Wronski the Rebel with an Accordion

My older Cousin "Squeezy" Wronski, as you might deduce, he played the accordion.  "Lady of Spain" was a staple in his oeuvre. Polkas? Do you really need to ask? BTW, who did steal the Kishka? He wrote a lot of his own stuff too.

Give it a listen ...

Well, as we can also deduce, he was irresistible to the fair sex. Don't know for sure whether it was the playing, or his rebel nature. It's there in all us Wronski's, just most of us keep the kavorka under wraps. 

It wasn't always so. Here's our guy in the early years. As clean-cut a Polish lad as ever there was. Being a Wronski. Even more so. But, alas, circumstances shape who we become. In unimagined and unforeseen ways.

But, don't be fooled by that handsome, clean-cut Cousin Squeezy in the above photo. Harken back to the earlier image you'll get more of an idea of how he turned out.

For instance, how did he get the moniker "Squeezy"? There are a lot of differing stories on that. One is that at his Mother's knee he helped with the washing and did a pre-squeeze on each of the wash items. It was in his nature. He was good. At squeezing, of course. Not, of course, Mother's cashmere panties. Washed in cold water, towel dried, then blocked to shape. Don't go asking me in the comment section about cashmere panties. Okay? 

Then, at an early adolescent age — actually before that but in a more innocent way then — our boy discovered the fairer sex. Good Catholic boy that he was, no sex. But, what's a piece of Apple pie without cheese? Or, a little kiss without a squeeze? Take a proclivity to do a Joe Biden whenever and wherever, add some of that locked in Wronski DNA charm, charisma, and kavorka, and ... well, nobody went home from the party without a good Polish hug. From, well, you know who.

Truth be told, Squeezy is not the only name bestowed on him on account of his reputation. His alter ego what had the legendary Polka and Jazz careers was internationally known as "Sleazy Squeezy". Cousin wrote most of his own tunes. Trouble was that he would give them the most disgusting, vile, depraved, gross, vulgar, obnoxious names.

Once Sleazy Squeezy was auditioning for a gig. He played the most beautiful tunes, but the titles he gave his pieces were just too outrageously gross. Really, the worst: dirty, salacious, crude, offensive, scatological, vile. Dirty. Not at all PC. I reiterate to give you, the reader, as clear as possible a sense of how low he went. 

So the nightclub manager said, “You know what? I really like your music. And I want to hire you. So go ahead and play for my customers. Just don’t tell them any names for your tunes.”

Understandingly, Squeezy says, “OK, that’s all right.”

One evening he starts playing his accordion. [You may be wondering how come an accordion player is booked solo to just tickle and squeeze — pun intended. Read on, all will become known.] 

The crowd goes crazy. A standing ovation. They never heard anything like it. The tunes are so beautiful. Such variety. The accordion, sublime.

After an hour of playing, he says “I’m gonna take a short break. I gotta go to the can.”

So he leaves. And goes to the bathroom.

On his way out of the restroom, he forgets to zip up his pants, and somebody sees him and says, “Hey, do you know your zipper’s undone and your dick is hanging out?”

The music man says . . . “Know it? I wrote it!”

Okay, I slipped in a joke. Call me pisher. You liked it though; admit it!

Now that we know how our dear Cousin rose to such prominence, let me give you a little "Amuse Bouche" of an idea of that.

This cat was so with it he played solo sets, booked for weeks, at all the hot spots here in cities throughout the good old US of A. He traveled. Let's just say that his suitcase was plastered with stickers. If you are too young to know what that reference is about, look it up! [You lazy-ass mofo whippersnapper!]

One of the times I got to see him live was in New York City. At Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle Hotel, in the swell UES of the Big Apple. [Again, for the younger reader: UES stands for "Upper East Side" — of Manhattan] and "Big Apple" refers to Manhattan itself. As in, the apotheosis of all cities. Again, for the wet-behind-the-ears set — that would be the Pineapple, er pinnacle, of the jazz musical dinner club demimonde. Well, that's according to those who live on the UES*. And, they should know; that's a real big bucks neighborhood. So you know folks there know from. 

