Monthly Archives: April 2012

Apr30

Publication in Haiku News

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Today I received an email from the editors at Haiku News telling me that they had chosen one of my submissions for publication.

Read the haiku by clicking here.

For those of you unfamiliar with this journal here is what they have published on their website and I can hardly improve upon it.

Haiku News is a weekly poetry journal which publishes socially engaged poetry, pairing each poem with a news article to forge links between the poetic, the personal and the political.

I want to especially thank Dick Whyte for his attention to my haiku and working with me through the editing process.

Here is the link to the article that moved me to write the haiku.

Please take a moment to visit their site and read the other poets work too.

http://www.wayfarergallery.net/haikunews/?p=3594

Apr30

Lost dog?

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happy dog
visiting the temple-
traveling Buddha

Today while my daughter, Ava, and I were at temple a dog wandered up to us and sat down for a bit. Just quiet and gentle then he stood up and wandered off.
This was a perfect example of non-attachment and I thank him for that lesson.

Apr28

Chicago Haiku Fest

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Today I had the wonderful opportunity to hear some great haiku read. The Haiku Society of America held a festival in celebration of National Poetry Month. The organizer Charlotte Digregorio did a fantastic job on organizing the event and the Skokie Library graciously allowed use of one of their conference rooms.
The event kicked off with Charlotte giving a short lecture on haiku and a discussion on 10 haiku that members of the Haiku Society had written. Next we had members of the Midwest chapter do a live reading of some of their work that had been published in the past year. The names of those who read is as follows: Amelia Cotter, Lidia Rozmus, Mac Greene, John Han, Tom Chockley, Alicia Hilton, Joanne Crofton, Tomoko Hata, Heather Jagman, and Dan Schwerin.
Finally we ended with a haiku contest where nonmembers got to compete for prizes.

I truly enjoyed myself and look forward to more events in the future. The gallery below is from the event.

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Apr27

Wistful thinking

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Wistful thinking

incense smoke
brings back the dead-
will-o-wisp

Inspired by a Hangon-kon story which is as follows: (My interpretation)

Many years ago during the Han dynasty the Chinese Emperor Wu lost his wife, Lady Li. The Emperor loved her so much that her death consumed him. No matter what he did he could not distract himself. So one day he told his servants to obtain some of the Spirit-Recalling-Incense so that he might call her back from the dead. His advisors tried to dissuade him as they felt doing so would only feed his obsession. But being the Emperor he refused to listen to their advice and proceeded with the ritual burning.

When the time was auspicious the Emperor lite the incense and kept his mind focused on the memory of his beloved Lady Li. After some time passed the Emperor saw the form of his wife forming within the blue smoke of the incense. At first it was quite faint but slowly the apparition started to assume human form and become a living person. The Emperor watched his wife grow more beautiful and alive with each passing moment. At first the Emperor whispered to the image afraid that it would fade, but quickly grew more bold and soon was calling, pleading with the image to speak to him. Finally unable to control himself he reached out to touch the image but as soon as he touched the smoke the Lady Li vanished forever.

Sources:
Ghostly Japan by Lafcadio Hearn
I lost the link to image but is was Japan wiki
Apr27

Spiritual Materialism and Cherry Picking

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Reblogged from 40 Oz of Bad Karma:

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These days, it's common to see someone spend tons of money on their new spiritual knick-knacks, or the self-help books from the "New Age section", and "spiritual" lectures. People often pick and choose from many different traditions, leaving out anything they deem problematic or challenging. In essence, they end up with a shallow "spiritual" practice that is nothing more than justification for their already well-established, preconceived notions.

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Apr27

All Guests Welcome

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Reblogged from Inspire 'til You Expire:

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This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they're a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house,

empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you out for some new delight.

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Excellent advice on mindfulness
Apr27

Living in the Present Moment

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Living in the Present Moment

When one is attempting to live the Dharma it is important to remember to live in the moment and be mindful. Most people, me included, find this difficult. My wife and I were discussing the below quote from Lao Tzu and she said that until now it she had never really felt it. I understand what she meant. It is easy to look at the words and have enough intelligence and education to intellectually comprehend what they mean. But, actually understanding the words and taking them to heart is another matter. I challenge you my dear reader to contemplate these words and to try and live them this weekend. I will be using them as my focus during meditation as well as trying to live by them. I look forward to hearing how you did and any thoughts you may have on this exercise.

If you are depressed you are living in the past.
If you are anxious you are living in the future.
If you are at peace you are living in the present.

Apr26

The Stages of Awakening

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Reblogged from 40 Oz of Bad Karma:

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In Buddhism, panna (Skt. prajna) refers to the wisdom that is based on a realization of dependent origination, the Four Noble Truths and the three marks of existence. It is also listed as the sixth of the six paramitas in Mahayana. Panna is the wisdom that is able to extinguish afflictions and bring about bodhi.

Bodhi, buddhi, and Buddha all come from the verbal root of buddh which literally means to be awake, become aware, to notice, to know or understand, etc.

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Buddhist stages of awakening.