Short Story: Winter Walking

By: Mike Napolitano

“Can you imagine what it’s like under the ice right now?” I asked Anthony.

“It must be an entirely different world...suspended like that under ice.” Anthony seemed too lost in his own thoughts to continue his discourse on the pond. Although it wasn’t entirely frozen over, the pond had a thick layer of ice over the most of it. Anthony was kneeling at the edge of the pond and continued to stare directly into the center of it. He has a capability of appreciating nature that I could never match, and for that, I admire him. I could only imagine what he was thinking of. “You ready man?”

We turned and continued to move through the forest. I glanced over at the Hudson. All the trees were bare, allowing for a clear view of the river. I suppose the beauty of winter is that everything is in suspense and seems to move slowly. As we walked on, I continued to glance at the river watching the ice drift along with the current. The snow in front of us was completely untouched. With every step we took, we were creating a new mark upon the earth. I was so tranquil; it was almost as if every step I took away from Marist was a step away from all the homework, problems, and drama of student life.

I always looked forward to the next opportunity I had to walk through the woods with Anthony as my guide. He was the one who first showed me the splendor of a simple hike, to be able to walk through the plants until you felt a relaxing solidarity with nature. Anthony always told me about his idea of ‘oneness,’ which he said to be the feeling of being part of the whole, to feel compassion for everything around you. To me, it seemed like Anthony drew his entire spiritual being from his experiences in nature and I wanted to understand that.

As we meandered through the woods, we approached a ridge that I thought was going to lead to a severe drop but when we reached the edge of the hill, I realized that it wasn’t at all steep. Amazingly enough, the hill led down to a gully where a small creek appeared to have formed. I had never seen anything like it. The water was flowing between trees, through roots, around trunks, past piles of sticks, mounds of dirt. It was as if nature intended to connect all the water together by using the landscape as a path; the bare, vertical trees provided a labyrinth-like grid for the water to flow through.

Anthony and I approached the creek. It must have stretched about a quarter mile. The creek was odd, though, as it was only a few feet wide in spots while in others, it opened up to around ten feet. Naturally, Anthony and I went straight for the edge of the creek at the most narrow section as our acute sense of curiosity subliminally told us to. Approaching the creek, I glanced at Anthony and noticed a whimsical expression of glee on his face; he was evidently overjoyed at our discovery.

We walked between the trees, climbed over the roots, and hopped between the banks. After a few minutes, we both had our share of exploring the new terrain. I looked at Anthony and met his eyes behind his thick, unkempt beard. I could tell he knew what he wanted to do because, after all, nature is his forte. He smiled at me and sat, knees at the chest, on a downed branch. Following his lead, I kneeled next to a tree and used it as a back. Anthony had told me about his experiences meditating in the woods and I could tell that was what was on his mind.

Following his lead, I just sat. I closed my eyes and listened to the water capriciously flow through the roots of the trees. I was rapidly releasing all the stress that I had built up from earlier in the week. A part of me felt the flow of the water moving through my body, almost as if it was purifying me. I was meditating. I felt my mind becoming lighter than my body as if my troubled thoughts were escaping the confines of my skull. A surge of my spirit rushed through me, I felt revitalized.

I opened my eyes. The world was so very vibrant. Sounds were clearer, the water looked crisper, and the cool breeze felt so embracing around my bare cheeks. I reached down to touch the water. Letting it flow through my fingers, it felt as though the water was at its most basic form. Just touching the water was so incredibly refreshing. I took a deep breath allowing for the cold winter air to fill up my lungs. Never before had I felt so energized by a lungful of air. Through my sunglasses the snow was lustrous, the water was glistening. The world seemed to gleam before my eyes.

As I rose up from my crouching position, I noticed Anthony was also rousing from his rumination. There seemed to be an unsaid mutual agreement between us and we simultaneously turned back. It was the return trip back to the ‘real world.’ It was a very odd experience walking back. It seemed to take four times the amount of time to get to the creek as it took us to walk back. Uncharacteristic for Anthony and me, we didn’t talk much as we walked.

Much to our style we took a different route back. As we were crossing through a small field, we suddenly noticed something interesting above us. On the first branch of a nearby tree, we spotted a hawk. We found ourselves taken back by the new scenario that nature had given us. “What should we do?” I asked Anthony.

“I don’t know man…I’ve never been this close to a hawk. Let’s just wait for a few minutes.” So we stood in the field and watched this hawk watch us. The hawk was like no other creature I had ever seen in person. It had a large roundish torso that was mostly decorated with opal white feathers and a few other grey feathers mixed around the sides. Its eyes were particularly striking. They were brilliantly astute and it was evident that it could scan every inch of the ground even when flying above the trees.

It turned and spotted us. Anthony and I stared at this hawk staring back at us. The bird did not seem threatened by its human intruders; it was as if it was studying us as we were studying it. It seemed, in that one instance, a bird and two mammals shared a field, and nothing more happened. After the hawk was content, it turned and flew off in another direction. Watching the hawk fly away was a sight to behold. It happened so quickly but I won’t soon forget the astounding wing span it had. I couldn’t get past the fact that I was within twenty feet of a hawk.

Without a hawk to maintain our attention, we moved on towards Marist. Once we came within a few hundred feet of the end of the arboretum, we were greeted by a paved drive meant to allow access to St. Ann’s Hermitage. As the warm scent of brush left me, I was greeted by the dry, pungent scent of wet asphalt. We were still in the cover of the trees, but we were now on pavement. A minute later, the cover of the trees left us and I stared southward upon Fontaine, Dyson, Gartland, and the rest of the Marist campus.

