tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23416887776552715022024-09-04T16:28:59.414-04:00As Wide as the Infinite SkyThe idea for this blog arose out of my quest to find a way to get through the day without screaming! Here I share my thoughts, verses, resources I have found, and the results and ongoing progress of my journey, in the hope that this will inspire and encourage others who find themselves in this predicament.Lee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.comBlogger715125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341688777655271502.post-29108002765452300192023-04-26T18:26:00.033-04:002023-04-28T18:47:54.499-04:00Noble: Frugal PursuitLamp fell, lampshade tore
Mended well with packing tape
It is unique now!
Lee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341688777655271502.post-89242112461097289262022-12-18T13:54:00.004-05:002022-12-18T14:05:21.506-05:00Nimble: Sutta Reading*Seeing between the lines
laughing at my own folly
securely in touch*Here I had been thinking about a Sutta I read some time ago, where the Buddha supposedly declared, "I am Brahman," which had confused me at the time, given his supposed teachings about the "self," but then later it occurred to me that although this could be true it was also kind of a joke because based on what I know now it does Lee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341688777655271502.post-48501105552615161442022-12-18T13:30:00.001-05:002022-12-18T13:40:52.727-05:00Nibbana: Haiku IIINot all the time and
not even every day but
cessation's 'in play!'Lee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341688777655271502.post-38328834871602625932022-12-18T13:08:00.002-05:002022-12-18T13:18:54.087-05:00Nibbana: Haiku IIBringing attentionto all that I do,to see
cessation shine throughLee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341688777655271502.post-68192528941368178822022-11-22T11:33:00.008-05:002022-12-18T13:26:21.432-05:00Nibbana: HaikuSaving energy
to see the cessation of
sufferings's ariseLee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341688777655271502.post-68556666651926051042020-09-22T20:13:00.004-04:002020-09-22T20:36:29.666-04:00Nibbana: EveryoneI see suffering;I see miseryBut I also seethat it has an end!And thatthisendis...glorious!The Buddha reportedHis methods supportedSeeing beyond the imagination.And thisis so.ButHow?Because,as for what is beyondthe imagination...It iswhat isof course!And that I can see.And thateveryonecansee,If they look carefullywitha clear mindand a still body.Lee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341688777655271502.post-6605472046300588952017-08-07T17:07:00.000-04:002017-10-05T23:11:47.971-04:00Nibbana: adukkhaWhen I had stilled the body with the four Jhānas and the mind was thereby concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilement, pliant, malleable, steady and [imperturbable] (MN36), I directly knew: when the body, the mind and the self are set aside, nothing terrible happens.Lee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341688777655271502.post-78744599778219642622016-10-14T21:00:00.000-04:002016-10-14T23:30:28.911-04:00However: Forging AheadMy concentration practice led to the hypothesis that
Tis not wanting, nor not, nor neither that causes suffering
But imbalance: one-pointed obsession on any of these three,
And that what is needed is a wider view
That encompasses this trio and all else too;
And this has opened out into
Returning once again to practicing mindfulness
As a potential solution or at least a useful tool
For Lee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341688777655271502.post-6072926838375897432016-10-14T20:00:00.000-04:002016-10-14T23:27:42.809-04:00Headway: NextAfter many busy practice days
I concluded that my goal was just this:
The regular pursuit of
Non-sensual mind-calming bliss;
But then one day, fully overwhelmed by
Ferocious hatred and passion for vengeance,
I asked myself, 'What if
My desire was fulfilled forthwith?'
Imagining such brought forth
Intense non-sensual joy
That I then sought to increase
After dropping the original object of it;
Lee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341688777655271502.post-81681447606137992272015-12-25T21:29:00.000-05:002016-10-14T22:47:07.620-04:00Gauging: Practice AdjustmentsI have learned
Through direct experience,
The pitfalls
Of certain practices
When practicing mental seclusion
From greed and distress
Towards the world,
One must be on guard
For even from within the ensuing steadiness,
Equanimity and apparent clearheadedness,
Into the mind that is new to this
Enters most profound deludedness
What at first appears to be happiness,
Enthusiasm and openhandedness
Lee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341688777655271502.post-76006065417862634352015-12-21T14:24:00.000-05:002015-12-23T14:25:51.381-05:00Gamut: From Cloudburst to TricklePeeling carrots,
Baking bread,
Doing laundry,
Mending cloth;
These activities and more!
