bodhidave
@bodhidave.bsky.social
humanistic psychodynamic Buddhist deconstructionist ... and all-round sweet guy
interested in cross-cultural parallels in contemplative practice
.
https://utexas.academia.edu/DavidCollins
[header is the rock garden at Ryōan-ji; avatar is an enso]
interested in cross-cultural parallels in contemplative practice
.
https://utexas.academia.edu/DavidCollins
[header is the rock garden at Ryōan-ji; avatar is an enso]
Pinned
bodhidave
@bodhidave.bsky.social
· Nov 21
Deconstructing Mindfulness
There’s been a marked increase in studies of mindfulness and meditation in recent years.
thesideview.co
1:2
The numbers of followers for this account increased this week. I'll re-post an essay I have online which reflects on the present-day "mindfulness" movement.
In that piece, about half-way through, I mention the experience of practicing the jhānas ... and ...
thesideview.co/journal/deco...
The numbers of followers for this account increased this week. I'll re-post an essay I have online which reflects on the present-day "mindfulness" movement.
In that piece, about half-way through, I mention the experience of practicing the jhānas ... and ...
thesideview.co/journal/deco...
I've experienced a mild concussion this week. It's an education. Even "mild" gives an opportunity for additional insight into and appreciation for what gets dubbed the mind-body relationship— the literal shape of our brains affects the experienced shape of our personalities, body sensations & moods.
November 30, 2025 at 9:48 PM
I've experienced a mild concussion this week. It's an education. Even "mild" gives an opportunity for additional insight into and appreciation for what gets dubbed the mind-body relationship— the literal shape of our brains affects the experienced shape of our personalities, body sensations & moods.
Buddhists have a similar reflection — the four "immeasurable" positive qualities (also known as the Brahma viharas, which means something like "divine dwellings"). Each has a somewhat similar-but-not "near enemy" and an opposite "far enemy."
November 28, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Buddhists have a similar reflection — the four "immeasurable" positive qualities (also known as the Brahma viharas, which means something like "divine dwellings"). Each has a somewhat similar-but-not "near enemy" and an opposite "far enemy."
November 27, 2025 at 1:10 PM
from my walk this afternoon, three images of the tree at the top of a hill near my home
(outside #Asheville)
(outside #Asheville)
November 26, 2025 at 10:41 PM
from my walk this afternoon, three images of the tree at the top of a hill near my home
(outside #Asheville)
(outside #Asheville)
Wrote a piece a few yrs ago on contemporary interest in "mindfulness." Sadly interesting—such practice is the heart of contemplative traditions, but some modern Westerners can't decide if it's religion. Our presumptive definitions of "religion" need to be interrogated. thesideview.co/journal/deco...
November 26, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Wrote a piece a few yrs ago on contemporary interest in "mindfulness." Sadly interesting—such practice is the heart of contemplative traditions, but some modern Westerners can't decide if it's religion. Our presumptive definitions of "religion" need to be interrogated. thesideview.co/journal/deco...
1/3
A foundational core of meditative practice is immediate simplicity & open-hearted honesty. "Altura" I sense speaks of that here in discussing "o critério da não adição de perturbação"—the criterion of not adding perturbance. He reminds me immediately of The Cloud of Unknowing & Zen teacher Mazu.
A foundational core of meditative practice is immediate simplicity & open-hearted honesty. "Altura" I sense speaks of that here in discussing "o critério da não adição de perturbação"—the criterion of not adding perturbance. He reminds me immediately of The Cloud of Unknowing & Zen teacher Mazu.
November 25, 2025 at 7:15 PM
1/3
A foundational core of meditative practice is immediate simplicity & open-hearted honesty. "Altura" I sense speaks of that here in discussing "o critério da não adição de perturbação"—the criterion of not adding perturbance. He reminds me immediately of The Cloud of Unknowing & Zen teacher Mazu.
A foundational core of meditative practice is immediate simplicity & open-hearted honesty. "Altura" I sense speaks of that here in discussing "o critério da não adição de perturbação"—the criterion of not adding perturbance. He reminds me immediately of The Cloud of Unknowing & Zen teacher Mazu.
Photo from my car this morning, stopped at a light in front of a bridge over a little river near my home. The river became not so little when hurricane Helene hit last year. A liquor and spirits store used to be on this lot and was damaged by the flood.
I now see they've given up on rebuilding it.
I now see they've given up on rebuilding it.
November 25, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Photo from my car this morning, stopped at a light in front of a bridge over a little river near my home. The river became not so little when hurricane Helene hit last year. A liquor and spirits store used to be on this lot and was damaged by the flood.
