𝐍𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚 𝐨𝐧 "𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐰𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦"

 

𝐅𝐥𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 ... 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐨𝐰 —

 

Flirting ... then and now —

Jules Duvelleroy's Language of the Fan ...

From Of Human Bondage 1934 ...

40 Year Old Virgin ...

From the Internet 2024 ...

𝐒𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐁𝐞 𝐀𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭 ...

Sure, you’re creative. 

You wanna be an artist.

Answer me this?

 

How much of an artist you gonna be. 

Pretty pictures? 

Nice arrangements?

 Le mot juste? 

Innovative images and shapes? 

That kind of artist?

That's nice, but it's just "artistic".

Why settle. 

Go all the way!

Be a real artist! 

Be creative enough to love with all your heart. 

Even if it's been broken.

[Who's hasn't been ... join the club.]

After all, isn't it true you only give to yourself? 

So, why be less that you are. 

Stop looking at all those paint-by-numbers masterpieces you put together as a kid.

Stop decorating a prison cell of your own delusions. 

Start your day with a fresh canvas. 

In fact, start the next moment that way.

How?

There's a wellspring of creativity within you. 

Simply go there and draw from it. 

But, you won't get any water from a well unless you drop a bucket into it. 

Bucket? Drop?

Drop down within yourself. 

At first there might be some cobwebs and stuff.

Even broken bits.*

Keep going. Keep going.

You'll see ...

*[There's a simple fix for those.] 

But, please ...

Don't wait until the house is on fire to dig a well.

Be courageous!

****

Another clear-eyed perspective of great authority ...

"Our mind can be compared to a hand temporarily tied as much to the conceptual representation of an ego —  ego or self — as to the concepts and fixations derived from this idea. Little by little, with practice, egoistic fixations and concepts are eliminated, and just as a hand when it is untied can finally open, the mind opens, acquiring all kinds of operational possibilities. She then discovers that she has numerous qualities and skills, just as happens to the hand once she is freed from what binded her."

H.E. the Very Venerable Kalu Kyabje Rinpoche

 

" "𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠" "

In this wramble we're using the term "framing" as in the sense of how we see things and events; people. And, how things are presented to us. Context. With mixed in random amounts of present understanding, historical references, judgement, prejudice, triggers, assumptions, preferences, and tendencies. Even the way we see things according to how our mind is structured. Oh, you thought that all minds work the same way. As if. You think? Just look at the political landscape. Two sides, each firmly 'til-do-or-die certain of their rectitude. Mind seems to operate in a dualistic frame. But, Buddha Be Praised!, not inevitably. Or, necessarily. Let's hope so, because if the news of the day is accurate in telling on what's going on ... oh, boy!

But that's another topic. Never mind. And, FYI, I don't mind even if you do mind. According to those who know, when you look for the mind, guess what? There's nothing there. Empty. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

But, that another topic too.

Having said that about other topics, chew on this:

Something from the Real frame of Nisargadatta Maharaj: "The mind is the wife of the heart and the world their home —to be kept bright and happy. Truth and love are man's real nature and mind and heart are the means of its expression"

The frame surrounds the view. Eliminate the frame — can you even do that? — and you're looking with naked awareness. Unfiltered. "Naked Eye." Plain. As it is. Not how you think it is. Or, your reaction(s). And, framing isn't just for the eyes. The ears too. How we hear things. Can you look, listen ... without adding anything? The added part, that's the frame.

The TV screen is a frame. No brainer on that point. Literally, huh? And, the contents we view on that device, and our other viewing devices; also frames. 

And, basically, what we're watching is something how somebody who we may or may not even know, how they see it. What is given us to watch. We give credence easily when what is being presented matches our real world experience. Or, are amused, when the presentation is off kilter, or screwballed comedically. And — Alert! Alert! — when biased presentations match our own biases. "Bias Confirmation" is what it's called. 

Then there's the more basic framing which has to do with what is made available for viewing. In the Internet Age, this may seem moot since we can just about call up whatever we want at the push of a button. But we do look a lot at content which is based on some other one providing that content. News, for one. SNL even.

And, by the way, the future is soon to arrive where with the proper chip you'll just be able to think it and it'll show up on the screen. Future, future ... think it, and it'll show up in a virtual field right in front of your eyes. And, a word of caution on that wonderful Brave New Word possibility: that chip ... it's a two way street. For the convenience of translating thinking to image making, such tech could ever so easily also reverse the connection and literally put thoughts into your own head. Think about that. 

See, right there. That's my frame. A frame that casts things in the light of conspiracy theories. But, consider it. There are machers working as we speak to finagle such chips like that. You heard of Elon Musk? Musk is too ... much. First iterations are for to have the blessings of medical science. What could go wrong. Extend the idea further and imagine where it can go. 

Then there's AI.

Artificial Intelligence will give the "thought leaders" the tools to jigger the algorithm to get just the right thoughts into the right brains. Sit back and relax, we know what's good for you. What is that, Big Brother? It's what's good for me! You can see it well enough for yourself. Just go and search something to buy. Darned if some ever so helpful, anonymous techie hasn't jiggered into your frame of view all sorts of ads for just what we know you're looking for. And, you are welcome. Just trying to be helpful. But also let's make a buck whilst we're saving the planet.

The news is a perfect example of unnoticed, subconscious framing. Somebody has to decide what is news, and what of all the news is going to go into the time slots. The NY Times motto: "All the news that's fit to print" says it in plain English. Just who is deciding what's "fit". And, who the fuck are they anyway? And, by what lights are they living their lives, and attempting to influence mine? And, who frames the frame they frame? Who's you Daddy!? By the way, the word "kosher", it means "fit"? If you're a reader of the newspaper of record you might refigure their motto as, "All the news that fits". 

