New Blog Cousin: Almost Enlightenment

I've written a 108 page
email
book manual
guidebook
to awakening

along with it
and helping to explain
and expand
will be a
new
blog

Almost Enlightenment

Year almost over

new house

almost enlightenment

the book


the experience

what does love mean?

Loving Marlie whether she wants to remain
with me forever and ever
or not.

Loving me
as the now
turns into
the next now.

Loving nature.

Getting clear:

Enlightenment
or it's friendly pal,
almost enlightenment

is for the sake of
Earth
and Humanity


in Buddha's time:
probably only a million people
on Earth

lots of forests left to burn

no more

time to get our act
together

happily
calmly
low car using
silence as our guide
speaking from awakeness

living from awakeness

writing these silly
wonderful things

from awakeness

love
to all

yes

How to Save the World

the mess
the world
poverty

war

famine

cruelty

Tibet enslaved

Africa ruined

the Middle East an ongoing shame

the beautiful Koran turned into a war cry

the beautiful Bible turned into an excuse to close the mind

and then the soil the forests the global warming and so
on

ah,
and all we need to do
is
love

forgive

help each other out


which means:
get out of the old rut
of me me
busy busy
buy buy
seek approval seek approval
money money

and what's left?

waking up
simplicity
happiness
now


George Dolinsky"s plan:
get 60 million people together
and teach them to be nice

George Gurdjieff's idea:
200 awake people
could turn things around

but that was back in the 40's
so now maybe 700 awake
people

not impossible
and not easy


want to join
the pilgrimage
to awakeness?

INDEX OF JUNE 18, 2008-DECEMBER 31, 2008

DECEMBER 2008

726. dec 31: Almost Enlightenment, why not?

725, Dec 30 Tuesday, year almost over, yes

724. Dec 29, Monday, 2008: how to save the world

723. day after day after xmas, dec 27: love and death

722. Wed Christmas eve and so on, dec 24, 2008: good

721. Monday, dec. 22: winter is here, good time for presence

720.Friday, dec. 19: Us vs. Them

719, Wed Dec 17: death and change, la, la , he, he, ho

718, Monday, Dec. 15: Consciousness, big word, What's the Reality?

717. Sunday: Dec. 14: The Triple Friend Society

716. Friday, dec. 12: What is Truth?

715. wednesday, Dec 10: Taking a Walk in What Is

714, Monday, Dec. 8, 2008: "Thinking" in the Empty Space of You-ness

713. Saturday: December 6: Who am I?

712, Friday, December 5, 2008: Bench Again, Working and Waking, shades of Gurdjieff

711. December 3: feeling the feelings vs. getting lost in the "story"

710. December 1, 2008, Monday: Mystical Experiences

NOVEMBER 2008

709. Nov. 29, Saturday: Slowing down to Now, even me, even you.
Plus: looking for hosts to work toward Awakened Living together.

708. Nov. 28: Thanks Eight, and hey: use hay (leaves, junk mail, anything organic),
to make soil, feed the Earth to feed you later

707. Nov. 27, Thanksgiving Day, Thank God It's Thanks Giving

706. November 26, Wednesday, 2008: Thanks six: Coming Home to Stillness

705. November 25, Tuesday, 2008: Thanks Five, for Being Alive, Mom, Dad, Earth, evolution, water water, enlightenment, etc.

704. November 24, Monday: thanks for Yes! magazine, and the idea of a Day of Rest

703. November 22, Saturday, Thanks Three: the Miracle of Brain/ Body Ease and Learning, for stroke, "dyslexic," and anyone who wants to improve thinking, moving and feeling

