Do we have Too Much Processing Power?

OK, you would expect a title like that from a geek like me but I’m applying the geek computer stuff to the human brain stuff. While reading Everyday Zen by Charlotte Beck, it occurred to me that maybe we humans have too much processing power upstairs. All that extra processing power gets us into trouble and at times can make us miserable. But at the same time it’s responsible for propelling humanity forward, allowing us to walk on the moon. Much time is spent in Beck’s book and other Zen books trying to explain “zazen”, Zen meditation, with the goal being no real goal other than non thinking. This is harder than it sounds. Brad Warner explains it best in “Sit Down and Shut Up” as grabbing onto those spaces between thoughts (this is simplified, just read his book). To me, it helps to quiet the brain down and discard some of this extra processing that’s always going on.

More to Come

No this BLOG is NOT dead.  I plan on posting more thoughts.  Look for new ones on Zen, and my upcoming article, 1000 conversations.

Finding The Right Pace

Sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised that when I take the time to slow down just a little, and smell the roses, how right it feels.  With today's American tech work environment with its tight schedules, deadlines, etc, we start to build a routine that is a very fast pace for everything we do.  I think because of that, we are missing out on more than we know, missing out on important stuff.  The following were great reminder to find that pace.

The Yearly Throb

Definition of the "Throb".

When I contemplate of the “Throb of Life”, I am forced to somehow define "throb". The meaning to me is the rhythm, the hum, the continual cycle of hour to hour, day to day or year to year. If you will allow, there are rhythms inside rhythms. There is the slow and powerful throb of year to year and the fast paced hum of the daily grind. Think about this, have a glass of wine and contemplate the meaning, the implications.

Let's party and start the next throb

An important throb to us all is the beat that signals the beginning of the year. It's a time when that giant piston of life starts it's next stroke. It's important to my family because we host an all day party at my house to renew friendships, catch up with friends, make new friends and eat some of the best Mexican food in the county.