*See, now you know what that means — UES — and you don't have to scratch your head no more. At least on that point.

You should know that Bemelmans is by definition a piano bar. Jazz, the American Song Book. Long-standing tradition. So many of the greats played there.

So here's Cousin Sleazy Squeezy Wronski playing sets at Bemelmans. On the same night as Bobby Short, at his sublime piano; and, voice. Yet. Yet. Mr. Short opened for Squeezy! That's right. Call them up and ask them about it. It's legendary.

Cousin Squeezy Wronski. He was good. And, when he was bad, he was really good.

PS He wasn't all Polka. He was a Jazz Man too. But, even at those swell spots where the well-heeled, rich and famous frequented, he always got a standing ovation after an all-Polka finishing set.

I'm not saying it's so, nor am I saying it's not so; but, Jackie O was reported to have Polka'd around the place 'til closing time. How about that! Huh?

Wait! There's more. Wronski's that is.

CLICK to see the whole mess of them ...

Self-Liberation

 

“Self-Liberation means to integrate with whatever it is so there is no subject and no object. So you don’t stay with a situation where that, whatever that is, is bothering me, whatever ‘me’ is. But I myself, the ‘me’, is in the same condition as that. We say that in the knowledge of the state of ‘Rigpa’, even a big fish jumps and you’re integrated with that. All of the secret of Dzogchen is in this. And this can really be carried into practice. At this point you can really talk about self-liberation. And self-liberation at this point becomes something very concrete and specific.”

What's Up? Wronski!

 

These days among the multi-billionaire set it's a big thing to put themselves in the news. By putting themselves into space most recently. Branson and the Space Cowboy, Jeff Bezos. Elon Musk not far behind. Why? It's completely lost on me.

Until I thought about my Uncle Spacetuchek Rocketskovich Wronski — Wrocket Wronski. As you clearly can tell by his moniker, going up there was written in his destiny. You wouldn't have heard of his exploits on account of he thrived in a time before narcissism was a thing. He just did what he did. Didn't give a Pierogi who knew.

Pictured here, our dear brave Uncle upon reentry. Bezos no doubt got the hat idea from him. How he even knew about Uncle's space adventure, who knows. Except, with him having the wherewithal to deliver packages in a day, you can imagine what tech he has at his disposal. [We're all just dots on an Amazon algorithm.]

It all started when Wrocket Wronski was a lad, lighting off bottle rockets. Not just around the 4th of July time; hey, fireworks are for any time you want to celebrate life! You heard about the Jet Pack. He was an early adopter. Predated Bezos too, what with jetpacking around town delivering groceries for Babcha Wronski's Polish store. 

How he got the bucks to get a rig into the limits of the stratosphere is a whole nother story. He started his earning career with a paper route. And, like Jeff, moved up the ladder to eventually own the newspaper. Actually, a chain of newspapers. Which ones, we can't say. Non-disclosure. Like I said, he was a behind-the-scenes player. Well, until he wasn't; I'm mean, rocketing up and all for the whole world to see. 

So now you know. But, that's not all. Uncle is credited with being the brains behind a lot of firsts. Soft serve Ice Cream; yah, that be him. The move away from the mono-girdle to showing the natural curves of the tush. His word, "tush". And, maybe his most excellent and wonderful invention, the electric knife. Just what the connection those few of his many inventions have in common, I don't have a clue. He was rather ubiquitronic in his tastes and tendencies.

For the full list of the Wronski clan, click this ... 

Jerusalema Dance Challenge ... Sing Along

 Jerusalema Dance Challenge ... Sing Along

[The plate of food is part of it.]

