Forgive me for I am but a humble dreamer living among other dreamers in dreamland. The only distinction perhaps being my realization that all that is, is but a dream. Then again, this too is a dream. What to do but to make a pitcher of iced tea, 
sit in the garden and talk to the succulents!
This last Spring and Summer have been insanely busy with such a bombardment of life changing “stuff” that I have been neglecting my little garden here.
When I started this garden it was with the conscious knowledge that it would be a labor of love and personal satisfaction and that I was not going to stress about it if months went by and I wasn’t able to give any attention to it.
Life has many gardens we attend to, does it not my friends. The learning for me is that what we are doing is not nearly as important as where we are when we are doing it.
Recently I awoke from a dream and found myself completely paralyzed. Although helpless to move I was still able to look directly ahead to the pillow on my cheek, the white, sun mottled wall beyond and the tan carpet below. I could hear voices in conversation behind me. I had no interest in what they were saying but the sound of their voices were familiar and reassuring. I began to force myself to move my legs, pulling with my mind as hard as I possibly could trying to will my paralyzed body into motion. As I struggled my mouth opened and I began to moan as a baby does when stirring from a nap. With this I woke up in my bed, my beloved sleeping next to me and the room filling with Sunday morning sunlight.
It was not at all stressful and when I arose I was in a perfect state of relaxation. Since then I find that I am frequently moving in and out of this dream we call the “waking world” as well.
I am seeing that within this waking dreamland I am powerless to move as well. I can only witness. Waking within this dream state is simply the complete realization that this too is a dream and total acceptance of my perfectly natural position as witness to the dream.
Which has led to the only logical conclusion, that’s why we are here in dreamland!
“Witness to Dreamland; Exhibit A”
©2014 Jeff’s Zen Garden
Garden Notebook 12/4/14 ~
I was out in the garden early this evening talking to the roses. They were telling me how much they appreciated the shower yesterday. I looked upon beautiful Brandy and I do believe she was winking at me!
11/30/14
This morning there is a blessed light rain in the garden. I went out and swept around the drains in anticipation of the coming downpour. The mist on my face focused attention on the task and my hair is now pleasantly damp as I write. To find our work and ask for nothing more. This is the practice.
Last weekend I was contemplating a passage from Dudjom Rinpoche concerning meditation; “Whatever thoughts arise, let them arise. Do not follow after them and do not suppress them. If you ask “In that case, what should I do?” whatever objective phenomena arise, whatever appears, do not grasp phenomena’s appearing aspect, simply rest in a fresh state, like a small child looking inside a temple.”
As I looked to the west from my garden I beheld this stunning fiery sunset and was taken by the feeling that I was that small child looking inside a temple.
I didn’t need it but I had a little creative fun and added the Cathedral to amplify the vision… that’s my nature!
“There are 3 elements necessary in order for a rainbow to exist; rain, sunlight and the aperture through which the rainbow is viewed. We are the aperture through which the universe views rainbows! You see, that is why we are here. We are the apertures though which the universe is manifested. There could be no greater purpose than this!” ~ Jeff’s Garden Notebook
I stitch together memories and regrets of the past and anticipation and anxiety about the future into an intricate thought tapestry that I call myself. Awakening is the simple realization that I am in reality just this moment and that there is no time but the present.
Pay attention now.
See how much of waking life is spent removed from the present.
Lost in thought constructions, my own, and those constructed by others.
Unreal, yet so all absorbing it becomes my reality, my normal.
Illusion, self created self, consciousness.
Shhh, be still now.
Who is watching?
Just this now and nothing more.
Enter from here.
~ Jeff’s Zen Garden
My Uncle, Southern Calvin Courtney passed on this morning. Southern was born in 1927 and lived 87 full and energetic years. He was an avid hiker and was familiar with every trail in the Sierra Nevada and Angeles Crest. Now he has moved on to his last adventure, into high country, whereabouts unknown. Happy trails my friend.
I shot this sunset, looking west from the hacienda this evening, November 1st, 2014.
jeff's zen garden 