Where Does The Time Go

Wow, it's been six days already? I guess time does fly when you're having fun. Or maybe that and working like an ox. I had this goal of posting every two days or so, but I ran out of things to say really quickly, haha. I need to go out and get kidnapped or something, having something cool to talk about. I'm skinny enough, I'd be an easy target.

Gas prices are retarded here in Phoenix. $2.87 yesterday for the middle-grade gasoline. I think the highest one was like $2.98. Then they put that third decimal place on there, that's just annoying. I wish our public transportation was better. We need one of them light rails or whatever like they have in Washington.

I am now the proud owner of Sin City and Kung Fu Hustle on DVD! Both are awesome, awesome movies. Sin City was just so purdy and cool, and I love the stories and characters. Kung Fu Hustle is absolutely amazing. For me, hands down the coolest/funniest/bestest martial arts movie ever. Stephen Chow is so dreamy! (Thanks again to Aero!)

I've also been eyeing that Transporter 2 movie that's coming out in theatres. I've never seen the first one (which will change shortly) but I like that actor and it looks pretty cool. People told me the first one was ridiculous, so I didn't go see it. But from what I see now it looks ridiculous in that cool intentionally over the top way.

Earlier this week I experienced a disillusionment about my religion. Now, I know that in every religion and philosophy there are good and bad people just like everywhere else. But I guess because Buddhism champions compassion and good will to all living beings I figured there wouldn't be any mean Buddhists. "How could you be mean and be Buddhist at the same time?" I thought. "They contradict each other!" While its true that they do, that doesn't mean some Buddhists aren't mean. Consciously I totally knew this, but I guess underneath I didn't really believe it.

In my almost two years of practicing I'd never once run into a mean Buddhist. Then I started frequenting a large Buddhist forum and realized that just because someone follows a philosophy that practices respect, kindness, and acceptance towards others, doesn't mean they actually do it. Kinda made me sad. I just hope anybody that was thinking about or was new to Buddhism didn't read some of the threads I did. It would have put me off it, to see people talking like that.

That "Miracle of Mindfulness" book is turning out really well. I'm not very far but already I've received tons of good, simple advice. Thich Nhat Hanh is truly a master. I feel a lot clearer and have more energy already, and I'm not even done with the book yet!

I think from the forums I mentioned above (I read so much from so many different sources I get confused on the origins) a poster mentioned adopting practices from other religions, like the Muslim practice of praying five times a day for example. I believe the five times are (and I'm so sorry if I'm wrong, Wikipedia must have lied to me) day break, noon, between noon and sunset, sunset, and when night sets in.

A Buddhist could use this same schedule (or one adapted to their life) to stop whatever they're doing and only watch their breath for ten minutes, recite mantras, take refuge, or just collect themselves. For the past couple of days I've been doing just that and it's really beneficial. I've caught myself being sluggish and restless and after a ten or fifteen minute break of just watching my breath I feel so much better. Very refreshed.

I think that every one, not just Buddhists, could benefit from this practice. So often we get caught up in our day to day business and forget to take some time to relax and re-energize ourselves.

I have to call my dad today and ask for a loan. I reeeeaaaalllllly dislike asking my dad for money, but this time I can't avoid it. *sigh* I know he doesn't mind, but I do. I've put it off for like four days now and its coming down to the wire. All the stress we put on this imaginary thing called money...

Well, I think that's good. Have a good Sunday and whatever else comes between now and then!

- BuddhaDave

Just when I think I'm free of your sweet undertow, I find myself suddenly back out to sea.

Original Haiku, It's True!

Haiku style poems were created in the 17th century in Japan. The poems have three lines: the first is five syllables, the second has seven, and the last has five.

I've always loved haiku, although I don't really write them. But here are some for you I wrote tonight!

Uneven popping
White clouds lifted with chopsticks
Unbuttered fingers

Turkey's companion
Boat keeps liquid in, not out
None for me, thank you

Cylinder of red
Water, heat, pan, tomato
Truly Mmm Mmm Good

See green turn to red
Are customers affected?
Three AM wake up

Eyes pointed outwards
Face flat and black like pavement
So ugly it's cute

- BuddhaDave

Username and pass
Sharing thoughts with nobody
Only I visit

Mmmm Mmmm Good

What is up weekend people! On this end of things, I'm just on hour ten of twelve of my weekend shift. And on only about four hours worth of sleep as well! Whipee! Stayed out late last night with some friends. Too late, hee hee. It was worth it though, we had fun.

I got a new book, Thich Nhat Hanh's "Miracle of Mindfulness". I'm a reading fool! I guess I just had to get back into the swing of things. This book is pretty thin, so I should be posting about how it was soon.

On Friday me and the wifey went and saw "War of the Worlds" after having a big dinner at Outback Steakhouse. Money spent: $0.00. All gift certificates baby! It takes me forever to get around to using those things, but I'm sure glad when I do.