702. November 21, 2008: Thanking Two: sun and life

701. Nov. 20, Thursday, 2008: Thanksgiving One

700. November 19, Wednesday, 2008: slowing down, soiling/ souling up

699 Nov 18, Tuesday, 2008: friendship, a slow boat to heaven

698 November 17: healing relationships: listening is pretty amazing

697 Nov 16: Sunday, beautiful Sunday: The Secret Life of Bees

696 Nov 15 sat, Feeding the Earth, nourishing our Soul/ Soil

695 Nove fri : Is it safe to be smart, yet? Not quite

694/ November 13, 2008: We Did It

693. November 11, 2008, Veteran's /Armistice Day, War and Peace

692. Nov 10: mon, veteran's day: The Failure of Arguing

691. Nove 9 sun What are we Here for?


690 Nove 8, Sat, rainy evening, 2008: love, light, kids, death, waking

689/ Nov. 7: Feed the Earth/ How to be Unhappy

688. Nov. 6, We Can

687. Nov. 5, 2008: Yes, We Can

686. November 3, 2008: birthday, rain, election coming: miracles

685. Nov. 2, 2008: Five lines, happiness and death

684. November 1, 2008: I shouldn't be such an idiot: Is that true?


OCTOBER 2008

683. Oct. 31: Hallow-ing, what is good, what is holy

682. Oct. 30 Parties, inside and out

681. Oct 28: fun and unimportant

680. Oct 27: the importance of not knowing

679. October 26. 2008: If you aren't happy this breath

678. October 25, 2008: Why are People Unhappy?

677. Oct 24: Impermanence and Bliss

676. Oct. 23: Love

675. Oct 22, what you gona do: Are we Awake yet?

674. Oct 22, 2008: today's as good as any to wake up

673. Oct 21, 2008: 7 Essentials of Happiness

672. oct 20, monday, 2008: can robots be equal?

671. october 19, Sunday, 2008: Love and staying up late

670. October 17, Friday: When things go wrong

679. Oct. 16: time : nonsense, or rat race, or racing on empty, or what?

Oct. 15, I can't be tired and happy at the same time: Is that true?

677. Oct. 14: Exulting the Change of Seasons

676. Oct 13: What would it Take...?

675. Oct 12, and Sunday ish, Moshe, Gurdjieff and living a life

674. Octo 10, Fri Hitler Person or Happy Person

673. October 9, Thursday, 2008: Love is... Easy / hard/ easy/ hard / ????

672. October 8: What would Wake Up Yoga be Like?

671. Oct 7, Tuesday: 40 days, what a difference going inside makes

670. Oct 6, Monday: Mindful Gardening, Mindful Moving, Mindful Living

669. Oct 5, 2008: Mindful gardening, mindful living

668. Oct. 4: Other People's "Concern", help or burden???

667. Oct. 3: Staying Here, Now

666. Oct 2: Why am I leaving?

665. Oct 1, Morning Meditation, Buddha Prayer to wish us all well
on our ways
to wherever
and whenever
we are going

664. Oct 1, 2008: Liking what "it" doesn't like


SEPTEMBER 2008

663. Sept 30, 2008: Love is...

662. Sept 29: five paths, link to the work on: Marlie and I are insane to be parting when we are so...

661. Sept 28: What would It be like to...

660. Sept 27, 2008: Can I help you, friend?

659. Sept 26, 2008: Love Is...

658. Sept 26, 2008: Getting Along Better Knowing "the End"

657. Sept 24, 2008: in love, love, Woody Allen, mindfulness

656. Sept 23: only with love, executive clarity, link to 108 days: People who love each other, shouldn't part

655. Sept 22, 2008: Knees please, link to 108 days



654: September 21, 2008: 8th Anniversary

653. Sept 20: Things change, hmmm

652. Sept 19, Friday, 2008: Unconditional Love, Nice Work if you can get it,
and if you can't
do the Work

651. sept 18, 2008: keeping relationship's love alive while undoing the relationship,
not easy, Work that's worth doing

650. Sept 17, 2008: soft stomach, open heart, curious

649. Sept 16: learning

648. Sept 15, 2008 : love is tricky, and real, too

647. Sept 14: 2008 Chris and Marlie, two dumb dumbs, and the Turn Around as saving grace

646. sept 13, who would I BE without the story?

645: sept 12, 2008: how do I react when I believe the lie?

644, sept 11, 2008: sept 11, a big fat curve ball

643. sept 10, happiness

642. Sept 9, 2008: curve balls of life, ... what about home runs?

641: Sept 8: Question two of the work

640. Sept 7, the trouble with me

639. Sept 6. 2008: Is it True? Here we go on the road to freedom.

638. Sept 5, 2008: a little love, and a little discipline

637. Sept 4, 2008 eo: What if we knew

636. Sept. 3, 2008: this funny Guy, God

635. September 2: Short and Sweet, Short and Scary

634. September 1, 2008: Labors of Love, School of Life, School as stagnation

AUGUST 2008

633. Aug 31, 2008: Sunday on Saturday: Joyless and Joyful Tai Chi

632. Aug. 30: Today, in Berkeley, new impressions help

631. aug 29, 2008: Undoing stress, Undoing the Marlie/ Chris thing, Or: learning and love

