The Burden of Workplace Gossip

Among the most challenging parts of any practice is living what you say you believe in, especially given that most of us do not operate in isolation from the rest of the world by living in a monastery. Most workplaces are rife with the "opportunity" to speak poorly of other individuals (gossip), an act which is clearly not part of any "right action," but is also something that most (including myself) have occasionally participated in. (Here, I am considering conversing as an action, though it is also inherently results in "speech.") Whether discussing someone else's work ethic or fashion sense behind their backs, or simply commenting on what they eat, the gateways to speaking ill of others are prevalent in any workplace.


Even when one (okay, "I") am aware that I am doing so, and despite consciously believing I am putting forth effort to resist, it is often to easy to succumb to the allure of contributing to gossip. This is not to say that the act of criticism is of some damning nature, but ANY gossip goes against the idea of "right action," simply because it is harmful to the character and person hood of another.

Once I recognize the error of my ways I will often acknowledge my personal wrong-doing and seek to make-up for it somehow either by apologizing or seeking to dispel the negativity I have cast on some through a positive act. Sometimes, though, I can't shake the feeling of having done wrong. But, I can't live in the past as it only serves to keep me from being in the present.

The traditional Buddhist story, "The Burden," illustrates the impact of not letting go. It is also a personal favorite:

Two monks were returning to the monastery in the evening. It had rained and there were puddles of water on the road sides. At one place a beautiful young woman was standing unable to walk across because of a puddle of water. The elder of the two monks went up to a her lifted her in his arms and left her on the other side of the road, and continued his way to the monastery.

In the evening the younger monk came to the elder monk and said, "Sir, as monks, we cannot touch a woman?"

The elder monk answered, "Yes, brother."

Then the younger monk asks again, "But, then Sir, how is that you lifted that woman on the roadside?"

The elder monk smiled at him and told him, "I left her on the other side of the road, but you are still carrying her."

Of course, "letting go" should not be interpreted as "it's okay to act wrongly, just 'forget' about it and all is well." The art of letting go is not about absolution or acceptance of wrong, but rather part of the larger, complicated picture of attempting to live rightly. Naturally, it is better to learn from past issues, make stronger choices regarding behavior in the future, ultimately resulting in the strength to avoid workplace gossip entirely.

Run: 8.1 miles in ≈66 min. @ 5:35 a.m.

Weather: Foggy, 70°F, 100% Humidity, Wind: From SW @ 4 mph; feels like 70°F.
Course: 8 Mile Loop found on USATF Map It!
Pace: ≈8:08 min/mile
Effort: 4 out of 5
How did I feel? Good (again)!
Gear: Amphipod RunLite Trail Runner

I have been using The Weather Channel's website to log the conditions during each run, walk or bicycling ride for 2+ years, and it was only this morning that I noticed realized that there is a "Fitness Weather" app which offers suggestions regarding appropriate attire for those (like moi) engaging in fitness activities (like running... duh!).

Another second consecutive soupy, foggy morning run, this time into the east side of the city touching on the suburbs of Penfield and Brighton--Nearly every time I run this area, regardless of how many reflective items I wear, or how closely I hug the gutter, I nearly get side swiped and thrown the one-fingered salute (not a thumbs-up!) or two. In an effort to practice what I study, to "see those who are ill-mannered as teachers," I continue to be thankful to be "learning" quite a bit I had not expected to! :)

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Book Clubbin': Reading Pictures

As mentioned yesterday, I have begun participating in an online book club with The Meditator's Workbook via the Tricycle Community. Prior to sitting this morning, I reviewed the meditation instructions included in what I had previously read, roughly Chapters 1-5. The type of meditative practice explained in this book is "insight meditation," and is a slightly different meditative practice than that which I had been working in over the past five months.

Leafing back through the chapters in an effort to remind myself of suggested guided practice (primarily visualization), it occurred to me again how lovely the drawings accompanying the start of each chapter (each chapter is grouped as one of the individual ten "Stages of the Journey") are. These ten stages when depicted in illustrations are more commonly referred to as "The Ten Oxherding Pictures". Representative of many examples of Chinese woodcut art (like the one above), each illustration depicts what one can expect to encounter along a meditative journey towards awareness--a sort of illustrative model of the path to "enlightenment."

