auspicious friend - u B D

there's a retreat beginning later today at the praktis center called manzanita village. the theme for this gathering is, "the art of making peace" and it is a retreat convened specifically to support praktisyonerz of color. i will not be able to attend unfortunately, but dharma sister auspicious cultivation of the heart will be reppin' for all of us at this color-culture-dharma-gathering. last year, sister auspicious attended the asian pacific islander american dharma retreat calling upon praktisyoners from all traditions of api heritage to share a weekend praktising as a community. again, i was not able to attend that retreat, but sister auspicious shared with me the stories of praktis from that weekend in order for me to benefit. nothing can take the place of actually attending, but as i imagine my friend assisting with setting up for this weekend's dharma gathering in the name of our communities-histories-ancestries, i want to pause here for a moment and send out my gratitude for her presence at "the art of making peace", i want to send out my thanks for her commitment reppin' for the dharma to bring back and share with us here, i want to send my thanks for her courage and commitment and faith to create and embody the conditions for praktis.
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in my mind, "i am too busy to go. i've got paperz to grade. i've got final assignments to consider. i've got end-of-year details to contemplate and begin to complete..." (and on and on and on). there's something from this place of buzyness that i want to know more intimately. i want to know more about my dis/ability to stop the routines of everyday life. there's something from this place of busyness that i want to know closer, an understanding with depth of knowing that my worth is not completely bound to my timelines and due dates and projects. yes, these material conditions of my life are very real yes. when i am not working on my responsibilities, all kindsa other things occur and ignorance and distraksyon and prokrastinasyon only lead to more suffering. but, there's something else here that i am not understanding for myself and the retreat this weekend, dharma sister reppin dharma actionz and my inability to sit outside of my own sense of busyness brings all this to bear this afternoon.
my praktis koan for the weekend.
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auspicious one keep reppin'
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art of making peace: a retreat for peoplez of color
manzanita village praktis center
may 13th to 15th 2005
warner springs, san diego, california
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may all beings benefit from the praktis and sharings at this weekend's retreat. may we realize the way of praktis in our everyday life and move our thoughts, actions and words in the direksyons where buzyness and okkupation DO NOT become the source of our livelihoods. rather, may we know and live the Way from a place of inner safety, stability and peace. the praktis that opens the path further. the true path that leads Home.
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u B D