The sight of the black pavement and its abrasive road paint assaulted my eyes almost as if it was a foreign design I had never seen before. The lack of tree cover forced all the unnatural colors of the campus back into my retinas. The noise of people and cars met my ears once again and the hustle and bustle of daily life was back to command my attention. My eyes begrudgingly adjusted, I returned home and started my homework.

Thank Yous and Goodbyes

Today is the last day of finals week which means it is the offical end of the Spring 2009 semester. This semester was one of the best for the Marist Praxis Project in recent memory. Together we were able to accomplish so much in such a short amount of time. For that, I would like to thank everyone who has been involved with the project this year for making it such a great year. I would also like to give our departing seniors a special spot light, because each one of them left something special behind that we will continue on with.



Anthony

This past year, Anthony served as the Assistant to the Public Praxis Project. During this year, Anth became the spiritual leader of the Praxivists. From his many meditiations he gave to the class and to the group to the countless conversations he has had with everyone, Anth's influence and spirit will always be with us. He was a calming spirit, a rallying spirit, he is my very good friend. Under his guidance, the Praxis Project reached heights that will not be soon met. As a parting gift, Dr. Mar gave Anth a walking stick with his name carved into the side, so that he could move on his path of life in style. As noted by Carola, "He looks like a Tibetan monk [with the stick]."

We will all miss Anthony and I wish him the best with the road ahead of him. Hopefully soon our paths will cross again.


Colleen


Colleen is one of our most veteran Praxivists. She would frequently collaborate with others and her involvement would almost guarantee the project would be successful. Most recently, Colleen helped run the Coffee House for Peace and Justice and has been advocating and informing students about alternative post-graduation options. She also worked with some other students on the Forum on Homelessness earlier in the month.

Colleen will truly be missed and the Praxis Project and the Praxivists is losing not only a great person but also a good friend. Thanks for everything you've done for the project.


Lauren


Although Lauren only discovered the Praxivists at the beginning of this past semester, she contributed with the passion and frequency of a veteran Praxivist. As a Vegan, Lauren took up projects relating to ending animal cruelty and alternative food options. She worked with organizations such as PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and the Veggie Fund which provides money for vegans to buy food for vegan events.

Thanks to Lauren, we all need to think twice about what we eat, and I'm sure she wouldn't have it any other way. Thanks so much for working with us Lauren, you are our Vegan Goddess.



Thanks to everyone
Peace and Love
-mike

Poem: Meta-morph-praxis

I am ignorance
un-aware.
I do not care because
there is they and
here is me,
false-self, self, self,
and on
you I’ll pee.

Stratified divided,
un-united,
inside the closet’s where
I reside in.

Bright bright light consumes
me in my darkroom
this is expoooosuuuure
to perceived others
suuuufferrrrrs,
so I
can’t live ignorant
Annny lonnnnnnnger.

Inside a fire
begins to start, in-
side my heart it
is compassion. Now,
love in action is
what is hapnin.’

Monies, countries, and enemies…
illusions
are you separations!
The truth indeed is
self as we so
o-bese e-go
has, got to go!
Adios!
You are killer
as Killer coke
Killer cola!



And hola
Righteous Selflessness.
I exper-i-ence
mystical
unity
one-ness.

One heart.
One Love.
Solidarity.

For getting together-ness
and
feeling alright-ness,

for the increasing of happiness
and the lessening of suffering,

for brotherhood,
for sisterhood,
and all that is good,

lets search for alternatives
so that
life can live, with
co-existent co-operation.

For the healing of the nations,

Come on and, lets
liberate liberation

Let her free
Let her see
Let her be

-Anthony

What is Praxis?

What is praxis? asks the masses. In the words of Bruce Luske praxis is “heads, hearts, and hands” “spreading like wild mushrooms” conscience and consciousness. How so? Through the universal flow. Through the unity, of critical theory with love in action. Like “Yab-yum” in Tibetan, it is in, essence, a union-ed representation, of female wisdom, locked in embrace with, male compassion.

Praxis is about, transformation. Praxis is about integration, of we the students in our study, purpose-ful-ly, into the en-viron-ment, and in so-cie-ty.

Praxis opens one, to hear the cries of the world, to feel the pains of other, genuinely, which is compassionate, deep empathy. When praxis exposure opens us, and has us, feeling that suffering, it vibrates within, and responsibility, organically arises. We begin to care, and we become eager to help. And this is why theory needs action, to allow us to walk the walk, after thinking the think, and talking the talk. Praxis is…to experience, to reflect, and to gain insight. To give meaning to the teachings, and to give…mean-ing to our be-ings.




