I’m trying to post for today (May 8th) and struggling to get it in. I want to see the Dalai Lama in person. I’m going to check his website and see when he’s going to be close. On a related note, how much would it suck to be in exile? Seriously.
Zzzzzzzzzzz,
Greg
I attended an event in Newburyport last night where Khensur Rinpoche Jampa Tegchock spoke about “Cultivating Lovingkindness and Compassion.” It was beautiful and heart-warming. I wish I could have understood what he was saying. He spoke to the group via interpreter, a local Buddhist monk and teacher.
It amazes me to think about Khensur Rinpoche’s life. He was ordained as a monk at eight years old. He has devoted his life to Buddhism and service. How different his meditation time must be from my own…ummm…when I actually meditate. Whatevs. I am grateful for the opportunity to hear this man’s teachings. That’s my truth.
Here are a few very general notes from his talk:
+ Whatever we do with a good heart will produce a good result
+ Good seeds produce good flowers or good food - we choose what seeds we cultivate
+ This body and existence is like the skin of a snake - it will be shed, yet the snake moves on
+ An auspicious life prepares us for good future karma
+ How we are motivated is important and makes a big difference
+ Are we motivated towards happiness: in this life, in the next life or towards all sentient beings?
+ If we are dedicated to all sentient beings, we gain positive energy
+ It is up to us to decide what kind of happiness we want and how we are motivated
+ Do things (work, practice, etc.) to move closer to higher states of awakening
+ Free awakeing is like seeing the entire picture, not just one small piece of it
+ Through good, virtuous action, life becomes more meaningful and work can become more meaningful
+ Once we are not invovled with negative action, positive action will begin
+ As brightness increases, darkness decreases - happiness increases, suffering decreases
+ Extend lovingkindness to all sentient beings every day
+ Everything we have comes from others (why it’s important to extend lovingkindness to all sentient beings)
+ When we have great compassion, we will have the highest happiness
+ Do not harm anyone
From the Q&A:
+ Someone asked a question like, “How do we handle the great tragedies in our lives?”
+ Khensur Rinpoche’s response - When tragedies happen, all negative karma for those people is paid off immediately
+ Generate love for those who die
+ Practice lovingkindness and compassion to them
+ We can choose to say and live, “Since then, I changed myself.”
+ We can bring about positive action in ourselves instead of negative action (anger, hatred, etc)
+ We are not angry with the person who did a certain thing, but the negative mind of that person
There was more that I didn’t capture, but these are the broad brush strokes. For those who haven’t read Buddhist teachings, it may seem a bit cryptic. That’s OK. As I have read a few Buddhist books, I may have the “jargon” down and may be making assumptions about what everyone else “gets” about all of this. If you have questions, please ask away.
If any of this excites you, come join me tonight at the Ioka Theater in Exeter, NH for the screening of Dalai Lama Renaissance. The movie starts at 7PM. “Dalai Lama Renaissance is an 80-minute documentary about forty of the world’s most innovative thinkers who travel to India in the Himalaya Mountains to meet with the Dalai Lama to solve many of the world’s problems. What happened was surprising and unexpected.”
With lovingkindness,
Gregory
I didn’t mention it publicly, but I was secretly planning on blogging every day in May. I consciously chose not to post yesterday to honor and remember Sharon, my aunt who died on Sunday. Lighting a candle (that night, last night and any other night) is my way of saying goodbye.
The physical distance between me and my family feels greater in this moment. When someone is in need, I tend to be the guy who shows up in support. Obviously, I can’t do this quite so easily when 932 miles seperate me from my family. I have to find other ways to be supportive.
I was sad on Sunday. I’m more accepting now. Sharon’s suffering is over. This being said, there’s a family in Ohio who just lost a daughter, mother, wife, sister, aunt and cousin (and more). If you’re the praying/meditating/good vibe sending sort, please send some love and good stuff to my family.
[Fuck cancer. There. It had to be said.]
On a lighter note, I was digging through emails yesterday and found one that included an online geography test. I really enjoyed this test and found out how little I know about US geography. When I last took it, I lucked into a good score of 98% with an average error of two miles.
Here’s a link to the test — Place the State. Leave a comment with your score if you dare 
Peace and love,
Gregory
Death is not extinguishing the light
It is only putting out the lamp
Because the dawn has come.
~ Rabindranath Tagore
(Sharon is my aunt who I mentioned here - At wit’s end)
I apologize for the last minute notice, but I want you to know that today is Free Comic Book Day. Go to a comic book shop near you and sample the wares. Better yet, take the free stuff and consider buying something. I’m sure the shop owners are good people trying to make a buck.
I’m heading to Jetpack Comics in Rochester, NH right now. Woohoo! In the spirit of all that is comic books, I’m seeing IRON MAN later today. YIPPEE! I delayed my gratification to see it with a friend.
For truth, justice and the American way (aka, free stuff),
Greg
Today is the premiere of IRON MAN (the movie). I’m uber excited about seeing this flick on the big screen tonight! Does anyone want to go with me? A showing starts nearly every 30 minutes in Portsmouth. I’m a fan of non-buttered popcorn for any takers.
