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So.... where is Zenmonk?
buddhafoot
Veteran
I haven't seen him around here lately and I want to make sure he gets his daily dose of lunacy.
-bf
-bf
0
Comments
_/\_
I happen to know he comes here for a shot of sane madness, though....
Palzang
That's the cutest post ever!
Brigid
What's up with you, Paly?
Seems like you've been absent from the boards a lot. Been busy?
-bf
Hey Bud!
My level of participation seems to go in waves. Sometimes I'm really hooked in, other times not so. I think a lot of it has to do with the sorts of questions/issues being raised. If they've already been addressed a number of times, I usually don't jump in again. If it's something that catches my interest, then I will.
I've also been in kind of a low period lately as well, partly because ever since coming back from Mongolia I haven't been able to find any decent work to speak of (yes, I have to support myself, believe it or don't), and what little money I had is pretty much gone. Right now I'm stuffing envelopes part-time just to have enough money to buy food, to show you how desperate my financial straits have become. It seems like jobs in Sedona have really dried up as I'm not the only one in our sangha having this problem. I'm contemplating moving back to our temple in Maryland because A) it's a heck of a lot easier to find a job that's worth having, and
I'm also nursing a very sore knee that I strained about a month ago and is being very slow in healing, so just getting around is very painful.
Other than that, I'm fine!
So enough about my problems. Let's talk about you - what do you think of my problems? :wtf:
Palzang
I love that joke, BTW. I never get sick of it.
It's really, really cool to hear a little about the way you and others in your sangha live. Believe it or not, I find it endlessly interesting. And I bet I'm not the only one.
Brigid
I'm sorry to hear about your ups and downs....
It's a horrid phrase to use, because usually it is empty off sentiment, and just said as a placatory measure, but as someone also going through a bit of a rough patch.....
I know how you feel.
Oh, I'm in a 'sharing' mood.....!!
No more grumbling, or sulking,
or hating my state,
No more crying, or letting my troubles
confound me:
But Laughing -
And loving the friends all around me -
And soon, I shall find,
If I REALLY keep trying.....
I have enough blessings
to keep me from crying.
I hope that Life, in some wonderful way or another can shower you with endless breathtaking blessings, as it seems to be doing to me....
Life is never completely dark when you have good friends.
They are priceless beyond measure, and the true treasure of any lifetime....a real port in a storm when the weather gets tough.
When we're not working, we all put a lot of effort into supporting our 24 hour prayer vigil which has been going on unbroken since 1985 (in Maryland), and since 2000 here in Sedona. In other words, at any time of the day or night there is someone from our sangha sitting in the prayer room practicing for world peace. You can imagine that it's not an easy thing to keep it going, and for over 20 years? Crazy!
As ordained we also have the responsibility to keep the liturgical calendar - Guru Rinpoche Day, Dakini Day, So Jong (confession) every new moon and full moon, etc. Then there are special practices, such as the retreat we've been having every weekend since December for our little girl with cancer. Every day of the week there is a tsog practice also. Tsog is a guru yoga practice with Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) as the central focus and includes a ganachakra feast or food offering. Sort of a Buddhist version of communion. And on top of all this and keeping the temple running, we also have our own practices. And of course, we love to build stupas! Is that enough?
Palzang
As my teacher says, "It's all just phenomena." Nothing to get upset over. This too shall pass...
Palzang
Thank you, Palzang.
Brigid
Well said!!
Our local monastery, Prinknash, has:
* a farm;
* a park, open to the public, with a wonderful collection of birds and animals;
* a pottery;
* an incense works.
On top of this, there are the canonical offices, services and prayer vigils, retreats, spiritual support, study. And, of course, personal development through prayer, meditation and study.
I have rarely met busier people than monks and nuns.
I know that this is a contentious question but I continue to wonder if the true Path that Jesus showed or the true Path of the Dharma can fully be experienced without a wholehearted and renunciate commitment such as that involved in taking vows!
Palzang, thanks for the giggles today. Your posts are cute. I am sorry to hear you are going through a tough time. My husband and I once thought about moving to Sedona, but decided not to because of the lack of jobs there. It's just such a beautiful place, it's too bad there are not more good jobs. Have you thought about helping out at any of the resorts/hotels/restaurants there? Is there anything you could do at one of those facilities just to get you through this tough time? I am sure you have already looked into that, but just thought I would mention it.
Hang in there and I hope you get to feeling better soon! Please keep us posted and let me know if there is anything I can do to help you out.
Namaste.
Kim
I think it sucks, to tell you the truth.
There are many experiences I've had the opportunity to do in my life (work in Australia, work in Sierra Leone, etc.) that I would have loved to do. Unfortunately, I'm not the type of person that takes risks. There came a point in my life (when my son was born) that I realized I had to make sure (or I felt I had to) that I would be able to take care of him, put food on the table, roof over our heads - because this did not seem to be a priority for my spouse at that time.
So, I've always tried to play things safe - and have missed out on a lot of opportunities. You, on the other hand, have taken some risks and have some very memorable experiences to look back on. Hopefully, there were a lot of good experiences
I hope things take a turn for the better for you. I hate hearing of people that I know going through difficulties. It really bothers me.
If you could get a plant planting tulips for $20.00 an hour - would you do it?
-bf
Well, it's just samsara. One minute you're in the god realm, the next the hell realm. That's just the way it is. That's why we practice, to get out of this mess! As for taking risks, I understand how you feel, but as Trungpa Rinpoche once said, in order to attain enlightenment you have to be willing to just give up everything, take a dive into the unknown with no point of reference and putting your trust in the Dharma. So I think it all boils down to how bad you want out. I'm not saying that being a parent and raising compassionate, loving children is bad, please understand.
I forgot to mention that we also have an aviary for abused and neglected birds, like cockatoos and macaws, and Tara's Babies, a dog rescue operation that started in New Orleans after Katrina and now has morphed into a rescue organization for dogs in pounds about to be euthanized. We also have some abandoned iguanas and a large land tortoise that we've taken in. All of this is being done by a sangha which numbers about 50. So yeah, we do keep busy!
Palzang