Universal Immersion

There is so much I don’t know, and so much to learn and experience. I’m struck by that now after looking back on my day: being blown away by the spring blooms of flowers throughout my walk in Mountain View; feeling incredibly grateful and emotional at seeing a good friend; thoroughly enjoying a Wikipedia rabbit hole tonight. The world is beautiful, the universe mystical. I know nothing, but feel immersed within it all, a part of it. We have so much to be thankful for. Collectively, can we see that?

Considering Easter

Truthfully, Easter has never been my holiday. I don’t particularly have any affinity for the Christian tradition; but, it had always been a day to gather with family and enjoy a good meal, and to welcome the coming of spring (or some years, the full on coming of summer). Today it was that again, and I’m so grateful for it. We should think very critically and very carefully about our traditions; to throw them away wantonly would be foolish. There may be aspects of our heritage we no longer identify with, but there’s also likely many things that have continued for a reason. Easter was something I was glad to partake in today. To the coming of spring, and to all the new life we will experience moving forward.

That Hiking Thing

There’s something spiritual about hiking a mountain. Or a hill, in my case today. But we are meant to be out in nature. Not even “out in;” we are nature, we are part of nature and this Earth. One short hike provides a glimpse of that oneness. It’s the exertion, and the air and the scenery and the clambering on the crust of the Earth itself. How amazing the surface of this planet is, how lucky we are. Hiking simply proves it’s one big beautiful amazing world.

Puppy Dog Friend

They say dogs are humans’ best friends. Although my pup certainly still annoys me sometimes, he has never wavered in loyalty since the day we took him home. I’ve enjoyed taking him to the park to play fetch the past few days. In a way we’ve grown together, as he’s kind of an old man now, and I am in some ways too. Love you puppy dog. Cheers to more.

Movement Actualization

Nothing like a little exercise to get you back into the flow of life. We are simply born to move. One can eat healthy and sleep well, but if we’re sedentary, we aren’t fully actualized. It felt amazing to run today for the first time in a couple months. The rhythm of my breath and footsteps, my circulatory system churning, the ever changing landscape.. the run brought me back to actualization.

Want Good Do Good

I believe most people are good, and that we can do good together. We just need to become aware that most people want good, for themselves and their loved ones, and that we can achieve good for everyone. We might not have yet solved every technical problem, but that’s not the first step. The first step is to understand that we all want the same thing, that we are all mortal, and we are all human. We share this planet together. We can do good together; we can change the world.

What a Wonderful World

What a wonderful world we live in. I realize that every so often, that we live in a world with rain and puppy dogs and cup of noodles. All these little things aren’t so little when you consider them all together. They add up to an amazing universe, and we are so lucky to be a part of it.

The Answer

You learn things every day. The point is you keep going. We can, and probably should, all thank it all. Because gratitude is the answer.

Childhood Memory

Sally, I wanted to share one of my fondest memories with Gary. I remember many Stern Grove trips with you both, back in the old days, before all the terraces and ticketing. We would all sit out in blankets on the grass, enjoying good weather (for San Francisco), good food, good music, and good company. On one of these occasions, Gary played football with me for what felt like hours. I was still a small child, and he talked with me all day, laughing joyously as he would always do. I remember the character and emotion in his face; he was so expressive and full of life. When the concert was over, he threw the ball to me continuously, while the rest of the adults loitered and talked. Upon departing, he gave me his straw hat, simply because I liked it. “I can keep it?” I asked. “Sure why not? Of course. It’s yours.” I thought that was so cool. Even decades later, his kindness, his generosity, and his playfulness and joy still resonate in this world. With me, and with all who knew him. He made an impact with his life. With love

Pursuing No Mind

I’ve wandered toward a renewed interest in being present, partly from my recent consistency with meditation, and partly from reading some of Eckhart Tolle. It’s certainly been a journey back, and not at all easy. We’re thinking all the time, and the incessant noise is difficult for me to stop. However I have found it fun to try to “watch the thinker,” as Tolle puts it. I definitely believe there is something deeper than what we normally attribute as the ego or the self. It’s satisfying to explore it.

I still remember very vividly one of the two times I remained present for more than several moments. I actually don’t know exactly how long the duration was, because it was completely surreal. It was back when I was living in Beijing; I had been reading Eckhart Tolle’s “A New Earth,” and after digesting a particularly profound passage while riding the subway on my way home, I put the book down and let go. I was fully conscious, yet entered a different world. I could feel the ten or so people sitting in the seats around me. I could feel their bodies and their presence. I noticed the air of the train whipping down our car, seeing the bits of rubbish floating along the floor. All my senses were activated, and it was invigorating. I had “no mind.”

I’m seeking to return to that state, if nothing more to learn, to deepen my understanding and my experience of this life. It’s such a beautiful mystery. I can’t help but be grateful we have the chance to live it.

