Chickens and Enlightenment Pot pie

Spent this weekend building a chicken coop. We just took an old chest of drawers and converted it into a condo nesting box.

Before we weatherized it and got it outside , I used two of the drawers for chicken boxes so the young chickens would have shelter from the rain. In a single day of rain, the two drawers de-laminated and fell apart in the mighty Hilo weather. We will see how long the revised chest of drawers will last. If we did our work well, it will last a year or two. If not. The rain will break it all down and make it easier for me to pick up and recycle it away. Either way, I have enough time to be patient and watch, learn and then build a better chicken coop.

Life decays and re-cycles here at a fast pace. You move with it with a slow patience and joy.

Enlightenment is like this. People rushing, seeking, building better and improved forms for themselves. Only to discover everything seemingly breaking down around one. Shifting and changing in the mix.

Enlightenment isn't something built... it's released into: accepted as we all move on by.

To try and build enlightenment is to chase decay.

To release into enlightenment: is to meander with life.

As a side note: Release is also a process of growth. Some confuse growth with building.

Dig in and enjoy: life served up as an enlightenment pot pie.

Namaste

Passings and Death: Part 2

I wrote a poem a small time ago for some who recently passed on.

I write about death often enough to help others find acceptance for this point of change. At certain points in life the balance seemingly shifts, in that death becomes a more active player in our life.

In how life moves, death itself isn't about answers, it's about acceptance of change.

We each make a difference in heart to how we connect with others. Death is a re-affirmation to those alive to reach out back in connection to their own life.

Peace is of the heart. That is connection, Death and passing back into life is part of the cycle. Death is not for guilt or a time to sink into the past to fade away. But rather it's also a new time: here and now to release and grow anew from.

It's a time

To rediscover family.

Peace and condolences to my friend

Namaste

Boring

I am happily boring today :)

No posts except the sun and the sound of a waterfall...

Namaste

Stalking Made Easy

Julie just had a good statement today

"We are all stalking each other, in this modern age of communication..."

Makes me happy not to be on facebook :)

Namaste

Play

I teach how play is very important.

Here is a video on this very point

Taoism has been teaching this for thousands of years, it's nice to see western science beginning to catch up with :) with basic human nature.

Namaste

Wisdom and Words

I answer quite a few emails and I save how I respond in those emails and blog the answers later.

Stashes of hidden wisdom and answers which over time I share.

But today the only thing I feel like writing about is

:)

nothing else needs to be said.

Namaste

Wisdom

What wisdom could be greater
over listening to sounds upon wind

Where birds are all a ruckus
they shout to spring.

What patience is deeper
over living a full life itself?

As the bullfrog bellows.

Namaste

Knowing and Release

Many times when a person is trying to release out from old memories of a former relationship. They discover it is very hard to release. To free themselves.

The reason is pretty simple. In these cases a person is often working at cross purposes to themselves.

They are trying to perform an analysis what went wrong, trying to know what they did wrong...

Its not to know but to release.

Knowing and releasing are opposite of each other.

That is one reason people have a hard time releasing former relationships.

Every time you try to know, try to improve or fix what went wrong, you also lose all the release work and have to re-start the process of release.

Namaste

Mitakuye Oyasin (All my relations)

My brother Raven sent this to me, I am re-posting here

---

Hello everyone,

These economic hard times have affected many people with loss of jobs, housing and economic stability. The high price of gas for automobiles last year reduced the number of visitors to this area. It has affected the Little Feather Indian Center as well. We have not been able to keep up with the taxes on the Center and our ceremonial/powwow grounds. If we cannot pay the taxes we will be losing all that we have strived to perpetuate for many years. The loss of the Center where our museum, dedicated to Native American Women, the Sacred Pipe and the true history of this Sacred area will be gone. We did not put a price tag on all that we have done for the people Indian/non-Indian, other than a small amount to compensate for the labor in the quarrying and pipemaking.

We have been trying to help the people for the last 15 years to learn about the true Sacredness of this area and the Sacred Pipe. We honor and respect all religious beliefs and try to do what we can to assist those who choose the Sacred Red Road. Native American culture and especially the Sacred Pipestone area has been my life for many, many years. That will be gone. Gone too will be the pipemaking from the Center, that has been ongoing for the 15 years that we have been at the Center.

