Vern, Are you the same Vern Lovic that worked in the Master Publications Library on Hickam around 1986-87? Thought you might still be in Hawaii. My son Loren is stationed there and lives up on the Northshore. My wife and I are going to visit with him in a couple of weeks for about a month. Stay safe.
I am. I believe you were a Senior Master Sergeant, and my supervisor! What a great thing the internet is. You have a great memory SMS Werner. You know, I think about you sometimes as I write, I’m a writer now, living in Thailand for the past 9 yrs. One time I wrote something for you, a Base Details letter that had to go to the heads of departments on base to task them with providing bodies for some detail or another. I wrote, “alot” instead of “a lot” and you called me on it, as well as a number of other things, none of which come to mind. But, yeah, I remember that one spelling mistake that you called me on because it was a real eye-opener.
After leaving Hawaii with a supermodel from Vancouver, BC, we moved to NYC. I was a photographer. She flew around the world. We divorced. I moved to Miami and went to school there and in Tampa. Got a master’s degree in psychology. Promptly ignored it for getting a foot in the computer industry in 1996. Been doing search engine optimization, internet marketing consulting for businesses, and now writing books for the last seven years.
AimforAwesome.com has been my muse since 2006. Like most people that live in Hawaii, I just can’t get it out of my head. Many nice times there. I moved back for a couple years around 2002 also. Oahu and Maui.
Your son is there and you get to visit. Perfect. I gave my wife here a 2 year time limit before we move back to the islands. Nine years in Thailand is enough. We now have a 4 year old daughter. Your son is in the Air Force?
Thanks for touching base SMSgt Werner. I’m sure you are CMSgt by now…
Take care there and enjoy your visit back to the islands!
I’m not sure what you mean – done these practices “before”. Before when? If you’re referring to some previous life – I don’t believe in that at the present – as I’ve had nothing to suggest that such things are possible. On the path – many things that were heard and remembered manifest in the experiences. Indians have experiences that resemble what their gurus had. Thai buddhists – what their respected monks had… Some have Kundalini – i’ve had little of that. Some follow chakras type experiences… I’ve not – as far as I know – haven’t read much about them.
Whether there are past lives or not is something that I don’t think CAN be revealed during this life experience. One might get a feeling that a past life existed – but that wouldn’t prove it. There’s no way to prove a past life – so, even if I have such a feeling or knowledge one day – it doesn’t mean it’s truth. It doesn’t make sense to call it truth if it can’t be shown to disbelievers objectively – and have others accept it based on facts – not my feelings about the topic.
Truth is phenomenological – specific to one’s self. If that truth can’t be generalized to all people – it’s not really truth for everyone.
2nd part of your comment – only the first Jhana has a little duality – though that’s like saying the air is a little oxygen. It’s enough… In the early Jhanas there is some feeling of duality if they are unstable and one is going in and out of them. Once firmly in the jhana there is no duality. Is Jhana the end? Not necessarily – I’m not done. I’ve changed radically – but done? nah. After Jhana 8 – maybe it’s all done. Maybe duality is gone when you come out of it. I can’t say. Maybe if i spend more time there – i’ll see. or maybe not….
Vern, Are you the same Vern Lovic that worked in the Master Publications Library on Hickam around 1986-87? Thought you might still be in Hawaii. My son Loren is stationed there and lives up on the Northshore. My wife and I are going to visit with him in a couple of weeks for about a month. Stay safe.
I am. I believe you were a Senior Master Sergeant, and my supervisor! What a great thing the internet is. You have a great memory SMS Werner. You know, I think about you sometimes as I write, I’m a writer now, living in Thailand for the past 9 yrs. One time I wrote something for you, a Base Details letter that had to go to the heads of departments on base to task them with providing bodies for some detail or another. I wrote, “alot” instead of “a lot” and you called me on it, as well as a number of other things, none of which come to mind. But, yeah, I remember that one spelling mistake that you called me on because it was a real eye-opener.
After leaving Hawaii with a supermodel from Vancouver, BC, we moved to NYC. I was a photographer. She flew around the world. We divorced. I moved to Miami and went to school there and in Tampa. Got a master’s degree in psychology. Promptly ignored it for getting a foot in the computer industry in 1996. Been doing search engine optimization, internet marketing consulting for businesses, and now writing books for the last seven years.
AimforAwesome.com has been my muse since 2006. Like most people that live in Hawaii, I just can’t get it out of my head. Many nice times there. I moved back for a couple years around 2002 also. Oahu and Maui.
Your son is there and you get to visit. Perfect. I gave my wife here a 2 year time limit before we move back to the islands. Nine years in Thailand is enough. We now have a 4 year old daughter. Your son is in the Air Force?
Thanks for touching base SMSgt Werner. I’m sure you are CMSgt by now…
Take care there and enjoy your visit back to the islands!
Aloha, Vern
Hi Brad.
I’m not sure what you mean – done these practices “before”. Before when? If you’re referring to some previous life – I don’t believe in that at the present – as I’ve had nothing to suggest that such things are possible. On the path – many things that were heard and remembered manifest in the experiences. Indians have experiences that resemble what their gurus had. Thai buddhists – what their respected monks had… Some have Kundalini – i’ve had little of that. Some follow chakras type experiences… I’ve not – as far as I know – haven’t read much about them.
Whether there are past lives or not is something that I don’t think CAN be revealed during this life experience. One might get a feeling that a past life existed – but that wouldn’t prove it. There’s no way to prove a past life – so, even if I have such a feeling or knowledge one day – it doesn’t mean it’s truth. It doesn’t make sense to call it truth if it can’t be shown to disbelievers objectively – and have others accept it based on facts – not my feelings about the topic.
Truth is phenomenological – specific to one’s self. If that truth can’t be generalized to all people – it’s not really truth for everyone.
2nd part of your comment – only the first Jhana has a little duality – though that’s like saying the air is a little oxygen. It’s enough… In the early Jhanas there is some feeling of duality if they are unstable and one is going in and out of them. Once firmly in the jhana there is no duality. Is Jhana the end? Not necessarily – I’m not done. I’ve changed radically – but done? nah. After Jhana 8 – maybe it’s all done. Maybe duality is gone when you come out of it. I can’t say. Maybe if i spend more time there – i’ll see. or maybe not….
Thank you for the comments Brad! – Vern
Vem, you think maybe you might have done these practices ‘before’???
And don’t forget that being in a state of jhana, you are still in duality. Jhanas are experiences, and not and end, right.
Interesting perspective on meditation and Buddhism
Thanks Marc!