Metta Sutta

i have a copy of this sutta posted on the wall of my cubicle at work so i can look at it often (from this site) 

The Buddha's Words on Kindness (Metta Sutta)

This is what should be done By one who is skilled in goodness, And who knows the path of peace: Let them be able and upright, Straightforward and gentle in speech, Humble and not conceited, Contented and easily satisfied, Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways. Peaceful and calm and wise and skillful, Not proud or demanding in nature. Let them not do the slightest thing That the wise would later reprove. Wishing: In gladness and in safety, May all beings be at ease. Whatever living beings there may be; Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none, The great or the mighty, medium, short or small, The seen and the unseen, Those living near and far away, Those born and to-be-born — May all beings be at ease! Let none deceive another, Or despise any being in any state. Let none through anger or ill-will Wish harm upon another. Even as a mother protects with her life Her child, her only child, So with a boundless heart Should one cherish all living beings; Radiating kindness over the entire world: Spreading upwards to the skies, And downwards to the depths; Outwards and unbounded, Freed from hatred and ill-will. Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down Free from drowsiness, One should sustain this recollection. This is said to be the sublime abiding. By not holding to fixed views, The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision, Being freed from all sense desires, Is not born again into this world.

one thing i notice is there is no mention of the word 'love' and as this word is so frequently used on the internet i wonder why it is not in this sutta  ... maybe because of the translation? ... but i do notice  the words 'wise' and 'skillful' which make me ponder maybe wise and skillful are necessary factors in order for the love to be rightly practiced and wisdom is even more important ... in Buddhism, the Buddha seems to stress that we should stay away from worldly desire and attachment so i wonder if 'love' was not done right it might be desire, obsession, attachment in disguise? ... can't help thinking about the Eight Fold Path in Buddhism which to me is the path to find the truth: 

1. Right Understanding (Samma ditti)
2. Right Thought (Samma sankappa)
3. Right Speech (Samma vacha)
4. Right Action (Samma kammanta)
5. Right Livelihood (Samma ajiva)
6. Right Effort (Samma vayama)
7. Right Mindfulness (Samma sati)
8. Right Concentration (Samma samadhi)

http://www.beyondthenet.net/dhamma/nobleEight.htm (short)
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/waytoend.html (long)

Nature's Touch

One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. --- William Shakespeare

I really like this quote because so many times in the presence or spectacular natural landscape like waterfall, mountain, lake, sunset ... the boundary that normally divide us like social status, wealth, value systems seems to vanish ... my experience is there seems to be no desire to find out what the person next to us is doing for a living ... a homeless person and a billionaire can stand next to each other and don't even know because we are being awed by what we see and we like to openly share with each other the wonderful feeling ... we are there to witness, appreciate the wonder of nature and that's when we connect in the most sincere level, imho.

Duyen

Duyen in Vietnamese means 'meant to be'

A few months ago i went to an exhibition at the American Museum of Ceramic Art to see a special exhibition on the ceramic tradition of Korea ... after the exhibition i went to the gift shop / gallery area to see what's on display ... one piece called for my attention in particular, it's a large bowl (about 14in in diameter), the inside has crystalline glaze which normally  i am not a fan of because of the glossy finish ... but the bowl's color, a light blueish lavender, was very soothing to my eyes that i decided to get it ... at the cash register i noticed a tiny crack, about 1/3 of an inch, at the rim, which was easily blended in with the design of the bowl  ...  naturally the transaction was off and the person helping me said ' let's find out what the artist thinks about this'  ... i felt kinda sad because the bowl was defected but i reminded myself of the Japanese philosophy of 'wabi sabi' which beautifies the the nature of imperfection so i did not mind to have it but at the same time i didn't want to pay full price for the bowl either :-) ... the artist, Tom Wallick, was not around so the lady in charge of the studios asked for my information and she would let me know once she talked to him and she even asked me how much i wanted the piece to be discounted and i told her i would let him decide and i told her that i really like the look of the bowl.   

