Metafizzics

It's a Difficult Life

That was not the title of a classic movie--but it might have been.  Jimmie Stewart (aka George Bailey) is surrounded from beginning to end by people who are (variously) mean, selfish, needy, thoughtless, careless, etc.  He never gets what he really wants, but in the end, he is so miserable that simple acceptance seems like heaven.

And everyone loves this movie because Jimmie learns the lesson that seems to pursue us all--whether it comes from the Buddha or the Capra . . .

Desire is the enemy of contentment.

PS:  From the double-bind department, though--how many people can you think of who are famous for their contentment?  Get back to me.  (And really, this post is not as unfizzy as it may seem.)

(More) Happy Talk

Yesterday, Diane Rehm interviewed Daniel Gilbert, author of a very interesting book called Stumbling on Happiness.  Definitely not a self-help book!  Gilbert draws on psychology, cognitive neuroscience, philosophy and behavioral economics to construct a funny/poignant explanation of how and why people are so hapless at making themselves happy. 

On the other hand, the leaders of remote Bhutan decided in 1972 that they could increase the chances that citizens would enjoy happiness--so Bhutan became the first (and so far only) country to institute a national happiness policy.  Find out more at BBC News, where there is not only a pretty slide show, but also an array of links, articles, and nifty videos that explore happiness from various angles.  (Skip the quiz--it's absurd.)

Four perfectly fizzy films

If you happen to be looking for a movie to watch . . . and you've never seen one of these . . . or you haven't seen it in a long time . . . consider these classic films about self-realization, self-discovery, self-knowledge, and the mystery of being:

Clueless--a tale of good-doing

Wide Awake--a story of god-seeking and growing-up

In God's Hands--liquid beauty and the metaphysics of surfing

Real Genius--a really funny look at--well, everything

Romancing the Weather

It's still Spring, but . . . sumer is icumen in.  These are the days when weather patterns shift and collide, so the near future takes on a new urgency.  Rain or shine?  Drought or flood?  Stormy or still?

Many of us are also thinking about how our gardens will grow--what to plant and when.  For some inspiration from a different perspective, visit The Sacred Garden, which offers both fascinating lore and a simple plan for a richly symbolic herb garden.

You'll also find a detailed representation of the Yanyuwa calendar--and that could make you wonder about indigenous meteorology.  Then you might ask youself (as I did) . . . why not create a personal weather calendar, from my own knowledge of how the local world behaves . . . ? 

Or perhaps just cultivate a simple poetic awareness, like the 13th century Japanese priest Dogen:

In the spring, cherry blossoms, in the summer the cuckoo.
In autumn the moon, and in winter the snow, clear, cold. 

Imagination at Work

The "news" these days is usually so discouraging that I only keep up with it as an exercise in cultivating detachment.  (It's helpful if you look at every story as a metaphor, fable, koan, parable, or dream narrative . . . )

But occasionally there's a glimpse to be had of something metafizzical.  Like the judge in the Da Vinci Code lawsuit trial who found in favor of Dan Brown--and embedded his own code (the "SmithyCode") in the text of his 71-page judgement in the case.  Yes, really.

No one has decoded the whole message yet, but Judge Smith says it shouldn't be too difficult.  (And anyway, this seems to be a case where the code is the message!)

Free Time!

Once you know about the Clock of the Long Now, you will either be in love with the idea or not care one whit.  If the former . . . you will want to browse the free audio downloads of Long Now seminars such as "The Political History of North America from 25,000 BC to 12,000 AD" and "The Singularity: Your Future as a Black Hole." 

There's also a snappy overview of the Long Clock from Discover Magazine.   

More feng shui (sort of)

I'd been wondering why--after many years of passing (but not passionate) acquaintance with feng shui--I have recently begun to focus on it much more attentively.  Then I came across this line from the American poet Wallace Stevens:

I am what is around me.

Stevens is a fascinating character, because his ordinary life (as an insurance executive) seems so far removed from his poetic investigations.  His best-known poems, such as "Anecdote of the Jar" and "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird" speak to the intersection of imagination and matter.  Read them. 

And visit this lovely weblog: The Tao of Wallace Stevens.

Happiness is . . .

Just looking at the word "happiness," it seems so simple that you have to wonder how a sixth-grade spelling champion could get it wrong at the regional Bee.  But yes--one could.  Apparently I realized at a young age that in reality, happiness is not at all a simple matter.

Therefore, I was especially fascinated by today's episode of To The Best of Our Knowledge, a program (questionably abbreviated as ttbook) produced by Wisconsin Public Radio.  This excellent audible omnibus (!) is new to our local market, but if my first sample is any indicator, it's well worth listening to.