A burst of energy
Driving me on,
Until after two
In the morning
Cloudburst of action
Ensued without warning,
Where it came from
I do not know
But naturally
As it does,
The dynamic uno
Ceases to flow
And so today,
I'm dragging myself around:
Watching the rain dripping down
Instead of pouring it
Yet somehowLee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341688777655271502.post-69601730475343320322015-12-20T16:08:00.000-05:002015-12-23T14:12:36.707-05:00Galvanize: Metta RenewalBut then now
I return to metta,
But metta
Of a different sort
I intone:
"May I be free
From
Greed and distress towards the world."
And for a while
At least,
Am a diner at a feast
Of tranquility and equanimity
Every time I stray
From the thought for the day,
I bring my mind back
To these eleven words
These thirteen precious syllables
That quiet my thirst,
That burst the bloated bubble
Of the Lee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341688777655271502.post-49627221363226626262015-12-20T14:00:00.000-05:002015-12-23T14:03:54.356-05:00Gallery: Way Too MuchAnd furthermore,
Yesterday
Helped someone else
Get some paperwork put away
Now today,
Maybe time to catch up
On my paperwork backup
Of which there is quite a stack up
There never is a lack of
Mounds of paper to pack up,
To sort through
And rack up
It's an endless task
That never goes by too fast,
Full of many days past
Yet guaranteed not to last
I do my best,
To clean up this mess
Which neverLee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341688777655271502.post-61914377698391747942015-12-19T13:50:00.000-05:002015-12-23T13:54:40.675-05:00Gallant: Cultivating SeclusionCultivating seclusion
From
Greed and distress
Towards the world
This is the recurring theme,
The current scheme
Around which
I organized today's activities
How does one
Seclude the mind
From craving such delights
As a bowl of gourmet stew?
When filthy pesky pigeons
Rudely intrude, getting in the way,
How does one seclude the mind
From greed and distress?
(And these occurrences
Are mere Lee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341688777655271502.post-657237539708227252015-12-16T17:33:00.001-05:002015-12-16T17:36:39.697-05:00Gale: Blown AwayWell, I made it through
Various tasks,
In spite of many missteps,
Only to be sidetracked by
Other people's mistakes
No happy medium
Between drowsiness
And nervous wreck,
Mind running amok
Thoughts, sensations,
Wildly plunging
Mishmash
Downpour, splash
Imperfection reigns,
Even when rains
Turn into reins
There are no gains
Falling back?
Or return to normal?
No time to examine now,
Not even Lee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341688777655271502.post-24429432934717400032015-12-15T17:45:00.000-05:002015-12-16T17:41:41.811-05:00Gainsay: Sideswiped by Insight"Misery is back," I wrote
While I was lying in bed
But I had no pen or paper then
And so I lost that thread
Twas likely the best bit of poetry
I'd written for a long while
Thus on top of all
I had this to regret
But I had no time to waste
On this busy day
With too much to do
And behind schedule already
I had to be steady
Even though I felt wobbly,
Had to keep going
Although it was slow
Lee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341688777655271502.post-40699687991007841572015-12-14T17:42:00.000-05:002016-10-14T23:39:14.229-04:00Gains: Losing to Win'Hmm, I thought,
These recent poems
Are not as good
As the previous lot'
'And yet
Everything is okay
Because nothing is okay;'
I laughed at this thought
And when I saw
The imperfection of this laughter,
I laughed even harder
And so on, and on
Perhaps my writing
Poetry days
Are numbered
But what of it?
