Annual Town Election.

Are you voting YES or are you voting NO?  Just another election season in Amherst!

Mark this day as the first in the Jackie Bradley Jr. era.

The Sox dealt the Yanks their first home opener loss since ‘86! Of course, I’m not quite sure it was the Yanks, looked a lot more like the Columbus Clippers. But Lester looked awesome; our bullpen is the strongest I’ve seen in many, many years - we basically have a closer-level flame-thrower for each of the 7,8, AND 9th innings; and there’s a 21yo playing Left who in his Major League debut today had the discipline to engineer 3 walks from Cy Young winner CC Sabathia…yes…remember this day as the start of the Jackie Bradley Jr. era; and it seems like we’ve got 3 center fielders playing each of the outfield slots they’ve got so much speed; I’m liking this team: pitching and defense and discipline at the plate. Hmmm, where did I last see that? Oh, 2004!

Spring is here and baseball has sprung peeps!

Two weeks until Opening Day.

I can feel it, peeps.  I can feel it in my bones.

Oh New England Spring, you are a cruel master.

I woke up today and noticed, damn, I’m a Buddhist.

I’ve been an atheist for as long as I can remember, and I’m still an atheist.  I just don’t believe in the magical thinking of a super being.  I’ve spent time in and around many religions.  High holidays at the synagogue, Sunday Baptist tent revivals, Christmas and Easter, but I’ve just never really connected - I was always there just for the sake of tradition.  The supernatural aspect and the dogma, not to mention the funny hats, have always turned me off.

I have, however always considered myself spiritual.  I have a defined set of values, I have always believed in the interconnectedness of people, animals, our earth, and hey, the whole universe.  We all impact each other and therefore are all connected.  I think spirituality is a process of introspection and contemplation about why we are here, and how we are connected.  Religion, on the other hand, I think more of as a defined set of beliefs about our relationship to the creation and creator of the universe, and our relationship to that source of spiritual authority.  And I’ve never been good with authority! I’ve always questioned it.  

But lately I’ve come across Buddhism.  I’ve meditated on and off for over 12 years after having been introduced to it via John Kabat-Zin’s meditation-based stress relief work.  My teacher then was a Buddhist monk, and I really connected with his perspective.  I kicked my meditation into high gear last fall, beginning a daily practice, and in January doing a silent meditation retreat at IMS (a completely kick-ass experience).  Since then I’ve felt so much more centered, and the world has felt so much more clear.

This spring I began reading more and more about Buddhism.  I’ve come to find it is not a religion, in the way I’ve defined religions, but more of a science.  It emphasizes questioning and working with the mind.  Much like science, you observe and question over and over, until you gradually develop a meaningful understanding of our own mind.  Buddhism is non-theistic - there is no supernatural entity outside of our own mind.  There is no being or force that controls our experience or sends us to heaven or hell.  The whole “magic” aspect of organized religions like Judaism and Christianity and Islam, leave me laughing.  In some sects of Buddhism over the years (2600 years), they have developed some of the same magical thinking - reincarnation, karma, etc. - but I’m talking here about secular Buddism.  I love the fact that the Buddha said that we should question everything - never follow a path just because a teacher said so, or a book said so, or a tradition said so.

Since the fall, I’ve been studying the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eight-Fold Path, known as The Middle Way.  And I’ve really connected with it as a set of values by which to lead your life.  I love the fact that the middle way is built around acquiring wisdom and compassion.

Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese monk, said, “The Noble Eight-Fold Path is the path of living in awareness.  Mindfulness is the foundation.  By practicing mindfulness, you can develop concentration, which enables you to attain understanding.  Thanks to right concentration, you realize right awareness, thoughts, speech, action, livelihood, and effort.  The understanding which develops can liberate you from every shackle of suffering and give birth to true peace and joy.”

I love the concept of training the mind to be awake.  I love the concept of impermanence - that everything changes (all the time!).  I love the quest of continually developing wisdom.  I love compassion and loving-kindness as a way of life.  I love the idea of leading a mindful life, of training the mind to let go of reactivity.  I love the idea of being awake - of living in the here and now - and having awareness, the mental discipline of seeing things as they are.

Living life.  Here and now.  Building a life around loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity (the Brahma Viharas).  I’m digging it.  Damn, my religion is loving-kindness!

Want a shining example of a parent who decided to just make things happen in our town? Arnie Alper rallied the ARHS community over the past few years by partnering with Stop & Shop with their A+ program, then recruited(relentlessly cajoled?) parents and students to volunteer to sign up folks. The result? ARHS was the #1 fundraiser in the program in Massachusetts! I haven’t tallied it up, but Arnie’s program has been raising over $20k per year for ARHS, so it must be over $100k by now. And now this: ARHS is getting 10 brand spankin’ new laptops thanks to the program.

Here’s to Arnie! A member of our parent community who is just full of kick-ass.

I am very amped for tonight’s IgniteAmherst!  We’ve got 11 secrets & surprises to unveil, in addition to a special surprise during intermission.  If you don’t know, IgniteAmherst is a local gig where we enlighten folks to cool entrepreneurs, thinkers, doers, and artists that are happening in our Happy Valley.  Each presenter has 300 seconds and 20 slides (that auto advance every 15 seconds) to get their passion across.  The audience, participates with vigorous feedback!  Oh, and there are always free beers (thanks to the High Horse).

Amherst Town Meeting

Town Meeting is a 350 year-old institution that governs the our small town of Amherst here in the Pioneer Valley of the Berkshire Hills.  240 citizens and neighbors gather twice/year and pass all the laws and budgets that govern the town.  It’s been this way since before the USA was created.

It’s a great way to serve our town.  You have a say in how our town evolves, learn what’s going on, and drink beers afterwards with your neighbors.  New England at its best (and sometimes worst).

Deadline to file is February 19th.  Join today!