Today I want to talk about a few things I’ve learned throughout my journey into Spirituality, and how this journey has come to change not only my life, but my breathing name, or one of them, at least.
I️ believe that everybody knows the words fact and truth. I️ have spent many long hours contemplating the difference between these two words, and what I️ have found is that for me, Fact is something that is true in relation to the knowledge that we as humans have created since our creation. I️ believe Truth is something that existed before we did. I️ also believe that Eternal Truths (there are several) are far less common than facts, yet far more valuable if you understand them. Remember, Knowledge of something does not imply Understanding. They are different words for a reason.
For example, one of the Eternal Truths is Change. Change has been and always will be. It existed before us and will continue after us. Understanding Change allows one to more easily go with the flow of life, to be like water, and to be open to becoming something that you may not be, and possibly want to be. I️ have noticed that for many people, the older you are, the more resistant to change one becomes. I️ believe that this resistance to Change comes from fear (another time I️ will speak of fear and how I️ came to look at it as a friend instead of an enemy), and the strain one feels in fighting it ages you far faster than one who simply lives in the rhythm of the present.
Your purpose in life should be to live ONLY in the present, if you can learn, and to seek the Eternal Truths.
I️ have spent several years seeking the Eternal Truths now, and look for them in places I️ once would have never expected. Climbing for me is one of these things. It has taught me many things, along with the study of Earth as an element, much like surfing taught me about water. Understanding is often hard to capture with words, thus is the challenge of writing, so I️ will not try to explain what I have learned here, because it is better for one to seek these things on their own.
If you think Understanding can be explained, you are right and wrong, for some things simply cannot be captured by words. They are only so powerful. For example, could you explain the color blue to a blind man? You can offer him Knowledge of it, but he will not understand.
The purpose of this post is to announce that I️ will be making a slight change to my pen name, or what I️ consider my breathing name: a name I️ chose as my own, and what that can and will
change as I️ change. If you know me well, you know that I️ have a fascination with the names of things. Fire. Wind. Sky. Who named these, and how? What were their names before we named them?
I️ believe the Art of Naming is very old and seldom practiced any more. But I️ believe a good Namer can capture the essence of one’s spirit, to learn one’s true name if you will.
I️ have several close friends I️ consider family that over the past decade, have oftentimes known me as a name that many of you have most likely not heard me called. There are many reasons I have been called this, and I️ want to explain why I️ have decided to change my pen name to this one.
This name is Bodhi.
I️ believe my breathing name represents my spirit. It is the name I️ have chosen for myself based upon my journey to learn who I️ am. And this journey will never end, I️ imagine.
Trowa is a name I️ chose for myself when I️ was 9 years old. I️ heard it and knew that it was mine, and have kept it since then.
Cloud is the name of my favorite fictional character, one whose story has impacted my life more so than any other. Many of you know the story of Cloud, and if you don’t, maybe you can learn something from it, as I️ did.
The D. Is a secret that even I️ have not unearthed. One day I️ hope it will be revealed to me. Only time will tell.
The name I️ now choose as mine is Bodhi D. Cloud. Trowa is a name I related to when I️ was younger, but less and less as I️ grew.
If you do not know, Bodhi means Awakening. It is the state into which Buddha found Nirvana, and although I️ have only glimpsed this temporarily, I️ believe one day I️ will learn to live in this form, and maintain it.
The Bodhi Tree is also the place where Buddha found Nirvana. I have a deep love for Buddhism, tho I️ actually do not consider myself religious. I am simply Consciousness. However, the beliefs I️ have come to find on my own resonate strongly with the Buddhist beliefs. I️ consider myself a student of Zen, and tho I️ may not go to the school, I️ study from afar and in my own way.
I️ believe I️ have been in a state of awakening for quite some time now, and have been learning how to resist Samsara (quite difficult). Samsara is a conditioned state of mind, one that leads to negative emotions and unhealthy actions. It is this ignorant state of mind that is the cause of all suffering. My approach to this was to open my arms to Samsara, to learn and see what and why I️ will choose to resist this state of mind. Coming back through that gateway has and is a very strenuous and difficult process, one that I️ am still struggling with.
In Buddhism, Bodhicitta is the mind that strives towards awakening, empathy and compassion for all sentient beings.
A Bohdisattva is one who has found awakening, but chooses to delay taking this form because of compassion for beings who are still suffering.
I️ choose to write not only because I️ love stories, but with the hopes that one day my understanding will be passed down. I️ wish to make a contribution to Literature, and I️ also feel a debt of gratitude that I️ owe to the next generation. The artists of the past have helped me grow into the man I️ am today, and I️ feel as if I️ was handed a state of mind from their stories and worlds. Because I️ now hold this state of mind, this understanding of truth in stories if you will, I️ feel responsible in passing it down, just as it was passed down to myself.
For a long time I️ pondered how it is that we are all one. My current conclusion is that it is in consciousness that we are one. We have 6 senses. Yes, 6. The final one is Instinct. It is something that as a result of our lifestyle, has been dulled over time. But all of you have felt it from time to time. It is in your best interest to learn how to better control this Instinct, at least in my opinion, you might try.
It is good to know that senses are the doors for our consciousness into this material world. Without them, our consciousness just is. I️ believe that consciousness all comes from the same place, and that each person is different because of the environment of this material world and how it has swayed one’s beliefs. How you think and how you feel creates your state of being. I️ believe everyone understands the Eternal Truths, even if they do not. It is within you, what is right, what is wrong, the things you understand because you feel, not because you think. I️ hope you will try to find these Truths, to search for what is real and what is not, and what is truly worth living for.
To bring this to an end, I️ wrote this on my phone in a little Internet cafe in Tokyo, so it is a bit vague, but I️ wanted to explain why I️ will be changing my breathing name, despite what I️ will lose in the process, and I️ hope you all will accept this name, for it is more a representation of my soul than any other I️ can find. At least, for now.
Namaste 🙏🏽