The sun is a star. Is a star alive? I believe so. Perhaps not by traditional biological definition, but it has a life cycle. As a human, this is almost unimaginable. But that's probably because the billions of years that constitute a star's life are so far beyond our own lifetime.
Thinking about which life forms on earth might communicate with the sun and stars, trees seem like the best bet. With their extended lifetime of hundreds of years and their use of photosynthesis for energy production, trees may have a much more intimate symbioyic relationship with the sun.
Recently, a friend who I consider to be a spiritual mentor told me, "Ben, you are a very critical thinker." Generally, I consider this a compliment. Although I have many critical thoughts about our spiritual organization/religious group, we both understand that these thoughts serve to deepen faith. Faith cannot, and should not, be blind.
However, tonight I opened myself to the concept of anti-critical thinking. That is, I decided that I would listen to the radio show below with a sense of openness and non-judgement. I'm glad I did.
A year or two ago, the feelings of uneasiness provoked by this podcast may have driven me to turn it off. Too much feminine energy. Too new-agey. The guest and her father are associated with the military industrial complex. Too corporate in her approach. Though these thoughts are still present, I decided to view them with open awareness. As a result, the message of love broadcast here is now radiating through me. I want to share this message, this frequency, with my friends, family, and the entire world. Love might be an approximation or an interpretation of this frequency, as would nam-myoho-renge-kyo, as would Truth in the Gandhian sense. Whatever these words point to, that is what I want to broadcast.
Thank you to Dawn Clark for attuning me to this frequency. I look forward to exploring her website!
Update:
10/15/14
I am back to critical thinking today. After looking at Dawn Clark's website, I found that she requires an email address to view 3 "free" hours of video listed on her gifts page. Information is currency. I'm resentful she's reinforcing the prrdominant economic paradigm - there is no free lunch. I feel swindled!
Today a wise voice from within said, "Pay attention to mundane moments. That's where the magic happens." I understood the voice intellectually, consciously agreeing with it. But allowing the mundane to be mundane is tough. Generally, we would call that boredom. I feel I spend a great deal of time runnig from this feeling, tryig to escape it. And I think that is natural, too. No great solution presents itself here. Just an awareness of moments that are truly mundane, that seem a little boring, that are pedestrian rather than cosmic. With that awareness, perhaps I can spend less time running.
A related blog post could be on the "levels of anomy" I recently jotted down in a notebook, of which boredom is the first.
I'm back! Time to revive my Mindful Media blog. It's been a couple of years, but just like riding a bike, it seems like I can get right back to it. And these ideas have been with me all along, but I need this space to get them out and give them life.
Recently, my third MacBook Pro laptop in about 7 years had a hard drive failure. I went on vacation and came back to realize that my computer power was severely reduced. I've been using a tablet and my mobile phone. Then I misplaced my phone charger and felt severely disconnected after my battery ran out. This experience made me realize that I need to continue to reflect on my technology use. As technology becomes habitual, it is all the more interesting to examine that which is transparent, which we take for granted.
I've been through a lot of ups and downs in the past three years, and I can't summarize them here. But I hope checking back into blogging will give me time and space to process a lot. Glad for this opportunity.
Nichiren Daishonin was a Buddhist monk in 13th century Japan. "But they didn't have computers in 13th century Japan," you say. Wrong! They had brains!!
Your brain is a supercomputer! When I start thinking about the brain as a computer, it opens up the possibility of programming it. Earlier this year, I started the practice of chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo in order to re-program my brain. Even though I haven't practiced consistently, I notice an immediate improvements in my life when I am committed to this practice. (This tells me that the important thing about chanting is not the words "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo" or any other mantra, but commitment. For me, honoring that commitment helps me build confidence, stay positive, and remain grounded. I need it!)
So why is it helpful to recast a 13th century Buddhist monk in the guise of a modern computer programmer? Let's extend the analogy:
Computer = the brain
Code = culture
Operating system = Gohonzon (object of great devotion containing a scroll with inscriptions representing different worlds - think of these as windows) Username = Nichiren
Password = Daimoku (chanting nam myoho renge kyo)
software = a program to attain the mind/body of a Buddha
The program is a heuristic. Generating one Buddha generates countless of numbers of Buddhas in countless directions for immeasurable time and space.
For independent artists, getting your name out there is a huge challenge. Social media and viral sharing have helped independent put themselves on the digital map. Yet capitalizing on #occupy may prove to be a profitable, though controversial, may be a major opportunity for movement building.
The Occupy Movement (#occupy), occupytogether.org, has created a brand-identified notion of the voices of #the99percent. For artists who share the same intentions and impetus as the #occupy movement, creating for the movement (and also for themselves) economically may conjure up images of a hybrid economy. Artists who use the #occupy brand name to make money are increasing their revenue. That means that the message of #occupy is fueling an economy of independent musicians
However, it's also being co-opted. Music and the #occupy movement are being used by the rich and famous artists, like Russel Simmons, to increase their celebrity or profitability. The recent criticism of JZ's clothing line was that he co-opted the #occupy message to make a profit. The problem is that JZ was not willing to share any of his profits with the #occupy movement. Further, #occupy doesn't want to be "spoken for" (or associated with) an international rock star. As a rap legend, JZ has made tons of money with his blend of hip hop. It's natural that he would want to help the community that brought him to prominence, but he should thank the occupiers and #the99percent financially rather than just pay lipservice to the idea.
If artists' can benefit the #occupy movement, the #occupy movement can benefit artists. How do you find socially conscious artists whose music you love? 1) Go to the Occupy Music facebook page 2) listen to music 3) download it and support the artists 4) artist supports the community. (You don't need a facebook account to visit the page.)
The #occupy movement should be an opportunity for artists to create and have their work recognized and celebrated. Getting bogged down in intellectual culture isn't going to help anyone. A grassroots media approach to documenting and supplementing the #occupy movement is essential to creating the kind of free culture the #occupy movement aims to create in physical space.
