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Posts tagged ‘Perfect LIberty’

Colosso dell’Appennino

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There are times in life when I can only sit, and look in wonder at what is before me.  This is a photograph found on pictify.com of a sculpture.  Colosso dell’Appennino in the Parco Mediceo di Pratolin near Florance Italy.  Sculptor Giamologna (1580)  credit given for photo is Dave Ellis.

Please allow me to share a poem with you by Margaret Ingall.

**Stillness is a doorway,

A space within the mind,

A place we may abide in

And leave the world behind

A realm of tender silence

Of nurturing and calm

Where hopefulness and healing

Enfold us in their balm

It waits for you to find it

Just let life’s hustle cease

And enter through that doorway

To wisdom and to peace.**

Day by day, find time to embrace the beauty that is in the world for us to see and enjoy.  We are on a journey of discovery, how we view our world will greatly impact on our perception of the life we are living.

PL Principle # 3 –  I will live with a mind of appreciation towards others and things.

Namaste –   Oyashikiri

Happy Thanksgiving

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When I keyed in the word Thanksgiving, my screen was instantly filled with pictures of food,  Very delicious tempting foods, from salads, veggie dishes to main dishes.  But I was looking for more. Even the crock pot BBQ Beer pulled chicken with cheddar corn popovers, tho’ yummy, was passed on.

crockpot BBQ Beer pulled chicken Thanksgiving I know is about gathering with friends and family to enjoy the bounty of a good fall harvest.  Often it is the last big feast before the holidays in December.

For members of PL (Perfect Liberty)  we celebrate Thanksgiving  every 21st of the month. 12 months of the year.   Why .. because it is an important reminder that we should always be thankful and grateful for the life we are living.  I came across a prayer the other day I would like to share part of it with you.

Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers,

But to be fearless in facing them.

Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain, 

But for the heart to conquer it.

Let me not look for allies in life’s battlefield

But to my own strength.

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I am grateful every day for my friends, I count each and everyone of you as a friend.  I am truly blessed.  May the Universe grant you your prayers, this day and always.  Blessings …

“A true friend reaches for your hand and touches your heart”

Namaste   – Oyashikiri

 

 

 

 

* found on halfbakedharvest.com ( salted caramel apple snickers cake)

** halfbakedharvest.com – you’ll find recipe there

*** prayer found in 2013 Friendship Book

 

Perfect Liberty

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This is the PL Peace Tower at headquarters in Japan.  In 1970 the Second Founder oversaw the completion of the PL Peace Tower.   The Second Founder established the Federation of New Religious Organizations of Japan, he was appointed to the Commission for Religious Cooperation.  During his tenure he visited the Vatican three times, meeting both Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II to talk of World Peace.

The Peace Tower is a non-sectarian monument built at the PL Holy Land in Japan, it is dedicated to ALL from the beginning of time, who have lost their lives a s a result of war.

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May 2015 marked 100 years since the popular poem was written.

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Peace begins at home, in our hearts.  When we can sincerely live (with Makoto) for the sake of others and society. Peace begins when we live with love in our hearts.   PL Precept #14 – world Peace is Everything!

PL Precept #21 – Live in Perfect Liberty

Namaste     –     Oyashikiri

Thanksgiving service is this Friday, 21st. 7 pm.

Precious Metal

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Never too old to learn.  You may have noticed my passion for vintage, retro trucks.  It turns out I’m not alone in this love of what is sometimes called “precious metal” by the fans of Street Rodders, Pick ups, Jeeps. you name if its on wheels and it has a motor  when I went looking for information on this “interest” of mine, except for the usual magazines on new vehicles and trucks, I found zip.  Then after church yesterday,not having the car I decided to the  walk a mile or so to the shopping mall.   There I found a Chapters where I was delighted to see a section will all kinds of magazines that caught my attention. Canadian Hot Rods, The pick up issue. (Wow), even found a JP magazine (Jeeps, you have to know I was beside myself with happiness.  Outside the store while waiting for my husband I saw a magazine called  Bounder in a vendor with free reading material.  I leaned in for a closer look, it looked like one of the pricey magazines that I had just paid for in Chapters.  No, it did say Complimentary on the cover, I also saw that it had something in it about Classic Cars, of course I took a copy.