Argh! It can give you a fit.

But wait, not only is it a decision on what to present as news, but the biases that editors and their minions process into their presentations are also present. If you don't know what that is, just watch the news. Pick your channel. Quite obviously, there are differences. Politically. And, you can bet also based on unabashed self-interest. That earnest and assertive overly made-up and coiffed with the tight fitting dress isn't just a patriot delivering the news of the day, there's a career on the line don't you know. Compounded by they're quite possibly a bunch of doodoo heads in front of and behind the camera.

So what do we make of all that? Well, I acknowledge that I just did some framing. But, the framing is about framing. 

The frame I'm attempting to hold up for your viewing is to suggest up-leveling our awareness to become aware of the framing being presenting in the media. Not to denigrate it. Or, to go on endlessly arguing over what frame is the right own. Choose the frame that suits you. But ... just acknowledge that you're looking with a frame. See it for what it is. That it's there, coloring things. When you do that then you can step out of the frame and be responsible yourself for shaping the frame. 

The warring in the world should be enough to suggest that a new frame is necessary. Unless, of course, you like to fight as a way of living. Because, if you do, the guys that make a living from you living with war as the ordained state of things all to happy to oblige.

If the world is as you see it ... and you want to do something about it ... change the frame. Change the prescription on those "glasses". Also, spend some time quietly and unplugged. Not just from the medium and its messages, but from the chatter in you keppe. You know, that little voice going on in your head that we so easily take to be who we are. You say, "There's no voice in my head!" Oh, really. Says who?

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 ~ 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐮 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐩𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐞

The Four Levels of Obscurations ~ Kalu Rinpoche

The failure of the mind to recognize its own nature is what is meant by the term "ma-rik-pa," or ignorance, the first level of obscuration or defilement in the mind. As a result of this ignorance, there arises in the mind the imputation of an "I" and an "other," something that is other than the mind. 

This dualistic clinging, something that we have had throughout beginningless time, and that never stops, is the second level of obscuration, the obscuration of habits. 

Based upon this dualistic clinging arise the three root mental afflictions: mental darkness, desire, and aggression. Based upon those three afflictions are the 84,000 various mental afflictions, the third level of obscurations, called the obscuration of mental affliction. 

Under the influence of this, we perform actions that are obscured in their nature — the fourth level, called the obscuration of actions or karma. 

These four levels or types of obscurations are the cause for all sentient beings to wander in samsara. If these are removed or cleaned, then the inherent qualities of mind's nature, which we refer to as wisdom or "yeshe," will naturally manifest and spread like the rays of the sun. 

The word in Tibetan for the removal of these obscurations, "sang," means "cleansing," and the word for the spreading of the inherent qualities of the mind that occurs as a result of that is "gye," or "increasing." "Sang-gye". These two words together, is the Tibetan word for a Buddha. Therefore what is meant by Buddhahood is the recognition and realization of the complete purity of the mind.

𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬𝐞 𝐀𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟖, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐫, 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐉𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐲

This is how the April 8, 2024 Solar Eclipse looked like at near totality at 3:45 p.m. in Montclair, New Jersey. 

Plenty to see?

1. Presence — Awesome...

The Crescent of the Sun. 

2. Absence — Fearsome ...

The Abyss of Blackness. 

3. Setting Sun — World ...

The Red Glow [of the Earth On Fire]. 

 

4. Rising Sun — World ...

 Noticing so much Daylight even so.

5. Hope ...

Looking for the Light.

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓? — 𝐍𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐣

Nisargadatta Maharaj

WHERE IS YOUR REAL INTEREST?

M: Liberation is not the result of some means skillfully applied, nor of circumstances. It is beyond the causal process. Nothing can compel it, nothing can prevent it.

Q: Then why are we not free here and now?

M: But we are free ‘here and now’. It is only the mind that imagines bondage.

Q: What will put an end to imagination?

M: Why should you want to put an end to it? Once you know your mind and its miraculous powers, and remove what poisoned it -- the idea of a separate and isolated person -- you just leave it alone to do its work among things to which it is well suited. To keep the mind in its own place and on its own work is the liberation of the mind.

Q: What is the work of the mind?

M: The mind is the wife of the heart and the world their home -- to be kept bright and happy.

Q: I have not yet understood why, if nothing stands in the way of liberation, it does not happen here and now.

M: Nothing stands in the way of your liberation and it can happen here and now, but for your being more interested in other things. And you cannot fight with your interests. You must go with them, see through them and watch them reveal themselves as mere errors of judgement and appreciation.

Nisargadatta Maharaj, I AM THAT ch. 88

Knowledge and Knowing ...

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.

~ Yangthang Rinpoche

Ghosting ... From Bree Jenkins, LMFT

From Bree Jenkins, LMFT ...

Ghosting is not a new term, but very common since the social media age. Here’s some food for thought about what it is, why people do it and how damaging it can be:

Ghosting is often seen as an immature or passive-aggressive way to end a relationship. In other instances, it may even be a form of emotional abuse.
There are two primary reasons why a person ghosts another, and often it's a combination of the two.

The first is that some find it's way easier (in the short-term, anyway) to ghost someone than to have an awkward, uncomfortable heart-to-heart about why you’re not interested in maintaining contact.

The person doing the ghosting often wants to avoid confrontation or dealing with someone else’s hurt feelings, so they simply cease all communication and hope the hint is delivered.

