Impermanence

I figure Impermanence is something you learn or read about in Buddhism 101.  Everything changes, nothing lasts forever, constantly in a state of flux.  Look at Blogger.  For whatever reason they changed the way you post and the font I liked is gone from the drop menu.  Google did the same thing with their personalized news page.  Lots of times a site will revamp its look and piss off loyal users.
On a more serious level, I need to move.  Now, for a bit of a back story, I am an ex-pat.  This means I do not live in the country I was born in.  Very long story short, on a trip I found a small twon I absoloutely loved, and for 6 years I fought and tried and finally found an opportunity to move.  I love the town I live in.  Oh but for impermanence.  I found a woman I love, she had 3 kids from her forst marriage.  I raise them as if they were my own.  Some time last year, we suffered a miscarriage.  With the follow up tests and all we discovered the cause: cancer of the uterus.  They kept doing more and more tests and also found out she has leukemia.  Her sister lives in a much larger city, in fact the best hospital in South America for leukemia is in that city.  So off she went with the kids to be with her sister and start treatment.  I had to stay behind to finish up some work contracts.  Next week I will finally be moving to be with them.
With all this, you can see impermanence: a baby died, her health is seriously affected, I need to pick up sticks and move to a city where I have no contacts, no friends, no knowledge of anything.  Impermanence can be big or little, but it can't be ignored.

Wicked Bizzaro Buddhist Stuff

Kyle, The Reformed Buddhist has a weird video posted about some crazy ritual in Thailand.  I thought I'd play along and raise the stakes.  The really wicked weird stuff starts at the 1:30 mark.

He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy

First off, I wish Blogger would stop messing with the layout, I mean I really liked the Lucinda Grande font and now it's gone. Impermanence, I guess.  Things happen.  Screws fall out all the time, the world is an imperfect place.  (a pat on the back and a 'Man are you old' if you know what movie I took that line from)  Anyways, on those days when nothing goes right, I think of this.  Feel free to sing along, lyrics are included.







Now, why THAT particular song?  Well, I thought it would be fun to include a song that I think has "zen" influence in its lyrics.  
Life's a piece of shit, 
when you look at it
Life's a laugh and death's a joke it's true
You'll see it's all a show
Keep'em laughing as go
Just remember the last laugh is on you

People Who Hate Jesus - Boodists

Ok, before anyone goes googoogaga, this guy is an ACTOR, there is "NO" Billy Bob Neck, and I don't mean that in the Buddhist sense of no self. It's funny as hell though!

I'm back (but I was never really gone)

Shit. Lots of shit happened. But hey, it's life. See, the last few months have been very hectic, more so than usual. My wife was diagnosed with not one but two types of cancer. She moved with the kids to another city for treatment, and I will join them next month. Now, the weird part is I haven't gotten upset or bitter. Nothing. I just shrugged my shoulders and said "meh. Shit happens. People get cancer every day, so why not us." I dunno why, but that was my reaction. So I wonder about what some people say as a criticism of Zen and Buddhism, that it makes people detached robots. Now I know that is an "extreme", but I can see where it comes from. Of course I am worried, but I am also accepting the facts. Getting all hot and bothered aint gonna cure her, so why go through it. In a podcast I once heard a tale where this woman who lost her son went to the Buddha and asked him to bring back her son to life. Buddha says "OK. I will bring your son back to life if you can bring me some mustard seeds from a household that has never experienced the pain of death." The woman goes out and soon enough finds out that there is no household that has never experienced the pain of death. Now, I could give a shit either way if the story is true, the message is what is important. So, when the inevitable happens, I just need to accept it as a part of life, and try and explain it to the kids as best I can. Thats all I got time for, but I hope to post again soon.

Zen and the Art of Shaving

There are some “Whiny Zen Purists” (I’ll refer to them as WZPs) out there who get all bent out of shape any time a book comes out with “Zen and the Art of ...” blablabla this that and the other in the title. F’em if they can’t take a joke. Most of the titles are tongue in cheek. There are others though who think comments and statements like Zen and the Art of whatever lessens or cheapens Zen. The way I see it, Zen IS everywhere. If your not Zen about wiping your ass after you take a dump, you can’t incorporate it into other “more important” aspects of your life either. BTW, I personally think wiping your ass is very important, but I am using it here as an example to balance it with “more important things” like maybe an air traffic controller guiding in an Airbus full of passengers. WZPs like to get all huffy about labels and comparing too. Like I said, both are equally important, but if you are an ATC and you need to rush out of the crapper because your shift is starting, please by all means, a quick once over with toilet paper and no looking for chunks stuck to the hairs on your ass is fine with me.

I never had much facial hair. I can get by with shaving every other day, even stretch it to 2 or 3 days before I need to go at it with a razor. Still, I like to use one of those old style razors, the kind you unscrew at the base and the top opens up and you need to put it the blade. In fact I use my grandfathers razor (it has held up remarkably, they just don’t make things like the used to). Now, when I shave, I REALLY need to be in the moment, more so than if I used one of those new Gillette’s with 8 rows of blades balanced on suspension springs that move to the shape of my face. I am not shaving to get on with the rest of my daily routine, I am shaving to shave. Thich Nhat Hanh touches on this in his book The Miracle of Mindfulness. He says “wash the dishes, to wash the dishes” and uses that analogy to incorporate mindfulness into daily life. When I wet the brush, I need to be aware I am wetting the brush. When I am applying the cream and scrubbing it onto my face, I need to be aware before I get an eyeful, mouthful, or nose full of cream. And when I start shaving I really need to be aware of everything before I slice a jugular or nick myself in a painful way. I need to take care as I run the blade on my neck, around the chin, towards the back near my jaw. If I just run the blade quickly without much care or thought it can be painful, even serious. Being in the moment, being conscious of the task at hand, isn’t that what we strive for?

So, yes, I believe there is Zen and the Art of Shaving and Zen and the Art of Wiping Your Ass, and Zen and the Art of Screwing the Daylights Out of Your Lover. As long as you are doing it with mindfulness, it qualifies. Regardless of what the WZPs think.

A bit of an intro..

Ok so I got a blog, woohoo. Ain't much of an accomplishment these days. I'm just gonna write about what ever I feel like. Some of it is sure to piss people off. My views aren't like much of what is on the web with "Buddhist" type blogs. Nice people, loopy world views and opinions. Save the whales, eat granola, and hold hands sing Kumbaya, that ain't me. But, I am on a quest with myself, so I guess thats what I will try to write about. My father would ask me what I wanted to do with my life and I would answer I just want to be the best me I can be.

What do I know about Zen and Buddhism? Not much more than your average Westerner. I've read a lot. I've listened a lot. I've asked a lot. The only thing I learned is this: If you think you got "IT", that ain't it buddy..

First Post, Hello World

I just set this blog up for fun. I have tried to study Zen Buddhism for quite some time with varying degrees of success. I have found helpful (and not so helpful) people and info on the web and figured I would throw my hat into the ring as well. I figured I would start at the beginging. My very first introduction to Buddhism was through the TV show Kung Fu and thought this might be an approporiate time to show the classis exchange between Master and Student. Master Po, who is blind, presents awareness to his pupil, and how it can be used to notice all things.