I'll write at length about this, very shortly, but wanted to announce it right away. About a week ago I saw the numbers "249" on my scale for the first time in many years. This is different from 349 when I started! Anyhow, I gave it a week to make sure and I'm happy to say I haven't gone up and I'm not dreaming. I really have lost ONE HUNDRED POUNDS!
Again, I'll write about my thoughts and experiences with this, but just wanted to say it here!
Have a GREAT day!
MS
Monday, June 27, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
I've never been so happy to be so wrong!!!
Jazz Times magazine mistakenly saddened the crap out of me today by reporting the death of Jack Sheldon!
Turns out it's completely UNTRUE, thankfully!
http://jazztimes.com/articles/27900-reports-of-jack-sheldon-s-death-false
Yay!
MS
Turns out it's completely UNTRUE, thankfully!
http://jazztimes.com/articles/27900-reports-of-jack-sheldon-s-death-false
Yay!
MS
Saturday, June 18, 2011
A Recipe For Life?
I'm sitting in a bookstore, drinking coffee and reading "Friends On The Path" by Thich Nhat Hanh. Just this, already makes me very happy and content. But I ran across this recitation that Thay uses at Plum Village:
I am aware that the Three Gems are within my heart.
I vow to realize them.
I vow to practice mindful breathing and smiling,
looking deeply into things.
I vow to understand living beings and their suffering,
to cultivate compassion and loving kindness,
and to practice joy and equanimity.
I vow to offer to joy to one person in the morning
and to help relieve the grief of one person in the afternoon.
I vow to live simply and sanely,
content with just few possessions,
and to keep my body healthy.
I vow to let go of all worries and anxiety,
in order to be light and free.
How cool is that? Reading this, I felt it. It was like a very deep, but brief, meditation. A great addition to a practitioners day, and an all around great recipe for a good life. I love things like this where I feel like if anyone were to ask me what Buddhism is about I could tell them this and feel that I gave them a solid, clear answer.
_/\_
I am aware that the Three Gems are within my heart.
I vow to realize them.
I vow to practice mindful breathing and smiling,
looking deeply into things.
I vow to understand living beings and their suffering,
to cultivate compassion and loving kindness,
and to practice joy and equanimity.
I vow to offer to joy to one person in the morning
and to help relieve the grief of one person in the afternoon.
I vow to live simply and sanely,
content with just few possessions,
and to keep my body healthy.
I vow to let go of all worries and anxiety,
in order to be light and free.
How cool is that? Reading this, I felt it. It was like a very deep, but brief, meditation. A great addition to a practitioners day, and an all around great recipe for a good life. I love things like this where I feel like if anyone were to ask me what Buddhism is about I could tell them this and feel that I gave them a solid, clear answer.
_/\_
Thursday, June 9, 2011
BOOK REVIEW: Against The Stream by Noah Levine
I read a LOT. I also used to work for a band. So when I saw Noah Levine's
first book "Dharma Punx
", shortly after having re-read Kerouac's
"On The Road
" and "Dharma Bums
", the book really appealed to me. You can read my review of that book, here. While DP was Levine's memoir of his descent in to drug and alcohol abuse (and his subsequent discovery of the Dharma to regain his life), his second book "Against The Stream
" was more of a users manual for Buddhism that was targeted to appeal to a certain audience.

I have read, and enjoyed, all of Noah's books. In "Against The Stream
" Levine's take on Buddhism, is - rightly - that it's a radical approach to life. He views, and teaches, Buddhism from the perspective of the Buddha being a radical, Buddhism being a "Revolution" and the practitioner a "revolutionary".
While I don't personally need Buddhism described in this sort of framework to make it appealing to me, I can certainly see where it would appeal to a younger audience who is looking for a more accessible read. Luckily, I like his writing enough that this approach doesn't bother me.
