Ocean of Dharma

365 Teachings of Living Life with Courage and Compassion

The Everyday Wisdom: by Chogyam Trungpa

Shambala (2008)

Trungpa published Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism in 1973. When I opened Lemuria in 1975, and touched upon Zen, Trungpa books were established and acknowledged in the middle America counter culture. His work became a staple in my bookstore and has remained as such ever since.

Born in Tibet in 1939, giving up his monastic robes and immigrating to North America in 1970 as a lay teacher. He wrote many books until his death in 1987. His understanding of the western mind made him one of the most important influences on the development of Buddhism in the west.

Over the years I’ve read, enjoyed and felt enhanced by reading Trungpa books. I haven’t read one in a while and was delighted when Ocean a small book was released this year. 365 chapter pages of Trungpa wisdom divided to be read daily. Each teaching is on living life with courage and compassion. Teachings pulled from a lifetime of his writings condensed into this page-a-day issue for internal reflection. 

I like these kind of books. Over the years I’ve gotten so much from Trungpa that reading Ocean was like finding gold without working for it. I decided to read two pages a day and have enjoyed my revisitation with the author.

Carolyn Rose Gimian, compiler, pared down Trungpa’s immense teachings to this everyday, adaptable concept. Carolyn’s understanding of this teacher’s work is evident and I thank her for her editorial work and gift of this fine little book.

Ocean of Dharma could be a good introduction to Trungpa and the greatest hits for those who enjoyed his work in the past.

From Snow Lion #261 “Discipline is not a demand but a pleasure.”

From Sacred Action #244 “We should regard everything that we do as very important, not a big deal, but very important.”

From Relating to Others #253 “We are constantly trying to work out our relation to the other. It’s like your dog meeting someone else’s dog.”

Ron Rash cut to the chase last week by describing his writing process before anyone had a chance to ask him about it. Rash said,

“I start with an image.”

In this case he began recording the image of a woman on a horse. The image would soon become that of Serena, the larger than life heroine of his most recent novel as well as the book’s namesake. Serena’s persona soon took on a life of its own (one of mythical proportions.) Rash said it soon became clear that between Serena and her lumber baron husband, Serena was the dominant figure in the novel.

“Even if you don’t believe in free will for people you have to believe in free will for literary characters… you don’t want to limit your characters.”

Rash certainly puts no limitations on Serena… this heroine knows no limits. Serena’s capabilities inspire fear and awe among lumberjacks and locals alike… especially when she imports a Berkut Eagle (the fiercest of raptors) from Mongolia and trains it to hunt rattlesnakes at her bidding. It must be said that if Rash’s character impresses those surviving the harsh, clear cutting lifestyle of depression era Appalachia, she takes hardcore to a new level. One character comments,

“I’d no more strut up and tangle with that eagle than I’d tangle with the one what can tame such a critter.”

This quote is exemplary of Rash’s fantastic writing style. When he talked about his love of language and words and he said he delights in using them well.

“You talk about what poetry is, it’s memorable speech… You get a sense that not only every word is crucial but every syllable.”

He went on to call modern poetry “bloodless” because it is so abstract. Instead, he said, he likes the sort of poetry heard in every day talk. Rash can hear poetry in the voices of  Appalachia… For example, when remarking upon a scantily clad young girl, an Appalachian is known to wax poetic,

“That girl doesn’t have enough clothes on to wad a shot gun.”

Rash concluded his book talk by explaining how one goes about wadding a shotgun… At Lemuria you just never know what’s gonna come up next.

“Serena” Review by Dave the Novelist

Review by the Christian Science Monitor

Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life: How to Really Grow Up

James Hollis Ph.D

New York: Gotham Books

Recently I’ve been reading Hollis’ new not yet released book. During this troubling economic time around the world, I’m reflecting on the earlier Hollis, I read a couple of years ago.

As we face our instabilities and turbulent life shifts, it is up to us individually to challenge our pasts and choices to allow growth (spiritually and psychologically) into our later years. For some, instabilities caused by external sources is a time for self-reflection which can be important and helpful for the long run of life.

Middle age people (est 35-70) begin to question choices, realize personal limitations and feel stuck. For some, these challenges lead to a commonly known, “mid-life crisis”. Hollis offers this helpful book about self-growth, becoming ourselves, exploring non-traditional roles of adulthood and embracing more authenticity. He offers keys to enhancing our psychological depth and understanding in all relationships.

Finding meaning is right on and helpful. For me to sparcely write about what Hollis achieves in this fine book is an injustice. Finding Meaning is an important, outstandingly helpful, deeply insightful self work on book. As helpful as any I’ve ever read.

Hollis uses literary examples to express Jungian analysis suggesting important questions and proposing challenges to help us be more clear about our meaning in the world.

In these unstable times I recommend this book. Also, I recommend it to anyone looking for a helpful read for deeper understanding into your situation. This book does not do the work for you or make it easy and entertaining.

Finding Meaning is a river of words for those who want to flow with more understanding into self maturity.

John and Pat have also written about another one of Hollis’ books, What Matters Most: Living a More Considered Life.

Meatball Sundae: Is Your Marketing Out of Sync?

Seth Godin

Portfolio: New York (2008)

After Tribes I wanted more Seth.

Lemuria feels in-sync yet out-of-sync at the same time, during all this election, stock market, hyped up emotional b.s. that’s floating about on TV, computer and even our recent la-la-land reality.

Meatball Sundae helped me understand that Lemuria needs more effort in a new way to be a better bookstore. However, being a better bookstore may not make us successful or even survive in the future. I use this example to emphasize how I read Meatball: Lemuria needs to enhance our message to you, our judge. Meatball can make the reader think about and apply Godin’s suggestions to their own marketing.

Meatball opened my brain to the concept of needing to represent my work more effectively on the web. Also, Meatball made me more aware of how I was being marketed to by other web marketers = what, why and how this new web selling is working. Godin’s book also helps clear up the difference between new marketing (non-interruption information) and old advertising (commercials). We the consumers have learned to be smart and block out obnoxious ads.

It seems that learning how to be more authentic with our story is the key. How to use all our tools on the web, our daily work, selling, service, marketing, etc. to tie into a complete authentic package. Once the consumer can believe in and buy into us enough to support us and then to share their experience with others.

Meatball is specific with examples but also general. Ideas are there for you to pick out what you the reader need right now to use to help relate your work better to others. Relating to our customers could be the key we are looking for to enhance business not relying on rude old school customer interruption.

Read it, soak it up and run with your ideas.