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!

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:
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

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!

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.

   this dangerous praktis that polishes the diamantine self within

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

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

Spoke to my brother today and he was inviting me to co-teach with him as a person of color to share about the teachings of interbeing and cultural solidarity, Together We Are One.

He shared that one day, he made a determination (adithana) to make the Universe/Creator his ultimate Employer.  Hearing that today was very inspiring and clarifying.

Friendly Universe Network tweets TaraGrace!

Dharma work!

To the light, love universal workers!

Maybe I can help with the poetry writing process, but also the mindfulness process!

H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche shares teachings below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G39tKVWroEU

about how to make use of our hardwork with co-workers, politics, exhaustion and offer materially/financially to make that hardwork worthwhile beyond the car or house or clothes that I “buy” and think will bring me to happiness.

Hearing the wisdom words of my brother reminded me to re-read this teaching

http://www.dharmaweb.org/index.php/Jack_Kornfield:_Right_Livelihood

There is a sutra from the Buddha that talked about appropriate happiness in Right Livelihood; First is the “having.” It’s essential to have a trade or a career. Even if you change it five times in your life, that doesn’t matter. But to feel decent about yourself, it’s really important or helpful — I don’t care how much money you have or what you have to do or don’t have to do — to have some way of contributing to society, because you’re not happy if you don’t contribute. So to find a trade or a livelihood or a career; maybe you use it for a while and then you change it. There’s a happiness or a joy in having a career or having work that you can do. And if you haven’t found it, it’s really a crucial part of spiritual practice to look for it.

(Remember, Shirley shared that teaching is part of my path for sure, it’s just the nature of what is being taught that will be the constantly evolving part of my journey.  Read: astrology saturn return report from Nancy Fenn.)

Watched “Shaolin” last night on Netflix.  Life is about affinity, the warlord turned monk said to his wife as he handed her the ashes to his daughter.

May I cultivate affinity to create more opportunity for me to align, attune and merge fully with my highest and deepest affinity with the Buddhadharma.

Watched the first two episodes of The Legend of Korra, the sequel to Avatar: Last Airbender.  Hmmm…gotta watch a few more, though of course, initially biased in favor of Aang, Apa and OGs!  Heee heee, it’s funny how much I’m realizing I liked that show! 

As I write about this, my memory of the dream is fading.  This morning, unlike most mornings following a night of dreams, I was actually recalling the felt message of the dream and carrying it with me into the morning.

Breathing in, I hear the message sent by the ancestors…

Breathing out, I bow to the conditions that will allow me to take the endless path that turns to joy.

http://tnhaudio.org/2009/11/18/deep-desire-spiritual-strength/

May it be so!