A few days later, i got an email from her saying that Tom wanted me to have the bowl if i still like it.  I was so surprised and really appreciated his generosity.  I think probably to him anything that's not perfect to his eyes is not worth selling ... talking about making art for art sake, not money ... how beautiful! imho ...  i guess it's duyen that i have this lovely bowl :-)

There was another piece by Tom that i like very much, a plate which has the same glaze but different color and since Tom gave me the bowl i decided to get the plate which again meant i have duyen with it too :-)

Unintended favorites

“There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.” - Robert Louis Stevenson

After a trip i always came home with a few thousands pictures ( can't help clicking :-) ) and going thru them takes a lot time but looking at the pics i felt like i was doing the trip all over again and i realized that many of my favorite photos have nothing to do with the sight that i set out to see

 I saw this lady walking a pig on the road next to the school that we visited in Otavalo - Ecuador

 

 This sand 'painting' was on the beach where i went to watch the sunset

 

 Went to Yosemite to see the snow and on the way to the bus leaving the park i suddenly
 looked up

 

 This pattern was on the sand at sunset

 

 Saw this cutie on the hike to Mt Rainier, finnally caught him/her taking a breath after a good chase :-)

 

 An overnight stop in a sleepy but lovely lakeside town in Norway turned out to be one of my favorite places to stay. I can still hear the sound of the little waves hitting the shore



Wandering the area around Geirangerfjord in Norway


 

 From the bus in Norway

 


 This beautiful lady was one of the vendors in Peru

 

 Looking down from the restaurant in Peru where i went for lunch

 

 Zion national park

 

 At Havasu Falls in Havasupai Indian reservation

 

 I came to Verona to see Juliet's balcony (as in Romeo & Juliet) but i fell for these windows

 

Pondering the creative process

'Waiting is certainly an unsung part of the creative process.  Perhaps it is a part of life itself' - Brother Thomas Bezanson

Some of my favorite photos were created from 'non-qualified' ones or by accidents and that inspired me to adopt the non-plan mentality which means not having a concrete result in mind when i start working on a 'creative' project.  I found out that by having this non-controlling mentality i can set myself free and this in turn opens many exciting possibilities.  Then i realize that the creative process is only possible if i approach it with an open mind and heart,  not trying to control what the outcome should or shouldn't be.  The journey then becomes a wonderful experience,  full of unexpected discoveries,  and sometimes mistakes could be blessings in disguise so i embrace them too.   Treasure could really come from trash so i let the work unfold itself and come to its own existence.

This picture

came from this one 

This picture 

came from this one (the flame-like background was accidentally created when i tried to cleanup the shadow)

May you find treasure in trash :-)

Out of the comfort zone

Do you venture out to places alone? I am not talking about shopping :-) but to activities and events like dining, attending concert, gathering for certain causes, going to exhibition at museums/galleries, attending workshop/retreat  ...

I have and i've had wonderful experiences and chances to meet and befriend with great people :-)

Not that i don't enjoy company, nothing could compare to having good companions, but sometimes when this is not possible then i don't mind venturing out on my own at all.

I have to admit that this takes some mental prepareness :-)

I remember the first time i went to a classical concert alone (most of my friends are not into this kind of music) i felt a little strange but when the beautiful sound of music started i felt like i was one of the luckiest persons in the world. One thing i notice is there are a lot of solo concert goers out there. If you attend a concert alone without buying ticket in advance you might even get free ticket at the box office :-)

Dining alone could be an intimidating experience so make sure that you pick the restaurant that you absolutely love because when the delicious food takes center stage you won't have time for anything else :-).  Many times in the past i had to travel for business and when i had a chance to go to a new city i always look to see if there is any restaurant that i like to try and i always had a great time. Also you could get VIP treatment eating alone in gourmet restaurant :-)

I even went hiking alone but i stopped because i don't want unexpected thing to happen while i am alone in the wilderness.

Being among others with the same interest without having the obligation to interact, having the freedom to be an observer and only chat with whomever you feel like can be a fun experience, imho.

Give it a try, you might like it :-)

Fava bean

If i don't go to farmer's market the chance is i would have never known fava bean, except when it's presented to me in the restaurant as an accompaniment to the a main ingredient.