If you are like me, sometimes when studying new concepts or ideas, the use of illustrations or graphic depictions assists me in better recalling what was covered. As for the written content of the chapters, I find myself warming up to the practice despite my initial apprehension so am looking forward to enhancing my current practice with the suggestions in Mr. Flicktein's book and following the reactions of others online.

The Karmic Weight of Comic Book Collecting

Despite a longstanding desire to cut back on the number of comic books graphic novellas COMIC BOOKS(!) I currently purchase during any given week, I haven't failed to do so in a way that saves any money. As I (begrudgingly) reduce the actual titles I collect, the cost continues to increase (some are #3.99 an issue!), so the amount of money spent has actually gone up as the booty brought home has decreased.

This hobby addiction will very likely be my karmic downfall because, try as I might--and this does require discipline--it has proven very challenging for this American-otaku to completely eliminate this particular "attachment."

Pictured to the left are just a few of the piles of comic books I have been stacking since May, that are now in need of "bagging and backboarding" for storage in my long boxes. "Bagging and backboarding" is the common collector's practice of placing comic books in sized "plastic bags" with specially sized cardboard backing for the purposes of storage and maintaining each individual book's spine and overall condition.

This "process" (made unnecessarily drawn out due to my reading and re-reading specific titles as I "b and b" them) of organizing and storing my "books" is one which I will spend some quality time on this weekend... in addition to meditating briefly on the inherent nuttiness of it all!

Newsflash: MCA Stayin' Strong

"If others disrespect me or give me flack,
I'll stop and think before I react.
Knowing that they're going through insecure stages,
I'll take the opportunity to exercise patience.
I'll see it as a chance to help the other person,
Nip it in the bud before it can worsen."
~from "Bodhisattva Vow," by the Beastie Boys

Yesterday's "entertainment" news included the revelation that Adam Yauch (aka "MCA") of the Beatsie Boys he is being treated for a cancerous tumor in a salivary gland. The announcement was made by Yauch on Youtube via a video statement to fans.

“The good news is that they did scans of my whole body and it’s only localized in this one area and it’s not in a place that affects my voice,” Yauch says. “So, that’s nice. That’s convenient.”

The cancer is in his left parotid gland and “also in a lymph node right in that area,” he says. Yauch will likely undergo surgery next week and radiation treatments afterward, he says.

As well as being a musician, movie producer and director, MCA (a practicing Buddhist)is also actively involved with the Free Tibet movement, an organisation created to put pressure on the People's Republic of China to respect human rights in Tibet. Funds for the cause were also generated from the royalties to Buddhist-inspired Beasties tracks like "Bodhisattva Vow," a fan video of which is posted above.

Best wishes, MCA.

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Deal Me In and Then Out

4.
Breathing in, I know I am alive.
Breathing out, I feel the joy of being alive.
(alive, joy of being alive)

Today during my "lunch" I word-processed some more cards for inclusion in my "dharma deck" (my homemade collection of index cards--pictured to the right--of poems, gathas, and sutras that I carry in my back pack or at work--in my front shirt pocket). Of late, I have also been using them as a "script" of sorts as I prepare for meditation. I have a difficult time memorizing lines cold, though after a few months(!), I have begun to pick up on the sutras I use most frequently in setting my meditative "mode." They are also useful in reminding myself to be more conscientious and aware of these good things that I come across... and to avoid the negative thoughts and ideas that come to my mind throughout the day.

The recent additions I made today come from the book Breathe You Are Alive!, subtitled "Sutra on the Full Awareness of Being," by Thich Nhat Hanh. Here, along with that at the top of the post is a taste:

1.
Breathing in, I know I am breathing in.
Breathing out, I know I am breathing out.
(in, out)

5.
Breathing in, I know I have the opportunity to
meditate.
Breathing out, I feel happy to have that
opportunity.

There are some more lyrical, sutras included in the book (these are the most basic or initial ones explained), but I haven't really worked my way through these yet--and likely never will--so this seemed a good place to begin...

The Training Week That Was... 5/25-31

It's been a few weeks since my last race, a situation I hope to
resolve next weekend as part of my longer training plan in
anticipation of July Fourth's 50k trail run.
This week's cumulative mileage target represented (by intention) a reduction. Despite this, I did need to deviate slightly from the days resulting in three consecutive days of nearly ten mile runs, all of which I did manage to complete with little trouble. This coming week will feature a very long training run on Saturday (22 miles!), to be followed by my participation in a trail race (either 4.5 or 9 mile trail run depending on how the previous day goes) in over a month. Remarkably, I remain on target to run a trail ultra-marathon (50k or 33-ish miles) as p0art of the Finger Lakes Fifties over the Fourth of July weekend, only about four weeks away!

