Love and Fear

Here is a poem, Love and Fear, by Michael Luenig.

There are only two feelings, Love & Fear.
There are only two languages, Love & Fear.
There are only two activities, Love & Fear.
There are only two motives, two procedures,
two frameworks, two results,
Love & Fear, Love & Fear

Today I will try to pass all of my thoughts, words and deeds through these two filters:
Love & Fear

Giving Thanks

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Some of us will be with family, friends, loved ones, not-so-loved ones, etc. If you are reading this I'm thinking that you, just like me, will have more than enough to eat and a warm, comfortable place to sleep on Thanksgiving night. It's a wonderful thing. Pause for a moment and send some energy to those who do not have enough food or a warm, comfortable place to sleep on ANY night. Thank you.

Get your mind right

From the Dhammapada:

"As irrigators lead water where they want, as archers make their arrows straight, as carpenters carve wood, the wise shape their minds."

The untrained mind causes all kinds of problems for us. It exhausts us by jumping around like a monkey and getting into all kinds of messes. How quickly it moves! Try to count the number of topics that the mind will touch in a single minute. Most people will give up on this exercise because it's almost impossible to keep up. This monkey mind can be trained. Meditation is recognised world wide as a method to shape the mind. If you have never meditated I'll give you a very simple, yet effective, technique to start with:
Sit upright in a comfortable position (don't worry with crossed legs, lotus position, etc.), close the eyes and begin to follow your breath. Use your imagination and see the breath moving into the body. Let the belly soften and extend with the inhale. Follow the exhale out of the body as the belly deflates. You can count the breaths if you like. The mind will wander off again but gently bring it back to watching the breath.
Yes, there are many more exotic techniques but a simple one is just as (or more) effective and can be done in almost any setting. Try this method for as long as you like and as many times as you like during the day. I'll suggest that you find a quiet place in the morning before you start the day. Initially it doesn't matter if you sit in a chair or on the floor. Over time your practice will take you where you need to be.
Don't wait any longer to try this. Begin right now, where you are and get your mind right.

Feeling Grateful Today

On Thursday I usually volunteer on the Oncology Unit (Brennan 6) @ Jersey Shore University Medical Center. But today I was escorting a family member during their medical exam at Sloan-Kettering in NYC. Today was the second time this week that I received news that family members do not have cancer. I'm elated but I still feel sorrow for some that I saw in the waiting rooms. The weight of what they were dealing with was bearing down on their faces, their bodies and their friends and family. The weight of cancer is carried by so many.
I send my prayers to all that are doing battle with cancer.

I'll leave you with two thoughts (okay..the second one is a run-on thought).

From the Dhammapada: "The Truth is One...the wise call It by many names."

Don't get too caught up in the details and philosophy...become your true authentic self...not just an imagined version of who you think you should be.

Getting the donate button installed.

I'll consider my fundraising research as part of my practice of patience. There are LOTS of sites out there that want to help you raise funds for any and everything. I'll spare you the excruciating details and just let you know that I've decided to use PayPal to collect funds for my fundraising efforts. There is now a button at the bottom of this blog. Go ahead...try it out. I'll continue to geek out on the development of this page as I prepare my training schedule for IMF 2011. Later ~

One thing leads to another.

I am in the Foundations Program at the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. After listening to Chodo and Roshi talk about their travels and encounters with people who don't have access to basic medical treatment, I decided that I needed to do something to help. I registered for the Florida Ironman held in November of 2011. I planned on using the Janus Charity Challenge as a way to raise awareness about the work of the Zen Center and to raise funds for this non-profit organization. Two days after I made this commitment, the Janus Charity Challenge program, in place for 10 years, was cancelled. It seems the the WTC (Ironman) and Janus can't find a suitable agreement which would allow them to continue the program. That's the main reason that I've started this blog. I'm looking for ways to raise money for the Zen Center so that they may continue to support the sick, dying and suffering across this planet. The Janus Charity Challenge matched or donated to individuals who participated in certain Ironman races in the US. They also provided online donation gathering for the racers and distribution to the non-profit. I'm going to participate in the race regardless of the inability of two big corporations to find a way to continue to benefit others. This blog will be one of the ways I connect with others about fundraising, Ironman, yoga, fitness or anything else that is of interest to me...(hey it's my blog). Hopefully others will find something useful, entertaining or thought provoking. If not, please start your own blog and let me know what's on your mind.