A Simple Story

Good Morning, Many years ago when I was just a child in elementary school our teacher brought in a cocoon of a butterfly for science. The cocoon was on a small stick in a glass aquarium by the window and everyday I would check in to see if the butterfly had arrived yet. One day a small opening appeared. We all gathered and watched the butterfly as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could.

We decided to help the butterfly. The teacher took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon allowing the butterfly to emerge easily, but it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. We continued to watch the butterfly because we expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What none of us knew at the time and in our kindness and haste we did not understand, was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were to force fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

What we fail to see in our lives is that sometimes struggles are exactly what we need. If we were to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong and wise as what we could have been. We could never fly!

We we need strength.........we have difficulties to make us strong.

We we need wisdom.........we have problems to solve.

We we need courage.........we have dangers to overcome.

When we need love.........we have others to help.

When we look for favors.........we have opportunities.

It seems as though we receive nothing we want ........and yet we learn that we have everything we need!

Peace and Love, Jim

Opinions

Good Morning,

One of the best practices for everyday living (especially for those who do not meditate) is to pay attention to our opinions. In meditation we become aware of our thoughts. In our normal daily lives we can begin to notice our opinions just as we do our thoughts during meditation. This can prove to be extremely powerful because most of us have a lot of opinions and we tend to take them as truth when actually they aren't. Opinions are opinions, nothing more or less. When we begin to notice them and make note of them for what they are we begin to introduce the notion of egolessness into our lives. Ego after all is really just our opinions.

If we can see them our opinions for what they are and let them go we may discover that we are in a brand new world, one we have new eyes and ears for. It takes courage and patience to be awake to our opinions, but slowly and wholeheartedly awaking our clear natural intelligence benefits the whole of mankind and this earth.

Have a great day and remember to have patience, live one day at a time, one moment at a time and chaos will turn to wisdom.

Peace and Love, Jim

Bugs

Good Morning,

I was encouraged to share this story (more like an observation) by a friend. One weekend I was watching some insects flirt and flit about one of those bug zappers. It was amazing to see them incessantly trying to get to the light and ultimately the end of their bug lives. It was as if they were in line and fighting to fly into the light . . . ZAP! The thing these bugs wanted most was the very thing that would kill them. At no point did I ever see one insect turn around and fly away once they were within range of the light. Not one bug warned the others or asked the other bugs if they smelled anything!

The point of this little tale is that we as people often act the same way. We simply want what we want, even it may be bad for us. We rarely ever look past what we desire and discover WHY we desire. Like the other bugs there are very few people who will turn us away from our desires or at least help us to understand them. Wanting is not a bad thing, but where does it end? When are our thirsts quenched? Will it always end with a ZAP! The answers lie not in the "light" that calls us on, but in turning away from the light and finding a different reason to flit and flirt about in life. This we must we must discover for ourselves.

Have a wonderful day and from one bug to another I say; turn around! and fly away, the light is pretty but ZAP! :)

Peace and Love, Jim

Engage

Good Morning,

I promised myself that the day I felt uninspired to write would be the day I would no longer post to The Daily Buddha. Well today marks the 200th daily buddha I have written! I would never have thought I could do such a thing, but with time I have learned how to fully engage life allowing me to accomplish feats I never would have dreamed possible just a short time back. Engaging life without fear or resistance requires just a small shift in our thinking.

The shift required is surprisingly ordinary: simply to be who we are where we are, to subtly shift from getting somewhere quickly to being somewhere completely. By taking this approach we discover not only a larger view of our lives, but also a basic truth about being human: by genuinely being ourselves in the present moment, we become alert, open and skilled. When we are in our lives completely we began to see that whatever comes along (good or bad) is our life and we actively appreciate it and respect it for being so.

Thank you to each of you who wanted to be included in The Daily Buddha, I hope you have enjoyed and received something from them. . .I certainly have.

Have a beautiful day and remember that life's invitation to wake up and participate stare us in the face everyday, we only need to open our eyes and accept the offer.