Here is what took place this past week:

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 5.2 miles
Wednesday & Thursday: Rest
Friday: 9.7 miles
Saturday: 10.5 miles
Sunday: 11.1 miles

TOTAL MILEAGE: R 36.5 miles (-11.1 miles from the previous week)
Weigh-In*: 187.5 lbs. (-4.5 lbs.) [* @ 5:30 a.m. on 6/1/09]

Although I was not nearly as successful in meeting my committed to the mindful eating practice I had planned to begin in earnest this past week, my more conscientious effort did result (I believe) in a 4.5 lb. drop in my weight. It occurs to me that it has not been so much about limiting what I eat, but about portion control and eating more completely when I do. They key here will be to remain consistent and plan for my weight to either maintain or drop slightly over the next week, thereby avoiding another "bump up" and allowing the recent roller coaster to continue.

The entire preparation for meeting my personal running goals appears to be rounding into form...

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Hidelly-Ho, Raised Arms Happy Buddha!

As I continue along my ninety day Big Sit experience, I also continue to accrue items for my home altar. As you may recall, I recently acquired one of the more common visitors to many Zen altars, (including my own "homemade" one now), the Red Robe Laughing Buddha (or "RLB"). Yesterday, while on my way home from running errands, I purchased a "friend" for RLB, an individual who is best (and very generically) eponymously described as a 7" Raised Arms Happy Buddha (RAHB). Like many objects or images that have a spiritual value, what he means or is intended to represent often has a number of interpretations.

In fact, the statue I purchased at a local eccentricities store has some unique elements, as well as many familiar ones, with those I was able to track down online. At the very least there are some elements which are common to Chinese statuary that have fairly clear meanings.

The RAHB appears to be widely recognized as representing Chinese monk named Ho Tai (sometimes spelled "Hotei"), but is more commonly referred to by non-Buddhists as “laughing Buddha” or “happy Buddha.” Many believe that he is an incarnation of a Buddha who will appear in the future and might properly called a Bodhisattva. Another online source suggests that the statue represents Hotei, the god of contentment and happiness, one of the seven lucky gods. Perhaps they are one in the same as a Bodhisattva could be thought of as "godlike."

RAHB is usually depicted as the picture exuberant good health with his arms are raised high above his head. In most cases, each of his hands hold a legendary Peach of Immortality, though in the piece I have his hands are empty. A rosary is draped around Hotei's neck, highlighted by a lingzhi, the fabeled "fungus of immortality." (This corresponds to the plant Polyporus lucidus, a woody fungus usually dark in color with a lacquer-like sheen.) This lingzhi motif is found in every medium of Chinese art, and is a wish-fulfilling as well as a longevity symbol. Hotei's robe is meticulously etched with knot patterns, representing prosperity.

Even without the Peaches of Immortality, Hotei is a welcome addition to my altar...

Sitting Day 36, Incense

By offering incense we create the cause always to experience pleasant smells and never to be reborn in unpleasant places. We also create the cause to keep pure moral discipline and attain pure concentration.

Today, the thirty-sixth of the Tricycle's 90-day Big Sit, I continue to tinker with my morning practice. Each morning, prior to sitting down to meditate, I bow to both the chair/pillow and to the altar, then light both a white scent free candle and a single stick of incense standing in a small circular incense holder with the image of a lotus raised on its surface.

Just yesterday, after lighting the first stick of my third packet of incense, I actually had the (for me) unique experience of having a stick burn during the entire fifteen minute session (and very fragrantly I might add). I actually had to "butt" it out and saved it for the next mornings session.

The fact that the incense (at least this particular stick) remained lit and aromatic during the entire duration definitely helped me to maintain a higher level of concentration... why, I am not exactly sure. This pack of Sandalwood is from the same producer as the first packet I purchased three(!) weeks ago, but those sticks would generally burn out five to eight minutes after being lit, while generating very little aroma.

I hope the remaining fourteen sticks being me as much aromatic pleasure and focus as the first...

