Andrew Furst's Blog, page 56

Truth? – Say What?

 

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

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Kindle Version of Clouds Tell Us is Now Available

Clouds Tell Us, my second book, is now available for Kindle on Amazon for only $4.99.

Poetry – Buddhism – Nature – Humanity

“Clouds Tell Us” is a collection of poetry exploring the intersection of nature and our humanity. What does it mean to be awake? What is it like to actually be alive? What could be more important than being awake for life? Nothing brings us back to it more than spending time in nature. This book hopes to inspire you to rediscover your connection with nature and rekindle your humanity.

Of course the best way to get my books, artwork, and other goodies is to support my work on Patreon

where you can make

small monthly micro-contributions

that help support my work.

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The Catch 22 of Gun Violence – Modern Koans

Comment: Gun Control doesn’t work.  Look at Chicago. Banning guns has not solved the problem. People are going to kill people no matter what, you can’t solve this problem.

Response: There is a short circuit today in the conversation around gun violence in the US.  Liberals call for more gun control and conservatives point to places like Chicago where gun control has failed miserably.  The exchanges cycle in what could almost be described as comic futility if the topic weren’t so tragic.As America moves further from debate towards reactionary mindlessness, the opportunity to intelligently frame the discussion wanes further.

In the aftermath of the Orlando shootings, my Facebook feed fired up with the typical memes. Thank goodness for the few friends  who manage some perspective. From under the shouting came one person shared this remark

In retrospect Sandy Hook marked the end of the US gun control debate. Once America decided killing children was bearable, it was over.

I think we could probably frame the discussion a little less emotionally, but the point is a good one.  I think the question to ask is this one: Is a high rate of gun violence acceptable? It’s important though that we don’t dive directly back into the gun control debate.  Because, maybe gun control is not the solution.

Let me say that again, maybe gun control is not the solution.

If we’re going to move past the mindless yelling back and forth, listening needs to happen.  Somebody needs to start. If, as studies show, liberals are in fact smarter, they’ll need to prove it by holding out the olive branch. Granted, President Obama and other leaders have been trying to start a rational conversation for some time. But they are being overpowered by the highly vocal reactionaries on both sides of the fence.

Because, maybe gun control is not the solution. Let me say that again, maybe gun control is not the…
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A conversation begins when two opposing parties find a question they can both say yes to. Perhaps the question is “Is a high rate of gun violence acceptable?” Why do I think a gun lobbyist could say yes to that question? Because if they see the facts that follow from gun violence, they will see the threat to their family, to America, and to their business.  The effects of gun violence feed an endless loop of escalation of violence.  The impact of trauma reduces the likelihood of a reduction.  If you think violence is OK now, what about when it gets worse?  The proverbial good guys with guns will disappear – not because of gun control, but from the impact of doing nothing.

 

Most productive solutions are not punitive, but are focused on increasing  good behavior.  Chicago tells us that banning weapons does not decrease gun violence. Every gun lobbyist will tell you that responsible gun owners aren’t the problem. But doing nothing is not a viable solution either. How do we take those facts and turn them into a solution?  I’m not going to go down that path.  Better minds than mine will solve this problem.

My advice to the shouters, pipe down for a bit.  Calm yourself enough to listen.  Gun lobbyists are acting the way they are because they think they are right.  Gun Control advocates are doing the same.  You have common ground, you’re trying to do right by your families and for America.  Set the talking points off to the side for a few minutes and listen. There’s a problem to solve, we can do it.

What do you think?  Have we put the past behind us with respect to sexual orientation?  Is listening to all these celebrities come out doing more harm than good?

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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Teddy Roosevelt on Trouble – Quotes

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

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Anger Detector? – Say What?

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

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Immersed – A Two Minute Meditation

And there was

the day

when I had been drowning

For so long.

barely breathing,

choosing the struggle

Then

I looked

at my brother

sleeping

on the cold hard ground

below me.

