Author Archives: admin

Multiple ‘identities’

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Any of you that know me, or follow me somewhere across this internet, likely know that I have multiple sites going. I have all of the usual places; Facebook, Twitter, Posterous, YouTube, Flickr, etc. No big deal. But, I also have this blog http://wateronconcrete.net as well as my ‘Digital Business Card’ site http://kris.freedain.com.

The more I think about this, the less I am ok with keeping both going in their current states. At one point, I saw value it the semi-anonymous aspect of having a separate blog, not tied to my name.

Now, I do like my domain name for the blog, but overall, I don’t have a ‘theme’ for it. The blog really is just events in my life.

considering a change…

Ian meeting Venerable Master Hsing Yun

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I received a wonderful email from Venerable Miao Hsi a couple weeks ago. She let me know that BLTV (Buddha’s Light TV) would be at temple on the 21st to film a story of Hsi Lai. They wanted to begin with children letting go of balloons and right away she thought of Ian.  I was humbled and honored they would consider him for inclusion and of course let her know we would be there.

Here is a picture of the film crew getting a still and video shot of the little man

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Venerable Master Hsing Yun at Hsi Lai, originally uploaded by mindonly.

After the filming was done, we went to talk to Venerable Miao Hsi and thank her. She let me know Venerable Master would be coming out to take a group picture and we were welcome to be in it.  What a day this was turning out to be.

Once the picture was done on the steps of the main shrine everyone was standing with Master and the Venerable who had been assisting the BLTV film crew came over and asked for Ian to please come meet Master.  (At this point, Daddy was beside himself.)

I’ll make a side note here; having grown up around the temple, and watching Daddy bow in respect to the many monastics, I believe it may have rubbed off on Ian; something I am thankful of.

As Ian walks up to Venerable Master Hsing Yun, he put his hand on his head just as Ian makes a bow to him.  This has such meaning for me, I won’t even attempt to describe it here in words. Just know that my heart swelled…

Venerable Master Hsing Yun is someone I very much admire. He has done countless good for the world, and continues to do so. He is someone I look up to as a great teacher.

Thank you Venerable Master Hsing Yun.

Amitofo.

…joining palms

Congratulations @BillCosby for winning the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor

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The 12th Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor

Bill Cosby
2009 Prize Recipient

Growing up, I’ve always enjoyed, and appreciated Bill Cosby’s humor. There is nothing I’ve ever seen that can make me laugh like ‘Bill Cosby – Himself’; so much that I usually only watch it 1/2 at a time due to severe, laughter induced, stomach pains.

Mr. Cosby, thank you sir. You are one in a million.

Posted via web from kris’s posterous

Daddy, what are those on your arm? (Bodhisattva Vows)

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Daddy, what are those, originally uploaded by mindonly.

son: “Daddy, what are those spots on your arm?” (pointing to my incense markings)
me: “Those are my incense markings, I got them at temple”
son: “Why?”
me: “Well, those are a reminder for a commitment I made for the rest of my life. ….And you know, you’re kind of part of that commitment”
son: “I should have those too!”
me: “well, that’s up to you. Someday, maybe you will. Maybe you will…”

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for anyone unfamiliar, it is a (voluntary) part of taking Bodhisattva Vows. Most commonly done within a Chinese Buddhist order.
…joining palms

Ice cream logic

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had to share this one…   sometimes the little man says the funniest things.

Setting: Ian and I are driving to Souplantation for dinner and it’s rather warm in the car.  I start to roll down his window.

Me: “Let the air come in the window, it will cool you off”

Ian: <rolls window back up> “that’s ok Daddy, we’ll get ice cream at Souplantation and that will make me cold on the inside”

I love child logic.

Present moment

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Almost every night of his life, my son and I read a story together.  As I read tonight laying next to him, I glanced over and saw that he was asleep. It had been a while since that had happened, less and less frequent the older he gets. So I continued to read to the end of the page, ensuring he was sound asleep.

Then I just watched him sleep. There really is nothing quite like watching your child sleep.  Such an amazing example of being in the present moment. Knowing they fell alseep without a worry or care, in absolute security and comfort.