Happiness can not be found through great effort and willpower, - but is already present, - in open relaxation and letting go.
Donโt strain yourself, there is nothing to do or undo. Whatever momentarily arises in the body-mind - has no real importance at all, - has little reality whatsoever.
Why identify with, and become attached to it, - passing judgment upon it and ourselves?
Far better to simply let the entire game happen on its own, - springing up and falling back like waves - without changing or manipulating anything and notice how everything vanishes and reappears, magically, again and again, time without end.
Only our searching for happiness - prevents us from seeing it. Itโs like a vivid rainbow which you pursue without ever catching, - or a dog chasing its own tail. Although peace and happiness do not exist as an actual thing or place, - it is always available - and accompanies you every instant.
Donโt believe in the reality of good and bad experiences. They are like todayโs ephemeral weather, - like rainbows in the sky. Wanting to grasp the ungraspable, you exhaust yourself in vain. As soon as you open and relax this tight fist of grasping, - infinite space is there - open, inviting and comfortable.
Make use of this spaciousness, - this freedom and natural ease.
Donโt search any further looking for the great awakened elephant, who is already resting quietly at home, - in front of your own hearth. Nothing to do or undo, nothing to force, nothing to want, and nothing missing
Our Dear Michele passed on February 13, 2025. Unexpectedly.
She and I were inseparable friends and committed to grow in love for the past 35 years. She is a great, great soul. Prayerful, devoted to the spiritual life, a steadfast friend, a delightful and demanding companion, so creative and an interested student into so many areas of life, the arts and crafts. The horrors unfolding in the geopolitics of the world troubled her deeply. She prayed fervently.
Virtuous, kind, generous, forgiving, fastidious, precise, insightful, intelligent, refined artistic and aesthetic taste. The Queen in the kitchen with so many signature specialties. Pies, cakes, baking in general. Those in the Siddha Yoga School should know that she was my Queen of Sour Cereal. My morning barista. We explored the world of food together. All cuisines. Iโm left with a pantry of just about anything you could want to prepare just about anything you could want.
Artistically talented. Painting. Photography. Calligraphy. [Michele was a resident at the South Fallsburg New York Siddha Yoga Ashram in the art department. Hand calligraphed posters and maha sized birthday cards on behalf of the NY Siddha Yogis for Gurumayi Chidvilasanandaโs birthdays.]
Needle skills ... quilting, knitting, samplers. Being such a keen student she got deeply into her arts and crafts. Curated a master collection of fabrics. Expert in color design aesthetics. Knitting ... studied breeds of sheep, yarn making, knitting design. Made the most exquisite Catholic Rosaries. But, only after thoroughly researching and learning wiring techniques, bead types and sources, accessory crucifixes and centers and findings.
We gardened together when we lived in Arizona [from 1994 to 2006]. Grew everything. Everything: Artichokes, Cardoon, Okra, Garlic, Fava Beans, String Beans, Tomatoes, Lettuces, Arugula, Carrots, Peas, Cucumbers, Beets, Turnips, Burdock, Daikon, Garbanzos. Everything. Except Rhubarb; it doesn't like the AZ climate. Michele avidly studied the seed catalogues. Save seeds from the garden and from the wild. Queen Anne's Lace was a particular favorite.
Michele was deeply devoted to prayer. She made me promise to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy on the day of her death. We met as devotees in Siddha Yoga. Also share the Catholic faith. I continue to pray her prayers, and the daily Sacrament of the Mass.
I miss her beautiful presence in my life and bless the tears that come to enrich our still growing bond. I believe our relationship continues. And, her encouraging me to pray and participate in the Catholic liturgy is a practice that will grow our soul relationship as we support one another in our soul growth.
We appreciated so many of the spiritual traditions and teachers and Masters. Buddhism, Vedanta, Kashmir Shaivism. Both graduates of Werner Erhard trainings. We had a great foundation for having something higher to focus our relationship beyond the daily transactional doings and comings and goings and gettings.
We were mirrors of each other. What I see in her I am committed to see that reflection in myself. She held that too as a cornerstone of her spiritual sadhana practice. With her passing, the mystery of it all looms large in front of me. Iโm grateful. Weโre inseparable in the Reality beyond words and images. All my prayers are offered with the intention that she enjoys the communion of all the Saints in Heaven. And that whatever may have been left incomplete in her life of her soul be cleansed in God's Mercy.
Pray for her. Pray with her. Pray to her. She's in some Very Good Company.
There are burdens in this world that few will ever dare to bear.
The heaviest among them is truthโnot the palatable half-truths that offer comfort, nor the convenient lies dressed as wisdom, but the raw, unyielding, and often merciless reality that strips away illusion.
Truth is not soft.
It does not bend to desire.
It does not accommodate human frailty.
It is indifferent to what we wish to believe.
It is the only thing that holds meaning, the only thing capable of lifting us beyond the fleeting distractions of existence.
Why, then, do so few embrace it?
Why is truth left to decay in forgotten corners while deception flourishes in the open?
Because truth is weighty.
It demands effort, endurance, and sacrifice.
Lies are light, and the world prefers the ease of their embrace.
***The Cost of Truth***
The path to truth is not merely an intellectual journey; it is a crucible.
To seek truth is to dismantle the structures that have upheld oneโs entire perception of existence.
It requires a destruction of certainty, a surrender of security, and an unflinching willingness to see, no matter the cost.
Truth isolates.
It divides those who see from those who refuse to see.
It alienates the seeker from the familiar warmth of collective delusion.
When one begins to perceive reality as it is, rather than as it has been told, they inevitably drift from the herd, and solitude becomes their companion.
But truth does not just isolateโit also wounds.
It forces a reckoning with everything we once held sacred.
It exposes the lies woven into our histories, our cultures, our identities.
It leaves us standing naked before a universe that does not bend to our narratives.
For most, this is unbearable.
***The Fragility of the Mind***
Human beings are not born with an inherent love of falsehood.
As children, we ask, we wonder, we explore.
Over time, we are taught that certain truths are too dangerous, too disruptive, too forbidden to pursue.
We are told what to think, not how to think.
We are given a map of reality that is already drawn, and we are expected never to question the lines.
This is because truth threatens power.
It threatens control.
It threatens the institutions and structures that rely on deception to maintain their dominion.