Peace. Namaste blessings. and One Love, -Anthony

Reflection: Green Teen Community Garden Project

April Eighth. Two Thousand and Nine

In the Green Teen Community Garden, in their, in the works, Green house, I Helped my good friend Zenote with Green Teen Tenoya build a temperature regulator, swing open window. Tenoya is skinny, light as a feather, and likes building and architectural design. Her sole volunteering for this construction-nature of work over cleaning or gardening revealed her confidence in the defiance of societal gender norms. Right away it seems as if I had admired her for that. Zenote and I had her hammering, lifting, moving, and holding boards for us while we circular sawed them. She flowed so well with us. So cooperative and quiet, happily and genuinely interested. The clouds were dark and the weather was stormy. At one point it snowed snowflakes. Before I found gloves in the shed, my fingers became red frozen. Lengthily into the path of our project, Tenoya found her way into another garden project where constructively we observed her contributing, so we let her be and returned to work, to finish the window installation, and drill in green house structural frame supports. Within a short while, Zenote’s partner, Green Teen Coordinator, Bria White slyly asked us for our help to cut open a surprise birthday cake for our Green Teen Educator friend Robin. We lit up a double chocolate frosted with candles and song-ing for her, “Happy Birthday,” the Stevie Wonder version. We warmed her with hugs and positive vibrations. There was a true sense of love, happiness, and unity in the community when all this was happening. In need of a way to get Vassar, Zenote asked me if I could help him by riding with him to Vassar for the purposes of returning Bria’s Volvo wagon to the Family Partnerships Center. We shared a hemp waffle, avocado, coconut butter, and banana sandwich humoring about riding on bicycles locked into bike racks on top of cars. Zenote is a shining spirit. He genuinely thanked me for my help and presence. We hugged long before the fork on our path would have us traveling in different directions. Zenote left me with a feeling of true friendship, wanting to be nearer to him, especially through more Green Teen garden days. This project is a continuation of cultivating relationships whose seeds have been planted more than one year ago by now. I feel it is vitally, healthily, and meaningfully important to engage in projects and relations on the long-term rather than short-term level to allow for the various potential fruitions and blossoming to occur. Staying with Green Teen last spring, and in the summer at the Poughkeepsie Farm Project, to this springtime again, I can feel the interwoven-ness of connections that have evolutionarily developed, and are ever evolving. Returning Bria’s ride to FPC, I ran her keys up three flights of endless marble stairs to meet her at the Green Teen office room. Bria and Robin always greet you with some of the biggest smiles that you had ever seen. They told me that there was one piece of chocolate, chocolate cake with my name on it if I would like. “Of course!” Indulging, it was delicious, “They treat you well here,” is what my mind-heart said. I cleaned up the dishes and composted the fruit peels from inside my backpack. Bria was off to make a vegetable-ly dinner for Robin, so I walked her downstairs on our way out. She told me how good it was that Zenote and I connected that day. “He’s out of work, and up and down all the time lately.” She mentioned his down transforming into an up when we essentially reunited with each other out there. Zenote greatly inspires me. He is a hardest working construction worker and he is a spiritual, folklore, cultural, singer guitar player performer. I have witnessed him carry exhaustive amounts of food from his far away house down to the river to cook dinner for us with, he has told me great stories of him walking alone at night through the wild great distances, and I have crossed paths with him on his knees on the New Paltz sidewalks playing Spanish guitar with soul-force energy as if it were our last day here on earth, with two pizza slices that he had gotten, one for me, and one for my love Ella, “Hey, Come stay, sit down, eat, listen,” welcoming us he would say. And now he is in need of work, with out work, and he is helping with his hands, heart, and head to build a community garden green house for assessable to all, fresh local food access. “Is this what people are going to start doing exponentially more often, when the jobs keep vanishing, corporations poisoning our Mother and us in our food, and the scam of loans->money creation out of thin air->inflation->debt->slavery comes to an end?” Scarcity over needed resources often means war in the greed driven chase to control over them, but at the same time a common coming together, to make a better livable world possible, is another possible, possibility. This is how I see the relevance in Green Teen. There are too many oil petroleum stocks at Wall Street at stake, so the media is silent, but we are deeply listening and we an hear Mother Earth and all her creatures. They are asking us to live differently, so we, are voluntarily, adopting the lifestyle practices, of living simply so that others may simply live.

-anthony

Reflection: Food not Bombs

Tonight was Praxivist’s third Food Not Bombs. Christian at Earth Goods donated it food and drink for it. Mar helped to her surprise with the refrigeration. Earlier at six o’clock, I brought twelve eggs over to Emily’s to cook them there. She shared her time, her kitchen, plastic cups, granola bars, and bread. We made twelve golden browned egg sandwiches. They finished miraculously just minutes before meeting up with Alanna, Sam, Sam’s friend, Lauren, her sister and their friend. The coordination of all this just fell smoothly, right into place. Everyone showed up timely; we had slightly enough room in the two cars, and gracefully, an array delicious nourishment diversity. We dove on roads, through signs, through lights, then parked the cars beside the Millhouse Panda. Opening of trunks unveiled our abundance. We are privileged. We are in abundance. What are implications onto others with this abundance that we are in? Others do not have because of our abundance. We know where the food is, and we know who is, and where they are without access. Therefore it is our duty, our moral obligation, and our niche to reduce suffering, to not waste and feed the hungry, empty bellies. Arms fully full carrying boxes and bags in between traffic; we survived crossing the highway-natured street together. On a brick ledge before the grass of the First Baptist Church, we laid out the spread. Pizza squares and circles, garlic knots, pasta, breads, chips, orange juice, raisins, yogurts, granola bars, and egg sandwiches. I went up to the church steps to embrace and welcome the community there to join us. They receive us kindly, friendly, and gratefully here. The unexpectancy of it all must feel like some kind of surprise party. Within minutes people were accumulating and congregating, uniting through meal sharing. Food brings us together. Sharing it, eating it together breaks down barriers. Barriers of society’s accepted versus society’s rejected, higher class versus lower class, have versus have not, color, gender, sexual orientation, and age. The solution to many of our problems, crises, and suffering exists in un-separation, in inter-relations, inter-dependence, and interconnectedness. From far away I noticed a familiar face from crossing paths before. It was O.T. Not “Old Timer,” but “Otis Thomas.” I love that name. He is fifty-seven, sleeps beneath the walkway over the Hudson in the trellis. “Who is that? Woody the woodpecker?” He once yelled out in a disturbed sleep from jackhammer thundering construction out there. O.T. is my favorite person to see on the streets. He is lively in his energy, always with a story. This time he told me that he has been collecting cans, hiding them like squirrels do their nuts, scattering his can, bottle stashes around Poughkeepsie. For breakfast he gets a bagel and a coffee from recycling them. How earth friendly I thought. O.T. is happy to live, but ready to die. He believes in the Lord Almighty, he believes in angels, “and there are devils, so look out!” is what wisdom he gave me. I saw the cosmos mystery in his eyes. He remembered me from the last time we crossed paths on the crossroads. “Cross-roads, you get it? I’ll see you at the cross roads.” He said, looking at me with eyes that knew, that had seen, and had met. We hugged in his departure, as he left to catch the bus. All men, we are brothers. In some way, in some form I will meet him again. Many who are homeless are college educated, were skilled dedicated culinary artists, professors, or servers on tropical cruise liners. Then outsourcing happened, 9-11 happened, the economy happened. Jobs are scarce and the times are hard. People shiver around nights in the dead of winter, in countless layers. The homeless shelter does not welcome all. Sometimes there are less beds the number of heads who are in need, so cocooned outside is where some sleep. How is one expected to stay sane, to keep cool, live rightfully in health, under such societal rejections, trials, and tribulations? In retrospect, I reflect and tonight was beautiful, insightful, sunny delightful. It is clear to see that we are welcomed and appreciated by this beloved community. The dynamic is angelic. I wish to be here more often. I intend to do this again. The energy is right, and all the people are nice. All the leftovers are donated to the shelter. What would have been wasted attains meaningful purpose. Beings with gifts, gems, and high potentials are in a homeless situation. Society deeming them waste, I can only rest my head and pray for the day, which like the food, that they to will be given the opportunities, recognition, and means to attain theirs to, their accepted, meaningful purposes.

