improvateur

improvateur

My first experience with meditation was in 1968 or so, sitting on a baskeball court at the University of Michigan, during a weekend seshin (sp?) led by Philip Kapleau. I was an anthropology student there, had just read his Four Pillars of Zen, and it seemed quite a moment of synchronicity that the author would suddenly appear like that. (It was years later that I discovered that he was teaching at U of M, so no great coincidence, eh?)

Years pass... Very erratic practice. Gave up pursuit of a life in academia and spent a year and a half studying classical N. Indian music with bansuri master, G. S. Sachdev, at Ali Akbar's College in San Rafael, CA. Inner critic progressed more rapidly than inner musician, got a job (electronic assembly) and gave it up.

Years pass... Spent a weekend retreat with vipassana teacher, Dhiravamsa, who, in about twelve seconds, corrects my excruciatingly terrible posture. Thank you, Dhirivamsa, wherever you are.

Years pass... Comes the first Gulf War (Quataar?) and I am filled with negative thoughts about President Bush (Sr.), so I realize this is not good. In the dawn of a new century, it is possible to find many, many things with a computer. I Google "vipassana" and discover www.mtstream.org and return to practice. Still woefully erratic...

I hope to use my time here too help deepen it.

Larry Pitts