The ceremonial/powwow grounds is the site location where many of our ancestors camped while at the Pipestone quarries. The teachings from elders, spiritual leaders, medicine-men and research, have determined that this is the ancient campgrounds. This site has been used by Native people for over 4,000 years and petroglyphs found at the sacred ceremonial site now called the Three Maidens date back at least 4,000 years. Many pieces of worked pipestone have been found on this camp site and they have been worked with stone tools, indicating usage prior to metal tools and white contact. The pipestone specimens were found in a wide spread area, so this rules out that it was a dump site. We found partial pipes and stone that looks like ancient ancestors were in the process of making a pipe.

Along with the recession, I have, as many of you know, been ill and had to have surgery, I have diabetes also and so the medical costs did nothing to help our situation. Gloria is stuck in England right now with no money to return until she sells her Mother's house, which is today's market seems impossible. I am on a fixed pension which is just enough to live on and basically keep the Center going, except for the taxes. I have tried to get a job but with the illness and my age (68) I am no longer viable in the workforce. I am at my wit's end right now.

We need $5,500 in total, and we have asked a Minnesota tribe who have a casino for help in this but haven't heard back from them. We need the cash by mid April and time is creeping on and we are all starting to really worry. If this cannot be done we will have to take down all of our displays and move them to our homes for safe keeping, we cannot allow those things to be sold and lost as many of them are historical items about the local Dakota people and the area.

So as much as I hate to do it, I am putting out a plea to anyone who wishes to help us keep the Center. Please could you manage to throw a few dollars together and donate it to us, anything will be used to pay the taxes off. We are not a 501c3 never had the money or ability to do all of that, besides we preferred not to have big brother keeping an eye on what we did, we liked to be able to give someone the money for a pair of shoes, or for their gas cost to a funeral, or just some cash to survive. We didn't keep a record of those things we just did them, so there is no tax deductible donations, they will just be love donations.

Contact Little Feather Center Here.

I am thankful for your assistance in this, and you will be in our prayers.

Miukuye Oyasin,

Chuck, along with Alice & Gloria
on behalf of the Little Feather Center

---

Mitakuye Oyasin is a Lakota Sioux prayer. The phrase translates as "all my relations." It is a prayer of oneness and harmony with all forms of life


"One day I will leave this world and Dream myself to Reality"
- Crazy Horse 1874


"Always dream even when awake"
-Casey Today... and every day...

Namaste

Answers

People expect answers to be literal. Precise snippets of knowledge to awakened one's understanding.

Taoism teaches , answers are poetry: a collage of potentials and possibilities.

To limit an answer to be literal.. is to limit yourself ....

---

My Uncle George passed away at 89 recently. He taught me much and his was a good soul indeed. He made me smile as long as I can remember. He even named me Casey. He was one the few blood family members I ever talked to. Family is not bound by blood, it's weaved by caring. Understand this difference to let your family unfold truly.

Peace to you George

We all pass and move on in our lives, live yours as your own and don't waste time on silly answers... they just get in your way.

Namaste

Flu, Drowning and Awareness

A meandering post. I have had the flu the past few days. My daughter just started preschool and as sure as clockwork, Julie and I both come down with the newest and latest of colds.

My father was a doctor, with a home office. I spent an amazing amount of time with those sick or working through problems. My father taught me much. It doesn't bother me occasionally when I do get sick. It becomes a time to explore the body and mind from a new angle, It's also a good time to meditate.

Sickness is part of life, our bodies and mind evolved hand in hand with fighting various disease vectors. It's healthy to get sick once in a while and good for the soul , to help us contemplate how we interconnect to the larger world.

---

We watched the search and rescue helicopter go up and down the ravine behind our house. The Wailuku river is a powerful river, accounting for half the drowning deaths in our state.

The river has deep spirit and its power is immense... too many people just dive in thinking it would be a fun place to swim in. At times they never find the bodies of those who do.

---

Life is followed by awareness. If you want to live a full life, then open up to awareness.

Otherwise, like leaping into the Wailuku, you could lose yourself to the world.

Namaste

Dance

Been pulling together various projects and helping others. The help process always slips about in its own terms...


Life twirls and swirls around

Seemingly life is never a straight line... and when it is... people then complain

best to be used to the twirling and enjoy the dance


Namaste

Busy

Been very busy on client calls and answering questions of late.