O wanitwa mos, O wanitwa mos

Master Master KG

O wanitwa mos

Jerusalema ikhaya lami

Ngilondoloze

Uhambe nami

Zungangishiyi lana

Jerusalema ikhaya lami

Ngilondoloze

Uhambe nami

Zungangishiyi lana

Ndawo yami ayikho lana

Mbuso wami awukho lana

Ngilondoloze

Zuhambe nami

Ndawo yami ayikho lana

Mbuso wami awukho lana

Ngilondoloze

Zuhambe nami

Ngilondoloze ngilondoloze ngilondoloze

Zungangishiyi lana

Ngilondoloze ngilondoloze ngilondoloze

Zungangishiyi lana

Ndawo yami ayikho lana

Mbuso wami awukho lana

Ngilondoloze

Zuhambe nami

Ngilondoloze ngilondoloze ngilondoloze

Zungangishiyi lana

Ngilondoloze ngilondoloze ngilondoloze

Zungangishiyi lana

“Awakening” Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

“Awakening”

 Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj 

Live an orderly life, but don't make it a goal by itself. It should be the starting point for high adventure. You are not in the body, the body is in you! The mind is in you. They happen to you. They are there because you find them interesting. Your very nature has the infinite capacity to enjoy. It is full of zest and affection. It sheds its radiance on all that comes within its focus of awareness and nothing is excluded.

It does not know evil nor ugliness, it hopes, it trusts, it loves. You people do not know how much you miss by not knowing your own true self. You are neither the body nor the mind, neither the fuel nor the fire. They appear and disappear according to their own 

Don't pretend to be what you are not, don't refuse to be what you are. Your love of others is the result of self-knowledge, not its cause. Without self- realisation, no virtue is genuine. When you know beyond all doubting that the same life flows through all that is and you are that life, you will love all naturally and spontaneously.

When you realize the depth and fullness of your love of yourself, you know that every living being and the entire universe are included in your affection. But when you look at anything as separate from you, you cannot love it for you are afraid of it. Alienation causes fear and fear deepens alienation. It is a vicious circle. Only self-realization can break it. Go for it resolutely.

Mooji says ...

You say you want to know why your mind still says things to you like, ‘You are unworthy,’ or ‘You don’t deserve freedom and this path is not for you.’ Why does the mind say these things?

Because, quite likely, you are on the verge of an important discovery which could result in the mind losing its grip on you.

It is as though it senses this and gathers all its strength together.
As in the past, it seems to know you are likely to take the bait and respond as the identity you are not. This bad marriage has been going on since the beginning of time. Like other bad relationships, the ego will not permit you to easily divorce him.

A thought, a spark from the ego-fire strikes, and something is triggered back into identity. You, the self-doubting presence, log in and the tired old game continues. All the psychological mind needs to do is to get you to identify as a person.

Though you are the pure Self, the formless and timeless consciousness, you will easily forget this when you become personally identified. The ego-mind has done enough because from here on you will be 'fighting with yourself'.

But at some point you won’t be so easily deceived anymore.
As you continue to mature through perfect understanding and grace, the ego's voice will lose its influence and hold over you.

You discover you cannot be anything that appears and disappears. You are the alive, constant and unchanging presence and space in which all phenomena are perceived as a play of transience. You are the ever-perfect Self forever.

Bless you that this understanding deepens tremendously in your hearing it again today.

Mooji

Wise Encouragement ...

 

LAMA GENDUN RINPOCHE

A POEM OF ENCOURAGEMENT:

Happiness is not to be found with many efforts or will, but is here, nearby, in your relaxing and surrendering.

Don't worry, there is nothing to be done.

Everything that comes up to your mind has no importance because it has no reality.

Don't conceive any attachment for it.

Don't judge yourself.

Let it be.

Let it come up and down without changing a thing.

It all vanishes and begins again, endlessly.

Nothing but the quest for happiness prevents us from seeing it.

It is like a rainbow that one is always chasing without ever reaching it.

It is because it has no existence.

It has always been here and goes with you all the time.

Don't believe in the reality of experiences, good or bad.

