Português aqui

I haven’t been writing for months. Okay, I had my reasons, I went from Pirenópolis to São Paulo and then to the beach where I have been living since November. I also did a big illustration job. Anyway, between moving and illustrating, adapting to life at the beach, I handle the blog, I couldn’t post.

A few weeks ago was evident the worsening of Covid in Brazil, we knew it was going to happen was happening. Collapse of the health system, more than 3,000 deaths a day and the new P1 variant making the virus even more aggressive. In the middle of that, I realized that going to the USA may not be possible, with the maintenance of the barrier for people coming from Brazil. With that I started to think, how do I change my plans and look at my professional life?

My first thought was, I call my ex boss to see if I can do freelance jobs of design and diagramming. But then I stopped and thought… why, after having done so many other things, do I need to go back to a known place, but maybe not so happy?

Then I remembered a story that Tenshin Reb Anderson told during a practice period in Tassajara. Some ducks that lived in cages were released by their owner. They went out and flew, flew and swam, swam in the lagoon and … came back. They went back to the cage! And that’s how I saw myself.

And then I stopped and thought about what really matters to me, how I want to live my life. And that the blog had been left behind , or more, that I had not yet put the energy that I could have put. Also that my Zen training is for me to be able to go through difficult times and be here now without wanting to escape to the United States because things are easier there. The teachings I have heard and practiced can help me and others in this very difficult time that we are living in.

If you were already following me or if you are arriving now, get ready for an adventure. What is it like to live a Zen life? Inside or outside the monastery? How do we stay alive, being creative at that hard moment? We are alive! This blog is the answer I am giving at the moment, welcome on board!