Sue Lowry
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The issue on my mind is the travesty of so many federal employees being fired and let go even tho they are (were) doing exemplary work. I am most familiar with the natural resources fields, although I know the firings are pervasive throughout departments. For the probationary employees just starting their careers, I know how hard it is to get a career path job in the natural sciences. To have gotten a federal job and then be blindsided by DOGE (a ridiculous way of doing business if cutting waste is your true intent, in my opinion), seems so heartbreaking. But those on probation, by definition haven’t been on the job all that long. The situation that is causing my gut to wrench is a friend and colleague who worked on contract for a federal employee. She is an outstanding person, doing amazing work (with Native American Tribes). She was given no notice, just told that her contract was terminated immediately. So unfair and wrong. And I doubt her example is an isolated case.
My contemplation with the Four Reminders led me down a couple of paths. One is to recognize that getting fired is less permanent than an untimely death, so I guess that’s a positive. The other is the 3rd reminder that actions have consequences. I am so disappointed in all the enabling that is happening whether in Congress, the courts, etc, but the 3rd reminder gives me hope that the negative impact of the wrongs happening currently “won’t be denied” and some level of decency can return.
Conversation with John Muir for BBB
I have chosen John Muir as the person with whom I would like to have a conversation. While my Buddhist spiritual path, including taking the Refuge and Boddhisattva vows, provide the North Star for my journey in this realm, the core of my spirit revolves around nature and being in the great outdoors. Muir also felt his home was the mountains and where he felt the “presence of the divine in nature”. My questions to him will focus on some of his more famous quotes—ones that from my perspective have Buddhist nature.
Me: Although Buddhism didn’t have a large following in the United States during your lifetime, I’d like for you to reflect on some of your more famous quotes and pontificate on how they could be interpreted with a Buddhist lens.Quote A: “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.”
In Buddhism, the concept of emptiness has been interpreted to mean that nothing stands alone, that all is connected. This was exactly the point I was making based on my time spent in my beloved mountains and observing nature.
Quote B: “Most people are on the world, not in it — have no conscious sympathy or relationship to anything about them — undiffused, separate, and rigidly alone like marbles of polished stone, touching but separate”.
In Buddhism, those that take the Bodhisattva vow are to be commended, as in my experience, most humans just bumble through their lives and don’t live in the present sufficiently to really grasp how their lives intermingle with those around them. Nor do they live their lives to improve the life of those around them.
Quote C: “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings”
Me: Mr. Muir—your love of wilderness, the mountains and nature has really spoken to me. You said that even when you were with your family in San Francisco, you felt your “home” was the mountains. You also said that you felt closest to God when you were in Nature. Thank you for your writings and sharing your insights with future generations who find solace in nature and the great outdoors. You are an inspiration to me.PS—I want to acknowledge that John Muir, during his life, made inappropriate comments pertaining to Native Americans and Black Americans. I do not in any way condone these comments, but am focusing on his essays on nature, what wilderness meant to him, and his legacy of support for national parks and other public lands in the U.S.
Hi Betsy–Thank you so much for showing us and then sharing what the items on your shrine symbolize for you during our Saturday discussion. It’s such a nice tie to your ancestors, to your children/grandchildren and to your spiritual practice. Blessings!
When I have the time, I complete 15-20 minutes of Yoga prior to sitting in meditation and consider the movement an offering of centering prior to heading to the cushion. I found my way to a deeper meditation practice and Buddhism via Yoga over 25 years ago. After practicing the asanas (movement poses) for awhile, I became interested in Yoga philosophy, which shares many tenets with Buddhism (and feel this is a part of my lineage of my practice). When I take my seat, I ring a Tibetan bowl 3 times (to symbolize the 3 Jewels–another offering). I then chant the Four Dharmas of Gampopa (requesting blessings) before sitting in shikantaza meditation for whatever time I have that day.
I have enjoyed others’ posting about their shrines. I’m pretty much a minimalist and don’t have many sentimental nor kinky-knacky items in my spaces. Perhaps that’s one reason I “resonate” more with opening my meditation session with the ringing of a Tibetan bowl rather than lighting candles, although I do sometimes light incense. I split my time between 2 homes and at the main one, do have a shrine of sorts set up, but these discussions have led me to decide it needs a good refresh once I’m back at that space. Currently I am at the seasonal home, which we purchased furnished. The prior owners were not quite hoarders, but certainly not minimalists, so the few decorative items here are carryovers from the prior owners–after getting rid of lots. Our two BBB sessions have led me to contemplate more what constitutes a “shrine” and over the past few days I have come to view some of these carryover items as inspiration rather than someone else’s left overs. Rather than creating a kitchen shrine from something new, I am feeling blessings coming from the items we chose to keep when we only retained a few items that spoke to us from the prior owner and the rest went to the Goodwill (or Deseret here in Utah!).
But I do believe that ritual is important and brings about deeper practice. I have made attempts on and off to chant the Heart Sutra as part of my routine practice and am inspired to revisit this again.
For me, Hinayana is the essence of getting to the cushion. It’s the self imposed discipline to make the time to meditate, to sense the breath in the body, to follow the out breath into the ether. But Hinayana seems to concentrate on “me” and how I’m doing the meditation. After many, many sits, I felt ready for allowing the broadening (I prefer broader vehicle to “greater” which seems to have a judgmental aspect to it) of my practice to other beings besides myself. Although I have taken the Bodhisattva vow, I have a long, long ways (perhaps many lives) to go toward progress of finding/giving compassion to other sentient beings. And as for vajrayana, I enjoy the mental exercise of reading Chogyam Trungpa, but admit I have a very superficial understanding, but look forward to discovering more of the magic!
Hi fellow journeyers! My name is Sue Lowry and I spilt time living between Cheyenne Wyoming and Huntsville, Utah. I have been a member of the OHP for several years and find Susan’s teachings so accessible and pertinent. I have taken the refuge and Bodhisattva vows with Susan and Micheal Carroll. I very much look forward to studying with each of you in the course!