He does a great job of stripping Buddhism down, particularly in this book, to it's simple concepts and ways to execute them in your life. It's very clear and simple, with none of the usual dramatic flare of the books that quote the Buddha so heavily. Some people prefer that dramatic flare, and might find this book a touch dry. But for it's intended audience, I think it's a benefit.
One example I LOVED (due to the weight loss theme of this blog) is the part where he talks about Dependent Origination. He lists out the steps and uses the idea of how much he loves Ice Cream and how he prevents himself from being overwhelmed by a craving for it. I have cited this example many times to others, since I first read it, because it does a really great job of showing how these steps can help us control any craving in our lives by stopping it between Step 7 (Feelings) and Step 8 (Cravings).
So, the bottom line is that if you are a young person taking an interest in Buddhism and trying to find a brief, simple and clear guide to some of it's core information, this book is perfect. If you're just in to reading about Buddhism and looking for something a little different from the norm, this book is great. If you're looking for a scholarly text, this might not be your best choice. But it's good solid information for anyone interested in Buddhism, and I recommend it.
As a side note, if you're not already familiar with Noah Levine, I highly recommend you check out his audio "Against The Stream Buddhist Meditation Society Podcasts" on iTunes. The podcasts he offers are numerous and great. Some of the podcasts are by other speakers. His are particularly entertaining and informative. Noah is, in my humble opinion, far more engaging as a speaker than he is as a writer, and that's saying a lot as he's done a great job with his books. But do yourself a favor and check him out on audio. You won't likely regret it. Warning - He's NSFW in pretty much every talk though, so keep the headphones on!
Enjoy!
MS
I have read, and enjoyed, all of Noah's books. In "Against The Stream
While I don't personally need Buddhism described in this sort of framework to make it appealing to me, I can certainly see where it would appeal to a younger audience who is looking for a more accessible read. Luckily, I like his writing enough that this approach doesn't bother me.
He does a great job of stripping Buddhism down, particularly in this book, to it's simple concepts and ways to execute them in your life. It's very clear and simple, with none of the usual dramatic flare of the books that quote the Buddha so heavily. Some people prefer that dramatic flare, and might find this book a touch dry. But for it's intended audience, I think it's a benefit.
One example I LOVED (due to the weight loss theme of this blog) is the part where he talks about Dependent Origination. He lists out the steps and uses the idea of how much he loves Ice Cream and how he prevents himself from being overwhelmed by a craving for it. I have cited this example many times to others, since I first read it, because it does a really great job of showing how these steps can help us control any craving in our lives by stopping it between Step 7 (Feelings) and Step 8 (Cravings).
So, the bottom line is that if you are a young person taking an interest in Buddhism and trying to find a brief, simple and clear guide to some of it's core information, this book is perfect. If you're just in to reading about Buddhism and looking for something a little different from the norm, this book is great. If you're looking for a scholarly text, this might not be your best choice. But it's good solid information for anyone interested in Buddhism, and I recommend it.
As a side note, if you're not already familiar with Noah Levine, I highly recommend you check out his audio "Against The Stream Buddhist Meditation Society Podcasts" on iTunes. The podcasts he offers are numerous and great. Some of the podcasts are by other speakers. His are particularly entertaining and informative. Noah is, in my humble opinion, far more engaging as a speaker than he is as a writer, and that's saying a lot as he's done a great job with his books. But do yourself a favor and check him out on audio. You won't likely regret it. Warning - He's NSFW in pretty much every talk though, so keep the headphones on!
Enjoy!
MS
Sunday, May 8, 2011
MondoSAMU, Now With More Samu & 26% Less Fat!
I have not been writing as much as I would like lately. There are a number of reasons for this, but primarily it has been my deeper exploration of the Buddhist path. Since starting this weight loss process, when I read "Savor", I have taken quite an interest in the Buddhist aspect of it, and I have grown in that area steadily. In fact, I would say that the weight loss has taken a back seat to the exploration of Buddhism in the last several months as I slowly realized that the weight loss was a simple and natural by-product of my mindfulness and Buddhist efforts. At the time of my post, some months ago, about my visit to the Dallas meditation center, I saw that I was at a critical juncture in the Buddhist aspect of my journey.
