Push and Pull

I think it's quite amazing how the world exerts the force of push and pull on different planes. For the past two and half months I have been blessed to say that I coud call this amazing place home. Almost every morning I sweep the floor of my friend's place. When I reflect on this sweeping it seems to lie somewhere between a personal ritual and a form of gratitude. As a ritualistic practice I deeply appreciate the way not just sweeping the floor, but the act of cleaning seems to calm my mind. The simple act of cleaning seems to bring forth a peace of mind based on two reasons. The first reason lies in performing the act itself because when I focus my attention on the task at hand my mind seems to settle. The second reason that brings about calmness is in the result that comes from cleaning. As a form of gratitude this act is one simple way I can show my friends just how much i appreciate what they have done for me in giving me a place to stay for a while. But even as I clean, observe, eat, swim, or take in the sun I feel a pulsing inside. It's moving to the beat of the hard pavement and sidewalks I remember so well. The comforts and familiarities of the city. The heightened sense of alertness that comes with being there. I can feel myself being pulled back to where I came from.

Tune: Magnetic City by Kode9 out on Soul Jazz Records

Good Reads

reb • el [ré-buhl]
One who questions, resists,  refuses to obey, or rises against unjust or unreasonable control of an authority or tradition.

bud-duh [bü´-duh]
The awakened mind.

When I left home I only had enough room to pack 2 books into my backpack. "Rebel Buddha" by Dzogchen Ponlop, was the latest book i had purchased, and I had been saving it for quite a while. I knew the moment I bought my plane ticket that this was the time for it. I first opened it when I boarded my flight to Los Angeles ,and this evening I reached the last page. I thought I would share a few notes I marked that really stood out to me:

1. The desire for freedom-not just external freedom, but the state of being free-is transformative.

2. One of the greatest contributions we can make to our world is to learn how to live in harmony with each other.

3. The best approach is to sit without any expectations, without any hope or fear about the result.

4.  In many cases, kindness is all you can offer - and all you need to offer.

5. As long as we're here, we might as well learn from the child we once were.

6. You must respect the integrity of each individual and your own limitations.

7. If we can look at our own mind more positively, with a sense of appreciation, then there is no way not to appreciate the world.

8. Real ignorance is not knowing what you don't know.

9. Knowing clearly what you don't know is already a form of wisdom.

10. If we're ever to understand who we are as individuals and societies, then we need to see the interdependence of culture, identity, and meaning.