The first time i saw fava bean pods was in Santa Monica farmer's market.  I have to say they are kinda ugly. The pods were big and most of the time they did not have a 'clean' look like green bean, string bean, snap peas.  Intrigued by the look i bought some and i found out that it's one of the most beautiful vegetables that i have known both in look, the bean itself, and taste.

When i split open the pots the bean look like they were cradled in a case lined with a thick layer of soft cotton, pristine and even jewel-like.  It sure commands my admiration :-)





I gently took the beans out of the pods, they reminded me of the sugar coated almond candies that i used to adore when i was a kid.


Then i steam the bean with the shell on.  When the shell is taken off, the bean is shown in a beautiful bright green color.



I could not resist munching on them until they are gone :-).  But sometimes i make sucotash


However,  i still prefer to eat the bean right out of the shell with it's flavorful unadorned wholesome goodness.

One day i visited the Learning Garden in Venice high school and i saw the plant and a bean pod and this time i think the pod is pretty good looking :-)

Yin Yang at play

In reading the fascinating book "The Tao of Physics" i learned that opposites qualities are complementaries part of a mutual whole. As part of the Tao, they are merely two aspects of a single reality. I find this thought-provoking and the idea really dawned on me when i looked at my flowering cactus plant.



The plant is solid and the thorn is painful to the touch, having the masculine characteristics like rough, strong, hard.


The flower is quite the opposite.  The petals, filaments, anthers, stigmes are so light that when i touched them i could hardly feel their presence.  They have the feminine qualities like soft, delicate, yielding.












The flower bud is probably the ugliest bud i have ever seen.  The first time i saw a bud i thought it was a fungus and almost cut it off the plant.



yet the flower is one of the most gorgeous



The contrasting qualities of the cactus plant is another thing that amazes me about the natural world and i can't help wondering what are the yin and the yang within each of us.

Butter

When i first came to the US in 1975 one of the things i noticed was the butter did not have any taste (same for some other food which i will write about later). 

Being from Viet Nam which was the former colony of France i had tasted butter imported from France since childhood and being a food lover since my young age i distinctly remembered how the butter i had in Viet Nam tasted like. I tried so many kinds of butter here, Land O' Lakes, Challengers,  Strauss ... and none could compare to the butter i had in Viet Nam. I always wondered what the difference between the butter here and the French butter was but could not figure out and since Google was not available back then i kinda gave up my quest for the answer.

One day, about 4,5 years ago, i went to Whole Foods, saw this butter , and bought it. The reason i bought the butter was because of the words 'pasture' and 'limited edition may - september'. I assumed that this butter must came from the cow that grazed on fresh grass from may to september and it sounded great to me :-). When i opened the cover i saw the color of the butter was more yellow, good sign :-). Then i tasted it, lo and behold, it tasted like the butter i had in Viet Nam! Awesome! ... althought i had to admit that the flavor was not quite as pronounced but i was so happy that i finally found a butter made in the US that i like :-). I begin to wonder what makes this butter more flavorful than others? No clue until one day i was kinda staring at the metallic green cover and i saw the word 'cultured' which i didn't remember seeing in other butters. This word turned out to be the key to the mystery. I started Googling and found out that French butter was more flavorful because it's cultured.

What is the process of culturing in butter making? here it is

This also explained why pastries in France tastes better than pastries in the US for me.  The butter makes a huge difference in flavor, imho.  

I love croissant and again i was in constant search for a good croissant here in the US, the one that matched those i had in France but i always get disappointed time and again.  Until i run into this one which made me smile :-)



Croissant from Maison Giraud

Why? because the chef Alain Giraud used imported French butter :-).  However, based on my last trip to Paris i have to say that texture-wise the best French croissants that i'd tasted are still a step above the best ones over here.  This i will discuss in an other post :-)

I find out that cultured butter is becoming more popular here in the US.  Artisanal maker like this one in Vermont are churning out small batches of very good  butter and i hope that more bakeries, pastry shops will start using this kind of butter in their kitchen.

