I am enjoying writing and reading on Medium, and I have joined a publication on there called: 'Mystic Minds' that publishes articles on spirituality, and a story I wrote was published there today. I feel quite chuffed about it (-: My first article in a publication.
I know it will be a long journey, and I am only just starting really, but I feel like writing is what I am meant to be doing. I find writing cathartic.
I keep seeing pristine white feathers on the path in front of me everywhere I walk. People kept telling me to look out for signs after my Dad died. I didn't have clue what they were talking about. But I wonder if these white feathers are my Dad telling me I am going in the right direction with my writing, I don't know.
I feel my Dad's presence sometimes, it feels like he is with me. I miss him so much. I had another bout of tears earlier, and just now actually writing this wee article; but it is reassuring to know he is okay. I feel his support in the spirit world. And whenever I do something kind or generous I try to remember to dedicate it in his memory, and say a little prayer for him.
I feel blessed at the moment.
Personal Blogs
White feathers
Thursday, 21 Sep 2023, 20:38
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Edited by Richie Cuthbertson, Thursday, 21 Sep 2023, 20:45
New blog post
Wednesday, 20 Sep 2023, 09:50
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Edited by Richie Cuthbertson, Thursday, 21 Sep 2023, 08:35
Dhamma isn't that popular, the vast majority of people don't want to get
enlightened, there are a few that do, but most don't. I have little passion for
writing about much else though, the world just doesn't interest me anymore. The
elephant in the room when it comes to worldly success is: Death.
One works hard for what?
In the end all that one has achieved gets taken away. Sometimes quite suddenly,
people can die unexpectedly both young and old. For me, death, is the most
pressing concern. It renders everything else meaningless.
The world also changes quite rapidly and things one worked hard to learn years
ago, are no longer relevant now, automation makes learning skills feel
pointless. The ups and downs of the economy mean banks and countries can go
bankrupt. Placing all your hopes in a career or finance is a risky bet, and in
the end the house always wins, Mara (death) takes all. Even our memories get
taken away from us, or change.
The only thing that I really like to write about is dhamma, and
connection. But even friendships don't last, these too are impermanent, friends
come and go. People change, relationships break. Placing all one's hopes in
connection is also a risky bet.
The only thing that feels like it is worth making effort for is the dhamma.
That's why I work so hard at practising it. For me it is the only thing that
matters now. Life is uncertain. But if I can get enlightened then I will have
found something secure, something that can't be taken away by Mara.
Death comes for all, and when it comes for me, I will take refuge in the
dhamma.
...
Trying to work out a way to make an income with writing
Saturday, 16 Sep 2023, 18:41
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Edited by Richie Cuthbertson, Saturday, 16 Sep 2023, 19:00
Decided to have a go at writing on Medium. Have joined it as a paid member, it costs a fiver a month.
I get paid a small amount of money when other members read my articles for longer than 30 seconds. Some people on there make a good income from it. But not sure I will make much money from it, still I thought I'd give it a go, no harm in trying, I need to generate an income somehow.
I think it takes a while before one generates a decent income on it, perhaps a few years. I haven't got much stuff on there yet, and the articles I've posted so far are ones I've also posted on here.
I am working on writing exclusive content for it though, and that will go behind a paywall. I don't feel comfortable about putting my articles behind a paywall, but I am sick of being skint.
Quite a few people have encouraged me to have a go at making an income via my writing, so I am going to try.
I have also created a 'buy me a coffee', page so readers of my blog can buy me a coffee if they want to; although I may not spend the money on coffee (-:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sorrowless
I will of course continue to post stuff on here, just some articles will be exclusive to medium.
I will of course continue to post stuff on here, just some articles will be exclusive to medium.
Stay tuned...
peace and love
May you all be safe, well, serene, and happy!
A.I. Writing and Enlightenment
Wednesday, 1 Mar 2023, 10:23
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Edited by Richie Cuthbertson, Wednesday, 1 Mar 2023, 10:30
I don't use A.I. to write for me. I prefer my own style of writing, and doing things my way even if it isn't as tidy as a machine. I also don't feel comfortable with the idea of a machine doing my writing for me, it feels like an empty experience to do it that way. Also the way a machine writes is just not the same as a human, there's something missing. After many conversations with A.I. I am starting to be able to spot machine-generated writing on the Internet. But I am not judging anyone who does use it for writing, what people do is their business, their karma, I am not responsible for the actions of others. Although I will say using A.I. to cheat for assignments, is a poor use of A.I. because as much as anything the person who does cheat is actually cheating themselves in the end; they are not properly learning and absorbing the knowledge if they don't articulate a concept by putting it in their own words.
