies. He or someone that he has quoted put a lot of effort into this essay.
I usually ignore emails like this. In fact my response to the first one was to request that he remove me from his list. Alas, it had no effect, they kept coming. I chose to respond to this latest message. In my response I’ve made an effort to be kind and respectful but I’m also careful to be clear that his efforts are lost on me.
His email can be found at the bottom of this post.
This is my response:
For what purpose do you send me these emails?
Why does a perspective require a defense?
What does the authenticity of a text inform us about loving our neighbors?
If Christianity or Buddhism or Atheism were false, would that change the fact that we benefit from mutual respect?
These academic exercises invite criticism and fact checking; mental accounting that is unrelated to the purpose of religion. They also invite suspicion from those of us who distrust the religious instinct to indoctrinate.
If you seek the satisfaction of being right, I wish you luck.
If you seek to change someone’s mind, I recommend convincing them to turn from violence to peace; from malice to empathy, from ignorance to wisdom. What do we gain from establishing religious authority but oppression?
A Meditation
I consider this a meditation. When I first started reading Jeff’s email (below), I went into critic mode. I was tearing through the text, finding ironies and falsehoods, circular reasoning and other fallacies. But the shear volume of it seemed daunting. Would I spend two hours methodically shredding Jeff’s email, working my self into a frenzy? Or could I avoid that mess and even turn it into something good?
Something clicked. What would a cold and logically precise demolition of an evangelists beliefs accomplish? I’d loose a few hours. We might go back and forth on email pointing out each others errors. One of us could resort to ad hominem attacks and spiral further and further from civil discourse. All of this in the hopes of somehow being right! All of this completely removed from the goal of religion – union with the divine.
The mystery of the divine escapes words, descriptions, or labels. Arguing about the words, descriptions, and labels is about as productive as pushing the wind. It leads to agitation, anger, and alienates us from the experience of the divine.
I was lucky this time around (I think). I didn’t stray from my beliefs, I delivered my message respectfully, and I didn’t get riled up. I also don’t think I insulted Jeff. I call that a win! Call me after my 2 hours of reclaimed peace are done!
Jeff’s email
Positive Defense of the Christian Perspective
Email from allen.jeff1200@aol.com
A. The Trustworthiness of the New Testament
The New Testament has better manuscript evidence than any other ancient book.
There are over 5,000 New Testament manuscripts and portions of manuscripts. By comparison, the majority of classical works have less than 20 manuscripts.
The dates of the New Testament manuscripts are close to the original writings. One Gospel fragment (Ryland’s) dates about 25 years after the Gospel of John and most of the New Testament (Chester Beatty and Bodmer Papyri) from 50-150 years after the originals. Most classical works date from 700 – 1400 years after the originals.
None of the canonical New Testament is lost or missing. By comparison, 107 of Livy’s 142 books of history have been lost and about one half of Tacitus’ 30 books of Annals and Histories is missing.
Good arguments can be given that each of the Gospels was either written by an eyewitness, or significantly influenced by firsthand testimony, as recognized by many contemporary scholars.
Even without proving eyewitness authorship, the Gospels measure up well by normal historical standards used in ancient historiography.
The Gospel are trustworthy sources, as explained by A.M. Hunter
These Christian authors, like their Jewish counterparts, were careful to preserve traditional material.
The Gospels are close to eyewitness sources.
The Gospel authors were honest reporters.
The picture of Jesus presented in the four Gospels is virtually the same (see Archibald M. Hunter, Bible and Gospel, 32-37).
The Gospels and Acts exhibit a specific interest in reporting historical facts, not mythology. This is especially the case when the life of Jesus is reported.
Contemporary historians frequently opposed the application of radical criticism to New Testament studies. According to A.N. Sherwin-White and Michael Grant, such attacks fail at a number of crucial points (see A.N. Sherman-White, Roman Society, 186-193; Grant, Jesus: An Historian Review, pp. 179-184, 199-201).
Numerous ancient works exhibit intentions and methodologies similar to that of the New Testament authors, and yet these ancient works are well accredited as historical works.
There are no ancient writings in the category that radical critics place the Gospels.
New Testament books such as Acts have been largely confirmed by external test of historicity.
