So, Henry lives in Santa Fe, as do I, but I have never seen or encountered the man, which is one of those strange things that happen in a smallish town. I have a policy in Santa Fe. See the same stranger three times in the same day, and I go up and introduce myself. I’ve met some of my favorite people this way. Yet Henry alludes me. Maybe this is no accident. I don’t know. What I do know, I’ve had some things happen to me that I can’t explain. Out of body type things. One, the result of acute pain, the other a result of needing to mentally transport myself to another environment, based on the realization that there would be acute pain forthcoming. Both left me pondering, “What just happened?”
I don’t like organized religion.
Never have. When my father forced us to go to church, I could see through it. To steal from this book, I saw “spiritual materialism.” Very few seemed to be in church to learn about God. Most seemed to be in church to learn gossip about who else was in church. Apply this across all organized religions. There is nothing there for me. Spirituality is an interesting concept, however. I’m not sure what it means, but it shows promise. I know nothing about Zen other than one of my old friends used to sit in Santa Fe. He told me, but didn’t tell me about it. He was vague. Leaving the ball in my court.
I failed to take a swing.
But I think I have a leg up. First, let me back up. One Blade of Grass is Henry Shukman’s path to Zen. Writing about this had to be a challenge. I know this now. He tries to say, “I’m not saying, X.” Because there is only so much you CAN say. And even saying that, you might run the risk of sounding like an ass. This stuff isn’t cut and dry. Meditation, Zen, awakening, enlightenment. Just toss those out and get out of the way. Less is more.
I could never do what Henry did. Never. Don’t have it in me. But I believe my path might have been easier. He had challenges I did not. He bounced off of Zen for years, and then one day it stuck. A major pressure value was released, and there it was, waiting in the wings. Reading some of these passages, it would be easy to say, “What the fu^% are you talking about?” or “I call bullshit.” But then I am reminded of my little spiritual “moments.” Those things I can’t explain. Some take drugs to experience what I did, all on my very own.
I won’t share the details, but at one point in my life, I was in a “situation.” I’d put myself there on purpose, so no one to blame here but me. I thought it would be cool, until it wasn’t. I found myself saying, “Oh, shit.” And then, “Okay, I’m officially in trouble here.” And then, “Okay, dipshit, you gotta mentally get yourself out of this location now.” “Just go somewhere else.” And I did. I remember a weird release of sorts. I wasn’t flying, I was transporting. I no longer had a body or a mind. I was more of a thought, but even that was fleeting. I was there and not there, and there was no pain. Nothing. I was gone for several hours, and when I came back, it was as if I had never left, but those around me were commenting. I remember thinking, “Weird, time for a beer.” (Baby steps, people.)
I would say get a copy and have a look, but don’t think this will be an easy read. It can be, but if you let your mind ponder the possibilities, well, it might bog you down in thought, or lack thereof. I’ve been around meditators before. With all of these people, I could feel they were different before I knew they were meditators. Hmm, still pondering that one. Someday, I might take a swing. I realize I drive by Henry’s Zen location several times a week. A few weeks before finding this book, I noticed the sign. Is that a sign?
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Putting on my TBR list. PS: Just met David Michael Kennedy, the photographer (Springsteen’s Nebraska album cover for one) here in NJ this past weekend at a small gallery show featuring him, Pam Springsteen and Danny Clinch. Believe he’s in Santa Fe. Nice fella Ever run into him?
Author
Oh, yes. Have known him for years. Interesting guy. I know his gallerist in LA too.
I’ve been reading stuff about Eastern philosophy, Zen, unexplained things, paranormal phenomena, ESP and on and on since I was a kid. I’ve always been fascinated with the unknown, with the stuff beneath the surface, with the unseen but felt. Probably because as an unsupervised child, I would explore my physical world and I would find places in the middle of other places that felt outside of those places. It’s difficult to explain but the feeling was always the same… it was a feeling of being somewhere else while my physical self was in the ordinary place. It was a feeling of complete presence, stillness, quiet but also filled with what I call this “electric juice”. It was a tangible feeling of the truth that there is much more to life, to being alive, than we’re shown. All this to say, if you are feeling a pull to explore this, do it.
Author
It sounds like you can tap in. That’s a great thing. I feel like there is a another layer, but I’m sure how to describe it.
I think it’s a sign Dan — Henry’s speaking to you 🙂 I’ve been a daily TM (trancendental meditation) practicioner for many years now – first learned in Santa Fe!
Author
Yes, I feel like I’ve been bouncing off of this for years.
Lao Tzu. Tao Te Ching. Also ‘Road to Heaven: Encounters with Chinese Hermits,’ by Bill Porter. An entrancing & enchanting read.
Author
Epic, thank you.
Also you might like ‘St. Nadie in Winter: Zen Encounters with Loneliness,’ by Terence Keenan – an American Irish, recovering alcoholic, Buddhist monk – prose, poetry, not exactly a memoir, but something akin… I never don’t have this book, and always in hardcover because I love the cover… and because … never mind… just because.
Author
This sounds interesting, too.
Enlightenment is to learn the difference between “allude” and “elude”, grasshopper…. [Ti-ii-ng!]
Author
I’ll never get there.
The closest I’ve come to that is visualizing a parking spot before going to an event, and having one appear where I hoped. Try it.