The movie was pretty good. My aunt had given me a set of cassettes after surgery a long time ago that had the original radio broadcasts and I've listened to them a couple times since then. I learned a valuable secret: Never listen to scary sci-fi stories at night while you're on prescription pain killers. The end kind of cheesed me off (not the overall ending, but certain details) but I liked it. Tom Cruise did a good job at being a scared, confused, blue-collar guy just trying to survive.

I've been listening to the "With Teeth" album a bunch lately and it's really grown on me. Just like the very first Nine Inch Nails album I listened to! "The Downward Spiral" scared me some times and made me raise my eyebrows the rest of the time. But after a while I loved every song.

I have to say, I'm feeling really good. I just found out that some advice I gave my friend paid off after she put it into practice. I just love being able to help people feel better. Hopefully I can do more in the future!

- BuddhaDave

"Don't chase after your thoughts as a shadow follows after its object. Don't run after your thoughts. Find joy and peace in this very moment."

"w00ts" & "oh noes"

When people ask you, "Do you want the good news or the bad news first?" which do you ask for? I always ask for the bad news first, just to get it out of the way. Then also the last thing I hear is good, so maybe I won't feel so down.

Earlier this week my friend from work got fired. That's the "oh noes". I've never had a friend I really liked get fired before. Even though I'm in charge of doing all the terminations in my company the people I'm close to are still there. It was kinda sudden too, which makes it worse. I threw me off all day; it was like someone moving away suddenly.

Also even though I got paid this Wednesday things are gonna be tight for a while. Mrs. BuddhaDave is now in charge of the finances so we'll be okay. I just suck at budgeting! Something always happens and we get in the hole, and then a little while after we get back out we're back in again. My new job in the financial depart is as follows: Quit buying shit! Sounds easy right? Well, after practice it should be, but it aint yet. In the bigger picture this is actually a good situation to be in, because it will definitely help me become less materialistic and to control my spending urges. Look for that golden lining! It's always there, it's just tough to see.

My book reading goes well. Thich Nhat Hanh is amazing. I highly recommend any of his works. I also found out today that the author of "The Dharma of Star Wars" is ordained under Thich Nhat Hanh! Kinda crazy as the current book I'm reading is fast becoming my favorite and "The Dharma of Star Wars" is my current favorite. I'm reading my Tao Te Ching very slowly, reading and re-reading only a few chapters at a time. I'm enjoying it and agreeing with what I believe it's saying to me.

Okay, now for my two major "w00ts". First, my student loans are all paid off! I actually got a check for $6.89 because there was a slight over payment, haha. I owe my grandma sooooo much. This is a huge weight off my shoulders; she has helped me out more than I ever expected. Now I just have two credit cards to pay off and I'll be pretty much debt free! Just my truck will be left, and that's not a big deal.

And the biggest w00ts I've had in a long time...The Dalai Lama is coming to Tuscon! On September 19th Mrs. BuddhaDave, my best friend Doug, and I will all be there to see him! I already gots da tickets! I'm a super excited. Seeing His Holiness has been a dream of mine for a long time and one I didn't think would be realized until much later. I just can't describe how much this means to me. It's amazing.

Today I bowled the best game of my life. Twice, actually. A 104 and a 130, haha. Not huge by any means, but huge for me. If I get in the 90s I'm ecstatic. My company had a bowling party for all of the developers and IT departments at a nice new alley in Scottsdale. From 1:30 to 3:30 we drank and ate and bowled and laughed. It was nice to see the people I work with outside of work. Especially in my department, you only talk to people when things are broke and they have to fix them. Needless to say the NOC isn't the most popular department at GoDaddy, haha

Well it's late, and I'm gonna go to bed. If you want, here are some good reads. The first one is called "The Cucumber Sage" and it's a really cute story about an accidental Buddhist saint. It's really good. The other is jokes and funny Buddhist stories. Just something to do if you're bored.

Nighty, have a good day!

- BuddhaDave

Farewell, My Lovely

Oldboy is a great god damn movie (thanks be to Aero!). A very strange movie, yes. But still, a great god damn movie. It has action! It has drama! It has comedy! It has the longest uncut fight scene in movie history! Saying anything about the story gives it away, so I won't. Be even if I did, the last parts of the movie are crazy and unexpected. All the acting is amazing and the story is intense. One of my favorite movies of all time. And the soundtrack? Beautiful.

Today I got lucky and found two awesome books. It was kinda funny, after going to have lunch/dinner at 3:30pm (slept in till 2:00pm, hey, I was working late!) at the 5 and Diner and then hanging out at Staples for a bit, we just decided to drive around and ended up at the mall. Being pretty broke until Wednesday we headed for the only bookstore in the place. Not even one I'd ever heard of.

So I go to their Religious section and 4.5 of the 5 shelves are Christian stuff which is understandable but still kind of frustrating. But on the last shelf near the bottom is a small section of Buddhism and an even smaller section of Taoism.

