Perfection

Here's a poem I wrote today. The poem itself is not perfection, just the intention behind it.

The first thing I want to say is
you are all perfect.
It took the Heavenly Father
billions of years
to negotiate just the right amount of
star explosions
tidal forces
lava rivers
geometrical disturbances, and
alchemical reactions to produce this
perfection.
The Earthly Mother was implanted by the seed
of the Sun, and
gave birth to you.
Inside of the coconut is her breast milk.
All of her life,
her seeds, and
her fruit
are for you to eat.
This is your meat.
All of the sky is your room to grow.
The, Tree Of Life,
gives blessings to you
every day.
All you see in nature is perfection,
and all you can see in yourself is
imperfection.
But the shimmering, still lake
looks back at you
and all it sees is
beauty.

Manifestations and Mindfulness

Is there a paradox between living in this moment and manifesting a future? Is it possible to view the universe just as it is without any individual perceptions? I have been struggling with these two questions recently. My Sensai Monshin Naamon, from the Tendai Buddhist tradition has said that he does not believe in manifestation. Yet, there is a time in our meditation service where we focus our, "thoughts and prayers" on those who are sick, or having some other type of problem. But if you do not believe that people have the ability to manifest happiness, health and prosperity, then what are we doing when we are giving our, "thoughts and prayers" to these people or conditions? Obviously, I have to ask him this question, and hear what his answer is.
I understand how one attains Buddha hood by giving up our preconceptions and prejudices, and to see life as it is. I know every aspect of life is impermanent and that all suffering comes from our desires, and fear of change. I know that my perception as an individual is a false perception, and there is nothing which separates me from everything else in the universe. I know we train our minds through meditation and chanting mantras. Yet, I also know 500 Buddhist monks praying for non violence in Washington D.C. cut the homicide rate down by a third, and that experiment has been demonstrated before with the same results in different places. What caused the homicide rate to go down? Did the monks visualize peace in Washington D.C. and manifest that outcome? I don't know, but I suspect they did.

Foraging

Foraging! here was my first thought on the concept of foraging: "You have to be the cheapest person in the world!" Now, here is my opinion today: "Out there in the woods is the healthiest food in the world!"
Almost every thing we eat in a typical U.S. diet is: pasteurized, hybridized, radiated, poisoned, genetically modified, and chemically altered. If you go into any U.S. grocery store, and buy anything but the organic products, (not to say that all the organics are good for you either) you are ingesting the worst drugs (food) you can put into your body. We should call grocery stores, Drug Stores, not just for the reasons I've mentioned above, but the food/drugs they sell are a quick fix to feel good. Their products are filled with carbohydrates, high fructose corn syrup, too much sodium etc., to give you the feeling of being full, and the feeling of being full-filled. But, like any other drug, you're going to crash and burn. I am not making a mistake calling food, drugs, here. There is no difference! The problem with the food/drugs the doctors give you is that you are already sick by the time they give it to you. And, the food they give you treats, what? The symptoms of your disease, which is poor nutrition, poor environmental conditions and/or a poor self image.
This summer I'm going to look for the wild plants that surround us. The first, wonderful thing about foraging, as I mentioned before is, the food is free. That speaks for itself. The second wonderful thing about foraging is, the plants have not been altered, ever! They evolved because they are strong, and all the nutrients we need are out there, in those unspoiled plants.
There are a couple of things to think about, though. Be sure you're not foraging on a super-fund sight, and be sure, if you're foraging in a city, state or federal park, be aware of people with badges and guns. Of course it would be wrong to dig up our parks, but gathering some blueberries shouldn't be a crime. I know their argument: If you let people forage, they're going to take advantage of it and, destroy the park. Trust me, in this culture, you are never going to find enough people performing the more difficult task of foraging to eat. Just don't take all of the blueberries, all right. And, save some for the bears and birds.

Buddhism Homework

Below, is a completed “homework” assignment given to me by my Sensei Monshin Naamon from the Karuna Tendai Dharma Center. This is my work, and has not been sanctioned or adopted by the Karuna Tendai Dharma Center. I believe it would be beneficial to all if we could adopt, some, or all of these responsibilities as members of our global society.

Responsibilities for the Members of the Karuna Tendai Dharma Center

1) Members of the Tendai Buddhist Institute will be a group that practices love and compassion for all beings. To achieve this aim, members will be mindful of their impact on those they come in contact with. Showing patience, love and respect for others. They will be mindful of the environment by not consuming energy or food resources unnecessarily above and beyond their physical needs, and by doing the least amount of harm to non-human animals. Members will work to promote peace in their community, nationally and globally.

2) Members will be active participants with-in their Sangha by being students of the Dharma, by attending meditation services, Sangha events and retreats whenever possible. Members will also support the Sensei in his/her pastoral duties when called upon to service. Also, members will give financially, what they can afford to the Tendai Buddhist Institute, so that it may carry out the purposes of its mission statement.

