choices

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harmony within ourselves

A student once said to me, “you tell me that happiness begins with me, intellectually I agree, but the reality is I don’t know how to begin”. It is easy to talk about the Precepts and Principles of PL,( Perfect Liberty), they are all so “simple” when stated, but they are not as easily followed as one would imagine, When someone says relax, we just can’t flick a switch and our bodies will relax.

Like the shadows on the fence the “art” of the moment, is there and if we pause in our day, we will see it, return in another half hour, that moment and play of shadows will no longer be there,.

Think on the number of times, your friend, mate,spouse, child, asks you for something, and you have replied with “just a second,” “wait, I’m busy” or I can’t right now, maybe later. We all do it, it is so easy to simply excuse ourselves from the moment because we are busy, mentally in another space.

Sometimes, the moment passes, and there is no repercussion, it simply gets lost. Other times, it could have been a life changing moment. We will never know, we let it pass, we made a choice, and come what may, we had a part in that “moment” in time.

When we make time in our lives for prayer, we are making time for GOD/TAO/Nature/Divine within ourselves. To understand and learn more about ourselves, we have to spend time with our “selves” In PL (Perfect Liberty) we are always available to “listen” and to help YOU sort out the complicated challenges that come your way. It really happens to everyone, not just you, you are never alone, although at times, it might feel that you are.

PL Precept # 1 – Life is Art

Art doesn’t just happen, everyday we live is an expression of our creativity. Our TRUST and FAITH in GOD is what will see us through troubled times.

in 2013 the #6 lesson was – A change of Heart can turn the Tide – No matter what the situation you can’t change others. The only thing you have control over is how you accept things, and deal with them.

PL Precept # 19

Each moment is a turning point

Oyashikiri

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It is the start of a new month. A new beginning. In PL (Perfect LIberty) on the 1st of each month we have a ceremony, we pray for World Peace and rededicate ourselves to live as peaceful human beings in our own worlds. That means anywhere we are “present”

PL Principle #21 I will live with the spirit of “Misasage” (devotion) working for the happiness of others.

PL precept #10 Love yourself and Others

When I feel one thing, and do another, then I am not being true to myself or to the person or situation I am interacting with. It is not always easy to think before we speak, and, unfortunately, once the words leave our mouths, they can’t easily be taken back.

Let us begin this month, with a prayer in our hearts that extends out to all whose lives we touch. Let us work towards acceptance and understanding when we are faced with something that is unfamiliar to us, or not in our comfort zone. In the end, we may decide that we simply will have to agree to disagree, but at least, we listened to the option. BEFORE making our decision, (choices)

PL Precept #20 Live maintaining equilibrium between mind and matter

at the end of the day,

we have to make peace

with ourSelves

Peace

begins

within

SL location – Immaculatwe Perception http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA22/128/128/21

2nd picture – SL Linden home

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Choices

at the end of the day,

and that day will come

our bodies will return to the earth

we will be free

but often the results of our actions in life

will have had an effect, or changed the course

of another’s life

it is important to remember that each action,

will have, or bring about,

a responding action

sometimes positive, sometimes not.

Namaste – Oyashikiri

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choices

Every day we are faced with choices. Some are small, and routine, done on a regular basis, like when we shop for food. What we are looking for will determine where we go to shop.

What appeals to one shopper will be passed by, by another. I have waited while a customer before me, goes over every bag, weighing it, turning it so that he/she is able to see all produce in the bag.

Even once we’ve picked out the product we will take home with us, no two people will cook that one product in the same way. That is why there is such a great variety of restaurants as well. Though they may offer the same basic dishes, how they are cooked and served, could be oceans apart. When it comes to food, almost everyone I know, is willing to try something different and will dig in and enjoy a cuisine from a different culture. Diversity is a welcome change.

Why then, do we draw a line, or seem to be so black or white, when it comes to choices we make about our social environment? Or cultural divides? A very close someone in my life, will eat carrots, but when they came out with “designer” carrots, (different colours) he balked, why…. cuz they didn’t look the same, blind folded, they would taste the same, but……. Another friend told me her husband wouldn’t eat the new blue potatoes, why… cuz they didn’t look like a potato……………………………………………?????????????

