Lawfulness

Buddhist teachings shy away from politics. This is perhaps related to the Buddha's own absence of political discrimination. He accepted hospitality from wealthy patrons, despite their politics. In fact, his last regal host is suspected of poisoning him to death. My practice has always been wedded to my sense of being a lawful and ethical citizen, despite the challenges. As a gay man, I have been the subject of unjust laws. I have also encountered the unjust enforcement of laws by unethical policemen who have used the law as a way of bullying gay men. Despite the lawlessness of some, I have sustained my belief in the value of law in society. For example, I believe that coming illegally into a country and using the benefits paid for by law-abiding citizens of that country is just simply wrong and lawless. I admire those who remain in their native countries and strive to create lawful and fair societies there. How else will lawful and peaceful societies grow and flourish?

Hair

I cut my own hair. It's a long story, but I do. Cutting my hair is rather routine. I've been doing it for decades. Cleaning up after cutting my hair is always a contemplative experience. Hair clippings are extremely resistant to being collected and disposed of. So, molecules of my own DNA are still in the nooks and crannies of every place I've lived. Hair grows about one half inch per month. Seeing a pile of something I've grown unconsciously on my own body always fascinates me. Hair is dead skin. My hair has been many different shades of color over the decades. It is now shot through with white hairs, though overall still a light brown with russet tones. My hair grows thicker on some parts of my head. Cutting my hair reminds me that I am an animal, a biologically aging and changing being. Awareness of the emotional baggage associated with my hair also allows me to challenge my attachment to my appearance and my own resistance to change. Learning to cut my own hair as a routine practice, a chore, has helped me take responsibility for myself in a very basic way. I am the keeper of this body in specific and deliberate ways. And cutting my hair is teaching me in small increments how to let go of my body, which will some day cease to be.

Snake

Yesterday morning, a garter snake lounged in a loose bundle under a leaf of a lily plant in my garden. The snake had chosen the brightest corner of the small garden plot. It stayed there all morning, despite my tidying up around it. I am about as uncomfortable with snakes as the next human, but I felt honored by this snake's choice of my newly blooming flower bed. And I sincerely hope it stays nearby all season. There are many insects to be eaten. I realize my practice has helped me to appreciate life on small scale. That appreciation is its own reward and has its own special kind of healing power.