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    A Reminder

    Though nothing was broken, some things danced a jig and some fell in the earthquake. The quake must have shaken open the door to the basement. The cats, of course, immediately headed for that usually forbidden territory.  Uma came up to be with me as soon as I went downstairs to make sure all was well with the cats and garden and main floor. I gave Uma a treat, and she went back to sunning her self on the catio. Almost an hour later, Sully is still hiding behind the washer-dryer.

    What a great reminder that we cannot change much of what happens, but we have a choice in how we behave in response (even if our immediate reactions vary by our innate nature).

    Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.

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    A Personal God (Ishta Devata)

    My earliest exposure to eastern mysticism was through Salinger and the Beats, which I read avidly in high school and even junior high.   The Beats were hipper and smarter than I could ever hope to be (and they weren’t so good to the women, but that’s another avenue to discuss and explore), but I could check out the Beats call to the east.  One of the reasons I found the Beats use of the eastern imagery so compelling, was that I wasn’t expected to believe, I was just expected to understand how the imagery could open me up to new experiences and understandings of the deeper self and how it fits into the web of being.

    I just finished reading Deborah Baker’s A Blue Hand, The Beats in India, which is an unsentimental, not particularly flattering, but most interesting account of the Beats and their time spent in India and how it influenced their work.  This particular passage resonated with one of the issues that I wrestle with as study yoga and its underpinning philosophy and its relationship to my personal experience of “spirit”:   “Mr. Jain explained to Allen [Ginsberg] that all gods are unreal, but most Hindus choose one and use the image of that god (either a picture or a statue) to focus on during prayers, to quiet the mind and soak the heart in the gentle vibes it radiated.  Or, after taking your measure, your guru might assign you a god.  Apparently, there was a personal god for everyone, Allen [Ginsberg] reported to Jack [Keroac], tailored to your temperament, desires, or inclinations.”

    Have you found that the characteristics or image presented by one of the pantheon resonates more deeply with you than the others?

    Other interesting books about the Beats experiences in India:  Indian Journals, Allen Ginsberg, Passage Through India, Gary Snyder

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    Unexpected Treat

    As I was leaving my massage therapists house, his wife said, “it’s open,” walk up 15th Street and check it out.” I turned from my usual track and headed up 15th Street Between C and D Streets, SE, a young guy was standing in a freshly painted doorway calling out to see if anyone wanted free samples. Having already been given a thumbs up, I stopped and joined two others who were enjoying the offer.

    I was handed a freshly baked Philadelphia style pretzel and a squeeze container of mustard. The pretzel had been baked within the half hour, there was just the right amount of salt, and it was definitely a treat after a Saturday afternoon massage.

    “It’s a simple concept–just the pretzels, and I am still working out hours and prices. Have to work around having a two-year old at home.”

    The neighbors, who definitely were enjoying their pretzels and the neighborhood setting, said they would be happy to be in a picture for my blog.

    The pretzels will certainly appeal after the Little League games across the street, but it’s a treat for those in post massage bliss and people taking a casual walk around the neighborhood, too.

    I am happy to support this new venture. What changes and integrates our neighborhood includes the willingness to open a small business off the beaten track (340 15th St., SE) that will appeal to a broad section of the community.

    To find out information on prices (he does special orders for parties) and hours of operation, check out “The Pretzel Bakery”s Facebook page.

     

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    Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.

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