I now see they've given up on rebuilding it.
I now see they've given up on rebuilding it.
tonight's sunset, with crescent moon (to the left), outside #Asheville
November 24, 2025 at 10:38 PM
tonight's sunset, with crescent moon (to the left), outside #Asheville
heh ... ChatGPT and I are approaching an understanding
November 24, 2025 at 8:01 PM
heh ... ChatGPT and I are approaching an understanding
Years ago in the final sit of 14 days of intensive Zen practice, the teaching came up, "The Way is basically easy—just don't pick and choose."
A kind of glow in my chest was then the practice. A pain in my knee was then the practice. And then a bird singing outside the open window was the practice.
A kind of glow in my chest was then the practice. A pain in my knee was then the practice. And then a bird singing outside the open window was the practice.
Untitled
Thick fog. A screech owl trills, seemingly in answer to the wren. Then crows join the chat. The owl's trilling pauses, then resumes a quarter mile away.
Thick fog. A screech owl trills, seemingly in answer to the wren. Then crows join the chat. The owl's trilling pauses, then resumes a quarter mile away.
Untitled
Thick fog. A screech owl trills, seemingly in answer to the wren. Then crows join the chat. The owl's trilling pauses, then resumes a quarter mile away.
morningporch.com
November 23, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Years ago in the final sit of 14 days of intensive Zen practice, the teaching came up, "The Way is basically easy—just don't pick and choose."
A kind of glow in my chest was then the practice. A pain in my knee was then the practice. And then a bird singing outside the open window was the practice.
A kind of glow in my chest was then the practice. A pain in my knee was then the practice. And then a bird singing outside the open window was the practice.
color is a pony ride
🙂 ❤️
🙂 ❤️
November 23, 2025 at 3:48 PM
color is a pony ride
🙂 ❤️
🙂 ❤️
There's a Sufi story in which a seeker is knocking on the door of God's house, and they knock and knock and knock.
Finally, the door opens.
And the seeker realizes — they've been knocking from the inside.
🙂 🙏
Finally, the door opens.
And the seeker realizes — they've been knocking from the inside.
🙂 🙏
“Where is the door to God?
In the sound of a barking dog,
In the ring of a hammer,
In a drop of rain,
In the face of
Everyone
I see.”
- Hafiz
In the sound of a barking dog,
In the ring of a hammer,
In a drop of rain,
In the face of
Everyone
I see.”
- Hafiz
November 22, 2025 at 2:12 AM
There's a Sufi story in which a seeker is knocking on the door of God's house, and they knock and knock and knock.
Finally, the door opens.
And the seeker realizes — they've been knocking from the inside.
🙂 🙏
Finally, the door opens.
And the seeker realizes — they've been knocking from the inside.
🙂 🙏
Reposted by bodhidave
Writing about Plotinus at the moment, I'm again reminded that his Greek word for "create" — *poein* — is the word that gives us our "poem." And how he says Nature is silent, and creative, and playful, and meditative.
And it makes me sense that silent, creative, natural, play is what meditation is.
And it makes me sense that silent, creative, natural, play is what meditation is.
November 21, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Writing about Plotinus at the moment, I'm again reminded that his Greek word for "create" — *poein* — is the word that gives us our "poem." And how he says Nature is silent, and creative, and playful, and meditative.
And it makes me sense that silent, creative, natural, play is what meditation is.
And it makes me sense that silent, creative, natural, play is what meditation is.
Altura do ventre/ @brenoxis.bsky.social had posted (in translation here:)
"... Even unsettling landscapes and atmospheres appear as creative displays of a brilliant artistic force capable of weaving webs shimmering enough to pass for reality."
That lead to this thread... bsky.app/profile/bodh...
"... Even unsettling landscapes and atmospheres appear as creative displays of a brilliant artistic force capable of weaving webs shimmering enough to pass for reality."
That lead to this thread... bsky.app/profile/bodh...
It is perhaps a bit of an extension, but your sharing this here reminds me of the following story:
bsky.app/profile/bodh...
bsky.app/profile/bodh...
I once told my Zen teacher that even while my life was hard at the time it was often clear to me the fact that anything at all was happening was a miracle. But other times, although I knew that intellectually, I couldn't get it that way. I couldn't see it.
My teacher said, "Is that not a miracle?"
My teacher said, "Is that not a miracle?"