3) Members will practice non-attachment to the physical and nonphysical world. Members will not be influenced by wealth and fame, or by the desire for things that others may be perceived to have. Members should understand that all things are impermanent, so therefore there is no ownership of any material, living or spiritual objects in which to possess.

4) Members will practice being in the present moment at all times, knowing that the future and the past do not exist. Members will not attempt to escape the present moment by using drugs and alcohol, but always being sober and clear headed. Also, Members will practice the realization that all one sees is their own perception of the world. Therefore, Members will not be stringent or self-righteous in the way they conduct their daily lives, but will be filled with humility, understanding and loving-kindness when engaging other people.

5) Members have the responsibility for seeking there own enlightenment, and praying for the enlightenment of every sentient being.


This second part, is another "homework" assignment that I wrote, concerning the First Cardinal Precept in Buddhist philosophy.

The First Cardinal Precept: Not To Deprive Any Being of Life

Sentient beings are defined as, “characterized by sensation and consciousness” by Dictionary.com, this attempts to qualify one form of life: life that is aware of its own existence. I would presume these specific life forms are the “Life” one is not to deprive from any other being. Microscopic bacteria, viruses, insects, parasites etc. can and are killed by our very existence. As humans, we have not been able to perceive any ability by these organisms to suffer from real or imagined pain. Certain religious groups such as the Jains seek to do no harm to any living organism, but to deny ourselves life would be the only way to not participate in their demise. The most important work on this subject, I believe, is Peter Singer’s book “Animal Liberation” which goes beyond non human animals “rights”, but to their capacity to suffer. Since it is the nature of every sentient being to: One, live and Two, to live without needless pain or suffering, it would seem to be an axiom for a Buddhist to not contradict these natural laws.

It has been perceived wisdom for some Buddhists for many, many years, from what I understand, that the precept covers specifically the person doing the killing. That is, one is not responsible for the depriving of life from any being as long as it was not done by ones own hands. Consequently, one may go to the grocery store and buy the packaged meat, fowl or fish and not be in violation of the precept. Or more so, it is not in violation of the precept to accept food prepared by someone who killed or purchased meat, fowl, or fish. This way of thinking would make it acceptable if someone contracted a killing for a person, and that killing resulted in a benefit to the contractor, but as long as that person did not get their ‘hands dirty’ per se., there would be no violation to the precept. I believe, that any person partaking of meat, fowl or fish is responsible for the life that was deprived by their decision to eat that living being. In fact, it has been calculated that a vegetarian saves approximately one hundred lives a year just by refusing to eat non human animals. The butcher does not kill regardless to the demand of his efforts.

Another important aspect of not depriving life to humans and non humans are environmental concerns. Some of these, such as: Global warming, pollution, toxic dumping etc. are direct violent attacks on life. Indeed, there is a concern to environmentalists that the planet will suffer mass extinctions in the near future due to human influence. We can make the same argument as before, that a certain amount of environmental suffering will take place just by our very existence. The building of a house will up-root trees and may destroy underground homes of various non human animals. The wood to build the house may have devastated a forest, and perhaps the wood was treated with a poison that pollutes the soil and water where it was made. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the Buddhist to be sensitive to the environment by buying products that do not pollute, by conserving energy, and by recycling used products.

Fifteen Great Foods

I went to the website, veganpeace, which is not a raw site, but they have a lot of nutritional information on vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds. They have graphs which break down the vitamins and minerals in a particular food, Kale for example. It will tell you that one cup of Kale has 134% of the daily amount of vitamin C we supposedly need, (I’m not being sarcastic) 206% of vitamin A, 684% of vitamin K, 26% of manganese, and so on, and so forth. And with all that, you can also click on specific vitamins and minerals, and it will tell you which foods have the most of these nutrients.
So, I thought, maybe it would make sense to go through all of the vitamins and minerals and see if I can come up with, let’s say, ten foods which would satisfy our daily needs. Not that I would limit myself to eating these ten foods, but to get an idea of which foods I should, perhaps, concentrate my diet around.
Now, everything changes all of the time, and which foods are good for a raw-living foods person changes like I change my underwear: for example, pickled foods, mushrooms, honey, dried fruits, and anything dehydrated, has gone from bad to good, to good to bad. So, I want to say, without doing a major study, and surely not thinking of every possible nutritional pro or con, and admittedly, having worked on this for about an hour; I have come up with fifteen foods which, pretty much, presumably, cover our nutritional needs.
They are, in no particular order:

1) Spirulina
2) Passion Fruit
3) Almonds
4) Sunflower Seeds
5) Shitaki Mushrooms
6) Oranges
7) Kale
8) Bananas
9) Cacao
10) Raw Tahini (ground sesame seeds)
11) Flax Seeds
12) Avocado
13) Goji Berries
14) Acei
15) Hemp Protein

This list seems, to me, to be helpful. Of course, there is a lot of play within these food varieties. For example, any dark leafy green will give you all the vitamin K you could ever want. But, I thought, given everything I know about food nutrition now, these foods represented the best of their nutritional relatives.

