Driveby Painted Rock – Sign of Progress

Maybe this is a vent in disguise but I’d like to think it’s more of a hopeful sign.  Just wanted to put it out there in the cyber world.  Should have snapped a photo.  Didn’t so you’ll just have to believe me.  Here’s the deal. I’m down off the mountain now living at the foot of the foothills.  However, my residence was in the Appalachian Mountains for many a year, near 20 give or take.  Point is the contrast.  I wanted to write something about the whole Jesus thing.  Around here there are these huge boulders placed in front of schools and there are messages painted on them that change from time to time.  Once when my granddaughter was in elementary school, her mom and dad rented the rock to paint a big happy birthday message to her.   It’s a ‘thing’ around here.

So the thing is that in driving by the other day,  caught sight of a huge rock in front of our local high school which read HAPPY HOLIDAYS and beneath it were various symbols of various religions.  I felt encouraged by that.

Christians, it seems to me, way too often assume everybody else is or should be just as they are and we get the Jesus thing shoved in our Jewish, Buddhist., Hindu, Druid, Taoist, Islam, Shinto, Wicca … you get the idea… faces!

What about the contrast, the point of this blog post, that was mentioned above?

Well, when living in Appalachia, in my desire to tend App State University, the local college, in reviewing my transcripts,  indicated I needed a few more electives.  Turns out I didn’t but that’s another story.   Point is that when walking into a classroom there was written on the board in huge letters, JESUS LOVES YOU.  Not only that but one day one of the local Baptist ministers was standing outside the main building trying to give away Bibles.

Here’s another example.  In the small mountain community, there was — and then there wasn’t — a yoga studio.  I inquired about it and was told that the landlord would not rent to the yoga people because his minister said not to do so since yoga relates to the devil.  True story.  I know it sounds unbelievable, but I wouldn’t lie!

Anyway… what a distinct difference between those examples of religion in the Appalachians and the painted rock outside of the High School yesterday!  An acknowledgment that the acceptance of differences in humanities theology is alive and well (at least down here in the foothills!)

Amen.  and PS – if I get by that rock again before it’s painted over into a different message, I’ll grab a photo with my cell and post it here.

Awakening, Karma, Virtue, Cats and the Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama and his cat

I recently listened to the Dalai Lama (through his translator) say something on a karma related subject. He said that even a simple act of virtue like feeding an animal (even ants) when it is done with an altruistic attitude (intention of helpfulness and compassion) with the idea of benefiting those sentient beings that this is what is meant by the term “bodhicitta”.  The word translates from Sanskrit this way:  bodhi means enlightened or awakened and citta means mind or consciousness.  So we could say that bodhicitta means awakened mind and it is the compassionate act of a bodhisattva practitioner.  To take it further, A person who has a spontaneous realization or motivation of bodhicitta is called a bodhisattva.

I would not go so far as to refer to myself as a bodhisattva but the Dalai Lama says even a simple act of conduct or action done in virtue with the intention of helpfulness and compassion are transformed into conditions of full enlightenment.  I think of conditions being transformed in such a way that awakening, at least in moments, is favorable.  So even simple acts of loving intention, he said, are like an elixir that transforms base metals into gold.

Only a true Buddhist would consider feeding ants.  That has never occurred to me to do, but maybe will since the great teacher Dalai Lama mentioned it.  However, I do feed stray cats.  There is one little Buddha-Cat who honestly cracks my heart open every time he comes with the others to eat.  He had a lot of fear right after he was born–really significantly frightened more than his brother or sisters.  Now, he is warming up to me and the other neighbor here who feeds him.  Here’s the thing.  The others dive into the food platter — a clear plastic party platter works well for them, each having their own compartment.  However, while he may be positioned to eat, he doesn’t start until he looks up into your eyes and reaches his head up so as to rub noses with you.

Each time I feed this cat, my heart opens more and he makes it easy for me to create the mindstate of a Bodhisattva.  I accept any conditions that would lead me to full awakening.  This sweet cat is helping me; may he remain protected and happy.

PS it is said that His Holiness rescued his cat from the slums of Dharmsala.  

 

Zen, Cats, Deer, the Outdoors and Meditation

Animal Zen Masters

It’s true and if you are a careful observer, you will know this for certain.  Watch any animal in nature while being in nature yourself (without your cell phone or other tech distractions) and you will see their Zen-ness.  We can find our own animal zen nature when out in the woods or even outside our back door (woods are better!).  Here’s what I mean.  Animals in nature are still and alert — this is exactly what we humans who seek to meditate and to be more Zen-like and peaceful aim for — stillness while remaining alert!  And to be beyond our ego-personality daily stressful thinking.  Just going outside achieves a disconnect from our own mental residue that bounces off the walls.

I have a one-bedroom apartment surrounded by many lunatic humans — sorry, but you could fact check this and if you lived here, you’d know the truth of that as well.  And I also feed feral cats — kittens born just feet from my back door.  (They are as big as an adult cat now.)  I watch them and think how, in their wild animal nature, they possess what I strive for in my meditation practice:  still alertness.  They perk up at any sound that they’re not accustomed to and yet right afterward they are able to return to their former peaceful stillness again, totally letting it all go and being fully present.

Watch any animal in nature; take deer for example.  They are always alert and attentive yet are able to return to a peaceful state rather quickly after they tense up or perk up due to a perceived threat.  They are alert — not hyper-alert however.

I feel so trapped and smothered living here in this city and in an apartment complex sometimes.  This is because even the outdoors here in this apartment complex can be chaotic with barking dogs and boisterous humans.  Life.  Its what we are, life itself. Rather difficult to merge with you have an aversion to, but it’s my current path here surrounded by human animals.

I am thinking soon to have a nice long hike in the woods.  My trekking poles are always in my car and unfortunately, it’s necessary to drive 20 minutes to get to a state park.  It’s not like when I lived in the mountains. But I can’t mentally “go there” today — makes me too sad.  Anyway . . . I digress.

When we are out in nature (again, without the phones, etc.) it becomes so easy to let the trees, rocks, lakes and all of nature merge with our own energy.  And then we can forget the human self and go once again into the animal self.  We have to be aware when in a natural setting — snakes and the like, you know?  Yet in the state park that I mentioned above, the greatest predators are humans and their dogs, not wild animals.  Either way, one’s tendency in the wood is to be still and alert–or at least it’s that way for me.  And that is very meditative.

Sometimes, I just want to dash out the door and get a bit of exercise when in between writing bursts or watercolor painting.  Lately, I’ve stopped walking loops in this apartment complex (for numerous reasons not to be included here) and have chosen instead to take my walks along the highway on the bike lane.  Now there is a place to be hyper-alert like in the woods!  One must be in the present moment there too!  Traffic is whizzing by 5 feet from my shoulder.  I don’t walk on the highway every day and only for about 30 minutes all together out and back usually.  It surely isn’t a pleasant walk in the woods,  but there are dangers and the necessity to be alert and present.

I find I can be much more present in a group weight lifting class at the gym, but sometimes one just wants to walk out the door, not having the time or inclination to drive off to the gym or take 40 minutes to get to and from the state park.

Well, these are thoughts that crop up today.  Being outside is expansive and meditative states are natural.  Next time you watch a wild animal, see if it isn’t true — they are zen teachers!