What We Are Today

What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind. If a man speaks or acts with an impure mind, suffering follows him as the wheel of the cart follows the beast that draws the cart. What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind. If a man speaks or acts with a pure mind, joy follows him as his own shadow. --The Dhammapada, trans. by Juan Mascaro

The Theme of Dharma Practice

The foundation and initial goal of [our] transformation is avoiding doing harm to others. Whether alone or with others, we must strive to avoid doing harm either directly with our words or deeds or indirectly with our thoughts and intentions. We may injure others with abuse, slander, sarcasm, and deceit, or by acts of omission due to insensitivity and thoughtlessness. The most subtle way of harming others is indirectly by means of our thoughts, judgments, and attitudes. When the mind is dominated by hostility, we may be viciously attacking others with our thoughts. Although no apparent injury may be inflicted, these thoughts affect us internally and influence our way of interacting with others, and the long-term effect is invariably harmful. So the initial theme of Dharma practice is a nonviolent approach to our own lives, to other living beings, and to our environment. This is a foundation for spiritual practice, and can provide well-being for both ourselves and others. On this basis of nonviolence we can look for ways to serve others keeping in mind that any work will be altruistic if our motivation is one of kindness and friendliness. --B. Alan Wallace, Tibetan Buddhism from the Ground Up

All Living Beings Without Exception

Sometimes we think that to develop an open heart, to be truly loving and compassionate, means that we need to be passive, to allow others to abuse us, to smile and let anyone do what they want with us. Yet this is not what is meant by compassion. Quite the contrary. Compassion is not at all weak. It is the strength that arises out of seeing the true nature of suffering in the world. Compassion allows us to bear witness to that suffering, whether it is in ourselves or others, without fear; it allows us to name injustice without hesitation, and to act strongly, with all the skill at our disposal. To develop this mind state of compassion... is to learn to live, as the Buddha put it, with sympathy for all living beings, without exception. --Sharon Salzberg, Lovingkindness

My head is a box filled with nothing

Oy, just when I think I have it figured out what I want to do with my life, turns out I am still not sure=Þ I have two things I really like, I guess you could say passionate about. Food and music *gasp*. So it's like do I plan my life to have something to do with one and incorporate the other in someway, choose just one and have the other as a hobby, or try to figure out something with both equally...
The plan is to still go to culinary school, but part of me wants to do something like write for music magazines/journals. Or maybe I could be a chef for a band, I've thought about that a couple of times, but traveling on the road I am sure we be difficult and such, but it would be cool (if the band is cool=Þ).

Anywho. It's snowing here. I think we got an inch or so and I can't quite tell if it is still snowing or if it is just snow being blown around from on top of the building. I love snow, but I am ready to have a new season.

Chris from work had a St. Patrick's Day party. Christina came down for it and James went along. It was okay, it gave us something to do and I got to hang out with ppl from work, but I guess it would be more enjoyable without loud music, dark rooms and a green cat (poor Natalia). I told Christina my idea of a party is with board games or trivial pursuit type games and good food and ppl that we know well (perhaps a small gathering of 4-8pp).

I always have things I want to blog about, but when I sit down to blog I seriously forget everything I was thinking earlier...boo!

Oh well. New and exciting news...not too much except that The Strokes concert is coming up soon! April 7th, woohoo! Ross, we are going to have tons of fun (hope you like standing close to the stage). I think I get the days off that I had requested off for this next week so Hillary and I can see The Elms in Indy.

I am sure there is more to write, but my stomach is growling and I have leftover sesame noodles that I fixed last night to eat! yum-o indeed!

Laters!

But you are what you love...

and not what loves you back.

I had things I wanted to blog about earlier, but seems I have not remembered...

ah well.

Krazy day at work. Anywho. Watching the Oscars...got to see Philip Seymour Hoffman and Reese Witherspoon win their awards, yay. I love Reese Witherspoon more and more as the days go along (I'm sure for you too Hillary;)) I also love Kate Hudson!

Ross, if you read this I will call you tomorrow. Today was just a krazy day at work, meaning that somebody did not show up, had to ask someone to stay longer, call someone in early, make too many phone calls and work short staffed and such. But I am pooped. And I should be getting to bed early because I open, but I've been wanting to blog like every day!

*this section has been deleted by me, it's not necessary*

Well, to end this blog here is a song that I've had in my head the last couple of days...

I Will Follow You Into the Dark

Love of mine some day you will die
But I'll be close behind
I'll follow you into the dark

No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white
Just our hands clasped so tight
Waiting for the hint of a spark

If heaven and hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs

If there's no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark

In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule
I got my knuckles brusied by a lady in black
And I held my toungue as she told me
"Son fear is the heart of love"
So I never went back

If heaven and hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs

If there's no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark

You and me have seen everything to see
From Bangkok to Calgary
And the soles of your shoes are all worn down
The time for sleep is now
It's nothing to cry about
Cause we'll hold each other soon
The blackest of rooms

If heaven and hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs

If there's no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark
Then I'll follow you into the dark

- DCfC