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Finally we come to the conclusion that form is just form and emptiness is just emptiness, which has been described in the sutra as seeing that form is no other than emptiness, emptiness is no other than form ; they are indivisible. We see that looking for beauty or philsophical meaning to life is merely a way of justifying ourselves, saying that things are not so bad as we think. Things are as bad as we think! Form is form, emptiness is emptiness, things are just what they are and we do not have to see them in the light of some sort of profundity. Finally we come down to earth, we see things as they are. This does not mean having an inspired mystical vision with archangels, cherubs and sweet music playing. But things are seen as they are, in their own qualities. So shunyata in this case is the complete absence of filters of any kind, the absence even of the "form is empty" and "emptiness is form" conceptualization. It is a question of seeing the world in a direct way without desiring "higher" consciousness or significance or profundity. It is just directly perceiving things literally, as they are in their own right. --- There is a story that when the Buddha gave his first discourse on shunyata, some of the arhats had heart attacks and died from the impact of the teaching. In meditation these arhats had experienced absorption in space, but they were still dwelling upon space. Inasmuch as they were still dwelling upon something, there was still an experience and an experiencer. The shunyata principle involves not dwelling upon anything, not distinguishing between this and that, being suspended nowhere. --- If we see things as they are, then we do not have to interpret or analyze them further ; we do not need to try to understand things by imposing spiritual experience or philosophical ideas upon them. --- The interpretation of shunyata which we have been discussing is the view of the Madhyamika or "Middle Way" philosophical school founded by Nagarjuna. It is a description of an experiental reality which can never be accurately described because words simply are not the experience. In fact, it is dubious that one can even speak of "experiencing" reality, since this would imply a separation between the experiecer and the experience. And finally, it is a questionable whether one can even speak of "reality" because this would imply the existence of some objective knower outside and separate from it, as though reality were a nameable thing with set limits and boundaries. Thus the Madhyamika school simply speaks of the tathata, "as it is". Nagarjuna much preferred to approach truth by taking the arguments of other philosophical schools on their own terms and logically reducing them ad absurdum, rather than by himself offering any defnitions of reality. --- Chogyam Trungpa / Shambhala Publications
It's always a treat when you can find peonies in the stores here. It's generally not cold enough to grow them here.
Between film choice, camera operation and especially self-developing, it's hard to be sure you've gotten all the factors right. In this case, though, the contrast between lights and darks and overall sharpness tells me I must be exposing/developing/agitating enough. I think.
Fireworks started at 10:30. Way past bedtime. Oscar loved them. Now he expects fireworks every time we go there.
Finally unlocked the female cheerleaders in Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 so I had to take this picture in my mood of shaky accomplishment (trying hard to beat that last stage + yayness at beating it = SHAKYNESS XD)
Also the animation when the kitty starts dancing with the pompoms with them is so cute. xD
We've been waiting for signs like this for years. Too many tourists roaming up and down the aisles while the game is on.
Try to ignore the fact this isn't exactly in focus. I really need to give in and start using the flash indoors.
The oven broke halfway through making dinner, but then it got kind of fixed. It was a Christmas miracle.
Finally!!! A few successes...
I reached my goal of pumping 600 mls per 24 hours, which outpaces her
by three or four bottles a day. And that also means that if all goes
well tonight, I only have to pump seven times tomorrow.
And...
I found a position where Lucy is happy while I pump, which is resting
on my knees. Yesterday I was feeding her a bottle just below my chin
with these crazy plastic armature draining my breasts. UPS called. In
fact, USPS knocked on the door today while in an almost identical
position. No wonder I almost fell asleep sitting straight up.
One day I will laugh about all of this. I already have an art project
in mind. Doesn't that mean it's in the process of resolving itself?
Let's hope so.
After being stopped at the Downers Grove signal for almost 2 hrs to wait for the Amtrak rush, Metras, and several freights, this intermodal is finally on the move east on Main 2 with two H1 leaders.