So I prefer to do my writing, my way, on my own without A.I. But I have found A.I. very helpful for providing writing prompts and useful questions that get me thinking about connections between topics I hadn't thought about before, as well as for discussing ideas, brainstorming, helping with research and planning. Seeing different angles and ways of looking at things I wouldn't have seen by myself. A.I. is helpful as a collaborator, but I won't be using it to write or paint. I prefer to do this alone.
I was brainstorming an idea for an app with Bing yesterday, and I had a go at following the instructions Bing recommended, but not sure I can implement it because I found the tool it recommended for building the app tiring and frustrating to use. I gave up trying to build anything with it in the end. So have decided I am going to learn about design as part of this degree, because I keep coming across badly designed websites and apps that I just can't use. It seems some developers forget how important design is.
I am meditating less at the moment, mainly because I am back into the swing of studying again, but I do make myself sit at least once a day. I reflect on the four noble truths often, and study dhamma when I can. But I am not sure I will make it to full enlightenment in this lifetime, as that would involve becoming a Buddhist monk I think, and when I look at the lifestyle of a monk it just doesn't appeal to me anymore. It did at one time, but now I want to remain as a lay follower. Mainly because the world feels very dark at the moment and I think I can be more help to it as a Buddhist lay follower. There are advantages and disadvantages to both lay and monastic life.
I am meditating less at the moment, mainly because I am back into the swing of studying again, but I do make myself sit at least once a day. I reflect on the four noble truths often, and study dhamma when I can. But I am not sure I will make it to full enlightenment in this lifetime, as that would involve becoming a Buddhist monk I think, and when I look at the lifestyle of a monk it just doesn't appeal to me anymore. It did at one time, but now I want to remain as a lay follower. Mainly because the world feels very dark at the moment and I think I can be more help to it as a Buddhist lay follower. There are advantages and disadvantages to both lay and monastic life.
Don't get me wrong, I think the monastics are great, and we need monks and nuns. I have learnt a lot from them and hold them in the highest regard. I have some friends who are monks and nuns, and I respect and admire them, but I don't think I could live like that. It would be too difficult for me, especially with all the rules, and lack of sleep, and the energy needed to live that lifestyle and look after a monastery and other tasks they do, the fatigue I suffer would just make it unbearable. I am just not energetic enough to be a monastic.
I don't have to be a monastic though. One can get all the way to the third stage of enlightenment as a lay follower. The third stage of enlightenment is a very advanced state. It is when greed and aversion have been completely removed from the mind, and will never return or take root there again - but delusion still remains. This delusion is often labelled as the fetter of conceit, which doesn't mean arrogance or pride, it means the conceit: I am. Because there's still a trace of self there, like an after-taste, which brings with it a restlessness in the mind, not the intense restlessness of worldly anxiety or agitation, more a subtle movement of the mind still caught up with the craving for becoming and existence, although it is a refined unworldly state of existence that one craves for. Not the same kind of restless craving as someone worldly who is not enlightened.
I don't have to be a monastic though. One can get all the way to the third stage of enlightenment as a lay follower. The third stage of enlightenment is a very advanced state. It is when greed and aversion have been completely removed from the mind, and will never return or take root there again - but delusion still remains. This delusion is often labelled as the fetter of conceit, which doesn't mean arrogance or pride, it means the conceit: I am. Because there's still a trace of self there, like an after-taste, which brings with it a restlessness in the mind, not the intense restlessness of worldly anxiety or agitation, more a subtle movement of the mind still caught up with the craving for becoming and existence, although it is a refined unworldly state of existence that one craves for. Not the same kind of restless craving as someone worldly who is not enlightened.
The conceit I am does not fully go away until the final stage of enlightenment: arahant. To reach that stage, the Buddhist texts seem to suggest that one has to leave household life, and either become a monk or a reclusive hermit. There's pros and cons to both ways of living. But there are strong advantages to being part of a monastic community and the support that one gets there, which one wouldn't have as a hermit.
The third stage of enlightenment is considered very advanced. And if one reaches it in this lifetime, one will be reborn in the higher heavens in the next life and become a fully enlightened being there, like a celestial Buddha/arahant. These beings live very long lives, some as long as several universes arising and passing away, and they never again return to this world, which is why they are called non-returners (anagami).
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