-anthony

The Civil Disobedience of Henry David Thoreau Blossoming Gandhi-an Satyagraha

Coined by Gandhi in Africa, to describe the non-violent, civil disobedient, independence movement in India, “Satyagraha” is truth-force. Seeking and teaching. The soul-force. Spirit invisible. Roots of the fruits are self-discipline, self-control, and self-purification. Con-version not co-ercion . Transformation and Liberation… all of wrongdoers. “Satyagrahi’s” are fearless lovers. Self-suffer-ers and self-sacrifice-ers. Evil eradicators. Community servers and unjust authority resisters.

In the words of Gandhi…”Why, of course I read Thoreau.” “I actually took the name of my movement from Thoreau’s essay, ‘On the Duty of Civil Disobedience.’

Thoreau and Gandhi… similar-ly rejected, and protested, and criticized interpretations of the Hindu Bible, The Gita, as a means for violence justification. Reading them often, in prison, in his newspaper, called Indian Opinion, Thoreau’s words spoke deeply to Gandhi. Impressively. Enormously. Inspirationally. Thoreau was one who also entered jail willingly, “for the sake of his principles and suffering humanity.” Thoreau philosophized that the true place for a just man is also in prison, under a government, which imprisons unjustly. Divinely, it is our duty, to resist against oppression, slavery and robbery. We should all realize this responsibility, then pledge ourselves independently. Let us not have, any longer, such evil-ous machinery.

Gandhi teaches us that being in jail is “of one’s good fortune” and in good name of one’s country and one’s religion. Going to jail is a season, for undergoing suffering, a place for fasting. For Reading, and writing. Meditation and reflection. Ultimate happiness in privation. Opportunistically a time for the purpose of perceiving the machine from a different perception.

For Gandhi, Henri. David Thorreau was a man who’s beliefs he practiced, guided by his consciousness, who confirmed the effectiveness, of societal and governmental defiance, non-violence, and non-cooperative, unjust law resistant, civil, disobedience. Thoreau was Gandhi’s encouragement, his nourish-ment for the move-ment, for the Salt March, that in flower-nature blossom, manifested… India’s Independence.

Rasta and Babylon

Babylon is ‘polytricksters’ (political tricksters), ‘downpressors’ (oppressors), and ‘downgressors’ (aggressors). Babylon is imperial, colonial powers. The vampire. Suckin’ children and suckin’ the blood of the sufferers. Men eating men. Babylon the establishment. Governments, police agents, humans, systems, institutions, and empires against the ways of God, Jah. Rastafari. In the eyes of Rasta, Babylon is wicked, the worst of evils, identifiable sin, hell on earth, real and re-vealed.

“Come we go chant down Babylon one more time” sings the honerable, Robert Nesta Marley. Rasta are rebels, soul rebels, resisters against slavery, degradation, exploitation, and humiliation. This is why rasta unkeep their hair, and wear, “natty dred, natty dred locks”. Locks are like the hair of victorious biblical Solomon. Locks are the mane of the lion. Power, strength, and freedom, wandering through the wilderness on the path of righteousness, ranging, roaming, headed towards the promised land. Dred is a way. A way of resistance, expressing grievances, spreading peace and love with confidence, and holding self together in the face of societial forces which have been aimed at tearing self into pieces and shreds.

I-and-I. We. Are all ‘Lords of Creation’. Not commodities, and not units of labor for any slavery, or any profit in pockets. Rasta never seek to be accepted in wider society, and never conform to the standards or norms of Babylon. Smoking Ganja herb sacredly is not only a spiritual ritual, but a living practice of rebellious, societal, deviance. Ganga is the smokescreen that brings into consciousness Babylon’s trickery, the poverty, brutality, and inequality. Enlightened, awakened in mind and spirit, start come off, the brainwash.

Reggae, is the healer. Heart’ically and ear’tically. Babylon will end apocalyptically, and the present order will be transformed spiritually, supernaturally, a.k.a. divine intervention-ally. Salvation is a certainty, manifested through experientially and introspectively seeking, testing, reasoning, and discerning to realize the divine book within, and to discover what is true and what is false. Rasta path is about determining events rather than being determined by them, determining who self is, and determining how self is manifested and where exactly it is, that self is going.

The refusal to be defined by, along with the stripping ourselves of material possesions allows us to see, that we, are organic beings connected with eachother, living and non-living. “I-and-I” consciousness calls for a new responsibility for ones thoughts, words, and actions. To live naturally, ‘sitting in the dust’, in rhythm, in harmony, and closeness with the creatures and the nature of our loving mother, Mother Earth.