I grew up with comic books. IRON MAN was one of my favorites. Being a super hero wasn’t easy for Tony Stark. He had demons. It made him a “human” super hero. Maybe that’s why I liked him. Oh yeah, there’s also the kick ass red and yellow metal suit that gave him wicked cool abilities and strength.
I always identified with the biggest and strongest super heros - Superman, Iron Man, Hulk, Colossus of the X-Men, Thing of Fantastic Four, etc. I like the others, but I always pictured myself as one of the big guys. Coincidence? I think not.
Growing up, I was always one of the biggest kids in my class. In fact, I was not allowed to play football in grade school because I weighed too much (more than 140 pounds). Damn Catholic Youth Organization rules. Apparently, God didn’t want big kids crushing little kids
This was hard for me as I wanted to play football. I chose soccer in the Fall and basketball during the Winter in the grade school years. In high school, I joined the football team. There, I rode the bench when I realized I’m an average-sized, slow fellow. However, I shined in the weight room and found out I’m a strong bloke.
(*Blog author realizes he just took the post down grade school and high school memory lane*) How did I get down this path?? Crikey! Any-old-who, I like me some IRON MAN because he’s a smart and strong SOB. I’m going to see the movie tonight. It’s getting some rave reviews.
Oh yeah, one more thing. At first, I didn’t like Robert Downey, Jr. cast as Tony Stark. However, after seeing the first preview I was sold. From what I can see, RDJ rocks the role in a BIG way. I’m done with the movie hype for now.
Next week, there are two things happening around my Buddhist inclinations.
First, Kensur Rinpoche Jampa Tegchok, one of the preeminent Buddhist scholars living in the 21st century, is speaking about loving-kindness and compassion in Newburyport, MA on Tuesday night. If you’re interested in this event, please send me an email or post a comment. I’ll get you the information.
Second, Aryaloka Buddhist Center is sponsoring a preview screening of Dalai Lama Renaissance at the Ioka Theater in Exeter, NH on Wednesday. This is a fund raiser for Aryaloka and we’re looking to pack the Ioka Theater. Again, let me know if you’re interested. I’ll get you the details.
POST EPILOGUE: I thought about my blog this morning and wondered, “What do I want to post about today?” Instantly, the title “IRON MAN and the Buddha” came into my head. I don’t know why, but it did. I honored the thought and here is the post.
Now that it is written, I find it interesting. I’m talking about a superhero who is covered with armor, very strong externally and internally flawed. (Aren’t we all.) On the other hand, I’m talking about the Buddhist practice which helps to build internal strength and stamina.
In some ways, I still want to see myself as the invincible super hero, donning a suit of armor and impervious to outside perils. However, I’ve always had sensibilities around peaceful means and ideas like loving-kindness and compassion. Obviously, I’m not cut out for the super hero gig.
Though I am not a giant, I’ve been called “a gentle giant” and things of that nature. I’ve always been a big kid with a big heart. That persists to this day. Thanks for allowing me to show you what’s in my heart…today and always.
With metta,
Gregory
Happy May Day, people!
I’m using May Day (not to be confused with mayday) as a jumping off point to another chapter in my life. I’ve been wanting to be more aware of how I’m living and if I’m living how I want to live. What is my vision for how I live my life and what am I doing to make it so? Make sense?
Good to Great inspired me again. There’s a chapter called “Confront the Brutal Facts (Yet Never Lose Faith).” In this chapter, Collins recounts a personal interview with Admiral Jim Stockdale. Stockdale was the highest ranking officer in a prisoner-of-war camp during the Vietnam War. He was imprisoned for eight years.
The biggest A-HA I got from the chapter is this quote from Stockdale, “You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end — which you can never afford to lose — with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.” I hear you, Admiral.
Since reading this chapter, I’ve been thinking about how I can do just that. How can I confront the facts of my most current reality while retaining faith that I (or my vision for myself) will prevail in the end? How do I begin to confront these most brutal of facts?
As it turns out, I had already started. For the past few years, I have been keeping a somewhat close tally on my finances using an Excel spreadsheet. I don’t track every bit of spending (that would be another level of awareness), but I know what’s happening with most every area of my financial world.
The quantitive stuff comes easy to me. It’s the qualitative picture that I need to confront more pointedly.
Am I happy? Sure. Do I have a good life? Sure. Yeah, so? Am I living how I want to live consistently? No. Do I have everything I want from an emotional, spiritual and intellectual level? No, sir. Am I living my purpose? Huh? Maybe sometimes. Am I as healthy as I want to be? Ummm, no.
Given all of this and more good info from Good to Great (a damn good book), I have come up with a Weekly Awareness Sheet that I will use every day during the month of May. (The sheet is my own creation.) That’s what I commit to doing right here and right now in order to confront the brutal facts of my current reality. I will look at the following:
+ Wake Up Time - when do I shag my ass out of bed?
+ Meditate/Pray - this is more of a checkbox reminder - “make sure you do this” kind of thing - maybe I’ll record what I do and when
+ Plan for the Day - a few brief words about my plan for the day
+ Breakfast - what do I eat and when?