The world is built upon a foundation of curated perceptionโone that has been carefully crafted to keep the majority docile, compliant, and unaware.
And so, people accept the illusion, not because they are incapable of seeing beyond it, but because they recognize, consciously or unconsciously, that to challenge it is to invite ruin.
What would happen if every individual began to question, deeply and sincerely?
If they stopped taking the given answers at face value?
If they pursued truth without regard for the consequences?
The entire edifice of deception would crumble.
Those who benefit from that deception cannot allow such a thing to happen.
***The Comfort of Lies***
Lies do not demand effort.
They do not require one to think, to struggle, to suffer.
They are easy.
They are light.
They fit neatly into the hands of the weary, offering reassurance without responsibility.
This is why people cling to them.
Not because they are ignorant, but because they are exhausted.
The burden of knowing is too great.
The realization that the world is not as it seems, that history is not what was taught, that power is not benevolent, that everything we were conditioned to believe may be a fabricationโthis is too much for most to carry.
And so, they turn away.
Not because they do not suspect the truth, but because they cannot afford to face it.
***The Weight of Knowledge***
There is a reason why those who pursue truth often find themselves alone.
To know is to be separated from those who do not.
It is to exist in a space where the conversations of the many become hollow, where the distractions that once entertained now seem meaningless.
It is to feel the weight of knowledge pressing upon the mind, demanding to be reckoned with.
It is to realize that most will never join you on this path, because the cost is too high.
The world does not reward the truth-seeker.
It does not offer comfort or security.
It does not grant validation.
More often than not, it punishes those who see too much, who speak too loudly, who refuse to bow.
Those who have carried truth throughout history have paid the price.
They have been silenced, condemned, exiled.
Some have spent their lives in obscurity, others have been erased entirely.
The truth is not welcome in a world built upon illusion.
***The Burden and the Gift***
Despite all its weight, truth is the only thing that matters.
For those who choose to bear it, there is suffering, but there is also liberation.
To see reality as it is, rather than as it is presented, is to step beyond the prison of deception.
It is to move beyond the realm of the manipulated, to rise above the tide of the deceived.
And though it is a lonely road, it is also a sacred one.
Because truth is the only thing that endures.
Empires fall, ideologies crumble, civilizations fadeโbut truth remains, waiting to be uncovered once more.
Each person must decide: will they carry this weight, or will they turn away?
Will they seek, knowing the cost, or will they accept the comfort of ignorance?
The truth is heavy.
But for those who dare to bear it, it is the only burden worth carrying.
This here is not gonna teach you about the particulars of making a nice cup of Coffee. It's just to give you the lay of the land. It's a scenic route. It'll help you plan your trip. Guaranteed.
But, first ... a little something relating to the price of Coffee in the news.
Recently in the news Coffee has been a thing. The geopolitical effects on price, that is. Seems the country of Columbia had refused to accept deportees from the US of A under the new Donald J. Trump Presidential program to deport migrants who had entered illegally. First to go, the bad hombres. With a threat of tariffs as the cudgel to change Columbia's mind the prospect of the rise of Coffee prices had been a concern. Briefly. Seems Columbia has changed its tune and is now accepting airplane loads of their nationals deported from the US of A.
As a complete aside ... wondering what Columbia and other countries are gonna do with those folks. Many of whom may be hardened criminals. Just saying.
Good news! The price of Coffee will stay level. At it's already whopping high. You want a pound of Jamaica Blue Mountain? Around 90 bucks. Okay, that is the high, high end. But $10 to $20 per pound for a good quality Coffee is the norm.
And, don't even let's get started on the similar high price of a type of Coffee what beans come out of a cat's ass. Coffee connoisseurship has gotten so granular of nuance that I bet there are even some who can tell the difference between what cat the beans got pooped from. Just discovered there's a plantation offering Civet coffee from "wild" cats. It sells for the wild price of $399.00 [US] on Amazon. Apparently, according to the producers, the wild cats โ 2800 of those little buggers at last counting โ are free to consume the beans of their own choosing. Now that IS granular! And, to make the point on how "Coffee" is the new Tea Ceremony, there are probably some who can tell which clan of cats their brew hints of terroir. To this Cat, a cat's ass is a cat's ass.
Everything price-wise is higher. Stock up on Eggs. We have a fancy fromagerie in town and $36 dollars for a pound of Cheese isn't all that rare.
Remembering a time when canned Coffee came in 1 pound cans. And, about a dollar per. As costs do, they rise; prices rise. To offset the sticker shock the can sizes became smaller; now the small sized cans contains 11.5 ounces. Kripes, a 10.3 ounce can of Maxwell House Coffee at $8.49 scales up to $13.47 per pound. So that's the going rate for Coffee as a general benchmark. And, mind you, that's a can of store Coffee. Geez!
Whew! Who said the only constant is change.
Now let's get to the topic of "Coffee".
Once, in the day, our idea of making Coffee was a plastic Melita filter funnel balanced precariously over a large antique enamel kettle. Put in some ground Coffee from a store boughten can โ be sure to include a scoop of Bustelo for that extra sabor โ then dump in the boiling water. Wait for it to drip through completely, and serve.
Now, things have evolved. We have at our disposal a few different methods. A Coffee sock. A couple of Moka pots. A classic Bodum French press. A few single serve drip Vietnamese gizmos. And, very recently, a Hario V60 pour over drip funnel.
The Coffee sock [Calador in Spanish] is a lot like "Cowboy Coffee". You boil water, add grounds to the pot, let stand a bit, then pour through the Coffee sock into a decanter.
We hear Cowboys use their hat. Actually, after the Coffee sits in the pot of water to extract, we usually just let the Coffee drip into a bowl, rinse out the brewing pot, then put the finished Coffee back in the pot. Make sure it's hot, then pour a cup; have the rest on the heat for a second helping, or to reheat later.
Yes, I said "reheat". We know, that's like a mortal sin in the current Coffee zeitgeist. To each his own.
We also have a fancy design stainless Moka pot and a smallclassic Bialetti for a small Espresso to go into our favorite Cafรฉ con Leche.
And by Cafรฉ con Leche we're talking about a good strong shot of Espresso with a load of steamed milk, sugar to taste. Not a $4+ "Latte" with foam on top, or a Cappuccino with the foam AND a dusting of Cinnamon. And, please, no pictures floating on top of my cuppa. Geez!
