Feed aggregator
A Different Stroke
By guest blogger: Seth Freedman
I have to admit it was the photo of Barbara Bash using a huge, person-size brush to make a massive ink stroke that made me really want to take her upcoming workshop at The Interdependence Project.
The title of the program was "The Stroke Of Compassion" and the ID Project's website described it as a full day intensive combining mindful calligraphy practice and non violent communication. I remember wondering how those two things were going to go together but I thought as long as I got to handle one of those huge brushes, it'd be pretty cool. I decided to do it and signed up.
Read this post »
I have to admit it was the photo of Barbara Bash using a huge, person-size brush to make a massive ink stroke that made me really want to take her upcoming workshop at The Interdependence Project.
The title of the program was "The Stroke Of Compassion" and the ID Project's website described it as a full day intensive combining mindful calligraphy practice and non violent communication. I remember wondering how those two things were going to go together but I thought as long as I got to handle one of those huge brushes, it'd be pretty cool. I decided to do it and signed up.
Read this post »
What would Sid do: My friends don't respect my boundaries
By Lodro
Rinzler
Many people look to Siddhartha Gautama as an example of someone who attained nirvana, a buddha. Each week in this column we look at what it might be like if Siddhartha was on his spiritual journey today. How would he combine Buddhism and dating? How would he handle stress in the workplace? What would Sid do? is devoted to taking an honest look at what we as meditators face in the modern world.
Each week I'll take on a new question and give some advice based on what I think Sid, a fictional Siddhartha, would do. Like us, Sid is not yet a buddha, he's just someone struggling to maintain an open heart on a spiritual path while facing numerous distractions along the way. Because let's face it, you and I are Sid.
Have a question for this weekly column?
E-mail it to this address with the subject line "What would Sid do" and your question will likely appear in a future post.
I've been going through a very tough time. My newer acquaintances seem to want to shove Christianity down my throat, suggesting the only way to make a life is go to church and meet "good" people. Each time I build a friendship it either disappears, or doesn't know boundaries. This includes telling me who to develop romantic relations with, or when I should be able to close my heart off from what I already feel. How do I draw my own boundaries from the "do-gooders" without making myself rude on one hand, or angry and scathing at the community around me on the other? - Shakti
Read this post »
Many people look to Siddhartha Gautama as an example of someone who attained nirvana, a buddha. Each week in this column we look at what it might be like if Siddhartha was on his spiritual journey today. How would he combine Buddhism and dating? How would he handle stress in the workplace? What would Sid do? is devoted to taking an honest look at what we as meditators face in the modern world.
Each week I'll take on a new question and give some advice based on what I think Sid, a fictional Siddhartha, would do. Like us, Sid is not yet a buddha, he's just someone struggling to maintain an open heart on a spiritual path while facing numerous distractions along the way. Because let's face it, you and I are Sid.
Have a question for this weekly column?
E-mail it to this address with the subject line "What would Sid do" and your question will likely appear in a future post.
I've been going through a very tough time. My newer acquaintances seem to want to shove Christianity down my throat, suggesting the only way to make a life is go to church and meet "good" people. Each time I build a friendship it either disappears, or doesn't know boundaries. This includes telling me who to develop romantic relations with, or when I should be able to close my heart off from what I already feel. How do I draw my own boundaries from the "do-gooders" without making myself rude on one hand, or angry and scathing at the community around me on the other? - Shakti
Read this post »
"Non-meditation is the Supreme Meditation" - A Visit from Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
On Monday night we were fortunate to have the amazing and inspiring Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche as a guest teacher at the ID Project. I've been a fan of Rinpoche's for a while and really enjoyed his books, The Joy of Living, and Joyful Wisdom. I was also really moved by his teaching last year at the Shambhala Center.
I was a little surprised, however, to receive the invite, which cited Rinpoche as the "Happiest Man on Earth." I'd long been under the impression that title was still held by the great Matthieu Ricard, who successfully defended his title in a steel cage match back in '08. I don't know if Rinpoche won some sort of provisional title at some point, but I'm guessing it could have been in an unsanctioned bout somewhere in Thailand.
