Some Lessons to Learn

Numbers one and five seem particularly apt for me.

Why Superheroes? Here's Why

Why superheroes? Why have fictional characters who cannot possibly exist in real life?

It always amazes me that some people seem to think that good works can somehow magically appear in a corrupt world without idealism and dreams of courage and daring.

In fact, superheroes are metaphors about the soaring human spirit, born of necessity in times of powerlessness and despair like the Great Depression. Their function is the same as the Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers movies from that era — to enable the downtrodden to fantasize about defying gravity in fancy duds.

Our “heroes” now slaughter lots of people, because an evil society tells itself evil stories.

Superhero comics are born with an inherent optimism — colorfully costumed exuberant rescue fantasies. It’s no surprise that they’d be “out of step” in an era where nihilism, greed and even torture are celebrated.

Superheroes represent enduring moral values required by the human condition, among them courage, honesty, decency, wisdom and compassion. Those don’t “evolve.” They merely become clarified or confused, depending on whether our society advances or erodes.

Superheroes are those who, when something horrible is about to happen, step in to stop it. They transform themselves, sacrificing their ordinariness. They are the people Mr. Rogers called “the helpers,” writ large.

“If one takes away the violence of superheroes and strips them of the modern perception of their obsessive vigilantism and unwavering punishment of evildoers, what’s left?” asked wrote Alex S. Romagnoli and Gian S. Pagnucci in Enter the Superheroes: American Values, Culture and the Canon of Superhero Literature. “What’s left is a character that represents the best qualities of humanity: altruism, self-sacrifice, perseverance and responsibility. Superheroes fight because they have to, but their messages still resound without the violence and without the hard-edged personas.”

Superheroes are mysterious figures who suddenly appear to inspire humanity, then vanish until they are needed again.

What are you waiting for? Shine the signal.

When Roles Reverse

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“Sooner or later in life, we will all take our own turn being in the position we once had someone else in.”

― Ashly Lorenzana

Not Your Job

No Regret, No Anxiety

"People don't realize that now is all there ever is; there is no past or future except as memory or anticipation in your mind."

— Eckhart Tolle

Where and When Are We?

In the 21st century, luxury is the ability to think clearly, sleep deeply, move slowly and live quietly in a world designed to prevent all four of those things.

Now that I’m in my 70s, it occurs to me that my actual job, for the rest of my life, is to have some peace of mind and enjoy myself. 

I mean to work at that with some determination, whatever the vicissitudes that come my way.

What You're Worth

 

What We Enjoy

 

happiness is not:

perfection, control or determined

by external events and people.

happiness is:

a product of your perception and

inner balance. When you define your

own energy, you bring your harmony

with you wherever you go.

 — yung pueblo

Someone's Angel Today

"The purpose of art is to lay bare the questions which have been hidden by the answers." – James Baldwin

A Room or an Hour

"You must have a room, or a certain hour or so a day, where you don’t know what was in the newspapers that morning — a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be."

— Joseph Campbell

Never Own a Disease

At age 71, it occurs to me that my actual job, for the rest of my life, is to have peace of mind and enjoy myself. I mean to work at that with some determination, whatever the vicissitudes that come my way.

Arts Education Eminently Practical

Yes, a university liberal arts education is so useless, I'm sure the rich will stop sending their children to get them at expensive private schools. Or is it only the working class and the middle class who are supposed to remain ignorant of the finer things in life?

How to Let Go

David R. Hawkins: “The first step is to allow yourself to have the feeling without resisting it, venting it, fearing it, condemning it, or moralizing about it. It means to drop judgment and to see that it is just a feeling. The technique is to be with the feeling and surrender all efforts to modify it in any way. Let go of wanting to resist the feeling. It is resistance that keeps the feeling going.

"When you give up resisting or trying to modify the feeling, it will shift to the next feeling and be accompanied by a lighter sensation. A feeling that is not resisted will disappear as the energy behind it dissipates."

The Advantage of Acceptance

“Watch any plant or animal and let it teach you acceptance of what is, surrender to the Now. Let it teach you Being. Let it teach you integrity — which means to be one, to be yourself, to be real. Let it teach you how to live and how to die, and how not to make living and dying into a problem.

“I have lived with several Zen masters — all of them cats.”

— Eckhart Tolle

As Gary Denton said, “Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet." -- Roger Miller (though often misattributed to Bob Marley).”

Releasing the Attachment to Suffering

Anatta is the Buddhist doctrine of  “no-self,” meaning there is no permanent, unchanging soul or essence in any living being or phenomenon. 

Instead, the self is a constantly changing composite of physical and mental processes called the five aggregates. 

The individual is seen as a collection of five constantly changing components: form, feeling, perception, mental formations (volitions) and consciousness.

The concept of anatta is one of the three characteristics of existence, along with impermanence (anicca) and suffering (dukkha). Understanding anatta is considered crucial for ending suffering by releasing the attachment that arises from believing in a fixed self. 

 (Ai summary)

The River Knows

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them -- that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.

— Lao Tzu

Wrong Place, Wrong Time, Right Idea

"Ahimsa means 'non-violence' or 'non-harming,' and it is a core principle in religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. It extends beyond physical violence to encompass harm through thoughts, words, and intentions, promoting compassion, kindness, and respect for all living beings. Practicing ahimsa involves being mindful of one's actions, speech, and even internal thoughts, as they can all cause harm."

Real Luxury in a World Opposed to It

Kenshō Series: Bancroft

Kenshō Series: Hetherington

Kenshō — a Japanese Zen Buddhist term meaning “seeing nature” or “true essence” — refers to an initial, sudden glimpse or insight into one’s true nature, ultimate reality or the absolute. The experience is a temporary psychological state, a moment of awakening that signifies a fundamental shift in perception and understanding of oneself in the world. Kenshō is said to be not full enlightenment, but rather a critical first awakening that serves as a starting point for further training and integration of this understanding into daily life. “Kenshō” is often used interchangeably with “satori.”