If you are a butter lover please look for the word 'cultured' in the package. 

Btw, if you go to France, please check out the lovely Bordier butter (i bought it from LaFayette Gourmet)

This site shows how to make your own cultured butter

Yoga

    When i started to learn 'Yoga' about 5, 6 years ago in a community class i thought Yoga was an exercise that would make me flexible and strong.  In 2011 i took an Ayurveda class from my chiropractor i found out that Yoga is much, much more than an exercise. From the Ayurveda class i first heard about Patanjali Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita. Out of curiosity i asked my chiropractor's recommendation for books on these two subjects. What a revelation these books gave me on Yoga and in my humble opinion they are must-reads for all Yoga practitioners.

In reading these books realized i did not know what Yoga is about at all!  Yoga is not an exercise but a profound philosophy which teaches one to achieve self-realization and liberation of the soul.  Yoga philosophy also teaches one to cultivate oneself to serve humanity through a set of rules for character building and spiritual development.

The exercise or series of postures called asanas as practiced in Yoga studios  is merely the third of eight limbs mentioned in Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.  Although practicing asanas will make one flexible and strong, the main purpose of the asanas is to quiet the mind to prepare one for meditation which will eventually lead to self-realization, and union of individual and universal conciousness.  According to BKS Iyengar, probably the greatest yoga teacher alive, "Yoga is not a therapeutic science at all.  Yoga is a science for liberating the soul by bringing the consciousness, the mind, and the body to a stage of integration".   Mr. Iyengar also considers practicing the asanas as meditation in action. Therefore,  if we just approach Yoga as a mean to bring about physical fullfillment then we might have short-changed ourselves, imho.

When i was writing on Ayurveda i mentioned that i would write a post on Yoga and i thought i would finish one very soon after but months have passed until now. The reason was that the more i learn about Yoga philosophy through reading books, articles, and practice the less courage i have on writing about this profound subject. Somehow i think that anything i write about Yoga could be very misleading unless i became a real yogi, which is unlikely to happen in this lifetime :-).   According to Mr Iyengar " All may be able to do yoga but only one in a million is fit to be called a yogi."   Therefore all i like to do is to share with you the writings about Yoga philosophy, written by yogis, that have inspired me in my practice.

I love to hear from you :-)

Namaste


Books (more to come)

How to Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali
Bhagavad-Gita: The Song of God
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
The Tree of Yoga (Shambhala Classics)
Light on Yoga: Yoga Dipika
Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga

Note:  Regarding yoga asanas, I like to  follow the form created by BKS Iyengar.  The reason is because it pays great attention to detail on how different parts of the body should be precisely aligned in order to get maximum benefit and minimize the chance for injury.   Iyengar yoga (based on Hatha yoga) frequently uses props such as blocks, strap to help the body ease into the posture.   Iyenga teacher training is demanding and from this report there are 3892 Iyenga yoga teachers in the world and according to NAMASTA (North American Studio Alliance)  in 2005 there were 70000 people holding teaching certification in the North America alone.  In the US there are currently only 925 Iyenga teachers so in many parts of the country it is not easy to have a teacher close to where you live but if you could locate one  i strongly suggest that you  take the class if possible.  I am taking two classes, one Iyengar which concentrates on techniques, and one non-Iyengar which provides a flowing sequence like a workout.  I find this works best for me from the exercise standpoint.

Titbits
In 2005 NAMASTA determined the figure of 70,000 yoga teachers based on both an estimate of the number of teachers who received training and readership surveys by the major yoga publications. The estimate includes people who might no longer be teaching and teachers who have received different levels of training. 