630. aug 28, 2008: many faces of life

629. aug 27, 2008: the wonder of it all, you me life and so on

628. aug 26, 2008, †uesday: sometimes we is jerks, oh well, what to do and so on

627. Aug 25, 2008: Fall Classes starting Sept 9

626. Aug 18, 2008: time and life and yes

625. Aug 17, 2008: stretching brains not tight muscles

624. Aug. 13: Wed Ramble: Warrior, Poses

623. Aug. 12, 2008: boy's stuff, girl's stuff

622. August 11, 2008: Want to Hear about my Rough Childhood? (Yawn.)

621. August 8: health and other stuff

620. Aug 7: Going slow to learn

619. August 6, 2008: Grumpy Moms and Learning to Love

JULY 2008

618. July 28, 2008: the porpoise of life

617. July 26, 2008: what is a life; link to tai chi thoughts

616. July 23, 2008: stretching, perhaps a self inflicted unkindness??

615. July 21,2008: mini/maxi path to "enlightenment"

614. July 18, 2006: Have a Wonderful Day, it's good for your health

613, July 16, 2008: A Movement Lesson

612. July 14, 2008: Who Was Moshe Feldenkrais?

611. July 11, 2008: bee sting and overzealous reportage

610. July 9, 2008: Creating Pathways to Change

609. July 7, 2008Thinking in a New Way

608. July 6, 2008 independence, day, daze, how many ways??

607. July 3, 2008Slow down, part XII

JUNE 2008

606. June 30, Monday: No fires, life is good, you are good, learning is good

605. June 28, Saturday: Fires are good

604. June 25, Wednesday, How to be Happy even when you aren't happy

603. June 24, Tuesday, "too tired" to be present...Is that True?

love and death

we all die
the day dies
the year dies
even trees that live forever and ever
almost
die

and so:
what's the solution:
let each moment
die
and
wake to the rising sun
of each
new
now

and wow

wow

now
is
always
new

and we don't have to
think bout that

just experience
this
and it's who you
really
are


good

love,
me
isn't me

when i'm loving

don't think
about that
either

short speck big deal

Jesus
was some say
born around Christmas

died
some
say
around Easter

a speck of life
in a vast universe

a brilliant speck

as
is

each
and every
glorious
instant

of this
short
speck
of our
own

life

winter is here

good

and now
the days get
longer

the day
of presence
is coming

good

Us vs. Them

Us vs. Them

When we give someone we love one of our few last strawberries, or say even the last strawberry, we are happy. Their pleasure in the strawberry is our pleasure.

But if someone we “don’t like,” or even someone we profess to “love,” but have a kind of competitive/ I’m not getting enough attitude with, “takes” one of our last strawberries, we feel deprived.

Think about how this operates.

Think about what is the difference, really, between “us” and “them.”

Year's end, lives end, frost cometh

variously
and
endlessly
things change

this is good
if you are surfing the now

troubling
if
not

love
and surfing
the now

can be confused

one of the few
confusions worth
allowing and expanding

Consiousness

a big word

and what is the experience
of Consciousness?

Think of a kid's drawing
of a person:
two stick legs
a stick middle
two stick arms
a ball head

if we could just be
"Conscious" of that much
as we went about
the too busy
too yammery
too thinky
day

we'd be in pretty
amazing
shape

TheTriple Friend Society

What about this?

Friend to ourself.

Friend to others.

Friend to the Earth.

How to do that?

Most of the essays / thoughts/ poems
in this blog
have been about that.

Good start:
to be present
now
and then
now
and
then
now.

With others:
be present.

With the Earth:
consume less
grow more
car use less
walk to friends
make friends with those within walking distance

that's a start.

What is Truth?

this is a good question:

what is truth?

ah.

let's start simple:
somehow we are pressing down
in some part of our bodies
into the Earth, chair, floor, bed
whatever

this is a simple truth,
and the paying attention to it
can get us out of a lot of "stories"
in our head/ heart that make for misery

and we are either breathing in
or breathing out
or inbetween the two

this too
worthwhile to put attention on

okay, so we are breathing

beings

in a world of gravity and arms

and legs

and spine and head

what is a big Truth?

that we can know

we Are/

are what? is more complicated,

but Alive 

is a good start

we Are

we Are Alive

we can be Aware of this

AAA

plus gravity

plus breathing

and: there is a world out there

birdies

and plants

and trees

and billions of other 

people

they 2 are

AA and can be A

maybe we can be of us

to others

or the trees and birdies

and plants

who knows?

