Andrew Furst's Blog, page 31

Slowing Down – Failing And Starting Again

This is part of a series of articles I’m writing on slowing down. In pursuit of this goal, I’ve set upon some tasks that will help me meet them. This installation is kind of a report card on how I’m doing. On many levels I’ve succeeded.  I’ve removed 5 of the 8 obstacles to meeting my goals, but I learned something very important; I’m still failing!

My Goals

Spend more time with my family
Continue to Meditate
Write more and better
Be healthier
Do Waterfall chasing and photography
Make room for all of this by reducing time spent doing other things

So Far

Here’s how I’ve been doing on my tasks to make more time for my goals

Strategy
Task

Succeeding

Failing 

How will I try to Succeed?


Cut Out Things That Compete for My Time
Disconnect from Ello including passing on my Ellozen curator position

X

 I Succeeded!


Stop posting and being involved on Medium

X

I Succeeded!


Budget some evenings for non-computer time

X

Turn it Off! 


Streamline Things I Need to Do, But Aren’t My Goals
Get someone to help manage meditation group logistics

X

Keep asking for help


Change blog post frequency to once every 3 days

X

I Succeeded!


Change email newsletters to monthly

X

I Succeeded!


Reduce time spent on Social Media

X

Turn it Off!  


Consolidate FreshPath Consulting (my company) administrative work to one day

X

I Succeeded!



 Failing?

So with 5 out of 8 successes under my belt, why am I claiming failure? Maybe its the nature of the two tasks that I’ve not made headway. But what I’ve found is that all the time I saved cutting out some of my online activities, has just been absorbed by others.

In many ways, I’ve felt justified spending more time online.  With the inauguration of the current White House administration, I’ve felt a strong need to stay better informed and to direct my attention to more balanced sources of news and information.  So I’ve purchased subscriptions to the Wall Street Journal (slightly right leaning) and New York Times (slightly more left leaning) and spent more time reading news.

I’ve also had an uptick on the work front.  I’m in crunch time at my newest customer, and renewed requests for my time at an old customer has led to more hours devoted to working (Over 60 hours last week as of this writing).

But, there is still a lot of idle distracted time spent trawling the internet. Facebook and Twitter still lay claim to many hours a week.

So what have I learned?

Clearing the path is not the same as walking it. While I’ve made more time to meet my goals, I have not always chosen to spend more time with my family or exercise. I’ve chosen to fill up the time with distraction. Am I failing? Yes. But am I done for? No.

I just need to add one more clarifying task to my list:

Choose to do the things I’ve set out to do.

So, let’s see what happens next!

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A short series on slowing down.  I'll be sharing some of the things I've been doing to pare my life down so I can focus on the things that I think are impoirtant.

Slowing Down - Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing.  - Benjamin Franklin

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Landscapes – Tiny Drops (Photography)

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All Tiny Drop photos Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

Landscapes

 

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Why So Complicated? – Buddhism and Self

A collection of posts capturing my thoughts and the thoughts of others on the often confusing topic of self in the world of Buddhism.

Are the Laws of Physics Empty of Inherent Existence? – Modern Koans


Modern Koans, Writings




























No Mind – Modern Koans


Modern Koans, Writings




























Who Are You? – Dialectic Two Step


Dialectic Two-Step, Writings




























Modern Koans – The Self Doesn’t Exist?


Modern Koans, Writings




























Relics – Is Your Salvation 401k Well Funded?


Amitofo, Buddha, Relics




























Got Satisfaction?


Buddha

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All Together Now – Post Card Art Project II

Here’s a view of all the post cards for the Post Card Art Project II together – so far. There are more cards available if you want to join in.

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The Post Card Art Series

This is one of a series of Post Card Art Projects. These are collaborative arts project done on postcards with people all over the world. 

Using an image divided into sections, I created postcards for each section.  I printed, pre-stamp, and mailed them out to patreon supporters, friends, and blog readers who expressed an interest. The artists add their art, mail the cards back, and I assemble them.

The results are fun and unique.

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Sharabha – A One Minute Meditation

Sharabha

The aphid

marches softly into my meditation.

Overlooked in the shadows

of shivering violets

and the rooting dog,

This least of creatures

is no mere avatar of Shiva.

In burgeoning brigades

she wreaks destruction

on the hearts and lawns

of greenskeepers and caretakers.

No gentle agents

has our dearest nature.

Do not let her seeming frailty

lure you to demise.

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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.

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Dialectic Two Step, Modern Koans, Verse Us, Say What?, and Minute Meditations all copyright Andrew Furst

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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Cultivation of Beauty – Abraham Flexner – Quotes

 Is it not a curious fact that in a world steeped in irrational hatreds which threaten civilization itself, men and women – old and young – detach themselves wholly or partly from the angry current of daily life to devote themselves to the cultivation of beauty, to the extension of knowledge, to the cure of disease, to the amelioration of suffering, just as though fanatics were not simultaneously engaged in spreading pain, ugliness, and suffering?Abraham Flexner
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Quotes -The path to right view is an arduous walk through fields of manure.

