Optical illusion ,movement when there is none, solid materials given a feeling of activity….the photographer’s composition was such that my first thought was not that they were stairs at all, but of the spiraling movement towards a destination. A spine, a vertebra, a vortex. What do you see? each and everyone of us, will react to this presentation in a different way, that is what is so unique about being a human being. In our maturing process we have different experiences, the input from family, friends, co-workers all shape how we “see” the world how we react, and what we do about the challenges presented to us.
After my initial..wow.. and I’d enjoyed the picture for the “art” that it is… my mind began to wonder what it must be like to walk up or down those stairs. Let me tell you, my first thought… for me… would be instant vertigo. It is one thing for me to admire the beauty of the captured moment, it is another for me to imagine being on those stairs. That said, if I was looking at those steps from a different angle .. seeing them from my own perspective, it is very likely that I would race you up the stairs and laugh with joy when I reached the top claiming the prize of achievement! Who can resist a bright cheerful red staircase that leads to a new adventure or sight that will boggle the mind.
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder …………………………Life is what we make it……………….Oyashikiri
photographs >Pinterest, Saying, author is identified in picture
In my meditations this morning, I came across a Blessing Chant, I’d kike to share it with you. It is a chant adapted from the Pattanumodana (Teachings of Buddha >edited by Jack Kornnfield)
Just as water flowing in the streams and rivers fills the ocean, thus may all your moments of goodness touch and benefit all beings, those here now and those gone before.
May all your wishes be soon fulfilled as completely as the moon on a full moon night, as successfully as from the Wish-Fulfilling Gem. May all dangers be averted; may all disease leave you.
May no obstacles come across your way and may you enjoy happiness and long life.
May those who are always respectful,honoring the way of the elders, prosper in the four blessings of old age, beauty, happiness, and strength.
PL’s lesson of the day is about being pro-active, in an ever changing society. a reminder to keep our minds and eyes in tune with the changes and to learn to deal with them in a proactive manner. This busy picture taken in Amsterdam, Nederlands (found on Pinterest) while peaceful in it’s own way, is not the tranquility captured by the photographer of the top picture.
Where would you like to be today? Which destination captures your imagination, if you could close your eyes and with a snap of the fingers be right there, in what direction would you go? Choices, ahhhh isn’t life grand! Have a blissful day everyone!
There is nothing like a good ole country song to set the tone of the moment.
I grew up on the sounds of Detroit, and MoTown, I would find an American radio station at night and listen to the sounds of a music that spoke to me and had me moving and grooving. I loved to dance and feel the songs, the words, the rhythms vibrated and spoke to me of a life I had yet to really live and experience . Oh sure, as teenager I was sure I knew love, my heart would skip a beat when the groceries were being delivered by the “older” boy who came to the house to bring my Mother’s meat order. If I actually was close enough to see his blue eyes, I’d swoon, to this day I remember him coming in with the box of groceries, his blonde hair, blue eyes and smile, would I really recognize him if he walked in now and stood in front of me, no. Back then I thought Id ‘d recognize him forever, I was so sure his memory would be carved in my heart forever, every love song was about this powerful draw/feeling.
In PL, Precept #15 – All is a Mirror is a one of the Precepts that pays a visit into my days, often. Not long ago I was with a friend who has currently lived through a “heartbreak” or “Heart ache” as she talked I felt her pain, the feelings reached across and joined us, with one single tear, her memory of love lost spoke to me. I heard and felt all the country love songs I’d ever cried to, flash across my eyes in just that moment, from her one single tear. Heart ache no matter how we sugar coat it, hurts, it can render us shattered and vulnerable. Intellectually we know the moment will pass, but gall darn it, while we are living it, its a crusher.
Yes I said country music.. somewhere along the way in my “growing up” especially when I played in the bars of Nothern Ontario, it wan’t R&B they wanted to hear, it was country. That is what life on the road is like when you are a “bar band”. Doesn’t matter you are a Blues band, your agent says you are playing Wawa, Sudbury, Timmins, and Hearst, that is where you head. A gig is a gig, and a string of bookings, hey that is $ in the bank. Besides when you are young, you adapt. I don’t even know if traveling bar bands still exist in this day and age, likely not. Live entertainment is not what it used to be, “back in the good ole’ days” Now it seems everything is streamed.
Even a cracked and broken mirror can be beautiful. Mirrors are seldom perfect, and never do they really reflect all there is to see. One has to look past what is automatically seen, and if you dare, look right into the eyes that will look back at you. My friend’s “heart ache” shows the tremendous love she has in her to share, and her courage to have shared and lived a love that was so strong it shook her world. So many people hide in a comfort zone that no longer reflects passion and strong emotion. Preference is to sail calm waters. Nothing wrong with that, but we all know that calm waters are prone to wave, storms and bad weather.
And then.. like a switch goes on, the sun comes out, the winds die down and its paradise again. When we hit a rocky patch in life, know that it is just one step along the way. Tomorrow is another day. To love and be loved is a gift, a beautiful present wrapped in bow, once the wrapping comes undone, and the bow is tucked away …. what’s inside will either fill your life forever, or fade away. Some memories never go away.
