My father had his operation last week to determine the nature of the mass on his kidney. I know because I was in Kaohsiung for the long weekend (which I made longer by skipping Friday's class), and my uncle often tries calling my parents when I'm down there. I haven't heard any follow-up, but no news is good news in this situation.

In any case, my mother wanted to call my uncle to tell him to donate money at the local temple to pray for a successful operation. On one hand, such spirituality I didn't think my parents possessed. On the other hand, the spirituality was in the form of donating money for personal gain, so it makes total sense!

It occurred to me that in the hypothetical situation where my father needed a kidney, I wouldn't think twice about offering one of mine. No brainer. But when it came to extending positive thinking for him, or generating positive energy, or whatever it is I do during those kinds of focused mindfulness portions of sitting meditation, I wouldn't do it for him.

This is a total faith practice, no evidence that it actually does anything. It's related to the topic of the movie What the #$*! Do We Know, that intangible aspects of our being, emotions and thoughts, affect our physical reality, and vice versa.

There's a concentration aspect to the practice during meditation, also a visualization aspect. To the extent the premise has no validity at all, then it's just a personal practice in cultivating compassion and concern for other living or recently died beings. I'm pretty up in the air about what I really believe about the practice, but aspects of it make sense and it fits with my personal beliefs.

I do have a strong belief, or rather sense, about the intangible aspect of our lives, even to the extent that it is more important, more real than our physical living lives, which most of the time seems so trivial and petty. I frequently look around me at what people are doing and wonder why. Even if our existence and consciousness is a naturally occuring phenomena, what people are doing with this existence is pretty confounding.

So it's not a total waste of my time and energy to be focusing on the molecules between us and how our intangible thoughts and feelings can affect them. And actually, writing all this down makes me realize my attitude towards my father is totally wrong.

Pentax ZX-5n, Ilford XP2 Super, all with red filter:

Northward view. The spherical architecture of the Living Mall to the lower right. A retired railyard below it. Arches of Maishuai bridges #1 and 2 eight o'clock of center.

Northwestward view. Guanyin Mt. near the mouth of the Danshui River in Bali in the distance. The snaking line of the Civic Blvd. elevated expressway through the center.