Unknown Buddhist

At 9:37 AM the cell phone rang.  The regional Vice President requested I come play golf with him the following day.  Ah yes, the business thing.

Normally I honor such requests, but there was on little problem: I literally haven’t played golf in fourteen years. So, I scrounged through the storage and found my father’s set of Wilson clubs. Ah, the magic of the clubs, the finely crafted steel as they glittered in the light.

From a Buddhist perspective, what I am to do?  Fourteen years are a long time. Will this event be more suffering or will I find the true pinnacle of golf and Buddhism, that everything is connected. From a ‘Karma’ viewpoint, will this be the Buddhist law of cause and effect, where every shot has an effect? Every action I do causes a ripple in the cosmos, ending either in the water, the sand, the green or the back of some vehicle’s rear windshield?

Maybe I can call in sick. “Hack,” my throat states … “Oh God, I feel a bad one. Hack!”  Maybe it will rain. But as I glance at the weather forecast, it’s clear for forever. Rain is only a century away.

So I pluck a three (3) wood, a five (5) iron, pitching wedge and short wedge from the bag and throw them into my car.  Peace to my body, as I state ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’ while driving fifteen minutes to the driving range.  I shelled out twelve (12) bucks for eighty (80) practice range golf balls. Exit the pro shop left and head for a place where no one can see.

Hiding behind the evergreen I drop one range ball onto the green practice mat.  I limber up and beg the Gods for wisdom by quoting from Baggar Vance:

“Yep, inside each and every one of us is one true, authentic swing.

Something we was born with, that’s ours…

…and ours alone. Something can’t be taught to you or learned.

Something that got to be remembered.

Over time, the world can rob us of that swing…

…and get buried inside us under…

…all our woulda’s and coulda’s, and shoulda’s.

Don’t worry about the ball or where it’s gonna go…

Just swing the club.

Close your eyes.

– Close my… – You can’t make that ball go in.

You have to let it.

Feel the club. Feel the weight of the club.

A deep perfect line. Dropping in, soft as butter.

Listen to the sounds of the night. Keep swinging that club.

Feel the breeze coming off the sea.

Inside every one of us is one true, authentic swing.

Keep swinging that club…

…until you’re part of the whole thing.

Something we was born with.” 

I step up, repeated ‘Om mani padme hum.’  Swinging easy, ‘whack,’ as the ball glided perfectly down the middle of the fairway. Ah, I said, we are all interconnected.

Over the past week, I have been watching the HBO series, ‘Weight of the Nation.’ I have been truly astounded by the results of that programming.

But watching the documentary crystalizes thought on the recent congressional legislation, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare.  Opposition to the ACA has some interesting comments, tending to look at what happens if the ACA is found constitutional. Some of the broader points include:

•  There will be no end to the gloating;
• Government will be able to mandate anything they desire; and
• Government gets deeper and deeper into average citizen’s financial pocket and life.

 All of the above may be true, but none of the above directly resolves the health issues the ACA is trying to resolve.  Without trying to over support the HBO documentary, it is clear that a third (⅓) of the nation or less is at a healthy weight.  Additionally, historically, while obesity rates in all economic classes continue to rise, the nation’s poor suffer the most malnutrition and excess weight. The obesity rates of children households of poor are catastrophically high.

Poor neighborhoods have less access to nutritious food. Marketing and production of the nation’s food chain is the most profitable ever. But a significant amount of the food delivered is processed, meaning they have been altered from their natural state, either for safety reasons or for convenience. The methods used include canning, freezing, refrigeration, dehydration and aseptic processing. Many of these bad ones are made with trans-fats, saturated fats, and large amounts of sodium and sugar.

While I cannot argue about the merits that in some cases the government can extend its reach too far, there is very little discussion about the impact of eliminating the ACA. For those who attest that diet is a personal choice, they are not incorrect. But given the totality of the medical problems we all must face, it is only by government regulation that we can solve problems collectively versus trying to solve problems locally. Containment of tobacco use is such an example.

Catching an old rerun of the original Star Trek, First Officer Spock once said, “… logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” Beating back obesity and its effects on the nation, future business production and healthcare costs is tantamount to our country’s survival. From a Buddhist perspective, I would state that Good health is simply the slowest way a human being can die.

