I received your letter this afternoon.  The effort and thought that you put into it is refreshing.  I enjoyed reading the lyrics as much as I enjoy listening to the song.

I’ve read that great wisdom can be intuited from great masters simply by being in their presence.  I believe it.  Sometimes when I read books and stories of great masters, I can feel their thoughts penetrate my soul as if they were whispering eternal secrets in my ear [or consoling me].  I would like to sit with a monk one day to feel stillness of mind.  I would also like to travel to India.  I think that would be fascinating.  India 2017?

One of the first steps in the Jaina path to purification is overcoming “wrong-view”.  I think you are on the path.  I think overcoming wrong-view starts with an awareness of others.  Self-awareness is one thing; how we act and what we say influences the perception others have of us.  If we want to change perception, we change behavior.  Having awareness for others is an opportunity to experience a different perspective.  One thing I think about is the infinite nature of the universe, and how I have lived everyone’s life (or have been in a position similar to their’s) an infinite number of times.  When I am with someone this helps me attend to them.  Helping others is helping myself.  What if the entire universe is the same soul?  If we want to help our soul, we must listen, be thoughtful, be patient, be delicate, and tend to others with compassion.  I also understand what frustration feels like.  I read something that said the easiest way to treat someone with compassion is to remember that they are dying.

I don’t know why we count things down.  I was driving to NY on Friday and I was counting down the time and miles until I arrived at a mountain house that 14 of my friends were going to be at.  I was excited.  Watching the time tick away was painful because I was here in the car and wasn’t where the excitement was.  You’re right though; if we look forward to the weekend every week of our life, we will have spent countless days not in the present.  Then when the weekend comes, how present are we?  [On the way home I drove in silence.  I felt similar feelings of wanting (to be home, to relax, to stretch, to sleep, to be quiet).  I’ve heard that the nature of suffering is wanting.  Wanting is something you don’t have.  If we do have it that doesn’t mean we appreciate it.]  One thing we can do is welcome every day with a smile.  We can never be absolutely certain that there will be a next day.  When I remember this, I feel like I need to take a deep breath, like I just uncovered some realization I was unprepared for.  After a few breaths I think of the sky and what it would feel like to evaporate.  I’ve also read that we should spend our life preparing for death.  I feel like I am doing this to a degree by reading spiritual texts and attempting to listen to the universe.  Intuit the universe. Be the universe without being.  Be awareness.

I’ve found myself in a position where people are attempting to extract from me the truth that they want to hear [the truth that they perceive].  They perceive something and want me to admit to [announce] the same perception.  [If I am omniscient this easy – to know all things from all perspectives.]  I [am trying to] perceive things without judgment.  In situations like this all I want to do is be quiet because the moment I verify the perception as they perceive it, they become upset [with the reality].  They are coming to me for my council and they ask me to judge.  When I do they become upset.

It is now 6:36 PM, Sunday, February 14th, 2016 and I am concluding this letter [email].  I love you and I appreciate our friendship.

May all manner of things be well.