Marine Metaphors

Marine Metaphors

Flare up passion!
Fry the fish
For they say that she
Is a sumptuous dish.

Taking after Gaia
Like sisters Gish
Wrestling with Triton
Oceania's deepest wish.

If any Cancer
Attempts to squish
Slick Pisceans stir
Wondrous waves, washing swish!

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Desire Is KEY

Desire Is KEY

The only constant be change
But Desire is the key.
While surroundings rearrange
Inner landscapes remain free.

Follow crumbs of bliss
Into subconscious forest.
There the Pied Piper is
A respected concert flautist.

Urges within do dominate
Hedonistic hypocrites.
Yet intimacy was quite innate
Before any glam or glitz.

One sole instant is all it takes
To climax mid copulation.
As pleasure comes from carnal quakes
Bask in afterglow elation!

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Echoes of Echoes (by Guest Writer Michael Napiorkowski)

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Editor's Note: This is a prosaic response to Echoes of Emptiness.

Michael Napiorkowski practices Nichiren Buddhism and writes about it here: http://ichinensanzen.ca/

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Echoes of Echoes

Form is Emptiness and Emptiness is Form can also be expressed within the framework of Cause and Effect; Cause IS Effect and Effect IS Cause. 

  

This is one of the profound expressions of the Lotus Sutra: the simultaneity of cause and effect or the co-arising, interdependent relationship of all phenomena being both cause and effect simultaneously in an ever present "now." 

This is equally expressed through the symbolism of the lotus flower blooming and producing its seeds at the same time (which is rare). 

The incredible part of this teaching is that although everything is an expression of "effect," concurrently everything is an initiation of "cause." This is what breaks the determinism trap by showing us that our lax and lazy concept of time as inert billiard balls bouncing off one another is not completely correct. Reality is far more complex than that. There's nothing that's isolated or complete in and of itself. 

Ideas of nouns, objects or things (completed effects) only exist within language. In reality these are simply concrete concepts for a transitory, provisional existence. All reality would be better described as a verb or even more correctly as Emptiness.

Hence the importance of Meditation...

Our tendency is to limit ourselves based on that incorrect understanding of nouns or of our own self-identity as an objective Being. If we approach our lives like this then we end up trapped within the cyclical manifestation of inner tendencies and outward actions (Karma). 

Meditation allows us to break our attachment to thoughts of a limited self-identity and conclusive opinions of reality as a collection of parts (nouns), and to see instead that everything is an ineffable process (verb) known as "now." 

Rigid identity is just an illusion that we trap ourselves in. By not identifying conclusively with nouns, we break the cycle of Samsara and see clearly that our actions within the world are defining characteristics of how we experience our actual "self". 

We're actually composed by those relationships we temporarily have with everything and everyone else, and vice versa. As such, all can be better understood as the open space between events or processes of interconnectedness. 

If we free ourselves from self-imposed tendencies then our actions will be naturally liberated, and in that sense our "identity" shall follow suit. 

Śūnyatā is thus the great non-identity to identify with - Svaha!

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Metastasis

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Recommended Listening: Quasar by The Smashing Pumpkins 

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Metastasis; noun, plural me·tas·ta·ses [-seez]

1.Pathology. a: the transference of disease-producing organisms or of malignant or cancerous cells to other parts of the body by way of the blood or lymphatic vessels or membranous surfaces. b: the condition produced by this.
2. transformation.
3. Rhetoric. a rapid transition, as from one subject to another.
4. Physics. a change in position or orbit of an elementary particle.

Since this process of transformative transference occurs at both the sub-atomic and cellular levels, it stands to reason that a Macro-Galactic version must also exist. The recent astronomical discovery of an exceptionally Large Quasar Group appears to represent said possibility.
 
There we can observe over 70 supermassive black holes and luminous galactic cores interspersing as far across as 4 billion light years. This conglomerate matter comprises perhaps 5% of the entire known cosmos; stupendous figures by any reckoning. So much insight may be derived simply by gazing long and hard into this turbulent spectrum.

But back to the matter at hand: are these quasars in the process of metastasizing? And if so, what might that mean for us here in the Milky Way? Apart from helping to detail our solar system's past, it may also hold clues regarding the ultimate fate of Hunab-Ku (the Mayan name for our own galactic center).

What if human constituents were to meet again within a far-future quasar? Perhaps then base elements could be elevated beyond their humble mediocrity; carbon coal transmuted to glowing gold!

Yod He Vau He Om

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The Nature of Nothing

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Author's Note: For more on NOTHING, visit New Scientist. 

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The Nature of Nothing

There is no such thing as "No-Thing"

For that which does not exist

Can in no way be said to have presence

In other words, Nothing does not exist!