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What People Are Reading – March 2017

Here’s what people are reading here on andrewfurst.net in March 2017:

Secular Buddhism – What’s Your Take? – Modern Koans
 Soren Kierkegaard Understanding Comes Later- Quotes
 Where is Truth? – Dialectic Two Step
 Does Christianity Make Sense? – Modern Koans
 Enders Falls – A One Minute Meditation
 Frog Pond Skaters – A Two Minute Meditation
 Western Lights
 Southwest – Tiny Drops (Photography)
It’s The Community – Say What?
Quote – Napoleon on the Quiet Mind

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A Case of Temporary Sanity? – Say What?

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Say What?  is an ongoing series of laconic exchanges on Buddhism in the format of a comic strip. 

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The Miracle of Dead Ends (Nuthin)- Verse Us (Poems by Me)

You put out that poison

You gonna catch yo’self a rat.

Stiff and reeking;

You gonna carry dat corpse out back.

But Jesus ain’t no rat.

‘cause you can’t find him.

Can’t find no meaning in that now, Can ya?

So y’all best not be spoutin’ on ‘bout Jesus.

And Jesus don’t set no traps.

He just walks ‘em in the door; no turnin’ back.

Don’t tell me – with all dem churches full –

there ain’t no Jesus.

Ain’t no meaning in that, is there?

What was you expectin’?

Somebody tells ya something that ain’t true,

You know that ain’t the end of that.

You ain’t seen no Jesus?

Move along fool,

there ain’t nothing to see here.

And y’all are telling me there ain’t no Jesus.

You ain’t got nothing

To tell me about Jesus;

Church folk or sinner.

Your waggin tongue ain’t carryin’ no news for me.

There ain’t no book

got nuthin’ to say ‘bout Jesus.

Nuthin’ to say,

that don’t make you look a fool.

Jesus ain’t got no bullshit for sale.

Ain’t nobody here to save you, me,

Or any old fool.

Jesus ain’t got no care in the world, not even for you.

Jesus ain’t hiding

And he ain’t never comin’ back.

Ain’t no heaven to be chasing after either.

But don’t you try tellin’ me there ain’t no Jesus.

There ain’t no rose neither.

But it smells just fine.

No cold hard January mornin’s;

But dem bones gonna ache no less.

All dem bitter salty tears you done shed,

and y’all tell me,

that Jesus, all broken and dyin’ on that cross

don’t set your mind to thinkin’?

What’ch you seeing in dem’ eyes

Of your jus’ born baby child.

Only some damn fool turn their back on da spirit.

There ain’t no Jesus? Shut your damn mouth.

Show me a fool

And sure as day, he got a daddy.

Show me a path

And tell me that God ain’t put it there.

But don’t you go settin’ me to fearin’;

And don’t you be feedin’ me no hope.

Put that mind of yours to rest.

I ain’t got no interest what’s goin’ on up in there.

And don’t be tellin’ me what Jesus told you,

‘cause he ain’t said nuthin’ like that to me.

Ain’t no word bind us together;

But there ain’t no thing’ll tear us apart.

Put your frettin’ heart to rest.

Ain’t nuthin’ good ‘bout worryin’ on Jesus.

Long ‘fore Nazareth, salvation was born.

Long ‘fore the leaves in dem trees.

Don’t tell me there ain’t no Jesus.

An don’t you be tellin’ me where he at now neither.

That’s some fool talkin’ bullshit;

One way – or the other.

Just leave it rest, my brother.

Only then – you and I’ll find us some peace.

And ain’t that just where it all lies now don’t it.

Ain’t that how Jesus carry us all home.

He carries us fools in his heart.

He ain’t got no mind about it at all.

Jesus been holdin’ us fools dis whole time.

And we ain’t needin’ to be figuring why.

Don’t you go holdin’ Jesus in your heart

There ain’t no room there.

And ‘sides it’s only gonna break.

It’s jus’ gonna break on open for Jesus.

The Miracle of Dead Ends – by Andrew Furst

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Verse Us - Poems I write: haiku, senryu, mesostics, free verse, random word constructions, I might even use rhyme or meter once and a while.

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Are Atheists and Agnostics Illogical Regarding the Spiritual Realm? – Dialectic Two Step

Question: Are atheists and agnostics illogical regarding the spiritual realm?

Response: It depends. I presume that you’re talking about the truth or falsity of arguments about the existence of the spiritual realm. First a few points about logic.

Logic applies to arguments

An argument is logical or illogical based on its form. Not based on the truth of its assumptions. For example, you can have an argument that has all true assumptions, but still be illogical – e.g. a horse has four legs, some horses are brown, therefore there are no black horses

Logic can apply to false assumptions just fine.

So, anyone can be illogical when it comes to the spiritual realm.

But, when it comes to the claim that a spiritual realm exists, one has to agree on the evidential criteria for truth. Atheists and agnostics, and this is a generalization, are more likely to require the scientific standard for existence, i.e. that it can be measured.

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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

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