Sodaiho

Reply to Fair & Balanced Reporting : David Brooks Considers Sarah Palin Fatal Cancer of the Republican Party in Internet Stardock Forums

[quote]For what charges? The economy isn't in the tank because of Bush or his policies, that is the biggest lie in this campaign.[/quote] Oh for goodness' sake, ID. You have got to be kidding us. Trillions in deficit, an on-going war and war debt, unregulated greed in the marketplace and financial system...hoorey for conservative hands off the free market theory...,only an idiot would argue Bush and his ilk are not responsible for this nightmare. I hold

Another Day in Religion JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Good Morning Everyone, It is early morning. The air is incredibly still. Pete-kitty has joined me on my desk and Tripper is at my feet. Shortly I will leave them for the Zendo, but for now they are wonderful furry company. We have just completed our yearly "Days of Awe" where we open ourselves to a New Year and work hard to examine ourselves and our relationships so th

Reply to OK why is it not dropping??? in US Domestic Stardock Forums

Guys, you just have to look at the P/Ls of the oil companies to see. When a company has billions of dollars in profit that means extra cash over and above every other thing: research, exploration, etc. But, oh yeah, according to some they need every tax break they can get so they will have the money to invest in new technology. Right. Nice research, good article SW, thank you.

Reply to Muslim Americans For Obama in Current Events Stardock Forums

Dear KFC, This article has as much traction as those regarding conservatice Christian pastors politiking for right wing candidates from their pulpits: both are wrong. But it appears no one really cares. But I sense that Muslim Americans for Obama is more your point than anything else, as if its supposed to mean something about Sen. Obama. Muslim Americans are just as much Americans as Christian Americans, Jewish American, or Native American Chu

High Maintenance in Life Journals JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Good Morning Everyone, In the morning, the early morning, the air has a stillness that is just so inviting to the soul. There is a clear sense of the earth having rested, settled, and in the east a rising sense of expectation. Of course these "senses" are not real, they are perceptions of a mind joined with that earth. Perceptions are a funny thing. They come in different sh

Creation in Life Journals JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Good Morning Everyone , Clearly fall is upon us here in southern New Mexico . The early morning sky was seriously overcast as the mountains were nearly hidden in them. Lightning flashed in the pre-dawn. It has rained a coldish, miserable sort of rain and much of the landscape has that gray look tha

Reply to Peace in Life Journals Stardock Forums

[quote]What do we need a brain for if we have already decided that the answer is to watch them die and not invade regardless of the situation?[/quote] Leauki, it is you who are making this a black and white issue. I did not suggest standing by watching anyone die. I do believe we, and the world, had many options other than lethal force. It still does as regards North Korea, Iran, etc. Frankly, I believe if we are going to intervene militarily whenev

Reply to Peace in Life Journals Stardock Forums

The thing is, doing always has many possibilities. Are you suggesting that the only way Saddam could be replaced was to invade Iraq, devestate the country, then allow it to be rebuilt? In the long view, every dictator will die eventually. I do not accept passivity in the face of violence either, but argue that there are almost always other than lethal responses. We must learn to use the brain God granted us. Shalom, my friend.

Reply to Peace in Life Journals Stardock Forums

[quote]It's not tit-for-tat, it's about the type of rule.[/quote] Perhaps this is a stepping off point for a definition of peace. You said peace is not tricky. I say it is. Its the notion of tit-for-tat that causes the trickiness. If we agree that peace is the absence of violence, we only go part way. I can be in complete turmoil and not cause violence outside of myself. True peace is a peace wherein we are not attached to a particular tit or

Clear Mind Zendo in Life Journals JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Good Morning Everyone, Clear Mind Zendo had a crowd last night. Hmmm. Two people, Bobby and John, came up from El Paso, very gracious of them both! And two local students, Rev. Kajo and Colette, were present. My maximum seating is six including myself, so it was a good test of the Zendo to accommodate a "full house" :) This Zendo is intended for Zen students to come an

Peace in Life Journals JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Good Morning Everyone, I woke a little late this morning, passing by my wrist alarm as if it were a pesky fly. So, zazen will come after this missive. It is Wednesday. Today we sit at the peace vigil at 4:30 PM and again in the Zendo at 7:00 PM. For reasons I cannot recall other than the vague sense of family and moving issues, I have not been at the vigils for several weeks now. So, I look forward to

