The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them.
- Patrick Henry
.
In religion and politics, people’s beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second hand, and without examination.
-Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)
Namaste.
If you were all alone in the universe with no one to talk to, no one with which to share the beauty of the stars, to laugh with, to touch, what would be your purpose in life? It is other life, it is love, which gives your life meaning. This is harmony. We must discover the joy of each other, the joy of challenge, the joy of growth.
- Mitsugi Saotome
“When we look at things in the light of Tao,
Nothing is best, nothing is worst.
Each thing, seen in its own light,
Stands out in its own way.
It can seem to be “better”
Than what it is compared with it
On its own terms.
But seen in terms of the whole,
No one thing stands out as “better.”
…
So the whole cosmos is a grain of rice,
And tip of a hair
is as big as a mountain -
Such is the relative view.
…
Fine horses can travel a hundred miles a day,
But they cannot catch mice
Like terriers or weasels:
All creatures have gifts of their own.
…
Can a man cling only to heaven
And know nothing of earth?
They are correlative: to know one
is to know the other.
To refuse one
Is to refuse both.
…”
The Way of Chuang Tzu, “Great and Small”, Thomas Merton
It is Yin. It is Yang. It is Balance.
Namaste.
Green Tara, the embodiment of Active Compassion. There are many variations of Tara within Buddhist culture: she is a Bodhisattva for some and a Buddha within other traditions, the Mother of all Buddhas (liberation), and the female aspect of AvalokiteÅ›vara (Chenrezig) -born from his tears or sometimes portrayed as his consort. She is a popular deity within the Buddhist pantheon - whichever version to which you may subscribe. She is said to act quickly, saving those who call upon her for help, from eight calamities: lions (pride), wild elephants (delusions), forest fires (hatred), snakes (envy), robbers (fanatical views), prisons (avarice), floods (lust), and demons (doubts). Commonly called upon to provide assistance and to free us from fears, anxieties and dangers, and to help overcome the most difficult situations, this is a lovely version of her mantra (”Om Tare Tuttare Ture Swaha” pronounced “Om Ta-Ray Too-Ta-Ray Too-Ray So-Ha”), set to music. Enjoy!
Namaste.
Bubbles in the sink, in the bath, or blown playfully through a loop by kids in the yard… translucent, transparent, and insubstantial, floating along on the predominant wind of chance and intent. Within their surfaces are reflected a distorted view of the physical world, each bubble echoing back those things with which it is surrounded, each reflecting the world slightly differently from its neighbor.
Heap a bunch of the smaller bubbles together and suddenly the translucence of each is lost, absorbed by the identity of the whole. Gained instead is a seemingly solid form of which each bubble is now a part. These bubbles may be molded by the elements to which they are exposed and shaped by clever hands to semi-recognizable shapes, yet a strong breeze disburses them … some flying in smaller groups back through the air, landing wherever they may and assuming new shapes and forms in the process. Others, affected by the breeze, simply pop out of existence and return once more to the realm of the insubstantial.
A lone bubble, discovered in surprise is often an instant connection to simpler times and serves as a reminder of the ephemeral, of the illusion. Still susceptible to a sudden *pop*, the bubble is no more…
“Nothing that I can do will change the structure of the universe. But maybe, by raising my voice I can help the greatest of all causes - goodwill among men and peace on earth.â€
- Albert Einstein
May Peace be with you today, and always…
Namaste.
Blogging update: I am making my way back to the blogging world, but still busy with aspects of real-life physical reality… I hope the holidays and New Year has treated you well.
“We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.”
- Anais Nin
Sculpture “Pier Glass” by Sarah Haviland. Rockland Center for the Arts exhibition.
