Reminder- Founders day (Kyososai) is this coming Sunday, August 1. It is when we pray our appreciation and honor the spirits of our Founders, and rededicate ourselves to spreading and sharing the philosophy we live for the realization of world peace. If you have not heard from your minister, contact the church or a Hokyoshi in your area for how, when and where it is to be celebrated in your area.
We welcome everyone to share in this day. Even if it just in saying a silent prayer with us that the world we live in will continue towards a better understanding of our unique natures, and that each in our own way will work towards World Peace.
PL Precept # 1 Life isArt Vida es Arte. Vida e Arte
PL Precept # 11 Always be with God Confie todo a Dios Faca tudoconfiando em Deus
Such is true in life also. When faced with a problem that seems to be a constant sadness and weighs heavy on your heart… what do you do. I pray. I pray for guidance that my actions will be the right ones..
Let’s respond clearly. giving a proper response shows consideration towards others.
Good morning, it has been about 3 and a half years now since my husband passed away, for about a year prior to his passing, I had begun the process of downsizing, packing and taking away the excess, passing items on to the Goodwill type of charities that recycle items to add to their $$s for serving the community. I have continued this practice with the exception of during the “shut downs” when the charities could not receive or process the items. As soon as they opened their doors again, the morning ritual beganagain.
Every morning I take a box(s) and or bags and fill them with items to be dropped off. ( we have a 1.5 bungalow,) my husband had two offices on the upper floor. Having been in the news media and a communication/editor he had the upstairs set up pretty much like a news room and office. From his days of being a reporter, photographer and on air newsman for the various media outlets, he had an accumulations of supplies. Till his illness became too invasive, he kept records and notes about anything that was of interest to him. that included documenting the weather changes etc. “Once a news hound, always a news hound“
I have not taken down his white boards,/black boards, or even tackled his desks yet, but bit by bit I’ve taken away books, maps, reference materials, DVDs, recorders, speakers, microphones, notebooks (ones waiting to be filled) his clocks, one for the different time zones etc. It is amazing how over the years, we accumulate odds and ends, what seems like little bits of information, ie. maps, books on various subject matter that is being researched etc.- it is 1, 2 pieces at a time, but over the years, it just becomes “stuff”
No, its not only his offices that have been slowly worked on, but my own living space… I take things out, carload at a time, and there is always more. Today, I noted, progress has been made.
“I’ll do it later. No, I’ll do it now.” to make progress do anything while its still fresh.
Perfect Liberty 2021.25
On my part, I am doing my best to weed out my closets, drawers and shelves etc. It is a cleansing process. and NO I am no longer bringing more in, something does come in, means something has to leave.
With one thought, “the world” will change. changing your way of thinking will make a difference on how you perceive the world.
Perfect Liberty 2021.24
What a joy filled day. A friend came by, she drove, we went to Arnprior, I got to just sit, enjoy and take in the beautiful scenery along the way. There are no words for how much I enjoyed visiting the retreat we went to. There was a private beach that I got to visit and bask in the sunshine while she conducted her business. How far out fantastic was that! No one around, just me and the waves gently rolling into shore. Heavenly!
I will admit the climb back up from the beach to the retreat area.. tested my stamina. Going down was easy, the climb back up, LOL its called exercise….
I am a happy camper.. hope to sleep soundly this evening.
The further you walk into the quiet of the woodlands, the more serene it gets. There are places along the way where one can sit a spell. I have found a fallen tree to sit on, where I can hear the sound of a babbling stream, as it merrily makes its way through the dense forest carpet, some days I m may hear another traveler off in the distance, but that is rare. (week-ends it might be different)
Each season brings a different decorated theme. Each passing day there is something new to discover. the landscape is forever changing.
Please let me explain that the quiet while in the woods is not without sound. There is a constant singing and chatter of the birds and other residents of the forest community. Their voices blend to create a soothing lullaby to the ears of an urban traveler.
In PL when we are faced with a problem, we work at resolving the “issue” by looking at how we, ourselves can change , what we need to do, to change our thinking to redirect negative energies towards more positive vibes. For me, my daily time spent in or near the woodlands helps me to focus, to listen to my inner voice. To replay and consider conversations with my friends. God (Nature) will always provide. We have to learn how to “hear” “be receptive” mostly, we have to “let go and let God”
There are 21 Precepts in the PL Philosophy, each one is a guide, or a “key” to help us through our journey. The first one, Life is Art.… is my mantra…. I am the artist, and life is my canvas.
PL Precept # 2… To live is to express one’s self.
I share my world with you, why, because, I see and feel love when I am in Nature, and we all need love.
some mornings there are no words for just how the day begins
It’s okay! God is watching over you. Things turn out for the best. Don’t be captured by momentary troubles, but continue doing everything with sincerity.
Perfect Liberty 2021.19
Each moment is a new beginning. ” this is where the changes take place, right here and right now, in your own mind!” Only YOU can heal your life!
Now is always the start of something new. Leave the past in the past. What is important is “What you are going to do now”. Using the present as a starting point, move forward on a path towards improvement and progress.
Perfect Liberty 2014.24
Oyashikiri
photo is from an SL installation back around 2015? (Second Life)
oh what a tangled web we weave, when we practice to deceive
It is when we deceive ourselves. NO of course not, we don’t set out with the intention of deceiving, but often it begins with a little “white” lie, and then, out of the blue one day, we find ourselves dealing with a situation that is totally so not what we were expecting or wanting. It is the little habits, the small acts that we do on a regular basis, we do them without even thinking, they become just “something we do”
Over the years, I’ve spent hours reading, taking in information that was of interest to me, I learned how to meditate the TM way (Transcendental Meditation) I learned about and tried Yoga, Pilates, joined and went to a gym to use their equipment, even tried a personal trainer a few times.. Nothing stuck. Yet every new piece of information I took in (what communicated itself to me) was stored, and when doing a mental exercise often these little tidbits would factor into my final decision to do or try something new.