As you can imagine (or know from personal experience), ghosting can have a real psychological impact on the person who’s being ghosted.

It’s almost like sudden loss [or] grief, especially the first time you’ve ever been ghosted. You are shocked, and you’re in denial, thinking things such as ‘maybe they didn’t see my text.’ Then you feel anger.

Jenkins adds, “Next, the feelings of depression [can] kick in along with feelings of poor self-esteem as you mentally reexamine your relationship and last conversation for possible warning signs."

Ghosting is inherently ambiguous because there is a lack of explanation for why the relationship ended. For the person who has been ghosted, it can lead to significant feelings of rejection, guilt, grief, and shame.

A person who has been ghosted may be left wondering what this type of behavior says about them, but it is important to remember that ghosting says more about the person who cuts off contact than the person who is ghosted.

Pope Francis' new prayer for the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi:

Pope Francis' new prayer for the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi:

Saint Francis,

man wounded by love, Crucified in body and in spirit,

we look to you, decorated with the holy stigmata, to learn how to love the Lord Jesus and our brothers and sisters with your love, with your passion.

With you, it is easier to contemplate and follow Christ, poor and Crucified. Give us, Francis, the freshness of your faith, the certainty of your hope, the gentleness of your charity.

Intercede for us, so that it may be sweet for us to bear the burdens of life, and in trials, we may experience
the tenderness of the Father and the balm of the Spirit.

May our wounds be healed by the Heart of Christ, to become, like you, witnesses of His mercy, which continues to heal and renew the life of those who seek Him with a sincere heart.

O Francis, made to resemble the Crucified One, let your stigmata be for us and for the world resplendent signs of life and resurrection, to show new ways of peace and reconciliation. 

Amen.

The Pope recited the prayer, which will be prayed at the Chapel of the Stigmata in Verna, as he met Friday [April 5, 2024]with Franciscan Friars Minor of La Verna and the Tuscan Province in Italy.

He blessed the Franciscans present with a relic of St. Francis' blood.

𝐑𝐱 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 ...

~ Paramahansa Yogananda

“Nature will survive with or without us. We can choose to be her ally, or allow greed and ignorance to drive us into extinction. Either way nature will restore her equilibrium and rid herself of parasites if necessary in order to do so. 

“I believe a time will come when, in greater understanding, we shall have no boundaries anymore. We shall call the earth our country; and we shall, by a process of justice and international assembly, distribute unselfishly the goods of the world according to the needs of the people. But equality cannot be established by force; it must come from the heart... We must start now, with ourselves. We should try to be like the divine ones who have come on earth again and again to show us the way. By our loving each other and keeping our understanding clear, as they taught and exemplified, peace can come.”

"𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧"

"Demonization"

If you follow what's presented as "news" in this year of The Lord 2024 you no doubt have witnessed more than a little unmasked and unbridled demonization being served up. 

Question is, who does that serve? And, by the way, not just currently, but going on now for a long time.

Witness the 24/7 non-stop assault on Donald Trump by the Dems and their media supporters. The Republicans warnings about "socialism". Biden calling Putin a "butcher", a "war criminal", a " mass murderer". Trump, well, he is past master of the withering put down. The Israeli leadership labeling Palestinians "non-human". Many Muslin countries regarding the US of A as the "great Satan". [Which, by the way, we might want to consider their point of view, not just toss it off as they're jealous of our way of life. In fact, they may just most likely see the West as threatening their way of life.]

Mr. Trump is currently as of this writing, he's selling Bibles. The irony being that the castigation of one's opponents is now ratcheted up to "biblical" proportions. Never mind if it is laughable to you that book even fits in his hands. Donald! What would Jesus do? It's in that $60 book you're peddling.

What are they thinking? If I'm convinced that one or the other of the candidates, if they get in office, it's the end of the world ... then, what would you expect it to look like if a whole bunch of us hoi polloi get that in our heads that that is a possible reality, not just political rhetoric? What do you think a citizenry all cranked up to a fever pitch level would look like out on the mean streets? What are they thinking? 

Never mind the global game of chicken in Eastern Europe. Or, the ever escalating carnage and destruction in the Middle East. Just to name a few on a very long list of shit storms going down around the world as we speak.

Oh, you say, it would never get out of hand. You think It is out of hand! Just, maybe, let's assume we can contain it to where it's at, and not on our shores. What could go wrong. So, vote the right one in, and prevent armageddon and the annihilation of Humans and the Planet.  

We should be having a shit-in-your-pants moment if we're reading the news these days. But, apparently not. We're all up over who wore what at the Oscars, and who won the awards. And, what's her name and her publicity linked footballer boy friend having been seen holding hands at some swell restaurant. Or, what some high profile twat is wearing showing off so you can get your eyeballs on her "charms". I bet some reading this are more offended by the use of the word "twat" than any of the stuff actually going on in real time. If so, what does that make you? A cunt. Which being offended by that, proves it!

So ... "demonization". What's it good for? Apparently, for votes. Like war, what's that good for? Who said it, "Fighting for peace is like fucking for virginity".

So, Pilgrim, let me ask you this: Are you all wrapped up in the back and forth over who's your "demon"? Who's your Daddy? With all the justifications you've certainly come to on your very own without any influence by the manufacturers of consent with their so skillful propaganda narrative machinations? Are you? That is, so wrapped up at that level of black and white, good and bad, our way or the highway, that you miss the game itself. It is afoot. Missing it, the foot's up your ass. But, maybe it's clenched so tight you forgot that it wasn't there to begin with. Just sayin'.