November 21, 2025 at 1:47 AM
Altura do ventre/ @brenoxis.bsky.social had posted (in translation here:)
"... Even unsettling landscapes and atmospheres appear as creative displays of a brilliant artistic force capable of weaving webs shimmering enough to pass for reality."
That lead to this thread... bsky.app/profile/bodh...
"... Even unsettling landscapes and atmospheres appear as creative displays of a brilliant artistic force capable of weaving webs shimmering enough to pass for reality."
That lead to this thread... bsky.app/profile/bodh...
Reposted by bodhidave
Sufi story tells of Mullah Nasruddin asked by the train conductor for his ticket. He checks his front pants pockets, his rear pockets, etc. The conductor says he usually keeps them in the pocket inside his jacket.
Nasruddin says, "Me too, but I don't dare look there— bc if it's not there I'm sunk."
Nasruddin says, "Me too, but I don't dare look there— bc if it's not there I'm sunk."
November 21, 2025 at 12:38 AM
Sufi story tells of Mullah Nasruddin asked by the train conductor for his ticket. He checks his front pants pockets, his rear pockets, etc. The conductor says he usually keeps them in the pocket inside his jacket.
Nasruddin says, "Me too, but I don't dare look there— bc if it's not there I'm sunk."
Nasruddin says, "Me too, but I don't dare look there— bc if it's not there I'm sunk."
sights from my walk this afternoon, outside #Asheville
November 20, 2025 at 8:32 PM
sights from my walk this afternoon, outside #Asheville
Reposted by bodhidave
I recently opened a box that contained some fossils, a turtle shell ... and my baby shoes. 🙂 🙏
November 20, 2025 at 5:19 PM
I recently opened a box that contained some fossils, a turtle shell ... and my baby shoes. 🙂 🙏
November 20, 2025 at 2:05 PM
tonight's sunset outside #Asheville, NC
November 19, 2025 at 11:07 PM
tonight's sunset outside #Asheville, NC
my summarization of the contemplative philosopher Plotinus' instructions for how we're to realize the worth and wonder of existence:
be beautifully
🙂 🪷
be beautifully
🙂 🪷
November 19, 2025 at 9:01 PM
my summarization of the contemplative philosopher Plotinus' instructions for how we're to realize the worth and wonder of existence:
be beautifully
🙂 🪷
be beautifully
🙂 🪷
Reposted by bodhidave
🙂 🙏 ❤️
from something I wrote the other day...
from something I wrote the other day...
![Contemplative experience for Plotinus is the whole point of being alive. It’s the purpose of our healthy actions, and, as noted above, it’s the heart of Nature’s creating. It’s the heart of both Nature’s actions and of our own. Here I’m reminded of how the Cloud of Unknowing author had said, “it will be the main thing you do, in everything you do.”
Plotinus writes:
Action [praxis] ... is for the sake of contemplation and vision, so that for people of action too, contemplation is the goal.... (Enneads 3.8.6.1)
It’s as though for Plotinus “existence” and “creation” are things that we’re to appreciate as being both nouns and verbs. Everything for him is creative.
And as an example, the first line of this next quotation includes the Greek word genna, translated here as “produce.” It can also mean “generate” and “give birth”:
when living things ... produce [genna] ... this is an activity [energeia] of contemplation ... and a kind of endless contemplation, for creating [poien] is bringing a form into being, and this is filling all things with contemplation. (3.8.7.20-23)
For Plotinus everything is generative activity. Everything is contemplation. Everything is a creative poem.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:gp3ps5sbvhaw4psrhu6nfvzt/bafkreig7lacfpee47oinn75lhaa5lcsxmjedbxviicahaytsmgz63yzybm@jpeg)
November 19, 2025 at 8:22 PM
🙂 🙏 ❤️
from something I wrote the other day...
from something I wrote the other day...
1/3 Plotinus suggests that for us to conceive of the One as "one" is already too much. Since "the degree of unity by which That transcends your thought is more than you imagined" (Enneads 6.9.6.15).
This can sound abstract but…
This can sound abstract but…
I'm now seeing a line in Plotinus where — having said that the mode and place of the gods is filled with beauty — he then writes (referring to the One as the Good):
"That which is beyond this we call the nature of the Good, which holds beauty as a screen before it." (1.6.9)
"That which is beyond this we call the nature of the Good, which holds beauty as a screen before it." (1.6.9)
November 19, 2025 at 7:15 PM
1/3 Plotinus suggests that for us to conceive of the One as "one" is already too much. Since "the degree of unity by which That transcends your thought is more than you imagined" (Enneads 6.9.6.15).
This can sound abstract but…
This can sound abstract but…
