Keep Yours Close

With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,

Having a Teflon mind is not always such a good thing. We teach ourselves not to grasp onto things, especially desires or material things, but some things are important to keep nearby, not in front of your nose mind you, but nearby.

One such thing is our love for and relationships with people.

People are the conduits for our energy flow, people are part of our whole. Relationships with friends and family allow for this flow in the least constricted fashion, keeping in mind, of course, a degree of respect and ettitquette (the forms we sometimes use as transfer and control mechanisms of our emotional energy).

Currently I have several friends who are suffering. I am still dealing with my own illness. Yet, as friends, we call on each other, rely on each other, and support each other. The result is far less suffering, free flow of our love and compassion for each other, and a clear sense of belonging.

When we reside behind self-built walls erected out of fear and anxiety, suspicion and anger, we become greedy, hateful, and deluded. We are greedy because we remain in and too ourselves, hoarding our energy. We are hateful because we suspect others are out to take our life away, miserable that it might be, and we are deluded because this is all a complete distortion created by an ego that resides in itself and cannot see --- or will not see --- its absolute interconnectivity to all things.

Zen Buddhist antidotes to these do not work without deliberation regarding Teflon Mind. The antidotes are generosity, compassion, and wisdom.

Without a willingness to keep our friends close, recall them, remember their needs, issues, and weakness, we cannot be of help: we cannot be generous, we cannot be compassionate, and we certainly are not manifesting wisdom.

Its not all that complicated.

Understand yourself, know yourself, keep a "don't know" mind that is open and flexible, and cast your heart's eye outward.

An open system lives: a closed system dies.
A bow to each of you,