The Gospel and Acts were recognized as inspired books almost immediately after being written (see J.B. Lightfoot,The Apostolic Fathers).
1 Timothy 5:18 quotes Luke 10:7 and refers to it as “Scripture.”
Clement of Rome (about AD 95) speaks of the “Gospel” and quotes portions found in all three synoptic Gospels, referring to them as the words of Jesus (Corinthians 13,46).
Ignatius (Smyrnaeans 3) and Polycarp (Philippians 2, 7), both writing about AD 115, refer to verses in the synoptic Gospels as the words of Christ.
Paul’s epistles were also recognized as inspired Scripture almost immediately after being written.
2 Peter 3:15-16 calls Paul’s epistles “Scripture.”
Clement of Roman (Corinthians 47), Ignatius (Ephesians 10; to Polycarp 5), and Polycarp (Philippians 1,3-4, 6) all refer to Paul’s writings as inspired
B. The Historicity of Jesus
The trustworthy Gospels (A above) exhibit much interest in the historical Jesus and give accurate accounts of his life, death, and resurrection.
Numerous pre- and extra biblical sources record much ancient testimony concerning Jesus within 125 years after his death.
Early Christian creeds that pre-date the New Testament, as well as the historical facts that virtually all critical scholars admit, provide an extremely strong case for the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Archaeology contributes a few finds that illuminate and provide background for Jesus’ career, such as the crucifixion victims investigated by archaeologist Vasilius Tzaferis, “Jewish Tombs At and Near Giv’at ha-Mivtar,” Israel Exploration Journal 20 (1970), pp. 38-59.
Also the Shroud of Turin (Historically proclaimed to be the actual burial garment of Jesus). See Ian Wilson, The Shroud of Turin (New York: Doubleday, 1978, also see John Heller, Report on the Shroud of Turin (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1983), especially chapters 12-14.
Secular historians (e.g. Cornelius Tacitus, Gaius Suetonius Tranquillas), government officials (e.g. Piny the Younger, Emperor Trajan), religious works (e.g. The Talmud, Toledoth Jesu, and other sources report many details about Jesus from non-Christian viewpoints.
Ancient Christian sources preserve a number of historical statements about Jesus (e.g. Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Justin Martyr).
To reject Jesus’ miracles a priori is to ignore correct inductive procedure where all the facts are investigated before a decision is made.
To reject Jesus’ doctrinal teachings a priori as valid for today is to pick and choose portions of the Gospels. Further, If Jesus was raised from the dead, there is, at a minimum, some implied significance for Jesus’ teachings, as well.
Without a significant historical basis in the life of Jesus, Christianity would have had no impetus for its origins.
Jesus died on the cross, as indicated by several facts.
The nature of crucifixion, including the discovery of Yohanan’s skeleton, reveals both the nature and assurance of death by this method.
The explanation of Jesus’ heart wound indicates that it would have killed him even if he had been alive.
The death of Jesus is the most recorded event in ancient, non-Christian history.
The trustworthy Gospels give accurate accounts of Jesus’ death.
After his death, Jesus was raised bodily and appeared to his followers.
Naturalistic hypothesis that have sought to explain in normal terms the supernatural element of Jesus’ resurrection have failed to do so, chiefly because they are refuted by the known historical data. Several other reasons also indicate this failure.
There are numerous positive evidences for the resurrection that indicate that Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to many of those who followed him.
A case for the resurrection can be built by using only those minimal facts that are clearly established by the historical method. On a smaller scale, these facts can refute the alternative hypotheses and provide the best evidences for the resurrection.
The Shroud of Turin may supply some additional scientific evidence of Jesus’ resurrection.
Jesus’ message was not changed by Paul or by other followers.
In both the synoptics, as well as in John, Jesus claimed to be deity. Often this was done by his words, such as his claims to be Son of God and Son of Man (c.f. Mark 2:10-11; 10:45; 13:32; 14:36). At other times he showed his deity by his actions, such as forgiven sin, fulfilling Old Testament messianic prophecy and by claiming authority much greater than that of the Jewish leaders (see Mark 2:1-12; Matthew 5;20-48; cf. Isaiah 9:6-7).