Never mind for a moment being invested in taking sides. The game itself, not that. The game of  "demonization". Just another spin on "Taking Sides". Never mind the justifications. If you can't read this without simply seeing the game itself, then I don't know what will get you out of the game. Games are fine. They are played, then they're over. The game of demonization has an end-game too. And, it ain't gonna be pretty. Maybe not like in sports where we watch then go to other business. The end-game currently on the world collective screen has no winner. And, hell to pay for the losers and the winners.

Time to call the game. And consider playing something where we all can win. Zero-sum is so over. Profit at another's expense. How about a world oriented to service. What can I offer my fellows ... the Planet.

We may be in a moment of "cultural shift". A fin de siècle of the Cartesian dualistic game board with which we've been playing good versus evil. Or, as we also call it in this permutation, "demonization". Same thing. Just, the latter, writ horribly large and mortally threatening. 

So, you want to consider "cultural shift"? What to do?

Do this: Take stock. 

Spend some regular time away from the daily grind and look at what is it that you want in life. What is important to you? What you want for your loved ones; for all every one of us God's children? What ideas do you hold so close? Prejudices? What agreements have you made with yourself, with others, that are set in place? 

Do that with no judgment. Just a simple honesty with yourself. Know that all of that, it's based on choices. Some still applicable, some maybe need to be modified or tossed out altogether. Consider choosing a world you would want; not just what some smarty pants or pol climber says you should have and you believe them because they're wrapped in the flag and besides the other guy is a bona fide bum. 

You have choice.

Stop playing the game. Start living into your best self. Trust you basic goodness. Maybe even pray.

𝐏𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐬’ 𝐔𝐫𝐛𝐢 𝐞𝐭 𝐎𝐫𝐛𝐢 𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒.

Full Text of Pope Francis’ Urbi et Orbi Blessing for Easter 2024.

Source: Catholic News Agency 

On the morning of Easter Sunday 2024, Pope Francis presided over Mass in St. Peter’s Square before delivering his Urbi et Orbi message and blessing from the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica in the presence of an estimated 60,000 people.

“Urbi et orbi” means “To the city [of Rome] and to the world.” It is a special apostolic blessing given by the pope every year on Easter Sunday, Christmas, and other special occasions.

Here is the full text of the pope’s blessing:

Dear brothers and sisters: Happy Easter!

Today throughout the world there resounds the message proclaimed 2,000 years ago from Jerusalem: “Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified, has been raised!” (Mk 16:6).

 The Church relives the amazement of the women who went to the tomb at dawn on the first day of the week. The tomb of Jesus had been sealed with a great stone. Today too, great stones, heavy stones, block the hopes of humanity: the stone of war, the stone of humanitarian crises, the stone of human rights violations, the stone of human trafficking, and other stones as well. Like the women disciples of Jesus, we ask one another: “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?”

This is the amazing discovery of that Easter morning: The stone, the immense stone, was rolled away. The astonishment of the women is our astonishment as well: The tomb of Jesus is open, and it is empty! From this, everything begins anew! A new path leads through that empty tomb: The path that none of us, but God alone, could open: the path of life in the midst of death, the path of peace in the midst of war, the path of reconciliation in the midst of hatred, the path of fraternity in the midst of hostility.

Brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ is risen! He alone has the power to roll away the stones that block the path to life. He, the living One, is himself that path. He is the Way: the way that leads to life, the way of peace, reconciliation, and fraternity. He opens that path, humanly impossible, because he alone takes away the sin of the world and forgives us our sins. For without God’s forgiveness, that stone cannot be removed. Without the forgiveness of sins, there is no overcoming the barriers of prejudice, mutual recrimination, the presumption that we are always right and others wrong. Only the risen Christ, by granting us the forgiveness of our sins, opens the way for a renewed world. 

Jesus alone opens up before us the doors of life, those doors that continually we shut with the wars spreading throughout the world. Today we want, first and foremost, to turn our eyes to the holy city of Jerusalem, that witnessed the mystery of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and to all the Christian communities of the Holy Land.

My thoughts go especially to the victims of the many conflicts worldwide, beginning with those in Israel and Palestine, and in Ukraine. May the risen Christ open a path of peace for the war-torn peoples of those regions. In calling for respect for the principles of international law, I express my hope for a general exchange of all prisoners between Russia and Ukraine: all for the sake of all! 

I appeal once again that access to humanitarian aid be ensured to Gaza, and call once more for the prompt release of the hostages seized on 7 October last and for an immediate cease-fire in the Strip. 

Let us not allow the current hostilities to continue to have grave repercussions on the civil population, by now at the limit of its endurance, and above all on the children. How much suffering we see in the eyes of the children: The children in those lands at war have forgotten how to smile! With those eyes, they ask us: Why? Why all this death? Why all this destruction? War is always an absurdity, war is always a defeat! Let us not allow the strengthening winds of war to blow on Europe and the Mediterranean. Let us not yield to the logic of weapons and rearming. Peace is never made with arms, but with outstretched hands and open hearts. 

Brothers and sisters, let us not forget Syria, which for 13 years has suffered from the effects of a long and devastating war. So many deaths and disappearances, so much poverty and destruction call for a response on the part of everyone, and of the international community. 

My thoughts turn today in a special way to Lebanon, which has for some time experienced institutional impasse and a deepening economic and social crisis, now aggravated by the hostilities on its border with Israel. May the risen Lord console the beloved Lebanese people and sustain the entire country in its vocation to be a land of encounter, coexistence, and pluralism.

