T*C*B*

(For those of you who aren't Elvis fans, "TCB," is "Taking Care of Business.")

It's Sunday morning- not a cloud in the sky and mild outside. I woke up this morning for meditation and breakfast...so it's 10 am and I've been up about 4 hours. My bedtime is around 9 pm, so I'm pretty ready to roll out of bed when the alarm goes off at 6.

This week has been focused on studying Madhyamika (in and outside of class). I've carved out a little space in the Deer Park library and really enjoyed going there in the afternoons. My morning class is about half way through and I'm absolutely in love with this text and the philosophy that it represents and is explaining.

Buddhist philosophy has a very specific function. It serves to deepen your understanding of the buddhist View (what they "believe in") in order to strengthen your practice (i.e. meditation). Each different "school" of buddhist philosophy represents each of our emotions. So, it's not just to become a "scholar" or just intellectually understand something for the sake of knowing.

I love that! Also, this particular text (which translates to mean "The Middle Way")- has NO view! (i.e. it is neither eternalist nor nihilist)

It leaves your mind with NOTHING to cling to...which, to an unenlightened mind is just incomprehensible. HAHA.

You can see why I'm reading other commentaries on it outside of class....

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A couple came to study in the yoga course at Deer Park this week. They're visiting from Richmond, VA. They're about my age and the guy knows a boy I grew up with in Clifton...also, his father owns a restaurant in Centreville (where my dad's clinic is). Everyone I've met here I've had such strong karmic connection with. :)

No sign of Richard this week- perhaps he's found another bathroom to frequent...strangely, I find myself disappointed when I don't seem him every night. It's amazing how the mind can attach itself to the most unexpected things.

Paragliders from all over the world are here for the world championships, but there aren't actually as many as I imagined there'd be.

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I'm really settled in here and it's so beautiful...I am grateful to wake up here every day.



LOVE