Fable

I am currently writing this story, and I wasn't going to post it until it was done, but I thought, what the heck, put it out there, and just add and edit it as it goes along. So here it is.


Once upon a time, a noble King named Meriwether lived in luxury and plenty in a beautiful Kingdom. The Kingdom stretched in great distance from north to south, and east to west.
There was a vast arid desert to the west. To the east of the desert lay a mountainous region. To the south a tropical jungle, and to the north sat green grasslands covering many a hill and dale. Finally, in the middle of it all, in a temperate valley, stood the city of Meriwether, where King Meriwether held his court.
King Meriwether was a man who never wanted for anything. He wore handsome garments stitched from the finest silks and linens. When he slept he rested his body on goose-feathered pillows, and the furs from foxes and bear. When he bathed, he used aromatic soaps, perfumes and oils from rare animals and plants. The King liked to bathe many times a day because he did not like the smell of the human body.
The King ate delicacies from the many regions of his land. The goats and cattle produced remarkable cheeses. The beef was considered to be the most delicious and tender. For breakfast, the King would eat fluffy eggs and buttery biscuits. For lunch, he would eat braised ham, poached liver of ducks, soft billowy loaves of bread, and chocolate pudding made from the fatty milk of his most prized cows. For dinner, he supped on the ribs of bison, mashed potatoes, perfectly cooked wild game from his forests, and cakes made from whipped eggs, sugar, and wheat ground to fine flour.
The King was a goodly man and greatly cared for the people of his Kingdom, so he wished for them to eat as well as he did. He sent out his cooks to all parts of his land. They showed people in the markets how to prepare foods just as it was prepared for the King. The people, who once only ate fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds from their farms for thousands and thousands of years, now gave their lands over for the grazing of animals. The people were very grateful, and did just as the King’s cooks instructed them to do.
But for all of the wonderful food the King was eating, and the lifestyle he was living, he never quite felt well. The King suffered from depression, anxiety, and nervousness. There were days when King Meriwether would not leave his bedchamber, nor pull open the fabrics covering the windows of the palace. All day he could lie in his bed without even lighting a candle. The King suffered from periodic blockage of the bowels, headaches, and rashes on his skin. He had gained weight every year since he had become King. All of his old robes no-longer fit, and were packed away in large chests.
The Kingdom of Meriwether went on as such for many, many years. And, for much of that time the people thought it was the best time to be alive. For people who used to eat meat very infrequently, now ate meat every day. For people who never drank cow or goat’s milk, but only fresh water from the lakes and rivers, now drank milk two to three times a day. The people said that they felt stronger because of their new diet, that is was the natural way people should eat.
As time moved on, the people of Meriwether had begun to notice differences in their land, and amongst their people. Where at one time there lived the great tropical forests of Meriwether, now it had been mostly burned down and replaced by more fields to raise animals. Where at one time the arid desert region was small and hugged the coast, now it had spread into the once great rolling grass lands, and each year the desert spread wider and wider. The people, who were once renowned for their peaceful ways, now were impatient and were quick to temper. Neighbor fought amongst neighbor, and fisticuffs became a common spectacle. Also, they stopped considering other creatures as living beings, but saw them only as food, and as such, treated them with cruelty. And, over time, some of the people’s health complaints became the same as the Kings’. Many of the people of Meriwether could no longer work, but rather were bedridden, with many types of ailments never heard of before.
It was at this time in the history of, Meriwether, that a woman named, Anastasia, walked out of an oasis in the desert, and began talking of another path for the people.

My First Garden

This summer, for the first time, I am going to plant a garden. Not just fruits and vegetables, but native plants scattered willy-nilly about the front and side of the house.
I have often looked in amazement, how beautiful these gardens are, with their stone paths, tall grasses, and clumps of flowers.
When I was ten years old, I remember the ChemLawn truck going through the neighborhood, spraying everybody’s yard. Row by row, every house with a perfectly green lawn, without a single weed. What a miracle! Children played on these lawns. Nobody worried whether there were chemicals leeching into the water supply. It was just a miracle of modern technology; a Walt Disney dream of urban perfection. And, of course, it was easy. Nobody had to spend any time getting dirty, and there were no judgments from your neighbors; we all had the same lawn.
Think what if every home in these suburban neighborhoods had grasses they could juice. What if they had bushes of blueberries and raspberries growing right in their front yard? What if the people living in these houses were outside every day planting and picking their fruits and vegetables? Nobody would feel disassociated from society. There would be a sense of community most of us have never known. What if everybody was composting, and eating vegetables that didn’t come in cans and plastic?
Think of how much water we use to grow grass we don’t consume! At least the grass on an environmental disaster of a golf course has a purpose.
Most people have good intentions. Even the companies, who make the poisons, may believe that what they produce is a benefit to society. But hopefully, we are finally moving into a new consciousness.
My new conscious is telling me to plant a garden.