Staying on their feet, crowd watching the action, sledders with all kinds of sleds including a sofa!, plastic sheets, disks, fancy boards, top of the big hill, snowy trees, Lake Union, Gas Works Park, Eastlake / Wallingford, Seattle, Washington, USA


Image by Wonderlane

Seattle

HH Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche displaying the vitarka mudr?, Teaching, Giving Instruction, Reason, Preaching, Transmission of the Dharma mudra, after a visit to the Sakya Dharma Center, 1976, SeaTac Airport, Seattle, Washington, USA


Image by Wonderlane
Three Short Teachings
By Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche:

Thoughts and the Mind

Like waves, all the activities of this life have rolled endlessly on, one after the other, yet they have left us feeling empty-handed. Myriads of thoughts have run through our mind, each one giving birth to many more, but what they have done is to increase our confusion and dissatisfaction.

When we closely examine the ordinary habits that underlie whatever we do and try to discover where they come from, we find that their very source is our failure to investigate them properly. We operate under the deluded assumption that everything has some sort of true, substantial reality. But when we look more carefully, we find that the phenomenal world is like a rainbow—vivid and colourful, but without any tangible existence.

When a rainbow appears in the sky we see many beautiful colours—yet a rainbow is not something we can clothe ourselves with, or wear as an ornament. There is nothing we can take hold of; it is simply something that appears to us through the conjunction of various conditions. Thoughts arise in the mind in just the same way. They have no tangible reality or intrinsic existence at all. There is therefore no logical reason why thoughts should have so much power over us, nor any reason why we should be enslaved by them.

Mind is what creates both samsara and nirvana. Yet there is nothing much to it—it is just thoughts. Once we recognize that thoughts are empty, the mind will no longer have the power to deceive us. But as long as we take our deluded thoughts as real, they will continue to torment us mercilessly, as they have been doing throughout countless past lives. To gain control over the mind, we need to be aware of what to do and what to avoid, and we also need to be alert and vigilant, constantly examining all our thoughts, words and actions.

To cut through the mind’s clinging, it is important to understand that all appearances are void, like the appearance of water in a mirage. Beautiful forms are of no benefit to the mind, nor can ugly forms harm it in any way. Sever the ties of hope and fear, attraction and repulsion, and remain in equanimity in the understanding that all phenomena are nothing more than projections of your own mind.

Once you have realized absolute truth, then you will see the whole, infinite display of relative phenomena that appears within it as no more than an illusion or a dream. To realize that appearance and voidness are one is what is called simplicity, or freedom from conceptual limitations.

Self and others

As you wish to be happy, so you should wish others to be happy too. As you wish to be free from suffering, so you should wish that all beings may also be free from suffering. You should think, “May all living creatures find happiness and the cause of happiness. May they be free from suffering and the cause of suffering. May they always have perfect happiness free from suffering. May they live in equanimity, without attachment or hatred but with love towards all without any discrimination.”

To feel overflowing love and almost unbearable compassion for all living creatures is the best way to fulfil the wishes of all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Even if for the moment you cannot actually help anyone in an external way, meditate on love and compassion constantly over the months and years until compassion is knit inseparably into the very fabric of your mind.

As you try to practise and progress on the path, it is essential to remember that your efforts are for the sake of others. Be humble and remember that all your exertions are child’s play compared to the vast and infinite activity of the Bodhisattvas. Like parents providing for the children they love so much, never think that you have done too much for others—or even enough. Even if you finally manage to establish all living creatures in perfect Buddhahood, simply think that all your wishes have been fulfilled. There must never be so much as a trace of hope for any benefit for oneself in return.

The essence of the Bodhisattva practice is to go beyond self-clinging and dedicate yourself to serving others. The Bodhisattva’s activity hinges on the mind, not on how your actions might appear externally. True generosity is the absence of clinging, ultimate discipline is the absence of desire, and authentic patience is the absence of hatred. Bodhisattvas are able to give away their kingdom, their body, their dearest possessions, because they have completely overcome any inner impoverishment and are unconditionally ready to fulfil the needs of others.

Practice

The teachings we need most are those that will actually strengthen and inspire our practice. It is all very well to receive teachings as high as the sky, but the sky is not that easy to grasp. Start with practices which you can truly assimilate—developing determination to be free of ordinary concerns, nurturing love and compassion—and as you gain stability in your practice you will eventually be able to master all the higher teachings.

The only way to achieve liberation from samsara and attain the omniscience of enlightenment is to rely on an authentic spiritual teacher. An authentic spiritual teacher is like the sail that enables a boat to cross the ocean swiftly.