That experience solidified a number of thoughts I'd been pondering such as my feelings about meditation and how beneficial I thought that it might be for me and my thoughts on Buddhism as it fits in to my life. Most of all, I now had to decide what tradition of Buddhism I was interested in pursuing, if any.
With those things solidified, new questions unfolded before me. To assist with these, I really dove in to reading a lot of books, listening to a lot of audio books and podcasts, and talking with as many other Buddhists as I have been able to. I also continued trying to find Buddhist groups that I could visit with to see which appealed to me. When I was last at the Dallas meditation center, brother ChiSing suggested that I do this, and it has been excellent advice. Specifically, he said that I wouldn't find anything exactly like the DMC but that there would be numerous similar groups and that I should try them all until one felt comfortable.
I'm still in the process of doing so, but it's becoming clear to me that I will ultimately need to try and get a Sangha started in my area if I want a group close to home. But that's another story. And a story I am working on!
So, I guess the reason I am writing today is that I feel like I have an overwhelming amount of things to share, and I am hoping to get back to writing here more often. Due to my submersion in reading, I have tons of experiences and books to review. Appropriately, I am writing this post as I am 38,000 feet in the air, heading to Dallas, where I expect to visit the DMC again and sit with them. I'm sure I will write about that experience again as well.
One of the reasons I started this blog was to share my experiences, but at least equal to that was the goal of any readers sharing their thoughts and experiences with me as well. So it is my hope that anyone reading this will chime in and share their stories, questions and advice as well. Here's just a few of the things I am exploring at the moment. Any feedback or suggestion is most welcome.
- What has been your experience finding a Sangha near you?
- If you didn't have one close to home, how have you dealt with that?
- What tradition do you follow, if any, and why?
- How do you use technology and the Internet in your practice?
Lastly, I'd like to share two more things. Today, I stepped on the scale before leaving for the airport (exactly as I did 10 months ago) and found that I have officially lost 90 pounds of my 100 pound goal so far! Also, Happy Mothers day to all of the Moms out there!
Be well,
MS
That experience solidified a number of thoughts I'd been pondering such as my feelings about meditation and how beneficial I thought that it might be for me and my thoughts on Buddhism as it fits in to my life. Most of all, I now had to decide what tradition of Buddhism I was interested in pursuing, if any.
With those things solidified, new questions unfolded before me. To assist with these, I really dove in to reading a lot of books, listening to a lot of audio books and podcasts, and talking with as many other Buddhists as I have been able to. I also continued trying to find Buddhist groups that I could visit with to see which appealed to me. When I was last at the Dallas meditation center, brother ChiSing suggested that I do this, and it has been excellent advice. Specifically, he said that I wouldn't find anything exactly like the DMC but that there would be numerous similar groups and that I should try them all until one felt comfortable.
I'm still in the process of doing so, but it's becoming clear to me that I will ultimately need to try and get a Sangha started in my area if I want a group close to home. But that's another story. And a story I am working on!
So, I guess the reason I am writing today is that I feel like I have an overwhelming amount of things to share, and I am hoping to get back to writing here more often. Due to my submersion in reading, I have tons of experiences and books to review. Appropriately, I am writing this post as I am 38,000 feet in the air, heading to Dallas, where I expect to visit the DMC again and sit with them. I'm sure I will write about that experience again as well.
One of the reasons I started this blog was to share my experiences, but at least equal to that was the goal of any readers sharing their thoughts and experiences with me as well. So it is my hope that anyone reading this will chime in and share their stories, questions and advice as well. Here's just a few of the things I am exploring at the moment. Any feedback or suggestion is most welcome.
- What has been your experience finding a Sangha near you?
- If you didn't have one close to home, how have you dealt with that?