May lightening and thunder strike the downpressors, and may peace, wisdom, and good health be rewarded to all righteously planting, cultivating, respecting, protecting, dancing, chanting, and singing…

Jah Jah love,
is like a burnin’ fire,
that keeps on burnin’, burnin’ burnin’
down in my soul

Babylon burnin’,
Babylon bur-ur-nih-ih-in’,
Babylon burnin’, burnin’ burnin’…



...and we got no wahhh-ter'.

-anthony

Recap: Spiritual Circle Discussion

This past Tuesday (10 March 2009) the Praxivists hosted a spiritual circle discussion. At the discussion, the particpants discussed their personal spirtual experience along with what effects them spiritually. After, Mike and Anthony had another discussion with Evan Pritchard about the history of religion. During the discussion, Evan gave us a diagram about the history of religion which is attached below. You can click on the image to view it on a larer scale. I hope you enjoy it. -mike

Reflection: Hare Krishna wisdom gems for Praxis Journeying

Lord Krishna,
Supreme Being,
all-attractive one,
symbolic cow finder and herder of symbolic cows.

This soul-guider, destroyer of material, selfish, and divine sin, is a shedder of wisdom, providing several gems of divine insight for us to bathe in, and consider deeply in our Praxis approaches and paths of Praxis actions.

Krishna’s council to us as Praxis peoples goes a little something like this…

Do all Praxis without seeking reward, and seek never the fruit of your Praxis. Seeking fruit rewards means putting your ego, your false self, the selfish self into your Praxis. Ego into Praxis spoils Praxis. This blinds us, and impures us, corrupting, and infecting, even when Praxis appears as if outwardly good. Do the dance of Praxis, surf its wave in harmonious peace, so that you can, act spontaneously, rhythmically, perfectly, and naturally. Spiritual practice is a pure, fresh, and clean source of rest and renewal that is often necessary for such endeavors. Be free from those… selfish desires! They are disturbers that manifest disturbances. To wherever your Praxis path leads you, be unmoved by success, and be unmoved by failure. Enjoy your Praxis, but enjoy it with detachment to whether the fruit will be good or bad, for it will be neither, as it just “will be”. Do your Praxis with your whole heart and whole soul force. Wisdom and love into praxis. Skill in action. Love into our wisdom, love into our understanding arises insight, knowledge by love. The entire creation is understood through experiencing balanced, the unity between a female named “Action” a male named “Contemplation”.

May these words be the heat of self-guidance, self-control and self-discipline. Inner heat from an inner fire. Inner fire that is in all, every single, one of our hearts, the place that is the dwelling center of those little love-lights of ours, that we all let shine. Let them shine. Let them shine. Let them shine.

-anthony

Reflection: Kagyu Blizzard Iron Wind Trip

03.02.2008.

Today there were cancellations of both work and classes. I interpreted this as a signaling to embark in journey to Kagyu. Through blizzard-ing snows and iron winds, long strides I took, fast-paced, in admiration of extreme elements. SPIRIT WIND. Breath is strength today. White particle movement reveals before me air. Resembles the cosmos.. I experience gratitude. I experience suffering. There exists an Arjuna in nature, inner battle occurring inside of me. It is paralleling of external real situations.

Balancers of experience. We are all seekers of happiness. We are all avoiders of suffering and pain.

Scarf frozen attached to the grown, unkempt beard hairs of my face. I am indoors! I come for refuge! Meet-ed and greeted. Loose green tea defrosts, un-thaws my weathered bodily surfaces and regions.

Monastery is filled with monks and nuns pouring into lamps heated butter, in the liquid state, for an EMPOWERMENT retreat, as an offering to Buddha. How aromatic, merit-ous, peaceful of a practice. Thousands are filled for future ceremonial purposes. Placed within racked shelving, butter solidifies slowly at a temperature, considered “room.”

Cleaned up the messes. Then Lekshi, Orrin, and I all ate walnut and crystallized ginger cake. Taste sensual delicacy. Sharings of wisdom and laughter. When no more was left, Orrin and I left, for the barn house, for more tea warmth, and conversation deeply.

Small bedrooms promote intimacy. Insight upon insight. Consciousness expansion…

We cry heavily when born into this world. Every orifice development is abundant with pains. This is life essence. Enlightenment is sought for the transcending of “samsara”, the endless cycle of death and rebirth, a.k.a. suffering. This realized however, life experience is not strictly suffering, with many joys and meaningful growths are to be had, in this very lifetime.

We can emulate the way of the “bodhisattva” by renouncing our own peace vow to work for the liberation of all beings, eventually attaining ENLIGHTENMENT, but being so to speak, “the last to enter into its door.” We awaken our minds, and become rooted in solid ground. This way, when we attempt to help liberate others from their drowning into spiraling quick sands, we will better be able when not in spiraling quick sands ourselves.

In coexisting interdependently among others, all help in the fundamental understanding of “us” as individuals, and “us” as we are collective. Saints, lovers, healers… killers, rape-ers, drug junkies, material chasers, and being harmers. We are all the opportunity for us all to practice our practice with. Our PRAXIS with. All are vehicles. All are helping in the ELEVATION OF CONSCIOUSNESS. Helped by all we understand. INTER-CONECTEDNESS. Ego, BIG I dissolvent. One-ness. Bliss.

Suffering inevitable.
All beings
suffering on and off
inescape-ably.
We all ought to be understanding of all others,
of their suffering.

For being a sufferer myself,
I intend to practice
and intent to cultivate
patience,
understanding,
compassion,
and love onto others,
onto which
are in many various forms suffering,
spectrum-ing
from
radically differing,
to mirroring
similarly
alike.

