Am I Dreaming?

Let me get this straight, every night each and every one of us closes our eyes, falls asleep, and dreams. In these dreams, which most of us will forget in the morning, we experience a dream world that includes individuals, objects, emotions, sensations, all very similar to our waking world? In the dream we experience an illusionary existence created by our mind, so strong at times we feel pain in the dream, experience love in the dream, and when we were younger enjoyed sex in our dreams. The entire dream is but a projection of mind, a movie of sort where sometimes you participate and other times you observe.
The only difference between dream consciousness and day consciousness is in one state your eyes are closed, the other your eyes are open, but both are truly dreams.

My Bodhisattva of the Month Gabor Mate

Gabor Mate

You never know who the Bodhisattva is. The Sanskrit term Bodhisattva is the name given to anyone who, motivated by great compassion, has generated bodhichitta, which is a spontaneous wish to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings.
What makes someone a Bodhisattva is her or his dedication to the ultimate welfare of other beings, as expressed in the prayer:
“May I attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings.”

In this video you will meet Dr. Gabor Mate, voted by me as the Bodhisattva of the month.

Dr. Gabor Mate: Judging the Addict
- Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

I’m Done! No More Negative People!

I’m done! No more negative people!
Time, if it does really exist, is short and I don’t have time for negative people. I’m not sure what’s up but there seems to be an abundance of negative people on this planet. What’s the deal with that?
Have you ever noticed happy individuals? Have you ever noticed the simplicity of their lives?
Maybe that’s the key, simplicity.
The happiest people I have ever met live outside their respective heads. Rarely do they use words such as “I”, “Me” or “Mine”. They seem much more interested in you then they are with themselves.
Nothing is more boring than individual drama.
Now don’t think I don’t care for people, on the contrary I care deeply, just not in you dramas or egocentric rants.

Happy Birthday Buddha

He’s a small trivial fact for my friends: Today is the Buddha Purnima, the Buddha’s birthday. Buddha Purnima falls on the full moon day in the Hindu month of Vaisakh (April/May). Lord Buddha was born on the Full Moon day in the month of Vaisakh in 563 BC. It is also pertinent that Buddha achieved enlightenment and Nirvana (salvation) on the same day (the Full Moon day). Thus, Buddha Purnima also marks the death anniversary.

They Will Kill Me

As I was cleaning out some of my old blogs, many written years ago, I came across one that I had forgot about. I laughed for a very long time when this happened and I hope you will enjoy it.

I must admit, this truly happened to me the other day:
For those that do not know me up close and personal, I cut hair. Well, the other day I was cutting the hair of a very young man, of maybe ten years old. Beside me, overlooking stood his father, when the little one said to me “They are going to kill you!”
Looking at his reflection in the mirror, I asked whom.
“The Freemasons.” he responded sure in his answer.
I knew instantly he must have seen my ring and laughed gently.
I told him I was safe, and that I was a Freemason.
He told me, “They will kill you for saying that.”
All I could do was laugh; his father bowed his head and shook it back and forth.
From the mouth of babes!

The Oil Spill

If you think the oil spill is just a political problem you just might have an

empathy problem.

The Perfection Was In the Imperfection

My Imperfect Garden

Even the garden can teach you valuable lessons in life, you just have to look.
True story:
I love gardening; there is something about watching your yard morph into something spectacular, a living breathing work of art. No pun intended.
No doubt once the gardener’s mind takes hold it becomes addictive. Before long every square inch of your property becomes a visual display of green fused with a variety of colors.
Before long you’re weeding, cleaning, pruning, and caring for all the specimens of plant life you have so tenderly grown.
One day I was just flat out overwhelmed, my body couldn’t keep up with the imaginary goals I had in my mind. More weeding needed to be done, plants need dividing, and the hard landscaping was woefully behind.
Exhaustion set in, I was spent, physically and mentally.
As I sat there on a stone wall, on one of the many paths I had created, I looked over at a peeling white fence that needed painting. How dare that fence peel? I looked down dejected.
It was at that moment I saw this tiny weed that had cropped up between the stones on the path I had laid. It seemed like the most beautiful weed, perfectly formed with the tiniest white flower. Normally I would have plucked the weed, but today I was struck by its beauty.
After a time I looked back towards the peeling fence, and much to my surprise I had a three dimensional Andrew Wyeth painting in my backyard.
I knew then, the perfection was in the imperfection….True story.