Buddhas Springing Forth

It's been quite busy around here lately. A few weeks ago, I had a book reading for 21st Century Yoga at a cool, local co-operative bookstore Boneshaker Books. The room was full and the conversation buzzing. Lots of discussion about mind/body separations in practice, the ways in which capitalism/colonialism have compartmentalized our lives, and the dangers of romanticizing cultures that are more collective in nature.

I have been working on a new website, and hope to get it up in the next week or so. It's been a bit of a learning process for me, and whatever I release into the world will be an in progress rough draft. I would love to hire a web designer to create a logo and develop a more interactive, dynamic website in the future. For now, though, I have to rely on my own skills and trial and error. A good practice for me in terms of letting go of outcomes and perfection narratives.

Last month, I was hired to teach a weekly meditation class at my old yoga studio, St. Paul Yoga Center. Of all the places I've taken yoga classes over the years, I most feel at home there. The vibe is grounded. The teachers are talented and focused on the practice and teachings. Tomorrow morning, my class begins. I'm calling it the Heart of Meditation, and here's the class description:

Come explore the ancient practice of meditation with us! It’s open to anyone interested in practicing meditation, and is a natural extension for yoga asana students. Each class features a short talk, group discussion, and a period of meditation. We work with a variety of approaches, and study teachings from both yogic and Buddhist traditions. Kindness to the self, and uncovering and living our truths are the guiding principles for our time together. Begin your meditation practice, or rejuvenate your existing one.

There are a few more things in the works that you'll probably hear about soon. Spring has sprung around here! Hope all is well with you, dear readers.

Digital Buddha Nature

The other day, I was reading about how people are responding to the "ghost" profiles of dead folks on Facebook. Some feel comforted that something is publicly left of their friend or loved one. Others find it an unnerving reminder, an unwanted ghost that keeps reappearing. There's a sense that those who are hooked in to the Facebook world, or social media world in general, are grieving differently. That a certain element of grief has gone public, where not too long ago it probably would have been totally private. I don't think this is bad or good per se, but it is interesting how something digital - like a Facebook profile - can have so much emotion attached to it.

I sometimes feel similarly about old blog posts. This one of mine from over two years ago, about Buddhism and Ayn Rand, suddenly has been receiving comments again. It certainly doesn't affect me in the way the Facebook profile of a dead friend or loved one probably would, but somehow I feel a bit of ghost all the same. Ayn Rand seems to linger in this country in ways I'd rather her and her views didn't. But there's also the blog post itself, words I typed in days gone by, that are returning, great reminders that the past is also the present. No separation, whether I like it or not.

It's easy to think the internet is an entirely different world, or something not real at all, just a playland or workspace for humans. But it's part of this universe as much as the dirt and snow on my boots. That's oddly comforting, and discomforting, at the same time.

Online Discovery

It's so strange what happens when you google your own writing online. I found some sites I hadn't seen before. I also found a website called Buddharocks, which seems to be reposting several Buddhist bloggers' writings, without clear linking. And also with some really awful word choice changes made, perhaps to duck copyright issues?

Finally, there's a link to of my posts from here in an issue of the Upaya Center's Newsletter, and I was surprised to find that the post I sent to Buddhist Geeks several months ago was - posted. They never told me. I'm off to e-mail them now, but you can read it here.