Then there's the French press ...
French press is great. As long as you drink it all after being brewed. Anything less, then you'll have to transfer into a pot to reheat; or, just leave it for later for an iced Coffee.
On occasion we'll use a fine grind and set up our Vietnamese phin drip filters. We prepare our drink iced as shown, sweetened in the classic way with sweetened condensed Milk. Strong and a real treat. [Photo from casa Cooky Cat.]
The latest is a Hario V60 drip funnel.
Ceramic, please. Better to hold the heat. Along with the V60 we went economic and use a Hario Drip Kettle Air.
It's just a small pitcher with a spout designed to give a slow, precise pour. We said economy. The other way to go is a specially designed kettle with a gooseneck spout for that precise slow pour over action.
Then, of course, there's the choice of stove top heating or dedicated electric kettle. If you are using such a kettle then you'll need a scale under the drip rig to measure a precise proper amount of water. The V60 Drip Kettle Air has markings to show the amount of water. Less than $16 bucks versus the $100+ [at least] for the kettle/scale setup. And, that's the entry price. You can spend way more.
Then there's the thing about the water to Coffee ratio. You can spend hours going over that subject alone. Not to mention water temperature. Then, there's how you pour for a pour over, and how fast. Geez! That's just the on paper side of the research. In the kitchen, where the rubber meets the road, then there's adjusting it all to your taste. Heck, they have competitions on Coffee making. And, no shortage of opinions.
As you might be getting by now there's a lot of variables to making Coffee. All the foregoing is already a whole bunch of words. But, believe it, that's just the tip of the iceberg. We'll get to that. Not to nail it all down, chapter and verse. But to give you a snoot full of all there's to Coffee in this year of 2025.
Also, you may surmise, that getting a hot enough cup of Coffee to your lips what with all the machinations in the brewing is a thing in itself. Our preparation method includes preheating the cup, and preheating the added Milk. With the pour over filter funnel we're also using a carafe that we can keep over a heat diffuser on the stove while we're going through the pouring motions. Careful, those glass carafes aren't supposed to go on direct heat. Only microwave. But we don't microwave. Bad vibes kind of thing.
By the way, we picked up a while ago the idea that Coffee should be poured into the Milk. [If you take Milk with your cuppa, that is. Or Half and Half, or Cream.] We'd discuss this more, but looking for an easy answer in an Internet search it's too much of a Rabbit hole. So we take it on faith. There seems to be some chemistry science basis to it. If you want to know more, go fetch.
So currently at casa Cooky Cat we're in the initial phase of dialing in the variables for the pour over method with the Hario V60 funnel. Coffee to water ratios. Water pour total amount, timing, and proportionings. And, the big one ... the grind.
The grind size and grinding method of the Coffee beans is a major thing. Differing grind size for each type prep method. And, be sure the grounds are uniform. That's where grinders come in. A mortar and pestle ... please! F NO! That would be a regular every day no; unless you live in a cave. We've been using an electric blade grinder. Works well enough. But grind consistency is not a big point with that random type spinning blade action.
There's a world of grinders, each type and each model with their various pros and cons. So many choices, so many price points. When you're into Espresso, the grinder choice is a big deal. Espresso prep has umpteen variables, and more than that ways with it.
Hand grinders. You'd think that it's a good economic trade off. You work more, but it costs less. There are inexpensive hand grinders [$50-ish.] But, a top rated hand grinder will set you back $250! For reals. Electric-wise, seems the bottom "entry level" like the top rated Baratza Encore goes for $150. Or, $200 if you want the version with the upgraded grinding burrs for Espresso.
"Burrs." There are conical burrs and flat burrs. With design differences within each range, and critical reviews till the cows come home on the differences in the cup. There also seems to be no price limit. You can easily drop $500 for a "decent" unit.
"Entry level." That phrase rides through all the reviews of Coffee paraphernalia. It always strikes us the term "entry level" typically goes along with a steep enough price tag to make us want to throw up our hands and just toss some grounds into a percolator.
Speaking of percolators. Once in my checkered career resume I did time as a Can't Miss Top 10 Mad Ave Ad Bigger on a Coffee account. The Pan American Coffee Bureau in New York City gave an introduction to all things Coffee. The take away point I remember was how they were emphatic that the drip method was the best. I brought that up to my client counterpart brand manager. He pointed out that percolator sales were increasing. In other words, it would not be productive sales-wise to include drip method in our advertising. Much less promote it. This was in the mid-1960s. Then, guess what? Mr. Coffee came along. Changed the game. Drip Coffee in an appliance. Turns out that no one was against drip method Coffee as such. They just wanted it in an appliance. Gizmos sell.
We once gifted a Coffee sock to a dear one and they turned up their nose not wanting to change from their single serve pod brewing device. Gizmos. [Pretty soon the hand will only be useful for punching in text messages. And, of course, hand jobs.]
And, speaking of devices ... Espresso machines. One blanches at the mere thought of having to tackle that subject. Sure you can get an Espresso machine for around $100 bucks. But, when you research all the variables, seems a good entry level unit might be nudging toward $500 dollars. And, how much Espresso are you gonna drink for that price tag when you drop 5 bills and still feel like you're a piker for not springing for the $1,500 dollar unit which seems to be what the aficionados plunk down. And, that's "at least".
That'll get you started for Espresso. Then, of course, the grinder. And other stuff too. For Espresso, the unit what holds the grounds in the machine. It's called the portafilter and there are options there too. And, no end of considerations and discussions of opinions. And, once the grounds are in the portafilter they have to be 1. raked over for evenness, 2. tamped down first to level, 3. then pressed down to a torque wrench pressure precision. A good Barista can do it by feel. But, of course, there are the ones with a spring drive preset load pressure. Lots of gizmos to do all that.
And, by the way, time, temperature, and pressure are the alchemist's plaything when it comes to Espresso. Like was said ... variables.
If you've even got this far into this writing you have to get by now that Coffee drinking is a big thing. Ritual thing. After all, how good does a cup of Coffee have to be? Seems for many it's a quest.