I managed to find a book by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist monk I've only just found through podcasts. Just from a few talks I've listened to I really like him. His teachings are very profound and simple and I love the way he talks. It's very calming and compassionate. The book I found was "The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching". The fact that Thich Nhat Hanh wrote it and it's about the core of Buddha's teaching was a one-two knock out for me and I didn't even read the back before buying it. I still haven't, haha.

The other book is the "Tao Te Ching" translated by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English. I've been reading some translations online but it's slower going that way for me because of more distractions and after all, it is the Internet. Who knows how valid the translations and interpretations I'm reading are? Just cuz it's on the Interweb don't make it true! I'm really excited to learn more about this philosophy and this book was just what I was looking for.

I also got a nice journal cheap to help me keep notes. I put my "I Am Ten Ninjas" sticker on it, so it looks all mysterious!

While I was in Staples I noticed that HP has put out customizable printable covers for the iPod. After payday I'm gonna pick up a pack and see if they work with our Canon printer. Usually HP paper comes out looking like ass but hopefully this works out. I've been trying to decide what cover to get for my scratched up iPod. Ones I can make myself are the perfect idea!

Lately I've been thinking that a lot of Buddhist schools are too complex. The Buddha's teachings are very simple and direct and I feel that over the years too much unnecessary stuff has been laid on top. For some this isn't a problem, but I feel that I need something simple and pure. I picked Tibetan Buddhism to follow because it seemed to be the closest to the original teachings, but I've been wondering if there is anything closer out there. After over a year with Tibetan Buddhism I'm thinking about following a different school, if I can find a better one out there. More updates to come as this goes along, and any suggestions and advice is most welcome.

Have a great day, filled with peace and success!

- BuddhaDave

Simple minds, simple pleasures.

I Challenge You to a Xiaolin Showdown!

What is up, my Internet peoples. Not too much here. At work for another two hours, making sure the new guys doesn't majorly fux anything up. So basically instead of monitoring our systems, I'm monitoring the monitor...er. It's even easier and quieter than plain old monitoring!

So one thing that always bothered me about organized religion was it's followers. Like that saying, "Dear God, protect me from your followers!" They wouldn't practice what they preached, or they would appear to but in fact they were petty and false like all the other people out there. They would advise one thing, then do quite another. Very off-putting.

I guess when I became Buddhist I unconsciously assumed every other Buddhist would be the living embodiment of the philosophy. I don't really know a lot of other Buddhists personally and don't really make it a point to seek them out. I mostly enjoy just practicing myself and making my own way, so this unconscious assumption was never challenged.

Then I started hanging out on Buddhist forums. My oh my was I wrong. Don't get me wrong, there are some wonderful Buddhists out there. Helpful, humorous, understanding, laid back, and fun. But there are some not so good ones.

For a way of life that teaches detachment some of these people are reeeeaaaaaalllly attached to their particular school of Buddhism, or just Buddhism in general. It's ironic and sad. My favorite is the type that quotes from the texts like a Christian priest would from the Bible: as the only proof you should need to be convinced. This is also ironic as the Buddha himself famously taught not to accept any teachings for any reason other than personal verification.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. After all, people are people and it is the Internet. "Confused" (read: dumb) people are to the Internet as sand is to a desert.

I guess it's because I see Buddhism as very simple and laid back. Some people seem to think it should be complex, rigid, and all "official". That was one thing I loved when I first started studying; there wasn't really an "official" way to become Buddhist. If you wanted you to have a ceremony done by a monk or nun, but it wasn't necessary. All you had to do was follow the teachings and you could consider yourself a Buddhist. You don't even have to follow them strictly or completely. But some Buddhists out there don't regard others as "real" Buddhists unless they took refuge under an ordained Buddhist and went through some kind of ceremony or other. Pretty silly if you ask me.

Buddhism isn't about rituals or titles or how many Sanskrit words you know or how many sutras you've memorized. It isn't about proving to others that you know more than them. It's isn't about all the complexity that has been heaped upon the various schools over the years. It isn't about jumping through hoops.

It's about taking a long, hard, honest look at your life and seeing that it is full of suffering. About realizing that you are the cause of your problems because you don't know how things really are and then finding a way to stop hurting yourself and others. That's it. Everything else is pretty much just reiterations of this simple teaching and even though they are intended to help, people get caught up these secondary (and tertiary, quaternary, etc) teachings and see them as ladders to be climbed and levels to be reached. This is wrong.

I think a lot of people need to get back to basics with their spiritual lives. Gain wisdom. Be still. Be mindful. Be compassionate. Be honest. Be at peace. If any of your thoughts or actions don't result in or move you towards even one of these, then of what use can it be but to cause you suffering?

What other teaching is necessary?

- BuddhaDave

Keep It Simple, Sanga!

P.S. That's not my cute image, I found it!