+ Lunch - what do I eat and when?
+ Dinner - what do I eat and when?
+ Snacks - what do I eat and when? (as if you didn’t get this by now)
+ Friends/Family Contacted - who am I in touch with? - I want to be in more frequent contact with people
+ Physical Activity - what am I doing to be active? - I want to be more physically/”cardiovascularly” active
+ Daily Stretch Goal - one goal each day to stretch beyond my comfort level in one area of my life - did I reach it?
+ Gratitudes - for what am I grateful? - I want to be more aware of the blessings in my life
+ Bed Time - what time do I rack it for the night?
I like it. I know it’s not a comprehensive list, but it’s a good start. Is there anything else I should be noting? Seriously, I’m open to hearing some feedback. There will likely be changes to this list and process improvements along the way. For now, I need to run to Staples and grab a three-hole punch and a binder 
Other May possibilities: Yesterday, I talked with a friend about giving up booze and going back to the “no sugar, no white flour” commitments for 90 days. I’m unclear about these in this moment, but I’m seriously contemplating them. FYI, both of these would be exercises in more consciousness rather than punishments.
In an effort to “get the craving out of my system,” I went to Sunset Grill and Tap in Allston, MA last night. The place has 112 beers on tap and 380 in bottles and cans. CRIKEY! It was a beer lover’s heaven. I had three beers and a few tiny samples over a couple of hours. Yum!
Stay tuned, people.
Much love,
Greg
When I was in Cincinnati last week, I saw all of this beautiful stuff. My first thought when driving around the city was “Cincy has bloomed!” Flowers were everywhere. Grass was green and lush. That’s the kind of Spring I remember. Here in NH, we’re getting ready for our newest season — flood season. I hope I’m wrong. I really do.
Oh yeah. And the week before, I was in Yankee Stadium for the Red Sox - Yankee game:
And late in March, I was in Duxbury, MA for a weekend retreat:
And yesterday, I was in Detroit. Thank goodness I didn’t take any pics
Peace,
G
I’m reading Good to Great by Jim Collins. It’s an OUTSTANDING business book! I know it has been around for a while (seven years), but I never got around to reading it. During my business trip this week, I jumped on the first 120 or so pages. I’m getting a lot out of it (quite an understatement).
From a business book perspective, it is the gold standard. I’m not saying it is THE definitive business book out there, but it’s a rock solid entry on any business-related reading list. Additionally, it’s #35 on Amazon’s bestsellers. That’s damn impressive for a seven year old book that hasn’t been endorsed by Oprah.
On a personal level, there’s one concept that really grabbed my attention. The chapter is called, “First Who…Then What.” The author describes his findings around how “good-to-great” companies “first got the right people on the bus (and the wrong people off the bus) and then figured out where to drive it.”
The author and his research team “expected to find that the first step in taking a company from good to great would be to set a new direction, a new vision and strategy for the company, and then to get people committed and aligned behind that new direction.” I would have expected the same thing.
This goes beyond business for me…and this is the reason for this post. I see how this concept applies to relationships, friendships, etc.
In Fire in the Belly: On Being a Man (another GREAT book), Sam Keen writes, “…probably the single most important bit of advice I ever got about being a man. ‘There are two questions a man must ask himself: The first is Where am I going? and the second is Who will go with me? If you ever get these questions in the wrong order you are in trouble.’”
I read and discussed this idea from Keen seven years ago. It made sense to me. It still does. I see the beauty in the clarity of these questions and answering them in this order. Pick a direction, then find people (or a person) whose direction complements or lines up with your own. I have drawn on this idea over the years since I first read it.
Then, I read the “First Who…Then What” chapter by Collins. Collins talks about beginning with “who” rather than “what,” and how this allows an organization to more easily adapt to a changing world. This resonates with me, too. He says, “If people join the bus primarily because of where it is going, what happens if you get ten miles down the road and you need to change direction? You’ve got a problem.”
Damn if that doesn’t make sense. It seems more dynamic than the first model. In a relationship, get the right person on the bus (or get on their bus…I don’t think bus ownership really matters here), then create something together. Both people bring qualities of wanting to move the relationship forward, and both are open to creating something that might not have existed before. Wicked cool.
I’ve lived both examples in my lifetime, but the Collins theory seems more alive to me right now. Maybe it’s a newer concept. Maybe it’s an apples to oranges comparison. Relating to oneself, “first what” makes sense. What do I see for me? What is my direction? What is alive in me with which others can connect? Relating to others, “first who” makes sense. Does this person have the qualities I seek? Together, can we create something great, even if we don’t know what it looks like yet?
What’s your take? I’d love to hear it.
Happy weekend and much love!
Greg
In my endlessly curious (i.e., incessant and addictive) surfing of the Internet, I found this diagram. The diagram “documents every instance of the phrase ‘is the new’ encountered from various sources in 2005.” How freakishly cool is this?
As many of you are much more in tune with popular culture, I’m curious to find out - what is the new “is the new”?
Any takers?
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