But, it can be good. Really good. My best taste of the brew was when vacationing in Jamaica. Must've been Blue Mountain. If we ever get our Coffee ritual dialed in solid, maybe we'll spring for that $90 dollar bag of Blue Mountain Coffee. Second best cup of Coffee, room service at a hotel in Roma, Italy. Third best, from many of the Dominican and Puerto Rican restaurants in New York City and their incomparable Cafรฉ con Leche. Fondly remembering a now gone favorite, La Taza de Oro ["The Golden Cup"] on 8th Avenue at 34th Street in New York City. In the day the Espresso station was right up near the front door with a dedicated server cranking those paper cups of Cafรฉ con Leche non-stop. 75 cents per; maybe never more than a buck.
Just try to go to one of those au courant Coffee shops and order one of those. They don't get it. More often than not they'll give you that $4+ Latte.
Right up there also, Siddha Coffee. A rich sweet, milky brew laced with lots of Cardamom as served in the Amrit ["The nectar that promises immortality"] at Siddha Yoga ashrams ... Nectarian. Divine.
Net, net ... maybe it's best to leave it with the wisdom that reminds us that you never put your hand in the same river twice.
No two cups of Coffee are ever alike. Even with the same Barista. I used to run errands for a non-profit school and my work partner and I would make our first stop a Cafรฉ con Leche. He would often taste that day's cup and comment on whether the Barista was on their game that day. Hey, it's an alchemical thing. You bring your magic into it.
And, net, net, net net ... maybe after all is said and done, you end up just saying, "Don't give me all that jive, give me cup of Joe!".
PS If you're thinking that you didn't find out how to brew a cup of Coffee from all this ... well, you'd be right. This here article is just to tune you up to the kind of weather and terrain you'll be facing when you put your boots on and start marching toward that "grail cup" of Joe. Or, maybe it puts you off enough to not bother, and just plug in an auto brew machine. Or, something in between. Or, maybe in the low to middle range. Or the middle to top range. You get it. Kapische? Choices, huh?
PPS We didn't discuss the beans. We'll leave that as "has beans". The subject of Coffee beans can fill a library. Many different countries produce Coffee beans. Locales in each vary. You know, "terroir". Different producers. Then there's roasting. Light to dark, and in between. And the flavor profiles of each. Full bodied or light. Flavor notes of all kinds. [Do not become a Coffee snob, waxing poetic for all to witness all the deep flavor discriminations you can find in any one cup. Please!] Acidity. Finish. Sorry, on that subject we're finished. Go fetch. Last analysis, you'll just have to try them for yourself. You can stick with your final favorite, or Tango on sampling the world of Coffees. [By the way, did you know there's an Ethiopian Coffee โ "Kopi Luwak" โ the beans come out a Civit Cat's ass with its poop? No shit!]
PPPS Oxygen is the enemy of Coffee. Check out the subject of storage, and storage devices. Vacuum sealed seems to be the ticket.
BASTA!
Lucky strike extra! In case you are not up on the nuances of Coffee brewing, here as just one of the so many instructionals on just one type of brewing method, two different gizmos:
"If you are not convinced that you behave emotionally as if you had a lasting, single and independent self, then it is important to address yourself to this issue before moving on to consider the doctrine of not-self.
Think carefully about pain and suffering and ask yourself who or what it is that is suffering. Who is afraid of what will happen ; who feels bad about what has happened ; why does death seem such a threat when the present disappears every moment, scarcely having had a chance to arise?
You will find that your thinking is full of contradictions, inconsistencies and irresolvยญable paradoxes. This is normal. Everyone (except, perhaps, the insane) have a common sense notion of what or who they are which works (more or less) and enables them to function as normal human beings.
However, when the meditator addresses himself to what or who this self is, he cannot find it.
Then gradually, very gradually, it dawns on him that the reason he cannot find it is that it is not there and never was."
~ Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche
From: "Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness"
"If you believe there is a thing called mind, it is just a thought. If you believe there is no thing called mind, itโs just another thought. Your natural state, free of any kind of thought about itโthat is buddha-nature. In ordinary sentient beings, this natural state is carried away by thinking, caught up in thought. Involvement in thinking is like a heavy chain that weighs you down. Now it is time to be free from that chain. The moment you shatter the chain of thinking, you are free from the three realms of samsara.
"In this entire world, there is nothing superior to or more precious than knowing how to break this chain. Even if you were to scan the entire world, or piece by piece put it through a sieve in an attempt to find something more precious, youโd come up with nothing. None of the Buddhas of the past, present, and future have discovered an instruction that is more profound or more direct in attaining enlightenment. To ask for teachings on the nature of mind means to understand how to recognize mind nature.
"At the moment of recognizing your mind essence leave it in naturalness, simply as it is. If you keep striking the bell, the sound is interrupted by the effort. Just leave that recognition be without altering it. That is the way to not lose the continuity. Soon enough, the recognition will vanish by itself. As beginners, naturally we will forget after a bit. We donโt need to try to prevent that or guard against it with great effort. Once distracted, again recognize. That is the training."
"Why do we need dualistic practices, such as generating merit, to reach a state that transcends duality? Because we have to start from where we are. Our mindโs true nature is covered by karmic turbulence caused by our grasping at self and our negative mental habits. โGrasping at a selfโ refers to the way we grasp at mental objects as truly existing, perceiving them dualistically as subject and object. The aspect of our mind that perceives this way is conceptual mind. Conceptual mind and the true nature of mind are like the surface and depths of the ocean: The surface is choppy with wind-tossed waves; beneath it is still and peaceful.
"Most of us canโt glimpse into the depths, our true nature, because our conceptual mind is constantly churning out turbulence. Grasping at self tricks us, like a nightmare, into believing that we are separate from the world and each other. This triggers negative emotions, from craving and anxiety to jealousy and aggression, which spill out into unhealthy words and actions.
"Every dualistic perception, every negative thought, feeling, word, and deed, leaves a negative karmic imprint in our conceptual mind that walls us off from our true nature. On the other hand, positive mentalities leave positive karmic imprints that open our mind, loosen grasping at self, and thin out the barriers to our true nature.
"As long as we have dualistic concepts and emotions, the world is solid to us. Our suffering is all too real. Circumstances matter. If our surroundings are chaotic, it will be hard to find tranquillity. If we experience peace and joy, however, we will be inspired to generate even more peace and joy. Then whatever we say and do will be the words and deeds of joy and peace. We progressively loosen our grasping at self, and eventually we glimpse the luminous nature of our mind. If we perfect this realization, we uproot grasping at self and become fully awakened."