I also think in particular of the region of the Western Balkans, where significant steps are being taken toward integration in the European project. May ethnic, cultural, and confessional differences not be a cause of division but rather a source of enrichment for all of Europe and for the world as a whole. 

I likewise encourage the discussions taking place between Armenia and Azerbaijan, so that, with the support of the international community, they can pursue dialogue, assist the displaced, respect the places of worship of the various religious confessions, and arrive as soon as possible at a definitive peace agreement. 

May the risen Christ open a path of hope to all those who in other parts of the world are suffering from violence, conflict, food insecurity, and the effects of climate change. May the Lord grant consolation to the victims of terrorism in all its forms. Let us pray for all those who have lost their lives and implore the repentance and conversion of the perpetrators of those crimes. 

May the risen Lord assist the Haitian people, so that there can soon be an end to the acts of violence, devastation, and bloodshed in that country, and that it can advance on the path to democracy and fraternity.

May Christ grant consolation and strength to the Rohingya, beset by a grave humanitarian crisis, and open a path to reconciliation in Myanmar, torn for years now by internal conflicts, so that every logic of violence may be definitively abandoned. 

May the Lord open paths of peace on the African continent, especially for the suffering peoples in Sudan and in the entire region of the Sahel, in the Horn of Africa, in the region of Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in the province of Capo Delgado in Mozambique, and bring an end to the prolonged situation of drought, which affects vast areas and provokes famine and hunger. 

May the Risen One make the light of his face shine upon migrants and on all those who are passing through a period of economic difficulty, and offer them consolation and hope in their moment of need. May Christ guide all persons of goodwill to unite themselves in solidarity, in order to address together the many challenges that loom over the poorest families in their search for a better life and happiness. 

On this day when we celebrate the life given us in the resurrection of the Son, let us remember the infinite love of God for each of us: a love that overcomes every limit and every weakness. And yet how much the precious gift of life is despised! How many children cannot even be born? How many die of hunger and are deprived of essential care or are victims of abuse and violence? How many lives are made objects of trafficking for the increasing commerce in human beings? 

Brothers and sisters, on the day when Christ has set us free from the slavery of death, I appeal to all who have political responsibilities to spare no efforts in combatting the scourge of human trafficking, by working tirelessly to dismantle the networks of exploitation, and to bring freedom to those who are their victims. May the Lord comfort their families, above all those who anxiously await news of their loved ones, and ensure them comfort and hope. 

May the light of the Resurrection illuminate our minds and convert our hearts, and make us aware of the value of every human life, which must be welcomed, protected, and loved. 

A happy Easter to all!

𝐖𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐤𝐢'𝐬 𝐖𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞 ...

Wronski's Wramblings Home Page

So, here's the deal. I wramble. I like to ... wramble. Hope you like it too. If not, go ahead, you wramble on. Just know for the interested among you, my wrambling is about going into various topics and such; and ... allowing the telling of it to take side roads as they appear and seem worthwhile to look into. Maybe some rabbit holes. But, trust me, I'll always get you down the road. If not, give me a comment to get me back on track.

Now ... dig in!

DISCLAIMER: There is nothing that can be said which can ever come close to the inestimable value of silence. 

Yet, here I am with lots of words. Well ... call me pisher.

Transgender Day of Visibility on Easter 2024

 

Transgender Day of Visibility has always been celebrated on March 31since its beginning in 2009. This year 2024 Easter also falls on that same date.

The pols are trying to make some hay versus the Biden White House on this. 

Pols will be pols. We got other fish to fry.

The central question which runs through this whole business has to do with the real matter of "identity".

The Jesus message is "We are all God's Children, every one loved by the Father". 

The issue this writer has with the "Trans" and "LBGTQI+" is over real identity. One would think that with all the talk among those so disposed is that that's the end of the subject. My take from what is being said: "I'm what I do with what's mine, what I like what you got, how I happen to feel what I am, and how I like to express that". Maybe the matter on one's true existential fact of the matter identity is also there, but the emphasis I read in the news sure don't seem like it's anywhere near ground zero. Are there any Trans and LBGTQI+ in Heaven. In fact, are there any men and women in Heaven?

Is that all there is? What about the Perenial Qusestions? "Who am I?" "What am I?" "Where did I come from?" "Where am I going?"

The awkward conjunction of the Trans Visibility Day and Easter is that Jesus testified with His Sacrifice on The Cross to the real question. Ain't hearing anything even in the ballpark from any drag queens. Sorry. Not.

That the pols would try to make hay on that just gives proof to their cynical manipulation of the issue to get votes. And, don't think for a minute that those pols who say they are for trans etcetera rights are any different. All just gaming the question to get votes. 

Prove me wrong. I am "Wronski"! Not, "Wrongski".

𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐡𝐚 ... 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞

Jesus and Buddha
—

What is the Difference?

[Every year I update this writing with new ideas, insights, stuff, and events. Currently we're in 2024.]

I first wrote this during Lent 2004. You know, that time between pączki and flashing skin at Mardi Gras and when the colored eggs magically appear in all the nooks and crannies around the yard. Chocolate bunnies. Peeps. Jelly Beans. Oh, let's not forget the reason for the season ... He Is Risen!

This version is slightly edited with deepened insights and recent developments. Jokes, too.

For 2024 ...