Numerous pre-Pauline creeds such as Philippians 2:6-11, Romans 1:3-4, 1 Corinthians 11:23, and many from the book of Acts designate Jesus by the loftiest titles, thereby indicating the early teaching of his deity. These show further that this doctrine definitely did not originate with Paul.
Neither Jesus nor Paul taught that Christianity was a new religion. Both held that Christianity was a fulfillment of Judaism (see Matt. 5:18; Luke 16:16-17; Romans 10:4:9-11; Colossians 2:16-17).
Jesus’ central teaching of the Kingdom of God and its entrance requirements of faith in his person and teachings in found in all four Gospels (c.f. Mark 1:14-15; Matthew 18:3-6; Luke 18:28-30; John 1:10-13) and in Paul’s epistles (c.f. Romans 6:23; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
Paul was known as the apostle to the Gentiles (see Acts 9:15;16; 22:21; Romans 11:13-14). Not only did Jesus command his disciples to take the gospel to the Gentiles (see Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 24:47; John 10:16; Acts 1:8), but this was actually a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, not a new doctrine (see Genesis 12:3; Isaiah 19:18-25 for two examples).
Since Jesus literally rose from the dead, any verification of the truthfulness of his teachings would even extend to Paul’s message and writings, since they are in agreement with the Gospels at these points.
Jesus was not an international traveler during his “silent years” or after his death.
There is no viable historical evidence for such international ventures.
The swoon theory fails and is rejected by critical scholars.
These endeavors almost always involved a long trail of illogic and incredibly mysterious connections.
C. Miracle-claims
Although many would place miracle-claims completely in the realm of faith, such is to ignore their possibly objective theistic and historical nature.
If it is taught that miraculous events have occurred in history, as in the case with New Testament miracle-claims, then at least the objective, historical side of such a claim can be investigated. In other words, if it actually happened, at least the portion of the event that touched the space-time world can potentially be examined.
In the New Testament, the resurrection of Jesus is not only the central tenet Christianity, but it is asserted that if Jesus did not rise from the dead, then faith in actually in vain (1 Corinthians 15:1-20). Paul even supports his point that Jesus was raised by citing eyewitnesses, historical testimony to this fact (vv. 5-8). Under these circumstances, one could hardly claim that objective, factual interests in the resurrection are foreign to the New Testament.
This objection also commits errors that are associated with the “leap of faith.” If carried to its logical conclusion, it provides no objective basis for faith, including any reasons why faith should be exercised at all. As such, it is difficult to distinguish between belief and credulity.
Alternative theories that have been proposed to account for Jesus’ resurrection on naturalistic grounds have failed to account for the known historical facts.
There are many strong historical reasons to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead.
The disciples’ experiences
The transformation of the disciples into bold witnesses
The empty tomb
The resurrection of Jesus was the very center of the apostolic message.
The Jewish leaders could not disprove their message.
The very existence and growth of the church.
In this resurrected physical body Jesus appeared to more than five hundred of his disciples on twelve different occasions over a forty-day period and conversed with them (see Luke 24:13-49, 1 Corinthians 15:5-7, Acts 1:4-8, Matthew 28:1-10, John 20:24-31).
This was the greatest of all miracles since the creation itself, and could have been accomplished only if Jesus indeed is God, as He had claimed to be.
D Predictive Prophecies
Consider the following predictions made centuries in advanced that Jesus would be:
born of a woman (Genesis 3:15; cf. Galatians 4:4);
born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; cf. Matthew 1:21);
“cut off” (die) 483 years after the declaration to reconstruct the city of Jerusalem in 444 C. (Daniel 9:24);
of the seed of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3 and 22:18; cf. Mathew 1:1);
of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10, cf. Luke 3:23);
of the house of David (2 Samuel 7:12; cf. Matthew 1:1);
born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; cf. Matthew 2:1);
anointed by the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2; cf. Mattthew 3:16-17);
that Jesus would performed miracles (Isaiah 35:5-6; cf. Matthew 9:35);
would cleanse the temple (Malachi 3:1; cf. Matthew 21:12);
would be rejected by Jews (Psalms 118:22; cf. 1 Peter 2:7);
die a humiliating death (Psalms 22; cf. Matthew 9:35);
that he would rise from the dead (Psalm 2:7 and 16:10; cf. Acts 2:31)
ascended into heaven (Psalm 68:8; cf. Acts 1:9);
and sit at the right hand of God (Psalm 110:1; cf. Hebrew 1:3).