When the Buddha was young, he learned the science of medicine. He became knowledgeable about the nature and cure of diseases. The Buddha’s realization of the perpetual cycle of rebirth and the stages of aging, illness, and death, enabled him to guide others to live a healthy life.

His pragmatic approach includes the insistence on proper hygiene and medicine, but more to the point, he never resorted to what might be considered “faith healing.” Instead, he offered rational, practical instruction for dealing with both physical injury and mental illness.

The American born Bhikshu Kusala Bhikshu once told this story:

“There is a story about an Indian king on the battlefield shot through the chest with an arrow. The medic ran to his side, prepared to pull out the arrow. The king said, “No, not yet. I need to know from what caste the archer came, what type of feathers were used, and who made the bow.” The medic said, “If we take the time needed to answer those questions, you will die.”

When we work together, Buddhist, Catholic, Atheist, Republican, Democrat or Tea-Party, the patient will have a greater sense of acceptance, be encouraged to focus on both mind and body, and in the process to transcend pain and avoid future suffering.

But we can only do that if we work together.

In the mid-to-late 1990’s I used to listen to Warren Duffy on KKLA.  For those who don’t know, Mr. Duffy is a conservative Christian Radio Broadcaster. In the Los Angeles area, Mr. Duffy is pretty much known for his anti-government stances, including conversation, the sustainability, carbon credit auction … as Seinfeld would say, Yada! Yada! Yada! (In truth, I only watched three episodes of Seinfeld.)  In fact I pretty much concluded that almost anything a Democrat could possibly think of would be considered ecologically unsound.  Sorry … I digressed.

So, you ask, “What made me expound upon KKLA?”  Well, HBO has a new documentary series titled, The Weight of the Nation that explores how approximately one-third of our country became obese and what can be done to tackle the growing national health crisis.  For the time being, you can actually watch part of this online. I suggest anyone seriously interested in weight loss watch and review this important series. As I watched part of this documentary, I instantaneously remembered Saturday afternoons listening to KKLA, where specially paid programming catered to Christian Radio.

Ah yes, my friends, my friends, my friends (sorry Joel) … What Would Jesus Eat? Also, don’t forget the more recent ‘The Eden Diet,’ a book that helps readers understand the many reasons why they have not been able to lose weight in the past. In most cases, they fail to eat according to their God-given internal sensations. Other Christian remedies included, ‘Fasting,’ Corinthians recommends “…eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Lastly, some Christian diet guru’s tended to quote the Apostle Paul, using analogies likened to running and being physically fit. For example, in 2 Timothy 4:7 Paul said “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”  What the heck does 2 Timothy 4:7 actually have to do with physical exercise is beyond me, but hey … I am just a stupid lay person.

My point is this, the area Jesus lived in during His life is not at all similar to today: it was not a very pleasant place to live and the politics were a bite. Few lived beyond age fifty (50). Climate was as it is today – hot during the daytime and extreme cold, especially in the desert areas, at night. Rainfall was infrequent but when it came, it was torrential.

At the time of Jesus, bread was the main food of ordinary people. Meat was a luxury and only the rich could afford to eat. Fine bread made from wheat was expensive. The poor often ate coarse bread made from barley. Grain was ground to flour by women using millstones.  For vegetables, beans, cucumbers, garlic, leeks, onions and lentils were grown. Fruit including figs, pomegranates and grapes as well as nuts like almonds and pistachio nuts were pretty common. The Jews also ate cheese, eggs and fish.

Jesus lived in an era when most people walked – everywhere. There were no cars, trucks, SUV’s, air conditioning, McDonalds, Apple iPods, email, etc.  The distance between Nazareth and Jerusalem is over 70 miles.  That simply is one heck of a hike. Jesus also had no processed food, no Red Bull, Coke, V8, Evian Water or anything else.  He never tasted the sweet essence of McDonald’s Big Mac’s “…two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions – all on a sesame seed bun. Nada…didn’t have it. Maybe He has had a meal near Frog Jump, Tennessee but no one identified Him.  Seriously, while it is important for all us to stay healthy, it is impossible to compare our lifestyle with that of Jesus’ day.

So back to the moment: to be totally honest, I am the epitome of ‘The Weight of the Nation.’  I lived that life. Traveling everywhere, constantly on the road, I had little exercise, drank too much and ate at every fast food joint seen. Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, Dairy Queen, TGIF, Hooters and host of others were my hang outs. I popped cheeseburgers as an alcoholic slams hard liquor. Twenty-years later, my BMI (Body mass index, a measure of body fat) stood at an astounding 37.3%.