The sun and moon are reflected in clear, still water instantly. Similarly, the blessings of the Three Jewels are always present for those who have complete confidence in them. The sun’s rays fall everywhere uniformly, but only where they are focused through a magnifying glass can they set dry grass on fire. When the all-pervading rays of the Buddhas’ compassion are focused through the magnifying glass of your faith and devotion, the flame of blessings blazes up in your being.

Obstacles can arise from good as well as bad circumstances, but they should never deter or overpower you. Be like the earth, which supports all living creatures indiscriminately, without distinguishing good from bad. The earth is simply there. Your practice should be strengthened by the difficult situations you encounter, just as a bonfire in a strong wind is not blown out, but blazes even brighter.

When someone harms you, see him as a kind teacher who is showing you the path to liberation and merits your respect. Pray that you may be able to help him as much as you can, and whatever happens, never hope for an opportunity for vengeance. It is particularly admirable to bear patiently the harm and scorn of people who have less education, strength or skill than you.

Look right into it, and you will see that the person who is harmed, the person who does the harm, and the harm itself are all totally devoid of any inherent reality. Who, then, is going to get angry at mere delusions? Faced with these empty appearances, is there anything to be lost or gained? Is there anything to be liked or disliked? It is all like an empty sky. Recognize that!

Once you control the anger within, you will discover that there is not a single adversary left outside. But as long as you pay heed to your hatred and attempt to overcome your external opponents, even if you succeed, more will inevitably rise up in their place. Even if you managed to overpower everyone in the whole world, your anger would only grow stronger; to follow it will never make it subside. The only really intolerable enemy is hatred itself. To defeat the enemy of hatred it is necessary to meditate one-pointedly on patience and love until they truly take root in your being. Then there can be no outer adversaries.

Ask yourself how many of the billions of inhabitants of this planet have any idea of how rare it is to have been born as a human being. How many of those who understand the rarity of human birth ever think of using that chance to practise the Dharma? How many of those who think of starting to practise actually do so? How many of those who start continue to practise? How many of those who continue attain ultimate realization? Indeed, those who attain ultimate realization, compared to those who do not, are as few as the stars you can see at daybreak compared to the myriad stars you can see in the clear night sky.

As long as you, like most people, fail to recognize the true value of human existence you will just fritter your life away in futile activity and distraction. When life comes all too soon to its inevitable end, you will not have achieved anything worthwhile at all. But once you really see the unique opportunity that human life can bring, you will definitely direct all your energy into reaping its true worth by putting the Dharma into practice.

If you make use of your human birth in the right way, you can achieve enlightenment in this very lifetime. All the great Siddhas of the past were born as ordinary people. But by entering the Dharma, following a realized teacher and devoting their whole lives to practising the instructions they received, they were able to manifest the enlightened activities of great Bodhisattvas.

Translated by the Padmakara Translation Group
From Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Editions Padmakara

Seattle

Ikea unpacking glass pieces for the chandelier, sporting a tye-dyed Ganesha t-shirt. Lord Buddha, Padmasambhava, and Sakya Pandita statues, shrine, Sakya Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism, Seattle, Washington, USA


Image by Wonderlane
Our late friend Ikea recently passed away at a young age. May we meet him again soon! May he enjoy every happiness!

Ikea asked me to take his picture… I wish we’d had more time.

Possibly Related Posts and Articles (automatically generated)

• Seattle Skyline with Mount Rainier From Kerry Park Stitch (24)
• Seattle skyline (16)
• Nice Seattle photos (15)
• Nice Seattle photos (15)
• Nice Seattle photos (11)
• Nice Seattle photos (14)
• Nice Seattle photos (9)

Rehabilitation of Corner Market building (Pike Place Market), 1975


Image by Seattle Municipal Archives
See our online exhibit for a history of the market. Item 32196, Pike Place Market Visual Images and Audiotapes (Record Series 1628-02), Seattle Municipal Archives.

Seattle

Artist at work during Corner Market paint-in, 1975


Image by Seattle Municipal Archives
See our online exhibit for a history of the market. Item 37074, Pike Place Market Visual Images and Audiotapes (Record Series 1628-02), Seattle Municipal Archives.

Seattle

Pike Place Market spice shop, circa 1978


Image by Seattle Municipal Archives
See our online exhibit for a history of the market. Item 33202, Pike Place Market Visual Images and Audiotapes (Record Series 1628-02), Seattle Municipal Archives.