It is important to understand that these prophecies were written hundreds of years before Christ was born. No one could have been reading the trends of the times or just making intelligent guesses, like the “prophecies” we see in the checkout line at the supermarket.
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October 27, 2018
Learning Buddhism Systematically? – Modern Koans
I have great interests in Buddhism, and I read a few books by my own which are too hard to understand. Do you have any tips on learning Buddhism systematically?
Response:
I applaud your efforts and encourage you find a meditation group or a Buddhist temple. Working with others with similar goals is wonderful.
I will caution you on your approach. If there is a goal in Buddhism, it would be to reduce the suffering that greed, delusion, and hatred bring to bear on our lives. Rather than adopting a motivation of learning systematically, might I suggest a different one. In a word it’s called Bodhicitta.
Bodhicitta, means literally the awakened mind. But it has more meaning within Buddhism. It implies the ability to see and feel clearly the suffering we bring upon ourselves and others through greed, hatred, and delusion.
An examined life is the path towards this clarity. It is also the path away from suffering. It will transform your interest into a matter if great urgency. In this way you will find the energy necessary for the task.
Learning helps; Sutras help; books help; understanding helps. But these activities are like digging a hole and filling it back up again. What you are looking for lies within you already. A good teacher will help you by pointing this out. Bodhicitta will allow you to see what the teacher is pointing at.
If you enjoyed this post, please like and share.
I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Modern Koans is an ongoing series that recognizes that good questions are often more important than their answers.
The riddles of God are more satisfying than the solutions of man. ― G.K. Chesterton
Dialectic Two Step, Modern Koans, Verse Us, Say What?, and Minute Meditations all copyright Andrew Furst
Subscribe to My NewsletterJoin me for a little peace through reflection, art, video, sound, and poetry
The post Learning Buddhism Systematically? – Modern Koans written by Andrew Furst appeared on Andrew Furst.
October 25, 2018
Kidder Brook Falls – A Two Minute Meditation
Kidder Brook Falls is in Warwick, MA not far from Royalston. I had sketchy directions, so getting here was a challenge, but the area is beautiful. If you visit, compare sources for directions and maybe connect to someone local who can help. There is not a clear path to the falls, but they are close to the convergence of two well marked fire road/trails.
Helen Hunt Falls, Colorado Springs, CO
The Waterfall Series – A significant part of the minute meditation series are these waterfall videos I’ve been taking for many years now. Most of the falls are in my native New England.
If you’re a waterfall chaser here, I highly recommend the New England Waterfalls Guidebook. It’s the best way to locate, select, and get to the falls.
Click here to see a map of the waterfalls I’ve visited as part of the minute meditation series.
If you enjoyed this post, please like and share.
Minute Meditations is an ongoing series of short videos, poems, and commentary intended as a meditation. Offered as an opportunity to step back from your cyber routine and settle into a more natural rhythm, if only for a minute.
Dialectic Two Step, Modern Koans, Verse Us, Say What?, and Minute Meditations all copyright Andrew Furst
Subscribe to My NewsletterJoin me for a little peace through reflection, art, video, sound, and poetry
These videos are produced for those of us who spend an inordinately large amount of time in the cyber-world. They are not a substitute for unplugging from your devices and taking a stroll near trees, water, or a patch of unkempt grass. Getting out into the world – touching, smelling, hearing, and seeing nature is the best way to reconnect with our prime purpose.
What is our prime purpose? We are feeling and sensing machines. We are the universe looking back on itself. We are witness to the wonders and dangers of living in this corner of the cosmos. We are the seekers looking for connection a little further beyond yesterday’s borders and boundaries.
But sitting and staring at the screen robs us of the sustenance that we rely upon for wonder and sanity. These videos are an opportunity to bring the sensations of nature to you, while you’re in the cyber-world. Its an opportunity to relax your gaze, resettle your posture, and regain some depth in your breath. Listen and watch the video and allow your self to open up and recharge.
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October 22, 2018
Hello world!
Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!
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