Today I still travel, but not as much. And in order to keep with the general Buddhist precept of ahimsa (non-violence), I am primarily vegetarian. I do not follow the East Asian “Buddhist” cuisine which is avoidance of killing plant life. That is simply just too much work. If you have read my posts, I do partake of an occasional Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich. But I have not had a Diet Coke or Pepsi in six weeks. Nor have I had a McDonalds Big Mac either. By following a Buddhist lifestyle, in the past six weeks, I have lost two inches off my waist. My skin looks better and I feel better.

As Kevin Brownell, professor in the Department of Psychology at Yale University, stated, “The beauty of the diet industry is that they keep promising miracles, and there’s very little regulation on what they can promise people. And since none of the programs really work very well, then you have this growing clientele of people who want to try one program or another after another in hopes that something might finally work.”

As a Buddhist, all of us must create a culture that values and deliver quality, healthy food. It is our responsibility to demand it and then act upon our intention to eat mostly things that are healthy for us.

John Hoffman, vice president of HBO Documentary Films and the executive producer of “The Weight of the Nation,” told National Public Radio the documentary is “not a piece of journalism” but instead “a piece of public health.”

Watch it.

Metta World Peace and the Lakers are taking a beating, down almost 30 points in third quarter.

I remember one my hardest teachers in life … ‘Humility.’

While I do not follow basketball all that much, according to the Sporting News, Metta World Peace has no intention of apologizing to James Harden before the Los Angeles Lakers-Oklahoma City Thunder series gets underway Monday night.

“I don’t shake substitutions’ hands,” World Peace said, according to a tweet from Janis Carr of the Orange County Register (via HoopsHype).

I had to think about that for a while.  Upon further reflection, according to the Los Angeles Times I read:

“On September 16, 2011, Artest’s name was officially changed to Metta World Peace. The idea was inspired by Chad Ochocinco‘s name change. “Metta” is his first name, and “World Peace” is his surname. “Changing my name was meant to inspire and bring youth together all around the world,” World Peace said in a statement released after the name change court hearing. His publicist, Courtney Barnes, said that World Peace chose Metta as his first name because it is a traditional Buddhist word that means loving kindness and friendliness towards all.

World Peace’s publicist, Courtney Barnes, said his client had been contemplating the switch for years, “but it took many years of research and soul-searching to find a first name that was both personally meaningful and inspirational.“

As I said before I literally have no clue if Mr. World Peace’s blow to James Harden was intentional or accidental.  And furthermore, I have no clue if Mr. World Peace will apologize after the upcoming series is over.  But from a high level perspective, if your first name means loving kindness and friendship and was found only after many years of research and soul-searching, then you have to live the name.

For me, changing to Buddhism was a real hard, long walk. Whether you’re changing your name, your faith or life, you have to stand up and live it. As I wrote earlier, faith is great, but actions move the hearts of all mankind. In truth, a lot us that are not unlike Mr. World Peace.

Before beginning my conversion to Buddhism, I created an Atonement list. The meaning of the word is simply at-one-ment, i.e., the state of being at one or being reconciled. Thus, the word atonement is reconciliation.  I borrowed the atonement concept from Alcoholic Anonymous’ (AA) Twelve Step Program and combined the AA following steps into one personal ‘Atonement List.’ I personally:

1. Made a list of all persons I had harmed and become willing to make amends to them all.
2. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure myself, them or others.
3. Continue to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

The true crucible of Buddhism, Christianity or any other faith is what you do when tested. Christ was tempted by Satan and succeeded while some other legendary dignitaries failed. One may ask, “What makes one successful, while another fails? Hell, I have no clue.

But success of one’s faith might be found in the value of your morals and the willingness to make amends, even when that test may be so brutally honest and painful. I will say this up front; my Atonement List has twenty-six (26) severely painful situations requiring amends, including (but not all):

• The Catholic Church, for all my mortal sins;
• The only love of my life ~ for whom God called us and I broke your trust;
• My former boss for violating the honor of the position granted;
• My financial mistakes; and
• Mother and Father, for not being the son you could honor for so many years.