Peace and Love, Jim

The Joy of Creation

Good Morning,

I hope everyone had a simple and joyous weekend! During one of my meditations (which was focused on creation) I began to contemplate being creative and how we all were once professional creatives. Using our imaginations and making things were our full time occupations. We were artists working in crayon and finger paint, singers and composers of our own music, directors of our dolls and action figures, actors playing warriors and princesses in the theaters of our imagination. Unfortunately in the course of time some of that freedom and joy slowly ebbed away and we forgot the power and majesty of being truly creative.

We forget that we live in a world we create day by day, moment by moment. How silly it is that schools undervalue creativity and society sees it as something for the few, which brings me to my thought for today:

The world as we know it is nothing without the creative mind. It is as hard to imagine the world without makers (us/people) as it is a watch without a watchmaker.

So remember, do not shrug your creative responsibilities you're creating an experience everyone shares!

Have a wonderful day. . .

Peace and Love, Jim

Simplicity

Good Morning,

As we near the weekend many of us try to cram as much as we can fit into the free days and time we have, often this leaves us exhausted, weary and less than replenished. So as a simple thought I wish that everyone try to have a simple and uncomplicated weekend. One that feeds the souls and rests the spirit. Simplicity is one of the most beautiful and joyful words in the English language, and yet one that we are culturally cut off from understanding and enjoying. Our consumption society has made us feel that happiness lies in pursuing things and staying busy, and has failed to teach us the happiness of not having/doing things and living a simple life.

Keep it simple this weekend and remember, simplicity is an acquired taste. Mankind, left free, instinctively complicates life.

Peace and Love, Jim

The Widening Circle

Good Morning,

Many times when someone new enters our circle of friends or we hire a new employee, they comment on the quality of the relationships they see. In his day the Buddha taught that we must widen our circle of compassion to include others while maintaining what was referred to as "good company." This was not meant as a ring of exclusivity or some type of iconoclastic structure, but simply an observation that positive company supports positive intentions.

Only in an open, nonjudgmental space can we acknowledge what we are feeling. Only in an open space where we're not all caught up in our own version of reality can we see, hear, and feel who others really are, which allows us to be with them fully and communicate with them properly. From the very beginning of our life to the very end, pointing to our own hearts and minds to discover what is true isn't just a matter of honesty, but also compassion and respect for the ones we share this world with.

Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Peace and Love, Jim

Partners

Good Morning,

I have had many discussions with spouses who feel they may be on a different path than their partners and this can be a difficult moment in couples lives together. Many times one partner is not happy with their place in life, or the roles they play in their jobs or day to day activities. During these times it is important to remember that all things pass, but more so it is important to make sure that we are the reality check our spouses may need to either overcome their viewpoint or show them a better way. Awareness of the temporality of life is a truth we often forget when we become confused. A caring and diligent partner can often startle us back into clarity, but thats takes tender mindfulness on both parties side.

Life offers frequent opportunities to interrupt our own suffering and the suffering of others, but unless something (or someone) wakes us up from our preoccupations, we often miss that chance.

Have a beautiful day and remember this: many couples are very much like people rushing to catch an airplane; once aboard, they turn into passengers. They just sit there.

Peace and Love, Jim

Not Two

Good Morning,

During one of my recent meditations I encountered one of those moments of clarity that on the surface seem very simple, but deep down they truly have the power to illuminate the heart in profound ways. It really is a simple thought and one I encourage everyone to ponder:

To abide in this world, to truly understand and be compassionate for all beings and all struggles we simply must say "Not two." "Not Two" includes everything and everyone while excluding nothing. We are all one and when we are all one we care for everything as if it is ourself. Show me two and I will show you someone who wants to recognize differences and not similarities. Show me two and I will show you the possibility for war, indifference and slavery. When we see that one is all and all is one we take steps towards becoming that much more complete.

Have a gorgeous day and remember that trust and mind are not two. Not two is trust in mind!

