Everybody Has a Dream (Billy Joel) covered by Jessica Sanchez – AI11

This is the first time I’ve been paying attention to the American Idol craze.  Jessica Sanchez from down south in Chula Vista, reppin’ for the Cali, West Coast and I’ve been drawn to her story.

Humble, talented, working hard for the fam.

Judge Jennifer Lopez shared that Jessica has a chance to take the American audience, the AI audience for a ride!  Yes, yes, yes Jessica — take this nation for a ride through the songs you sing, the emotion, passion and message!

I tried voting last week through the phone number, but damn, it was hella busy!  I would’ve never imagined!  Voting through Facebook — I didn’t get that far.  Would I create a facebook page just to vote for her?!  No, unfortunately.

 

 

 

 

Top 5 (heee heee!) next week!

My mother is totally engrossed each week and its been fun sharing this experience with her. Momma praktis!  Joy of watching Jessica bring cultural pride to Filipinos (without all the ugly nationalism) through  her dedicated relationship to her pamilya.

That’s right.

Isanghamahal.

Do your thang Jessica.

Wishing you the best of your truth and talent shining for all of America to see!

7.11

dreams from last night

semi-productive day

what else can i accomplish in the next few before airport run?

dharma brother will be getting married on july 14th

thoughts of plum village thailand english volunteer and dharma work opportunities there at the new international practice center and isn’t there an asian institute of applied buddhism in hong kong?  wow!  all these pv opportunities for dharma in asia!  i likes, i likes! 

7.11 from doreen virtue’s angel numbers invites me to continue energizing my affirmations as they are working.  dharma work, dharma work, abundant, fruitful, appropriate, creative, timely dharma work.  a continuation of what i am doing now, but aligned more to my breath and dharma teachings, mindfulness in education, peace education, social-emotional learning, cultivating potential, power and giftedness in youth. 

 

i listened for a moment to this talk by the Born This Way Foundation with Lady Gaga.  i can’t say i fully even “get” here if that’s even fair to say.  but her message, i feel akin to though. 

affirmations, what are my affirmations

-to transition smoothly out of teaching high school english at morse (at the right time, either this academic year or one more year 2013)

-to transition with ease into dharma work somewhere in asia, or more locally here.  i’d like to find a way to be in plum village thailand and have my livelihood needs taken care of

-kasama house: may there be a way to continue to live in kasama house, to continue paying for it, or to have a gift and boon to pay off the entire house to be able to commit to other dharma work tasks without the worry of the mortgage.

-to be able to contribute to the plum village sangha in a concrete way through a learning center, mindfulness learning center, working with plum village thailand international practice center possibly and finding a way to have that be a home base in asia, southeast asia, near philippines, near cambodia, near nepal, chiang mai, etc.  great happiness to be in thailand and practicing plum village tradition! 

namo guru bey

 

joyful completion working at my high school

powerful teaching and learning as the visitors come to evaluate the school sunday to wednesday

blessed days for my time away with my students during the hearings

blessed days with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tibet Festival, Earth Day celebrations…

 

found out that a sangha friend just up and was let go of her position.  wow!  intensities continue to show up from all sides unexpectedly. 

 

i check in with myself and do not feel the charge of attachment in holding onto position after this third cycle of being laid off, called back, laid off, call back again, etc.   i can’t seem to feel into the frustration or anger, disappointment or indignation anymore.  good thing ?! 

it’s not that i don’t care.  it’s just that i’d rather place my attention into energizing new possibilities and continuations/emanations/expressions of what will be instead of holding onto what has been…

 

it is an entirely different feeling, practicing through the wisdom of letting go.

a couple of days ago, driving home from work, i got this sense about sangha, and sangha refuge, taking refuge in the sangha (and in education-ese, this can be considered as your critical friends) … but no matter the term, the reality and need and effect is similar.  

i was considering too the book, “dangerous friend,” and how appropriate to have found that book and had a chance to read it once through.   surrendering to the dangerous friend, the inner and outer teacher, letting go, releasing all ideas, all concept (as thay would say) in order to allow the truth to penetrate.