These may seem blatant statements of the obvious
But the prevalence of double-negatives
In regular speech is a clear indicator
That such statements aren't actually understood.

Nothing seems to be a lot harder to think about
Merely by virtue of its being an absence, a void
So we inadvertently reify it as a "Sum-Thing"
Bringing us back around full-circle to square zero ...

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The Show About Nothing

The Show About Nothing

Coasting along during the age of passivity

Most would rather watch than participate in activity

How odd that truth is often stranger than fiction

Yet so many suffer from a rather common affliction:

Our very own lives seem to us dreadfully boring

For we tend to miss a subtle thread underscoring

Everyday events bearing magnitudes of meaning

What's happening now is more than mere preening

Without pain and suffering, happiness is circumvented

As such even they have a place among us, the discontented!

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The Buddha's Four Noble Truths Explained

The Buddha's Four Noble Truths Explained

~ I: Dukkha (Cyclical Suffering) ~

It's self-evident fact for any astute observer that our world is pervaded by suffering. Lasting joy is elusive and most people are caught within vicious cycles of their own creation (via volition; the true meaning of Karma).

~ II: Sumudaya (Suffering's Source) ~

Individuals are each responsible for their own personal battles. This is because desire (in one form or another) lies at the root of all dissatisfaction. Furthermore, the wants of any one individual are often at odds with the needs of many others.

~ III: Nirodha (Suffering's Cessation) ~

It's possible for suffering to cease at both the personal and communal level, although only if its base causes are redressed.

~ IV: Magga (The Path) ~

There's a sure and steady path that leads away from Samsara and toward Nirvana. Said path consists primarily of meditation, which doesn't mean focusing on any particular object, but passive observation of the full body-mind spectrum (including all its contents and any ongoing interactions). As the Buddha himself put it: "Meditate diligently and practice mindfulness to attain thine own salvation!"

 

Image: Cosmic Buddha courtesy of ~lokispace

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Anatomy of Suchness (The Three Buddha Bodies)

Anatomy of Suchness

- i -

Without exception all dhammas arise, abide and are extinguished upon the Svabhavikakaya's reflective surface: tripartite mirror of pluralistic omniscience.

- I -

Truth Body:

Immutable template and causal plane. Bedazzling Dharma-Kaya, mother of myriad appearances. Formless emptiness animating multifarious forms.

- II -

Bliss Body:

Luminous sphere of unimpeded potentials. Irradiant Sambogha-Kaya, overflowing with symbols. Host to ideals, archetypes and imaginary planes.

- III -

Emanation Body:

Visceral matter and coarse thought combined. Sensorial Nirmana-Kaya, a cage for the blind; though it is viewed as a blessing by the Buddhas of all three times.

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For Posterity . . .

For Posterity . . .

The greatest Poet of this century came & went

Yet no literary journal will ever catch that scent

Gloss can but poorly misrepresent

What only appears to be an accident

Whereas ideas form, actions cement

Impregnable logic without a dent

Therefore fine lady or dapper gent

Bolster the bent of thine own Intent

Real re-evolution shalt ye then foment

Leaving Earth's orbit — with no lament!

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Writer's Block

Writer's Block

Knock off a chip of the old _____ ?

Irregular expressions make crowds balk

With more drama than The Toccata by Johann Sebastian Bach

Facing such absurdity one cannot help but laugh

Mutating rhymes twist tongues so none can scoff

You were given no choice, now hats must doff

Enlist and learn these skills from this verbal prof

Neither free will nor destiny are worth speaking of

Whatever shall ye do when push comes to shove?

Only wizened fools get it right; aye there's the rub!

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Ode To The Grey

Ode To The Grey

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"Once more into the fray
Into the last good fight I'll ever know
Live and die on this day
Live and die on this day"

~ from the film The Grey starring Liam Neeson; for more info visit: HERE

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Canto I (Laments)

There was no answer in the sky

Although it lay open wide

Ages passed, millions died

No one knew precisely why

Mute meteor showers aside

No overt signs were ever espied

Humans from nature could not pry

Secrets that her cruelty hides

While obvious truths go on denied

Ponder this and then apply it

 Canto II (Amends)

We are no better than the wolves

Or mythic beasts with cloven hooves

Still any stain a stoic removes

Until by right — our wrong improves

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Formidable Formicidae

Formidable Formicidae

Consider the lowly Ants, who have inhabited this planet since Dinosaur times (110-150 million years ago).

Who are we humans to hold them in such low regard?

Ant colonies comprise "Super Organisms", which act in a perfect unison unparalleled even by mankind.

Together inside their nests they form living structures made up entirely of fellow Ants.

Ants thrive on every continent other than Antartica and can easily adapt to urban environments.