Peace and Love, Jim

The Team

Good Morning,

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed their time in some small way! I was preparing my breakfast this morning and as I sat to eat I began to think about all the hidden connections and unseen dependency on others I have that allow me to enjoy this simple meal. My grapes required the energy of the sunshine and the earth to grow. Their vines were tended to by countless workers and harvested by countless more. My eggs were laid by another living creature who needed sun, water, food, energy and time, all drawn from the same earth I share. As I looked upon my plate I saw countless families, the sun, clouds and rain all coming together to produce this plate of food. I saw how we are all connected by the threads we call life and I am amazed that we think we could ever exist without each other. In some grand way it seems we truly are our brothers keeper, we just may not always see it, which brings me to this thought: The path to greatness is along with others.

Have a great day and remember that teamwork simply stated, is less me and more we!

Peace and Love, Jim

My True Names

Good Morning!

I simply want to share a poem that beautifully captures the dharma (knowledge/spirit) of Buddhism. On occasions when I fail to see the interconnections between us all I read this to myself. I hope it captures something for each of you as it has for me on many occasions. Have a great day and love thy self and neighbor as one, for they are.

Peace and Love, Jim

Please Call Me by My True Names Do not say that I'll depart tomorrow -- for even today I still arrive.

Look deeply: I arrive in every second to be a bud on a spring branch, to be a tiny bird, with still fragile wings, learning to sing in my new nest, to be a caterpillar in the heart of a flower, to be a jewel hiding itself in a stone.

I still arrive, in order to laugh and to cry, in order to fear and to hope.

The rhythm of my heart is the birth and death of all that are alive.

I am the mayfly metamorphosing on the surface of the river, And I am the bird, that swoops down to swallow the mayfly.

I am the frog swimming happily in the clear water of a pond, and I am also the grass-snake that silently feeds itself on the frog.

I am the child in Uganda, all skin and bones, my legs as thin as bamboo sticks, And I am the arms Merchant, selling deadly weapons to Uganda.

I am the twelve-year-old girl, refugee on a small boat, who throws herself into the ocean after being raped by a sea pirate. And I am the pirate, my heart not yet capable of seeing and loving.

My joy is like spring, so warm it makes flowers bloom all over the Earth. My pain is like a river of tears, so vast it fills the four oceans.

Please call me by my true names, so I can hear all my cries and laughter at once, so I can see that my joy and pain are one.

Please call me by my true names, so I can wake up, and so the door of my heart can be left open, the door of compassion.

On This Day

Good Morning,

On this day I was born, thus this world came into existence for me. Every opportunity, every person, every friendship, became real for me on this day. So in a grander view of things, today is everyones birthday as well! I thank each and everyone of you for sharing your lives with me, you have all made the my life rich with experiences, memories, and lessons. . . what more could a person ask for?

So on this day I wish each of you a happy birthday and leave you with this:

To keep the heart fresh, to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful, reverent, that is to triumph over age.

Have a great day and remember, a birthday is just the first day of 365-day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip!

Peace and Love, Jim

Echo

Good Morning, Once when walking the land with my grandfather we came upon a small ravine with river. As we approached the edge of a beautiful cliff my grandfather cried out "Helloooooo" To my surprise, I heard a voice repeating, somewhere in the ravine: "Helloooooo!!!"

Curious, I too yelled: "hello!" and I too received back: "hello!"

Being the child I was I then screamed: "Your silly The voice answers: Your silly I then scream: "Who are you?" and I receive the reply: Who are you?" I look to my grandfather and ask: "What's going on?" My grandfather smiles and says: pay attention. He screams: "You are a champion!" The voice answers: "You are a champion!"

My grandfather then explains: "People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE. It gives you back everything you say or do. Our life is simply a reflection of our actions. If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart. If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence. This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life; Life will give you back everything you have given to it."

"Your life is not a coincidence, it is a reflection of you."

Have a great day and remember, the equation is easy. . . doing the math is what gives most of us trouble!

Peace and Love, Jim

Impermenance

Good Morning,

This is the week of my 42 birthday and I can not help but to reflect on the many phases of my life and my thinking. In this reflection I can see that at no two points in time have I ever been the same person. I felt one way when I was young and saw the world through the eyes of a child, I felt another way when i was a teenager, and yet I see the world a bit more differently in my adulthood. So what does this mean? Am i schizophrenic? Unstable? No I simply have realized that nothing is permanent, not even ourselves.

