Champa Chöga

For a long time now, I've kept a strong perspective that meditation is not just about stress reduction and 'finding peace.' That begs the question, then what the hell do you meditate for? Dalai Lama makes it clear that meditation is for finding peace, but friends, he's holding something back. He's keeping his message simple as he 'tucks you into bed.' When I saw him speak (11 years ago!), the first thing out of his mouth was something like, "Why do we sit to meditate? If you don't have a reason, you won't succeed because there will be nothing to succeed at. We meditate to get more peaceful, kind, and compassionate." I've long responded to this with "peace, kindness, and compassion are the 'automatic' reflexes of an opened mind." Here's what 20 years of meditation has gotten me. I know how to look very deeply. And you know what? It hurts like fucking hell! The good thing is, I know I'm not alone. It's jus...

I spread the word throughout my limbs and trunk And yet anew sings back It sings in lovely tone, nothing new It all feels new, but this old dog here calls it old It feels old, but the world seems to scream NEW! Or is it ‘Now’ that I hear…. It’s not so clear Pain; nothing new, right? Yes, nothing new… but always new You knew it before and you feel it now A fool going blind keeps trying to echolocate the contact lenses   -Champa Choga

It's said, and I've heard, that the first words the historical Buddha Gautama said after his 'awakening,' were, "Every being throughout the universe carries the seed of awakening." Try reading this word - it's called Tatagathagharba - the seed of suchness. So, it makes total sense that you feel far from being an awakened one, just like a drop of water outside a waterfall might feel, all alone and exiled away from the electromagnetic field of the 'whole,' all the water... not just drops. You, as that water drop, will fall in and out of the waterfall as you descend. But regardless of the trip down the cliff, you will inevitably return to the water, and forget the walls that barred you from it very soon after. Peace is now, odd as it seems, and as much as I forget that, myself. But, it's all I've found to be true. :) -Champa Chöga (in tribute to Suzuki Roshi)

The poet stops where others go, going where others stop What is this space? Is it worth communicating? How will I do it? The space is wavy and thick... uncomfortable like jagged edges And blunt pressure coming in and on and breathing is easily forgotten... then remembered I could reach for definitions, explaining away my issues, fears and illnesses I reach, I say And rarely but regularly, I stop And take a look with a smile And forget to remember And from forgetting I remember In the case that the poet stops where others go, going where others stop; This is not so outrageous The crazy part is the desire to communicate something from a place less exotic to the poet And more exotic to those who go where the poet stops and stop where the poet goes The poet's stopping is mundane to the poet And novel to the others Just as the meditator's practice is mundane to the meditator And novel to the others   -Champa Chöga

Writing is therapeutic, there’s no doubt Not that my thoughts are organized here, or easier for others to understand The thing is, it’s about this trip, tripping from these fingertips here and now I’ll probably read this some day, one day, when I happen upon this, or when I care to look I’m in a lot of pain, you see And it’s not the kind of pain you can see, you see? It’s physical, sure, and mental too, and throw in emotional as well There’s a lot, which is nothing more than the book of life itself I breathe and it’s somewhat groovy - I can dig it and dig into it But but but but but The pain begs some kind of sway I been putting off the kids - I know it, and I can’t say whether or not it’ll get better I can talk with them and I do, but it’s like I’m hiding most of the time I’m hiding and I’m hiding things from them - they deserve more and they’ll get it, yup! The legs are crazy - I wish I was faking  - I wish I was kidding - I wish I was...