A child is innocent, loving, trusting, … they make us all smile with their smiles, and their genuine responses to being loved. What and why do we change as we advance in years. What changes us. WE are shaped by the choices we make in life. Choose wisely. Put your full makoto (sincerity) in all you say and do.

PL. Precept # 3 God appears through One’s Self

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Taste, delight & savour

Sauted black fungus and mixed vegetables…The veggies are done just right, with a crispness to them, and the sauce is light not drowning in starch and sugars. Looks good, and it is.

There is a whole array of salads too, some very nice ones, but I skip those, in the background you see, just beyond the customer is a whole delight of cooked dishes. There is a plate of scallops that my friends delight in, they are plump lightly breaded with not a hint of “fried” Next to that dish, you will find the different noodle dishes and I believe that is where the fried rice is for the North American taste buds. BUT to the right of that customer, is also two dishes that I find hard to resist, One is green beans stir fried and tossed with a few sesame seeds, I pile as much of that as I can over my other goodies. In front of that dish is a mixed veggie dish that I supplement my other choices with.

From this side of my plate, you can see the green beans, and the crisp broccoli, on the top to the left is salt and pepper fish, the dumpling on the right there is a pot sticker, and under the broccoli is a small piece salt and pepper pork .. the stick you see, holds a wonderfully roasted piece of chicken, moist and succulent.

This side of my plate shows you the larger helping of black fungus and veggies. Buried under all of that is freshly steamed Basa fish, a nice big slab of it. Note, no rice, no noodles. You can’t see it, but I likely have a couple of sushi there too. They have a good sushi cook and serve some traditional sushi, not North American …

All this side of that round server going around to the right there, where the customers are, is DESSERT. The counter on the right is where the steamed or baked fish dishes are. You can not see that portion because of the back of the bench. Sorry.. behind the bench is another serving area, of ice creams. Off to the left or other dishes, and the server behind the benches on the left, holds the soups, and more steamed dumplings and Chinese steamed spare ribs in a garlic and black bean sauce.

You are witness …. I did have dessert. that cake or whatever it is on the left is to die for.. it melts in your mouth, it is like a whipped cream, only the colour of pistachio.. the square on the right is mouth drooling tasty, it looks innocent, but oh wow it is good, and so is that silly looking cup of what you think is a little bit of pudding, I’m not usually a dessert person, so I cannot tell you what they are, just that I will go back for more. The little macaroon didn’t stand a chance next to the other goodies, it was good, but… hands down on the green whatever it was.( looked like a cake)

All this to say….. seize the moment………live each day making choices that you will enjoy….. choose wisely, but get out there, try new challenges..

In Pl, we have a Principle, PL Principle #13 – Concerning food, I will not have complaints, likes and dislikes, nor preferences; nor will I overeat, over drink,nor eat irregularly

Not easy peasy all the time to follow… in this case… I did my best to choose wisely, I didn’t waste, I ate what I picked, taking only a bit of this and that, meant that should something not please my palate, I could still eat it.. and I do try different dishes. Some I do not have because I won’t like them, but because I know they will affect my sugar levels. Eating moderately means that I can enjoy these buffets, and not suffer later.

Delight in what you eat.

Namaste – Oyashikiri

Eclipse,Ottawa,Canada

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self expression

The infinite charm of self-expression lies in the creating of art itself, I can be happily doing something that pleases me, and seldom know what it is I’m going to do before I actually do it.

Mushrooms, moss and an old log, photographer Frans Lanting took this picture , Manu National park, Peru, those are Cup fungus in the Amazon rainforest. She captured a still of a very vibrant living landscape. When we are creating, we must perceive the subject & really fully grasp its essence, the visual, evokes inspiration, which in turn creates and stimulates a desire for expression.

Dryad’s Saddle (Polyporus squamosus) fungi

When we put our full attention, sincerity and scrupulous attention to whatever creativity we engage in, the results are much more rewarding and pleasing to us. So it is when we are faced with a challenge. How we proceed, the choices we make, all become part of the fabric of the results or product that we produce.