This new "happiness"
(I shall call it that for now
For lack of a better word)
Might be worthLee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341688777655271502.post-12710984913909340722015-12-13T15:33:00.000-05:002015-12-15T17:56:47.770-05:00Gain: Getting ThereImpurity abounds
And yet
Perhaps imperfect knowledge
Is better than no
Even though
Insight be flawed
Maybe this too is
Better than naught
Even if
We cannot see clearly,
The seeing is incomplete
The sense organs defiled;
The fact we know
A little
And that by that knowledge
We should not be overawed
Possibly such insight
However suspect
Is better than
Having none at all
Even though in twilightLee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341688777655271502.post-59440126215348863492015-12-12T14:08:00.000-05:002015-12-12T14:08:34.157-05:00Fuzzy: Not SureMore imperfection today?
Oh yes, it never stops
And with it a rabbit hops,
Another leap of insight:
If all is imperfect
Then, so is practice
And so is any insight gained
Or any enjoyment obtained
How can one make a mistake
When all is mistaken?
I laughed and observed (imperfectly)
How flawed the laughter;
How imperfect is the sound
How impure the contact with the ear
How defiled the sensation Lee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341688777655271502.post-34953873258912844092015-12-03T23:39:00.000-05:002015-12-03T23:51:00.080-05:00Furthest Yet: Over the Top!There was noise
Quite a lot of noise,
Not unusual
At this time of year
While I waited
For 11 p.m. to occur
I tried a guided meditation
By myself, for myself
I focused on the aversion
On this occasion,
Asked if I could use it
To propel myself away from the world
I considered the world,
The imperfection of the world
Broke it down
To all its elements
Analyzed it down
To all the senses,
Contact Lee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341688777655271502.post-3345158110976105952015-12-01T21:43:00.000-05:002015-12-01T21:44:21.268-05:00Furthermore: Nonperfection and BeyondWhen perfection
Is pursued
Your mind
You undelude
For you
Come to see
It's attainment
Is an impossibility
Therefore
You are not
Fooled
By mutton dressed up as lamb
You do not
Conclude
That too good to be true
Can be had
You don't
Fall for ads
That promise
Perfect abs
You do not envy
Those
Who win lotteries
Or own big homes
You know that
That way
Does not perfect
The wayward world
You Lee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341688777655271502.post-22502985365785310012015-12-01T21:34:00.000-05:002015-12-01T21:34:01.844-05:00Fundamentals: Imperfection to NonperfectionPracticing perfection
I remain
Concentrated upon
Imperfection
And today
I am
Truly blessed
With myriad imperfections
Nausea
Fatigue
A migraine headache
Of considerable intensity
Gloomy weather
Damp and rainy
Slate grey sky
Clouds churning by
Pain in the shoulders
Pain in the head
So much to do
And I'd rather be in bed
This imperfection
So easy to find
It's a wonder
I did not see it before
Lee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341688777655271502.post-59865482587459248672015-11-30T23:57:00.000-05:002015-12-01T22:09:40.687-05:00Fully: ImperfectionMy Mother
Is dying
Of Alzheimer's disease
My Mother who
I never could please
She remembers me
As one she has loved
But the odd thing is
I don't remember that
What I recollect
Is not to be relayed
No one would want to read of it
Nor see it displayed
But this is consistent
With this day's teaching
Which shall not be
Delayed
That this world is imperfect
Cannot be denied
From that unpleasant Lee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341688777655271502.post-58496153314188736202015-11-30T23:56:00.000-05:002015-12-01T21:01:43.996-05:00Three MoreDear patient readers:
I have also posted these three:
September 9, 2012, Finding: September Afternoon
January 14, 2014, Frontier: Pain Free
September 24, 2014, Fruitful: Always on the way
And with that, I have caught up with all those postings I wrote prior to this year (at least as far as I know), and hopefully will be able to continue on from here, although likely less Lee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341688777655271502.post-66464629270741478322015-11-30T23:55:00.000-05:002015-12-01T00:03:53.876-05:00MoreDear patient readers:
Tonight I was finally able to publish the following:
August 8, 2012, Fall Through: Ups and Downs
August 9, 2012, Fall to: Keep Moving
August 12, 2012, Fallible: When Fast is Slow
September 2, 2012, Fantastic: Recovery Mode
Enjoy!
Hopefully there will be more to come soon.
Thanks for reading!
LeeLee Aldrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540817911351107158noreply@blogger.com0