The World Today

In its most basic terms, Enso is the Japanese word for ‘circle’ or ‘circular form’. Think of a regular circle. You could choose to see it as a representation of nothing (that is zero)

On the other hand, the circle could be a form that encompasses everything within it. Perhaps you see it as both. In a way, that is the epitome of a Zen state of mind, where nothing and everything exists. Form is void and void is form.

I wrote this to a friend on Facebook in response to his difficulties in facing the "world" every morning even though he has so much to be grateful for:

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So beautifully and heartfully articulated. You could be accused of being too emotional or sentimental, but I believe that is your strength. You have the right to your tears, they are well earned during today's battles.

I do believe, and I'll mention his name, Mr. tRUMP has done us a service by making all the difficulties of the times so transparent. I believe that the destruction of America has been ongoing, we just have not been aware or have avoided awareness.

The good that also comes out of the (pre-COVID 19) is that maybe we have learned to not only listen but to hear, to empathize, and maybe to begin to change those negative ideas around us and behaviors that maybe even the "self" has not been aware of. 

In many ways we all want security, we want our stories to have happy middles and endings, we do not really want to acknowledge how ugly people and the world can get. By really seeing that, I believe we can begin to change. When we are blind to the reality around us, nothing changes, it just accumulates and multiplies.

Also, (with COVID 19) we are in the middle of a Buddhist lesson (for which we most likely have not yet established a strong practice) EVERYTHING CHANGES. Nothing stays the same. We are not the same people we were this morning, at the cell level and at the intellectual level (hopefully.) 

I believe for a long time now (maybe since the beginning of time) we have been lulled (or allowed ourselves to be lulled) into a false sense of security that it will all end happily. Maybe some of it will but for the most part, there will be happy and there will be sad, there will be joy and there will be sorrow, there will be life and there will be death.

This is one of the great lessons Gregory taught me as we traveled together on his journey through Alzheimer's. Life just is and is the total of all the details, wanted and not! 

Love you, John, Cry if you must, but don't forget to laugh. (You do list the things for which you are grateful in your wife and children, and that is good!)

Some Thoughts and Sorrow

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I think I might just leave my Facebook Profile Photo, a tear, permanently. Or change my name, as a few friends previously have done, to include the word Equity, as in Michael Equity Horvich. Until things get better.

This post is motivated by the news of more revenge killing of innocent people. Three police officers dead and seven others wounded in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 

Whether POLICE or CITIZENS; black, red, yellow, bronze, white, pink, green, etc, whatever! Due to religious beliefs or none; Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Atheist, Hindu, Buddhist, etc, whatever! How can we justify or even tolerate our killing each other, whether one at a time or on a larger scale!

All these people are fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, husbands, wives, friends, lovers, etc; both the killers and the killed; the killed and the killers. Where is the sense in this?

Yes, I am White, healthy, educated and doing ok financially. I have a roof over my head, a clean bed to sleep in, warm clothes on my body. I know where my next meal will come from and have some money left over to help others.

So, yes, I do not suffer what so many others suffer or experience. I do not have much personally over which to rage, as do those who are treated inhumanely without respect or have unnecessarily lost those they love.

But I do not feel that makes me feel privileged! While I am not of the world of so many, I am in their world and I empathize with my less fortunate, aching, hungry fellow human beings. I am no better and no worse than anyone.

Perhaps I feel lucky that I was born into a better world than so many, but that does not make me feel privileged. I feel that I can still speak out against the horrible state of things, state of the union, state of the world and try to make a difference. We are ALL personally affected, whether directly or indirectly!

I am frightened as I know so many of us are. And yes, I need to throw in here my fear of “TRUMP/PENSE” and so many other national and local politicians, religious and community leaders, common folk and those who see themselves as privileged, as well as those who see themselves as oppressed, etc as fanning the flames of hatred and discrimination and death through their beliefs, statements, and actions.

What are these people really doing to make things better? What can we all do? What can I do? It helps to air one’s feeling and thought on Facebook helps but it feels like “preaching to the chorus” as for the most part one’s friends have similar beliefs. 

It seems, at least in the United States, that we are a people splintered, divided, suspicious, angry, resentful, and ready to strike out when what we need to become and to feel is unified, accepting, loving and ready to help, listen, experience, feel, empathize, grow, and change when necessary.

I do not purport to know the answer to gun control, one way or the other. It would seem that other than personal protection or hunting (neither of which I personally embrace) guns should not be available that are able to kill so many so quickly from such a distance. 

I do know that the problem is much deeper than possession of guns. People choose to kill each other; whether in anger, revenge, insanity, or in un-thinking; because it is easy. But the ease of obtaining war time or assault weapons in the hands of private citizens or public officials (police) is unnecessary. One argument given in that "people kill NOT guns," but that skirts the issue.

I believe that stopping the ability and the temptation to kill so many so quickly might be the place to begin and that will enable us to take a closer look at the "cause and state of things." Then we will be able to begin to work on figuring out who we have become as a nation, as a world which enables individuals to feel that it is OK to kill, to take another life.

They say in bad situations; things get worse, hit bottom, and then finally rise from the ashes. I dread the ashes! I am usually optimistic about life and believe in magic but it seems like this is going to continue for some time to come.

I vow, however, to work at imagining a better world, perhaps this action on my part will help put the right vibrations out into the universe. I will work at becoming a better me, unearth hidden personal biases, and cultivate a better attitude towards all living things!

If enough of us work at this, perhaps things can change, sooner rather than after the armageddon.