Monday, December 21, 2009


"People come here 
and listen to my dharma words
when all I really want to do
is pour them a little tea."  -Adyashanti


All searching - for spiritual enlightenment, wealth and power, or the right diet - is really all of the same search for happiness.  Sometimes a break from the searching and striving can help us to realize that the happiness we want is patiently waiting for us to recognize it, in the little things, like a cup of tea (my be habit.)

Cafe Dharma offers audio/video/radio downloads of Adyashanti's teachings.  Most are for sale, but some are free and worth listening to.
photo from flickr

Monday, December 14, 2009

what's in a name?

It recently came up in a conversation about being (in a bar in Soho no less) that the translation of Yahweh, one of the many names of God, is "to be."

"By telling people his name, God intended to reveal his innermost character. As a word, Yahweh is related to the Hebrew verb ‘to be’. The verb goes beyond ‘to exist’; it means rather ‘to be actively present."

How beautiful is that?


Source: Eerdmans Handbook to the Bible, pg. 157. Eerdmans Publishing Company. Grand Rapids, MI.
Thanks Tony!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

House Inspector: $495, Attorney Fees : $1,500...

Everyone should have someone in their life who makes them accountable to who they really are, and what they stand for, no matter what.  That person, for me, is my sister.


It has been difficult for me to muster up insightful words to write about being for the last week.  We are in the process of selling our house and buying another and it has been challenging to say the least.   It feels like one road block after another.  In addition to some crying and self-pity, I've tried doing all the right things...praying, finding compassion for all parties involved, writing my intentions, making gratitude lists, staying grounded in what's really important, etc.  And yet I was still physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted from the whole process.  I told my sister I was trying "to think the highest thought" and here is what she wrote:

Maybe instead of thinking the highest thought, you need to focus on the next better thought. Get yourself outta that space one rung at a time. I know you're trying to see what you can't see, but trying is counterproductive to being.


All will be revealed. As my friend David used to always (annoyingly) remind me...."not in your time."
Stop and look around you. Get present. Be thankful for what is, right now.
She should write this blog...I've told her that many times.  I love the idea that "trying is counterproductive to being."  I had abandoned everything I espouse and know to be true and allowed anxiety to take over, and her reminder has been a great kick in the pants.  We are taught to hammer away at problems until we find a solution, but real emotional sophistication calls for knowing when to let go and trust.  A reminder of that from your sister:  priceless

photo: mrs. french's flickr