going on with Jhananda?

[Jhanananda]

Sorry to have been absent but internet via smartphone in the remote location of the wildlife and old growth preserve makes it very difficult to be consistent here.  I'm in town through the holidays and plan to catch up here. I hope to acquire starnet soon so I can keep up to date.

[Tad]

Good to hear from you Jhananda and that you doing well.

[Jhanananda]

Thanks, Tad. It's good to read posts from you and others here.

[Jhanananda]

Hello fellow mystics.  Thank you so much for keeping the dialog here going.  As you may know I have some serious health problems which have driven me into the wilderness where I do not have internet access.  I have left the wildlife refuge for the winter as the Forest service locks a gate across the access road after the first heavy snow in November. I have since headed south and down hill toward the desert to winter.  I am currently in Prescott, AZ where a friend is helping me with a place to park and work on my RV. The RV has a serious problem with the front end making it dangerous to drive over 40mph.  I have one set of bushings left to replace to stabilize the front end.

I have had some thoughts on mysticism.  A characteristic of mystics is they are often hermits living alone in the wilderness, and often beg for their survival.  This means most mystics will probably be completely lost to history.  Also, those who do enter history are often demonized, like Rasputin of Russia who was martyred just before the Russian revolution.

Conclusion:

Mystics are often hermits, and often marginalized, if not martyred. They often have little interest in the material world, and often have a complete focus upon the spiritual dimension.  So, lead a rigorous, self-aware, contemplative life.  Meditate several times a day.  Your sessions should be much longer than 20 minutes, because 20 minute meditation sessions will not lead to the mystical experience. Give up your attachments to the material world, and meditate deeply.

[Alexander]

Thank you brother And wishing good health

[Tad]

Hello Jhananda,

It is great to see you posting here! I missed you.

Ive been somewhat out of touch dealing with struggles of this life and dedicating whatever time and energy remains to practice. I feel way too entangled in this world due to work and family responsibilities. But I hope to find some kind of solution that would allow me to focus more on practice. Nevertheless, even with current limitations on practice I feel  slow but steady results.

I often remember your teachings that help through the hard times and the good times.

I wish you good health and hope to see more posts from you

[Jhanananda]

Thank you, Alexander and Tad for posting your kind and supportive thoughts and keeping this forum alive. It took me almost 2 months to completely dismantle the front end to replace the bushings on the radius arm on the passenger side.  I finished it just last week. 

Part of the hold up was shortly after I returned to Prescott, the regional national forests started doing control buns just before each of the winter storms. This drastically reduces regional air quality, which, with COPD, ruins my health, so I was mostly breathing on my respirator keeping dry and warm, and only working on the repair when air quality and weather improved. Consequently I only finished it last week.

My 2 front tires were badly warn from carrying a large generator on a utility carrier attached to the rear receiver on the van for 2 years which raised the front end too much causing the uneven wear on the tires. So, I begged at two different local churches which provided the funds for 1 tire each.  Yesterday the checks and tires met at the tire store and they kindly replaced the 2 tires.  So, I left my friend's yard and had the tires mounted and I am now finally able to WIFI camp for broad.  So, I have to apologize for being absent so long. I plan to focus on acquiring mobile broad band so that I can be more consistently available to rigorous self aware contemplative here.

[Tad]

Hello Jhananda,

it is good news that you are planning to get back to the forum. We definitely need it. Sounds like you have been doing heavy work, which is a good sign. It means you still have strength and health

[Jhanananda]

Thank you, Tad, for expressing your kind thoughts.  My health continues to improve as I learn more how to scrub all the aspects of air pollution from the air I breathe.  I am apparently specially sensitive to air pollution.  I only wish I got serious about air purifier development decades ago. Most days I am breathing purified air through a powered air purifying respirator with a 3M 60926 Multi-gas cartridge.

[Jhanananda]

Five years ago my 30 year relationship with asthma developed into COPD. Since I am a non-smoker, and 10-20% of the people who die of lung cancer every year never smoked, then I bought air purifiers. I found multi-gas air purifiers and respirators with multi-gas cartridges treated my COPD very well. And, I found my other autoimmune conditions improved significantly.

Two days ago I saw my pulmonologist for the first time in 3 years. He was visibly shocked at my recovery and said twice, "it's a blessing from God."

I replied, "no, it's just technology everyone with COPD, and other autoimmune conditions can buy and use."

My experiments with air purifiers and respirators

[Alexander]

Always believe in miracles

[Jhanananda]

Always believe in miracles

I don't believe in miracles because the preponderance of my experience in life clearly shows there are none. Whereas, a belief in miracles is not necessary for multi-gas air purifiers to reduce disease.

[Jhanananda]

Spring is finally arriving in the high country, while summer is already here in the mid-country so I plan to move soon to Flagstaff which might mean that I won't be available for dialog, but we will see how that goes.

[Alexander]

Spring is finally arriving in the high country, while summer is already here in the mid-country so I plan to move soon to Flagstaff which might mean that I won't be available for dialog, but we will see how that goes.

Do you have a tablet? I could get you one

[Jhanananda]

Thanks, Alexander, my son gave me a tablet a few years ago. The problem is the ranch is so remote that I have to hike a quarter of a mile up a hill to get broadband with my cell phone.  I recently changed services because the old cellphone didn't allow for hotspot; whereas, the new one does.  It also has another 5gig so I will by trying it out.  If it works there, then I will be able to check in daily, but we will see.

I keep track of long range weather and noticed that it looks like the southwestern USA is about to receive two more winter storms, so I might be premature in my travel plans. Hopefully I'll have a better idea before this Sunday.