Breathe in, breathe out... YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Howdy, Red Laughing Buddha!

Some standard Zen artifacts or statures have become so common that many (including myself) have lost sight of what significance they are intended to communicate... if any. Perhaps the most common visitor to many Zen altars, including my own "homemade" one, the Red Robe Laughing Buddha (or "RLB"). RLB is depicted standing on gold treasure coins, and wearing the Red Robe. He overcomes sadness, obstacles and provides one with a smooth ride and happiness throughout the year--as opposed to sorrowness.

As pictured to the right above, RLB is often shown carrying a gold ingot in his left hand and large Chinese coins in his right to signify great cashflow and income. Behind him is a large wealth bag containing treasures. He also has peaches (recognized as "the fruit of immortality") and the calabash that helps to keep sickness at bay and enhance one's health. Around his neck are the mala bead that would dissipate all negativities. Along with the mala beads, there is a special jewel that would bring you good luck.

The Laughing Buddha brings happiness, riches and wealth into homes and especially depicted in... (wait for it...) RED.

Breathe in, breathe out... YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Sitting, Day 17

"A student asked Soen Nakagawa during a meditation retreat, "I am very discouraged. What should I do?"
Soen replied, "Encourage others."~from Essential Zen

Amazingly, today is the seventeenth of the Tricycle's Big Sit. Though it seems to have gone by quickly, I have been sitting each morning for fifteen minutes. Honestly, the sitting has been the "easy" part. An element of participating in the "challenge" is the completion of a "vow," really a form created by Reverend Jo-An Alan Tibbetts at Enkyo Roshi’s Village Zendo in New York City. The purpose of the vow is to act in support of this "ango," and includes sentence stems with which you can include personal goals for mind, body and spirit. (As a practical matter, I have taken to reading each morning before I sit.as a way of making the experience more intentional.)

When I said the sitting was "easy," make no mistake that the act and focus is not easy in the sense that it is simple to accomplish, but rather, that in comparison to some of the commitments I wrote in my vow, the relative ease of the very hard physical act of sitting is pale next to the difficulties I experience meeting some aspects of my vow.

One part, in particular, is wherein I say to myself that "I will honor my body by bidding adieu to a bad habit." As challenging as it is to break myself of habits which are detrimental to my physical person, and therefore prohibit me from displaying "right action," it is the sense of shame I feel at this failure, at not achieving what I have set out to do or, worse yet, achieving for days or weeks, then backsliding.

When I do break my vow, or promise, I once again reaffirm my desire to bid adieu, and hope that through sitting I will discover the strength to avoid those behaviors which draw me from a right path.

Breathe in, breathe out... YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

An Unpleasant Anniversary: 10 Questions for the Dalai Lama (2006)

"All forms of violence, especially war, are totally unacceptable as means to settle disputes between and among nations, groups and persons."~the Dalai Lama

Tuesday, March 10 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the abortive Tibetan revolt against Chinese rule. Though I have little political savvy on the matter with which to "debate" either side, I do have a previously posted review of the 10 Questions for the Dalai Lama (2006) which I would like to (once again) share. It is hard for me to contemplate a more compassionate soul and advocate for peace worldwide, who remains so positive despite the clear atrocity his people and country have faced...

The premise for the documentary was that the film maker, Rick Ray, has been granted an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In an effort to prepare for this interview, Ray tries to better acclimate himself as to who the Dalai Lama is and how he came to establish a government in exile in India. It is the fruits of both the film maker's journey to understanding and his interview that the film ultimately shares with the viewer.

While at first glance the production values may not seem particularly high (this film is not about CGI robots or magic pirate ships, and the cinematography is impressive as Ray's credentials as a travel film maker are readily apparent. Archival footage is interspersed among recent images to better present the histories of both Tibet and the Dalai Lama.

This is likely a film you will need seek out (it was made in 2006 and played in my city for only three weeks in 2007). The Dalai Lama's message of compassion, in the face of the adversity (and violence) he and Tibet have endured, is powerful. Although the world in which he lives and operates may seem very alien and foreign, as it did to me here in River City, his words and actions speak to the clearly universal need for a deeper empathy and understanding.

Breathe in, breathe out... YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Sitting, Day 13

"Some people find incense and pictures of the Buddha to be a threat to their rational spirit. But we most certainly cannot depend solely upon our rationality."~Setting Up Your Home Altar

It is amazing to recognize that I have been working "in" Tricycle magazine’s 90-day Zen Meditation Challenge, Big Sit, for nearly thirteen days now. Though it seems a very small feat, this means that since February 23, I have been waking up a little earlier (4:40 a.m. to be exact) in order to sit for 15 minutes each day.

On the surface, there has been no "struck by lightening moment," but simply cosmetic changes in a developing practice. As I peruse the online community of members working through this exercise, the result people hope for ranges from instantaneous enlightenment to a single moment of peace. Any progress towards the prior ("okay--I sort of 'get it.'"is much greater than the latter("BOOM--here you are!") ... and that's really all I have sought by not seeking.

My slowly developing "altar" has evolved from consisting of an old replica American colonial period shelf and mildly scented candle to the same shelf with a ceramic incense holder, a few pictures and a small red laughing Buddha figurine. Most of these things were purchased at a local shop and the actual presence of these various things in my home, in public, and my having purchased them represents the biggest change. A normally awkward and self-conscious individual about these matters, I have become more comfortable in becoming a consumer and "user" of this paraphernalia to (hopefully) mold a stronger (any!) sitting practice. In doing so, I have attempted to draw meaning from the inclusion of each.

Who knows if this is something I will continue to build into my life after 90 days, but this is a start toward something, right? ... and perhaps that is the larger purpose of this "challenge."

Breathe in, breathe out... YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!!

Sitting Day 5: Altar-ations

As I continue to an effort to follow through on my commitment I am doing my best to stay within the "expectations" (that's the "teacher talk" coming out), part of which is the suggestion that establish both a location or corner in your home that will serve as your identified mediation "spot" that promotes a "spirit of dedication."

An important component of this intentionally, clean and spare corner is an altar. Some recommended accouterments to be placed on the altar (which as a member of the life-long Catholic faith feels odd to write here) are incense, pictures, flowers, and maybe a bowel of water--each for a different reason.

For the first four days of the Big Sit I have set up a very simple altar made using a colonial American style bench that my wife had used in the living room of her previous (pre-marital) home. Unable to find incense (without going to a "head shop," a place that would make me extremely uncomfortable) I purchased a lightly scented candle. I had attempted to find some pictures of a Bodhisattva or teacher from he Zen lineage to place on the altar--not to be prayed TO but to reflection on as an example--but unable to do so I placed a picture of the Dalia Llama I had in an old magazine. That was it, for now.

Early this morning before work I stopped at a supermarket for some yogurt for lunch and noticed a medium sized wooden bowl for sale at an inexpensive price, so purchased it. Following school I drove by a local poster shop which was open (it hadn't been earlier in the week) and went in to look around with only the $2.10 I had been able to scrounge up in my car. I though maybe I'd find a single postcard or picture I could place on the altar with the bowl of water. Luckily, I did indeed find two postcards (total price, $2.05) which I bought , placed carefully in my jacket (it was raining out) and headed the remainder of my way home.

I must confess to an odd feeling of satisfaction and anticipation as I placed these objects on the altar and began to consider a sit...

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

"Sit On It"?

"Cunningham, with that Howdy Doody face,
you can only be so tough. But I'll tell you something.
Now, with a little practice, there's always hope."~The Fonz
While my Catholic upbringing (and love of beads and beer) are reminding me subconsciously that this week marks the start of the Lenten season with both Fat Tuesday and Ash Wednesday, my e-mail from Tricycle Buddhist Review on-line has prompted me to join The Big Sit, online "course" and practice of zazen--sitting meditation in the Zen tradition. The e-mail invite came with a quote from a practitioner citing his desire to "add more discipline to my (his) practice..." This has been an ongoing challenge for me, as I have continued to read and "study" a number of books on Buddhism, but have been unable to build a steady practice of sitting regularly.

Beginning on February 23rd, the Tricycle Community will launch "The Big Sit," a 90-day Zen meditation challenge. While I heave read a number of different books and articles related to more than one subset of Buddhist practice (primarily Tibetan and Zen Buddhism, I currently would best categorize myself as a "non-denominational" explorer of sorts. The overall goal Buddhism (as a whole philosophy) is personal spiritual development in the larger interest of efficiently help all other sentient beings attain this state is an easy one to "buy into," and like most meaningful lifestyles, a challenge in applying completely. Because I am neither a member of a proper sangha nor a steady-enough "sitter," most would probably call me more of a dabbler.

