A Found Poem Based on the Dalai Lama's Talk at Veteran's Memorial Coliseum in Portland on May 11, 2013

30 Lessons: His Holiness The Dalai Lama

addresses 11,000 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR

recounted with love and as little parapharasing as possible
by Christopher Luna

1.

sit down:

galaxy is moving

things are, you see, impermanent

there is no place to escape

can’t live on the moon

we have to think seriously

about the future of humanity

be alert

develop new way of life

new way of thinking

2.

ignorance is part of the human mind

me too: ignorance

we have a special sort of mental capacity

we have to think of other human beings’ well-being

3.

too much precious life

in decades, 10 billion population

smaller number of precious lives

much better

4.

education is not just knowledge

three levels of understanding:

hearing

analysis

experience/experiment

biased mind cannot see objectively

conviction translates into action

5.

secular ethics:

[According to Indian culture]

 secular means respect all religions

including non-believers

6.

often religion is lip service

religious institutions

quite often corrupted

too much exploitation

bullying

7.

will power against religious instruction

is sometimes necessary

8.

[to be]

against religious institutions

is very logical

9.

these one billion nonbelievers

are also a part of humanity

10.

[when one is]

sincerely gentle

affection there

sense of concern

is there

11.

carry your activities

transparently

12.

hatred

actually

eating

our

immune

system

13.

those dogs always barking

often remain lonely

14.

meaningful autonomy

use common senses

15.

regarding a problem

we must be realistic

most problems

are not possible

to overcome

16.

analyze

the nature

of the tragedy:

if you can overcome

make effort

with full enthusiasm

if you can’t

don’t worry

always different options

17.

emotions can be positive or negative

18.

anger out of sense of concern

[to protect someone in danger]

is positive

19.

perhaps I am socialist

Marxist

freedom is

extremely

important

interdependent

we must develop

oneness of humanity

we are the same

20.

karma means action

spontaneous and very limited

what we want is unbiased love

[Painfully loud, amplified crash as the microphone craps out.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama reacts with giddy pleasure, like a child.]

I wish for another bang!

21.

happiness is mental

not based on sensory satisfaction

22.

hygiene of emotion

very essential

23.

big self

difficult

strong sense of self

is positive

24.

map of emotion

map of mind

is important

25.

compassion is the key factor

for one’s well-being

26.

compassion

sustain

our immune system

sometimes

even increase it

27.

warmheartedness

must be a part

of your life

28.

lovingkindness

is the wish

for others

to be happy

29.

[although our biological need for affection]

does not come from the religious tradition

religious tradition backs this biological need

30.

affection is necessary

affection brings energy

affection is

very important for

our survival

"Best Laid Plans" by Christopher Luna

 

Best Laid Plans

When I finally make it back to my birthplace, what will remain of what I once loved? Will I recognize the place? Who will be around? Will they take me in? Will it be too late? All my family and friends dead, or moved on. Will the rhythm of the street be familiar, or will it be like enduring a lame cover of an indelible classic like “Stairway to Heaven”? How much of what I remember is accurate? How will I separate truth from myth? NYC is Valhalla. Looms taller in my heart’s memory than the twin towers. Bedrock. Boombox. Sitting with the bleacher bums at The House that Ruth Built. Melancholy. Syncopation. Straight Talk. Efficiency. Cacophony. Chaos. Beauty so hardcore it tears at your insides. Will the city still have that swing? Will I? Will I have strength enough to strut down those streets again, or will I collapse into the piss on the sidewalk, shaking my cane at the sky?   

"A Renewed Faith in Marriage" by Christopher Luna

My thanks to Kelly Keigwin and Sam Mackenzie for inviting me to contribute to their blog for the Love is a Radical Act project. I admire what they are doing to open people's hearts and fight for everyone's right to love.

As Sam explains in her introductory post:

"I am fighting for recognition and respect for all types of families – blended families, queer families, multi-racial families, adoptive families, families of choice, childless and child-free families, single people, and many more. I am fighting for the right to marry my partner so that we will enjoy the same protections that other couples take for granted. Heck, if someone can come up with a better system that will allow for greater flexibility and protection for all types of families, then I will fight for that too."

Sam invites "all of those out there making the world better through love – romantic love, parental love, platonic love, fraternal love, service to others, compassion, understanding, and any other kind of love – [to] send in your photos, words, videos, or anything else that shows what love means to you of how you and/or your loves ones are making love a radical act. Do not feel obligated to only share the happy stories – sometimes love is hard and painful – but do refrain from hurtful or oppressive language. This blog is meant to be a safe space."

If you'd like to share a story with Sam and Kelly, or would just like to know more about the project, go to: Love is a Radical Act

Christopher Luna reads a poem to commemorate

Sam and Kelly's wedding at Torque Coffee

December 9, 2012

Here is an excerpt from my post:

"Lesbian couples I know, such as my friends Sam and Kelly, and my cousin Jeannie and her wife, Steph, have been showing us straight couples what lifelong commitment is really all about. My fiancée, Toni, and I have been a couple for five and a half years. During that time, we have referred to each other as “partners.” We did this for two reasons: 1. We have endeavored to practice true partnership, which means that neither person dominates the other, emotionally, physically, or financially. 2. We wanted to show our solidarity with our queer brothers and sisters here in Vancouver and around the world.

"Toni taught me that the form of love that I always dreamed of is indeed possible. Together we have built a strong partnership in which we remain in the moment, and discuss any issues that arise right away, before resentment can begin to build. Both of us have suffered in marriages in which our feelings were ignored or disregarded, and this is what allowed us to appreciate finally finding another person who values and appreciates us. In fact, I think that regularly expressing gratitude is one of the greatest secrets to a lasting relationship."

To read the rest of the post, go to "A Renewed Faith in Marriage" by Christopher Luna

And don't forget to love each other. Expressing our love and appreciation is powerful, liberating, necessary.