One day in the dead of winter when I was driving one of the backroads to get to “my birds” I thought to myself, “What am I doing” I remember there was only one other set of tracks on the road, and already they were almost covered by the still falling snow. Heavily burdened branches were bowed with the wet sow that clung to them, some almost touching the roof of my cat. I had no choice but to to go very slowly, and be totally focused on my actions. When I got to the parking lot and the car was parked, I sat back and just relaxed in a wonderful glorious moment of awareness, I was happy, I was thrilled, I was content.
I sat in my car, totally still, watched the big snowflakes land and slide down my windows.. they were still warm from the heated interior. It was a moment of pure bliss. I was so aware of myself, the moment, my surroundings.. Then the calls filtered in to me, the birds knew I was arrived… There was a flurry of action around the almost empty feeders.
I have always enjoyed the winter, but not like I did during the past winter when every day I went out into the day and began spending time with the birds and other woodland animals who came to call when I was there.
Its not the same in the summer, the summer months produce a totally different vibe. My daily routine in the fall and winter .. was and is different. Spring and summer months I’m not able to capture the same “stillness” My “habits” I acquired over the late summer, fall and winter months, were not harmonious with the spring months, nor in this season called summer.
Once again, I’m reminded that the only thing in life that is constant, is change. These past 3, 4 weeks I’ve been deceiving myself, yes I do enjoy some of the “adventures” but if I’m honest with my “self”.. I’m not having the same kind of “satisfaction” with my visit to the woodlands, certainly not, journeying into them.. Today’s calendar..
Have a “Let’s do it” attitude. Even if a task is difficult keep in mind it is given by God and accomplish it.
Perfect Liberty 2021.14
Gonna have to work on this one, give it more thought. I think I’ll go with the flow. I went out earlier to find that it is a wet drizzle, with spurts of downpouring. Guess its time to dig out my rain boots, and make sure my rain jacket is handy. I’ll find a place to walk where there is a more open trail.
We all need to come to terms with our day to day realities. Yesterday, after being bombarded and accosted by I think every flying insect in the area, I turned tail, hurried out of the area I was heading into, and left. I wasn’t alone, two other couples came out and without any lingering got into their vehicles and left. The itching, stings and the discomfort from the multiple bites had me reaching for the allergy medication. No way would I survive the service at church with the numbing itching that was happening in my hands from the multiple stings. Never mind my head arms and anywhere else they got at me.
*** message to self… heavily overgrown areas of vegetation are to be avoided until further notice!! Write that down, make a notecard, stick a note on the mirror.. STAY OUT OF THE WOODS for awhile… Doesn’t have to be forever, but for now…just because you have been doing something regularly … doesn’t mean you have to continue to do so.. find other places to explore …
Sigh.. this is a lesson I need to apply in other areas of my life too. We all get into “habits” or “comfort zones” if you will, time to reevaluate.
Let’s begin today with a smile. Let’s start the day with a positive outlook, looking forward to what we can discover.
Perfect Liberty 2021.12
Today I am going to do an overdo “project” and that is clear out the food I’ve been storing for the foodbank and take it there. The foodbank moved several miles further down to another small town (outside of the city where I live) I have been delinquent in getting there.
This will give my body a chance to recover from all the bites and venom I’ve had to deal with over the last many weeks. How about you.. ? … hopefully you will have a grand week ahead. Let’s start with today, and making it a good productive day !! .. Let’s begin with a smile and a positive outlook.
“happy trails to you, until we meet again”
I think Roy Rogers sang that ? ( lol do you even know whoRoy Rogers was?)
to stand alone looking out into the vastness of your wonders
encourages me to be strong
to embrace the distance of tomorrow
and to live today, like the waters in this river
allowing the currents to gently take me
with each wave, gently and resolutely towards
whatever shoreline you guide me to.
I know I am never really alone, for always you find a way to let me know you are listening
It is true, sometimes the world takes on a different hue
But…. always, and this is true…. always, I see the wonder that is YOU
I know I am never alone, for YOU are always with me
whether I stand, sit or lie, you are by my side
you take me where I need to be
like the tree, I am rooted in YOU
I extend my arms into your infinity
with the knowledge that
I am a but a part of the whole
Along this same shoreline, where I had been standing musing, I had moments before been along this stretch of the island, and to my wonder and joy had an encounter with a blue heron. To awed to grab for the camera, I simply drunk in the moment, as he/she up and flew away.
PL Precept # 1 – Life is Art.
PL Precept # 2 – To live is to express one’s Self.
Every day is a new canvas, on which we can express ourselves in our own way, We are all different, each one of us is unique, yet we are all connected, we are all ONE
Three years ago, I would never had been up and out walking like I am now.. I would never have had occasion to meet the wonderful people I meet now as I wander the woodlands, rivers and parks…AND I would not have reconnected with Nature the way I do now, or known and seen the wildlife that I am now. NOW is a powerful moment in time.
TAOIST Life is Art (Perfect Liberty precept #1)
contact info.- via blogs
--- there are two energies, Yin and Yang = ONE
---to have balance we must live each moment
of our lives.. with Makoto (sincerity)
The only constant in life is change. I am grounded in the reality of Living.
This is true, in all worlds. RL or virtual. I am me and only me.