Although miniscule in size, these industrious insects always alter their surroundings to suit their needs.

Much larger creatures are brought down by teams of small and medium workers as well as soldiers.

A Queen commands millions of female subjects while wasp-like males (Drones) are reserved for breeding.

All-in-all, Ants represent an evolutionary pinnacle at their tiny organic scale.

In truth, we're the ones intruding on a civilization that might ultimately outlive our own!

Image: Ant Holding Micro-Chip (colorized).

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Enjoyed this piece? Read its SEQUEL: Ant-Ology.

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Elegy A La Gonzo

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In memory of Hunter S. Thompson (July 18, 1937 – February 20, 2005)

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Elegy A La Gonzo

Why thinkest thou not of the sages?

For Hunter was that and much more
Consciously unleashing dramatic assaults on our psyches
An erratic investigator; a sagacious degenerate
Clearly discernible as a force of nature
When combined with his comrade in karma.

Surely you catch the reference?

The last working pair of prototypical troglodytes
Wrecking balls in full swing
Aimed squarely at the kisser of social conformity
And its banal expectations of all things obsolete
Knowing that which can't be lost even as the present fades.

Committed to the void, for eons unto madness —

Drift

           Through

                              The

                                        Deepest

                                                         Recess
                        
                                                                        Of

                                                                                The

                                                                                          Real !

Image courtesy of: A Wolf Illustrations

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On The Meanings Of A Masque

On The Meanings Of A Masque

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"Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth." ~ Oscar Wilde

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A mask might let one see to what degree real life has become mere falsity.

Indeed, many of us wear invisible masks (personas) and act out our socially prescribed roles.

But masks aren't just for concealing identities; they can also permit people to connect with their shadow side as well as confident alter egos.

In theatre for example, a mask helps an actor to trade out his or her character by hiding behind different dramatis personæ.

Unconscious corners of psyche can thus be illuminated or enacted through multiple personalities reordered.

Thus, masks reveal that much of what we consider to be an essential part of our own inner makeup is simply habitual.

The fluidity of a consummate actor is something that more people should strive for. Instead, we tend toward inertia and inflexibility.

Skilled thespians stalk their usual Selves, which most of us take for granted and believe to be rather unchangeable.

Since we're already acting out parts to begin with, a little detachment would allow us to excel at the Masquerade that reality has become.

Prediction: Mask-wearing will soon be en vogue as a mode of individualistic expression. Anonymous, V and Guy Fawkes were just the start of this far-reaching trend.

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Oh Incompatibility

Oh Incompatibility

Every pot does have its lid but hey: some of us are Pans

Pan-theistic, pan-optical, pan-tonality!

She aptly called it The Curse of Being Well-Rounded

Neither altogether here, nor left behind back there

An overflowing plenum, which even the finest vessel can't contain

Wayward rivers break down dams to flood valleys

Alone in their totality — liquid outrunning quiddity

Landing us between despair and disparity

Once we were conjoined; sharing joy as well as sorrow

Yet those yesterdays have gone, with no promise of tomorrow.

Our time together endeth now

May he treat you right . . . Never quite knew how.

Image: Weeping Ofelia courtesy of ~ belldandies

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Vedic vs. Tantric Hinduism (Mythic May Vol. 8)

Vedic vs. Tantric Hinduism

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Author's Note: This article is in reference to The Soma Tantra

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Differences and disagreements among religious factions don't necessarily indicate that spiritual truths aren't real, but that we as humans can't communicate them very well.

If you study any religion enough (whether Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism) you soon discover that even within its own canonical corpus, few theologians can see eye to eye.

'Hinduism' as such is a blanket term for several strains of Indian philosophy that focus on particular deities and what they represent, without much in the way of uniformity.

Some Hindu sects reflect the Vedic caste system brought by Aryan invaders while others represent the Tantric traditions of Indus Valley Dravidians.

Historically, a process known as religious syncretism (merging) occurred between these Vedic and Dravidian denominations; giving rise to the rich panoply of Hindu polytheism.

Since 'Hinduism' bears the influence of disparate schools of thought, some sociological friction between its Vedic and Tantric strains still exists.

Class struggles borne out by the Varna caste system (as well as between various ethnic groups) definitely appear to be hidden within the subtext of Hindu mythology.

For example, Brahma and Vishnu usually exemplify Aryan-Vedic ideals and morals whereas Shiva and Kali are Tantric-Dravidian forces of unrestrained freedom.

Devotees of Vishnu are thus referred to as Vaishnavas, while Shiva's followers are called Shaivas, Shaivites, or Siva Sadhus. Shakti (the divine feminine) actually outweighs Brahma (a patriarchal creator god) in this Eastern schema.