Life As It Is in Life Journals JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Good Morning and L'Shana Tova, Last night was the beginning of the Jewish Days of Awe, the High Holy Days. Judy and I were blessed to be invited to sit at the bimah during the service as we each read parts of the liturgy. I must say, it was a wonderful experience! I wasn't so sure I was going to be able to get through it. My body and mind do not do so well as evening approaches.&n

Moon in a Dew Drop in Life Journals JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Good Morning Everyone, Koans are an interesting form of Zen practice. In the Soto school, we do not use them very much, but there are many Soto teachers who are also trained in the Rinzai sects' methods and use them more extensively. Master Loori of Zen Mountain Monastery in New York state comes to mind. Soto's reluctance to train with koans is not to be taken as dogma. Master Dogen himself was thoroughl

Reply to What to do! in Life Journals Stardock Forums

Such moments really ask us to decide whast words or actions are really necessary and what are gratuitous. Master Nyogen Senzaki refers to this as a sort of "elegant silence". Be well.

Zazen, the Pause that Refreshes in Life Journals JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Good Morning Everyone, Ancient traditions have us practice zazen several times daily. I suppose the old ones, beggars that they were, had little else to do! Today we sit often zazen begrudgingly. We feel as though we steal time from activities or loved ones in order to gather ourselves together in a Zendo just t

What to do! in Life Journals JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Strong Zen: we are now wireless and untethered from a hard-line to the laptops, but one of our phone jacks is inoperable. Thank goodness for wireless, walkaround , phones. So, our bedroom is a maze of wires and blinking lights, but I am able to sit at the desk in the living room and write to you. This was a several day, many co

To Be a Better Person in Life Journals JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Good Morning everyone, Today brings a new day. Fresh with possibility to make ourselves better people in each moment. What is a "better" person? One who is good? What's that? One who cares about others? What's that? Terms like these beg the question of right living. We say better but only understand it dualistically: better than I was, perhaps, or better than others perhaps, or better as oppos

Poor Zen Mice in Life Journals JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Good Morning Everyone. I am reminded of the time I spent at the Zen Center of Las Cruces alone in the mornings. Those were particularly satisfying periods of practice. As was this evening. The new gong is wonderful, small, but deep in sound. And the Mokugyo is really nice! Its sound is deep and so al

Hello! in Life Journals JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Good Morning Everyone, We still have no Internet or telephone at the new house. It seems that the house line is not connected to the rest of the world. I assume this is a temporary setback. It took a lot of Zen to get through that setback. :) Anyway, I have a few changes to make to Clear Mind Zen's weekly schedule. First, the Zendo is open to my formal st

Contemplative Practices in Life Journals JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Good Morning Everyone, Contemplative practice is about connecting with the entire universe, but in an odd sort of way. Without trying to we allow ourselves to identify with everything and then "see" that everything is us. It is our brain that creates a sense of separation through our various sense organs. It is also our brain that creates an identity for these aggregates of perception and sensation. We call this an "I" and our

Late for a Morning Message! in Life Journals JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Good Morning Everyone , As you may know, mornings are probably my favorite time of day. As I write this it is 5:02 AM. I have disturbed the stillness of the morning by setting Robbie our robot sweeper to work, as we as the dish washer. Pepper, Tripper, and Pete-kitty have a

Stillness in Life Journals JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Good Morning Everyone, Talking about our spirituality is like talking about eating ice cream . We must eat our ice cream to truly appreciate it for itself. We must each eat our spirituality and by this I mean, of course, we must each practice. Our practice takes any form a moment has. Moments are infinite. Our practice opportunities are infinite.&

Clear Mind Zen This Week in Life Journals JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Good Morning Everyone, Clear Mind Zen This Week Monday: <span style="font-si

Reply to Good and Evil in Life Journals Stardock Forums

Eh, Zoo, but the sum is larger than the parts, don't ya think? Bows to you

Off the Mountain in Life Journals JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Good Evening Everyone, The gods and My Little Honey seem to be with us as she has managed to get the builder to let us move into our new house before closing. So, I will be off in the morning back to Las Cruces and away from the Refuge. This last three weeks here have been a good experience for me. Interrupted by weekend trips back to the city, my days have been spent for the most part in solitude and meditation. </di