Today was a day of “Learning” I’ve been building/creating for a long time using virtual software,graphic programs and I’ve happily done a little bit of this and a bit of that. Content to play. A dear friend and mentor that I hadn’t seen in a long time popped over and while we were talking she suddenly asked me why I hadn’t done something. I had no idea what she was asking me, but in discussing it with her, I realized she was talking to me about a step or process in the doing of something, that I didn’t do, and it caused problems with some of my presentations. I had known that I had to work at achieving what I wanted, and was often stuck with the problem so had to work around it. Now here she was asking me a simple question, in that moment, she opened a whole new window for me.

It was too much for me to take in, I will have to review our conversation, look up tutorials, meet with her again, and and and. I was happily doing my thing… but… to someone with experience in what I was doing, I had left out a step in the process. hmmm I reflected as my head hit the pillow. There is always something to learn. Then my mind decided that perhaps I should deal with some of my other creative projects.. do something less “Intense” So now it is 4:52 a.m. and I’m still up. Yes I’ll pay for it tomorrow, but this is something I wanted to do.

Now that I know there is another step and that if I do it another way, I will have different results, what will I do I will learn the new method, because I like learning. However, if I am creating something because it pleases me, will I do it the new way after I’ve learned how, or will I want to do it the old way. To grow I need to be able to let go of what I have done, and have an objective mind” There is a saying… our Self is revealed when there is no ego....

Namaste – Oyashikiri

PL Precept #6 Efface your self conceptions

3rd picture -Morel Mushrooms (Pacific Northwest)

4th-Phelloodon sinclairii (fungus,New Zealand) by myxonz-flickr

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weather -whether

This is a picture of the Snow Castle built for the Harbin Snow Festival in China.

A not so much fun time for commuters in NY City after/during a winter storm

How about this, this is a sand storm, never experienced one, and hope not to, this is my first time to even see one

Weather happens, we have absolutely no control on what will appear over the horizon, we can guess, forecast, but the truth is, the world is so big and there are so many factors involved that we are never really sure .. the only certainty is when it happens. We all know the possibilities, we all have experienced the weather in one form or another. Sometimes it has been simply blissful, and other times, downright problematic, but we deal with it. What else can we do. Rain, or shine, the core of it all … is… we are alive… we are living it.

Each day is a new beginning, it really and truly is. Yes the weather can be fierce, but it can also be like this.

For this picture to have been taken, (Emerald Lake Lodge, Canadian Rocky Mountains) there had to have been a snow fall, lots of it. In life, it is our choice to see and dwell on the negatives, or whether we take action, deal with it, and move on. Whether we like or love the weather, it doesn’t matter, it is here, now and always …. our forever companion through this journey of ours here on earth.

The sun shines, even when it snows. So can you. Whether we are happy or not, that is our decision, and ours alone. Weather is not the indicator or reason for our “moods”…

This little critter is basking in the sunlight………. enjoy

When we live with love in our hearts

we are weather proof

=^_^=

PL Precept # 7 Everything exists in Relativity

PL Principles # 2 I will not have complaints about others, matters, nor the weather, Rather

I will always be creative and will look for shortcomings in my own thinking and actions.

Namaste – Oyashikiri

pinterest & 500px.com

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what have we here

What have we here..

It seems it was called the King Tut of barn finds.

An auction house in France announced it would be presenting 60 rare vintage, exotic cars, found tucked away in western France.

I know how I felt watching this clip, did it tug at any of your emotions, did you have a sense of something m perhaps shades of sadness, Was it just the music,or the visual.

These amazing pieces of steel and craftmanship were once new, the were the accumulation of hours of work. The creators, the builders,designers,trades that had to pull together to build these machines of pleasure,

The cars, were admired, driven, used for commuting, and any and all other modes of transportation – finally they came to rest here in their final resting place.

Restored and found 50 years later.. If you are wanting more information, it is the automobile collection of Roger Baillon (he was a French transport business owner collection classic cars, to start a museum, but in the 70’s he business went down, and he had to sell 50 cars to pay the bills)

The cars or a real find, Many of a history, and the fact that this collection was lost and left to be embraced by nature, for car affectionados, it is causing a real stir. Imagine seeing Talbots, Delahayes and a 1956 Maserati A6G Gran Sport in one location.