 Twenty-six (26)! That’s quite a list ~ almost one for every year I have roamed the corporate world. So in becoming Buddhist, I felt an obligation to honor the Atonement List. I researched and contacted all of the people I could. In some cases, the outcome was exceedingly painful. Seven (7) of the twenty-six (26) refused my amends, including the Catholic Church and my love. But eleven (11) did forgive me. Four (4) could not be located and four (4) others are a work in progress.

Living the faith is not easy. But any faith, Buddhism included, demands participation. And participation can be a real bitch.  The kiln crafts you, fortifies you and makes you stronger. I am the Buddhist and man of honor today because I took that hard long road of participation.  Yeah, it wasn’t easy, but by stepping up, I was able reach into deep into my soul and found a lot worth salvaging.

I ask all who are living a faith to do only one thing: participate.

Sitting down and watching baseball with a BLT sandwich and ice tea, a friend asked me what the true meaning of the Four Noble Truths.  Stumbling for only a moment, I pointed into television and calmly replied, “You want to know what the Four Noble Truths are, the Chicago Cubs. Every Cubs fan, whether they know it or not, live the Four Noble Truths every single day.”

Perfectly stated, the Cubs Four Noble Truths are:

1. Being a Cubs fan means suffering.
2. The origin of suffering is attachment to the Cubs.
3. The cessation of a Cubs fan suffering is attainable.
4. There is a path all Cubs fans can take to the cessation of suffering.

Growing up in Chicago meant following a passage of right, from father to son and generation to generation: the Chicago Cubs.  For my father and many of his friends, the Chicago Cubs was time at the old ballpark ‘Wrigley Field.’  There in the glittering rays of daytime baseball, a cup of beer, a Vienna Beef Chicago-style hot dog and bag of peanuts were temporary fulfillment in the aura of continual loss.

Suffering indeed, they did. In later years, this tradition would become the mockery of the National League or as Steve Goodman would phrase, “…doormat of the National League.”  Mr. Goodman also wrote “Go, Cubs, Go” out of spite after then GM Dallas Green called “A Dying Cub Fan’s Last Request” too depressing.  Seriously Mr. Green, read point #1 of the Cubs Four Noble Truths.

According to legend, the Cubs fan suffering all began when Curse of the Billy Goat was allegedly laid upon the Cubs because P.K. Wrigley ejected Billy Sianis, who had come with two box seat tickets, one for him and one for his goat. Upon his ejection, Mr. Sianis uttered, “The Cubs, they ain’t gonna win no more.”  And true to the curse, the Cubs have failed to win, consistently blowing or choking away many potential opportunities.

But being the true Buddhist, if Cubs fans every can control our body and mind instead of repeatedly asking why Carlos Marmol makes almost $10 million dollars a year to lose games and generating wisdom in our own mind, we can end our suffering and problems. To do this, we must follow the Cubs Seven-fold Noble Path.

The  Cubs fan Seven-fold Noble Path is summarized as correct attitude and actions:

1. Correct thought: avoiding covetousness, the Cubs fan must wish to not harm others by throwing beer and paper cups at opposing players and holding wrong views (like thinking: the Cubs will actually win, etc.)
2. Correct speech: avoid lying by stating you had a good time at Wrigley Field and believe the Cubs have the ability to get into the playoffs.
3. Correct actions: avoid strangling the Cubs stress ball at your office when listening to a Cubs game on television.
4. Correct livelihood: try to make a correct livelihood with the above attitude of thought, speech and actions by not listening to or  watching any Cubs game.
5. Correct understanding: developing genuine wisdom, that all Cubs fans are similar to Job (that is the Biblical Job), God is testing your honor.
6. Correct mindfulness: try to be aware of the “here and now”, instead of dreaming in the “there and then.” Do not dream of the World Series. Remember here and now.
7. Correct concentration: to keep a steady, calm and attentive state of mind in all Cubs losses.

And if you think you have it bad, remember Dale Sveum. In my opinion, for Mr. Sveum, it has to truly suck.

Peace.

The last two days have been a wave of emotions.

My meditation has become stronger. And in becoming stronger, I found stronger and deeper emotions held within my psyche.  As a kid, I was molested. Also, I had to watch my brother receive the favoritism of my father and mother. What is important to understand about this ‘favoring’ has nothing to do with love. It is quite simply the raw truth that there will always be people in this world, whether related or otherwise, that you mesh with more easily. Sometimes, these people you mesh better with, or against – are your very own children.