"There is only one absolute Truth, and all other truths emanate from it. When you find that Truth, your actions will be in alignment with it. Human action can reflect that Truth, or it can reflect illusion. Can the Truth be put into words? Yes, but the words are, of course, not it. They only point to it. The Truth is inseparable from who you are. Yes, you are the Truth. If you look for it elsewhere, you will be deceived every time. The very Being that you are is Truth. Jesus tried to convey that when he said, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.’ These words uttered by Jesus are one of the most powerful and direct pointers to the Truth, if understood correctly. If misinterpreted, however, they become a great obstacle.

Jesus speaks of the innermost I Am, the essence of identity of every man and woman, every life-form in fact. He speaks of the life that you are.  Some Christian mystics have called it the Christ within; Buddhists call it your Buddha nature; for Hindus, it is Atman, the in-dwelling God. When you are in touch with that dimension within yourself — and being in touch with it is your natural state, not some miraculous achievement — all your actions and relationships will reflect the oneness with all life that you sense deep within. This is love. Laws, commandments, rules and regulations are necessary for those who are cut off from who they are, the Truth within." — Eckhart Tolle

Read on ...

In 2004, that year Mr. Mel Gibson’s latest movie The Passion of the Christ kicked off the Lenten season. And almost everyone by now knows that it had created a whole lot of debate. Not to mention a few dollars, too. What was he thinking? A family movie? As David Denby wrote in the New Yorker Magazine, “Jesus said, ‘Suffer the little children to come unto me,’ not ‘Let the little children watch me suffer.’ ” Frank Rich in the NY Times called the movie a "sadomasochistic gorefest".

This is not a movie review. I’d like to give Mel Gibson some credit, however. [Yes. Credit. Even though he has since then moved on up and added public displays of racism and misogyny to his resume. But, this year is now an 2016 Oscar contender. Crowds! Sometimes they love you. Sometimes, not. Ask Jesus about that one.] 

By my lights, and setting aside whether you agree or disagree with his portrayal, or his Christology, I appreciate a healthy general debate on religion itself.

My hope is that the conversation opens to a discussion on what’s at the heart of religion, and not just be something to appropriate by someone seeking to win some narrow sectarian argument or co-opting it to gain a political prize. Or, shamelessly burnishing a public image with a reputation of sanctimony and goodness. I am all for goodness; saintliness, even. But, goodness gracious, not as a branding device. An old car sales dog I once knew had this sage advice, “Ya know how to tell if their lying? Their lips are moving.” [Completely unrelated, I am sure, watch Oprah on OWN network.]

It is at their heart that I find a great deal of unity among religions, even though, on the surface, there seems to be a lot of separation. Words, words, words.

My take (hope?) is that Mel’s movie has boldly triggered the “dangerous” theme of religion itself into our stridently secular cultural conversation. Secular, as in “Did you have a good Christmas? Get everything you wanted?” “Are you ready for Easter? Nice decorations at Michaels at the mall. There’s a sale on!” I am interested in living into the holistic worldview for myself and offer my expertise as a professional to those who would also want that for themselves. Religion fits. 

Read Why Religion Matters Huston Smith.

Religion (also, read spirituality) is concerned with everything that is, the whole enchilada; as opposed to only those things we can get our hands on (read science/technology). [Then there's Scientology. A complete got-the-world-on-a-string package. Or, Madonna and her Kaballa, and their little red string.] 

I see it as a plus to be confronted to consider the big life questions: Who am I? What is this? Where did I come from? Where am I going? For what purpose? WTF.

Don’t look at Reality TV for any of those answers. (Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Temptation Island! The Bachelor. Ya, sure.) [A personal aside: I’m working on a TV project with some of my show biz buddies. It’s called “Who’s Got My Divot? It’s about bald celebrities and patches of grass. That’s all I can reveal at this time. And there’ll be a real mind blowing twist at the end of the 20-week run. So far, the pilot is green lights as far as I can see. Even Trump is on board. Tune in.]

Returning: I don’t know if Mr. G had what I’m talking about in his mind for his controversial project, but I can make my own point, even if I don’t spend $25 million to produce this article. [For my appreciative and supportive readers, send only checks and money orders. In-kind contributions also accepted. I don't want much. Only, let it have taste and quality.]

Just to clarify a bit more, my hope is to see this conversation shift to a higher level. In the so called culture wars that may be a part of what now seems to be 24/7 political campaigning, the issue of religion could be appropriated only for political advantage to score points with potential voters by hanging that subject on some hot button issues. When I see a pitchman on TV prominantly wearing a Christian cross I role my eyes. Look for it, it's theres.  The real nugget could be overlooked. I am personally interested in making a religious orientation a part of the fabric of my life and support others who choose to do the same. So what is a religious orientation to life, anyway?

If you are a reader of books I highly recommend Why Religion Matters by Huston Smith. This is not about going to church on Sunday or whatever other observance you follow or the set of words and names unique to your religion. It is about the significance of the spiritual side of things; how in the current climate in our society the sphere of religion is marginalized to the sidelines in our mass/mad dash to a promise of a scientific and technological future of more, better, and different; and, as he so eloquently makes the case, why religion matters. Read the book.

Then, of course, there’s Jesus. If Henny Youngman wasn't a Jew he might say ... "Take Jesus. Please!"

I am not attempting to author the definitive exegesis. Just my own view.

Here it is: Jesus is a Buddhist!

Whoa, Ho, Whoa! Now before you take the heat off Mr. Mel and put it on me, let me s’plain, Lucy. The Buddha saw deeply into things and handed down teachings about the nature of suffering and the possibility for freedom from suffering. (Thank you, Buddha!) The key to this freedom is the practice of detachment, surrender. In that practice we free ourselves from our unnecessary involvements with the illusory nature of the world; most particularly, attachment and adversion. 