If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed right now, you are not alone. So many others are feeling the pressures of the times. My email load has quadrupled the past two weeks.

Also in this, it elevates the thinking to see new connections or opportunities. I must admit to feeling a bit dizzy at the moment. Taking in so much new information and holding space for others which means I am working within many views at once.

At times I also go back to those I have learned from, Chiyo-ni being one who always gives me peace.

I shared this with a friend who needed a moment of pause

What the butterfly
wants to say --
only with movement of its wings.

Chiyo-ni

At times we all can help with a simple smile :) or hand in awareness of connection. Don't underestimate the power in being kind with the smallest gestures. It can and does make the world a better place. Be kind to yourself so later in life you can share and be kind to others.

No matter how crazy it might be, I can't count how many times a smile pulled through to help.


Namaste

Wet

Over 20 inches of rain so far this weekend and counting

The water fall is really humming and the river dragon tests wakefulness

Namaste

Advice and Release Part 2

To continue the earlier blog post

We all cycle through the emotions.

The next time...

When feeling sad,
Go to the wind,
Feel the edge of the wind against your skin
let it dance between fingers and hair
let it wisp about
wind is release into the world,
releasing sadness out and out from yourself.
To be carried away.


When feeling no hope
Go feel warmth of sun,
Warmth of the kindness
The sun powers and empowers
through our very being
that we are connected to something larger.


When feeling alone
Go into the streets
listen and move with so many others
people living, laughing and crying
all living as you

Discover
We are free to explore now
in your heart and laughter...


Life always starts freshly
always young and beautiful
It's our daily gift
each morning

The gift to be yourself.

Namaste

Reputation and Stock Market Advice

I just posted this on Bill Cara's Site. But I wanted to share it here.

Taoist Advice About Business Over the Next 5 Years.

As potential continues to get unleashed and unrolls before us. While negative aspects are getting exposed: an equal amount of positive potentials opens up for change to improving what is previously broken.

• Opportunity is opening up. Ever growing opportunities.

Instead of trying to make money by old rules, which are broken, invest in the gaps opening up by the falling giants!

The average person might feel scared to use the potential or doesn't see this as a time of opportunity. The next innovator is always that average person who took the dare to move ahead.

No one is going to hand you a golden book to outline how to make use of current opportunities. It never works that way, that book will be written 10 years from now from lessons learned...

So I must ask... who do you want to be:

• The person reading that book in ten years,
  
• OR one of the countless thousand re-writing that book today?

We all have the ability to take advantage and use the unleashing storm to greater potential. The only difference between the person who does and doesn't... is not money, is not connections, is not planning, is not having the perfect idea, (while all those can help).

In the end the difference is very simply: taking the step to move ahead and using awareness to make the best of all the energy being release.

• I know many will be reading and asking me...
  
  I have no money and how do I make that difference?

I have no money, no health care, have left the primary system pretty much, etc etc. Yet behind the scenes I am doing some pretty amazing things right now. So here is my perspective to help those stuck. To help you kick start something new again: The true difference that we will see arise in the next 5 years is this.

Reputation will become a key commodity for the future. So many reputations now lie broken, So many people and companies who betrayed their trust to their clients. This has opened the whole playing field to those who do care and want to make the difference.

Right now the thing to invest in isn't money...

It's establishing and working together in kindness and positive actions. Actions that show and establish your reputation for the future.

Reputation is the next bankable commodity out of all this mess.

So many areas are opening to normal people standing up and helping out. Those starting new businesses and ideas to make a difference. Using these opportunities now opening up... and all of this will grow into ...

Reputation based on actions (not hot air) that will connect out to make a difference.

Basing your actions in both a kind and supportive manner, will reflect back into your life from all the energy now being released to make a positive difference. It takes being brave enough to step forward as an active player of your life now.

Namaste

Advice and Release

When a person is working through crisis or change, it often cycles though a common set of emotions.

The first step is to be patient with oneself. The temptation is to rush through the emotions, to ignore the feelings of guilt, anger, depression etc.

You can feel these emotions , just don't ignore or let them stop you from moving ahead in life!

If you are feeling depression, anger or any of the so called negative emotions: go to the gym, work out, exercise. Otherwise your body will soak in these emotions like a sponge to store them up. Any negative emotions which get stored in the body will come back later in life. The problem is negative emotions always come back up distorted, often amplified and harder to properly work through without greater grief.

