jimwdollar

November 15-A, 2022

Everything depends upon our squaring ourselves up with our sitz im leben, our “setting in life,” the context and circumstances of our existence, day-to-day, moment-to-moment, in a “Here we are, now what?” kind of way. This is it! What are we going to do about it? What is called for? What is required? What isContinue reading “November 15-A, 2022”

November 14-B, 2022

The perennial task of life is to reconcile ourselves to our circumstances in a “This is the way things are, and this is what I can do about it, and that’s that” kind of way– without expectations, opinions, judgment, emotional reactivity, followed by: “Now what can I do about being unable to do any moreContinue reading “November 14-B, 2022”

November 14-A, 2022

To live the truth we have to be able to live a lie. To be true to ourselves we have to violate all of the standards that hold life together. Maybe walking off into Galilee, and maybe bearing the pain of a marriage to a man no one could live with for the sake ofContinue reading “November 14-A, 2022”

November 3rd Week, 2022

There is much to be attuned to. Living in accord with the Tao, aligned with the spirit that blows where it will, situation by situation, requires a degree of awareness/mindfulness that we are not trained to initiate, much less maintain. We cannot expect to be so attuned and aligned without regular returns to emptiness, stillnessContinue reading “November 3rd Week, 2022”

November 13-B, 2022

Laughter has to be a part of life. No one can be alive without laughing. There is no humor in the Bible. Zen saves Buddhism. Taoism was there before Zen was. Makes Taoism the go-to perspective for life. Chung Tzu leads the way! Leih Tzu is next in line. Wen Tzu softens Lao Tzu andContinue reading “November 13-B, 2022”

November 13-A, 2022

What keeps you going? Where do you turn when you have nowhere to turn? What does your life mean to you? Where do you stop and where does your life start? What is yours to do? What is your “thing”? What is your specialty? What was the most meaningful thing about today? To what doContinue reading “November 13-A, 2022”

November 12-B, 2022

Everyone who knows knows the same things. Everyone who is capable of knowing is waiting to hear, to see, to understand, the way to realization/enlightenment/comprehension they are on the brink of achieving, and need the right nudge at the right time to grasp the “Aha! Moment,” the “Eureka! Click,” that opens the way, that clearsContinue reading “November 12-B, 2022”

November 12-A, 2022

Our standard of measure isn’t what we get out of it, but the quality and degree of effort we put into it. How pleased are we with our level of focus, concentration, attentive presence, compassion/kindness/concern, situation by situation throughout the day? How could we be more involved with, attuned to, a part of, what isContinue reading “November 12-A, 2022”

November 11-B, 2022

Conflict and contradiction are at the heart of life. Yin/Yang, you know. We have to work it out, bearing in our own body the marks of the cross. Our cross to bear is the dichotomy of being alive. On the one hand this, on the other hand that– and that doesn’t take into account allContinue reading “November 11-B, 2022”

November 11-A, 2022

The plan is to be aware of what is happening and what needs to be done in response. Awareness is the key to all that follows. Jon Kabat Zinn and his Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) YouTube videos are the best approach to a mindfulness practice that I know of. No plans, no agendas, noContinue reading “November 11-A, 2022”

November 10-C, 2022

Dylan Thomas’ poem, “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Light, Rage, Rage Against The Dying Of The Light,” misses the point that the light doesn’t die, and our dying may well be a transition back into the light that is our origin and our destination. One form of energy returning to another form ofContinue reading “November 10-C, 2022”

November 10-B, 2022

We are to be about creating an atmosphere conducive to life and well-being. Why is that hard? Hard to grasp? Hard to remember? Hard to do? Good/right is helpful to that end, bad/evil/wrong is harmful to that end. This is not difficult, why is it hard? What is good/right interferes with what is good/right forContinue reading “November 10-B, 2022”