For me.. although not a hoarder, I like having my tools, and pieces that give me pleasure or a sense of being able at anytime to delve into a favourite pastime, or activity.

Seeing this clip stirred me into doing a tidy up. Big clean up. I realized that I had far too much in the way of material things/objects… in clearing away the clutter.. and things that have long lost their moment with me… I am making way for new beginnings and freeing space for improving the quality of what is happening in my life now.

note.. the Ferrari 250 sold for 14.2 million on Feb. 6,2015 at auction.

to see all the cars.. visit http://https://youtu.be/asV2BGNoSi8choic

Life is to be lived in the present….. not the past…

but in appreciating what was, we can make better choices in the present

I love and appreciate each and everyone of you.

Namaste – Oyashikiri

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Good morning, Bonjour…

Have you ever been walking on a clear day, just going about on your every day travels, when you find yourself suddenly shrouded with a fog, that seemed to appear out of nowher…..There is an old expression, “i was blind sided” means something happens and you never saw it coming. It happens. Sometimes more often than we would like it to.

Lessons in life are never straight forward, they are a way for life to remind us that we have gotten slack or lazy in how we are living or proceeding in life. We do not walk alone on the earth, we are surrounded by others who are going about their lives in the same way. Each with feelings, miseries and problems of their own. It is how we deal with the challenges in life that sets us apart and makes us unique in who we are, and what we are. Not just towards others, but to ourselves. We must never forget that we count, and that love, and light comes from within.

We need not look far to see the signs of distress, loneliness, and abandoned dreams, we need only turn on the telly or a radio to hear about the conflicts happening all over the world. The reality is that is only one side of the coin. In this creative photo manipulation, instead of the foot coming down – causing gloom and doom, it is being lifted and kept away by the steady, reliable protective hand of GOD/TAO.

The TAO/WAY is always there … ALWAYS, we decide we can look at it in the distance, or we can walk through the door/portal and discover what lies beyond self imposed restrictions. We are responsible for our choices and our actions.

Believe, have faith, cross over – discover new realities, you are and never will be alone – God is everywhere, in the air you breathe and the essence of your life.

Surreal… … no life … is real

Namaste – Oyashikiri

*A special Thank You to my friend Mollie who got me started on this, when I found one of her pins.(Pinterest)

** bridge in China (Zhangiajie,Hunan)

***last picture, Bt images

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timing

Being in the right place at the right time, having your camera at the ready, and the lighting just what is needed to capture a moment in time.

When I saw this photo, taken by John Westrock, posted on Flickr, I thought, “what a good capture? and moved away, but something drew me back to look more closely. I must have contemplated on this picture for some time… I saw how the graffiti in the background sat like a halo over his head.

I wondered if the two shoes on his feet matched. Some how, I felt that this man was having a peaceful morning smoke and was contemplating life in his own way. I decided he was content just basking in his solitude.

Of course this is totally a fabrication of my own. I wasn’t there, I don’t know the man and have no idea just how long ago this was taken, or where it was taken.

What I do know is that the artist/photographer had a talent and a good eye to see what he did and click that shutter when he did. I thought I’d visit his page to see what else he had posted. Hellooooo.. not what I expected at all.

Timing, patience,total focus on the moment, these are the ingredients of a good capture, a moment caught in time, some are worthy saving, some are not. Some moments will change you forever…

So it is in our daily lives, I began my thoughts this morning with the 1st photo, that I now know was taken sometime in 2013, research and dedicated time to search precious moments, a luxury, no I don’t think so. I believe we owe it to ourselves to make each moment count, in a way that allows us at the end of the day to say, “thank you God” I had a wonderful day.

When we live practicing the Precepts and Principles of PL (Perfect Liberty) we grow to know that no matter what the day brings our way, we can deal with it, we can embrace the moment and learn just what it is about ourselves that caused that moment to take place.

In PL, there is a Precept, #7, Everything exists in Relativity – Precept # 11 is – Always be with God, two of my favourite meditations.

Timing

when we find ourselves truly embraced

and caught up in the moment

we often will find that we have come face to face

with an unspoken fear

and in that very moment

the fear is no longer buried by layers of the past

for you have recognized it, at last.

Namaste – Oyashikiri