Hangin’ out here and  here during the Summer of 2010.

Excellent interview with Stephen Levine

What prompted you to live as if you had one year to live, imagining that you would die at the end of the year?

The year-to-live offered extraordinary insights into the places where I had been numb, and into the still small voice within, which became more pronounced. But the most profound influence was an increase in courage. When you have one year left, fear makes you too small. You better live that life that you’re going to be so unhappy to think you are leaving. In twenty years of being with people dying, my wife Andrea and I have seen miraculous things happen. Relationships untouched for twenty-five years blossom into something you wonder how that person could have lived without. What happens when we find out we only have one year to live? When we know we can’t be hurt anymore, that we might die, we feel safe. Why should knowing that we are going to die make us feel safe? It makes us feel unsafe too, but there is this place inside of us that feels safe, that allows us to see what holds back from life, yet says it hates to lose life. How much life we trade off. We trade off more life after we are born than we do after we die.

MORE:  http://www.personaltransformation.com/Levine.html

http://www.awakentheheart.org/yeartolive

http://www.tricycle.com/insights/living-life-you-wish-live-0

Selected quotes from  A YEAR TO LIVE (by Stephen Levine)

http://kaykeys.net/spirit/love/gratitude.html

A Year to Live Practice Blog (NYC Village Zendo)

http://lastyeartolive.wordpress.com/about/

How are you?  I haven’t visited here to connect in word for a month now.  I know I’ve gotten into a habit of starting blogs and then abandoning them.  I made the determination that I would not do that for this one.

I’ve been around, logging on, Twittering, but not bloggin’ though.  Actually, it’s all the same, though I know with blogging, it does take a bit more concentration to into a thought, and perhaps, even accomplish the task of writing about it clearly, and if I’m luckily, somewhat creatively.

Good things aswirlin’

spiraling

“spiraling towards my inner prophecy” is an expression I’ve been playing around with…

A friend today, reminds me of VICTORY PRAKTIS, THE FRUIT OF GREAT SURRENDER BECOMING VICTORY PRAKTIS!

Other expressions:

• the summer of great fruition (as I recall where I was last year this time!)

• dharma bummin’ through the great Ekayana!

• trust, surrender, release, offer up, let go

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break

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…connecting with Brother Carlos over some summer projects!

Choosing the path of consciousness means being conscious. Surrendering to the path of consciousness opens worlds of new experience. Laughter is one of the most powerful tools of healing. Laughter penetrates the most powerful walls of defense. Any person wrapped up in laughter cannot entertain the debilitating energies manifested by fear and worry. The ability to laugh at yourself is a path toward self-mastery …

More here

Joyful arrival to my 33 year!

To endless moments of creative abundance!

Part 1 of 12:  http://www.youtube.com/user/tsemtulku#p/u/18/ke-bCeeSf4s

Taking Refuge in the 3 Jewels of Buddhism

by Robert Thurman

(part of the 33:33 series)

• Buddham saranam gacchāmi
  I go for refuge in the Buddha

• Dhammam saranam gacchāmi
  I go for refuge in the Dharma

• Sangham saranam gacchāmi
  I go for refuge in the Sangha

They go to many a refuge, to mountains, forests, parks, trees, and shrines: people threatened with danger. That’s not the secure refuge, that’s not the highest refuge, that’s not the refuge, having gone to which, you gain release from all suffering and stress. But when, having gone for refuge to the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha, you see with right discernment the four Noble Truths — stress, the cause of stress, the transcending of stress, and the Noble Eightfold Path, the way to the stilling of stress: That’s the secure refuge, that, the highest refuge, that is the refuge, having gone to which, you gain release from all suffering and stress.— Dhammapada, 188-192

————

(part of my 33:33 series)

by Tsem Tulku Rinpoche

Death is so final. Even if we reincarnate back, the life as we know it or how others knows us is gone forever. Most of the time, we don’t even remember that life again once we are back.

It is so important not to lie, cheat, hurt and give pain to the ppl around you or to anyone. Life’s short and it is hard to make up for th wrongs that we do, so why even do it? Make it the best with the ppl around you always. It makes the short time we have available have some sort of meaning.

Death, the meditation of it, the thought of it and the fear of it always motivated me to not hurt others, to give, be generous and to let go. Just let go. It has kept me in the dharma all these years.

Sometimes when something really frustrates me to no end, I think about my mortality and death, and I lighten up to the point of being able to think things through with some sanity.

Death has been my strongest motivation to try something even knowing I might fail. I don’t want to fail. The fear of failing can be paralyzing. But then when I contemplate how many years I’ve wasted, I figure what is there to lose? Only death makes me lose everything, so what is there to be afraid of? Just go ahead and try it out.

When I am insecure, I contemplate how many years I have left to live, and not knowing that, makes me let go.

When I am upset with someone or a situation, I really just think, does it matter if I was going to die today? Is it such a big deal after all? Would I be upset if I was going to die today?? Then again my mind releases whatever upsets me. it doesn’t release all the way, but enough to not be some wrapped up that I can’t do anything else.

Death meditation makes you face the biggest challenge in life, your own mortality. Once you can handle that, all the other challenges become small. And your fear of them start to lose hold on you.

Tsem Tulku Rinpoche

Kechara House

TaraGrace reminds me that yesterday’s outing for yummmy Thai food at the all-time favorite, Amarin marked 33 days before my 33rd bein’ on earthday!  WOW!  WOW!  WOW!  Perfect!

I’ve been speaking with TaraGrace about her 33 year and somehow, this year, I’m particularly intrigued in turning a year older.  I can’t say I’ve always been the birthday-type, and actually, have tended to be selfishly reclusive on my born day.  But this year, somehow, I’m already in anticipation for what will Be upon turning 33 and the entire year’s cycle!

So, let me invite myself here to begin a short, but memorable “countdown”…33 days as of yesterday (March 30th, 2010 ~ 3:3:3 ) until my 33rd birthday! 

Yahooooo!

33 days until I turn 33 on this 3 (2010) year!

Ready, set, go!

1…2….3!!!

Buddha, Dharma, Sangha!

The Precious THREE Jewels!

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A small, joyful gesture in the spirit of my 33 day countdown until I turn 33…

I will post a picture everyday (from the ever-trusty Google image search) of things related to 3 or 33…

such as the symbol for the Three Jewels…

Wow, I bet I could only look for this image alone and find many beautiful images to post for reference here.

And a color version as well…

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Interesting factoids about the number 33

& ALL HER EMANATIONS!

Chant the mantra and you might be surprised what subtle effects it might generate!

I played it, I chanted it and an email arrives, from the One who plays the jarana!