Friday, December 31, 2010

Screw New Year's Resolutions - Part II



At the beginning of the year, I offered the following post. It remains true to me as 2010 comes to a close. It's really interesting how the same themes arise again and again, isn't it? Like this:

Even though I think there is something in the spiritual life that might be called Great Hope, most of what we call "hope" - even in a spiritual context - is simply fraud by another name. If you can find a hope that is not intimately attached to fear, then maybe that is worth having. But be honest, have you ever made a New Year's resolution that wasn't laden with the fear of failure, or some other fear?

I like the idea of beginning anew. Of starting again and again - with fresh eyes. Beginning anew is akin to "don't know mind" in that both, in their process, breaking through fixed views of what is.


Hope and fear. Guess I've been deliberately working with those two for awhile now. I imagine a lot of others are as well.

Here are a few poems to send off the old year, and ring in the new. May we all be liberated, again and again.

On Top

All this new stuff goes on top
turn it over, turn it over
wait and water down
from the dark bottom
turn it inside out
let it spread through
Sift down even.
Watch it sprout.

A mind like compost.

Gary Snyder



now begins
the Future Buddha's reign...
spring pines

Issa (1763-1828)



*Image - winter whimsy from my neighbor's garden.

7 comments:

Mumon K said...

Have a good New Year & don't forget hoe to get to Carnegie Hall.

Dean 'Jagaro' Crabb said...

Funny, I'm thinking of writing a Part 2 to "The Illusion of Hope" post that I wrote 2 weeks ago. Maybe in the next week or so. It's been an ongoing contemplation for me since then.

Have a good year Nathan. I'm sure it will bring lots of good things for both of us. ;-)

Metta,
Jagaro
http://themindfulmoment.blogspot.com/

Nathan said...

Thanks guys. Happy New Year and much blessings to both of you!

Algernon said...

My one and only resolution is to wish you a happy new year.

Unknown said...

"A mind like compost"! Yes!! How brilliant is that!

spldbch said...

Hope and fear are two of the most basic of human emotions and they are both powerful motivating forces. I'm not surprised that these themes should arise again and again.

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year!