Pike Place Market spice shop, 1978


Image by Seattle Municipal Archives
See our online exhibit for a history of the market. Item 37962, Pike Place Market Visual Images and Audiotapes (Record Series 1628-02), Seattle Municipal Archives.

Possibly Related Posts and Articles (automatically generated)

• Seattle Skyline with Mount Rainier From Kerry Park Stitch (24)
• Seattle skyline (16)
• Nice Seattle photos (15)
• Nice Seattle photos (15)
• Nice Seattle photos (11)
• Nice Seattle photos (14)
• Nice Seattle photos (9)

Crowd watching hydroplane races in Mount Baker, 1965


Image by Seattle Municipal Archives
Item 29945, Don Sherwood Parks History Collection (Record Series 5801-01), Seattle Municipal Archives.

Seattle

Lifeguards at Denny Camp, circa 1920s


Image by Seattle Municipal Archives
Item 31342, Ben Evans Recreation Program Collection (Record Series 5801-02), Seattle Municipal Archives.

Seattle

Lake Washington shoreline at Leschi, 1903


Image by Seattle Municipal Archives
Item 77247, Don Sherwood Parks History Collection (Record Series 5801-01), Seattle Municipal Archives.

Boxing match, circa 1930s


Image by Seattle Municipal Archives
Item 31237, Ben Evans Recreation Program Collection (Record Series 5801-02), Seattle Municipal Archives.

Possibly Related Posts and Articles (automatically generated)

• Seattle Skyline with Mount Rainier From Kerry Park Stitch (24)
• Seattle skyline (16)
• Nice Seattle photos (15)
• Nice Seattle photos (15)
• Nice Seattle photos (11)
• Nice Seattle photos (14)
• Nice Seattle photos (9)

City Fish Market – Seattle


Image by swanksalot
nice neon.

Seattle

Small rainbow over Seattle


Image by Preconscious Eye
Alki Beach

Seattle

Big Dogs, International Fountain, Seattle Center, Bite of Seattle, Seattle, WA


Image by djwudi

Possibly Related Posts and Articles (automatically generated)

• Seattle Skyline with Mount Rainier From Kerry Park Stitch (24)
• Seattle skyline (16)
• Nice Seattle photos (15)
• Nice Seattle photos (15)
• Nice Seattle photos (11)
• Nice Seattle photos (14)
• Nice Seattle photos (9)

Forward Thrust report cover, 1974


Image by Seattle Municipal Archives
Document 2484, Published Document Collection, Seattle Municipal Archives.

Seattle

Ben Paris Kitchen, 1940


Image by Seattle Municipal Archives
Located at 120 Pike Street. Item 18617, City Light Photographic Negatives (Record Series 1204-01), Seattle Municipal Archives.

Seattle

Old Cadillac


Image by rocketvox_
Taken outside our home on Queen Anne in Seattle.

Koi Kiss


Image by zoomar
At the Seattle Japanese Garden.

Possibly Related Posts and Articles (automatically generated)

• Nice Seattle photos (2)
• Seattle Skyline with Mount Rainier From Kerry Park Stitch (24)
• Seattle skyline (16)
• Nice Seattle photos (15)
• Nice Seattle photos (15)
• Nice Seattle photos (11)
• Nice Seattle photos (14)

Robot, Fremont Solstice Parade, Seattle, WA


Image by djwudi
Robot in a kilt!

Seattle

Full Frontal Graffiti on Capitol Hill Seattle


Image by zoomar
Goya ra? I don’t know him, but his stick figure is anatomically semi-correct.

Seattle

no.3 Sunset in Seattle 1989


Image by photogirl7.1
This was a sunset that I took in 1989, when I lived here for ten months. In taking the pictures, I would bracket my exposures.

Possibly Related Posts and Articles (automatically generated)

• Nice Seattle photos (2)
• Seattle Skyline with Mount Rainier From Kerry Park Stitch (24)
• Seattle skyline (16)
• Nice Seattle photos (15)
• Nice Seattle photos (15)
• Nice Seattle photos (11)
• Nice Seattle photos (14)

Wet night city: Seattle, from high above on beacon hill, 12th and 13th floors PAC-MED building, amazon.com, Washington state, USA


Image by Wonderlane

Seattle

Katie Melua @ Tractor Tavern, Seattle 5-9-09


Image by Kirk Stauffer
© Kirk Stauffer

Seattle

Seattle // discovery park


Image by ellie lonardo
mamiya RB67
kodak ektor 100

Possibly Related Posts and Articles (automatically generated)

• Seattle Skyline with Mount Rainier From Kerry Park Stitch (24)
• Seattle skyline (16)
• Nice Seattle photos (15)
• Nice Seattle photos (15)
• Nice Seattle photos (11)
• Nice Seattle photos (14)
• Nice Seattle photos (9)

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee


Image by andyi
The view from my hotel in Seattle this morning. The Edgewater is one of the lovelier hotels I’ve stayed in.