 

what might the process look like to let go of this life as i’ve been living it and knowing it?

what would look like energetically?  materially and physically?  what would it look and feel like to deep and expand the practice of renunciation…or lessening the noise that comes from attachments.  or returning to a sense of freedom and spaciousness by letting go of the source of busy-ness and activity that ends up becoming the noise that rattles, rings, buzzes and screams from within, with no end.

 

i was looking into the poc retreat at spirit rock and there is a waiting list forming.

we’ll see what ends up happening with that. 

july 14th, big day for kasama house brother.

will be here for that….is there a process for me to begin tonight?  may, june, july?  three months prior?  3 month retreat ? 

maybe the dream space can continue to teach me

STINGRAY MEDICINE

Stingray Medicine

Ted Andrews/Animal-Wise:
Keynote: Gracefulness in maneuverings and moves. Staying on course.

Stingrays are relatives of the sharks. They have flattened, flounder-like shapes with long whiplike tails that have a stinger or poisonous spine attached. Stingrays have electro-receptors on their snout by which they accurately detect buried food. Some generate and emit low level electrical pulses that help them to guide and recognize food and danger. Often, when stingrays are totems or messengers, people get tingling sensations to alert them to the presence of danger, and treasures, etc.

A network of nerves informs the stingray of the position of each part of its body wherever it is swimming. For those to whom the stingray is a totem, there is a natural gracefulness, a sense of never being lost. This individual is usually confident in maneuvering and operating in whatever environment in which he or she is found. For those to whom stingray is just appearing, the ability to maneuver gracefully in new environments will need to be developed.

When the stingray appears, trust in your own inner guidance. Trust in your own ability to find what is beneath the surface. Do not be afraid to whip that tail around to protect your own dance in life. It will be much smoother and more graceful than you imagine.

Ask if you are hesitating to make the moves that are necessary?

Some species reach a large size, and some, especially on the American Pacific coast, are very destructive to oysters. *Mine: this would indicate that oysters are to be studied as prey, or what will feed the influence of stingray in your life and strengthen you. Sorry, that’s all I have on this topic.

 

 

STINGRAY:
Stingrays show how to manuever with grace, style and elegance in the watery depths of emotions. Stingray will teach the importance of undulating and persistent movements in life. He will demonstrate the importance of regularly cleaning and cleanliness; to clear and maintain the clutter at home and work, to clean, balance and center your emotional and spiritual beingness. Stingrays teach the art of camouflage and blending in. Are you aclimating to your surroundings? Stingray’s adaptation abilities will aid in transitions. This is also a time to drink plenty of fresh water and pay attention to salt and overall food intake. Stingray will show the balance of nutritional needs. Are you being too defensive or not being defensive enough? He will show how and when to use the venomous spines to strike effectively. Have you started a new endeavor recently? He shows that in 2-4 months ideas will come to fruition and be alive with possibilities. Stingray shows that movements in life must be balanced with sharp action and graceful tenacity.

The stingray often shows itself as a totem to anyone who has enhanced “feeling” senses. It is the stingray’s natural electrical sensors that alerts it to potential dangers. When the stingray appears it could be a sign that you need to become more aware of your surroundings. Look around and see if you’re missing something obvious.
The stingray’s coloring allows it to safely camouflage itself in the sand on the ocean floor. Are you keeping yourself low and out of sight? When stingray shows up it could indicate a time to keep to yourself and stay out of the lime light.
Although not usually an aggressive animal, the stingray’s barb is poisonous and can cause harm. Do you have the habit of using combative language when you are felling threatened? As a totem stingray teaches us to be careful with our words (barbs) and to refrain from using razor-tongue remarks.
The Stingray Totems messages and meanings are: ready to protect, sensory talents, propelled maneuvers, awareness
Ted Andrews/Animal-Wise:
Keynote: Gracefulness in maneuverings and moves. Staying on course.

Stingrays are relatives of the sharks. They have flattened, flounder-like shapes with long whiplike tails that have a stinger or poisonous spine attached. Stingrays have electro-receptors on their snout by which they accurately detect buried food. Some generate and emit low level electrical pulses that help them to guide and recognize food and danger. Often, when stingrays are totems or messengers, people get tingling sensations to alert them to the presence of danger, and treasures, etc.

