Celebrating my birthday in the Columbia River gorge

As you might have noticed, I am gone for a few days and am not blogging. I am on the Washington state side of the Columbia River, about 45 minutes from Portland. I could not be more relaxed: eating salmon, sleeping in a geodesic dome over the creek, hanging out with good friends, and hiking in the rain forests. Life is good and this is a perfect way to celebrate my birthday. I am so grateful to be alive and in this world, challenges and all.

The death of trust

Poor Obama...some people don't trust our government leaders to tell the truth even in the most straightforward matters, i.e. our military kills Osama.

Many Americans will always be skeptical, paranoid, or even conspiracists. That's the way their brains are wired, bless their hearts.

But others are fatigued and un-trusting from decades of our presidents telling them big lies:

*LBJ: that the Vietnam war is worth fighting, winnable, and important to our survival; it wasn't!

*Nixon: that he was not a thief, liar, and paranoid freak who violated the Constitution many times; he was!

*Reagan: that he didn't know anything about the details of Contra-gate; clearly, he did.

*Clinton: that didn't sleep 'that wowan;' clearly, he had.

*George W: that Iraq was involved in 9/11 and a huge stockpile of WMDs; not even close.

Yep, trust is something difficult to re-create once it is squandered. Now, it must be earned again. All politicians shade the truth. But overcoming these years of big presidential lies is a big challenge for Obama.

The power of non-thinking

The more you think and talk,
the more you lose the Way.

--Seng-Ts'an

Via Zen Calendar

Happy Mothers' Day cartoon from the New Yorker

It gets better: a TV commercial and message for the ages

Privileges & principles

A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.

--Dwight D. Eisenhower

This is the triumph of democracy over terrorism; the ideals of Obama over Osama's; love over fear

As a follower of the Buddhist way, I can not garner joy from the death of anyone even people who do things as evil as Osama or Hitler. It is just not in me.

On this occasion, I celebrate life and, in this case, the triumph of democracy over terrorism on two levels. First, President Obama kept his eye on the prize in going after Osama where the Bush administration long had lost its way, constantly changed the reasons for starting the Iraq War. Sometimes, Obama may be too cautious in his approaches to problems, but overall he is well-informed and takes educated gambles with his power. I respect this.

Second, the widespread embrace of the democracy movement in the Middle East, starting with Iran in 2009, shows the innate urge of people wanting to be free and govern themselves, create a better lives for themselves and their families, and say no to corruption and the abuse of civil liberties. President Obama talked about this in his famous Cairo speech. People are willing to sacrifice their lives for this movement of love, standing before tanks and marching. The idea of democracy is life-affirming and it trumps Osama's model of terrorism and fear, anyday. The power of human rights, in the broadest sense.

For this I am grateful.

At the White House Correspondents' Dinner, Seth Meyer & President Obama poke fun at Mr. Trump. Karma is a bitch

"Clinging to the body"

A tiny prick from a thorn makes us miserable. When there is warm sunshine outside, we feel comfortable and the body is pleased. We are constantly preoccupied with the comfort and attractiveness of our body and treat it like the most precious thing. Clinging to the body is the reason we experience such reactions to the pleasant and the unpleasant.

- Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, "An Investigation of the Mind"

Via Tricycle.com

Obama's persistence pays off: Osama is dead