Read this post »
IT IS SO HARD TO GET UP SOMETIMES
by Robert Colpitts
Read this post »
A couple of nights yonder a friend of mine, named Jordan, who I will call Sam, asked me the following question: "What bad habits do you have?" I could answer no other thing than "the excuses I make to keep from doing yoga and meditation." I thought about those mistakes: too tired, too weak, too worked-out, too little time, too little focus, just don't want to, too hot, need to shower, who cares, etc. But the single most useful excuse for not doing yoga occurred the morning after the aforementioned question.
Read this post »
How would Sid handle feeling homesick?
By Lodro
Rinzler
Many people look to Siddhartha Gautama as an example of someone who attained nirvana, a buddha. Each week in this column we look at what it might be like if Siddhartha was on his spiritual journey today. How would he combine Buddhism and dating? How would he handle stress in the workplace? What would Sid do? is devoted to taking an honest look at what we as meditators face in the modern world.
Each week I'll take on a new question and give some advice based on what I think Sid, a fictional Siddhartha, would do. Like us, Sid is not yet a buddha, he's just someone struggling to maintain an open heart on a spiritual path while facing numerous distractions along the way. Because let's face it, you and I are Sid.
Have a question for this weekly column?
E-mail it to this address with the subject line "What would Sid do" and your question will likely appear in a future post.
How would Sid handle homesickness? I moved from a rural area of England to a small city in Canada 8 years ago and miss my country and it's culture very much. Adapting to a consumerist culture where everything is open all the time and nothing closes has also been particularly hard. I am unable to return to my home country any time soon and possibly never. How would Sid cope? What would he do? - Angela
Read this post »
Many people look to Siddhartha Gautama as an example of someone who attained nirvana, a buddha. Each week in this column we look at what it might be like if Siddhartha was on his spiritual journey today. How would he combine Buddhism and dating? How would he handle stress in the workplace? What would Sid do? is devoted to taking an honest look at what we as meditators face in the modern world.
Each week I'll take on a new question and give some advice based on what I think Sid, a fictional Siddhartha, would do. Like us, Sid is not yet a buddha, he's just someone struggling to maintain an open heart on a spiritual path while facing numerous distractions along the way. Because let's face it, you and I are Sid.
Have a question for this weekly column?
E-mail it to this address with the subject line "What would Sid do" and your question will likely appear in a future post.
How would Sid handle homesickness? I moved from a rural area of England to a small city in Canada 8 years ago and miss my country and it's culture very much. Adapting to a consumerist culture where everything is open all the time and nothing closes has also been particularly hard. I am unable to return to my home country any time soon and possibly never. How would Sid cope? What would he do? - Angela
Read this post »
Podcast: Interview with Darren Littlejohn
This week on the ID Project Podcast, ID Project founder Ethan Nichtern interviews Darren Littlejohn, author of The 12-Step Buddhist. Together they explore Buddhist practice as it relates to addiction recovery.
You can download the episode here, or subscribe via itunes here or RSS here.
If you like the podcast you can support our efforts by becoming an IDP Global Member. Every bit helps!
Read this post »
You can download the episode here, or subscribe via itunes here or RSS here.
If you like the podcast you can support our efforts by becoming an IDP Global Member. Every bit helps!
Read this post »
The Buddha at Work - "My New iPhone 4: An Object of Mindfulness?"
I found myself in line at 5:30 this morning outside the Apple Store in Soho, thousands of us queued up waiting to fork over our dollars to be one of the first owners of the new iPhone 4. By 9:10, I had mine, activated, in my hot little hands, with another in a bag for my lovely wife. The damage: $291.79 each, including AppleCare and tax. Not a bad price for such a magical piece of technology.
But I was feeling a little guilty. After all, we could have used that same money to save lives. Author Peter Singer reminds us in The Life You Can Save, that children die daily by the thousands for lack of inexpensive medication.
Read this post »
But I was feeling a little guilty. After all, we could have used that same money to save lives. Author Peter Singer reminds us in The Life You Can Save, that children die daily by the thousands for lack of inexpensive medication.
Read this post »
Attention
by Paul Griffin
A post by my fellow blogger Jon Rubinstein inspired me to begin writing an essay on attention. In his post Jon mentioned Mary Oliver and her line of poetry, "To pay attention, this is our endles and proper work." I see the following short essay as a kind of response to Jon and, specifically, to that line of poetry.