"Just as Water, if you donโt stir it, will become clear.
"Remember the well-known Tibetan proverb that says, 'If you do not stir the water, it will become transparent by itself.'
"Therefore, if you find yourself in a state of confusion or other troubling state, don't change it. It's just that simple.
"Peace and bliss arise if you do not change your mind but leave it as it is.
"All the different meditation instructions are only a number of ways to reach a moment of courage, sincerity and warm atmosphere in which you can let yourself go."
The modern world musters up all of its knowledge just to run down a dead end street.
People were idiots in the old days too. They wasted a fortune in gold and manpower building castles. And what was it all for? To bicker with each other. Today, people are even dumber. They build atomic and hydrogen bombs in order to erase humanity with one push of a button.
How is it that humanity itself, unlike its science, hasnโt progressed in the least?
Dzogchen doesnโt ask you to change your religion, philosophy or ideology, nor to become something other than what you are. It only asks you to observe yourself and to discover the โcageโ you have built with all your conditioning and limits. In fact Dzogchen teaches us how to regain that freedom of being which we all have in potentiality. โFreedomโ in this case means a state in which we are no longer conditioned by dualism, by judgements, by the passions and by everything we believe in. One might ask, โBut what is then left of a person?โ Pure presence, uncontaminated clarity, like that of a mirror that reflects everything, which is the true treasure of mankind
"The monks that teachers must deal with today are generally ignorant, stubborn, unmotivated types who aren't even up to sitting through a single stick of incense. They teach these people and nurse them along with tender care.
"But they might as well take load of dead cow-heads, line them up, and try to get them to eat grass. The teachers muck about, doing this and trying that, endeavoring to get these fellows free of themselves. Instead, they end up saddling them with an enormous load of shit. Then they sanction them, give them fine certificates of enlightenment, and loose them upon the world. The difference between such 'teachers' and priests like Ling-yu and Chih-kuan is a difference of mud and cloud."
- Hakuin, Essential Zen
- Hakuin Ekaku (1686 - 1769) possessed an unusual ability to convey the meaning of Zen to large numbers of people from all classes and religions. Though he chose to work at a small temple in the countryside, he was frequently invited to lecture, and his writings were published, eventually bringing him fame. His writings could be rough, humorous, or sometimes even shocking, intended to rouse his followers from their complacency into a deeper contemplation of religion and spiritual life. His copious writings continue to maintain pivotal importance within the Rinzai Zen sect. His work, both as spiritual leader and as painter, had a profound effect on all subsequent Zen study and Zen painting.
โWhen someone dies, the first thing to do is nothing. Don't run out and call the nurse. Don't pick up the phone. Take a deep breath and be present to the magnitude of the moment.
There's a grace to being at the bedside of someone you love as they make their transition out of this world. At the moment they take their last breath, there's an incredible sacredness in the space. The veil between the worlds opens.
We're so unprepared and untrained in how to deal with death that sometimes a kind of panic response kicks in. โThey're dead!โ
We knew they were going to die, so their being dead is not a surprise. It's not a problem to be solved. It may feel sad, and it's not cause to panic.
If anything, their death is cause to take a deep breath, to stop, and be really present to what's happening. If you're at home, maybe put on the kettle and make a cup of tea.
Sit at the bedside and just be present to the experience in the room.
What's happening for you?
What might be happening for them? What other presences are here that might be supporting them on their way?
Tune into all the beauty and magic.
Pausing gives your soul a chance to adjust, because no matter how prepared we are, a death is still a shock. If we kick right into โdoโ mode, and call 911, or call the hospice, we never get a chance to absorb the enormity of the event.
Give yourself five minutes or 10 minutes, or 15 minutes just to be. You'll never get that time back again if you don't take it now.
After that, do the smallest thing you can.
Call the one person who needs to be called. Engage whatever systems need to be engaged, but engage them at the very most minimal level.
Move really, really, really, slowly, because this is a period where it's easy for body and soul to get separated.
Our bodies can gallop forwards, but sometimes our souls haven't caught up.
If you have an opportunity to be quiet and be present, take it.
Accept and acclimatize and adjust to what's happening. Then, as the train starts rolling, and all the things that happen after a death kick in, you'll be better prepared. You won't get a chance to catch your breath later on. You need to do it now.
Being present in the moments after death is an incredible gift to yourself, it's a gift to the people you're with, and it's a gift to the person who's just died. They're just a hair's breath away.
They're just starting their new journey in the world without a body. If you keep a calm space around their body, and in the room, they're launched in a more beautiful way.
It's a service to both sides of the veil."
~ Sarah Kerr via Daniela Hess on Facebook
(Photo : Thรญch Nhแบฅt Hแบกnh's body after 'death')
This is a description of Structural Integration. It is arguably the definitive statement on the approach โ which is itself definitive and peerless โ originated by Dr. Ida P. Rolf to educate living in balance in respect to the demands of the force of Gravity.
It is written by one of the first of Dr. Ida P. Rolf's teachers of Rolfing ... the esteemed and beloved Emmett Hutchins. Reading his words it will be obvious that he is an inheritor of Dr. Rolf's vision.
Emmett's clarity and depth of understanding of the subject stands out. His dedication and love for the work is plain to see. He is held within the our field as an exemplary leader in the practice and teaching of Dr. Rolf's traditional approach, unalloyed with the many changes and "improvements" that have been tacked onto the work since Dr. Rolf's time.
Ida P. Rolf, PhD
Structural
Integration
(A Path of Personal Growth and Development)
by Emmett Hutchins
When Dr. Rolf decided to name her work, it was after years of careful contemplation. She selected her words well. Indeed, the name Structural Integration, doesnโt imply the full scope of her teaching. To begin with, her choice of the word, โstructureโ is clearly descriptive. For it was her way of looking at the human physical body as one would any other material structure, which grounded her work upon the basic laws of Physics. However, since structural analysis alone is of limited value, it was Dr. Rolfโs original research in biochemistry which provided a key for unlocking the human structure and which gave birth to her method.