The picture at the top of the post was created from this photo using Photoshop ( i had so much fun! :-) )

Outer light



  becomes inner light

two aspects of the same reality

Farmer's Market

Going to the farmer's market is an eye-opening and spiritual experience for me.  I discover wonderful new vegetables, fruits, fragrant, texture everytime.  I love farmer's markets because there are so many kinds of fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, at the peak of ripeness and beauty, which  i never saw at the super market.   Before discovering the farmer's markets i get bored going the the supermarket because all year-round i kept seeing the same kind of vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, carrot, potato, tomato apple, banana ... over and over, with no varieties.   The farmer's markets show me what each season has to offer.  Every kind of fruits and vegetables comes with so many varieties which could be a feast for the eyes and taste bud.  I also get to meet the farmers,  ask them questions directly which they would be happy to share information about what they grow, from which i could feel the passion and love they have for their products which transforms into a deep apprieciation for these stewards of the land and the nourishing bounty from mother earth.

Have you ever seen these lovely bunches of fragrant lavender in the supermarket?


the delicate squash blossoms


or this huge beautiful organic head of lettuce :-)


and these gorgeous heads of lettuce, radicchio


So many kinds of peppers,


tomatoes


eggplants


How about these vegetables?




I first saw fresh fava bean at the farmer's market and it is one of the best discoveries



I used to disdain the sour, scent-lacking strawberries in the supermarket until i encounter the sweet, juicy, fragrant, melt-in-your-mouth strawberries from Harry's Berries.  They are not cheap but totally worth my hard earned money.  Btw, i don't get anything from them for this advertisement :-).  They ran out fast so make sure you come early. 



How about some fresh sunflower seed


These cute lemon cucumbers are really juicy!


Giant sweet onions from one of my favorite stands owned by a young couple in the Santa Monica market


During the summer the best stones fruit like apricots, peaches, nectarines could only be found at the farmer's market, imho, because the best tasting fruits are quite delicate, they bruise easily and not suitable to sit for long the supermarket shelves.   These are the mouth-watering fruits from the Ferry Building market in San Francisco




and you get to taste them too :-)



You could also get grass-fed meat



Here in Southern California, there are many very good farmer's markets. The best known ones are Santa Monica (Wednesday, Saturday), Beverly Hills (Sunday), Hollywood (Sunday). Santa Monica is probably the best, imho. The Wednesday market is huge, it's almost twice as big as the one on Saturday. Many farms only sell at the Wednesday market and many chefs show up to get the best offerings.  

Do you go to farmer's market?  i hope there's one near to where you live, you check it out, and let me know what you find :-)

And please stay away from GMO food!

Since i am an organic-food freak, these are some of my favorite Farmer's Markets in Southern California

Santa Monica Wed/Sat
Hollywood
Beverly Hills
Long Beach

Sunset

Yesterday i went to Huntington Beach to walk by the water and at the end of the walk i stopped near the pier to watch the sunset. The sun was going down, quickly. I started seeing that the people around me all looked in that same direction. Everybody seemed so still and mesmerized by what was going on even when they were trying to take pictures. As the sun slowly disappeared in the horizon bringing with it the last shine of the day, a sense of tranquility seemed to take over. About 5 minutes after the sun completely left the day, the cloudy sky started to take on a bright reddish glow and this went on for another ten minutes before the color faded. Suddenly i felt a peaceful togetherness in the air, i felt connected with all the people around me because we were all seeing the same thing. We were all in the 'being' with the sunset, experiencing that magical moment together. I felt love all around me. Can't help thinking about one of my favorite quotes 'Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.' --- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I wonder if more of us took time to watch the sunset, wherever we might be, would this world become a more harmonious, loving place?

Please share your feeling in watching the sun goes down. or up :-)

In every winter there is a trembling spring,
Behind the veil of each night, there is a smilling dawn.
Kahlil Gibran

Julia Child

I used to watch Julia Child's cooking shows on television and always enjoyed the way she performed.  She seemed so comfortable, having lots of fun, even sloppy sometimes, and her love for cooking was contagious.

So last year when a friend told me about Julia Child's book 'My Life in France'.  I read and loved it.  Her adventures with food in France, her love for the land and people made me want to go back for a culinary tour.  "Oh, how I adored sweet and natural France, with its human warmth, wonderful smells, graciousness, coziness and freedom of spirit."