Pity about the freight tracks, though. No joke: I found a note on the mantelpiece referring to the Unique Charm of this part of town…and a set of foam earplugs.

I grew up close enough to train tracks that a certain late-night rumbling is actually quite soothing. And I rather enjoyed replaying that scene from "The Blues Brothers" in my head so many times over the weekend.

But I have nothing but sympathy for those in rooms on the ground floor only twenty or thirty yards away.

Seattle

Interbay Pharmacy and Red Mill Burgers (1960 and 2010)


Image by Rob Ketcherside
This ran in shorter, more readable form on Seattlest.

This is Red Mill Burgers, in Seattle’s Interbay neighborhood at 1613 West Dravus.

This store opened in 1998. The first store was a bit north in the Phinney Ridge, and opened a few years earlier.

The old photo at the Seattle Municipal Archives shows the same building in 1960, with "Interbay Pharmacy" painted on the side. Needless to say there was no Starbucks in the background.

Whenever I look at photos taken by government employees, I think "why?" More than 9 times out of 10 there was a good reason to take the photo and then subsequently archive it — it wasn’t a random photo like you or I take. Sometimes you can tell by the file that it’s in, or the assession number. Other times it’s the story of the building or business that clear it up. It takes a bit of digging to find that.

A quick web search shows that Interbay Pharmacy is older than 1960. Google Books has several trade magazines like a 1907 edition of "The Pharmaceutical Era" which mention Interbay Pharmacy. This first mention is worth quoting:

"W. S. Pierce, proprietor of the Interbay Pharmacy, Seattle, Wash., was blown by a gas explosion from the rear end of his store almost to the front door the other day. When he opened his store, Pierce started a fire in the gas stove, but he had no sooner applied the match to the jet than he felt himself propelled toward the door. The explosion had driven out the glass, thus making a clear path into the street."

A 1916 issue of "The Era Druggist’s Directory of the United States…" lists Interbay Pharmacy, but gives a different address: 1500 Grand Boulevard. I’ve looked at enough engouh old plat maps of Magnolia to know that Dravus used to be known as Grand Boulevard. So the pharmacy used to be over at 15th.

But we’re still missing the story here. I’m going to switch to tutorial mode to show you how I found out the "why" and at the same time learned an important part of this neighborhood’s history.

When I’m dealing with a property, after a quick web search the next thing I like to do is open King County’s Property Viewer or iMap to check it out. I’ll cheat for you. Here’s 15th and Dravus. Down in the bottom right, expand "Imagery" and choose "1936 B/W Aerial Photos". After the map refreshes, it shows that 15th Avenue used to look quite a bit different. It was just a small local road like 14th or 16th. 1500 Dravus, which would be the northwest corner, is right in the middle of the blank space. (The square are property, and long lines are roads; blank space is public property, usually streets.)

The assessor’s report for 1613 Dravus, meanwhile, tells us that the Red Mill building was constructed in 1959.

The scenario is beginning to play out… a city employee photographs the new home of Interbay Pharmacy in 1960. The old home at some point became a city street.

The next step is to hit the Seattle Times archives and see what it says. These archives are one of the greatest and most frustratingly hidden secrets in local history. 1900-1923 are currently only available through a database called World Newspaper Archive, available locally through the University of Washington. From 1923-1980 are also covered in a database called America’s GenealogyBank, which you can get at from home with your library card, click the link here.

I narrowed the search to newspapers, in Washington, and just for the kewords "15th widening" in 1952-1960. Result #4, 1959-06-02 page 20, is perfect:

"The city began condemnation proceedings in Superior Court… yesterday for widening 15th Avenue West form West Garfield Street to the Ballard Bridge.
"Twenty-two feet will be taken on much of the west side of the avenue. The east side will not be affected.
…
"A six-lane depressed roadway will go beneath Dravus Street, whish will remain at its present grade.
…
"Wilcox said 98 pieces of real estate are involved. He said settlements are being arranged with all but five owners."

So there’s our story. Interbay Pharmacy, as well as all of the other pioneer businesses at the intersection of 15th and "Grand Boulevard" — and all of the well-established homes on the main street between Seattle and Ballard — were destroyed in 1959 to widen 15th to add six lanes of traffic.