Analogously, this competition between Vedic and Tantric ways of thinking / acting was also mirrored by the ancient Greeks with their Apollo-Dionysus dichotomy. Indeed, Nietzche extrapolated it to full effect in his seminal debut: The Birth of Tragedy. Even renown Indologist Alain Danielou documented it extensively in a very fine piece of comparative religion: Gods of Love and Ecstacy.

The Soma Tantra is a contemporary work of Mythic fiction that portrays said friction between Vedic and Tantric branches of Hinduism as a war upon the moon between the Devatas and Ashuras (gods and demons, respectively).

Only those capable of delving beneath the surface of such a fantastic tale will see through to the deepest layer of its abstracted narrative...

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Further Reading: Past Issues of Mythic May

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Meditating On The Fields of Naraka (Mythic May Vol. 7)

Meditating On The Fields of Naraka

Skandha, son of Shiva Mahadeva, sits firmly lodged in samadhi

Awoken to the harsh reality of suffering amid ephemeral qualia

A world set ablaze by impure desires and all our best intentions

Charnels filled with piled-up corpses felled in war, famine or plague

Endless transmigration of finite souls learning lessons for ascension

During darkest times concentrate on those awful fields of Naraka

Pain is a purifier, an agent of both Karma and Dharma

Everything experienced is reciprocal; always balancing out

No one is altogether righteous or evil, innocent or to blame

This plenum of open-ended possibilities refines sentient beings

Cosmic Christ within is perpetually nailed onto crosses

Transcending death despite misleading appearances

Skandha bearing heat from flames, transmutes it to bliss

Defying, nay, reifying unassailable natural laws

Cracked universal egg making way for the phoenix...

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Further Reading: Past Issues of Mythic May

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Balam Ahau (Lord Jaguar) Mythic May Vol. 6

Balam Ahau

Mounted on horseback with arms across chest

It suddenly dawned

That Jaguar as worshipped by the Toltecs

Was an ideal.

A visionary fusion of all that is noble in ape

And feline alike.

Unmitigated ferocity plus stealthy mobility

Granted by Totemic beasts;

Unflinchingly attentive reptile, crafty coyote

Chimeric eclipsed sun

Whose illustrious wingspan brightens emblazoned

Against the moon.  

Prowling through mortality with vigilance

Every act dignified

Growling only when necessity dictates

Amidst backdrops espied

Trailing ziggurat lightning ricochets off

Edges of mind!

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Further Reading: Past Issues of Mythic May

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Pot-Bellied Buddhas (Mythic May Vol. 5)

Pot-Bellied Buddhas

Buddhism remains relatively new in North America and Europe.

It's also been largely misunderstood and misrepresented by the mainstream media.

For one thing, people have come to confuse Budai with the Buddha.

What's the difference you ask? Well, Budai was a fat Chinese monk whom we're told used to travel the countryside carrying a sack full of sustenance (similar to Santa Claus).

In other words, he wasn't the same as Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha from ancient India.

The causes of this commonplace misconception aren't complicated:

As Christ is an honorary title meaning "Anointed One", so does Buddha mean, "Awakened One". 

Said title has been given to many monks after the original Shakyamuni.

Some believe Budai (Hotei in Japanese) was an incarnation of future Buddha Maitreya. However, that's beside the point, since Siddhartha Gautama preceded him nonetheless.

Therefore, people who rub Budai's belly for good luck are merely indulging in an ignorant superstition that has at best, only a tenuous semantic connection to its source!

 

Images (from top to bottom-right):  Laughing Budai Maitreya — circa 10th Century CE, Gandharan Buddha — circa 1st Century CE & Emaciated Buddha (Sikri Stupa) — circa 1st Century BCE.

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Further Reading: Past Issues of Mythic May

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Life Itself IS Poetry!

Life Itself IS Poetry!

Poets are just puppets for the muses

Parrots whom inspiration confuses

Their admirers? Mute and deaf.

A surface bubbles but from its depth!

Oh blind watchmaker — grand architect

Both male and female without defect:

Your voice resounds through either Astro or Astral realms

Anyone attuned feels that divine tremor, which overwhelms

Your body is the Being of us but minor cells

As well as cosmic conflagrations and galactic swells

Any writer falters; every prophet fails

To describe your aspects within countless tales

From out of Multiverse comes an infinity of verses

Atoms forming organisms that our planet nurses

Yet sophistic thinking fosters oversight

Despite beautiful dancing — umbrae obscure light

Though if perception's doors were cleansed

Eternity would we witness thence

Beyond space, outside of time

Note these stanzas always rhyme . . .

Image: Maha-Vishnu dreams in the causal ocean (Multiverse), as he exhales each pore breathes out a universe and when he inhales they are all annihilated.

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