The Recipe, her procedure for establishing myofascial balance and relieving chronic structural stress, is her gift to humankind. โIntegrationโ, however, is the word which best describes the true thrust of her work. On the physical level, โintegrationโ means: the relating of various parts so that they act as a unit. โIntegrationโ includes the concepts of balance, symmetry, and wholeness. But it is here that we leave the realm of pure science. For we cannot understand โintegrationโ until we first comprehend โrelationshipโ. And Dr. Rolf believed that one cannot enter the complex world of โrelationshipโ without leaving the world of โthingsโ. This is a great challenge, a shift of consciousness. The world of โthingsโ is a rational, linear, scientific, verbal world. Where the world of โrelationshipsโ is non-linear and non-verbal and, therefore, not accessible to the purely rational mind. So, it is here that we cross from science into art, from technique into mastery. As Dr. Rolf said, โit is the art of integration which separates the cooks from the chefsโ.
Dr. Rolfโs work and major discoveries lie firmly rooted in physical reality. She used to say: โbecause thatโs what I can get my hands onโ. But the full focus of her intellectual curiosity was not aimed towards structure alone. Rather, her motivating interest was in the energy fields which surround human structures. The Gravity field and its relationship to structure, therefore, became the dominant theme of her teaching. What if the human structure could be integrated within the Gravity field so that all movement could flow in continuous balance? Would the effects and experience of Gravity not change from a downward, negative, entropic force into a supportive, positive, organizing force? (Many of us would now answer a resounding โyesโ, from personal witness. This is remarkable, since even the best of us lives in this balanced state for brief periods of time only!) Would this person live longer? Stronger? Healthier? Happier? How would this affect mental health and function? How would this alter emotional health? Maturity? Responsiveness? Sensitivity? What would be the effect of a life lived with the perpetual support of our own cosmic field โ rather than in conflict with it?
Unfortunately, organization of the structure, alone, does not permanently established this ideal, super balanced state. While fascial order may affect miracles in the relief of chronic symptoms and pain, and may commonly produce increased vitality and a new sense of general well-being, it does not fully integrate a living, moving structure within the surrounding Gravity field. Something is missing. The conscious will of that being that lives within the structure must be actively involved. Here, we glimpse Dr. Rolf's true genius with her invention of the concept of The Line. The Rolf Line is a line of vertical intention which extends through the bottoms of the feet to the center of the earth and through the top of the head to cosmic infinity. The Line, in her concept of the fully โevolvedโ structure, does not pass through bone (except at the top of the head). The Line is transcendental. It forms a bridge between physical reality and the realm of pure energy, the non-physical. The Line integrates the physical structure with the Gravity field. The Line joins Rolf physics and metaphysics into one clear concept. The awakening of The Line is the central challenge of her teaching. The awakening of The Line is the Rolf path for self-growth. The Line becomes our personal guide, our monitor of personal evolution. And, inculcation of The Line into the very essence of our consciousness becomes our preoccupation. Dr. Rolf'sโ vision of unlimited human potential is inseparable from this personal path.
During the major portion of her life, Dr. Rolf's overriding personal interest was directed towards yet another field of energy. Here we leave Rolf physics behind and move clearly into metaphysics. We move from her public message into her private teaching which contends that humans are electromagnetic bodies with an electric core and a magnetic sleeve, similar to the earth itself. In an attempt to gain knowledge about this core energy and in pursuit of her interest in personal development, she undertook a study of tantric yoga. As a student under an Eastern master, for well over a decade, she carefully examined the teaching for physiological referents. She began to develop an idea. What if, after years of discipline and meditation, one was able to remove all physiological and energetic barriers to the free flow of electric, core energy? And what if one were to place the negative pole of this energized core (root chakra) firmly into the earth while also spanning upward through the positive pole (crown chakra) toward infinity? Would the personal electromagnetic field be reinforced and energized by the field of the earth? Could this not describe a transcendent state of energetic integration between human and cosmos? Could this correspond to awakening the kundalini and the appearance of super- normal powers of mind and body? Are chakras the vortices through which this highly empowered electromagnetic source communicates with matter? Her hypotheses do not stop here. She was not interested in trying to โimproveโ an ancient tradition. But what if this ancient path could be reformulated and restated for modern humans? What if the state of transcendent integration could be achieved while standing rather than sitting? How would human structure have to evolve? (The Recipe is full of goals which are her attempt to answer this question). Could we awaken a heel chakra, more negatively charged then the root chakra? Would the additional core length imply an even more powerful electromagnetic field then that of the Eastern Masters? And, further, what if the physical structure of this integrated well-being were so balanced, within the field of Gravity, that movement did not disturb the integrated state? Is this kind of evolutionary shift of structure and consciousness conceivable? Certainly, such flights of visionary fancy or not fit fair for many rational, educated humans. And itโs not certain that she developed this hypothesis in every training class. But in many of them, she did.
What about the discipline of mind and spirit? Surely, this path of the Masters cannot be reduced to mere biophysics. Here, Dr. Rolf would suggest that, in addition to whatever spiritual and religious practice might empower an individual, the practitioner of Structural Integration chooses a path of service to his species. And with this service, whether conscious or not, comes refinement of mind and spirit, the ability to โLOVEโ in its highest sense. Additionally, the Recipe is the vehicle through which the practitioner focuses and develops clear intention. The Recipe is the ritual and the discipline of this path of service. Dr. Rolfโs belief in the personal energy body was evidenced in many ways. She would often refer to this personal field as the โcausal bodyโ, indicating her high regard for its function. Dr. Rolfโs preference for Homeopathy over Allopathy was strong evidence of her belief in the โcausalโ nature of the bodyโs energy fields. During her work, when presented with symptoms of autonomic nervous system activity or emotional distress, she would turn her attention to the energy field. Early students were instructed in the rudiments of a technique for finding and sealing holes or โhotspotsโ in the field, in order to bring the energy field back to equilibrium. In the last major research project of her life, the UCLA project led by Dr. [Valerie] Hunt, she insisted upon adding the observations of an aura reader to the test data. Admittedly, the presence of the aura reader discredited the entire project in the eyes of many serious researchers. But her interest in exploring the personal energy body was compelling. She wanted to extend the boundaries of knowledge about the relationship between physical flesh and its surrounding energy field. It was she who said, โThereโs no such thing as metaphysics. There is only the physics weโve not yet discoveredโ.
