In the Spring We Eat Cucumbers

We must have beginner's mind, free from possessing anything, a mind that knows everything is in flowing change. Nothing exists but momentarily in its present form and color. One thing flows into another and cannot be grasped. Before the rain stops we hear a bird. Even under the heavy snow we see snowdrops and some new growth. In the East I saw rhubarb already. In Japan in the spring we eat cucumbers. -Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Music is a continual state of becoming - Aaron Copeland

So far, so good this week. Class was fun, and brushing up on this theory stuff is only going to be good medicine. Plus, I have designs (hee hee) on putting up a theory site, basically, just a way to solidify the studies for myself. How nerdy am I?

Rehearsal today with R, harp, cello, etc, and we’ll be open to Gabby Faure visiting.

I'll Have Another Ordinary Sunday, Thank You...

I am up painfully early, especially for a Sunday, and have been whiling away several hours doing nothing but tea-ing. I was doing some mandatory printing of documents to help out D, and the printer ran out of ink. Thankfully.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed and excited about the mountains of work I have for this autumn: HGO, classes, lessons, coachings, and much fun creating recordings and original music for Toni's performance piece at DiverseWorks.

Very thrilled about this coming week’s recording session with Herr R and gang.

So I get these little Daily Dharma nuggets in my mailbox every morning. The one below, I like because it is the same about the practice of preparing the way for music to happen: I don't practice music, I practice the craft of creating a path for music to visit...

Tricycle's Daily Dharma: August 27, 2006

Awareness cannot be practiced.

Awareness cannot be practiced. There has been some confusion between awareness and mindfulness. They are related, but distinct. Sati, or mindfulness, implies there is action of the mind. We purposely set ourselves to pay attention to our minds. We exert effort. Awareness is different. Awareness is devoid of any action. The mind simply "awares." There is no action here, only a collected and spontaneous awareness that just "sees." Here, mindfulness is the cause, and awareness is the effect. You cannot practice or train the effect. You can only practice something that will cause it. We have to start with mindfulness so that awareness may arise in us.

- Thynn Thynn, in Living Meditation, Living Insight
from Everyday Mind, edited by Jean Smith, a Tricycle book


Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Back from the weeklong trip to NY and NE. Tired and, as expected, having difficulties resuming my usual level of practice, discipline, activity. Motivation low.

House is clean. Tea is taken. On to practice.