- What tradition do you follow, if any, and why?
- How do you use technology and the Internet in your practice?
Lastly, I'd like to share two more things. Today, I stepped on the scale before leaving for the airport (exactly as I did 10 months ago) and found that I have officially lost 90 pounds of my 100 pound goal so far! Also, Happy Mothers day to all of the Moms out there!
Be well,
MS
Monday, April 18, 2011
Brad Warner in Atlanta
Sad as I am that I am not able to attend any of the meditation stuff that Brad Warner
is doing at the Atlanta Soto Zen Center this week, I was very happy to have spent a couple of hours at Aurora Coffee in Little Five Points Friday night at the Acapella Books Sponsored event hosting Brad Warner
(author of Hardcore Zen
, Sit Down and Shut Up
, Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate
and Sex, Sin & Zen
) and Jeffrey Small
(author of Breath of God
).
I didn't really know what to expect, and frankly wasn't expecting much, since it was in a coffee shop. As it turned out the event was pretty darned cool. It was the kind of thing where you're really glad you went because what you thought would be a large crowd turns out to be small and intimate. When I walked in to the Aurora Coffee Shop, it was small and seemingly an impossible place to host what I thought would at least be a moderately large event. I took a seat, and had a badly needed cup of coffee as other people started showing up. I met a couple of like minded, interesting folks from the area. A guy from Kennesaw who made quite a drive to make it to the event. I invited him to sit at the table, as space was at a premium. Another person from Macon sat down on the steps to the exit beside me and we chatted. Eventually, she joined us as well.
When the "show" started, they introduced the authors and used the stair landing as a stage. The author of Breath of God
, Jeffrey Small
, got up and introduced himself. He is an Atlanta native (very rare in Atlanta) and a World Religions graduate of Oxford University. His book is a sort of Dan Brown-esque book about Jesus' lost years. Or as he put it, "Da Vinci Code Goes To India". It is a novel based on a real "legend" of sorts that Jesus spent a number of years in India and what he did and learned while there. It is, in the authors hopes, a novel to start a dialogue about the intersection of the various world religions. Small was an interesting guy, who seemed very interested in his subject matter and was clearly knowledgeable, so he made for good discussion. I chatted with him after the event about the Axial Age and he pointed to sections in the book that are influenced by that idea.
After he stepped down from the stage, Brad Warner
took over and did a great job of giving a sort of brief talk about his books, particularly the most recent one, and sort of tied a little Dharma Talk type of stuff in with it. It was interesting and entertaining. He's an interesting guy who is very unassuming, and sort of seems painfully shy but yet is a very engaging and interesting speaker. The very shyness that he seems to have when hanging out is kind of what makes him so engaging. Also, if you've read any of his books
you already know, he has a great sarcastic sort of humor about him that is fun to listen to.
He spoke about sex and sin and the difference of how the two are viewed in America as opposed to Japan, with the central idea being that idea that when you contrast the two cultures you realize that the acts themselves aren't inherently bad or good...they are just viewed as such by society. I'm doing some really big paraphrasing here, but if you want better, then get out there and see him live! He opened the floor to questions and the small crowd seemed a little shy. There was a couple of questions I can't recall, as well as one about Polyamory which he delved in to in depth and quite interestingly. I asked a couple of questions as well about The Axial Age and so forth. He and the other author both gave their take on it and it was very interesting.
When it was over, I was surprised by how quickly the place emptied out. While I was chatting with Small, the shop mostly emptied and the merchandise was packed away. I had to wrap up my conversation with one of the kind folks from the Atlanta Soto Zen Center and make my way to Brad in order to catch him before he left. I told him how glad I was to get to hear him talk and how I have really enjoyed his books and have found them helpful. I'm NOT an autograph kind of guy, myself, having worked for a band for years, I kind of find it a little weird. I usually opt for letting people know I appreciate their work and shaking their hand. I bought a copy of Sit Down and Shut Up because I only have a digital copy and it's the only one I don't have the physical copy of, and he offered to sign it, so I accepted as it would have been kind of weird for me to explain at that point. I'm really glad I did too because he drew a quick Godzilla and autographed it.