-anthony

MadLib: Praxivist Warrior

Anthony, Sam, and Mike did this MadLib about their praxivist friend Jaimee who is studying abroad this semester. All the additions are in green!...

Jaimee DePompeo is no joke, a praxivist warrior. When her consciousness became aware about Food Not Bombs she fasted for four-hundred and twelve trillion days. She arised compassion in many others, and even became skinnier than Gandhi did. When Docter Mar showed her a short about Thoreau she became graciously inspired. So much so, that she dumpster-dived an elephant sized wood just so she could spread the message “Resist Mc-Domination!” all over this land. Change manifested. It blossomed like a sun flower. Separate became unity. Beauty in her, radiated outward, and happily ever after, liberated in laughter, THE ENTIRE KINGDOM CREATURE COMMUNITY. So next time you see this prophet in person, give her a hug or a high-ten. Heighten and enlighten. All right then!

Peace
-Anthony
-Mike
-Sam

Poem: Conscious All Versus American Capital “M” dash “Pyre”

[Conscious All:]
Invader!
Raider of turf!
Why must you kill
all the creatures
and Earth?
Where inside
it
are you find-
ing
any worth?
We demand
you disarm
all us be-ings,
we are hurt!

[M-Pyre:]
Aww,
come on now!
You ought to better know me.
I gotta gotta eat
more of
them resource-ceez.

Cause the only highest power
that my eyes can see
Is a mighty common acronym,
“G” to the “O”
Tuh’ tuh’ the “D”

[ Conscious Chorus:]
For the Gold, Oil, Drugs is why
He’s spreading the blood
For the Gold, Oil, Drugs is why
He’s spreading the blood
For the Gold, Oil, Drugs is why
He’s spreading the blood

[Conscious All:]
Elite!
This thug
Is American!
Capital letter “M” dash “Pyre!”
Napalmed grand mom’s
in Vietnam
and melted
skeletons
on fire!
Possesed by his possessions,
Expansions
All he
Desires

[Conscious Chorus:]
M-Pyre!,
On you a demon made a spell!
M-Pyre!,
Truth, all your hurt-
ing is yourself!
M-Pyre!,
Should share it good
Share your wealth!
M-Pire!,
We pray for you,
To soon get well.

[M-Pyre:]
Conscious all,
all
yall
is no victims
in this
system.
You got to feel my ism’s!
Capital,
political,
military,
industrial.
Connected by all them
chords umbilical.
Live life in a bubble,
and don’t knock my hustle.
Any questioning
of the weaponing,
out in public
I will call you…
unpatriotic-al!

[Conscious All:]
M,
hold up now,
just for one minute.
We here you propaganda,
but we just don’t dig it!
So get out of town.
Please take the next train or bus,
cause’ your nuclear arms have been toxic-ing us,
And you’re ish’ outta’ luck,
cause we mean
most serious.

Hands,
hearts,
heads…
Please spread
like on bread
with peanut butter
these truths
to many others…
Thank us
will our Earth Mother
when we
wake up and love her.
And end
will many suffers
when we
all free each other.

And end
will many suffers
when we
all free each other.

-anthony

Approaching a creature named PrAxiS

When approaching non-thing named Praxis…

For the insights for this one thanks be to
-Ram Dass
Approach is your attitude, your state of being, your frame of mind/heart/soul when participating, publicly serving, helping, or promoting any form of life in community. It is mindful to wanting to understand others, being open to being helped, and to receive as well as to learn. Percieving our”selves” as separate “selves” often obstructs us from being generous. Feeling unity and one-ness in our approaches can counter obstructions, increasing our potential to be generosity. Loneliness, angriness, and powerlessness feelings may manifest helping efforts to gain intimacy, power, control, etc. Catering to our own needs may lessen our abilities to serve others. Help others as they truly are, whole and complete. When you are seeing, see wholly. Although in some situations this is unavoidable, generally try avoiding the roles of active helper and passive helped. For attachment to roles is limiting to our outreach. Approach with intentions to destroy, but create. Not to separate, but to unify. To heal wounds. In all seriousness be humorous, have a trip when you uplift. Utilize your inner-most gifts and spread shining light, illuminating as the sun, when you approach praxis. In our beings is every non-thing, the universe, for us to disperse all around affecting the world every moment, whether we mean to or not. In essence, our actions and our states of mind matter, because we are so deeply interconnected with one another.
“I would say that the thrust of my life has been initially about getting free, and then realizing that my freedom is not independent of everybody else. Then I am arriving at that circle where one works on oneself as a gift to other people so that one doesn't create more suffering. I help people as a work on myself and I work on myself to help people.”- Ram Dass

-anthony

Poem: A Peaceful Heart (Inspired by Thay, a.k.a. Thich Nhat Hanh)

If we are anger
We a living in hell
What we put into our minds
Brings us
To where we are
Our own weapons are…
Prejudice, fear, and ignorance
Working for peace is
Uprooting roots from
Within us and others
What of us others ask…
Give
There are always ways to
Solve our problems
Always ways
Without killing
The person we call our “enemy”
Is also suffering
Deeply
When we
See
This we
Have the capacity
To love
We have compassion for
And accept one another
“Enemies” are illusions
They are individuals who are
Suffering and greatly need our compassion
Forgiveness is
The fruit of awareness
Forgive kindly
Mindfully
It will allow you to see
Root causes that lead to them
To suffering
This occurs naturally
And this allows
Compassion
To be given

-anthony

Lesson is “The Roots of War”…

Consciousness is collective
The president is us
We are responsible in our
Support for love and understanding
We cannot be supporting
Of violence, hatred, anger, or fear
War causes suffering unto everyone
Its wounds are deep
In our souls
Is war
In us is toxicity
Society has become infected with illness
Not being happy enough
We need to begin with practicing
Peace, joy, and happiness,
Mindfulness within ourselves
Being in touch
With what is refreshing
And healing inside all around
Will transform the seeds of war
Within us collectively
By perceiving and doing
We influence others
Transformation
Is possible
We are all co-responsible

