62. Jonathan Ames, Karma Doll
Doll escapes down to Mexico to get the bullets removed from him as the pandemic hits and he gets a couple of peaceful years until violence arrives as killers are sent to retrieve him. Ames is such fine writer, so grounded that the clichéd premise manages to appear fresh

That’s my approach: a few pages every morning. Even one page. I spend months reading such books. But with novels i consume rapidly like a termite.

For whatever reason we humans like to stay stuck…I know I do…but becoming aware of how we talk to ourselves, what narratives we reenforce that may not actually be true, is very helpful. On we go…

It is hard but it can become less hard. The pause button sounds great. And try to note your language, how you speak to yourself, what you reenforce. You keep saying it’s hard - which is fine - but you may be unconsciously trying to undermine yourself and make it…hard!

Thanks for letting me rattle on. On we go…

I’m not talking about total eradication of confusion and suffering - we always need those things to grow anyway - but a lessening is possible. it’s a cliche perhaps but have compassion for yourself, be gentle with yourself, and this will extend to others but start with you.

And so trying to fly the plane in a way that causes you less suffering by implementing techniques suggested by teachers like Thich Nhat Hanh is a worthwhile endeavor. We are capable of suffering less which opens us up to more peace and equanimity and creativity.

It’s entirely possible to break painful repetitious patterns of behavior and painful repetitious patterns of emotional response. If we can generate these patterns then it stands to reason we can un-generate them. How we think, act, speak is within our control. You are flying the plane that is you.

I like this translated phrase from the Tao te Ching: do without doing. If i don’t ‘push‘, ‘cling,’ ‘fixate,’ ’try to fix,’ I am more at peace…and knowing that by doing nothing - most of the time - things will heal and resolve on their own is reassuring. Of course this doesn’t apply to everything…

Sorry for the turmoil! I hope it lifts sooner rather than later. And I hope you find the Thich book helpful!

Thanks for the interview, Frank!

Those patterns and in doing so we get some relief…but it’s not easy of course and we fall back into habits but we can keep persevering and we learn from our stumbles…and it’s our stumbles that lead to insight…and compassion…kindness…mindfulness…the breath…generosity…these are the tools…on we go…

I hope it’s helpful. I read and reread these sorts of books until the message seeps in…nothing rigid about it…one uses what one can…experimenting…it feels like an orderly system for trying to live sanely and kindly…recognizing our cyclical patterns that cause us and others pain and trying to break

Thich Nhat Hanh’s The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching is a lovely and very accessible text…

Sorry for the delay…i don’t consider myself a Buddhist, though i take great consolation in the philosophy and have found the four noble truths and the eight fold path wonderful instructions on how to lessen one’s suffering and to be more at peace…