Spanda Tattva (72 Hours Of Pulsation In Action)

Spanda means pulsation, and a tattva is a principle of nature. I haven’t had the time to put thoughts to blog until today, so I made it a practice by viewing the last three days as pulsation in action. It is like watching the waves of the ocean as it carries things in and carries things out. What imprint has been left on the shore of my experience, and what has been made more visible by the removal of some useless piece of flotsam and jetsam? As I pick through the driftwood, maybe I’ll find a jewel...

Sunday Evening
Tim teaches me three very valuable phrases: konomama and sonomama, which mean “like this, in this way” and “as it is”, and kouiufuuni, which means “of this kind, like this”. He said that the former two refer to what is more static, while the later one describes something with movement or flow. They are indispensable for indicating contrast. For example; sonomama dewa naku. konomama. (“Not like that. Like this.”), or kouiufuuni yokunai. kouiufuuni. (“Not like this. Like this.”) Handy phrases for teaching yoga, most definitely.

Monday Morning
In the first chapter of Osho’s Zen:The Path Of Paradox, he speaks of konomama and sonomama. Another meaning of these words is “as things are, as one is,” or the “basic is-ness” of something. This morning is my first time reading Osho (Thanks, Jeff!). I don’t agree with everything he says, but here are some quotes I liked:

“Man is responsible for himself and for the world he lives in. If there is suffering, you are responsible; there is nobody else to look to. You cannot throw off your responsibility. If the world is ugly and is in pain, we are responsible; there is nobody else. If we are not growing we cannot throw the responsibility on anyone else’s shoulders. We have to take the responsibility.”

“The word God is not God, the concept “God” is not God. Neither is the concept “love” love, nor is the word food food. Zen says a very simple thing. It says: remember that the menu is not the food. And don’t start eating the menu.”

“The Zen seeker looks into reality to find the beautiful...in the songs of the birds, in the trees, in the dance of a peacock, in the clouds, in the lightning, in the sea, in the sands. It tries to look for the beautiful.”

Food for thought (but don’t eat the menu).

Monday Afternoon
A lot of Japanese language study, including memorization of what I wish to say in my first class I teach this Friday. Because of my rudimentary grasp of the language, I now have to prep for each class. By the hand of grace, I have been gifted with Kaeko*, a woman from Tokyo who has graciously volunteered to translate what I wish to say. Keeping in mind that there is only so much I can memorize, I have to keep it to a minimum. Basically, I have to weed out the superfluous chatter, and cut my words to that which is most concise and eloquent. It makes for a fantastic practice, and keeps the theme simple and grounded.

* Many of the names for women end in ko, which means “a child”. The kanji even looks like the pictograph of a child with his/her arms open: 子

Monday Evening
I have been revamping my site. Or rather, Noam has been revamping my site according to my very particular instructions. He is always the consummate professional, and I am very appreciative of his patience and ability to work with whatever request I give him. I sent an update, but forgot to attach the photos, then spent an hour trying to get gmail to send the darned things, with no such luck. Then, remembering my teleconference the following morning, I tried to set up skype for the call. An hour later I gave this up too. The universe wanted me off the computer.

Tuesday Morning
I was able to email the photos and set up the skype account. Whoo-hoo!
Even though I skyped in about 20 minutes late for the teleconference with Paul, I was just in time for a dharana (“focus, concentration”) practice. It was very simple and sweet, but the mantras he recited were exquisite. I could almost smell the rich earthy ancientness of these mantras. Our eyes were closed throughout, and I had a vision of the sounds as a string of clean, white bones suspended in the air that dissolved into the ether as each mantra was completed. I felt completely rooted to the spot, as solid as stone in my body, but my awareness kept expanding like rippling waves on the surface of a pond from the center.
Right after the teleconference the doorbell rings, and it is the Postal Service with a delivery of four of my eight boxes, including the one with food and toiletries. Yes!

Tuesday Afternoon
I left the house for downtown. On the subway, I chose the wrong side of the platform, and wound up going the opposite direction to the terminus, which was only the next stop. Once I did get downtown, I went to Shinsei Bank to open an account, but no one there spoke any English. Then I went to Studio Yoggy to take a class, and it was cancelled due to an all-day training. I decided that I best head home, and forgot to stop at another bank to exchange my dollars for yen, leaving me with not even enough for a subway ride for tomorrow. But, I had a fresh loaf of yummy raisin walnut bread. I had a slice with avocado, and immediately felt better about the whole afternoon ordeal.

Tuesday Evening
Tim offers me some more necessary yoga words - johanshin and kahanshin; jo uses the kanji for “up” (上), han means “half”, and shin is the onyomi (“Chinese pronunciation”) for “body”, or “upper body”, and ka(下)hanshin is - you guessed it - “lower body”. He also then refines my understanding of some other words as well. I am very privileged to have his language acumen at my disposal.

Wednesday Morning
I was supposed to meet Tomoko (there it is again) at the Kyoto studio at 2pm, but there was a message last night from her saying she would meet me just before 10am. I arrive at the studio at quarter of and wait. I have a lovely chat with Reiko (hat trick!), whose English is quite good, but no Tomoko. I wait until quarter after downstairs, then its off to the Kyoto bank to finally change my dollars to yen. I am thankful I can now pay Tim back for his generous loans. I stop at the onigiri stand Tim introduced me to, and for under $3 I have a take home lunch that is filling, tasty, and homemade.

Wednesday Afternoon
At Tim’s house, I blaze through my emails, sending and replying with focus and speed. I receive two deliveries from the Postal Service, and now have all of my boxes (the USPS rocks!).
A call comes around 2pm, and I have the ominous feeling that it was Tomoko. A half an hour later, an email pops up in my inbox from her. Apparently, the phone message we received last night was from last Saturday evening! Oops.

Wednesday Evening
Tim has just left Tomoko a message, explaining the whole mix up. She has been going above and beyond for me here, even putting together a folder of potential apartments for me to rent. I want her to receive an apology from me directly. With Tim's help, I fire off an email to her, and in the process learn what Tim calls, "a golden phrase": osewani narimasu. This translates into "I am always asking for your help./I am always in your debt."

It seems to me that my practice here in Kyoto is one of working patiently with each dilemma that presents itself, of opening myself to the ebb and flow of each moment, of not allowing myself to get pulled into any one story or scene. This is always the challenge; to balance the pulsation, be clear its articulation, and act from that place of harmony.

Wednesday afternoon I walked around Tim’s neighborhood, and took a few photos of some of the lovely houses in this rather idyllic area. Enjoy.


Note the swastika on the right - this is the symbol for jinja, or shrine.


A very modern addition to the area, complete with French greeting plaque.


A more traditional house, with a fantastic outer decor.


These are mostly dried flower arrangements.


Chez Medlock


Tim’s garden.