A network of nerves informs the stingray of the position of each part of its body wherever it is swimming. For those to whom the stingray is a totem, there is a natural gracefulness, a sense of never being lost. This individual is usually confident in maneuvering and operating in whatever environment in which he or she is found. For those to whom stingray is just appearing, the ability to maneuver gracefully in new environments will need to be developed.

When the stingray appears, trust in your own inner guidance. Trust in your own ability to find what is beneath the surface. Do not be afraid to whip that tail around to protect your own dance in life. It will be much smoother and more graceful than you imagine.
Water Animal Spirits

easter sunday 2012

watched hunger games, it was okay

interesting reality tv sorta insight into our society

commercialization of “real” life and spectacle

was initially interested in sharing with students, but not sure anymore, or maybe i should read the books first!

note to self: ask lils for advice

- – - – - – - – - – -  -

more importantly though, these last few days, i’ve been listening to dharma talks by insight meditation teachers like gina sharpe, larry yang, etc. and it has given me clarity about the role teachers of color, particulary in insight, have played in offering dharma teachings and practice to the diverse communities in the u.s.  i am appreciating that a great deal right now and have even looked into possibly attending the 2012 poc retreat again this summer if registration is still open!

cloud mountain retreat, vallecitos, spirit rock and deer park are all offering a poc retreat in some form (5 days or weekend).   what a joy!

all praises to dharma teachers of color in the us!

 

 

Friday of Spring Break

ALL PRAISES TO PRAJNAPARAMITA

THE MOTHER OF ALL BUDDHAS

 

mt

me-ta

 

 

 

GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAM GATE BODHI SOHA!

Having established this point, the discourse illustrates it with the simile of the water-snake, which in turn is an introduction to the simile of the raft. It is important to underline the connection between these two similes, for it is often missed. Many a casual reader has concluded from the simile of the raft simply that the Dhamma is to be let go. In fact, one major Mahayana text — the Diamond Sutra — interprets the raft simile as meaning that one has to let go of the raft in order to cross the river. However, the simile of the water-snake makes the point that the Dhamma has to be grasped; the trick lies in grasping it properly. When this point is then applied to the raft simile, the implication is clear: One has to hold onto the raft properly in order to cross the river. Only when one has reached the safety of the further shore can one let go.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.022.than.html

 

 

the joy of dangerous praktis

flippin’ the script

on the dharma talk tip

bringing ourselves to the cushion of practice

and sharing fully, completely what is “seen”

and “observed” while

walking under the sun and moon

Light of Mindfulness

…the joy and freedom of fearlessness

…the joy of breathing in and out

   this dangerous praktis that polishes the diamantine self within

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYoelMs7rqU

Polar Bear

Dreamt about a polar bear this morning

 

http://joanne-e-brannan.suite101.com/totem-bear-spirit-guide-a136561

and frogs?

The Bear
Bear is the epitome of the protective mother.  She represents your hidden strength.  Bear says to look inward in order to know ones
self.  Her medicine  awakens the power of the unconscious.  Bear’s  cycle of power is the spring and summer.  

Bears  are considered to be a highly desired ally and spirit helper because of its fearless power. It is believed that the power of
Great spirit lives though the bear.  The bear holds the teachings of introspection.  When it shows up in your life pay attention to how
you think, act and interact.  Use discernment in all that you do and discriminate with care.  Bear teaches you how to make choices from
a position of power.  In some traditions bear is the spirit keeper of the West.  The place of maturity and good harvest.  The gifts that
bear offers to those with this totem are strength, introspection and knowledge.  Bear teaches the importance of appearance by
gathering inner strength and presenting it outwardly.

Unlike other animals who are active during a specific time of day, the bear is active both day and night.  This symbolizes its connection
with solar energy, that of strength and power, and lunar energy, that of intuition. It enhances and teaches those with this totem how
to develop both within themselves.

Bear can sometimes be too quick to anger and too sure of it own power.  While they have little to fear they can forget caution, which
is an important trait to have.  If bear is your totem be careful that you don’t throw your caution to the wind.  Being unaware of your
limits in certain settings can be disastrous.

There are several types of bear including the Grizzly, Brown, Black, Kodiak and Polar.  Bear has played a prominent role in many Native
cultures.  Because of this a constellation was named for it, Ursus Major, The Great Bear. Some tribes  prayed for medicine dreams
that would show bear to be their guide.  Others felt the bear was too powerful a medicine and would only hunt them if it meant not
starving.