Attention
To pay attention is the highest moral responsibility. Enough with rules and codes. Enough contracts with God. Enough striking celestial deals. I'll worship you if you save my people. Enough! Our primary moral obligation is not to worship this or to believe that, but rather to pay attention. To learn how attention works, how it is directed and concentrated. How it ennobles, how it generates meaning. That and only that--proper attention!--is our natural duty.
Attention is a word with many meanings. First, attention means to take notice or regard something. Notice how attention seems here to imply a direct object. One must take notice of something. Certainly this seems the case, but we shall return to this question of the direct object of attention later. For now, consider the differences between the verbs "take notice" and "regard." The first, to take notice, is to pay attention directly. To take notice, say, of the blooming iris. Or to take notice of a friend's haircut. In this sense, attention is merely a matter of sense perception. One sees the haircut or smells the flowers, and in this way, one pays attention to said phenomena. We might equate this kind of attention with that of shamatha meditation. For example, when one places one's attention on the breath, one takes notice of the breath. It is very direct. Very simple.
Read this post »
A post by my fellow blogger Jon Rubinstein inspired me to begin writing an essay on attention. In his post Jon mentioned Mary Oliver and her line of poetry, "To pay attention, this is our endles and proper work." I see the following short essay as a kind of response to Jon and, specifically, to that line of poetry.
Attention
To pay attention is the highest moral responsibility. Enough with rules and codes. Enough contracts with God. Enough striking celestial deals. I'll worship you if you save my people. Enough! Our primary moral obligation is not to worship this or to believe that, but rather to pay attention. To learn how attention works, how it is directed and concentrated. How it ennobles, how it generates meaning. That and only that--proper attention!--is our natural duty.
Attention is a word with many meanings. First, attention means to take notice or regard something. Notice how attention seems here to imply a direct object. One must take notice of something. Certainly this seems the case, but we shall return to this question of the direct object of attention later. For now, consider the differences between the verbs "take notice" and "regard." The first, to take notice, is to pay attention directly. To take notice, say, of the blooming iris. Or to take notice of a friend's haircut. In this sense, attention is merely a matter of sense perception. One sees the haircut or smells the flowers, and in this way, one pays attention to said phenomena. We might equate this kind of attention with that of shamatha meditation. For example, when one places one's attention on the breath, one takes notice of the breath. It is very direct. Very simple.
Read this post »
What would Sid say about me taking prescription drugs?
By Lodro Rinzler
Many people look to Siddhartha Gautama as an example of someone who attained nirvana, a buddha. Each week in this column we look at what it might be like if Siddhartha was on his spiritual journey today. How would he combine Buddhism and dating? How would he handle stress in the workplace? What would Sid do? is devoted to taking an honest look at what we as meditators face in the modern world.
Each week I'll take on a new question and give some advice based on what I think Sid, a fictional Siddhartha, would do. Like us, Sid is not yet a buddha, he's just someone struggling to maintain an open heart on a spiritual path while facing numerous distractions along the way. Because let's face it, you and I are Sid.
Have a question for this weekly column?
E-mail it to this address with the subject line "What would Sid do" and your question will likely appear in a future post.
I have suffered most of my life from bi-polar disorder and it can lead to psychosis due to going extended periods without sleep. I have followed Buddhism as much as possible in seeking relief from this condition. I now take something that allows sleep. What would Sid say about that? - Jesee
Read this post »
The Buddha at Work - "To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work."
As I write this, I'm about thirty-five thousand feet above the western U. S., coming back from a business trip. On my way west a few days ago, I listened repeatedly to the words of Buddhist teacher poet Mary Oliver, from her CD Many Miles.
It's worth buying the CD to hear this read in her own voice, but here is one that seems particularly appropriate to this series:
When
When it's over, it's over, and we don't know
any of us, what happens then.
So I try not to miss anything.
I think, in my whole life, I have never missed
the full moon
Or the slipper of its coming back.
Or, a kiss,
Well, yes, especially a kiss. Read this post »
It's worth buying the CD to hear this read in her own voice, but here is one that seems particularly appropriate to this series:
When
When it's over, it's over, and we don't know
any of us, what happens then.
So I try not to miss anything.
I think, in my whole life, I have never missed
the full moon
Or the slipper of its coming back.
Or, a kiss,
Well, yes, especially a kiss. Read this post »
Music and Meditation
Guest Post by Robert Colpitts
The Open Music Ensemble conducted a workshop on June 5th, a little less than a week ago here at the IDP. At that workshop/performance, I had the honor of having a conversation with a few of the members, and I wanted to share a few thoughts about meditation, music, and art based upon those conversations.
