Lately, I have had the chance to read several books on Japanese swordsmanship. I do this once a year or once every few years and each time I learn something new or understand something at a depth previously unavailable to me. God knows, It’s almost like the longer I train, the better I understand what […]
How to set up and use a dead-letter box
What is a DLB? DLB is an acronym for a dead-letter box. It is also called a dead drop. A DLB is a physical location where the material is covertly placed for another person to collect without direct contact between the parties. Good locations for dead-letter boxes are nooks and crannies in public buildings, niches in brick walls, […]
Meditation musings 13: No easy way
I started meditating again recently. There’s no easy way to hack meditation. It’s just sitting, breathing, and being with your body—that’s it. If there is any kind of technique to meditation, it would be something along the lines of “no-technique.” In my experience, when we try to devise some kind of strategy for meditation, we typically just […]
The Champion’s Vow
Champion noun 1. a person who has defeated all opponents in a competition or series of competitions, so as to hold first place 2. anything that takes first place in competition 3. an animal that has won a certain number of points in officially recognized shows 4. a person who fights for or defends any person or cause 5. a fighter or warrior. verb (used with object) 6. to act as champion of; defend; support: to champion a cause. The Champion’s Vow is said to have been written around 1300 BC. Its author is unknown and the authenticity of the text can be challenged, yet I am sharing it with you because, whether authentic or not, it has […]
The quarrel of the Catalysts
Once upon a time, a quarrel arose between wise planet Jupiter and the dastardly shadow of the eclipse. Jupiter was respectful, Eclipse was slanderous, Jupiter was honest, Eclipse was sly, Jupiter had a path around the sun, eclipse jumped planet to planet as they aligned with the sun. They argued and argued relentlessly. Not giving […]