Monday, November 13, 2006

Rental Cars-From my friend and teacher Jim Jackson Sunday 11/12/2006

I've reached that point that I can no longer talk. Now days when I communicate with someone in person, I write on a dry erase board. But that takes a while, certainly longer than talking. People try to finish my messages while I'm still writing. ;-) I can use email, as you see, although my right hand doesn't work very well, and I hunt and peck which takes longer than when my hands worked. As a result, my emails are shorter than in the past. I've reached that point when everything takes a long time. My rental car is slowing down.
Today I thought about you as I was practicing with the Chickadees on the deck. They were in great form as usual, giving the Buddha's teaching, as were the leaves, the wind and the traffic on Sixth Street. I hope you have been able to continue your daily practice. What a gift it is. How fortunate we are to have the opportunity.
Our time in these human rental cars is limited.
In the dharma,
Jim
Jim Jackson Sunday 11/12/2006.

As my prayers became more attentive and inward I had less and less to say. I finally became completely silent. I started to listen-which is even further removed from speaking. I first thought that prayer entailed speaking. I then learnt that prayer is hearing, not merely being silent. That is how it is. To pray does not mean to listen to oneself speaking. Prayer involves becoming silent, and being silent, and waiting until God is heard.
Soren Kierkegaard

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jim got me started on the Zen "road" almost 20 years ago...Still there.

Thanks Jim J. and thanks Virg...

Martin

Anonymous said...

Jim & I were in law school together, practiced together, and have done almost everything else moral that comes natural to a man together. Martin knew me when I was a tree back in 66 & 67 about 5 years before I met Jim. I'm honored to know them both. Thanks Virg.

Anonymous said...

What a brave, centered man he is!
His message blesses my day...and I'd guess his life has blessed many.
Thank you for sharing.

Mojohand said...

Jim taught me to sit and followed that up with spot-on guidance anytime I asked. He had the ability to cut through rationalizations and overconceptualizing in an instant and get right to the heart of the matter. He was a bodhisattva's bodhisattva.