I was in full-fledged flinching from writing the Conclusion section of my thesis (are you as sick of me mentioning this as I am?) so I dug into ZenDotStudio’s lovely offering of 7 Links. The object is to return to various posts in my blog and find those that can be tagged in the categories below. (I’ve got this horrible urge to go and find a journal reference for what I just wrote!) Then I am supposed to invite five other bloggers to do the same. I’ve listed five of my very many favourite and most frequented bloggers below. I am sorry to say I discovered Adam of Fly Like a Crow is not blogging there any more but go anyway!
Initially, I thought of this as a chance to review the popularity of the posts but after a few sessions with friends and my new Spiritual Coach (Yes! I have one!), I’m taking this as a chance to truly value the things I do. It’s also a chance to clarify the values I tried to convey in the posts and to do a little check-in on how aligned I feel to them. Them are mighty words and only the Shadow knows what I actually intend, as Barry of Ox Herding likes to point out!
No matter. I invite you to have this conversation with yourself. What brings you alive? What are the jewels hidden in that cloak which hides you so well from your own sight?
Here are the little gems I found in the folds of this blog:
Most beautiful post
One of the first forays into my personal life, losing & letting go remains my favourite. Writing it drew out all the pain of dealing with my mother, our relationship, and the third thing, her dementia. The blog was a poultice.
Most popular post
My first attempt at the Ox Herding pictures, out to pasture, got the most hits (hits being the count of how many people opened that page but it says nothing of whether they read it or liked it); it also snagged a weekly gig on Tricycle’s Editor’s blog. questions-1 had the most exchanges in the commentaries but they were related to the renovations of the blog!
Most controversial post
It doesn’t show in the post itself but selling out to sex and sin, my review of Brad Warner’s book, got a few feathers ruffled although the publishers still love me.
Most helpful post
You’ll have to tell me which this is! However, the post that triggered a round of discussions on other blogs was how the light gets in which was itself prompted by mind of poverty.
Most “surprisingly successful” post
I took a huge risk in writing this one: flinching from eudaimonism. At least it felt that way. I don’t have much confidence in my understanding of the intricacies of Buddhist philosophy and I really should stop that nonsense (the lack of confidence part). The response the post got were a real surprise and the fact that Justin – Oh Great Scholar! – clicked “like” just (pun intended) made my century! And that Glen Wallis is pilfering my concept of Hope… well… Oh was that my ego writing… damn!
Most neglected post
Oh. I’d have to pick the ethics and Chaplaincy ones: in the service of war: Chaplaincy I, II, III . Really thought it would get the fur flying but…
and finally….the post that makes them most proud
Oh that’s really easy! All of them. Well, OK… I am passionate about the Ox Herding series and I totally loved how I jumped off the 100-foot pole with the last series, i am ox. I’m still not done with that one; it needs more development and I had wanted to make it my Chaplaincy thesis but reason prevailed! I’m also proud of the 108 series, 108Buddha and 108Enso.
There’s a category missing which is the most important reason to write posts
Community!
I had trouble with the “pick five blogs” rule because there are so many I love to read. The ones I check in to regularly are listed below but it says nothing about all the ones I love. Although the intent of this post is to ask them to join in the 7 links, I leave it up to them to follow their heart. Just reading anything they write is enough for me. Of course, ZenDotStudio is a perennial favourite but since Carole referred on to me, I don’t know if I can lob it back to her!
Somewhere in Dhamma/Wake up and Laugh
(I lied…) and a bunch more in my blog roll!
I’m off to Rohatsu on Wednesday so sit well, feel the morning star within you already, and love all that you are!
And yes… the thesis is now written. The rest is in the wind!
108zenbooks 
I’m game (and thanks very much for listing my blog), but just one query – if n people each lists five other different blogs, doesn’t this result in 5 to the nth power being listed – i.e. if this repeats 17 times, almost twice as many blogs will be listed as there are stars and galaxies in the known universe? So in answer to my own question, I guess it’s OK to list blogs that have already been listed.
Just sayin’. 🙂
Sampling without replacement is more likely to have us circling a drain rather than spiraling out into the ether…. May be we should put constraints on who you can vote into your list and then call the Occupy This Blog folks who can cry, Fowl! Fowl!:-D
I do love the one about your mother, the one that makes you most proud. And I am leaning toward “Poverty Mind” but like “light gets in” a lot too. Fun to browse amongst the posts, it reminds me of the richness of what I find here and why I keep coming back. bows to you.
Thanks, ZDS! When I go through your posts, I am taken by the development in how you dig into the topics. Thankfully, despite ourselves, we change but the direction of that change is what is so wonderful to observe – and participate in.
Of course, I cannot say often enough how I value your influence on my art.
Deep bows, my dharma sister!