Look at the dog’s eyes, I can almost hear him/her asking his mistress “really, did I sign up for this”, this is what you want me to do?” Meanwhile the little cuddly friend is happily drinking from the bottle and thinking only of how yummy, delicious it is. This is a wonderful picture. I send an enormous thank you to the artist that put the energy and creativity into bringing it to us. It brought a smile to my day and for sure, to millions of others who saw and delighted in the composition. Before social media, we were still able to come up with such clever ideas, and take pictures to show our friends and family But we couldn’t share like we do today, we didn’t have the tools to allow total strangers all over the world to share in our creative moment.
Yes we still had artistic expression, we still lived our lives moment by moment, we did our chores, played, worked and played some more, but the element of having our creativity, thoughts,dreams and expressions on display for all to see… well …. that was unknown. Until…. someone somewhere broke a rule, or stepped outside a box and brought new potential and far reaching ideas into tangible possibilities. There is a joy in being creative. Every day I see friends who live miles and sometimes continents apart sharing their day and thoughts with friends they’ve met in virtual worlds, on Facebook, in games.. and it is not just inane chatter, often is is meaningful, supportive and caring.
While we live in a world where there is a framework of laws, morals and rules to follow, the keyword here is framework…. when Divine Spirit is our constant companion and we are always in touch, (connected) love is our motivation,world peace and inner joy our goal, then a rule is a man made what? guideline?………… I know they are needed…………..but…………….
May your day be blessed with love, calm-strength and acceptance – Blessings be. Oyashikiri
Otterly beautiful! A “tiny” always brings a smile to your day!
Tiny Wynx avatars are found in SL (Second Life), allow yourself to explore other dimensions of who you are….?? is that a maybe?
Seamlessly the days become night, and night becomes day, the skies are ever changing and kaleidoscopic. The constantly changing patterns and colours provide inspiration and backdrops for our activities and encounters during the day. On first waking, do you look out a window to take in the view, gauge the weather? Dose what you see contribute to the “tone” of your day? Or do you close your eyes and pray. connecting to the holy Spirit Mioyaookami /God.
Does thunder and lightening have you running for cover? Or do you delight at the rumble and imagine the giants in the sky are bowling and having fun. That the lightening is the result of the bowling ball striking the kingpin and WOW its a strike, all the pins have dropped! YAY! Imagination, only for children, NO, it is a gift we all have and share, some use it more than others, that is a given…. I feel safe in saying that our imaginations will not suffer karoshi (Japan- word for death caused by overwork) Start your day today with a big bang, celebrate a new day, new beginnings, move forward on a path towards newness, progress and growth. Develop your skill in moving from the old to the new without a sense of loss. Move with the current, not with fear, but with a sense of joy and expectation toward the experience just around the corner/bend.
Jai Guru Dev (TM) Hallelujah! God is all! Oyashikiri Today,tomorrow and always!
Feelings, emotions, they are so much a part of our every day lives. Is there really a moment in the day when we are not experiencing a feeling of some kind. Is there a moment in your day when you are void of a feeling? I first saw this quote weeks ago. Aside from thinking …wow.. Johnny Depp said this, and thinking, “did he really? Not that I know Johnny personally, but when my mind captured the picture and the thought, it also automatically ran through the files in my memory banks to see if what I remembered of Johnny fit with the wisdom of the words…Funny how the mind processes information coming in. When I think of Mr. Depp. I think of a visit to California and some pirate themed ride at a park I was at with my sister. I smile because it brings back happy memories of being with her and our sudden desire to collect Disney pins.
The image of us wandering the grounds looking for pins to buy, our delight at each new find to add to our now growing collection. LOL this was not all that long ago, we were grown women delighting in the activity of “search and find” it was fun to look through the multitude of colourful pins and decide which characters appealed to us. What we wanted to collect, and share with friends and family. We had fun. We immersed ourselves in the activity and today, I’m not even sure I know where the pins our, but that memory brings back feelings that are happy and joyful.
“You can’t close your heart to things you don’t want to feel” is what the saying above says. PL Precept #12 Everything has a way according to its name. We have choices in life, we can try to live void of emotion, feelings & LOVE…. but that is near impossible. We are blessed with the gift of LIFE, life is living and living is about being alive, When an opportunity cones along with the potential of bringing you happy moments and new and positive experiences that delight and thrill your senses. you have a choice, you can say, no, I want to stay the way I am. OR…. you can embrace the new adventure and be rewarded by new and wonderful experiences that bring a heightened sense of personal awareness to your life. When you embrace your decisions and life with enthusiasm and makoto (sincerity) there is that word again…….. there should be no lasting let down when that moment passes. there can be sadness … perhaps the moment was fleeting… but the reality is.. you lived an incredible “moment in time” and now have this extraordinary memory that has added new beauty to your life.
We accept the temporary beauty and wonder of a flower. We don’t look at the flower and say you are going to die, I’ll mourn you forever. NO, we don’t do that, we accept and appreciate the beauty offered, capture the moment if we can, like this artist did, and move on. Nothing in life is forever, only change is constant. TAO.