It’s odd that such a big deal is made about Interstate 5 and the other freeways, but no one talks about major widening projects like this. The monorail project which was supposed to be built to Ballard would have run on 15th. I remember an editorial in the Times or PI which railed that 15th was inhospitable to people, it was a car street that wasn’t built for mass transit. There were so many editorials arguing that we couldn’t afford to transform our city, which was built for car travel. But when you really look back, you find that our city was, of course NOT built for cars, but built for streetcars and people. We spent truckloads of money to rebuild it for cars.

Strips like 15th are still recovering from the economic hammer that was dropped.

BTW, Red Mill has great burgers. Get some onion rings while you’re at it! There’s bus service on 15th if you can afford the time and money.

Seattle

Shilshole Avenue and 22nd Avenue NW, 1915


Image by Seattle Municipal Archives
Item 784, Engineering Department Photographic Negatives (Record Series 2613-07), Seattle Municipal Archives.

Economic bail-out plan


Image by afagen
This tip jar is the economic bail-out plan for the Taxi Dogs hot dog stand employees.

Seattle, WA

- – - – -

Blogged by News from the Herd ("The journalist / blogger bail out" – November 19, 2008) at www.thisisherd.com/2008/11/journalist-blogger-bail-out.html

Blogged by the daily john ("Stock Market Pleased By New Phase Of Bailout [Money Meltdown]" – November 25, 2008) at www.thedailyjohn.com/?p=2371

Blogged by The Consumerist ("Stock Market Pleased By New Phase Of Bailout" – November 25, 2008) at consumerist.com/5098634/stock-market-pleased-by-new-phase…

Blogged by Remixtures ("O que é que diferencia um autor de um empregado de mesa?" – April 1, 2009) at remixtures.com/2009/04/o-que-que-diferencia-um-autor-de-u…

Blogged by The Consumerist ("Here’s Where Your Overdraft Fees Are Going: Banks Are Paying Government Back For Bailouts" by Phil Villarreal – June 9, 2009) at consumerist.com/5284036/heres-where-your-overdraft-fees-a…

Blogged by The Consumerist ("Miami Herald Stops Asking For Handouts" by Phil Villarreal – February 23, 2010) at consumerist.com/2010/02/miami-herald-stops-asking-for-han…

Blogged by Gawker ("New York’s Tip Jar Wars" by Ravi Somaiya – April 11, 2010) at gawker.com/5514530/new-yorks-tip-jar-wars

Linked by AskReddit ("Sites like Gizmodo and Gawker regularly use images which say ‘not for commercial use’ from flickr. Is this ok?" by am1729 – 11 April 2010) at www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/bpkc6/sites_like_gizm…

Possibly Related Posts and Articles (automatically generated)

• Seattle Skyline with Mount Rainier From Kerry Park Stitch (24)
• Seattle skyline (16)
• Nice Seattle photos (15)
• Nice Seattle photos (15)
• Nice Seattle photos (11)
• Nice Seattle photos (14)
• Nice Seattle photos (9)

Seattle

Kopecky Family Band at KEXP – Seattle – 2011-09-27 – DSC_4751-1.jpg


Image by laviddichterman
Kopecky Family Band at KEXP on 2011-09-27
Photos by Dave Lichterman

Seattle

Kopecky Family Band at KEXP – Seattle – 2011-09-27 – DSC_4775-1.jpg


Image by laviddichterman
Kopecky Family Band at KEXP on 2011-09-27
Photos by Dave Lichterman

Possibly Related Posts and Articles (automatically generated)

• Seattle Skyline with Mount Rainier From Kerry Park Stitch (24)
• Seattle skyline (16)
• Nice Seattle photos (15)
• Nice Seattle photos (15)
• Nice Seattle photos (11)
• Nice Seattle photos (14)
• Nice Seattle photos (9)

Seattle

Kopecky Family Band at KEXP – Seattle – 2011-09-27 – DSC_4751-1.jpg


Image by laviddichterman
Kopecky Family Band at KEXP on 2011-09-27
Photos by Dave Lichterman

Seattle

Kopecky Family Band at KEXP – Seattle – 2011-09-27 – DSC_4775-1.jpg


Image by laviddichterman
Kopecky Family Band at KEXP on 2011-09-27
Photos by Dave Lichterman

Possibly Related Posts and Articles (automatically generated)

• Seattle Skyline with Mount Rainier From Kerry Park Stitch (24)
• Seattle skyline (16)
• Nice Seattle photos (15)
• Nice Seattle photos (15)
• Nice Seattle photos (11)
• Nice Seattle photos (14)
• Nice Seattle photos (9)