Besides the food, the other fascinating thing about 'My Life in France'  to me was the friendship between Julia and Avis De Voto which resulted from a letter that she wrote to Avis's husband, the historian and journalist Bernard De Voto in responding to his Harper's article about the sorry state of stainless steel knife in the American kitchen.  Avis De Voto answered her husband's mail to Julia and this sparked a 35 years friendship. Avis also played an important role in having Julia's revolutionary 'Master the Art of French Cooking' published. 

This friendship led me to the next book 'As Always, Julia' which is a collection of letters between Julia and Avis from 1953 to 1988.  In reading this book i found myself continuously underlying/checking/noting, just like when i was in college.  This book is not only about food but about culture, people that make great food possible, the unyielding effort to make excellent dishes but also a peek into American history after WWII such as the hipocrisy of the McCarthy's era and the changes that were taking place in the American kitchen.  

A great meal could change one's life, according to Julia Child in 'My Life in France', and I cannot agree more.  A great meal to me is more than satisfying the taste bud.  Taste is only one part of it.  A great meal gives me a sense of gratitude toward the chef for expressing his/her love for the ingredients and respect where they came from.  The ingredients, sourced from farms tended with labor of love from the stewards of the land really connect me with mother earth, the one that nourishes us.  I could not help appreciating and consider eating as a sacred act and reading Julia Child's books re-enforced this thought in me.

"The pleasures of the table, and of life, are infinite — toujours bon appétit!" --- Julia Child

Additional Readings:

"The Paring Knife at the Crossroad' - Bernard Augustine De Voto

Prop 37 - YES!

Los Angeles City Council unanimously supports Proposition 37 - 10/24 (National Food Day).  Hooray!!!! (more pictures here)

Do you know what Monsanto means?
If yes YES 37!
If no  YES 37!
May you be healthy and stay away from GMO food!

This proposition will be the most important thing on the November 6 ballot that i will vote on. It might even be the most important thing that i ever vote on. GMO labeling is long overdue in this country, imho. After several months gathering signature to put the proposition on the ballot, with only a few weeks left to go, and with so many news about how the genetically engineered food coorporations like Monsanto, Dupont, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Kelloggs, Nestle USA, Grocery Manufacturers Association ... are pouring money into ads to mystify, confuse the public, i could not help to wonder what social, political system we are having here. The people who cares about food like me could not rely on the government they voted for (Democrat or Republican) to make sure that the food system is protected from the exploitation of big for profit companies that they have to take the initiation to force the issue of food labeling.  Prior to this consumer groups like the Just Label It campaign has collected 1.2 million signatures on a petition to force the FDA to label GM foods to no avail.  I am not surprised because there are so many connections between the government and Monsanto.

In reading this article by Michael Pollan for the New York Times this morning i totally agree when he stated

"Americans have been eating genetically engineered food for 18 years, and as supporters of the technology are quick to point out, we don’t seem to be dropping like flies. But they miss the point. The fight over labeling G.M. food is not foremost about food safety or environmental harm, legitimate though these questions are. The fight is about the power of Big Food. Monsanto has become the symbol of everything people dislike about industrial agriculture: corporate control of the regulatory process; lack of transparency (for consumers) and lack of choice (for farmers); an intensifying rain of pesticides on ever-expanding monocultures; and the monopolization of seeds, which is to say, of the genetic resources on which all of humanity depends."

This is an interview with farmer Howard Vlieger who noticed that his cows avoided the genetically modified Bt corn while  totally consuming the natural corn.

I urge you to do your own reseach on GMO (Genetically Modified Organism).  It might well be one of the most important discoveries you ever made. It sure was for me.

For those who live in California, please vote YES and for those who live in other states please keep this in mind and i sure hope that similar proposition will appear in the very near future.

May you be healthy and stay away from GMO food.


Additional information:

Genetic Roulette (watch for free until November 6)
The Future of Foods (watch for free)
California Right to Know
Unmasking the No on Prop 37 lies and dirty tricks
Opponents of Prop 37 misled voters 1
Opponents of Prop 37 misled voters 2
Seed Companies Control GM research in the US
Study in France linking GM maize to cancer
A Farmer's Concerns
What will you do for the food movement
GMO-Free campaign in India