There is something somewhere in this daily record that is more and less than what I think it is and also not more not less than what I think it is.
The everyness overwhelms all attempts to capture a moment.
Now the night is clear and bitter cold.
On my wall, a Lee Miller photo: Portrait of Space. It’s the Egyptian desert, with sky and clouds, through a torn hole in a mosquito net.
Everyness
About the Author: zenscribe
Enseignante Zen et poète, Sensei Amy “Tu es cela” Hollowell est née et a grandi à Minneapolis, aux Etats-Unis. Arrivée en France en 1981 pour étudier la littérature et l’histoire, elle y est restée, s’installant à Paris, où elle élève ses deux enfants et gagne sa vie en tant que journaliste.
The Zen teacher and poet Amy “Tu es cela” Hollowell Sensei was born and raised in Minneapolis, but came to France in 1981 to study literature and history and has lived in Paris ever since, raising her two children and making a living as a journalist.
Theravada? Zen? Dzogchen?
You can say that an electron behaves in such and such manner. You can say that such surface reflects light giving to our eyes the impression of blue. you can say that if you hammer a nail into wood it will sink down in it. These are the things you can state without much error or controversy.
As to human nature and goals, as to how society should be, as to trancendence, the "underlying reality" is just mist, can you isolate it in grains, name and describe them? Any such definition, although unavoidable and necessary (as humans think and communicate) is a deformation of it, whatever it is…
If you like zen, zen away. If you like theravada, be my guest. If you’re a Dzogchen kind a’ guy/gal, knock yourself out. Who knows if we are running for comfort, running to hide? If you know then stop hiding. If you don’t know, what use is the "what if"? Do your thing until it isn’t your thing anymore.
what a photo!
thanks!
Therevada is great. But not great enough?
A few months ago I saw a documentary on a famous Therevada-teacher and his first teacher-follower. She ended the most interesting talk with saying "She was a skeptic".
I think this is what happens a lot: that we chose a path (unconsciously) where we can grow – but also can easily hide?
I sure wouldn’t recomend Therevada to a skeptic.
"… Portrait of Space. … through a torn hole in a mosquito net…"
This must be an interesting photo!
Most of the time the mosquitonet will be seen as foreground becous an object – and space as background…
The foto is making you see the opposite I understand?
Is there such a thing as foreground and background?
cfr. The secret of Morandi
What is the heart of Zen?
They asked me; nothing I can do about that.
I’ve been away for a while, intoTherevada, into denial; that I bring forward in my defense.
That first I intended to throw in some lists of Pali words (like anicca, dukkha, anatta).
But I changed my mind.
The heart of Zen – I will say – is that a flower is more precious than a diamond because of her fragility.
Impermanence is no flaw; it is what makes the jewel of life shine with infinite beauty.