A Wonderful Poem (That Surprisingly Fits)

     Weren't you struck by the aptness of last week's poem?  I know it struck me between the eyes, and I was surprised that it was written across the planet from where I live, well over a hundred years ago.

     Yes, my mind is "spinning around/About carrying out a lot of useless projects," as Patrul Rinpoche wrote.  And, when you think of it, of what use are many of the things we do? 

     Self-promotion, branding, writing, posting, texting -- what's it all for?  Even writing a book -- really, it's less than a blip in all of existence.

     No, I'm not dwelling in the swamp of despair.  But I think there's something to be said for not constantly doing, or planning to do something, and just being. 

     As the poet wrote, "If you let go of everything . . . That's the real point!" 

     I think that's the whole point, and the starting point for anything of worth.  Think about it.

A Wonderful Poem (That Surprisingly Fits)

     Do you remember a few weeks ago I mentioned a great book on mindfulness?  It's called Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening by Joseph Goldstein.  (If you don't remember the post, you can read it here.)  I'm still working through the book; I'm finding it's not a fast read, but it's a worthwhile one.

     I was really struck the other day when I read this poem by a nineteenth century wandering Tibetan monk named Patrul Rinpoche.  If you get the book, you'll find it on page 310-311:

     For ages now you've been 
     Beguiled, entranced, and fooled by appearances.
     Are you aware of that?  Are you?
     Right this very instant, when you're
     Under the spell of mistaken perception
     You've got to watch out.
     Don't let yourself get carried away by this fake and empty life.

     Your mind is spinning around
     About carrying out a lot of useless projects:
     It's a waste!  Give it up!
     Thinking about the hundred plans you want to accomplish,
     With never enough time to finish them,
     Just weighs down the mind.
     You're completely distracted
     By all these projects, which never come to an end,
     But keep spreading out more, like ripples in water.
     Don't be a fool: for once, just sit tight . . .

     If you let go of everything --
     Everything, everything --
     That's the real point!

A Beautiful Quote

     I've long believed that Twin Soul relationships have the power to transform the soul and set it on the path toward a higher plane of spiritual existence.  I was reading Andrew Harvey and Mark Matousek's book in dialogue form, Dialogues with a Modern Mystic.  Here's a delicious quote from Andrew Harvey:

The alchemists and certain schools of Mahayana Buddhism have claimed that final transformation cannot be attained without a partner and that human love at a high stage is the essential energy that prepares the ultimate perceptions.  Human love earths revelation and brings the divine experience down into all the ordinary details of life to reveal life's essential holiness, initiating both lovers in the process into the fullness of divine presence.

     Lovely, no?

A Wonderful Old Friend

     Have you ever encountered an old friend and, after spending time together, felt like you got to know them for the first time?  Well, I had an old friend sitting on a bookshelf for years, who knows how long, that I finally got to know for the first time. 

     This old friend is a terrific book by Isaac Asimov entitled The End of Eternity.  It's rather old, for science fiction, but the set-up and plot line were mind-blowing for me.

     It's about a man who works in Eternity, a time line that exists outside of the actual Reality in which most people live.  Eternity exists, you see, so that a small group of people can make small changes to avoid unwanted developments (wars, plagues, unhelpful inventions, and so on) in the history of humankind.

     The main character, Harlan, is someone I wanted to shake after a while and tell him to stop being so angry and so paranoid and so devious.  But I found out that he had a reason for being this way.

     It's a love story, it's a mind-blower, it's a thriller that keeps you turning the pages until the very end.  Treat yourself and spend some time with this new friend.

Summer is Nearly Over!

     I was in the store the other day and one mother was lamenting to another mother that this is the shortest summer she has ever experienced.  The other mother agreed and her daughter leaned over and said, "I've never seen a summer go faster!"

     When a child notices how quickly time flies, you know that it's blatant. 

     So, with summer nearly over, did you get to do everything you wanted to do?  Did you have a relaxing vacation in your favorite place?  Did you connect with friends or family?  Did you play?  Did you laugh?  Did you think deep thoughts?

     Did you read The Gemini Bond?  Well, it's never too late to pick up your very own copy and enjoy your last few sips of summer.

(photo courtesy of pixabay.com)

 

A Great Idea for a Constitutional Amendment

     Sometimes I like to revisit old friends.  This book is an old, old, old friend and I had completely forgotten the plot, so it was like revisiting a new friend.  It's Arthur C. Clarke's The Songs of Distant Earth.  It takes place far into the future, after the sun has gone supernova and has destroyed the solar system, causing humankind to scatter to distant stars via hibernation ships.  Quite an interesting story, and Clarke really shows his romantic side in this tale.

     What really caught my eye, considering we are enduring the once-every-four-years American torture cycle -- also known as an election -- was his description of the leadership requirements in one human colony.  First of all, there are no elections, but a random selection of all qualified adults.  The pool of qualified adults include those who have been adequately educated (and all citizens of this world are educated to the fullest of their capacity -- what a great idea!), who are between the ages of 30 and 70, are not incurably ill, are mentally fit, and have not committed a grave crime.  Oh -- and they are disqualified if they deliberately want to have the position of leadership.

     Sounds like a great system, doesn't it?

Another Terrrific Short Story Collection

     While on vacation, I savored a second short story collection by Ursula K. Le Guin, Four Ways to Forgiveness.   This is Le Guin in her mature style, where she envelopes you in the sights, smells, customs, and belief systems of a whole new world (or worlds).  These stories all touch on the theme of forgiveness in one way or another, but take the time to immerse you in the details of lives lived on other worlds.  These worlds, Werel and Yeowe, are in the midst of rebuilding their society after a slave rebellion and the subsequent chaos of the overthrow of old power groups.  It has many relevant parallels to our society today.

     What I think I really enjoy most about Le Guin is that, at heart, she is a romantic (she even admits it).  But these are not easy romances; the characters must grow, overcome, and prove themselves in ways they find unimaginable.  They are beautifully written, deeply satisfying stories.  Highly recommended.