Still as many know, the consequences of favoritism toward my brother were mostly bad. I say without hesitation, I experienced more depression, lower self-esteem, and poorer academic performance. These repercussions are far more extreme than any benefits the favored children get out of it (negative things just have a stronger impact on people than positive things). Unlike some, I do not resent my brother but rather I now understand the problems he had to face. I am sure he had his own struggles.

In my adult years, money was always a big issue for me.  While I have for the most part had outstanding jobs, I had had several years of rough periods where I purchased many things I should not have. Every new iPod version, every new cell phone, every new computer, tablet or otherwise, I bought. Something inside me pushed me and no matter how hard I tried to control the urge, the feeling of buying came forth and annihilated my life in the moment.

Thus, over the last several days I have been meditating – going back to the child of my. I met my former self, who was left behind to deal with the pain of childhood. Whose self-image was so low, he could only make his presence known through havoc. He bought things, because when his brother purchased things, he was honored. When his brother had friends, he was honored. Yet for me, when I bought things, I was rebutted, told not good enough or simply ‘ok.’

Finding my way around in an adult world where one is honored for his ‘toys’ was very damaging. I found that while I still bought things, I was never truly liked as others would see fit. I remember once in a California store I spoke, “If I buy this, then they will like me.” They never did. And they never will.

Through meditation, I have learned to understand the child left in the past. I went back, not to kill this child, but to hold comfort and integrate this child into my current life. My thought was to not leave him behind. I needed to embrace him, coax and cajole him into the present life.  There is a saying; “Nature creates the body of a man while the parents shape the habit and conduct of a child.” The body of a child is a product of all the things given by the parents. As for the mind or habit, it is a product of the training by the parents as well.

Painters by trade know that a freshly painted canvass remains wet and they do not allow anything or anybody to touch it because anything sticking to the surface will’ simply stay there and can never be taken off. The same is true for the children who have innocent ability; they will easily absorb anything. After it was absorbed it would just stay there for a long time and it, may be harmful to the children in the future.

Each of us may choose to follow either one to suit our needs as a householder or a lay person. There is the Dhamma especially for ordinary people such as those that teach us to have the right belief, reasonable belief, i.e., to be honest, to be tolerant, to have self-control, and to have generosity. The four virtues are needed and they are important for lay people in general because a group of people if they stay together and have no honesty among one another, then they will be suspicious of one another.

My inner child may always be untrustworthy, but I am up to the challenge.

Over the last several days, I have been focusing on the mantra ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’ in both a walking meditation and lotus meditation.

Using Om Mani Padme Hum is similar to a mantra meditation. Mantras are words that are chanted loudly during meditation. It may seem odd to be making loud noises during a meditation session, but it’s actually the sounds that become the object being focused on. In yoga, the mantra Om is regularly used since it delivers a deep vibration that makes it easy for the mind to concentrate on that particular sound.

In walking meditation I use the experience of walking as my focus. I become mindful of my personal experience while walking and keep an awareness involved with the experience of walking. But I have incorporated the Om Mani Padme Hum mantra as I walk.

There isn’t much difference between Christian and Buddhist meditation. Unlike eastern meditations, most styles of Christian meditations do not rely on the repeated use of mantras, but are intended to stimulate thought and deepen meaning. Christian meditation aims to heighten the personal relationship based on the love of God.

One form of Christian meditation that has been used by believers since at least the fourth century AD is the lectio divina. It has been traditionally used in monastic religious orders and is enjoying resurgence today. Lectio divina means “sacred reading” and has four stages: lectio (reading), meditatio (discursive meditation), oratio (affective prayer), and contemplatio (contemplation). In the lectio (reading) stage, one finds a passage and reads it deliberately. The next stage, meditatio (discursive meditation), is where one ponders the text. In the oratio (effective prayer) stage, one talks to God about the reading, asking Him to reveal the truth. In the final, contemplatio (contemplation) stage, one simply rests in the Lord’s presence.

In my walking meditation, I have found some spiritually inspired representations of nature: the beauty of flowers and the depth of blue in nature’s sky is so visible and deep.  I shared and tasted the ever-changing color of clouds and sky, the immense quality of birds as they sung during their day and crisp fresh smell of the earth’s wind. It has been truly amazing and wonderful. I felt very interconnected.

