I am not an authority.

I have no formal or continuous transmission from a Roshi or a Lama or anybody. I am not 'authorized' to teach. I have had no special training or instruction. Just merely reporting on my experiences. Reporting on what I've discovered it takes to be a better self, in the sense of freedom from the the vast number of egotistic behaviors that can be indulged in. These reports arise from sitting Zazen, on a cushion or in a chair, guided or not, structured or not, from feelings and thinking, from reading and studying, from conversation, from sauntering. Surprising how much a long walks clarify the mind stream.

Mistakes where made, and they where made by me.

I'm not so different than you. I'm working to become ordinary. It is a process with ups and downs, successes and failures, and many lessons that point to work to be done. Perfection is not in the cards but it is the stars which when aimed at, maybe the Moon will be hit.

Zen practice and Tibetan practice are different and the same.

Zen and Tibetan practice each put significance on training to live life close to experience and on training to live an ethical life. Zen's focus is on breaking through your illusions and it does this relentlessly. In Tibetan Lojong Practice or Mind Training, the focus is mostly on learning to operate in the world as an ethical being. Sure, both Zen and Tibetan practices have some of both focuses, but these are not usually blended. You can think of them as Zen focusing on underlying theory and Tibetan Practice as primarily being focused on practical applications. One is lost without the other.

Loosey-goosey vs prescriptive

Zen is sometimes seen as loosey-goosey and Tibetan practices are seen as prescriptive. Zen with its long silent meditations and often impenetrable koan stories and Tibetan Lojong Slogans admonishing strict explicit ethical behavior. But this view is wrong. Zen does have codes of conduct, set forth in formal precept study and Tibetan practitioners often go on long silent meditation retreats to free them selfs from their illusions.

This journal is meant to be a platform that helps me recommit, to care for the world around me and as a reminder to encourage my future self. Where I work on my mental fitness and ‘adulting’. A reminder to him to operate in the world with love and compassion and some tips put together in a moment of clarity to help him when he is less clear and caught up in stuff the he can’t control. Continue the conversation anytime: will@kestrelcreek.com.