jimwdollar

One Minute Monologues 003

11/17/2011 — 02/04/2012 11/17/2011 — We can serve our life, bring forth our life, live our life anywhere, within any context, every circumstance. We don’t have to have anything to be who we are. Prisoner of War camps are as good as Penthouses for serving the needs of soul and expressing what is ours toContinue reading “One Minute Monologues 003”

One Minute Monologues 002

08/17/2011 — 11/16/2011 Black-eyed Susans and Purple Cone Flowers, Blowing Rock, NC—Everybody wants to bail out from time to time, to eject from this world and float happily down into some other, better, world. Everybody. The Buddha got his start wanting to escape this world. Jesus said, “How long must I bear with you? IContinue reading “One Minute Monologues 002”

One Minute Monologues 001

04/29/2011 – 08/16/2011 04/29/2011 — Be aware of what you throw away.Notice every time you dismiss something that catches your eye,or reject something that appears to be useless or repulsive.Every variety of light is the perfect light for some subject.The work of photography is finding the subjectthat is suited for the lightwe have to workContinue reading “One Minute Monologues 001”

The Good and the Void

How good is the good we call good? Whose good is served by the good we call good? These questions call into question the glib and easy way we think of The Good and do it. We cannot rush to answer these questions. And thinking is futile. Reason and logic mean nothing here. We areContinue reading “The Good and the Void”

The Meaning of Life

If anyone ever asks you, “What is the meaning of life?” Ask them, “What is the meaning of your question?” If they say, “What do you mean?” Answer: “Are you asking ‘What is the meaning of life?’ like you might ask, ‘What is the meaning of a rock?’ If they say, “Yes!” Ask them, “AreContinue reading “The Meaning of Life”

Grace, Karma, Karma, Grace

There is Grace and there is Karma. Karma is Grace kicking butt. When Jesus said, “Father, Forgive them, they know not what they do,” he was being Grace in action, compassionate and kind–on a cross: the inevitability of goodness crushed beneath the weight of power lusting for power, and, also, the power of unrelenting GraceContinue reading “Grace, Karma, Karma, Grace”

We Have To Be Right About What Matters Most

We have to know what matters most and be right about it–and serve it with our life, in each situation as it arises, all our life long. That is, as they say, “all there is to it.” It is like this: Whatever you love, cherish, adore, revere, honor, prize, esteem, treasure, value, acclaim…you know, likeContinue reading “We Have To Be Right About What Matters Most”

The Limits of Religion

Every institutional religious expression from Shaman rituals to high church–whether it is church or masque, temple or synagogue, or anything beyond or between–dirges and celebrations, everything said and done are aligned with what the people expect to hear and see. The limits of religion are the expectations of the people and the tolerance of theContinue reading “The Limits of Religion”

The Structure of Spiritual Reality

Jesus is an ink blot, and God is an optical illusion. So is the Tao—an ink blot, and an optical illusion. So is the Buddha. What we see depends upon how we look. Now you see it, now you don’t. Now it’s like this, now it’s like that. Sometimes it’s this way, and sometimes it’sContinue reading “The Structure of Spiritual Reality”

Your Totem Animal

If you were an animal, what particular animal would you be? If nothing comes immediately to mind, wait for it to come when you call for it. Bring the animal clearly into focus in your mind’s eye. Consider this to be your Totem Animal. For the remainder of this exercise, allow yourself to become theContinue reading “Your Totem Animal”