Kevin Warstadt

A poem

A bird alighted on a bough It came to be I know not how He sang his song While I looked on The world sang all around him In a flash It seemed to be I was the bird The bird was me

Driving to work, I saw a person sitting at a stop light with their window open, flexing their hand. It reminded me that the people around me are like me, and that they are all dealing with their own problems. It reminded me of this quote from Kurt Vonnegut. “I was a victim of aContinue reading “Note to myself”

Quote of the day 07/14/23

Here’s one that I thought was quite funny from the Bodhisattvacharyavataraa. (After being hit with a stick) “The physical suffering I experience Is caused by both the stick and my body; But, since the stick comes from my assailant and the body from me, With which of these should I get angry?” Imagine someone hittingContinue reading “Quote of the day 07/14/23”

Quote of the day 07/13/23

Here’s another from the Bodhisattvacharyavataraa. Interesting echo of Seneca. “There is no evil greater than anger, And no virtue greater than patience. Therefore, I should strive in various ways To become familiar with the practice of patience.”

My message to myself

My message to myself today: Figure out what must be done and do it. Anything else is childish.

Born Again: Enlightenment and Understanding

My hypothesis has two parts. 1. Enlightenment is not a destination but a path. It relies on developing understanding, rather than acquiring knowledge, and it manifests itself in moments of realization; that is, sudden instances of understanding or “eureka” moments. This journey has no end point and relies on continues effort throughout life to achieveContinue reading “Born Again: Enlightenment and Understanding”

Quote of the day 07/12/23

Here’s a passage from the Bodhisattvacharyavataraa that I quite liked. “May I become a protector for the protectorless, A guide for those who travel on the road, And, for those who wish to cross the water, May I become a boat, a ship or a bridge. May I become an island for those seeking dryContinue reading “Quote of the day 07/12/23”

Stoic quote of the day 07/11/23

Here’s one from Marcus Aurelius. “How trivial the things we want so passionately are.”

Quote of the day 07/10/23

I learned today that I’ve lost six months of progress toward a goal. In honor of this fact, I have a line from The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus. “The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”

Father Forgets

I came across this piece in Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. It was originally published in 1927. I don’t have a son of my own, but it reminds me to be a little more patient with my dog when he misbehaves. Father Forgets By W. Livingston Larned “Listen, son: I amContinue reading “Father Forgets”