tao1776

...using mundane speech. This Being Human.... Throughout all of recorded religious history, God has been thought of in terms of being "The Creator". In the most ancient and primitive of religions, God was thought of in terms of both polytheism and monotheism, being that creation needed both seed and womb. Perhaps this is also being reflected in Genesis 1: 26/27 "God said, let us make man in our own image after our likeness...So God created man in his own image... male and female created he them". It's interesting to note that most of the major religions contain the concept of God that reflects what could loosely be described as a trinity. Christians speak of Father, Son and Holy Ghost; The blessed Trinity. Hindu (Trimurti) Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva. The Tao De Ching says, "Tao gave birth to one, one gave birth to two, two gave birth to three, three gave birth to all myriad things". And in Mahayana Buddhism one can find the Sanskrit " Trikaya ...

Even before the introduction of the wheel there were all manner of boats, rafts and animals moving humans to and fro. Vehicles, ever evolving from cart to wagon, from horseless carriage to Porshe, the flight of Orville, (only a little more than one hundred years ago) to the age of space flight and our landing on the moon; All, it can be stated, have no importance one over the other. They are our construct to improve that of our first simple vehicle - Our feet! - transportation of the simplest kind. Likewise, contained within the minds of This Being Human.... there have been almost countless vehicles of religion and philosophy. Limiting our scope of knowledge to the vehicle of Christianity, Islam, Buddhist and Hindu, and the handful of other vehicles of which we have heard from the nightly news or from television, is to grossly underestimate This Being Human..... From the earliest days the Indian Vedas, the Greek sage Zoroaster, the teachings of Buddhism and Taoism, the introduction ...

The First Noble Truth , as explained by the Buddha - is that life is suffering. To live, you must suffer. It is impossible to live without experiencing some kind of suffering. We have to endure physical suffering like sickness, injury, tiredness, old age and eventually death. We endure psychological suffering like loneliness, frustrations, fear, embarrassment, disappointment, anger, etc... The Second Noble Truth is that all suffering is caused by craving. In other words, we are in a constant state of want; searching, in the belief that in obtaining we will find ourselves content. I think that any simple examination of these truths will validate their truthfulness. This, is believe is the root of religion. The quest for salvation. The Buddha prescribed an eightfold path by which in following, you could bring about an end to suffering. These are the teachings of Buddhism. Suffering and the end of suffering. Buddhism is but one vehicle that is constructed for the purpose of helping us ...

Buddha at the altar......

Porcelain & Jade collection with added resin pieces

Not nearly the photographer that James is, but here I present the Buddha with two styles of Quan Yin on either side in the background. Directly behind lies a laughing Buddha with hands raised.

Quan Yin in various forms ....in my upcoming posts I plan on fulfilling two promises....share some photos with James and tell Don & Mark a little about the Freemasons. Hope that all have had a very happy Thanksgiving! Or if in Canada, the UK, India or in South Africa.....as some of my blog friends are outside of the USA, I wish you a great hug....a low bow; and one of you, a slow kiss!!!!!!

I have so often heard the tale about America being a "Christian Nation." The story always begins with the arrival of the Pilgrims on the shores of Massachusetts. The story is furthered by the belief that the writers of the Declaration of Independence and that the founders of the Constitution were Christians who claimed this land for the glory of God. Although it is true that the founding of the American colonies found their motivation through their quest for religious freedom, it was readily apparent that this freedom should also allow for diversity in belief. As the Church of England sought deliverance from the Papacy, the Separatists sought freedom from the church of England. Roger Williams fled the Separatists for religious freedom in Rhode Island while the Quakers found solace in Pennsylvania. It all comes full circle as the Catholics found freedom from all the Protestants in Maryland. The sticking point of all this is that each sect thought of the other as being wrong. (...

There are five stages, according to Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Koss, that a terminally ill person goes through denial, anger, bargaining, depression and ultimately, acceptance. This has always stuck with as it seemed to be a healthy and deep construct much like the Buddha's four noble truths and the eightfold path. It has been said, again much like the eightfold path, that the steps are not always in order. However, the steps are there to be crossed anyway. I have found, much to my chagrin, that suffering also follows the same pathway. As a Leo, a proud man, one that has been labeled by some as arrogant and by others as humble; a mixture of man and spirit (Prana - Breathe) I don't lie down easily. Acceptance. A deep and abiding rest in what truly is. The word and the definition does not do the experience justice. To be free from suffering; enlightenment. It does not mean absence of pain, or debt or loss. It means a transcendence beyond pain, debt or loss. I am so often amazed, angere...

In New England, it is tradition around this time of the year, to hold Turkey Raffles. It's a way for all the local organizations to raise money. The Fire Department, schools, American Legion and all the Social Clubs will fill to the brim as people gather to get, "three spins for a buck." Although there are several variations, the standard practice is to spin a numbered wheel. If the number matches your ticket, you win the prize. First spin is usually a turkey, or a roast or a pork loin. Second spin may be a bottle or a bag of potatos, and third, a kilbasa or such. Tonight, I will help prepare two large pots of beef stew for tomorrow's raffle at my sportman's club. (Beagle club) Me and Pete will begin late this afternoon with all the dicing and chopping and cooking. I am the tatste-master, approving the final result. On Friday night, we will reheat and serve, for free, until it is all gone. I get a free turkey for this, but I get much more.... I love to cook, to cr...

....When I began this blog, it was titled "Tao1776 Tao & Zen...A little rain must fall." My inspiring concept was based on the teachings and experiences within Taoist practice and that of an even more limited experience with Zen. You see, I was introduced to Taoism when in the midst of pain and monetary suffering greater than that of which I am now experiencing. In time, as my practice developed and my faith deepened in my practice, my role as a manager grew, and so did my wallet. With greater responsibility and dedication to the job, my practice suffered and balance wained. My practiced diminished . I still maintained a good degree of insight and a sense of faith in awareness. This was helpful as I watched the local division falter and position me and my crew out of our jobs. This WAS the "little rain that must fall." As my finances drained away, drinking increased. Practice stopped. Jobs were no where to found. I took refuge in a b...

...The Almanac predicted snow in early to mid November and I sat watching the rain in mid fifty degree temperatures. The trees are almost completely barren except for the few pines that stab brazenly at the sky. ...Wu Wei asked, "Are we not wasps who spend all day in a fruitless attempt to traverse a window-pane - while the other half of the window is wide open?" ...I sat smoking my pipe with a full belly while contemplating post replies and personal e mails from fellow bloggers, mentors and friends. The Lady often tells me that I should begin a gratitude journal. As I sit, watching the rain flood over the road and nourish the earth around me, there is surely much to be thankful for. As said by Wu Wei, "Living should be perpetual and universal benediction." I thank you, my friends for your encouraging words. I thank you for your understanding and your lack of judgement. Peace be unto you. Namaste. Tim

For those of you who may be familiar with Latin or those of you that have known me through my blog since it's inception in early 2005, "A fictional iter itineris" began on my blog of 9/19/06. A stick in the mud is a point of avoidance; giving a wide berth, for in so doing, you can avoid getting shit on your shoes. I have become that stick. Perhaps I should be pleased by my service but no one really enjoys being stuck in shit, now do they? I have become increasingly dis-associative; hence my semi fictional account of the cabin, of Earle, and of my long hike in the wood. Although rooted in truth and in characterizations of people that I truly know, the stories are a fictional account of my current struggles with tough financial times, ongoing problems of health, deep spiritual conflict, and a family tree aflame with depression. I am a shell of my former self. I was a poor steward of my money when I had it. Depression is so clearly genetic. Especially when you examine my fam...

Hand, out stretched seeking comfort seeking aid. A few words, a gentle word; while secretly wishing I could heal. Not wanting to wittness the pull of illness closer towards death's door. ........To be quite honest with you, I wish that I could introduce to you a high degree of levity; or perhaps make you laugh. Some of the most memorable people that I have known have been those that live life with a smile. It's not that life has been a bed of roses for them. They have an inate ability to flow and I envy that. Things have always been too complex for me. I have seen too much suffering. I have often wondered about karma, the sins of the fathers, about inescapable fate. I am sure that there is a place, a place of enlightenment, homeostasis, a place of wisdom, compassison and balance. My friend James spoke of the burning off of negative karma. How hot does the fire need to be? I cannot breathe.

It is interesting to look at the constructs we assemble in an attempt to define ourselves in our mind's eye. James, in his wisdom, reminded me of the "middle way". His point held more credence than my belief that I, needed to walk the long and rugged trail back to the cabin. That I ever walked such a long and difficult trail with such intent, James reminded me, has no gain or loss in walking or catching a ride to the cabin door. Especially as I walked with the intent of being an ascetic, as though my difficulty proved something. With an already beat up body, in a daily battle with pain, why would I not accept a ride? If I was walking for exercise, or to commune with nature (and to a degree, I was) then things might be different. But I strapped on the labor of the long hike not, as it were in union with the world about me but as if in suffering I might find myself. Why indeed? With a F150 and a Suzuki Quad in tow, I was back at the cabin in less time than it took to cook m...

As a family, we have gravitated towards holidays and celebrations that reflect our heritage and our beliefs. All Hallows Eve is a time of gathering and we oblige. The family gets together along with a few close friends and we eat some our favorite foods and toast the good times of summer past while greeting the darkness of winter. My day of departure for the long walk home was marked by downpours of Noah-like proportions. I decided to spend Saturday inside and to mark Sunday as the day for my departure. Sunday morning came with a steady wind of twenty to thirty mph and gusts up to fifty. I can barely recall a more windy day. It was awesome to witness but I was fearful of walking the wood in such a wind. The trail would be wet and a hazard to walk on. There are stories of "widow makers" - trees that fall on unsuspecting woodsman ending our already short lives. I decided that Monday would be a better day. Monday arrived with a blazing sun and temperatures that rose to the sixty...