Dr. Rolfโs teachings and hypotheses covered so many areas of inquiry of inquiry that no one can explore them all with equal intensity and she certainly never expected most of her students to accept her work in its fully mystical context. So, she presented the challenge of her work in many ways more palatable to the practical mind. However, some degree of personal commitment to the idea of self-organization around the vertical line of intention is basic. When she said, โStructural Integration is a way of lifeโ, she implied more than passive reorganization of the facial body. In a paper written two years before her death, Dr. Rolf stated: โThe appropriate integration of the bodies of man in the Gravity field is a long-term evolutionary project. Not even the first page has been turned yet. It is possible that we are seeing the first conscious attempt at evolution that any species has ever evidencedโ.
This here is not gonna teach you about the particulars of making a nice cup of Coffee. It's just to give you the lay of the land. It's a scenic route. It'll help you plan your trip. Guaranteed.
But, first ... a little something relating to the price of Coffee in the news.
Recently in the news Coffee has been a thing. The geopolitical effects on price, that is. Seems the country of Columbia had refused to accept deportees from the US of A under the new Donald J. Trump Presidential program to deport migrants who had entered illegally. First to go, the bad hombres. With a threat of tariffs as the cudgel to change Columbia's mind the prospect of the rise of Coffee prices had been a concern. Briefly. Seems Columbia has changed its tune and is now accepting airplane loads of their nationals deported from the US of A.
As a complete aside ... wondering what Columbia and other countries are gonna do with those folks. Many of whom may be hardened criminals. Just saying.
Good news! The price of Coffee will stay level. At it's already whopping high. You want a pound of Jamaica Blue Mountain? Around 90 bucks. Okay, that is the high, high end. But $10 to $20 per pound for a good quality Coffee is the norm.
Everything price-wise is higher. Stock up on Eggs. We have a fancy fromagerie in town and $36 dollars for a pound of Cheese isn't all that rare.
Remembering a time when canned Coffee came in 1 pound cans. And, about a dollar per. As costs do, they rise; prices rise. To offset the sticker shock the can sizes became smaller; now the small sized cans contains 11.5 ounces. Kripes, a 10.3 ounce can of Maxwell House Coffee at $8.49 scales up to $13.47 per pound. So that's the going rate for Coffee as a general benchmark. And, mind you, that's a can of store Coffee. Geez!
Whew! Who said the only constant is change.
Now let's get to the topic of "Coffee".
Once, in the day, our idea of making Coffee was a plastic Melita filter funnel balanced precariously over a large antique enamel kettle. Put in some ground Coffee from a store boughten can โ be sure to include a scoop of Bustelo for that extra sabor โ then dump in the boiling water. Wait for it to drip through completely, and serve.
Now, things have evolved. We have at our disposal a few different methods. A Coffee sock. A couple of Moka pots. A classic Bodum French press. A few single serve drip Vietnamese gizmos. And, very recently, a Hario V60 pour over drip funnel.
The Coffee sock [Calador in Spanish] is a lot like "Cowboy Coffee". You boil water, add grounds to the pot, let stand a bit, then pour through the Coffee sock into a decanter.
We hear Cowboys use their hat. Actually, after the Coffee sits in the pot of water to extract, we usually just let the Coffee drip into a bowl, rinse out the brewing pot, then put the finished Coffee back in the pot. Make sure it's hot, then pour a cup; have the rest on the heat for a second helping, or to reheat later.
Yes, I said "reheat". We know, that's like a mortal sin in the current Coffee zeitgeist. To each his own.
We also have a fancy design stainless Moka pot and a smallclassic Bialetti for a small Espresso to go into our favorite Cafรฉ con Leche.
And by Cafรฉ con Leche we're talking about a good strong shot of Espresso with a load of steamed milk, sugar to taste. Not a $4+ "Latte" with foam on top, or a Cappuccino with the foam AND a dusting of Cinnamon. And, please, no pictures floating on top of my cuppa. Geez!
Then there's the French press ...
French press is great. As long as you drink it all after being brewed. Anything less, then you'll have to transfer into a pot to reheat; or, just leave it for later for an iced Coffee.
On occasion we'll use a fine grind and set up our Vietnamese phin drip filters. We prepare our drink iced as shown, sweetened in the classic way with sweetened condensed Milk. Strong and a real treat. [Photo from casa Cooky Cat.]
The latest is a Hario V60 drip funnel.
Ceramic, please. Better to hold the heat. Along with the V60 we went economic and use a Hario Drip Kettle Air.
It's just a small pitcher with a spout designed to give a slow, precise pour. We said economy. The other way to go is a specially designed kettle with a gooseneck spout for that precise slow pour over action.
Then, of course, there's the choice of stove top heating or dedicated electric kettle. If you are using such a kettle then you'll need a scale under the drip rig to measure a precise proper amount of water. The V60 Drip Kettle Air has markings to show the amount of water. Less than $16 bucks versus the $100+ [at least] for the kettle/scale setup. And, that's the entry price. You can spend way more.
Then there's the thing about the water to Coffee ratio. You can spend hours going over that subject alone. Not to mention water temperature. Then, there's how you pour for a pour over, and how fast. Geez! That's just the on paper side of the research. In the kitchen, where the rubber meets the road, then there's adjusting it all to your taste. Heck, they have competitions on Coffee making. And, no shortage of opinions.
As you might be getting by now there's a lot of variables to making Coffee. All the foregoing is already a whole bunch of words. But, believe it, that's just the tip of the iceberg. We'll get to that. Not to nail it all down, chapter and verse. But to give you a snoot full of all there's to Coffee in this year of 2025.
Also, you may surmise, that getting a hot enough cup of Coffee to your lips what with all the machinations in the brewing is a thing in itself. Our preparation method includes preheating the cup, and preheating the added Milk. With the pour over filter funnel we're also using a carafe that we can keep over a heat diffuser on the stove while we're going through the pouring motions. Careful, those glass carafes aren't supposed to go on direct heat. Only microwave. But we don't microwave. Bad vibes kind of thing.
By the way, we picked up a while ago the idea that Coffee should be poured into the Milk. [If you take Milk with your cuppa, that is. Or Half and Half, or Cream.] We'd discuss this more, but looking for an easy answer in an Internet search it's too much of a Rabbit hole. So we take it on faith. There seems to be some chemistry science basis to it. If you want to know more, go fetch.
So currently at casa Cooky Cat we're in the initial phase of dialing in the variables for the pour over method with the Hario V60 funnel. Coffee to water ratios. Water pour total amount, timing, and proportionings. And, the big one ... the grind.