For those who practice meditation, having a musician play in the same room as you while you practice might either seem a crutch or an impediment to quieting the mind. Music seems to stir up emotions and thoughts despite our best intentions. While we might see this disturbance as a boon to our practice, a challenge to our most rooted thoughts, or a hurdle to be overcome, each one of these perspectives would see music as incompatible with meditation.
How would Sid deal with a broken family?
By Lodro
Rinzler
Many people look to Siddhartha Gautama as an example of someone who attained nirvana, a buddha. Each week in this column we look at what it might be like if Siddhartha was on his spiritual journey today. How would he combine Buddhism and dating? How would he handle stress in the workplace? What would Sid do? is devoted to taking an honest look at what we as meditators face in the modern world.
Each week I'll take on a new question and give some advice based on what I think Sid, a fictional Siddhartha, would do. Like us, Sid is not yet a buddha, he's just someone struggling to maintain an open heart on a spiritual path while facing numerous distractions along the way. Because let's face it, you and I are Sid.
Have a question for this weekly column?
E-mail it to this address with the subject line "What would Sid do" and your question will likely appear in a future post.
How would Sid deal with a broken family? My birth family has never been a close one. My siblings and I suffered from neglect and a lack of affection as children. Our parents were not exceptionally cruel or abusive, but basically self-centered and lacking in parenting skills. As adults, we are all expected to participate in the "happy family", for example at holidays, but there is little sincere emotion involved. More than ever social expectations and guilt are what seem to bind us together.
I know that our parents did the best they could at the time given their own ignorance and suffering and I have forgiven them when I once blamed them. However, I do believe that is wrong and hurtful to continue the charade. I also do not want to cause them or myself any further suffering. I suppose the essence of my question is: When all beings are interdependent, why should blood relations receive more respect and attention than others, particularly if suffering is being caused? - Adan
Read this post »
Many people look to Siddhartha Gautama as an example of someone who attained nirvana, a buddha. Each week in this column we look at what it might be like if Siddhartha was on his spiritual journey today. How would he combine Buddhism and dating? How would he handle stress in the workplace? What would Sid do? is devoted to taking an honest look at what we as meditators face in the modern world.
Each week I'll take on a new question and give some advice based on what I think Sid, a fictional Siddhartha, would do. Like us, Sid is not yet a buddha, he's just someone struggling to maintain an open heart on a spiritual path while facing numerous distractions along the way. Because let's face it, you and I are Sid.
Have a question for this weekly column?
E-mail it to this address with the subject line "What would Sid do" and your question will likely appear in a future post.
How would Sid deal with a broken family? My birth family has never been a close one. My siblings and I suffered from neglect and a lack of affection as children. Our parents were not exceptionally cruel or abusive, but basically self-centered and lacking in parenting skills. As adults, we are all expected to participate in the "happy family", for example at holidays, but there is little sincere emotion involved. More than ever social expectations and guilt are what seem to bind us together.
I know that our parents did the best they could at the time given their own ignorance and suffering and I have forgiven them when I once blamed them. However, I do believe that is wrong and hurtful to continue the charade. I also do not want to cause them or myself any further suffering. I suppose the essence of my question is: When all beings are interdependent, why should blood relations receive more respect and attention than others, particularly if suffering is being caused? - Adan
Read this post »
The Buddha at Work - "Adventures in Idiot Compassion"
I admit it. Sometimes I just want to take the easy route. A client or an employee or a business partner comes to me with an issue that I know is bigger than that one particular issue. Some indication of unhappiness manifesting in a specific moment. And the easy way out is to handle the problem, rather than having a much larger conversation.
Par example: Client A says, "my agent isn't doing a good job. Let's find another agent." From my decades of experience I know immediately that this conversation points to something larger. Something I might be uncomfortable dealing with in a given moment, with the amount of time I have available. I might want to say, "well, Client A, let's take a look at the facts, and really uncover what's not working for you. Have you considered an acting class?" Or, "I agree, Client A, but you've caused that by being so dismissive and angry with them every time we speak. You might want to look into apologizing."