Have a good day everyone, be joyful, enjoy what the world has designed for you today. May the love of God surround and keep you safe. Oyashikiri
Today is the 21st of the month, the day that all members of Perfect Liberty celebrate, and when possible come to church, where the Minister and / or Hokyoshi perform the “formal” Thanksgiving ceremony. It is a day set aside each month to remind us to show appreciation and not take for granted the world around us. It is so easy to step off the path we are on. And, reality is, we often find that in some way, we are no longer in alignment with our spiritual goals. Our vibrational alignment needs a tune up. In observing our thoughts we realize that some how we just aren’t going in the right direction. Time for a U turn?
Expressing your true feelings, saying thank you when someone, or something brings sadness into your life, saying thank you when you find an unexpected event has brought you to a happy place. Both are moments of truth, both are a celebration of your perceptions, feelings and thought process. It is in interacting with others that we grow. Love is a four letter word with a myriad of ways it is expressed, utilized and felt. When we can genuinely express a true feeling of appreciation by saying Thank You out loud, Wow… when we can show someone we care, not just say it… its a feel good situation for everyone. We often take for granted the ones closest to us.. Remember today to say Thank YOU…
Instead of mourning for love that is lost, remember the happiness experienced.
We can only be ourselves, if we let others be themselves, no more , no less……Blessings … Oyashikiri
Thursday and the start of the spring season. LOL Mother Nature is still not decided in our neck of the woods. We are going to have a mixed bag of weather. No matter, I’m sure there will be a lot for us to enjoy and friends to greet, new places to explore. What is on your agenda today?
I just heard a car drive by, it sounds wet out there, the snow must have turned to rain, just like it was predicted. The drive to work today could be very sloppy, not to mention slippery in places. Today’s lesson in Pl is about how we do things, how we use materials and events to express ourselves. What value to we put on things and money. Hmmm, I confess to being someone who is not necessarily money driven, my creative side leans more towards activity and productivity. On a day like today, I would get up earlier so that I could miss the other commuters and if I was walking enjoy the walk through whatever weather was being offered up on that day, of drive through the silent streets towards my destination. I would enjoy the pelting rain, or freezing ice for what it was, an expression of Mother Natures many forms of artistic displays.
The other day, a friend told me he’d gone snowshoeing in the woodlands behind his home. It had been a day of clear blue skies, and fresh fallen snow. His little adventure had sounded so peaceful. This morning when I heard that car drive by, I was taken back to the days I would walk several miles from my home into the office through the downtown of one city, (Hull,Quebec) in one Province over a bridge past E.B.Eddy ( an operating paper mill, with frozen water along one wall, which tempted me to do some ice climbing.(which I never followed through on). My feet would make crunching sounds in the snow, since I was early and most others who would walk this way, had yet to make their way across into Ottawa. Other days it was like walking over shards of ice some parts of the journey required ice cleats, or the really wet days when you walked through big wet puddles) =^_^=.
In this same location there is the sound of rushing water where the rapids churn and gurgle over the rocks. It is a beautiful spot at any time of year. When you got over the bridge, you were in Ontario, and in Ottawa (Canada’s capital). The trek led me across open fields where buildings that had been, were now long gone, and the buildings that were to come, were still ideas on some drafting table. On the left there was a hidden gorge, where below the rapids provided a training ground for kayak enthusiast. If time permitted, I would stop to watch the activities.
There was/is a definite difference in the two cities, yet in their differences they merged into one giving this area a diversity that is both charming and inviting. Sophisticated,yet in many ways, so “down home”. Those walks were peaceful for me, they allowed me time to commune with nature and my thoughts .. by the time I walked through the now busier downtown core of the waking city, and got to the office, I was ready for my day. How do you prepare for your day? Whatever you do, remember to practice using full Makoto (sincere effort).
Hey, wow, I enjoyed my walk down memory lane with you this morning, but of course, I enjoy all my time with you. smiles at you and offers up these pretty flowers to brighten your day. Blessings.. today, tomorrow and always… Oyashikiri
Over the years I’ve had a strong attachment to the night, its inky black skies, with dancing twinkling stars. Those of you who remember one phase of my life where bling on my fingers was de rigour. ( a must, never met a diamond I didn’t like ) =^_^=. Like the moon, for me all that is bright gives my spirit a life. Where my friends would drool over the sun and gold, I had this love affair with silver, white gold, and platinum. The night skies could turn my romantic young heart to butter. While the heat of the scorching sun sent me running for cover. Differences…. that is what life is all about… The trick is balance and moderation.
The high mountains of China – Tibet
Thank you for sharing these moments with me… Enjoy whatever you are doing today, my thoughts and prayers are with you. and remember -SMILE – allow your beauty within to shine through, not just with your lips but through your eyes.. Blessings – Oyashikiri
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.
![]flower,anemone by Keartona on Flickr](https://dymoonblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/floweranemone-by-keartona-on-flickr.jpg)
