Ideas coalesce

Ideas coalesce,
Energy that I aspire to invest,
By efforts, of perspiration, preceded by focus
Sudden elation, This is no hocus-pocus,
Just the return, to the center of the locus
In position of the diamond lotus,
Back erect, free from dogmatic sect,
Pursuant as an individual in the midst,
Clearly differentiated particles dancing in orbit.

Projects - I am a little too busy to continue with my 40 day project. But I am still developing my projects: Evolutionary Movements, Meditation, Music, Blogging, and Creative exercises. I am also trying deepening my study of Mathematics, Neurology, Consciousness, and Religious exploration.

Back to the basics

Dancing breezes, souls soar,
Moving subtly across the floor,
The figures trace,
a moment later,
they erase
Atoms vibrate,
As sounds separate,
Travel through space,
and they fade away
out of perception

Creation is the act of letting go, of sharing a part of your soul with the universe, and letting it become an imprint. An imprint is not a thing. It is a shape, not a form, made of space, not of matter. The nature of the universe is not matter, nor is it space. Because as the two dance, they create form, a subtle manifestation of each, definable as neither, and inherent to everything.

Rocks skipping on an endless pond,

What is the word for a sound that fades, for an action whose reactions reverberate endlessly, for a word that travels, long after it has been uttered and forgotten?

On lesson plans, bicycling accidents, and being overwhelmed.

I woke up bright and early Thursday morning to head over to Breakthrough orientation. I had a good breakfast, and was in good spirits. I was riding my bike on pretty roads after the night rains, and I was rather exhilarated. Suddenly, as I turned a corner, my bike lost traction, and I went flying into the next lane, a few meters in front of a car. Luckily, it stopped, but I continue rolling, and accumulated several injuries.
Listed in order of disabling nature:
1. Right elbow, minor scratch
2. Left elbow, various scrapes and scratches
3. Both shoulders, limited mobility
4. Left hand, bruise on my palm - more disabling than it sounds
5. Right knee, greatly swollen, limits mobility

I have been unable to train seriously in over a week, and I find this quite upsetting.

Breakthrough, however, is going well. I am learning a lot about teaching styles and classroom management, as well as preparing lesson plans. I have many roles and responsibilities, more than I expected when I signed up for this position, but I am greatly enjoying this challenge. Mornings start at 7 a.m. and although I leave the school at 5p.m., I am still working on lesson plans, activities, etc, well into the evening.

I still need to find housing and an assistantship for Boston College. I need to figure out insurance while I am up there. But I'm working on these things.

I am going to Istanbul, Turkey and Paris, France with Aylin. I am in a bit of disbelief that this is real, but I know it is, and I am greatly looking forward to such an experience.

In the next 6 weeks, there are several things I must accomplish or work on:
1. Breakthrough
2. Training - Capoeira, Parkour, Heavy Bag
3. Boston College - Housing, Assistantship, Insurance
4. Practice French and Portuguese
5. Meditate daily (going quite well)
6. Practice quenna and berimbau
7. Continue to work on my creativity exercises

Well, that is all. I love the rain, I love my tea, and I love meandering and purposeless walks.

Eudaimonia and Training

Until recently, I could not accurately describe what I love about parkour and capoeira. But after some study of personal expressiveness, flow, and intrinsic motivation, I think I have found a plausible reason:

It is postulated that we are capable of achieving eudaimonia, a state in which we are enjoying the development of specific potentialities that we value.

This is not hedonism; it is not the pursuit of pleasure that inspires parkour, although it does induce pleasure (the best things in life also feel amazing).

So why do some choose parkour as opposed to other sports that may be more socially acceptable?

The reason is the significance we place (unintentionally, that is to say, an uncontrived sense of significance, which is an indication of a person's true self) upon the element of specific potentialities. Parkour (and capoeira) places primary emphasis on potentialities such as balance, agility, strength, fluidity, mental and physical flow, bodily and spatial awareness, etc. If a person views these things as fundamentally attractive, then they will be drawn to the sport.

I suppose this is obvious to some, but I tend to find myself doubting my own reasons and motives for training parkour or capoeira.

Films and Books

Films:
Mindgame
Donnie Darko
Pi
Happy Accidents
Dark City
Life is Beautiful
Apres Vous
Trainspotting
Great Expectations
Requiem For a Dream
Happenstance
Magnolia
V for Vendetta
Lord of War
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter. And Spring...

Books:
Awakening the Buddha Within
If you Meet the Buddha on the Road, Kill Him!
No Exit
Zen and the Brain
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind
When Nietzsche Wept

Stripping Noun-hood

Strip away the noun-hood of God. Attribute to it the virtue of process. Terminate the reference to a God for which you search, and rediscover the act of God which you live.

Lessons

Each day a new lesson
Mistakes jettison
us forward
Propel us towards unattainable perfection
clearest reflection
of an inner state too great to describe
by the intellectual process of the homonuculus scribe

A test whose questions are just being invented as they are answered