I might want to say, "actually, Client A, you're the one who's not doing a good job. Your agent is busting his or her ass for you, and you're not showing up with your 'A game.' And how about hitting the gym once in a while?" Or I might even say, "Client A, you're lucky to have that agent working so hard for you, and if you leave them, you might not get someone half as good. Now, how do we start working on your communication with your agent so that you're getting what you need and they feel acknowledged and appreciated?"
Etcetera.
But the easiest thing, the thing most of us do most of the time, is to smooth things over. "Hey, Agent, your client is unhappy, so can you give them a call and make them happy?" Or, "Hey, Client A, I know your agent is working on some great stuff for you! Why, just the other day they called me about Project X. Let's get them on the phone to talk about it!"
It makes them feel better, quickly, and it makes me feel better, too, because the pressing issue is deferred. Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche called this kind of behavior idiot compassion.
"Idiot compassion is the highly conceptualized idea that you want to do good. Of course, according to the mahayana teachings of Buddhism, you should do everything for everybody; there is no selection involved. But that doesn't mean to say that you have to be gentle all the time. Your gentleness should have heart, strength. In order that your compassion doesn't become idiot compassion, you have to use your intelligence. Otherwise, there could be self-indulgence, thinking that you are creating a compassionate situation when in fact you are feeding the other person's aggression."
Idiot compassion allows me to hang up the phone and say "see, I fixed it! Now I feel better!"
Read this post »
Par example: Client A says, "my agent isn't doing a good job. Let's find another agent." From my decades of experience I know immediately that this conversation points to something larger. Something I might be uncomfortable dealing with in a given moment, with the amount of time I have available. I might want to say, "well, Client A, let's take a look at the facts, and really uncover what's not working for you. Have you considered an acting class?" Or, "I agree, Client A, but you've caused that by being so dismissive and angry with them every time we speak. You might want to look into apologizing."
I might want to say, "actually, Client A, you're the one who's not doing a good job. Your agent is busting his or her ass for you, and you're not showing up with your 'A game.' And how about hitting the gym once in a while?" Or I might even say, "Client A, you're lucky to have that agent working so hard for you, and if you leave them, you might not get someone half as good. Now, how do we start working on your communication with your agent so that you're getting what you need and they feel acknowledged and appreciated?"
Etcetera.
But the easiest thing, the thing most of us do most of the time, is to smooth things over. "Hey, Agent, your client is unhappy, so can you give them a call and make them happy?" Or, "Hey, Client A, I know your agent is working on some great stuff for you! Why, just the other day they called me about Project X. Let's get them on the phone to talk about it!"
It makes them feel better, quickly, and it makes me feel better, too, because the pressing issue is deferred. Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche called this kind of behavior idiot compassion.
"Idiot compassion is the highly conceptualized idea that you want to do good. Of course, according to the mahayana teachings of Buddhism, you should do everything for everybody; there is no selection involved. But that doesn't mean to say that you have to be gentle all the time. Your gentleness should have heart, strength. In order that your compassion doesn't become idiot compassion, you have to use your intelligence. Otherwise, there could be self-indulgence, thinking that you are creating a compassionate situation when in fact you are feeding the other person's aggression."
Idiot compassion allows me to hang up the phone and say "see, I fixed it! Now I feel better!"
Read this post »
Stephen Batchelor on Shunyata
In preparations for reading Stephen Batchelor's new book, Confessions of a Buddhist Atheist, I found myself rereading Batchelor's 1997 book Buddhism Without Beliefs. I came across a paragraph on emptiness that I found particularly lucid and wanted to share that today on the blog. Let me know what you think of it. I like it. For me, this passage successfully reveals how earnestly the mind works to turn things--even shunyata!--into concept.
"'Emptiness' is a confusing term. Although used as an abstract noun, it does not in any way denote an abstract thing or state. It is not something we 'realize' in a moment of mystical insight that 'breaks through' to a transcendent reality concealed behind yet mysteriously underpinning the empirical world. Nor do things 'arise' from emptiness and 'dissolve' back into it as though it were some kind of formless, cosmic stuff. These are just some of the ways emptiness has been appropriated as a metaphor of metaphysical and religious consolation.
'Emptiness' is a starkly unappetizing term used to undercut yearnings for such consolation. Yet ironically it has been called into the service of such longings. Shunyata (emptiness) is rendered into English as 'the Void' by translators who overlook the fact that the term is neither prefixed by a definite article ('the') nor exalted with a capital letter, both of which are absent in the classical Asian languages. From here it is only a hop, skip, and a jump to equating emptiness with such metaphysical notions as 'the Abstract,' 'the Truth,' or even 'God.' The notion of emptiness falls prey to the very habit of mind it was intended to undermine."