Fortunately, the program archives are available online, so I'm looking forward to reviewing some past episodes.  And--you can listen to the April 16th hour called "Hope Springs Eternal."  Find out what happens when one man decides to say yes to everything for a year, then hear about the "pronoia" movement, the history of happiness, transcendance in popular music, and much more.

Listen to it--really!  It will make you . . . well . . . happy. 

Two quotes beating as one

"The real voyage of discovery consists
not in seeking new landscapes
but in having new eyes."

Marcel Proust (1871-1922)

"One doesn't discover new lands without consenting
to lose sight of the shore for a very long time."

Andre Gide (1869-1951)

An unfizzy fact

At least three children die every day in our country due to abuse and neglect. 

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and there is much you can do to make a difference.   Visit ChildHelp to find out more. 

ChildHelp is especially active in providing help for healing to abuse survivors.  For another type of focus, find out what's happening at Prevent Child Abuse.  PCA is working to change the public perception of child abuse.  (People are mostly aware of child abuse through sensational publicity and extreme examples, but the reality is much more complex . . . ) 

For a more political strategy, and a broader context, try the Family Violence Prevention Fund.  Their site provides serious news, and information about innovative programs like Founding Fathers.

Finally--one easy thing you can do today:  Adorn your enevelopes with Stop Family Violence stamps.  They cost 47 cents instead of 39, but the difference goes to programs addressing domestic violence.  Find them at most post offices, or order them online--just click here!   

Quote-a-lot

I've finally decided to add a quotation to my email signature.  I get a lot of mail that ends with a quote--usually something uplifting--and I always appreciate that insight into the correspondent's character.

So it took some time to decide just which one-liner would represent me best.  And here it is:

"Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!"

If that needs clearing up, click here.  Or better still . . . watch the best movie fable ever.

My obsession with calendars . . .

As we take our annual trip to the future (aka "Daylight Savings Time") I think it's a great time to reflect out loud on the romance of time.  My personal favorite moments of the year fall near the end of January--those unpredictable, unscheduled times when Barnes & Nobe and Half-Price Books mark their calendars down from $9.95 or $12.95 (or even more)to . . . $1.00.

Yes, a buck.  One dollar for one year of pictures, quotations, phases of the moon, obscure holidays, and blank spaces just waiting to be filled with records of life happening.  I hang them on the walls, scatter them around the house, carry them in my car/purse/knitting bag/gym bag/briefcase/etc.  I give them away to friends in need of cartoons or crosswords or horoscopes or lore of some special kind.

In 2006, time around me looks like this . . .

Bedroom:  Page-a-Day Zen, Celestial Gallery, and Dharma Diary.  Desktop:  Page-a-Day Pisces.  Entryway: The Hobbit.  Library: A Year in Tibet.  Kitchen: Page-a-Day Feng Shui.  Project room:  Knit Bits.  Planning bag:  Taschen's Monet.  Painting bag:  Taschen's Rothko.  Gym bag:  Taschen's Leonardo da Vinci. 

What could I possibly need with so many calendars?  Hard to say--but the need is strong!  Explore the allure at Calendars through the Ages.  And consider the possibilities at "the best selection of calendars in the known universe."  (Do not overlook the moose calendar . . . or the moons . . . )

      

The ONLY thing that--

has ever gotten me to do yoga at home!  Don't miss Shiva Rea's CD collection called The Heart of Yoga.  It combines excellent coaching  and flowing postures with gorgeous music, chanting/meditation, and freeform dance.  Four CDs (a solar set and a lunar set) for a bargain price . . . friendly to beginners, and a nice change for experienced practitioners. 

Visit Rea's website to learn more about her approach.    

Spring shiu

Lately I've been taking feng shui--the Chinese art/science of creating harmonious environments--very seriously.  Never mind whether it is superstition or common sense or just interior design with an extra agenda.  The fact is, it seems to work.

By which I mean . . . once I began thinking about my surroundings in terms of flowing energy, I saw (and corrected) a lot of problems.   At the simplest level, I realized that if your life is already full-to-bursting with old stuff (objects, relationships, beliefs, etc.), there is no room for new stuff.  Life becomes--to use the technical term!--stagnant.

The vernal equinox (aka, first day of Spring) is a splendid time to start clearing away the outmoded, the outworn, the out-of-touch, the never-wanted, and the maybe-useful items that block fresh energy from entering your life.  So explore!

Get information and ideas here.  Buy books here.    

Some days you get the bear . . .

. . . and some days . . . the bear gets you . . .

I think about that saying often--and I've tried to find out where it came from, but no luck.  I did, however, find a variant I really like:  some days you get the bear, some days the bear gets you, and some days . . . you both walk away.

Well, since I last posted to Metafizzics, the bear and I have been fierce competitors.  Finally, though, I think we're both walking away.  So with luck, I'll be catching up on things metafizzical.   

Thanks to those of you who checked by occasionally during my absence.  I hope you'll have good reasons to return from now on.