2010 started busy and shows no signs of becoming less buy any time soon. Job Stuff I’m now nearly five months into my new job at FINE Design Group. I’ve launch one project for Blackstone Winery and will launch another one shortly. In addition to my programming work at FINE, I’ve also been able to …
My Practice is Following the Breath in My Body
One of the ways to start sanzen (private interview with the teacher) is to state what your zazen practice is. There are several techniques one can employ during zazen. Your teacher will often suggest a particular technique based on what she knows about you and the state of your Zen practice. Some of the most …
"They were just love"
I’m in the middle of reading Zadie Smith’s On Beauty. The novel centers around the Belsey family, Zora of which is the eldest, followed by Jerome and then Levi. The latter bit of narration nearly brought me to tears because it so elegantly captures how I feel about my own three brothers. People talk about …
2010 Goals
Yes, it’s the obligatory “resolutions” post. These are not in any particular order. Do Zazen (Meditate) Everyday Finding, or rather making the time to sit is a real challenge for me. Particularly after I haven’t sat for a while. My monkey mind generates a thousand different reasons why I can’t sit still with myself for …
The Year in Review: 2009
What did Christie do in 2009? Briefly: I said goodbye to a good friend, moved in with my beloved, got even more involved in the awesomeness that is the Portland tech community, practiced some Zen, and found a new job. For the long version of the above, keep reading… 2009 started out with a quiet …
Inside of Grief is Great Love
During a recent discussion with my Zen cohort, someone mentioned that inside of grief is great love. I had never thought about grief in this way before. I had always thought of it in strictly negative terms and not as originating from positive emotion. I’ve worked a lot with grief. There are ways in which …
Precept 5: I Vow Not to Misuse Drugs or Alcohol, But to Keep the Mind Clear
In preparation for receiving the precepts next week, I’ve been writing about what each precept means to me. This is the sixth post in series of six about the Five Grave Precepts. You might want to read the introductory post if you haven’t already. Buddhists tend to have great disagreement about this precept. Some view …
Precept 4: I Vow Not to Lie, But to Speak the Truth
In preparation for receiving the precepts next week, I’ve been writing about what each precept means to me. This is the fifth post in series of six about the Five Grave Precepts. You might want to read the introductory post if you haven’t already. “I will honor honesty and truth, I will not deceive.” What …