In either form of meditation, one can explore life and love, the mystery of the World and Nature, particularly the elements, the seasons, and the spiritual forces in nature and man’s relation to them. In these meditations one can feel soul-experiences and the very thin veil that separates the visible from invisible.

Please continue to meditate on your walk of love and life.

Over the last couple of days, I have been practicing the proper accentuation of the mantra ‘Om Mani Padme Hum.’

When I was first instructed in transcendental meditation in 1997, my personal mantra was given to me by my instructor. At first I thought it was very cool to know all the ‘internal wisdom’ which guided the instructor to pronounce and give one’s personal mantra. But with time, I learned it was more based upon one’s age versus handed from some guiding spirit.  Thus, my age at time sort of determined the mantra.

Over the years, I have principally used that personal mantra. But over the past year or so, I have experienced mediation periods when I used no mantra to experimenting with ‘Ahimsa’ (meaning do no harm) to Om Mani Padme Hum.

The Mani mantra is the most widely used of all Buddhist mantras, and open to anyone who feels inspired to practice it and does not require prior initiation by a lama (meditation master).

Reading from left to right the syllables are:

Sanskrit

 Tibet

It is said that all the teachings of the Buddha are contained in this mantra: Om Mani Padme Hum. However, Om Mani Padme Hum cannot really be translated into a simple phrase or sentence. Still, the 14^th Dalai Lama did state:

‘Om’ symbolizes the practitioner’s impure body and pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha

‘Mani’ symbolizes the method, the intention to become enlightened, compassion, and love

‘Padme’ meaning lotus, symbolize wisdom

‘Hum’ is indivisible unity of method and wisdom

May you always find unity of Buddha’s method and wisdom.

Re-thinking the Junior Seau suicide over the weekend, I did just a little research.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (i.e., CDC), there are some alarming statistics. Of the 36,909 suicides in 2008, over 18,000 ended by a firearm.  Strikingly more important, emergency rooms across America saw 666,000 patients for some sort of intentional self-inflicted injury.  I do not want to diminish those who passed in any respect, but 666,000 emergency room visits due to some sort of self-inflicted injury! The question is why?

When I was a child, I self-inflicted injuries to myself on several occasions.  I was in that 1% of the population used physical self-injury as a way of dealing with overwhelming feelings or situations often using it to speak when no words would come.  For me, self-harm was a way of expressing and dealing with deep distress and emotional pain. As counterintuitive as it may sound to those on the outside, hurting myself made me feel better. But for many, injuring yourself is the only way you know how to cope with feelings like sadness, self-loathing, emptiness, guilt, and rage.

I have long past the days of my youth when I felt the need to self-inflict any pain.  But what I learned over the years is that life is at the very least, full of suffering.  Of course it can easily be argued that suffering is an inevitable aspect of life. If I have senses, I can feel pain; if I have feelings, I can feel distress; if I have a capacity for love, I will have the capacity for grief. Such is life.

‘Duhkha,’ is the Sanskrit word for suffering, is also translated as stress, anguish, and imperfection. Buddha wanted us to understand suffering as a foundation for improvement. One key to understanding suffering is understanding anitya, which means that all things, including living things, our loved ones, and ourselves, are impermanent. Another key concept is anatman, which means that all things — even we — have no “soul” or eternal substance.

With no substance, nothing stands alone, and no one has a separate existence.  My point is this; we are all interconnected, not just with our human world, but with the universe. Personally, I wear no paths for the footsteps of another, unless you are personally endangered, I will not interfere in your life. We are all linked by our souls. If one endangers themselves, then one endangers all.  Thus, if you feel the depth loneliness, you are not alone, I feel it too. We are in it together and all of us are willing to assist you, help you. And together, we can make it through the rain.

Remember, the mind, the body, the spirit are one. When the body expresses the desires of the mind and the spirit, then the body is in tune with nature. The act is pure. And there is no shame. You have no shame in my eyes.

Impermanence also has its correlate in the concept of being-towards-death. Our peculiar position of being mortal and being aware of it is a major source of anxiety, but is also what makes our lives, and the choices we make, meaningful. Time becomes important only when there is only so much of it. Doing the right thing and loving someone only has meaning when you don’t have an eternity to work with.

If you are in pain, reach to us. We, your community, can help you. My goal is to prevent any loss. For a tree falling in the forest, may make no sound, yet it still falls.