A State of Mind

I think the failure on the part of many Americans to understand us Sanders diehards is rooted in the erroneous belief that we're campaigning for a nice, slightly irascible old guy who gives us a warm fuzzy.

In fact, what we're fighting for is a return to our founding values: E Pluribus Unum (out of many, one), the Bill of Rights, the common good. We're interested in reclaiming our democratic republic from the jaws of plutocracy. We don't want our kids and grandkids coming back from various hell dimensions in boxes (or shattered in body and mind) so a handful of rich sociopaths can get even richer.

We think that a Supreme Court decision that has put every elected office in the country up for sale to the highest bidder deserves to be tossed in the trash. That sending kids to college is better than sending them to the desert to kill and die for fossil fuels.

We agree (with Thomas Jefferson) that the separation of church and state is an absolute requirement for a free society. That the bodily autonomy rights of women are not up for debate. That to poison the environment is to poison ourselves; that failure to act immediately and decisively against climate change will have a disastrous impact not just on future generations, but on people trying to survive today.

These are just a few of the things we're deeply committed to. The fight doesn't begin or end with one man, one politician, one campaign. Being a Sanders supporter is a state of mind.



Copyright 2016 William K. Ferro 

Help Us Out, Won't You?

I've written before that the world rather desperately needs not more successful people, more powerful people or more wealthy people. What the world -- the entire biosphere, in fact -- needs is more truly happy people. 

If you're reading this, I'll assume you're with me on that score, and shall proceed with the "how-to" of the task.

There are countless sources of deep, abiding happiness in your field of view at this very moment. If you have functioning eyes, all manner of forms, colors, and designs both natural and man made are available to you. Yes, whatever afflictions you have are still there, but spare some attention for the the gorgeous sights around you right now. It will take away some of the fixation you have with all those ongoing irritants (everyone has them, you know).

Your ears still work to some degree! A natural soundtrack plays the moment you step outdoors. Birds in enraptured song, the distant breathing of the highway, raindrops on the young, green leaves of trees. You are able to enjoy the tactile aspects of the world: to hold an abandoned bird's nest in your hand, to pet a cat, to shake hands with a friend.

The sources of happiness go on and on. There is music, love, meaningful work, friendship and art. There are dizzying heights to be scaled through dedicated spiritual practice.

In short, you can help the entire world, simply by nurturing awareness of the countless conditions for happiness surrounding you. I hope you'll help us all out-- and yourself in the bargain.



Copyright 2016 William K. Ferro

What Else?

How close to the sun
Are you willing to fly?
How high are you planning to soar?
Lay claim to the moment
And shatter the sky.
What else are you up there for?



Copyright 2016 William K. Ferro

The Bell of Mindfulness

The bell of mindfulness resounds;
Inner tensions begin to dissolve.
My mind is lucid;
My body is at ease.
Conscious breathing anchors me
To the island of safety within. 
My heart is a garden
Where peaceful blossoms bloom.




Copyright 2016 William K. Ferro

Walking Meditation

"The mind can go in a thousand directions,
But on this beautiful path, I am at peace.
With every breath, a cool breeze blows; 
With every step, a flower blooms."

Flower Meditation

Image from Godfatherstyle.com

Like a flower,
I am fresh and alive.
Like a mountain,
I am solid and strong. 
Like still water,
I am lucid and clear. 
Like infinite space,
I am boundless and free.

-- An adaptation of a gatha from the Zen tradition.

True Nature Gatha

My true nature, 
I fully honor.
My unique path,
I freely follow.
My deep craving, 
I radically transform. 
My perfect wholeness,
I mindfully embrace. 












Copyright 2016 William K. Ferro

No Distinction

There's  really no distinction 
Between the sacred and profane, 
No clear dividing line between the two. 

Let there be no consternation, 
No terror and no pain.
Just mindfully embrace what comes to you. 



Copyright 2016 William K. Ferro

There Is Plenty

You have enough.

Lucidity Gatha

Breathing in, my mind is fully lucid. 
Breathing out, my body is at ease. 
I mindfully embrace all my afflictions, 
And calmly, those afflictions I release.


Copyright 2016 William K. Ferro

This Peaceful Revolution

We are in the midst of a great paradigm shift. This revolution will be won by hundreds of thousands of peaceful warriors, standing firmly together for justice, peace, freedom and hope.

We thought we were victims; together, we discovered that we were the collective hero that we sought.

We considered the powers of hatred, greed and delusion unstoppable; we thought they defined our society at its core. We learned that they yield to the collective energy of lovingkindness, generosity and awakening. 

We had despaired of ever seeing the rage, bigotry and violence so pervasive in our culture changing.  We witnessed joy, equanimity and nonviolence restrain and subdue them. 

This revolution began in the hearts of individual moral agents; it gathered steam as these practitioners pooled their spiritual resources. 

 We came together to generate an unstoppable tidal wave of lovingkindness, joy, compassion and equanimity.  

This peaceful revolution doesn't come to an end; it is renewed daily by the individual and collective practice of innumerable apostles of peace. 

Copyright 2016 by William K. Ferro