They are like rainbows.

Because we want to grasp what is not to be grasped,

We exhaust our strength in vain.

As soon as we relinquish our hold, space is here, open, welcoming & comfortable.

So, do enjoy it.

Everything is yours already.

Stop searching.

Don't go into the jungle to look for the elephant that is quietly waiting for you at home.

There is nothing to do.

There is nothing to force.

There is nothing to desire.

And all comes by itself.

Wise Advise ...

To our dear Emma as you continue your education ...

"There is not even a hair’s worth of anything that cannot and is not known." 

YANGTHANG RINPOCHE'S HEART ADVISE

H.H. Yangthang left a letter to his niece’s daughter before he passed into nirvana. This letter was found in his personal bag after his parinirvana. We believe that this letter is also the last teaching he bestowed to all of us. We are very grateful to Sangye Khandro, who translated this letter into English for all of us.

Although you are still young, this is the time when your mind is fresh and clear. Now is the time to carefully consider your present human life and what will follow this. The wise ones of the past have said, “If you plan ahead, it is smart. If you regret later it is dumb.” So, that means you must carefully consider finding the correct direction to take that will benefit this life and the future. Once you have found this then it is extremely important to pursue that path wholeheartedly. Once inadvertently entering the wrong direction it is difficult to turn around and reenter the right way even if you want to. You won’t be able to instantly turn around so from the onset it is best to get this right.

In short, there are two paths to take, the worldly and the spiritual path. If you take the worldly path both this and the future life will be involved with suffering. This direction is very challenging because it involves the path of negativity and non-virtue. The spiritual path is the direction that illuminates fully endowed happiness and wellbeing both temporarily and ultimately. Even though that is the case, these days there are very few who chose to enter this illuminating path.
Among the seven-point three billion inhabitants of this planet, there are only several hundred thousand who are following the path of dharma. Everyone else is pursuing the worldly path. By only establishing non-virtue, then due to the power of negativity they must powerlessly pursue a misguided direction that leads to suffering. Having attained this precious human life just this once, they are distracted by meaningless activities on the path of cyclic existence and without even noticing their life is wasted. One day when death arrives they must leave behind this world, their loving parents, relatives, abundance and even their cherished body and enter their future life with eyes full of tears. Having spent their life only accumulating non-virtue they can only take rebirth in the three lower realms. Revolving within the three lower realms repeatedly, after some hundreds and thousands of human years they may take rebirth just once in a higher place. Experiencing continuous suffering for such a long time, by circling throughout the six realms, there will be no chance to achieve freedom from this.

This kind of worldly direction is a vast heap of suffering. Since it endures for so long it is actually a very frightening path. Due to the power of negative karma all humans will powerlessly proceed down this undesirable direction. That is why you, young girl, must make prayers that you can avoid this direction! If due to your karma you end up having to go there, please keep this advice strongly in your heart: Don’t react with frustration and try to make decisions by yourself; listen to the advice of your parents and elders who have good intentions; respect the advice of those with knowledge and learn to trust the Triple Gem and divinations concerning your future. Always look within yourself with careful consideration and walk with firm steps in the positive direction without mindlessly engaging in chaotic activities.

If you wish to choose the path of the sublime dharma, that would be the best! That is the correct illuminating path and it is the unmistaken way to go! First it is important to single pointedly trust in the Triple Gem and firmly cherish the advice of parents and elders, and listen and guard the teachings given to you from compassionate masters, monks and excellent practitioners. Keep your own mind stable and focused and without wavering enter this luminous path. First purely accomplish your own purpose and then work to benefit others.

If you, young girl can enter this path of the Buddha then in order to practice dharma you must study and learn the Tibetan language. This is very important. You must be diligent in studying Tibetan. Although it may be challenging, it will allow you to accomplish a greater purpose. Right now your focus is on worldly subjects in ordinary school. Through this knowledge you will only learn that which benefits the practical aspects of survival for this life alone. For example, you will learn how to get food, wealth, name, fame reputation and status. All those philosophers who are learned in western subjects such as science are able to identify that which is invisible to ordinary people.