As we were chatting I let him know that I was as much a fan of the fact that he worked with UltraMan
as I was his books! He was surprised by this and we talked about the weird regional showing of the UltraMan
show in America and about the DVD series. I won't print the details of that here, but ask him about it if you are interested. Anyhow, he added a drawing of UltraMan
to his autograph which really pleased me and made me glad to have gotten it!
All told, I went in to the event with a sort of "take what I can get" attitude, a little disappointed that I wouldn't get to visit one of the Zen Center appearances, and I left incredibly pleased that I met so many great folks and got to chat a bit with Brad. Best of all, was the interesting talk the authors gave.
If Brad Warner is coming to your town, I highly recommend that you make it out for an appearance! You can check his schedule here!
MS
I didn't really know what to expect, and frankly wasn't expecting much, since it was in a coffee shop. As it turned out the event was pretty darned cool. It was the kind of thing where you're really glad you went because what you thought would be a large crowd turns out to be small and intimate. When I walked in to the Aurora Coffee Shop, it was small and seemingly an impossible place to host what I thought would at least be a moderately large event. I took a seat, and had a badly needed cup of coffee as other people started showing up. I met a couple of like minded, interesting folks from the area. A guy from Kennesaw who made quite a drive to make it to the event. I invited him to sit at the table, as space was at a premium. Another person from Macon sat down on the steps to the exit beside me and we chatted. Eventually, she joined us as well.
Brad Warner on "stage" at Aurora Coffee in Atlanta |
When the "show" started, they introduced the authors and used the stair landing as a stage. The author of Breath of God
After he stepped down from the stage, Brad Warner
He spoke about sex and sin and the difference of how the two are viewed in America as opposed to Japan, with the central idea being that idea that when you contrast the two cultures you realize that the acts themselves aren't inherently bad or good...they are just viewed as such by society. I'm doing some really big paraphrasing here, but if you want better, then get out there and see him live! He opened the floor to questions and the small crowd seemed a little shy. There was a couple of questions I can't recall, as well as one about Polyamory which he delved in to in depth and quite interestingly. I asked a couple of questions as well about The Axial Age and so forth. He and the other author both gave their take on it and it was very interesting.
When it was over, I was surprised by how quickly the place emptied out. While I was chatting with Small, the shop mostly emptied and the merchandise was packed away. I had to wrap up my conversation with one of the kind folks from the Atlanta Soto Zen Center and make my way to Brad in order to catch him before he left. I told him how glad I was to get to hear him talk and how I have really enjoyed his books and have found them helpful. I'm NOT an autograph kind of guy, myself, having worked for a band for years, I kind of find it a little weird. I usually opt for letting people know I appreciate their work and shaking their hand. I bought a copy of Sit Down and Shut Up because I only have a digital copy and it's the only one I don't have the physical copy of, and he offered to sign it, so I accepted as it would have been kind of weird for me to explain at that point. I'm really glad I did too because he drew a quick Godzilla and autographed it.
As we were chatting I let him know that I was as much a fan of the fact that he worked with UltraMan
Brad's autograph in Sit Down and Shut Up (Never imagined I would get - much less show off - an autograph, but I love this!) |
All told, I went in to the event with a sort of "take what I can get" attitude, a little disappointed that I wouldn't get to visit one of the Zen Center appearances, and I left incredibly pleased that I met so many great folks and got to chat a bit with Brad. Best of all, was the interesting talk the authors gave.
If Brad Warner is coming to your town, I highly recommend that you make it out for an appearance! You can check his schedule here!
MS
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Are you "Seriously Buddhist, Seriously Geeky"?