Here’s a mind teaser for you: Do we experience suffering, or do we suffer experience? I believe it was The Buddha who put it as, “All is suffering.” My go-to teacher, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, (in I Am That… the last book you will ever read) asserts the latter; indeed, we suffer experience. Read the book.

The message of the Cross is the same in this respect, I believe. Only, if Jesus transcended pain and suffering— saw through it — is he the real deal? You get to decide that for yourself. [I pray for you.] Bear your cross lightly. I see his crucifixion as his highest testament: “YES!” Not defeated and resigned to enduring the worst kind of torture. But, seeing through it. Accepting. Yes!

A long time ago at my est [Erhard Seminars Training] training (yes, I’m one of those) I learned about how, if you fully experience something, it disappears. See for yourself. Don’t just believe it, do it. You’ll see for yourself. Take heart in seeing Jesus as accepting his karma and sacrificing his own personal sense of self to demonstrate the possibility for all. His realization and sacrifice also earned enough grace/merit for humankind in all the three times — past, present, and future — that all’s you got to do is live into his example, follow his advice: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” “Forgive.” “Let it go.” "Trust." "Give it to the Lord." Cause when you let it go, isn’t it gone? I’m not much impressed for overlarge professions of faith and histrionic acceptings of Jesus, as such. Looks good on paper perhaps, but in the work place it’s still dog eat dog. On the highway, too. It’s time to walk the talk, pardner.

A priest, burdened by the importance of his work, went into the church pray. Falling to his knees, he lamented, "O Lord, I am nothing! I am nothing!"

Just then a prominent Christian judge passed by and overhearing the prayer was moved to join the priest on his knees. Shortly, he too, was crying aloud, "O Lord, I too am nothing! I am nothing!"

The janitor of the church, awed by the sight of the two men praying joined them, crying, "O Lord, I also am nothing! I am nothing!"

At this, the judge nudged the priest and said, "Now look who thinks he's nothing!"

I recently attended a talk by a Tibetan Buddhist teacher who suggested that it is beneficial to develop a loving compassion toward oneself and all others. He further said that in order to open one’s heart you have to also open your mind. Now we’re talking real religion. Would Jesus disagree with that advice?

When I was a boy there was a crucifix with a life-sized figure of Jesus staring down at me every day at Mass. I was sincere lad but not a little goody, goody. We were compelled by the good Sisters to attend services daily before school. In fact (a little confession) I myself was the subject of a Sunday sermon on how a boy should not behave. I’ll leave it to your imagination what could possibly have prompted our pastor to use this kid as an example of a bad attitude and how that affected my psyche. Talk about a guilt trip. Where was PeeWee Herman when I needed him…”I know you are, pastor, but what about me?” [I was guilty of speaking my mind a little too freely in front of my elders; Pastor Alexander, in that most memorable instance.] On top of that I used to imagine whether, if I were in Jesus’ shoes (sandals, really), how would I deal with such torture and pain. In short, no way. More guilt. Seeing my own cowardice and weakness in this fantasy only made me feel all the more unworthy.

Now that I’m a committed meditator and have developed a glimpse at detachment myself, I can appreciate Jesus’ sacrifice in a whole new light. Could I/would I walk in his shoes. Still, no way; please, Lord. But I am not, we are not, asked to live in any shoes other than our own. So no good Christian should go on suffering. Nor Buddhist. Jew. Hindu. Muslim. Nor the rest. As for you atheists out there, you’re gonna get yours. Suffering, pain… give it up! Swami Muktananda said as much in his book entitled, Getting Rid of What You Haven’t Got.

I’m not here to tell you more on the spiritual life, as such. There are books and teachers enough. Regard this as encouragement to practice whatever path you are on. Further, if you’re not on a spiritual path, what are you on? Medication? Busy figuring out what to put on your next Pizza? Racing to be first at the next red light? Tweeting with that world class “winner” Charlie Sheen?

So, just walk your talk. Get some religion. Practice makes perfect. Saying that pain and suffering are illusions may be true. But when you’re a-hurtin’, words-only may not be useful. The trick is to practice, and practice, and practice. And start ASAP. As they say, “Don’t wait until the house is on fire before you start digging the well.’ 

Grace is real. Take some. All you want. You don’t have to ask your doctor, I promise.

"Be Here Now" in ordinary conversation seems to have become a piece of toss-out jargon, the kind of thing you might want to put on a bumper sticker. I once recommended Eckhart Tolle (The Power of Now) to a young fellow I know, and he brushed the subject aside with a "I have that on my book shelf". As the Church Lady says, "Well, isn't that special". The idea my dear young friend is to get it off the bookshelf and etch it on your bones. (I realize that there is some judgementalness in this recollection. Yet, if the shoe fits, you'll wear it. And, for the record, I am not concerned whether he or anyone else takes up this practice. It is enough for me to go there.)

But, the Present Moment is the master key. If you take the trouble to do it. Trouble? Well, at first, it may look like trouble. For to be in that Present Moment you have to let go of past things and future concerns. N'est–ce pas? It takes courage to enter the Present Moment. From the perspective of the past and the future it seems unknown and fearful. Death. Just to stress, where else could you be but the Present Moment? The past is over, the future not yet. Free your mind. Let's meet in the middle. Yes, the present moment my present you at first with the mess you've made of yourself. Forgive!