Wondrous Life

I’m not sure if it’s the weather finally changing to warm for good, or if we’re simply approaching the one third mark of this year, but it feels like we’re reaching new heights. Life is simply incredible. The older I get, the more I marvel at its complexity and wonder. We get to enjoy the most beautiful planet imaginable, and we have agency to explore the universe. How lucky we are, to have some influence over the course of its history.

Snowy Mountains

It’s been a cold and especially wet winter in Northern California. Us natives are beyond the point of complaining - what ever happened to best weather in the world? Yes we know we’ve needed the rain, that it’s helped alleviate the acuteness of our decade-long drought. But is this really what it’s like in so many other parts of the world?

And then I look at our mountains. They’re really truly just foothills, but they still give a very genuine sensation of being in a fertile valley between peaks. Our golden hills of California have  snow on them again today! They have glittered with a snowy reflection of sunlight for much of winter. The image offers a wildness to our tame valley, providing a sense of adventure and a window to the grandness of the earth. We can thank the rain and cold for that. And it just goes to show, you never know what comes from what we experience. It sure is a big beautiful amazing world, in such an electrifying universe. We are privileged to be here.

Already a Year

It’s difficult to believe it’s been a year since you’ve left Granny. The passage of time doesn’t feel right. It still feels unreal, and your sway over the family has yet to falter. I still think about you very often, and I try to draw strength for all you gave me; a way with words; an example of being kind and positive because it’s simply more pleasant; a mother who loved me like you loved your children. I still feel sad that we can’t spend time together like we used to, but I’m also optimistic that will heal and get better. A year later, I try to remember all the good things, to appreciate them, and to be grateful. I was so very lucky to have you as my Granny. Thank you for everything, I will continue to strive to make you proud. I love you.

Making Sense

Days can become a blur easily. I think spirituality can help make sense of this scatter of reality. By this I mean the grounding of where we are within the confines of space and time as we understand them. The universe is a place beyond comprehension in current times, and we reside here. How can we make sense of it all? By accepting that sense is limited, and pursuing acceptance. We can find meaning, and solace, and love, and I believe that’s good enough.

Clean Momentum

It can feel good to clean up, to purge. It’s an important first step towards a new direction, but only that. I try to use the momentum of feeling good to propel myself to new territory. Even if getting back into a habit of old, it’s still a new time, a new place.

I wonder if the same occurs at the species level, within the ebbs and flows of our civilizations. It seems we too feast off momentum and positivity, and that we can also lapse into bad habits. Is it time to clean up and generate new positive momentum?

Home at the Beach

They say you ground yourself at the beach, and I found that to be true today, walking on the sand as the water lapped on my feet. The ocean was in continual motion. The sound of the waves was a constant reverberating force. I felt one with the Earth, albeit a tiny part of it. Going to the beach brings us home.

Spring is Coming

Here in Northern California, the temperatures are inching out of the forties and fifties into the fifties and sixties. Yep, there’s an inkling of Spring in the air. It might be a small change now, but you can feel it. The weather is changing, and I feel people’s collective spirits are rising. There will always be things in the world to be sad or mad about. But there is now, and always will be, something to look forward to.

Suffering in Life

A comment was made in jest at work today: “life sucks and then you die.” It sat with me long after, even though it was a throwaway comment of frustration concerning one aspect of the person’s life.

There is indeed suffering in this life; it might even be inescapable. Attachment certainly breeds it, and perhaps the powerful physical forces of the universe, outside our control, utterly and completely prevent any permutation of reality without suffering.

And yet, we are alive. We’re turned on. We get to sense and feel and experience. How could we possibly yearn for darkness compared to this? No one knows what’s beyond the veil, what’s possible in the void or whether we are still “here.” It seems prudent to practice gratitude for life, to fully appreciate and experience all that this incredible universe has to offer. Because it’s amazing. And we have the power to make it even better, together.

Reality Removal

I think it’s funny how I sometimes feel life is hard, when I realistically have it better than 90% of the planet. Life for me can be stressful, but in the end, humans adapt to their circumstances. Life is much harder when you are solely concerned with your next meal each day, when you are continuously seeking the next source of shelter. That is still a daily reality for hundreds of millions of people. But we adapt to what we know; there is no other pathway in life. The best we can do is attempt to remove ourself from the enticing reality blinding our sight, and try to consider beyond. There are micro-strategies to empower us to do that. We do it at a global scale… and that’s when true, transcendent change can happen.

News Awareness and Perspective Change

Twitter and the online news world is full of toxicity. The negativity permeates to every facet of the zeitgeist, with public figures complaining about or criticizing the political opposition. I’ve found it creeps into my own consciousness when I scroll for too long or visit too frequently. I don’t know what the solution is, but there can surely be alternatives. Our species has difficult, important problems to solve, and we must reach a critical mass of awareness, and interest, to address them. How can we facilitate the dispersal of information, while still promoting a unified perspective of our planet’s place in the universe?