What we fill society with
Manifests into
What is inside society

-anthony

Poem: Citizen Ship

Soul journeying
Across universe’s space
Inter-depend-ed
On inter-connections
We are citizens
In a ship

Harmless
Standing under
So that others uplift-ed
How high they are shining
On us they are sun

Love one
Teach one
See one another
As one

Help all others
For the benefit of all beings
The conscious-ness
The cultural collective
Spiritual village

Humans
Right and left ten fingers in unity
We as privileged members giving back in society
Response-ing
Able-ly and willing-ly

Theraputical remedies
Healing inner and outer
Natures in need

Pollinate harmony
Pure waters
Disobeying-ly
Cease hell fire civilly

The force
The source
Positive energy
The creative ingredient
That disrupts injustice

In-volve
En-gage
En-lighten
Inter-be

Seek Truth
Speak Truth
Act Truth accordingly
Publicly
Non-violently
Like Jesus
Like King
Nhat Hanh
And Gandhi
Being the change that you wish to see

Reuse
Reduce
Recycle
Respect
Repair
The world

Change her
Care for her
Pour local
And global
Community all over her
Be a vessel
For spreading the light
Get up, get out,
And stand up for your rights

Share
Serve
Plant
Vigil
And sing

Liberation
Alleviation
Solutions
Revolution

Cultivated
and
Gravitated
Towards higher realms
Higher states and
Higher planes

All on board together
Rocket shipping
In the cosmos
We are tripping

Roots oriented
In the right directions
Unique are our perceptions
On our individual paths
We are practicing
Citizens in a ship

-anthony

Equality Equals Equal

02.04.09.


Today when I was delivering letters from Christopher, from Kolkata, from India, I crossed paths with Emily and Lauren on the third floor in the library, and they were engaging with others, English as a Second Language-ing. With there being a near hour before tutor mentoring at the Newburgh Free Academy, I decided organically to join the group. My intentions at first were only to observe. Well, the man I seated next to looked in appearance just like the custodian man that raised his vocals at me when I unmindfully walked across his freshly mopped hallway earlier this week. But I was uncertainly unsure. In the meanwhile, this man was radiating a sense of welcoming from within him. Not before too long my dormant observing him proceed along with ease, then misspell words, and sit pondering, evolved into a friendly greeting, manifesting into working cooperatively together.

His name was Douglass and we thought each other were funny. I liked his nature, and felt as if, if he were that custodian man, I felt reconciled, a reoccurring pattern that has been present in my life lately, especially in meditation, dreams, and prayer to the powers that be. Douglass has a basic rooting in his understanding of the English language. I comprehend him when he communicates verbally, and the way he writes is well. Presently he is practicing developing his grammatical skills writing. It was a pleasure to work together with him. We shared happiness and wisdom.

Emily had contributed sentence structure along with verb tenses worksheets, so we spend our time together in such a way. Douglass encountered with balance, struggle and ease. For the most part he had it, so I would help him when he got stuck, or reassure him when he was in doubt, or cheer him along when he was sailing on. We were so immersed in it, and before we even knew, everyone else there was packing their belongings to leave. Douglass, grounded in his chair, unready to depart, noticed a word he became curious about. He had heard the President Barack Obama say it repeatively, and the word was “equal.” Mi amigo asked me what the president meant when he said that? And I responded in the essense of…”Equal is a word that means “the same.” When the president is saying it, he is talking about equality. Equal rights, equal opportunity, and equal treatment that he wishes to be the same for all. Everyone. Just like you and I should both experience equality equally.” Douglass laughed happily. Pencil across paper, he wrote in a sentence…”We are all equal.” “I like that word” he said.

Equanimity is the Buddhist concept that Douglass revealed in his life presence to me. Cultivating equanimity is to love and accept all. It begins with becoming loving and accepting of all of the qualities within oneself. Practice expands this love and acceptance to encompass all beings and creatures. To love all like you would your own mother, and not to decrease the love for your mother to such depths, but to elevate love for all to reach such highest heights.

All love
Loving all
All for love
Love for all

-anthony

Reflection: Kagyu Thubten Choling Tibetan Monestary

Sunday, Jan 25:
Celebration of Chinese New Year 2009
5 Hrs.

