I had a great discussion over coffee this morning with a fellow Zenist. One of the topics was monitoring the ego.

Ego, where is it when I'm distracted? What is it doing when I'm not looking?

Being unmindful can be defined as thinking without knowing you are thinking. We could say the same of ego. Being unmindful is being run by the ego without knowing your ego is running you.

I've only caught myself about to say or do something egotistic maybe a half a dozen times in the last couple of weeks. (I now have a tracker to track when I catch myself.) This a huge improvement. And a warning that I operate from ego in all those times I didn't catch myself. This sleepwalking with the ego represents 99.9% of the time for me — lots of work to do here.

I'm reading about haiku poetry. I'm thinking about writing. Below are some of the notes I've taken in my reading and thinking.

The Parts Of A Haiku Poem

1. 1,2,3, or 4 lines
2. Almost always less than 17 syllable's total
3. kigo or a seasonal reference
4. Kireji or [[201911201422]] Cutting Word
5. A comma is used to denote the passage of time. A phenomenon in nature has finished, or to indicate a feeling of admiration.
6. Onomatopoeia - the sound of a word is an imitation of the thing.
7. Alliterations - syllable repetition.
8. Reference to the physical sensation of the poet.
9. Analogy 'indirect, unconscious, spontaneous.'
10. [[201911201654]] A Unity And Relatedness Of Senses.
11. Focus on the poet's observation of a natural event.
12. [[201911271321]] Image vs. Explanation (Shows vs. Tells)
13. Sounds and smells and sensations
14. concrete things and named objects

This post is meant to help me recommit caring for the world and remind me to encourage my future self to be better than before. Where to work on mental fitness and 'adulting.' A reminder to operate in the world with love and compassion and some tips put together in moments of clarity to help when less clear and caught up in stuff I can't control. Continue the conversation anytime: will@kestrelcreek.com.