Paul Dolinsky is a teacher,
healer, and, more recently, a Taoist warrior on Wall St. He
has a doctorate in philosophy and has taught Eastern and Western
philosophy in college. He’s also worked as a counselor to homeless
persons, substance abusers, and persons with AIDS in New York
City. He has studied psychotherapy and the healing arts of macrobiotics,
shiatsu, and reflexology. To these healing arts he adds Buddhism
and Taoism, as life-forms of thinking and being, which heal
people by helping them to perfect their attitudes towards themselves
and the world. For the last six years he has lived in a quiet
rural area in New York State with his wife Elise, a professional
astrologer, and their three cats. Paul earns money through stock
trading via the Internet, which he views as a form of warriorship
that utilizes such Buddhist and Taoist principles as being in
the moment, mindfulness of desire, and going with the flow--as
with the movement of stock prices!
"Mindfulness of desire and the awareness of where one’s
mind is, at any given moment, are important parts of Buddhist
and Taoist teachings. But there is an additional teaching, which
tends to be neglected in this very fast-paced society. And that
is getting quiet inside, and then learning to move from that
quiet center, as in Tai Chi and push-hands. I would urge people
to cultivate moments of quietness and then incorporate them
into their activities as much as possible. To be in the moment
is to be refreshed, refleshed, and reminded that silence is
the source of all things, the stars, maybe even God.
"But a person could plant a seed-thought into the silence,
such as a problem they are having or a desire to serve others
in some way. When they are quiet they may wish to look at the
seed-thought and see what has sprouted. For me, when I get quiet,
lines of poetry may come, like musical themes. I try to let
the words write themselves, through a kind of free association,
play, and openness to inspiration. We should cultivate silence
and the awareness that it brings, for its own sake. But we may
also wish to plant seed-thoughts and watch what may emerge--art,
music, various insights, ideas for service, spiritual experiences--which
could be incorporated into our lives. Martin Buber’s I and
Thou deals with this incorporation of silence into activity,
as does Rajneesh’s (Osho) Book of the Secrets, in which
he speaks eloquently of the "gap" between thoughts. Martin Heidegger’s
philosophy is helpful but not easy to read and sometimes obscure--a
good summary can be found in Masterpieces of World Philosophy,
edited by Frank Magill. (A companion volume, Great Thinkers
of the Eastern World, edited by Ian McGreal, is a good summary
of Eastern philosophies.) Some of my favorite poets are Rilke,
Gerard Manley Hopkins, and W.B. Yeats. Alice Bailey’s writings
are on a high level of esotericism. She also has monthly mantras
for contemplation. My favorite one, which could be viewed as
a koan, or as a form of absorption meditation, is 'When the
eye is opened, all is light.'
"I invite visitors to The Golden Lantern to visit
my poetry page for more of my poems at http://www.searingsunpress.com,
where they will find a variety of esoteric goodies for contemplation
and for self-help."
