In Pursuit of Mysteries

Screwed Up Lives

Well… I’ve heard some not so good things concerning some friends of mine this week. It isn’t my business to go into them here but it seems like they aren’t having the best of times right now and that’s really not great. I wish them the best and that’s probably all that I can do in these particular situations.

Other than that, I’ve had yet another exciting and inspiring day at work! ;-) Actually, it hasn’t been too bad recently. We’re gearing up to ship our software in a few months, which means getting ready for beta releases, more end to end test passes and other work involving long hours for me and the people that work for me. Software Testers spend most of their work energy in the middle and the end of the software life cycle. As we get closer to shipping, more and more furious work is done until in a great moment of release, we ship it.

After that, we usually have a few months of glowing recovery while we plan for the next version and the program managers write the specifications of what we are going to do in the next version or we get reorganized into some other project. After we ship the current client, my group is likely to get rolled into working on user stuff for the next version of Windows. This could bring about a lot of changes.

I’ll be meeting the lovely in an hour or so. It sounds like her life has been eventful of late as well. I’m looking forward to attending the Shitro teachings this Sunday though I forgot, again, to call and reserve a seat. I hope that it isn’t full up…

The Weekend

This weekend I attended the Green Tara empowerment that I mentioned recently with given by Her Eminence Dagmo Kusho Jamyang Sakya. This was a very interesting experience for me and I went into it without a lot of expectations. I know that Green Tara is one of the most common empowerments given to people and that her practices are fairly simple for the most part. I was quite impressed by Her Eminence. She’s a lay practitioner, the wife of the the head of the Sakya Monastery in Seattle, and she is quite humble about her background and experience, downplaying it extensively. It’s clear that she has a real and strong connection to Tara and her teachings and practices. She’s been encouraged and empowered to teach by those who would normally be considered “higher” than her. She teaches at the Tara-Ling Center in Los Angeles and apparantly goes down there quite often to do so. You can read about Her Eminence here. She’s quite the real deal and it was apparant from what I received this Saturday.

Next weekend is the Shitro teaching and empowerment that I’ve written about. I’ve been debating about whether to attend the Hevajra initiation and teachings at the end of May or not. The money isn’t an issue (even though it is $150 or $200) really given the nature of it and its importance. It is whether I can commit to the daily practice that they will want and whether I’m ready to really receive it. I’m not certain. While I am getting more involved in Tibetan Buddhism and want to learn and practice more, my commitment to Buddhism as a life-path isn’t necessarily fully there and I want to respect the tradition and its teachings properly. This isn’t something to do on a lark. To receive the Green Tara empowerment is in an entirely different class of things than to receive the Hevajra Initiation.

Later on Saturday, I attended ’s lecture on the history of the Ordo Templi Orientis here at Horizon Oasis in Seattle. The lecture was very good and I didn’t heckle, even when he called me out and tried to get me to do so at one point. So there.

The end of the evening and into Sunday morning was spent with R. We rented and watched “Zoolander” of all things and were pleasently surpised by how funny it actually was! ;-)

I spent Sunday goofing around for the most part. I tried to arrange to see my daughter but my ex didn’t answer calls to her cell and messages I left there and at her home. I have no idea what the hell was going on there but I’m trying not to be annoyed. My ex-wife always gives me shit about spending more time with my daughter though so it is kind of hard not to feel annoyed about it. I wound up hanging out in the sun reading since it was a rather nice day for Spring in Seattle. R had gone into work because they are near shipping so we met up later on to get some food and go to the new Sunday poi class for advanced students. Turnout was a bit low there but we had a good time even though I got hit in the head by someone else’s flailing poi during partner practice repeatedly. I don’t mind as long as we don’t repeat it when the poi are on fire…

As you can see, it is quite late so I think I’ll be going to bed soon…

Update: I found this article on the Tara-Ling site from the LA Times about Her Eminence.

Yezidi Hymns

The Hymn of Sheikh Adi

My understanding surround the truth of things,
And my truth is mixed up in me.
And the truth of my descent is set forth by itself;
And when it was known it was altogether in me.
All who are in the universe are under me,
And all the habitable parts and the deserts,
And every thing created is under me.
And I am the ruling power, preceding all that exists.
And I am he who spake a true saying.
And I am the just judge, and the ruler of the earth.
And I am he whom men worship in my glory,
Coming to me and kissing my feet.
And I am he who spread over the heavens their height.
And I am he who cried in the beginning,
And I am the Sheikh, the one and only one.
And I am he who of myself revealeth all things.
For I am he to whom came the book of glad tidings,
From my Lord who burneth the mountains.
And I am he to whom all created men come,
In obedience to kiss my feet.
I bring forth fruit from the first juice of early youth,
By my presence; and turn towards me my disciples.
And before his light the darkness of the morning cleared away.
I guide him who asketh for guidance.
And I am he that caused Adam to dwell in Paradise,
And Nimrod to inhabit a hot burning fire.
And I am he who guided Ahmed the Just,
And let him into my path and way.
And I am he unto whom all creatures
Come unto for my good purposes and gifts.
And I am he who visited all the heights,
And goodness and charity proceed from my mercy.
And I am he who made all hearts to fear my purpose,
And they magnified the power and majesty of my awfulness.
And I am he to whom the destroying lion came,
Raging, and I shouted against him and he became stone.
And I am he to whom the serpent came,
And by my will I made him dust.
And I am he who struck the rock and made it tremble,
And made to burst from its side the sweetest of waters.
And I am he who sent down the certain truth.
From me the book that comforteth the oppressed.
And I am he who judged justly;
And when I judged it was my right.
And I am he who made the springs to give water,
Sweeter and pleasanter than all waters.
And I am he that caused it to appear in my mercy,
And by my power I called it the pure.
And I am he to whom the Lord of Heaven hath said.
Thou art the Just Judge, and the ruler of the earth.
And I am he who disclosed some of my wonders.
And some of my virtues are manifested in that which exists
And I am he who caused the mountains to bow,
To move under me, and at my will.
And I am he before whose awful majesty the wild beasts cried;
They turned to me worshipping, and kissed my feet.
And I am Adi Es-shami, the son of Moosafir.
Verily the All-Merciful has assigned unto me names,
The heavenly throne, and the seat, and the seven and the earth.
In the secret of my knowledge there is no God but me.
These things are subservient to my power.
And for which state do you deny my guidance.
Oh men! deny me not, but submit;
In the day of Judgement you will be happy in meeting me.
Who dies in my love I will cast him
In the midst of Paradise by my will and pleasure;
But he who dies unmindful of me,
Will be thrown into torture in misery and affliction.
I say that I am the only one and the exalted;
I create and make rich those whom I will.
Praise be to myself, and all things are by my will.
And the universe is lighted by some of my gifts.
I am the king who magnifies himself;
And all the riches of creation are at my bidding.
I have made known unto you, O people, some of my ways,
Who desireth me must forsake the world.
And I can also speak the true saying.
And the garden on high is for those who do my pleasure.
I sought the truth, and became a confirming truth;
And by the like truth they shall possess the highest place like me.