I'm also thinking about how the Cross figures into this conversation. If you are a fundamental type thinker then, of course, the Cross is the wooden device what our Lord was crucified on. There's symbolism there too. Think in terms of the vertical upright segment, and the horizontal, level one. In Oriental Qi Gung there are the concepts, pre-natal and post natal. Pre-natal refers to the Source of things. Post-natal, already happened things; that is, the created world. The post-natal orientation is the worldly, the mundane; past and future. The pre-natal refers to the Source of things, the creative, the yet to happen, the possible, the transcendent; you find that in the Present Moment, don't you know. The art of living is to find oneself at the intersection of these two directions. That I would say is the heart, the center of balance.

The World is Too Much With Us

by William Wordsworth 

The world is too much with us; late and soon,

Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;

Little we see in Nature that is ours;

We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!

This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;

The winds that will be howling at all hours,

And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers,

For this, for everything, we are out of tune;

It moves us not.--Great God!  I'd rather be

A pagan suckled in a creed outworn;

So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,

Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;

Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;

Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.

Let's leave it with Meister Eckhart…”What good is it to me for the Creator to give birth to His Son if I do not also give birth to Him in my time and my culture?”

To Jesus on His Birthday

By Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950)

For this your mother sweated in the cold,
For this you bled upon the bitter tree:
A yard of tinsel ribbon bought and sold;
A paper wreath; a day at home for me.
The merry bells ring out, the people kneel;
Up goes the man of God before the crowd;
With voice of honey and with eyes of steel
He drones your humble gospel to the proud.
Nobody listens. Less than the wind that blows
Are all your words to us you died to save.
O Prince of Peace! O Sharon's dewy Rose!
How mute you lie within your vaulted grave.
The stone the angel rolled away with tears
Is back upon your mouth these thousand years

Thank you all. Thank you Mel. Thank you Buddha. Thank you, Jesus. I believe in love. And I believe in forgiveness. I believe in you.

PS What’s this talk about anti-Semitism? (Mel Gibson, and now that most flaming fashionista and j'accused anti-semite, John Galliano) If you said to any half intelligent person that Jesus’ death was instrumental in the redemption of humankind for which we should be deeply grateful, then what should be our logical attitude toward the people who where supposedly also there for that event? [News flash: Pope Benedict the XVI has just recently exonerated the Jews in the matter of Jesus’ death. Finally!] And, to button it up, aren’t we all of us instrumental in crucifying Jesus all over again whenever we fail to love one another?

I am also smilingly remembering Mr. Myron Cohen, a Borsht Belt era entertainer I used to see on the Ed Sullivan show Sunday evenings. He once on network TV confronted his critics who charged him with being anti-Semitic. “Anti-Semitic?” he asked. “Anti-Semitic?” And then, “But, I am Semitic!”

Now that I’m on to the Jews. [Yes, you Jews, I am on to you.] Take the Jews. Please.

No, but really…

What is a Jew, anyway? Isn’t “Yaweh” the name of God in the Hebrew Bible? Let’s break it down… Yaweh… Yaweh-ish… Yaw-ish... Jew-ish. Does anybody else see the connection? I say, that to be a Jew, is to be… God-Like. And can’t we all be that? Aren’t we all, that? What’s this about anti-Semitism. So we’re all semitic! Literally, maybe not so much. But, figuratively, quite so. We be all wandering in search of our true home.

Happy trails.

God’s speed.

Try to be a mensch. (And, not a schmuck.)

This old Jewish lady comes back from her doctor check up. She says to her husband, Sammy, who’s engrossed in his newspaper at the kitchen table, “So, Sammy, you vant to know vat the doctor said about my brrreasts?” Sammy, showing the only slightest bit of interest and barely looking away from the paper, says, “Vat!” “The doctor said I have the brrreasts of a sixteen year old!” Now, here was his chance to level his proud bride, “And, vat did he say about your eighty year old ass?” After a small pause (wait for it), this curt come back, “Ve didn’t talk about you!”

Two men drinking together at a bar. One is Chinese, the other Jewish. After a few tilts the Jewish fellow punches the Chinese guy in the jaw, knocking him down. “Hey, what was that for? Huh?” “It was for Pearl Harbor!” “Pearl Harbor? That was the Japanese, not the Chinese!” “Japanese, Chinese… what’s the difference?” That seemed to end it and, after things settled back and a few more tilts, the Chinese man punches his Jewish friend, also knocking him down. “Hey, what the heck was that for?” “That was for the Titanic!” “The Titanic? That was an iceberg!” “Iceberg, Greenberg; what’s the difference.”

A man is walking down the street looking for a shop to have his broken watch repaired. There’s a store with a big clock in the window and he goes in. He says to the proprietor that he is there to have his watch repaired. The proprietor, somewhat perplexed, informs the customer that he is a Mohel, specially trained to officiate at the circumcision rite in the Jewish tradition. The even more perplexed man with the watch says, “But, you have a clock in the window?” The Mohel counters, “What would you put in the window?”

You know how there are things we say to one another that pretty much amount to what’s called “social grease.” How ya doin? What’s Up? How are you? How do you do? [On that last one, Groucho would say, “Well I haven’t had any complaints lately.”] The mot of the moment, Wassup? I am my father’s son and have a thrown urge to see such things as an opening to tell my life story. But, in fact, as you know, it’s just a way to toss something of an acknowledgement out there without any real expectation of a reply any more detailed than the usual fine, thank you. But I like to mix it up a bit. When I am feeling particularly Christian, I respond with that topper of all toppers, I am blessed. If I am feeling really frisky, I’ll add a Praise the Lord and a Thank you, Jesus. Who's the man? When my Jewish gene is dominant, my retort is---think Jackie Mason---Ech, how should I feel?