Random Dharma

You may know this one already...

Christopher Smart - For I will consider my Cat Jeoffry

O Lucky Man (1973) had some dharma themes in it. Also mentions zazen about 30 minutes in and I seem to remember an OM symbol somewhere in there. Surprised I had never stumbled across this one before, being a bit of a movie buff.

"O Lucky Man!"

Let me mention
one or two things about Christmas.
Of course you've all heard
that the animals talk
at midnight:a particular elk, for instance,
kneeling at night to drink, leaning tall to pull leaves
with his soft lips, says, alleluia.

That the soil and fresh water lakes
also rejoice,
as do products
such as sweaters
(nor are plastics excluded from grace),
is less well known.
Further:the reason for some silly looking fishes,
for the bizarre mating
of certain adult insects,
or the sprouting, say
in a snow tire
of a Rocky Mountain grass,
is that the universal
loves the particular,
that freedom loves to live
and live fleshed full,
intricate,
and in detail.

God empties himself
into the earth like a cloud.
God takes the substance, contours
of a man, and keeps them,
dying, rising, walking,
and still walking wherever there is motion.

- Annie Dillard, "Feast Days"

I was watching a Gary Weber video on youtube and there was another video on the side that I clicked on called "dog meets wolf" and when I watched it it turned out to be a dog very very convinced that a wolf sculpture was real, approaching it very cautiously, then realizing it's just a sculpture. nice music...

Amazing play of muscles as the dog gets closer.

I saw the movie Her last night-- very interesting exposition on what constitutes a "person," how our experience is mediated by mind, what is the nature of our interaction and "knowing" of one another. It's another in a series of films that began with The Truman Show, followed by Simone, that have interested me . Seems to me not too far a reach to call the genre "stealth abhidharma."

If anyone else has seen the movie, I'd be interested on their take.

I'm endlessly entertained by videos of babies reacting with surprise, wonder or laughter to very banal things. "Mind of a child" and all.

(scared of nose blowing)

(mystified by their own shadows)

(the original dying laughing over ripped paper)

Spiritual Cats

You guys need to see the movie 'Her' if you get a chance: trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/her/

Fantastic and insightful. Lots of Dharma nuggets in there.

Room for St. John Of The Cross

A black cubicle stands in the center of a large dark space. A small window reveals the illuminated interior where a color video monitor, a metal pitcher, and a glass of water sit on a wooden table. A voice quietly reciting the poems of St. John of the Cross in Spanish can be heard from within. Outside in the main room, a large image is projected on the wall behind the cubicle showing black-and-white images of snow covered mountains in constant, wild, chaotic motion. A loud roaring sound fills the space like a storm.

More information from the google.

Just. Because.

Hahaha. Forgot about that one.

a nice blog post...

apilgrimslot.wordpress.com/2014/03/06/on-kindness/

on kindness.

Posted on March 6, 2014

Why can’t we just be kind to one another? Jumping to conclusions, judging another person’s character, spreading unfounded rumours…none of these things are kind.

Love is patient and kind.

How about we try listening to both sides of a story for once? It’s so easy to get the wrong end of the proverbial stick. Give people the benefit of the doubt, there’s a good chance they are not actually out to get you.

Clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, gentleness, humility and patience.

Can we learn to embrace healthy discussion and debate? Assuming someone else is in the wrong because they think differently than you makes you wrong. Embrace their wrongness, and together you might find rightness.

Forgive each other.

Is it possible for us all to look outside of ourselves and see the big picture? There are bigger fish to fry than your own self-pity. Just because someone doesn’t like what you said or did, it doesn’t mean they don’t like you. This works both ways. Don’t hate.

Love your enemies.

Would it be so terrible for us to admit our mistakes? When we feel out of control we cling to that which comes out of own insecurity, our desperation, our deepest needs. Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Making mistakes is a sign of being human. In the same vein, be gracious to those who admit their imperfections.

A spirit not of fear, but of power, and love, and self-control.

Is it wrong of me to ask for more time to play? A smile goes a long way, a shared laugh even further. Finding joy in the small things along the oft-wearying journey of life will relieve your burdens.

Consider it joy.

Shall we decide what actually matters? What is important to me may not be your priority at all. Have a focus. Decide what is truly important to you. Make a list, get a tattoo, paint it on your wall. This is your mission. Only go to bat over these things. The rest is noise.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

.

Welcome to enlightenment

Tip from my voice teacher (which as a friend pointed out is widely applicable): "Do it again, this time without despair."

Brutal! sometimes despair is the only reasonable response

but that sounds like good advice at most stages

Despair is "reasonable" in exactly the same way that the rest of "my story and I'm sticking to it" is; and it is pretty demanding to blithely ask someone to set it aside for awhile. But that's what teachers are for...

I'm guessing Ona can take it.

Easier said than done though once this would not have been a laughing matter...