Sunday, November 28, 2010

A walk in the woods on a rainy Sunday afternoon




















We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature—trees, flowers, grass—grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence...

-Mother Teresa

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Pay Attention V




























Chinese philosopher Zou Shouyi (邹守益) noted that we too often fail to recognize wisdom in those without talent, achievement or fame.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

No ego



The birds have vanished down the sky.
Now the last cloud drains away.
We sit together, the mountain and me,
until only the mountain remains.
Li Po (701-762)

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Friday, November 19, 2010

Life on the Edge II



Bandelier National Monument, NM
photo (c) Bruce Behnke 2010 
all rights reserved

Thursday, November 18, 2010

A Patch of Blue

















Looking for a patch of blue?


It helps to remember that usually the cloud cover is not that thick and never permanent.
And look what's above it!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

It's all a matter of perspective


Watch out!
A large rock falling from the sky!
Is it a meteor?



No, it is merely a large rock,
peacefully basking in a still pond.


Even a duck knows that.

Although the first image probably didn't fool many of you, where we stand, our perspective of an event, concept, object or person, often shapes and even skews our perception and all of the subsequent judgments we make.  Our vantage point may lead us to highly accurate or inaccurate conclusions.

The Rev. Kenn Koizumi, in a recent Dharma talk at Pearl City Hongwanji described an interaction with his wife:

She:  Doesn't the mold in the shower bother you?
He:  Mold?  What mold?
She:  How can you NOT notice the mold in the shower?
He:  Because when I take a shower, I don't wear my glasses.  I don't see anything! 

I frequently need to remind myself to try to understand the judgments of others.  They are most likely seeing the world from a perspective somewhat different than my own.  Does that make me right?  Or are they right?  

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Indelible Imagery

President Obama visited the Great Buddha statue in Kamakura, Japan today.  He last visited the statue when he was six years old.  "It is wonderful to return to this great treasure of Japanese culture. Its beauty has stayed with me for many years," Obama wrote in the guest book at the site.


When I was a child, I had a picture book of the 'wonders of the world' which included the Great Buddha at Kamakura.  I was so taken by that image-- and that image alone, that I told myself I would visit there one day.  When I visited the Great Buddha the first time, it was exactly as I had remembered it from the book.


I have been fortunate to have visited Kamakura many times since then, but each time the massive, serene statue captivates me. Like President Obama, the image is indelibly etched in my mind.


What indelible images do you have in your mind?  Are these images indelible because they are so powerful or because they relate to who you are?   Or...?




Photo: (c) Bruce Behnke, all rights reserved.

Friday, November 12, 2010

In Memory of Henryk Gorecki





Henryk Gorecki, a Polish classical music composer, died today.  Gorecki composed the astonishingly beautiful Symphony of Sorrowful Songs (Symphony Number 3).  His work is an example of the profound and soaring potential of the human creative spirit.


The Symphony of Sorrowful Songs was recorded and released to commemorate those lost during the holocaust.  The second movement  of this symphony is based on a prayer that a Polish woman, 18 year old Helena Wanda Blazusiakówna, held prisoner by the Gestapo, inscribed on the wall of her cell.


The photograph today is in memory of Henryk Gorecki and in appreciation for the gifts he gave to all of us.


You can download Symphony No. 3 here.
  On the same page, the second movement alone is also available and
 might just be the best ninety-nine cents you ever spent on yourself.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Everything Changes II....
























photo: New Mexico, (c) Bruce Behnke 2010

Monday, November 8, 2010

Sunday, November 7, 2010

What do you hear?


If we amplify everything, we hear nothing.   -Jon Stewart


photo: Alber's Squirrel, Bandelier National Monument, NM


Saturday, November 6, 2010

Consciousness

























A clinical psychiatrist questioned Suzuki Roshi about consciousness.
“I don’t know anything about consciousness,” Suzuki said.
“I just try to teach my students how to hear the birds sing.”


from Zen Is Right Here; about  Zen master Shunryu Suzuki 
photo: in Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico