Chickens, Buddhas and...

Katie come in to visit this morning because having a chicken in the house on occasion is well, quite alright by me! I see more chicken poop dropping off our shoes than from any of our visiting chickens. Sometimes they just like to see what life is like in the "Big House". Katie is very well mannered but as you can see she's not too sure of the cat's intention. She stuck close by to me knowing that I've always been good to her. She would chose me over the cat any day. I guess she forgot that I cooked her brother Chumley on the grill. Damned good too.

Lately I've spent most of my blog time writing about my chickens. In the past I often felt compelled to share stories about a disturbed ex-wife, a broken government, and sometimes writing about Buddhism and Taoism and personal history: along with a few product endorsements thrown in here and there. Other than a few TaoSpring and chicken stories, I've not had much more in me. The chickens are fun. Most everyone likes them. And the eggs are a great way to share and occasionally sell. My granddaughter stopped by when I was not at home and left me this: She is in the first grade.

Currently I've been thinking on the Buddhist notion that everyone is inherently good. At the core of every human being is someone needing and wanting to give love. If you strip away the pain and delusion created by greed and fear, then everyone has the ability to live kindness. Nothing to lust after, nothing to run from, nothing to protect or defend. This stands in contrast to the oft noted Christian notion that we are all born sinners; unless you keep in mind what Jesus said, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak".  This "willing spirit" as I hear it is yet Jesus confirming the Buddhist notion. Morality mind is based on law - and Jesus brought us the concept of grace; The greater the cultivation of compassion, the greater the ability to know the difference. The flesh is weak. Because we are born sinners or because it's a competitive world built from the materials of fear and desire? And if this fear and desire were the result of us being born sinners, does fear and greed disappear due to a belief or from a duty to chastise ourselves for being, "bad?" The morality mind will choke at this and quickly seek to protect and defend the established dogma of, "Christ and him crucified" believing that by way of this belief we shall find comfort. The spiritual life is not a life of, "shall-not" and neatly defined dogma. It is found in the peripheral of the thinking mind: that mind which must list, categorize and fit everything into a soul-less box of unquestionable beliefs and rules.

So wouldn't you rather read and talk about chickens and gardens and herbs and Karmann Ghias?