1 Dharma Blogs 2019 SUMMER By Michael Erlewine 2 INTRODUCTION This is not intended to be a finely produced book, but rather a readable document for those who are interested in my particular take on dharma training and a few other topics. These blogs were from the Summer of 2019 posted on Facebook and Google+. [email protected] Here are some other links to more books, articles, and videos on these topics: Main Browsing Site: http://SpiritGrooves.net/ Organized Article Archive: http://MichaelErlewine.com/ YouTube Videos https://www.youtube.com/user/merlewine Spirit Grooves / Dharma Grooves Copyright 2019 © by Michael Erlewine You are free to share these blogs provided no money is charged 3 Contents LIFE TRAJECTORIES ...............................................8 WHAT’S THE POINT? ............................................. 10 “THE PALE CAST OF THOUGHT” .......................... 12 INSCAPE: INSPIRATION ......................................... 15 MAKING SENSE ...................................................... 18 CONCEPTUALLY BLIND ......................................... 20 THE PAUSE THAT REFRESHES ............................ 22 IT’S ALL ABOUT BEING AWARE OF AWARENESS ................................................................................. 25 MEETING OUR DHARMA TEACHER: THE STORY ................................................................................. 29 SOME TOUGH LOVE .............................................. 32 LONLINESS AND DHARMA .................................... 34 SITTING MEDITATION: SHAMATA ......................... 39 SHAMATA AND VIPASSANA: CO-EQUALS ........... 44 TOUCHING ON VIPASSANA .................................. 46 MAHAMUDRA: A STORY ........................................ 49 MEETING CHÖGYAM TRUNGPA RINPOCHE ....... 63 OUR BEING IS BECOMING .................................... 68 DAKINI ..................................................................... 70 OUR ATTACHMENT TO THE DHARMA ................. 72 4 THE INTERNET COUP ............................................ 75 “BLUES IN BLACK AND WHITE” ............................. 78 PHOTOGRAPHY REVEALS .................................... 84 FROM A DREAM ..................................................... 88 TRUE WORDS ......................................................... 90 THE TRAPPINGS OF TIBETAN BUDDHISM .......... 93 TIME TO MIND ........................................................ 96 PRACTICE A HABIT ................................................ 96 “I SAW THE LIGHT, I SAW THE LIGHT” ................. 98 THE INVISIBLE AWARENESS .............................. 103 THE MIDNIGHT SUN ............................................. 106 “THE BIGGER THE FRONT, THE BIGGER THE BACK” .................................................................... 110 RED FOX IN THE MORNING ................................ 115 LIVING BY MY WITS ............................................. 117 THE BAD ABOUT BUSY ........................................ 120 THE STORY ABOUT THREE-YEAR RETREAT .... 123 THE AMATEUR ..................................................... 129 CONCENTRATION AND SHAMATA MEDITATION ............................................................................... 134 WAITING FOR “RECOGNITION” ........................... 138 “THE OCEAN OF DEFINITIVE MEANING” ............ 140 WHAT I’M GOOD FOR .......................................... 142 THE SILENT SCREAM .......................................... 144 5 THE POINT OF POINTING OUT ........................... 147 SHOCKS FOR THE SYSTEM ................................ 150 RECOGNITION: RECOGNIZING OUR WILD STALLION .............................................................. 153 BEYOND RECOGNITION: EXPANSION AND EXTENSION .......................................................... 157 ROUNDING OFF THE CORNERS OF THE MIND 162 IF YOU ARE IN A HURRY YOU WILL NEVER GET THERE ................................................................... 165 BLADE RUNNER: TESTING FOR AUTHENTICITY ............................................................................... 168 NO POT TO PISS IN .............................................. 170 DHARMA GYROSCOPE ........................................ 172 THE LAST TRUTH ................................................. 174 ALBUM RELEASE: THE PRIME MOVERS BLUES BAND ..................................................................... 176 THE VANISHING POINT: WE CAN’T SEE OR BE SEEN ..................................................................... 184 THE CLIFF-NOTES ON EMPTINESS .................... 185 MY PROBLEM WITH DHARMA TEXTS ................ 190 WALKING ON THE MOUNTAIN ............................ 193 THE KARMA WITH NO NAME .............................. 195 THE SONG OF TRANSMISSION .......................... 199 SAMSARA IS OUR ROSE-COLORED GLASSES . 