At any rate, I would appreciate any support or suggestions The Big Sit folks might offer, so I've signed on. Hopefully I will be more diligent in reading the daily prompts or reminders than I currently am with those I already receive from both Tricycle and DailyOm.

Who knows, with "a little practice," the down-home wisdom of Arthur Fonzerelli may yet prove true again!

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Love Without Bias: Meet Garchen Rinpoche

Recently I came across the trailer for a "documentary in progress" about the life and work of Tibetan master yogi Garchen Rinpoche, entitled For The Benefit Of All Beings.

From the brief clip, the film seems very much in the spirit of 10 Questions for the Dalai Lama, a film I reviewed here. For the Benefit... is being produced by filmmaker Christina Lundberg. For the Benefit Of All Beings, is the story of Garchen Rinpoche, a Tibetan monk whose altruism and courage resembles that of many modern pacifist thinkers and activists inlcuding Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, and, most obviously, The Dalai Lama. Drigyun Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

If you're interested, the trailer is available for viewing at either Youtube or at the films website. (The "embedding" option had been removed so I couldn't post it here.)

Journey

"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."~His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Everyone once and a while (and with a greater degree of frequency it would appear) I get on these "kicks" during which I'll invest a lot of energy into immersing myself in a writer, theme or concept. This exercise is often precipitated by events in my life, or the world in general. Of late I have (once again) found myself reading and re-reading a number of different commentators on Eastern theology, in particular Buddhism and even more specifically, Tibetan Buddhism and even more specifically, the Kagyu tradition.

These little mental and spiritual jaunts often take me to "new" and "unique" places which are not as "new" or "unique" as one might imagine.

For example, I have been recently reading a new collection of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's writings entitled In My Own Words: An Introduction to My Teachings and Philosophy. This is the fourth book of his that I have read and my eye was drawn to his explanation of different schools of Tibetan Buddhism when it dawned on me that there exists here in my upstate New York city a number of different Buddhist temples which are "dedicated to the transmission of Buddha's teachings and realization to America and is committed to the support of those who seek to walk the Path together," the White Lotus Society.

My running and cycling frequently take me by this unassuming house and though I consider stopping in, have to this point been too nervous... but reading and studying do not seem enough sometimes, leaving me feeling like a visitor to "the rag and bone shop of the heart" or "culture vulture." Maybe I should just stop in...

Balance and the Yoga Dog

“A dog is not considered a good dog because he is a good barker.
A man is not considered a good man because he is a good talker.”
~Gautama Siddharta,563-483 B.C.

Even on days when I am needlessly anxious (this I know by looking back) Gracie never fails to come and lay on my foot... or leg... or mat, or chest... as a loving (in my mind) reminder that there is always an easier way...

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Ten Minutes from Little Buddha

"To learn is to change. The path to enlightenment is the middle way."

The story of a little American boy believed to possible be the reincarnation of a great Buddhist priest and the Tibetan priests who go to Seattle to find him, I first came across this film about ten(!) years ago (the movie was released in theaters in 1994) when I saw it in a $2.99 used VHS tape bin at the local supermarket.

Since then, my children and I have watched it probably otwo or three times... in fact, while searching through Youtube for clips, one of the boys came up and said, "hey we have that movie!"

Maybe we'll watch it again this weekend...



Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Wyoming Recollection 4: Shift

"The empty blue sky of space says 'All this comes back
to me, then goes again, and comes back again, then goes again,
and I don't care, it still belongs to me'--
The blue sky adds 'Don't call me eternity, call me God
if you like, all of you talkers are in paradise:
the leaf is paradise, the tree stump is paradise,
the paper bag is paradise, the man is paradise,
the sand is paradise, the sea is paradise, the man is paradise,
the fog is paradise.'"~Jack Kerouac

Almost one week removed from our trip to Cheyenne, Wyoming, and already I feel the energy from the experience begin to fade, almost as if any temporary "change" or shift in perspective gained from being briefly part of the big sky land, is currently dissipating due to the congestion of the buildings, traffic, and people... the "it" is still there, I need only embrace the "big-sky-land" within.

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!