Resolutions

Don't make resolutions for what you hope you WILL do. Rather, make resolutions for things you hope NOT to do.
Example:
I will not be bossy.
I will not be selfish.
I will not be lazy.
Etc.

Live in the moment

As for people and affairs of the contemporary world,
they hold no attraction for me...
So I close my gate, shut my door, hum poems
and sing songs to myself.
 ----Yoshishige No Yatsutane

There is something to be said for an ascetic life. For myself, being involved in this moment's world is a gift and a revelatory joy. What diversity, what availability of history and knowledge we have at our fingertips. Don't just shop for entertainment, plan for a learning adventure. Would that the entire world population have access to the technology which affords the few with such wondrous experiences. Radio, TV, Internet - RTI - the tools for immediate and expansive growth.

Freedom

Know who you are,
Understand your inner nature,
Become conscious of this infinite nature
     within yourself.
Then you will break free of burdens.
              --  --  Swami Vivekananda (paraphrased)

The Dance of Life

If all beings are Buddha -
why all this striving?
     - Dogen

Ah, the drama of Life - yes, we are all "Buddha", we are all "God". So why all the drama? Ay, there's the rub! The interchange of life and death, of struggling, of the experiencing of joy and sorrow, pain and pleasure, beauty and horror. love and hatred, faith and unfaith - this is what makes the world go 'round. And for what? The Dance of Life is God's raison d'etre.

Shine on!

 “Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.” -- Bruce Lee

Every individual exists as a unique creation to fill a specific space in a particular time. Not everyone is created to be a superstar, but all are created to be stars in themselves, to shine the light of God through their particular life. Be true to your Self, and your self will fulfill its purpose and will know bliss.

Everything has purpose.

However fickle I seem,
my heart is never unfaithful;
Out of the slime itself,
spotless the lotus grows.
                  - Japanese folk song

Integrity

Life and death are important.
Don't suffer them in vain. - Bodhidharma

Liberation

When you are born,
        you cry,
and the world rejoices.

When you die,
     the world cries,
and you rejoice in your liberation.
       : Buddhist teaching.

We fight to stay in this dimension, but can't wait to leave it for a "better place", which we say the departed are in:  "He is at peace. He's in a better place."  Then why do we fight so hard to stay here? Why is THIS dimension so coveted? This is only one dimension within many. This is only one material, bodily experience among many.  Our hard-wired instincts keep us "here", living, working, creating, believing in the integrity of this world's reality. But deep within us is the yearning to return Home, back to the reality we live in, in between lives.

An infant cries, and we laugh, because we know that suffering is part of this life.
A holy man laughs, because he knows that life is temporary, and refuses to fear death.

So don't cry for me when I die. Rejoice with me - I am only returning Home - See you there!!

Post Philatelics

I used to have a full box of letters
and cards by the end  any year.
This year, I have 5.
All the rest is somewhere in
some cloud, somewhere.
No wonder the Post Office
is in dire straits.

Angels of Mercy

"Most people don't know there are angels 
whose only job is to make sure 
you don't get too comfortable & fall asleep 
& miss your life." 
                                        Brian Andreas, "Still Mostly True"

Words of Comfort

"There are days
I drop words
of comfort on
myself like
       falling
            leaves
                     & remember
                     that it is
                     enough to be
                     taken care of
                     by my self."
                                            Brian Andreas, Still Mostly True

It is snowing......

It is snowing this morning.

White,
Gently falling,
White,
Piling lightly,
White,
Covering all the grime of life,
White,
Quiet, mute,
White,
Cold, frozen drops of water,
White,
A child's playground,
White,
Why do I even need to shovel it?

Ancient Aliens

I have always been a fan of the  Ancient Alien theories, that throughout human history intelligent life from other worlds have visited our planet and have influenced the development, the evolution of human life on Earth. But lately, I am drawn more to the idea that these encounters may be not so much "extra"terrestrial, as they are "inter"dimensional, or "extra"dimensional, if we use the term to mean that intelligent life travels into our material dimension from another dimension.
After so many centuries of personal experiences, research, contemplation, study and intuition, most humans are still unsure of the relationship of the material dimension with the spiritual dimensions. Yet, we are taught by many intuitives that spiritual dimensions "outside" of this dimension exist, and that "spiritual" commucation (interdimensional communication) is a real part of human experience.
What if, thousands of years ago, intelligent life from another dimension had the means to enter into this material dimension, along with abilities to manipulate matter in ways our ancestors could only think of as "magic"? That could certainly explain so many anomalies, including how the massive monuments dotting the entire world  were built 10-20,000 years ago.
We are spiritual beings living in material bodies. The energy of our souls exists naturally in another dimension, and we are intimately "connected" to the material body to experience this material dimension. I liken this to the "Matrix" effect (ref. the movies). Our perspecitve on Angels and "ghosts" (manifesting spirits) would have to be rethought. We "know" we are connected to another dimension (we like to call it a 'spritual') dimension, but at this point we cannot prove it scientifically. But I predict a breakthrough is about to be made, a real connection leading to a confirmation of  belief which will put to rest the spiritual/material debate.
We call this Earth experience "material". We like to call the world we come from (for souls exist first in a "home" world) and the world we reenter after the material body disfunctions, "spiritual". Let's start thinking of reality in less controverted terms, and stop fighting over the terminology. We exist in many dimensions. Let's reach out and touch them, for real. We are all connected, interdimensionally. Come home.