201 NO OTHER WELL.................................................. 203 6 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS .............................. 205 99% SAMSARA AND REIFIED .............................. 208 TRANSMISSION AS READ ................................... 211 A HARBINGER: THE IPHONE 11 PRO MAX ........ 213 MERIT & AWARENESS ......................................... 216 ASPIRATION AND DEDICATION .......................... 220 BODHICITTA: ENLIGHTENED HEART ................. 225 VAJRAPANI REDUX .............................................. 228 YOU CAN’T GO HOME AGAIN ............................. 231 “BE A CHILD OF ILLUSION” .................................. 233 ALL THE WORLD A STAGE? ................................ 235 WAVES ON A BEACH: TOUCHING IN .................. 238 DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE ................................... 242 GLY-AMERICAN DHARMA? ................................. 246 CO-EMERGENCY.................................................. 247 THE IPHONE 11 PRO MAX IN USE ...................... 251 7 LIFE TRAJECTORIES July 4, 2019 Thanks for all the well-wishes and support. I am sorting it all out. And this blog is sort of an ad-lib from what I wrote yesterday. My careening health-curve, heading gradually south, keeps me reminded of impermanence. I always joke to myself that impermanence is the smelling-salts of the dharma. Age is such an efficient reminder. In fact, impermanence can be so strong that it pries my little fingers from any attachments and inserts me once again in what I jokingly call “free-fall,” as in: I’m in free-fall through space as time expands as it runs out. LOL. In essence, I don’t have enough time to re-attach before one health crisis or another takes precedence over entertainment. A rolling stone gathers no moss, and god knows I have been on a roll for several years with health issues. I keep imagining that things will level off enough that I can project a level plane as a future, but, you know, that never seems to happen, at least not lately. Every time I set up my house of cards, it gets collapsed or blown away by the winds of change and I continue to roll on downhill toward the rabbit hole. These health conditions are one way to remove attachments, but not what I had imagined. LOL. Only a fool would assume that we can set up shop on the Titanic and expect a normal life again. Every which way that I turn points to finishing up whatever I can and not to hazard an investment in a steady- state of affairs. That option is no longer supported. LOL. It’s like, after a certain age, we are on a sinking ship that is slowly filling with water. All of my time is spent bailing out the water and I have less and less time to plan anything that resembles a future or anything permanent. The future runs out of its present. All of this is just common sense and not rocket science. It’s the essence of conservatism to attempt to hang on to the present so that it does not fade away. So much of the 8 beautiful is lost like sand through our fingers. Reality just cannot support our former lifestyle. We age. LOL. I keep coming around and back to the thought that we are happy when we remember the foolishness of being sad. And, increasingly, I find that what with a little wit will wear and last, is lost later letting fast. And like a rollercoaster, we are funneled toward eternity. As for me, the best I can do is add my aye, say my yeah, and confess my yes. 9 WHAT’S THE POINT? July 5, 2019 [Since I seem to be in flux (and the weekend is a holiday), let’s just muse a bit. The fireworks kept me up half the night and its 89-degrees out this minute, so kick back and we can have a talk.] At my age, the point of anything needs to be questioned? It’s just so hard to get my attention when I’m playing in the sandbox. LOL. However, health issues take no prisoners; they just say “No” to my blithely journeying on and on as if I am going to live forever. “Wake up! Wake up, friend Owl.” There is a point in life where there is little point in endlessly starting new projects. Rather, it’s time to put away my toys and spend a little time getting ready to transition out of here. LOL. A good sign of this is when we find ourselves ratcheting rapidly downward rather than the reverse. There is a message there. For me, the message is the following song, “Sweet Days,” as written and sung by my daughter May Erlewine. This is exactly how I feel most of the time. Join me in giving it a listen please. MAY ERLEWINE: “SWEET DAYS” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_z0Nxyu2Gk “Nero fiddled while Rome burned” comes to mind. I have my hobbies, mostly just photography; and “Whistling in the dark” is my specialty. But really, there comes a time for each of us to just take a pause and look around. I