I would have

marveled

at his ability to float,

If I hadn’t’ve found my

own feet on the ground.

 

Breathing.

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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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Dangerous Weapon? – Say What?

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

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Red Line – 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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That Ragged Old Flag by Johnny Cash – Compass Songs

Flag Day is June 14th

I walked through a county courthouse square.

On a park bench an old man was sitting there.

I said, “Your old Court House is kinda run down.”

He said, “No, it will do for our little town.”

I said, “Your old flag Pole is leaning a little bit.

And that’s a ragged old Flag you’ve got hanging on it.”

He said, “Have a seat,” and I sat down

“Is the first time that you’ve been to our little town?”

“Well,” he said, “I don’t like to brag,

But we’re kinda proud of that ragged old Flag.

You see, we got a little hole in the Flag there,

When Washington took it across the Delaware.

And it got powder burns, the night Francis Scott Key,

Sat watching it, writing ‘Oh, Say, Can You See.’

And it got a bad rip at New Orleans,

When Packingham and Jackson took it to the scene

And, it almost fell at the Alamo beside the Texas Flag

But she waved on through

She got cut with a sword at Chancerville,

And she got cut again at Shilo Hill

There was Robert E. Lee, Bouregard and Bragg

The South wind blew hard on that Old Ragged Flag

On Flanders Field in World War One

She got a big hole from a Bertha Gun

She turned BLOOD RED World War Two,

And she hung limp and low a time or two.

She was in Korea and Vietnam

She went from our ships upon the briny foam.

Now they’ve about quit waving her back here at home

In our good land she’s been abused,

She’s been burned, dishonored, denied, and refused

And the Government for which she stands

Is scandalized through out the land.

She’s getting threadbare and she’s wearing thin,

But, she’s in good shape for the shape she’s in,

Because she’s been through the fire before,

I believe she can take a whole lot more.

So we raise her up every morning, and we

Take her down every night,

We don’t let her touch the ground,

and we fold her up right.

 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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Is There a Fixed Amount of Suffering in the World? – Dialectic Two Step

Estimated reading time: 7 minute(s)

Question: If so, do you think that if you evade your share of suffering that someone else will have to suffer more?

Response:  But first, I should be clear about what suffering means. We should distinguish it from pain, sickness, and death. These are not choices. We will have to endure all three in our lives and we often have little control over them. If your question was about pain, the sum of pain in a system would need to remain constant. But, humans are terrible reporters of experience; especially about pain. We are also unable to directly experience the sensations of others. So it seems the experiment fails in the design. We have no reliable way to measure it.

If your question is about pain, I don’t think we can reach an answer.

If your question is about suffering, I don’t think we can reach an answer either. Here’s why.

Suffering is different. From a Buddhist perspective, suffering is subjective. It’s a function of our preferences and aversions. We suffer when we’re in situations we don’t like. We suffer when we lose the people and things that we love. We suffer when things don’t turn out like we want them to.

This is what I meant when I said suffering is subjective. These preferences and aversions color our otherwise morally neutral world. Things that we love aren’t in and of themselves good. They are good because we like them. The same applies to the things we dislike. They are bad because we don’t like them.

So if we examine it source, it is boundless and varies based on our temperament. It seems unpredictable, even random. Similar to pain, it would be impossible to measure the sum of suffering in any system.

So we’re at a dead end. But, there’s good news. I don’t think it matters. I don’t think knowing the answer offers any benefit. The Buddhist test for not mattering is whether or not answering the question would somehow reduce your suffering.

Let’s do a thought experiment on this. If there was a finite amount of suffering and you were to evade your share, it follows that you would be increasing the pain and suffering of others. But as I concluded above, we have no way of knowing whether or not the balance has been shifted one way or another. I can’t tell and neither can you. The only thing we can know is our own. The only thing that we can do to directly reduce suffering is to reduce our own. The only way to directly reduce pain is to avoid intentionally harming ourselves or others.

So my recommendation is to move on from this question and focus on things you can do something about.

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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