Category Archives: The Church of What’s Happening Now

Doing things that matter to us, that are important to us, and doing them well, is good training/practice for doing things that matter to others, that are important to the way the world works, and doing them well makes all the difference. Find the things that matter to you and do them. Do the thingsContinue reading “August 29-A, 2022”

“Om Mani Padme Hum” Is a Buddhist chant, containing all of the sutras and the Dharma in six syllables– and which can be further reduced to a single “Om,” or “Aum.” Joseph Campbell said, “AUM” is a symbolic sound that puts you in touch with that resounding being that is the universe. If you heardContinue reading “August 28-B, 2022”

These are not peaceful times. How do you find your peace when there is no peace? Just breathing helps me. “Just breathing” means just breathing. No thinking. No worrying. No anxiety. No drama. No what-if’s. No… Just breathing. Breathe in. Breathe out. Count to five in sync with your heart beat. Breathe in. Breathe out.Continue reading “August 28-A, 2022”

We make our way through the world, generally following “the course of least resistance,” like water on its journey to the sea. In similar situations, we do similar things– things that have worked before, and we assume will work again– and over time we create patterns, or ruts, and fall into habits of mindlessly repeatingContinue reading “August 27-A, 2022”

As far as I can see, everyone has taken up the alcoholic’s quest for “smooth and easy,” (Ogi Overman’s phrase), and alcohol isn’t the only path they take in trying to find it. They take every path, and call it “bliss,” or “having it made,” or “escape from suffering…” But it all amounts to “smoothContinue reading “August 25-B, 2022”

Iris DeMent’s “Let the Mystery Be,” should be required singing throughout the land. It’s all Mystery. The Mind is a mystery. Everything seems to participate in Mind. Viruses and flocks of birds and schools of fish… The people who vote for Trump are of one mind, and the people who vote against him are ofContinue reading “August 25-A, 2022”

All transitions have something in common with the butterfly’s exit from the chrysalis, which, you will remember, but a step in the process of its transition from caterpillar to butterfly. And is thoroughly amazing– and not much different from our transitions through all of the stages of our own development all along the way. AndContinue reading “August 24-B, 2022”

What is your soul’s true joy? Your heart’s delight? What sends your little toes tapping and your little feet dancing? How often do you do those things? For how long? Why not longer, more often? My lists are long, and I generally do something on a list or two daily, and when I’m not doingContinue reading “August 24-A, 2022”

Rising to the occasion is a simple matter of having nothing at stake in the occasion, so that there is no pressure of any kind, because you aren’t trying to win the the prize, or gain prestige, or make a sale. This Zen observation applies: “The ability of the archer to hit the bullseye variesContinue reading “August 23-C, 2022”

A bad recollection of one of Issa’s verses goes: “The child, lost in a field at dark, chases after fireflies, crying.” This is an image of us at our best. Lost. Distracted. Crying. It is not wise to make life-altering decisions after 50. Maybe after 40. I’m talking specifically about selling a house and buyingContinue reading “August 23-B, 2022”

Impartiality cannot be a steady state of being. There are no steady states of being. And so, it is said, “It is easier to be a saint than to live with one.” Because not even a saint is a steady beam of kindness and light. As soon as we care about something we are partialContinue reading “August 22-A, 2022”

To those who say, “Have no aversion of any kind to anything ever!”, I say, “Oh, I see you have an aversion to aversion!” To those who say, “Do not DO anything at all!”, I say, “Now, that would really be doing something!” We cannot say anything without producing the antithesis of what we intend.Continue reading “August 20-C, 2022”