avril 2010
A necessity, spoonful to spoonful
I come across a phrase as I flip through a text that I've read over and over, entitled, "La nécessité de Giacometti" (The Necessity of Giacometti), by Yves Bonnefoy: Giacometti's intention in his art, Bonnefoy [...]
Of all the possible words
Of all the possible words (worlds?) to grab and type here, a few are chosen: Several talks from last Portugal retreat and a conference at the Fnac in Coimbra are now posted on the Wild [...]
Essentially mystery and splendor
Another full-schedule week of multiple activities having now come to this, a rainy, chilly, sometimes sunny, sometimes not Easter Sunday. After newspaper work, I'm home again. I think I have now done everything that I [...]
mars 2010
(Fleeting) In deep peace
A bit more information today about the accident and my friend: He is conscious, can speak and move. His injuries are serious, but not what we might have imagined. Sounds like some sort of miracle. [...]
Fleeting
Tonight I receive news that a friend has had a serious accident. The information is sketchy --- how? why? So much is unknown. Yet he is alive. There are waves of emotion, then I forget, [...]
After Portugal: Leaving nothing behind
It's Wednesday, late afternoon, a balmy day in the city easing to its end. Ran some errands and then had lunch in the neighborhood with an old dharma sister/friend. The grilled salmon was nice and [...]
Stand and go
Off to Portugal on a fine, spring-like morning. The cat is sick; I don't like leaving her. Bag is packed. Can't think of any book to take except a very old translation and commentary of [...]
Never, never know (amazing grace)
Haven't seen the days go by. Haven't seen myself go by. Surprised by the light lingering longer tonight as evening settled in. Curious about the words that I typed out all day. And also the [...]
To not-know it
...After a day of newspaper work, I come home full of so much bureaucracy, theory, policy-making, applied tactical warfare... More NATO troops heading for Afghanistan so that they can all come home. Imposed "democratic" elections [...]
Among the crowds
A heightened level of diverse activity in my life of late has made for changed patterns of my daily doings. Like heavy rain swelling a river that then has its course altered or spills over [...]
It’s all included (What comes to mind)
What comes to mind tonight is, "I don't know what to say." Then again, that is always what comes to mind if I am honest, if I don't grab hold of "I know what to [...]
février 2010
Out of order
Flip through the morning newspaper. Among the headlines and blurbs and briefs and spreads of type, little catches my attention for more than a minute or so. They say journalism is a rough draft of [...]
Still swiftly now
Already Thursday. I know by the clock and calendar that the week, the month, the evening are advancing, but I can neither catch nor describe their ceaseless movement. It is without measure, a constant, magnificent [...]
Tale of the Tiger
So Tiger Woods has repented and promises to become "normal," like everyone else. Wonder what that means. He also vows to return to his Buddhist roots. Wonder what that means, too. And of course, we [...]
Sights and sounds of the world
Have been waking early these days and setting off for work before the sun is up. On the Métro at that hour, most of my fellow passengers are heading to jobs that most anyone who [...]
What’s enough for now?
Going through the days, one thing to another, and not finding words for this space. Always with "bodhisattva" in mind. Then find these words from Thich Nhat Hanh: "When we come into contact with the [...]
The universe faintly falling
Snow coming obliquely through the gray light this morning has me thinking, as ever when the flakes come "general all over" like this, of the final lines of Joyce's masterful short story The Dead: "His [...]
Where we meet
I read tonight that when Shunryu Suzuki Roshi was on his deathbed, his successor, Richard Baker, asked him where they would meet again. Suzuki Roshi stuck his boney hand out from under the sheet and [...]
Happy Birthday James Joyce
Happy 128th birthday, James Joyce (born Feb. 2, 1882, Dublin) Happy 88th birthday, Ulysses (published Feb. 2, 1922, Paris) And happy Groundhog Day, one and all (no shadows visible here today)
Ritually rich, in and out of order
Sometimes my notebooks have lines and sometimes they don’t. Writing with the lines and writing without lines are very different experiences. As a writer, I know that different pens and paper, like different places and [...]
