Thirty years but whose counting

November 18, 2004

KK or Alton

It was over thirty years ago when I realized that there was more to me than

the conversation that persists in my mind. I don't know if it was Alpert/Das

and 'Be Here Now' The Yogi Autobiography or perhaps mind altering

substances. The pursuit of that connection to a greater something has

continued ever since. Yoga happens most days, reading about dozens of

mystics renews my faith, and sitting to discover the source of breath

appears to bring me close to 'whatever that other side of me is'. However,

when I'm done sitting I always wonder whether the moments of silence were

the tip of the infinite or some kind of upward sleeping. Either way, it

makes me smile and it seems like something I should keep doing.

Vegetarianism is one obsession I have not adopted. I quit 'junk food' years

ago, herbal tea typically takes the place of coffee and the meat is

generally fish or chicken, but if someone serves beef when I am a guest most

of it gets consumed. I poke fun at friends that say they 'practice' medicine

or 'practice' law; when will they quit practicing and really start their

profession. I guess we are just practicing self-realization. Some day we may

be professionals... or maybe not. If they ever cease to exist, I will miss

the sunrise of a crisp morning and the hugs I get from family and close

friends.

Namaste.

Mike

November 19, 2004

Realization]

KK or AltonIt was over thirty years ago when I realized that there was more to me thanthe conversation that persists in my mind. I don't know if it was Alpert/Dasand 'Be Here Now' The Yogi Autobiography or perhaps mind alteringsubstances. The pursuit of that connection to a greater something hascontinued ever since. Yoga happens most days, reading about dozens ofmystics renews my faith, and sitting to discover the source of breathappears to bring me close to 'whatever that other side of me is'. However,when I'm done sitting I always wonder whether the moments of silence werethe tip of the infinite or some kind of upward sleeping. Either way, itmakes me smile and it seems like something I should keep doing.

Beautifully expressed, mahalo.

Vegetarianism is one obsession I have not adopted. I quit 'junk food' yearsago, herbal tea typically takes the place of coffee and the meat isgenerally fish or chicken, but if someone serves beef when I am a guest mostof it gets consumed. I poke fun at friends that say they 'practice' medicineor 'practice' law; when will they quit practicing and really start theirprofession. I guess we are just practicing self-realization. Some day we maybe professionals... or maybe not. If they ever cease to exist, I will missthe sunrise of a crisp morning and the hugs I get from family and closefriends.Namaste.MikeI learned my lesson 25 years ago not to power my beliefs on others. My wife generally rules the roost but she went along with all our initiations and strict vegetarian vow with no eggs. Then our grandson was born who was not supposed to be born because the doctor told his mom never to have kids due to kidney disease. He had a rough time eliminating all the drugs his mother had to take and the vegetarian diet did not suit him even though we had consultations with a macrobiotic practitioner on the mainland. Then my wife saw Just Natural's kids who looked unhealthy and retarded. Just Natural is or was the fruitarian guy and I guess he imposed it on his kids also. Well my wife said that is enough. The joke was on me because I got so weak that I not only could not walk a few blocks without being exhausted, but our blood pressure was so low that the Chinese acupuncturist said we are too weak for acupuncture.

Well I still feel that killing animals is dead wrong so all I can do it keep trying something else of enduring my suffering mental states that arise eating flesh.

I am not trying to convince anyone that vegetarianism is the right thing to do, I am just expressing my mental tendencies that have been screwed up with that unfulfilled desire.

We also used to collect cow dung for our garden at the local dairy. We shoveled it in the cow pasture and one day when we went there the cows were making this grieving sound like they were crying out loud, hundreds of them. Then we saw that one of them died. It was like humans that had a terrible loss of some family members. So I wonder how I can eat flesh knowing the pain and fear

that they experience when we kill them.

Thanks Mike for the friendship and dialogue.

Alton or KK

November 19, 2004

AUM

Namaste, my fellow bhikshus and bhikshunis,

I have one request of you at this time: can you let me know if you are able to receive attachments through this site... i.e., if I sent you an attachment, like I did the other day, did you/could you/would you receive it/them?

The reason I ask is that yesterday I spent some time composing an e-reply to you, AltonKK, and when I was ready to send it, discovered that either had crashed or the server, through which I can communicate during the day, had disconnected from without my knowledge and all the message was lost.

What I would like to do, instead, is to reply in an MSWord document and send that with a short message such as this.

Is that something that you, Rob, and the rest of you in this Sanga would be agreeable to or capable of participating in?

Thanks for your replies.

There is some crucial information regarding KK and the coming season that I need to share with you, but am now "gun shy" using this means of communication.

Should I be concerned? Having heart-felt words disappear into the "ozone" is disappointing. I can try again... but, well.... Perhaps you all might have a suggestion for me to avoid losing correspondence in the making.

Thank you.

Aum mani padme hum...

Dipamkara

November 19, 2004

Dear Dipamkara:

stopped allowing attachents on the Net but those on emails get

them. You can post them in the FILES section. It works best if you

put stuff on Word so everyone can get it, but sending to the group

on MS Word I dont think would send to messages.

You can always email me privately at unbound

The invite is for all members except spammers.

With all the blessings of the Universal Mind and Cybewarness.

Namaste,

Alton aka KK

Realization , Derek Taulman

<satbhaktanha> wrote:

> AUM

> Namaste, my fellow bhikshus and bhikshunis,

> I have one request of you at this time: can you let me know if

you are able to receive attachments through this site... i.e., if I

sent you an attachment, like I did the other day, did you/could

you/would you receive it/them?

> The reason I ask is that yesterday I spent some time composing an

e-reply to you, AltonKK, and when I was ready to send it, discovered

that either had crashed or the server, through which I can

communicate during the day, had disconnected from without my

knowledge and all the message was lost.

> What I would like to do, instead, is to reply in an MSWord

document and send that with a short message such as this.

> Is that something that you, Rob, and the rest of you in this Sanga

would be agreeable to or capable of participating in?

> Thanks for your replies.

> There is some crucial information regarding KK and the coming

season that I need to share with you, but am now " gun shy " using

this means of communication.

> Should I be concerned? Having heart-felt words disappear into

the " ozone " is disappointing. I can try again... but, well....

Perhaps you all might have a suggestion for me to avoid losing

correspondence in the making.

> Thank you.

> Aum mani padme hum...

> Dipamkara

November 23, 2004

> What I would like to do, instead, is to reply in an MSWord

> document and send that with a short message such as this.

You can write your replies in MS Word and then copy the text

to your email program or to 's web interface. There is no

need to attach a file.

To copy text from MS Word, assuming that you are using the

Windows version, select the text (in other words, make it

highlighted by dragging the mouse over it). Then click Edit: Copy

on the menu bar at the top of the screen. Then go to the window

where you are composing your reply (either the

reply box or the window in your email program where you write

your answer) and select Edit: paste.

From your later messages it sounds like you are now using

an email program to compose your replies. Most email programs

give you a way to save your draft letters so that if the program

crashes, your work is not lost. This is another way to solve

your problem.

It's not a good idea for people to click on attachments because

they can be security threats.

-

Derek Taulman

Realization

Friday, November 19, 2004 10:22 AM

Re: Fw: Thirty years but whose counting

AUM