At this very moment the weather is changing, our hair is growing, people are dying and being born, the world is in a beautiful type of dance where things come together for a brief moment then collapse away. It's how it should be. No matter how clear this may be to the intellect, we tend to put ourselves in a trance, thinking things are permanent, that we will always be or feel this way. This simply can not be.

What would permanence mean? It would be awkward, it would be an unchanging situation, isolated in space and time. There would be no beginning and no end, no causes and conditions. We would never be born, grow up, or fall in love. We would never eat because we would never be hungry. We could never be involved or have a relationship because that would change us (not impermanence).

Through this understanding we can begin to lighten up, we see the impossibility of life to be anything other than what it is, we liberate ourselves from the inevitable and begin to experience the sobriety and joy that is our life.

So as I approach another birthday it simply affirms I am human and in- sync with life and that is reason enough to celebrate!

Have a wonderful day and embrace the moments you have not planned on, life is giving you a small gift!

Peace and Love, Jim

The Smallness of Friendship

Good Morning,

Friendship is a small thing. It cannot be bought, sold, bartered or traded. It costs nothing. It cannot be manufactured, designed or updated. it cannot be measured or weighed, nor can its volume be found. It doesn't require you to fall in love as a relationship does, but it does contain an element of love. it doesn't require unending sacrifice as having a family does, but it contains elements of family within it. It can stand long periods apart and still be strong. It can suffer arguments and disagreements and still be enduring. it is a small thing, friendship, but the world would be much smaller without it.

Have a great day and remember those who remember you!

Peace and Love, Jim

Obstatunities

Good Morning,

Many of us have had to face many challenges in life, our work, and in our relationships. Many times when confronted with an unexpected challenge we are not sure what to do or how to handle the situation. If we can begin to see these moments as opportunities and not obstacles, we can begin to appreciate the fact that we were given the difficult situation in the first place. The method to seeing these "obstatunities" can be found by considering this:

Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem. The greatest success stories were created by people who recognized a problem a turned it into an opportunity. Spend eighty percent of your time focusing on the opportunities of the moment rather than the problems of tomorrow or yesterday and you will always find the way.

When I was in college I took on everything I could no matter how burdened my workload or difficult my classes were. With each new task i tackled or attempted came great experiences, friendships and more opportunities, which in the end enhanced my not only my education, but my life as well. If I had clung to what was safe or easy, I may never have received the experiences I did!

Have a wonderful day and think about this: As we move through life we must learn to enjoy the breeze on our face and focus less how it messes up our hair. :)

Peace and Love, Jim

Spring bulbs

Good Morning,

I was once asked what is an enlightened mind? I compare it to insight, insight that comes from deep, honest self reflection and a healthy understand of thing as they truly are. Like spring bulbs dormant underneath the frozen earth, the qualities of the enlightened mind need time and the proper conditions to grow. Insights can have the effect of deepening understanding but the mind of enlightenment doesn't open in an instant.

It is like the days getting warmer and longer at the end of winter. One warm sunny day isn't going to make the flowers bloom, but as more of them occur, we're going to see signs of growth. Just so, as our moments of insight accumulate, they begin to influence our activity; we're able to open not only our minds but our hearts.

To the dull mind all things are leaden. To the enlightened mind the whole world sparkles and burns.

Peace and Love, Jim

Growth

Good Morning,

As we move through our lives it can be hard to see the series of events as opportunities for growth. What is growth? Is it lessons we learn or opportunities we take? Is it knowledge acquired are simply a matter of paying attention? The dictionary defines growth as: The process of developing or maturing physically, mentally, or spiritually. We can also think of it this way:

It's not what we eat but what we digest that makes us strong; not what we gain but what we save that makes us rich; not what we read but what we remember that makes us learned; and not what we profess but what we practice that gives us integrity. To accept this is to understand. to understand is to grow.

