Death and resurrection are ever-present companions along the path of growing up. Everyone grows up against their will. It is like dying. We die to what we want in order to do what needs to be done, and needs us to do it, when, where and how it needs to be done. And we areContinue reading “April 07-B, 2023”
Author Archives: jimwdollar
April 07-A, 2023
What needs to happen right here, right now? That is the question we take with us into every situation as it arises– into each moment in every situation as it arises. Not, “What do I want to happen?” What needs to happen? Wanting/Wants/Desire/Desiring have us where we are. How many of us want to beContinue reading “April 07-A, 2023”
April 06-A, 2023
We are a squirming tangle of presumptions, assumptions, inferences, prejudices, biases, preferences, likes, dislikes, loves, hates, etc., and our seeing/hearing/knowing/doing/being are controlled– or strongly influenced– by these invisible/unconscious/natural/automatic responses to our environment. We do not know why we feel the way we do, and I feel that most of us do not know what weContinue reading “April 06-A, 2023”
April 05-C, 2023
In my dream, I am sitting at a table in a restaurant with a black man, about to order breakfast, and looking forward to our conversation about a movie we are thinking about making, when a white man walks up to our table, making a scene because we are ruining his breakfast by eating togetherContinue reading “April 05-C, 2023”
April 05-B, 2023
There is the plot, and the script, and the narrative, and the context which we are continually trying to impose our plot, script and narrative upon, thinking we are the director when we are only the actor in a plot without a writer, unfolding, ourselves, along with it as the circumstances keep evolving according toContinue reading “April 05-B, 2023”
April 05-A, 2023
When “the world is too much with us late and soon” (Wordsworth), where do we go to recover, regroup, revitalize, revamp, renew? Emptiness, stillness and silence are always right there. A return to silence is always in order. Giving ourselves a time-out can be the best choice available to us in a lot of situations.Continue reading “April 05-A, 2023”
April 04-B, 2023
The difference between good and bad religion is the position each takes on the question, “Whose side is God on?” Bad religion declares, “God is on our side when we love and obey God.” Good religion declares, “Whose side is a rainbow on? God is a rainbow to be relished and enjoyed for the sakeContinue reading “April 04-B, 2023”
April 04-A, 2023
Our circumstances call us forth in response to what is being asked for there. Our relationship to our circumstances ranks in degree of importance equal to our relationship with ourselves and to our relationships with other people. We would do well to do an internal evaluation of our relationships with these three aspects of ourContinue reading “April 04-A, 2023”
April 03-B, 2023
You can’t be against abortion without being for gun control. If you are against gun control you are for killing children of all ages (An 80 year-old man is somebody’s child). Being against gun control is being for killing children, or anybody else the gun owner deems worthy and deserving of death. A gun licenseContinue reading “April 03-B, 2023”
April 03-A, 2023
Thinking about getting/having/achieving/succeeding/etc. misses the point. The old Buddha and the old Taoists knew the point is seeing clearly what’s what and what needs to be done about it in each situation as it arises, no matter what. If we are going to collect something, let it be situations in which we have risen toContinue reading “April 03-A, 2023”
April 02-B, 2023
Our daily practice begins with clearing a space where we can relax and be present with what is present with us. If we can sit still and quiet, fine. If we cannot, fine. We can still ourseves and be quiet in any environment. All it takes is being aware of the environment and of ourContinue reading “April 02-B, 2023”
April 02-A, 2023
The four distractions are: Drugs/Sex/Alcohol/Money. The three disruptions are: Noise/Complexity/Drama. These combine to form the seven enemies of The Way. The Way is simply seeing/hearing/knowing/doing what needs to be done, when/where/how and being one with our original nature, our innate virtues/specialties and the flow of the energy of life in each situation as it arises.Continue reading “April 02-A, 2023”
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