Taking a Walk in What Is

TWENTY-FOUR: SOUL

Talking a walk in What Is.

Take a walk. Notice when you are in What Is. As in experiencing the sky.

And when you are in a story about What Is. The sky is beautiful, or cold, or hinting of good or bad weather.

The temperature is what you experience.

Vs. the temperature is too hot, too cold, just right.

You are putting one foot and then another, touching the ground, moving along in space.

Vs. you are walking well, poorly, too fast, too slow, wasting time, doing well with your time.

And so on.


Notice the different “taste” of being in “What Is.”

Thinking without "thinking". Realization.

From a 108 chapter book,
108 ways in 27 days
to achieve
simplicity,
happiness
and almost enlightenment:

EIGHTY: SOUL

Asking for an answer.

Ask yourself a question that is important for you.

Stand. Do tap, tap, and some of the movement lessons in standing that get you clearer about your standing in gravity body.

Take a walk.

Ask your mind to mull over the question, telling it, explaining that you won’t be using “words” to “think” about the question, but will just allow some deeper and quieter part of you to work on the question.

Take the walk.

Have the question “back there,” but don’t word-think about it.

Follow your breath and look for beauty in your walk, and sense your feet touching down and pushing off the ground.

When you come back from your walk, get a pencil/pen and paper and quickly, without “thinking” write whatever comes to your mind, about the specific question, or about “anything.”


This, as can be all your life, is an experiment.

See what happens.

Who Am I?

Who or what am I
without my story?

Question four of
the Work of Byron Katie
(thework.com)

Question number two
of:
how to be in the present.

Question number one
of how to be present:

What is my experience,
without describing it,
right now?

Bench again, Working and Waking

I made a couple of benches
a while ago,
one was good,
one got torn
down,
all that's left is
the pictures

(For these pics,
see blog entry: Fun and Unimportant,
which actually
wasn't "true".
Anything done with love
and attention
is "important.")

One bench is for an amazing man,
amazing musician,
Sukhawat,
and as Sukhawat is back in
town
yesterday was the day
to finish the one above.

Working for its own sake
is great
and
working as a practice in
waking is
really sweet.

So much of the "spiritual" life
is avoiding of work, and "the world,"
and all that,
meanwhile, often rushing off to "spiritual" places
in a car,
and then
rushing away to go back to sleep
in the ongoing rush.

Is that true?

Who knows?

Sometimes.

Anyway
sweet reunion yesterday
with a fellow who loves/ enjoys/ follows
the Gurdjieff work
where I first learned
of ongoing physical work,
like gardening, carpentry, painting
as the real meditation.

Met people who were cab drivers,
carpenters, painters, gardeners,
computer programmers, writers, nurses,
all sort of things
and the practice was:
go to work
be in the world
and keep huge amounts of attention
on arms and legs, sensing,
ears, hearing,
eyes, noticing reflected light.

Ah, this is still a sweet,
sweet practice:
this "doing" not in the do-do head
way of conditioned life,
but "doing" as a chance to develop
"being"
while out and about in the "world."

Love


A ways back
and good
luck
with any efforts you might
enjoy in this direction:

Chris

Feeling your feelings vs. getting lost in "the story"

Had the sweet opportunity
to tell several people
last night (at an amazing pizza
gathering)

about the
Work of Byron Katie
(thework.com)

the trip with Katie is
Judge someone else
Write it Down
Ask Four Questions
Turn it Around

The goal
and often result:
undoing of old sufferings of the emotional sort

The 4 questions
lead to a state of freedom
from the story and all it's torments

the feelings
behind the story
you can feel

as pure sensation
and that is an experience
real
and present in your life

the story,
though,

that can and usually does
take us to
all sorts of hells


....
don't take
my word for it

try it out
do
the Work

love
and learning

and living the
awake life:

may I be of assistance
to you?

Mystical Experiences

There is a big to do
on one of the Internet
forums
about mystical experiences.

Everyone has an opinion.

Me, too:

Mystical experiences are fine.

Everyday happiness is fine.

Thinking, talking, explaining them
is much, much less useful
than we might think,
hope and imagine,

as we boast/ rhapsodize / swoon over
the marvels
of
not happening now,
glories.