Andrew Furst's Blog, page 49

Eisenhower on Fear and Hate – Quotes

Quotes -The path to right view is an arduous walk through fields of manure.

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Dwight D. Eisenhower on Fear and Hate

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Sparks and Light – A Three Minute Meditation

Friction is needed

for fire and stove

But Light is

always

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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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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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Sparks – Tiny Drops

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

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August 6, 1945 – Compass Songs

If the radiance of a thousand suns

Were to burst at once into the sky

That would be like the splendor of the Mighty One …

I am become Death,

The Destroyer of Worlds.

—Bhagavad-Gita

Hiroshima August 6, 1945

 

 Compass Songs is an ongoing series of works by poets that I enjoy. Poetry, as the Zen Masters have said, is like a finger pointing to the moon. It speaks the unspeakable.

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How Long Does It Take To Become Enlightened? – Dialectic Two Step

Response:

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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Morning Harbor – Verse Us (Poems by Me)

A Ten Word Story

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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There’s Nothing Else – Say What?

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

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Putting an End to All Attachments? – Modern Koans

Question: Why should there be cessation of expectations and attachments?

Desires lead to attachments – those to expectations and expectations, due to nothing else but impermanent nature of life, lead to suffering. But desires, attachments and expectations can also lead to pleasant feelings. So, what are the arguments as to why there should be cessation of these?

My response: Go ahead, I dare you. Stop all expectations and attachments! Stop expecting the stove to burn you if you put your hand in the flame. Go ahead. Stop expecting pain when you step in front of a train. Stop loving your parents, or your friends, or your partner. That should go well, right?

I don’t mean to berate you, but I want to bring attention to the nature of the question. It’s a good one in that it points to an absurd interpretation of the Buddhist lexicon. The language of Buddhism tends to be pithy and often gets oversimplified. This is a hurdle everyone needs to get over.

Is it a matter of choosing the right attachments and expectations?
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Expectations and attachments are indeed root causes for suffering. But as you pointed out they are also sources of satisfaction. What’s the difference? Is it a matter of choosing the right attachments and expectations? I don’t think so. But is it necessary to take an all or nothing approach?  Is that even possible? If it were, is it desirable?

Suffering plays a role in liberation.
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Suffering plays a role in liberation. When we notice dissatisfaction and deduce its causes, we gain insight. But the path away from suffering and towards liberation is not a finite one. We don’t “get there” to find everlasting freedom.

Each moment is a fresh start, an opportunity to make new choices. Each choice is a chance to reduce suffering.  Each choice is a chance to manage our own expectations. Each choice reminds us that there is no such thing as eternal happiness.

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 then their answers.

The riddles of God are more satisfying than the solutions of man. ― G.K. Chesterton

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Ross Perot on Activist? – Quotes

Quotes -The path to right view is an arduous walk through fields of manure.

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Activist – Ross Perot

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Under The Skin – A One Minute Meditation

Under a brittle skin

life teams and flows

boundless and free.

No border seems capable of containing her.

With the passing of seasons,

rinds form and harden.

The cold of winter’s breath

and the fading of vitality,

weave a yarn of coming and passing.

Spring does not fail,

because she knows no edges.

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.

Get Each Week's Minute Meditations In Your Email Box

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.

The post Under The Skin – A One Minute Meditation written by Andrew Furst appeared on Andrew Furst.