--Stephen Batchelor, from Buddhism Without Beliefs
Read this post »
"'Emptiness' is a confusing term. Although used as an abstract noun, it does not in any way denote an abstract thing or state. It is not something we 'realize' in a moment of mystical insight that 'breaks through' to a transcendent reality concealed behind yet mysteriously underpinning the empirical world. Nor do things 'arise' from emptiness and 'dissolve' back into it as though it were some kind of formless, cosmic stuff. These are just some of the ways emptiness has been appropriated as a metaphor of metaphysical and religious consolation.
'Emptiness' is a starkly unappetizing term used to undercut yearnings for such consolation. Yet ironically it has been called into the service of such longings. Shunyata (emptiness) is rendered into English as 'the Void' by translators who overlook the fact that the term is neither prefixed by a definite article ('the') nor exalted with a capital letter, both of which are absent in the classical Asian languages. From here it is only a hop, skip, and a jump to equating emptiness with such metaphysical notions as 'the Abstract,' 'the Truth,' or even 'God.' The notion of emptiness falls prey to the very habit of mind it was intended to undermine."
--Stephen Batchelor, from Buddhism Without Beliefs
Read this post »
How would Sid handle his mistakes?
By Lodro Rinzler
Many people look to Siddhartha Gautama as an example of someone who attained nirvana, a buddha. Each week in this column we look at what it might be like if Siddhartha was on his spiritual journey today. How would he combine Buddhism and dating? How would he handle stress in the workplace? What would Sid do? is devoted to taking an honest look at what we as meditators face in the modern world.
Each week I'll take on a new question and give some advice based on what I think Sid, a fictional Siddhartha, would do. Like us, Sid is not yet a buddha, he's just someone struggling to maintain an open heart on a spiritual path while facing numerous distractions along the way. Because let's face it, you and I are Sid.
Have a question for this weekly column?
E-mail it to this address with the subject line "What would Sid do" and your question will likely appear in a future post.
How would Sid deal with lack of skillfulness when he blunders or makes a mistake? I often experience chagrin and shame, disappointment. I must have a harsh inner critic that is tenacious or something. Thanks, A.L.
Read this post »
Springtime
Now that springtime is fading into summer, I thought I'd share this video I shot a few weeks ago for the band Allies. It's electronic dance music that I personally will be listening to all summer long. This is what a dance video shot by a Buddhist looks like. or at least how this one turned out.
If you want the mp3 of Springtime, go to their site Allies for Everyone.
Read this post »
If you want the mp3 of Springtime, go to their site Allies for Everyone.
Read this post »
Podcast: "Composting Desire" with Ethan Nichtern
This week on the ID Project Podcast Ethan Nichtern leads a discussion on the various modes of working with Desire within the Buddhist Philosophical Tradition, focusing on the Mahayana approach of "Composting" Desire.
You can download more podcasts on our website, or automatically be sent new episodes by subscribing through iTunes or RSS.
Please consider supporting the ID Project Podcast by signing up to become a member. More information is available on our donate page.
Read this post »
You can download more podcasts on our website, or automatically be sent new episodes by subscribing through iTunes or RSS.
Please consider supporting the ID Project Podcast by signing up to become a member. More information is available on our donate page.
Read this post »
Dharma Art: Maria Abramović
by Paul Griffin
Maria Abramović, the Serbian born performance artist, is wrapping up her retrospective show "The Artist is Present" at New York's Museum of Modern Art today. This show is unique in its attempt to preserve performance art, an ephemeral form by nature; it is the first retrospective of a performance artist the MOMA has ever presented. When I saw the show, I was impressed by the elegance, simplicity and power of Abramović's work. Her message or her meaning often comes right across. In the show's marquee piece, Abramović sits in a chair in the atrium and gazes at whoever from the audience chooses to sit across from her. (When I was there, I learned that the girl next up in line had been waiting since 3 AM in the morning, long before the museum even opened, to sit with Maria.) This piece is working with the interplay between the artist and her audience, with the meditative practice of gazing at another person, and with the sheer power of a person's presence. All of this comes across immediately. Abramović's work is successful in its straightforwardness and in its dealing so directly with energy.