While the mixture of feelings a person will cycle through within crisis are confusing, are all part of the natural cycle to help come to terms with a new life. It's best to work with it in the now in order to release them out of one's life, over shoving them deep inside to cause greater problems later.

So when processing the negative emotions, try not to shrug it down inside. Smile, breath it in release and move on. This is much different than ignoring it.

What I teach is to help recognize this, accept one's place in life and then release it all to resolve in manner to grow from. These emotions have to be acknowledged and released in order to heal out of the grief they represent. Pushing such feelings down, ignoring them, instead places them into your core being. If you ignore it, then the core soul inside holds on to it. (and being negative emotions they start at work at eroding your very core soul of being)

It's always a choice. Some choose not to move on. People are tempted to hold onto the depression, the anger, the grief ... as a means to hold on to the past rather than growing into something new.

The only trouble is if this is done, holding onto the negative emotions then distort the past to create a negative state of being... for the future.

Peace is in release,
release happens with patience

Now people will ask me how to release. Hundreds , thousands , countless methods exist to help people release. I always work with people one on one to find the tools that work for them. No one method is best for humanity. Instead explore life and hold on to what feels right for your own heart. This is a process of kindness, which means to take into oneself that which fits in your life, not something forced in to fit.

Namaste

Lost Poetry of the Soul

Just thinking out loud today. I haven't lost myself in poetry in a while. I have been being respectable of late. It leaves an edge of feeling lost to the the soul

Lost

A Taoist is at one
when lost

Everyone else so busily trying to find themselves
A Taoist pushes out to be lost
into the wilderness of soul
exploring ever deeper
never for answers but within joy.

I was lost
and once found:
Once found, I promptly lost myself again
to dance
to joy

I make a living in being lost.
Lost within kindness of helping others

Lost
within poetry of soul
soaking in
what it is, to be human.

Lost within
Eyes and smiles of those who I love

To swim within mystery: the Tao
To embrace potential of being
Not to answer
but to be

present


There are many Taoist techniques to release thought, to being within a space of clarity. Strangely you can let clarity flow and poetry follows: not always good poetry granted, but still poetry expresses the soul within.

The point for today:

We place too high a premium on direct answers in this culture.

Much the shame as it means missing the journey in between the past and future

skipping over the beauty and poetry which we experience now.

As a side note:

A few other Blogs recently have been having a debate on the nature of Te

perhaps the highest virtue at times
is to allow oneself to be lost
in that experience, of losing oneself
often times is found release
It's that release which finds place
in acceptance of Tao

Of course having said that remember

Once found
it circles around as time to
Lose oneself again!


:)


Namaste

Creativity

Here is an interesting article about muses and the process of creation

We each, every day, create and move within our own life.

Are the forces of creative output:

Internal or external or best left undefined?

The answer is all of the above at once...

Being human we like to force it all to be a black and white answer. This is the actual issue. It's not a question of where the process of genius or creation comes from... the issue is ego tries to "limit" it to a single source...

As soon as we limit ourselves to a single source for creativity,

We then remove 2/3rd of the potential from which to weave dreams into the creation of new ever changing realities.

Much peace towards the creation and unfolding of your own new day.

Namaste

Why...

I got a very long question, a good quarter page long consisting of about 15 questions, which was then summarized to this question:

Why does nature choose a fundamental state of being...

I won't list out the entire set of questions since:

At some point why's hit a wall outside your perspective.

We can "model" what we sense, but that is always a model.

We equate answers: why = model's predicted solution... This is never the case, a model is a model... even the very best models.

As far as to why?

In the end, we all pick a story which to place our faith into. Yet it's all one and the same story. Perspective will shift it around to seem as a different story, but it's all the same story: A story of separation then connection and finally resolution into wholeness.

Why?

Why is never answered... why is released into and simply is in the end.

Why need any answer? Does any answer change who you are? People wants answers as people want to change the world to better fit their perception. And Yes answers do change the world... Yet do they ever fundamentally change who a person is in the moment? No.

So while answers tend to change the way a person acts and then that seemingly changes who you are...

However, in the fundamental state of being: does any answer to why... ever change the fact we each...

live fully within Heart and Kindness?

All answers lead a person towards a fundamental state of working towards connection. A Taoist just releases it all and then more quickly just gets down to enjoying living fully always here and now.

Namaste