I wanted to let everyone know about Buddhist Geeks. As I've been seeking to learn more about Buddhism lately, I found Buddhist Geeks web site and podcast and they've both been a great resource for me.
I started by downloading just the latest podcast to see if it was cool. Podcasts can sometimes be pretty lacking in polish, which can detract from the information even if it's great information. I was very pleased by the quality. I then went back and started with everything from 2010 forward. When I finished that, I started at the beginning and I'm working my way to the middle…way.
Anyhow, I've been extremely pleased with the content, the production and most of all the openness of the whole thing. They really tackle all manner of Buddhist related material and don't seem to bring any slant to the table.
Anyhow, perhaps my favorite thing is how they've evolved from where they started (their motto was "Seriously Buddhist, Seriously Geeky") to where their identity really surfaced through their work as "Discover The Emerging Face of Buddhism". Now they are even taking a bold step and hosting a conference in California on this very topic that clearly is of interest to a lot of Buddhists and Buddhish people in America.
They've recently added a digital magazine aspect to the web site and also are hosting some coursework on Buddhism directly through the site from what it looks like. The site, and all of it's podcasts and articles are 100% free. They gladly accept donations and support if you are interested. After consuming untold hours of FREE educational audio from them, I finally decided it was well worth it, and signed up as a Micro-Patron. It's a VERY small price to pay for a vast collection of quality Buddhist audio.
I really encourage you to check Buddhist Geeks out and see if you find any value in what they have to offer. It's TOTALLY free and you do not *have* to donate, but if you enjoy it, you might want to consider a donation to help keep it coming. From my research it is some of the best material out there for free. It's also worth pointing out that a big part of the reason I was willing to donate to them is precisely because of them not requiring it, but consistently and gently reminding me about it. They managed to walk a thin line between annoying people by asking for money, and not asking enough. They basically have each podcast tagged with a message about "If you like what Buddhist Geeks has provided" then please feel free to donate. If I hadn't heard that message each time, I may not have done it. If I had heard it MORE than I did, I certainly wouldn't have. Good work on their part!
MS
I started by downloading just the latest podcast to see if it was cool. Podcasts can sometimes be pretty lacking in polish, which can detract from the information even if it's great information. I was very pleased by the quality. I then went back and started with everything from 2010 forward. When I finished that, I started at the beginning and I'm working my way to the middle…way.
Anyhow, I've been extremely pleased with the content, the production and most of all the openness of the whole thing. They really tackle all manner of Buddhist related material and don't seem to bring any slant to the table.
Anyhow, perhaps my favorite thing is how they've evolved from where they started (their motto was "Seriously Buddhist, Seriously Geeky") to where their identity really surfaced through their work as "Discover The Emerging Face of Buddhism". Now they are even taking a bold step and hosting a conference in California on this very topic that clearly is of interest to a lot of Buddhists and Buddhish people in America.
They've recently added a digital magazine aspect to the web site and also are hosting some coursework on Buddhism directly through the site from what it looks like. The site, and all of it's podcasts and articles are 100% free. They gladly accept donations and support if you are interested. After consuming untold hours of FREE educational audio from them, I finally decided it was well worth it, and signed up as a Micro-Patron. It's a VERY small price to pay for a vast collection of quality Buddhist audio.
I really encourage you to check Buddhist Geeks out and see if you find any value in what they have to offer. It's TOTALLY free and you do not *have* to donate, but if you enjoy it, you might want to consider a donation to help keep it coming. From my research it is some of the best material out there for free. It's also worth pointing out that a big part of the reason I was willing to donate to them is precisely because of them not requiring it, but consistently and gently reminding me about it. They managed to walk a thin line between annoying people by asking for money, and not asking enough. They basically have each podcast tagged with a message about "If you like what Buddhist Geeks has provided" then please feel free to donate. If I hadn't heard that message each time, I may not have done it. If I had heard it MORE than I did, I certainly wouldn't have. Good work on their part!
MS
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