Beliefs Pt. 2

There is a christian writer named Donald Miller who poses a similar thought in his book ‘Blue Like Jazz’. He is at a protest for some cause or another and has the realization that his sign is totally meaningless. That the other side will never read it with open eyes and mind, and so therefore will never change anything. He comes to the conclusion that it would be more productive to hold a sign that reads: ‘I am the Problem’. Only you are going to read your words with the power you intended them to have, and in the long run you are the only thing that you can really change in your life. — http://www.reddit.com/r/Psychonaut/comments/2fb35k/xpost_rvideos_dude_goes_on_a_nice_little_talk/ck7v0yj

The mercy of the West has been social revolution; the mercy of the East has been individual insight into the basic self/void. We need both. They are both contained in the traditional three aspects of the Dharma path: wisdom (prajna), meditation (dhyana), and morality (sila). Wisdom is intuitive knowledge of the mind of love and clarity that lies beneath one’s ego-driven anxieties and aggressions. Meditation is going into the mind to see this for yourself — over and over again, until it becomes the mind you live in. Morality is bringing it back out in the way you live, through personal example and responsible action, ultimately toward the true community (sangha) of “all beings.” — “Buddhist Anarchism” by Gary Snyder (1961)

Peace is when your thoughts, your words, and your actions are one.  I admit, I struggle with this. I would like to be at peace.

I want to be void of beliefs. I would like to keep my eyes and ears open to all.  I would like to be conscious and mindful of all things.

Dad.

I don’t have a good relationship with my dad.  It’s in the way that he communicates.  I can’t blame him completely– his English is non-existent and my Vietnamese is at a 2nd grade level.  He’s the typical Asian dad.

It’s hard to see that he really just wants the best for me.  Sometimes it’s impossible to see that everything he tries to tell you and everything he tries to teach you, is through his love for you.  I should be grateful that I have someone who’s willing to put up with my attitude, my passive aggressiveness, and overall dickhole-ness, and all he asks for in return is that I become a good person.

I love you, dad.

I just wish there wasn’t such an impossible wall between us.

Love, no matter what

This is water

Commencement speech excerpt by the late David Foster Wallace

TL;DR: Be compassionate.  Be present.  And have a sense of humor.

This video also brings to light the fact that we tend to judge ourselves by our intentions, and others by their actions. (environmental vs. dispositional attribution)