After lengthily journeying on foot from Vassar through Poughkeepsie, to its train station that transported me to Newburgh, I began yet another embarkment, to revisit Kagyu Thubten Choling Tibetan Buddhist Monastery. The walk was beautiful, littered with trees, and the frigid air was fresh feeling in lungs. The birds sang near today. I discovered a fallen, elongated, brown peas in a pod, which primitively became my shaker instrument. Walked and walked and walked and walked. I was relating in my mind to Carlo Carretto trekking, suffering, revalate-ing, and being empowered by spirit across Earth Mother’s Golden sands. And as Food Not Bombs Keith McHenry would say, “What a trip!”
This is a season of my life which has been highly spiritual in nature. Recently, I had a dream about reuniting with a long-lost friend who I used to negatively, and regularly conflict with. The dream was flowery. My friends name is Armin, and we were brotherly in love with each other in the dream I had. I was shown the fruits of my refuge in Buddha and the feeling that I felt was warmth. Buddha in my heart more opened, right mind and intentions have seemingly been expanding, pollinating, and blossoming. By Chogyam Trungpa , I have just read, Shambalah: The Sacred Path of The Warrior. I am yet not one, but I feel as if I am becoming. My intentions of visiting Kagyu are to be among warriors embodying gentleness, authenticity, fearless love, and selflessness. Trungpa’s “crazy wisdom” taught me that “drala,” or invoke-able magic, fearless love, begins from cleansing and purifying one’s self inner-ly. I intend to cultivate internal drala at Kagyu for the benefit of other beings. Drala, in its nature, once unfolding internally will manifest externally. First in the home, then in the family, and the final realm, that is community, for a more enlightened society.
At last when I arrived at Kagyu, I was greeted by nuns, and monks, and long lost friends. I was told that today was a very special day for me to be there, for it was Chinese New Year, o-nine, celebration. They told me of how they were just talking about me yesterday in remembrance of our cave chambers meditation retreat one year ago. Their greetings and expressions revealed to me that I am welcomed and loved here. Before I could ask my question, “How can I help?,” They were already asking me, for out of grace, it was in need. How spiritually this had occurred. Not before long we found ourselves out in the snows gathering, loading, transporting, unloading, and axe splitting firewood. There was a fire ceremony underway. In interconnectedness, collectively we made two fire pit sites. We made mountains of stacked, axed wood and placed crumbled, old papers within cracks. Out of necessity, the others had to leave and I was asked to complete jamming in papers. I found peace in solitude. Also, I found a special book in the garbage called Dharma Practice. I opened, and message from inside it read “Go now for the welfare and happiness of the man, out of compassion for the world, for the good, happiness, and welfare of gods and humans.” I am blessed to be here.
Came three o’clock and it was time to begin the Six-Armed Chadrupa Practice. Many gathered in the colorfully, radiant shrine. I prostrated to Buddah, then sat on a meditation mat facing the leading monks, and Lama Norla Rinpoche
A nun kindly gave me a booklet to follow along chanting, as we began the Mahakala (protector) prayers. Mahakalas are performed to clear away obstacles from the last year, to liberate us form them in the New Year to come. This was my second time following along chanting in Tibetan. Chanting is quick in speed, and challenging. I discovered that by following this symbol “/,” as a guide, I can follow along a little better, getting lost less often.
The chanting practice completed with a blessing and an offering of New Year’s medicine from Lama Norla. While I was waiting to receive, my friend David (who reminds me of Snow Lion when he meditates) and I were asked to help with the oiling of the fire pits outside as soon as we were finished. Neither of us were prepared with the proper white clothes, but a kind elder man had an abundance of them, and generously shared with us, making well sure that all were welcomed and included. I watched and learned how to approach, greet, receive, and depart until our turn eventually neared at the end of the line. Over the years I have heard so many special things about Lama Norla, and I have seen him wave smiling from afar, but this was the first time truly meeting him, a warrior, and I was livened in gratitude. Approaching mindfully in my steps, I felt his comfort illuminating the shrine, and I was not anxious or nervous, as I had expected to be. A true revealer of how the fruits of practice effect others. I kneeled down before him and his smile widened as his face wrinkled. “How are you?” He said it so genuinely. “Well,” I said, “How are you?” And he mothering-ly took the white cloth draping it to rest atop my shoulders, held my head in his hands, bent us both down in a bow, touching his balded forhead gently to mine, placed medicine crumbles in my palm, and gestures my depart with motion and golden smile. Felt nirvana. Love, happiness, and peace radiating in all ten directions.
Feeling high as the sky, David and I slipped outside from the shrine, to oil bless fires. David is experienced as a blesser, so I observed silently and appreciated. The pits were ignited and The Sür, Evening Fire Offering Ceremony was now happening. “Sür” is an offering to the 4 guests: the Buddhas & Bodhisattvas; Protectors; sentient beings; and those with whom we have karmic debts. It averts obstacles and sickness and is dedicated to those who are dying, beings in the Bardo realm suffering, and to beings with whom to which we have karmic debts. Thubten, which means “teacher” in Tibetan, described this to me to be in the essence of a celebration party for the deities. And that indeed it was.
Everyone reunited outside the monastery kitchen to continue chanting and be handed to carry giant food arrangements, beers, wines, and sodas into to the burning fires. Wasteful? I had these thoughts. Hey, they are always eating mindful small portions here I replied. Food and drink are of great need and desire to many suffering, and here we were offering them up like crazy. This is entirely new to me. Accept or un-accept? I thought of the holistic nature of the day, and the way of life at Kagyu, and my mind-heart opened to see it as an act of love through non-attachment, and self-less sharing. Beverages poured onto snow, circling rocks, and smoldering coals. Immaculate uncooked linguine designs, mountain berries from Tibet, and oranges with tooth-pic umbrellas in them, all in to the fires. Deities, we are in love with you, thank you for your presensce.
The day concluded in socialization while snaking on goldfish crackers. Since the monks live in the way of ahimsa, or harmlessness, they joked about liking the eating of these artificial animals. There is a great sense of humor there that I love to be around. Especially Lekshi, who will ask me questions such as, “How is your life?” Then when I respond “Good” he will say “You’re not supposed to have a wife! I asked about you wife not your life!” Lekshi is an amazing throat singer as well as a wealth of wisdom. He taught me to metaphorically not go through life focusing only one of my hands, but to witness the larger picture. We talked about the mysticism of Thomas Merton this time. I learned of his enlightened qualities along with his spiritual transformation and eastern journey. I relate to Merton in my similar roots in the church, and current journey into mystical and eastern worlds. Interestingly, I learned that Merton was to give a monumental speech on socialism and religion, just shortly after the time of his death.

Prophets get stoned
In history see
Jesus taught we
To hate not, but love them enemies
Oppressors,
Murderers
Torturers
And Infectors
You true nature is goodness
But has been misguided
A world divided
Is only illusion
One-ness through union
Manifests liberation
Erase
The hate
With a giant’s eraser
Now before later
Awake up
To join hands
Together one people
Together one land

-anthony