CreativeZazen

please, please be kind to yourself. Stop beating yourself up over every little thing or you are going to find it hard to be peaceful even for a moment!

RIP MCA

I remember many years ago getting my first taste of Buddhism through the words of MCA. It goes to show that people can change and help turn others on to the path no matter who or what people think you are!

Here’s a great contemporary art piece by Gonkar Gyatso. Love the unified visual madness.

“When you get into an argument with someone you love, please close your eyes and visualize yourself three hundred years from now. When you open your eyes, you will only want to take each other in your arms and acknowledge how precious each of you is. The teaching of impermanence helps us appreciate fully what is there, without attachment or forgetfulness.” -Thich Nhat Hanh

Man is it tempting to deny that anything is ever wrong. Once I had identified as a Buddhist I started to feel guilty when I would have a down day or week because all of those monks on the internet always looked so damned peaceful! I thought that somehow I was doing something wrong, but the problem was that I was selectively listening to the Buddha’s teachings. When I was happy it was easy…when I wasn’t I felt like I had failed. What I didn’t realize was that the Buddha had always said that there would be hard times. We are human after all and to deny difficulties and the human experience is just aversion. I don’t have to be perfect. Nobody expects it. What a relief.

If you are like me and tend to push things off to the side…don’t! Be honest with yourself and others. We need each other and we all need a shoulder to cry on from time to time. In your heart of hearts you know that some things are surface level and will be forgotten in an hour or two, but you also know that some things go much deeper than that. Reach out! Talk to other people. Just don’t try to force yourself through it because you think it’s your duty. Be human.

Time Lapse Mandala

You have got to watch this. Absolutely beautiful.