Have a beautiful day and begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand-and melting like a snowflake...

Peace and Love, Jim

The Lighter Side

Good Morning,

I hope everyone had a pleasant weekend! In the spirit of being "lighter" I wanted to share a little buddhist humor. We should never take ourselves or our situations so seriously that we can not make light of "ourselves." Enjoy and have a wonderful day!

Peace and Love, Jim Q: Why don't Buddhists vacuum in the corners? A: Because they have no attachments.

Q: What did a Buddhist say to the hot dog vendor? A: Make me one with everything.

Q: What is the name of the best Zen teacher? A: M.T. Ness

Q: How many Zen buddhists does it take to change a light bulb? A: None, they are the light bulb.

Q: How many Zen buddhists does it take to change a light bulb? A: Three -- one to change it, one to not-change it and one to both change- and not-change it.

Q: How many Zen buddhists does it take to change a light bulb? A: Tree falling in the forest.

Q: What happens when a Buddhist becomes totally absorbed with the computer he is working with? A: He enters Nerdvana.

Q: What did one Zen practitioner give to another for his/her birthday? A: Nothing. Q: What did the birthday boy/girl respond in return? A: You are thoughtless for giving me this meaningless gift. To which the giver replied, "Thank you."

Disciple: "Master, why did Bodhidharma come from the West?" Master: "Ask that post over there." Disciple: "I don't understand" Master: "Neither do I."

Q: How do I become a Lama?

A: Go to a monastic university and study for twenty-five years. Begin by memorizing Vasubandhu's Abhidharmakosha with its commentary (500 pages or so). Then study what you have memorised by hearing lectures on it and debating the contents with other candidates until you can argue every side of every controversy equally well. Then memorize several works of Nagarjuna, along with their commentaries. Then memorize the seven treatises of Dharmakirti. In additional to that study, you must master several forms of meditation and study tantric rituals for about two or three years.

Alternatively, you can come to America and just call yourself a lama. Billions of nubile virgins will follow you everywhere and give you money.

Q: How many wives does Buddhism allow?

A: You may have as many as your tolerance for misery can bear.

Q: Why are there so few Buddhist rhythm and blues bands? A: Because Buddhists don't have any soul.

Q: What does a Buddhist wish someone on their birthday? A: May you have many happy returns.

Freedom

Good Morning,

Many times we desire what we can refer to as "freedom". Freedom from the hectic paces of life, work, and commitments. Free to be and do as we want. Funny thing is that for something in such high demand no one really seems to know where it resides and even fewer people fid it. Now let me clarify that i am not talking about freedom as a country or national political agenda, I am referring to personal freedom.

Personal freedom does exist, but it is not free. You see, ultimately freedom is not based on external conditions. The freedom we long for is already within us. Freedom itself is independent of causes and conditions and is available to us all, we simply must have the courage to identify and embrace it. So today I leave you with a simple poem: A brief candle; both ends burning The endless thoughts; the mind always churning A friend to share the lonesome times A simple moment shared like wine So say it loud and let it ring We are all a part of everything The future, present and the past Fly on my friends We're free at last.

Peace and Love, Jim

Tiny Matters

Good Morning,

Last night I attended our godsons first graduation ceremony. He is only three and attends the Montessori school for children. They had all practiced really hard on singing, dancing and speaking in different languages (yes at three!) and the show they put on was priceless. I noticed many of the children were very excited, while others seemed a bit shy and withdrawn. Some ran up onto the stage, while others had to be coaxed with cookies or a hug from mom.

In their warm little faces I could see the energy and brightness that often gets depleted from us as adults. In the parents faces (and my own I'm sure) I could see the hope and pride of a new generation, a new seed ready to sprout and fill our world with color and inspiration. It was in this moment I realized that our lives are not about the tasks we do, but more about what motivates us to do them and it is with this in mind I offer the following thought for the day:

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

Have a beautiful and rewarding day. I encourage everyone to come onto the stage and step into the light, someone may even have a cookie for you!

Peace and Love, Jim