Bears are amazingly fast.  The grizzly and black bear can reach speeds of up to 35 to 40 mph.   And all bears can climb and are
therefore associated with trees.  Trees are a powerful and ancient symbol, as is the bear, and both are links to the Heavens and the
Earth.  Trees are also a symbol of knowledge, fertility and growth.  

During the winter bears spend several months sleeping in dens without eating, a condition that resembles hibernation. The more fat
their bodies have stored up the deeper the sleep.  Bears live on this fat throughout the winter.  It teaches us how to go within and
find the resources necessary for our personal survival.  People with bear as their totem will find this cycle of semi-hibernation very
natural during the winter months, during which time they may give birth to new ideas or projects that will take root in the spring.  

Bears also have a great fondness for honey.  Honey, the natural sweetness of life, is usually found in hives, located in trees.  Again,
this reinforces the connection between the bear and trees.  Use this as a reminder to go within to awaken the power, bring it out into
the open and taste the sweetness of life. 

 

 

http://morningstar.netfirms.com/beartotem.html

 

 

POLAR BEAR 

 Being the most outstanding hunter of the bear family also makes the polar bear the most aggressive of the bears. They have very keen hearing, listening for sounds under the ice from above. When polar bear hears a seal bubbling to the surface of an air hole, it patiently waits for the favorite prey to come up. Then polar bear gives a swift pounce on the seal to drag it from the water, to be consumed. This indicates that polar bear knows when to wait and when to act on an opportunity. Being the only aquatic bear, the sacred Element of Water is represented in Polar Bear. These white bears have a playful side too, sliding on ice and playing with cubs, indicating that though they’re serious about the task at hand they know when to relax and nourish the soul. If you think that polar bear is a totem animal for you then be sure to also examine the animals it chooses as prey; there’s likely a second totem in there for you.

 Points to Ponder 

 *See also “The Bear”

Positive Aspects - knowing when to take action, good listener, ability to find what’s needed, nurturing parental skills, ability to get the most out one’s native environment, patience, self-restraint, Water, ability to discern and hold on to that which is most important, emotional balance and stability

Negative Aspects - ignoring signs and omens (not listening), jumping to wrong conclusions, anger, poor or abusive parental skills (male polar bears are known to kill off-spring, even those they fathered themselves), being “cold hearted”, not being able to adapt to new situations or understandings, lack of personality, stubborn, refusal to let go, emotional outbursts

 

 

http://kethrim.com/jediarchive/mrsdarthvaderslessons/animaltotems/2.html

 

 

FROG MEDICINE

http://native-american-totems.com/animal-totem-medicines/frog-totem-gives-message-of-cleansing/

 

http://www.linsdomain.com/totems/pages/frog.htm

84,000 Dharma Doors

 

smiling in gratitude at all 84,000 dharma doors

and the ones we have entered

and the dharma light and truth

emanating from this/these gateways

tonight, was inspired me to see that

we are sitting on a cushion

have taken seat on a cushion

that is our cushion to sit from

and begin to establish a connection

to the Ultimate from this place

other friends may or may not be sitting close to us

or even in the vicinity

and that is okay

we each form an entry point

creating the net of indra

no more, no less

each dharma door is valid

each question leaning

in the direction of great compassion

and great understanding

is valid…it matters

practicing together means we come together

to share in the collective insights gathered

from what we “see” on each of our cushions

our knowing and seeing, the knowledge

generated becomes complete

comes full circle when we return

in community to share about what we have

experienced or seen

to check the knowledge, observations and

inquiry with the collective wisdom insight and eye

of the sangha

 

praktising through the dharma doors that support

“diversity” community, ancestry can sometimes

be met with questioning as if this is not a legitimate

way to sit on the cushion of dharma practice

 

may i not be shaken by wrong thinking

by the delusions and confusions of others

(and my own!) in taking the seat that

brings to light the collective suffering of colonization

racialization, marginalization, oppressions built upon

notions of superiority and inferiority for power

 

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after the wake up san diego event at the dharma bum temple with the heart beat sangha