Nevertheless, although they see and extract that which is precious among the external four elements, have made medical discoveries that cure diseases, are able to benefit and protect their own direction and deliver that which is harmful to others, are expert in discovering substances that bring both benefit and harm into this world; their capacity to be omniscient is still extremely limited.

If we compare that to the omniscience of the Buddha, then from a spiritual perspective the capacity of the buddha is equal to space. There is not even a hair’s worth of anything that cannot and is not known. That is called being fully and completely omniscient.

If you come to understand the dharma that is taught by such an omniscient Buddha then your own mind will become like the sky and will never be rigid. Your entire being will be open and free. Since the teachings of the Buddha are full of such temporary and ultimate benefit to yourself and all others if you can learn even a little bit of this dharma that will bring tremendous achievement.

Please hold this advice deep within your heart.

Detroit Big Time Wrestling

When I grew up in Detroit every Saturday pro wrestling was on television. Very hyped, and the wrestlers were very colorful.

Guys like Bobo Brazil, Haystacks Calhoun, Dick the Bruiser, Killer Kowalski, Leaping Larry Chene, The Sheik. And, of course, the announcer, former wrestler, the very proper gentlemanly Lord Athol Layton.

Memory highlight ... When a competing wrestler boasted about his strong gut muscle — Pepper Gomez claimed to have a cast-iron stomach — Dick the Bruiser posed a challenge. He had the fellow lie down at a corner of the ring. Dick then climbed up onto the top rope and jumped down. 

The camera went to black, then came on again ... to show Dick's knee pulling away from Pepper's groin. Ouch!

Lord Layton went full apoplectic, decrying it the most unsportsmanly thing he had ever seen. Some theater though.

Once, by happenstance, I met Leaping Larry Shane. We were at the beach and there he was, with his two children. My friend was his nephew. Larry was built like a tank. It stuck with me how he handled his kids. Rough, brusk; but not abusive. Must've grown up to be tough kids.

Happy Endings

All roads lead to Rome. All paths end in silence.

Meantime, what to do? 

Practice.

So, why do we practice? Follow the Dharma? Do Sadhana? Meditate?

Simply to not find yourself at the end of the road in a pile of junk, holding on to old stuff, baggage; but by living free of what you haven’t got in the first place so that at the [apparent] end you move on to as you were before when you started.

From a Worthy Wise ...

At the moment, we have all sorts of fixations on what we see, hear, taste, smell—everything we experience. Our experience of ourselves and of the outer world is the result of these fixations, which are the source of all our delusions. Understanding the nature of mind frees us from them and the suffering they cause. But fixations exist in various areas of the Dharma as well. Lama, buddha, yidam really do exist, and it is because of them that we can receive their blessings, realize the attainments, and realize mind’s nature.

Nevertheless, their true existence is not material like that of crystal, gold, iron, or stone. Their essence is emptiness, their nature lucidity, and their appearance the expression of unobstructed wisdom. It is vital for us to think of them this way, and not think that they exist as something physical. Understanding them like this, we can have real faith in them, join our mind with theirs, and remain absorbed. Some people go astray in their practice; they have faith in the lama, the Buddha, and think that they actually exist and have form, hearing, sense of taste, and so on. This point is extremely important to understand, but these days such understanding is rare.

There is a famous saying: If we become attached to them, There is no greater fetter than the divine states. If we fixate on them, There is no greater obstacle than the attainments. If we become attached to divinity, it will hold us captive, and we will remain bound by it. Likewise, if we are attached to attainments in practice, they become huge obstacles. Attachments to the things of this world are like straw chains; attachment to things of the Dharma are like chains of gold; their value is not the same, but the straw ones are easier to break. 

– Kalu Rinpoche

Good News! There is no hope!