The grind size and grinding method of the Coffee beans is a major thing. Differing grind size for each type prep method. And, be sure the grounds are uniform. That's where grinders come in. A mortar and pestle ... please! That would be a no; unless you live in a cave. We've been using an electric blade grinder. Works well enough. But grind consistency is not a big point with that random type spinning blade action.
There's a world of grinders, each type and each model with their various pros and cons. So many choices, so many price points. When you're into Espresso, the grinder choice is a big deal. Espresso prep has umpteen variables, and more than that ways with it.
Hand grinders. You'd think that it's a good economic trade off. You work more, but it costs less. There are inexpensive hand grinders [$50ish.] But, a top rated hand grinder will set you back $250! For reals. Electric-wise, seems the bottom "entry level" like the top rated Baratza Encore goes for $150. Or, $200 if you want the version with the upgraded grinding burrs for Espresso.
"Burrs." There are conical burrs and flat burrs. With design differences within each range, and critical reviews till the cows come home on the differences in the cup. There also seems to be no price limit. You can easily drop $500 for a "decent" unit.
"Entry level." That phrase rides through all the reviews of Coffee paraphernalia. It always strikes us the term "entry level" typically goes along with a steep enough price tag to make us want to throw up our hands and just toss some grounds into a percolator.
Speaking of percolators. Once in my checkered career resume I did time as a Can't Miss Top 10 Mad Ave Ad Bigger on a Coffee account. The Pan American Coffee Bureau in New York City gave an introduction to all things Coffee. The take away point I remember was how they were emphatic that the drip method was the best. I brought that up to my client counterpart brand manager. He pointed out that percolator sales were increasing. In other words, it would not be productive sales-wise to include drip method in our advertising. Much less promote it. This was in the mid-1960s. Then, guess what? Mr. Coffee came along. Changed the game. Drip Coffee in an appliance. Turns out that no one was against drip method Coffee as such. They just wanted it in an appliance. Gizmos sell.
We once gifted a Coffee sock to a dear one and they turned up their nose not wanting to change from their single serve pod brewing device. Gizmos. [Pretty soon the hand will only be useful for punching in text messages.]
And, speaking of devices ... Espresso machines. One blanches at the mere thought of having to tackle that subject. Sure you can get an Espresso machine for around $100 bucks. But, when you research all the variables, seems a good entry level unit might be nudging toward $500 dollars. And, how much Espresso are you gonna drink for that price tag when you drop 5 bills and still feel like you're a piker for not springing for the $1,500 dollar unit which seems to be what the aficionados plunk down. And, that's "at least".
That'll get you started for Espresso. Then, of course, the grinder. And other stuff too. For Espresso, the unit what holds the grounds in the machine. It's called the portafilter and there are options there too. And, no end of considerations and discussions of opinions. And, once the grounds are in the portafilter they have to be 1. raked over for evenness, 2. tamped down first to level, 3. then pressed down to a torque wrench pressure precision. A good Barista can do it by feel. But, of course, there are the ones with a spring drive preset load pressure. Lots of gizmos to do all that.
And, by the way, time, temperature, and pressure are the alchemist's plaything when it comes to Espresso. Like was said ... variables.
If you've even got this far into this writing you have to get by now that Coffee drinking is a big thing. Ritual thing. After all, how good does a cup of Coffee have to be? Seems for many it's a quest.
But, it can be good. Really good. My best taste of the brew was when vacationing in Jamaica. Must've been Blue Mountain. If we ever get our Coffee ritual dialed in solid, maybe we'll spring for that $90 dollar bag of Blue Mountain Coffee. Second best cup of Coffee, room service at a hotel in Roma, Italy. Third best, from many of the Dominican and Puerto Rican restaurants in New York City and their incomparable Cafรฉ con Leche. Fondly remembering a now gone favorite, La Taza de Oro ["The Golden Cup"] on 8th Avenue at 34th Street in New York City. In the day the Espresso station was right up near the front door with a dedicated server cranking those paper cups of Cafรฉ con Leche non-stop.75 cents per; maybe never more than a buck.
Just try to go to one of those au courant Coffee shops and order one of those. They don't get it. More often than not they'll give you that $4+ Latte.
Right up there also, Siddha Coffee. A rich sweet, milky brew laced with lots of Cardamom as served in the amrit ["The nectar that promises immortality"] at Siddha Yoga ashrams ... Nectarian. Divine.
Net, net ... maybe it's best to leave it with the wisdom that reminds us that you never put your hand in the same river twice.
No two cups of Coffee are ever alike. Even with the same Barista. I used to run errands for a non-profit school and my work partner and I would make our first stop a Cafรฉ con Leche. He would often taste that day's cup and comment on whether the Barista was on their game that day. Hey, it's an alchemical thing. You bring your magic into it.
And, net, net, net net ... maybe after all is said and done, you end up just saying, "Don't give me all that jive, give me cup of Joe!".
PS If you're thinking that you didn't find out how to brew a cup of Coffee from all this ... well, you'd be right. This here article is just to tune you up to the kind of weather and terrain you'll be facing when you put your boots on and start marching toward that "grail cup" of Joe. Or, maybe it puts you off enough to not bother, and just plug in an auto brew machine. Or, something in between. Or, maybe in the low to middle range. Or the middle to top range. You get it. Kapische? Choices, huh?
PPS We didn't discuss the beans. We'll leave that as "has beans". The subject of Coffee beans can fill a library. Many different countries produce Coffee beans. Locales in each vary. You know, "terroir". Different producers. Then there's roasting. Light to dark, and in between. And the flavor profiles of each. Full bodied or light. Flavor notes of all kinds. [Do not become a Coffee snob, waxing poetic for all to witness all the deep flavor discriminations you can find in any one cup. Please!] Acidity. Finish. Sorry, on that subject we're finished. Go fetch. Last analysis, you'll just have to try them for yourself. You can stick with your final favorite, or Tango on sampling the world of Coffees. [By the way, did you know there's an Ethiopian Coffee โ "Kopi Luwak" โ the beans come out a Civit Cat's ass with its poop? No shit!]
PPPS Oxygen is the enemy of Coffee. Check out the subject of storage, and storage devices. Vacuum sealed seems to be the ticket.
BASTA!
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