For a quick sneak peak, click here for an eighteen second clip of Abramović performing "Nude With Skeleton," one of the pieces in the MOMA show performed by other Abramović-trained performance artists.
Or for a quick review of the show, see the New York Times' slideshow here.
For my thoughts, keep reading.
Read this post »
Maria Abramović, the Serbian born performance artist, is wrapping up her retrospective show "The Artist is Present" at New York's Museum of Modern Art today. This show is unique in its attempt to preserve performance art, an ephemeral form by nature; it is the first retrospective of a performance artist the MOMA has ever presented. When I saw the show, I was impressed by the elegance, simplicity and power of Abramović's work. Her message or her meaning often comes right across. In the show's marquee piece, Abramović sits in a chair in the atrium and gazes at whoever from the audience chooses to sit across from her. (When I was there, I learned that the girl next up in line had been waiting since 3 AM in the morning, long before the museum even opened, to sit with Maria.) This piece is working with the interplay between the artist and her audience, with the meditative practice of gazing at another person, and with the sheer power of a person's presence. All of this comes across immediately. Abramović's work is successful in its straightforwardness and in its dealing so directly with energy.
For a quick sneak peak, click here for an eighteen second clip of Abramović performing "Nude With Skeleton," one of the pieces in the MOMA show performed by other Abramović-trained performance artists.
Or for a quick review of the show, see the New York Times' slideshow here.
For my thoughts, keep reading.
Read this post »
How Would Sid Act in College?
Each week I'll take on a new question and give some advice based on what I think Sid, a fictional Siddhartha, would do. Like us, Sid is not yet a buddha, he's just someone struggling to maintain an open heart on a spiritual path while facing numerous distractions along the way. Because let's face it, you and I are Sid.
Have a question for this weekly column?
E-mail it to this address with the subject line "What would Sid do" and your question will likely appear in a future post.
Being a university student myself, I've been wondering what the correct way to act at this age is. Obviously, Sid wouldn't be one of the drunken idiots. I assume he'd study a lot, but would he drink caffeine to stay awake before his exams so he can study enough to pass?
Also, would he go out? He wouldn't drink, but he could dance, and enjoy himself, or is the atmosphere toxic? He's in a location where people are drinking, totally controlled by lust, speaking falsely and so forth. Could he in good conscious, go there?
I wonder what kind of life the Buddha would lead if he was a student. Looking around me today, I think 'student' has become virtually synonomus with 'sin', but in the search of wisdom, surely one must follow the path of higher education. I'd be interested to know what you think. - Sami
Read this post »
The Buddha at Work - "Why Are You Unhappy?"
Oh, David Whyte, I am hooked.
I've been listening to his latest CD collection, What to Remember When Waking, mesmerized by his mellifluous accent. For me, the best part of listening to Whyte is the anticipation I feel while waiting for him to drop the next poetic bomb. I've never studied poetry, and so my poetic vocabulary is quite limited. Whyte is responsible for introducing me to Mary Oliver, to Marina Tsvetaeva, to Yeats, to Wordsworth, to Rilke and Machado, and even to Dickinson and Eliot. But I don't know if I'll ever forgive him for constantly kicking my butt through poetry.
Yesterday I got to hear him talk about the English poet Wei Wu Wei (born Terence Gray) and his poem, Why Are You Unhappy?
Why are you unhappy?
Because 99.9 per cent
Of everything you think,
And of everything you do,
Is for yourself -
And there isn't one.
Read this post »
I've been listening to his latest CD collection, What to Remember When Waking, mesmerized by his mellifluous accent. For me, the best part of listening to Whyte is the anticipation I feel while waiting for him to drop the next poetic bomb. I've never studied poetry, and so my poetic vocabulary is quite limited. Whyte is responsible for introducing me to Mary Oliver, to Marina Tsvetaeva, to Yeats, to Wordsworth, to Rilke and Machado, and even to Dickinson and Eliot. But I don't know if I'll ever forgive him for constantly kicking my butt through poetry.
Yesterday I got to hear him talk about the English poet Wei Wu Wei (born Terence Gray) and his poem, Why Are You Unhappy?
Why are you unhappy?
Because 99.9 per cent
Of everything you think,
And of everything you do,
Is for yourself -
And there isn't one.
Read this post »
