Thursday, May 29

Post 1748, Day 149 of 2014
- 1,245 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

I'm laughing at myself over a conversation that occurred at the end of a Bradshaw Blues rehearsal last night.

I was asked about Buddhism. I am not a great person to ask. Why am I laughing at myself? A couple of reasons:

First, my explanation was stumbling and incomplete.

Classical Buddhism has 4 Noble Truths, the Noble 8-Fold Path, and 5 Precepts. I get the Truths, am good with about half the Path and maybe 3 out of the 5 precepts. By which I mean, out of 17 of the basic teachings of Buddhism, I am mindful and practicing about three-quarters. Not that I don't believe in or understand the unheeded 25% (at least, I'm satisfied that I have an understanding), but I don't regularly practice them.

Since one of the things I don't do is study, my description of the Way is pretty general, and, when pressed hard, I can tell the Noble Truths, and a majority of the elements of the Path - but not all. And, I'm gone on Precepts. I sometimes even forget to include them in my description.

Knowing I might never get around to it, I'm trying to find my own Way, based on my limited understanding, and the pleasure I got (and get) reading Hesse's Siddhartha. 

I plan on doing more, but not until 'right livelihood' is not so time-consuming. I'll be looking for ways to fill my time, then. That would be a good way.

I laugh at myself because, despite my incomplete understanding of the Teachings, I call myself a Buddhist. With my limited efforts at practice, and ignorance of the Precepts, 'real' Buddhists probably don't recognize me as one of them (which is ok. I'm easy with that).

In the here and now, my commitment to do better is meaningless, its only what I'm doing right now that counts. Right here and now, I'm writing about an attitude, a belief, that is present, but I'm writing about it. A good Buddhist would be more mindful. 

I'm not that good a Buddhist (cue laughter).

So it goes.

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 Food and Diet Section

2014 Daily Weight

Today's Weight:         210.6 lbs

Previous Weight:        209.6 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:      + 1.0 lbs

Diet Comment

Ugh. That was a lot of hummus, mostly eaten after midnight. Wearing it today!

Food Log 

Breakfast
Skipped.

Lunch
Quest bars (2).

Dinner

A toasted cheese sandwich with pepperoni and cole slaw.

Snack

A Quest bar.

Liquid Intake

   Coffee:  26 oz.   Water: 78+ oz.

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