The magazine says it is “by- for-about men”  The title of the magazine uses the symbol  for man/male instead of the letter O, when it spells out Bounder.    Except for one or two articles, I read it from cover to cover, the next issue Wheels Edition, will out in spring 2015.  It seems that copies are getting harder and harder to find, they do provide a partial list in the magazine, but if you are interested, you might want to contact Brian Warren e-mail    boundermag@gmail.com     Bounder magazine is a production of Warrenty Communications Inc.

Ok now to the meaty part =^_^=  in the past if anyone had said to me “precious metal” my eyes would have sparkled and I would have thought immediately of gold,platinum and more gold, even better encrusted with precious gemstones.

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Now decades into my life’s journey I discover that under that heading I can put my love of old trucks and cars.  In my research I also discovered that many of the boards I visited in Pinterest were hosted by ladies.  There are a huge numbers of women out there with a passion for the vintage vehicle.  AND for those of you unaware of who most of the designers and makes of the vintage jewelry were, it was mostly men.

Always in life it takes Yin/Yang, male and female energies to make a whole.  In the fashion world, how many of the greats were and are male. It is the wearer that showcases the design, and in the automotive world, it may be dominated by the builders (often males), but it is the drivers who  in the end determine the success of the product.

Learning can be such a pleasure, in PL we strive to find new ways to improve ourselves and to continue to move forward, one step at a time, just do it..  You never know what you will learn that will bring about more “happy happy happy”

May the  Universe, bless and keep you safe today and always…..

Namaste    –   Oyashikiri

 

 

 

 

* Hal Lefevre, Pinterest

** Christian Dior ring

vocations – relationships

“Tell me and I will forget

Show me and I will remember

Involve me and I will understand”

Confucius

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At 24 young Dorothy Hart a successful actress in Hollywood, left her career to become a Catholic nun, Mother Prioress Dolores Hart  What a change this young lady made in her life…  Thomas Merton said “A man knows he has found his vocation when he stops thinking about how to live and begins to live.”  We are guided in life though an interplay of human responsibilities and divine directives.  Spiritual maturity  requires diligence, a clever mind and a trusting /loving heart.

c464e1442818105ebe86231e6b8dafb5A few ingredients for a good relationship are, respect, courtesy, appreciation and a dedication to the commitment, whatever that may be.  Negative thinking is something that afflicts us all at one time or another.  PL Precept # 15, All is a Mirror. No matter how often I revisit this Precept, it always presents me with a new perspective, life is an ongoing lesson, and I am the dedicated student.  Part of living in the moment is accepting the feelings that can wash over me at any  given time,  The homework is applying myself to understanding the moment, and then letting it go. A negative moment, will only be so, if we don’t apply positive action (s).

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Wherever life leads you

With whoever you are sharing

with another or on your own

“Always be with God”

(PL Precept #11)

Namaste     –   Oyashikiri

 

 

*Cathedral rocks,Yosemite National Park by Noreo (Flickr)

** Boulder Creek lake, autumnejohnson.tumblr.com

Buenos dias, good morning !

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Remember when driving a car was something special, when driving meant you  drove standard, and used arm/hand signals for turning and stops?  Do you really remember driving a stick shift, if we all drove standards now, there would be less driving distracted by  a cell phones  or a morning cuppa java.

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Do you remember the hood ornament and what it was for?

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There was not always a ready solution, we had to find  inventive ways to get goods from one place to another.

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You might not have been around, but you heard of or know of this period in time. (the 70’s)  Life does move on, and with the changes come what the older generation refer to as nostalgia or memories of………… fill in the blanks.

At any age, we can reflect on what was, and often we reference past events to look at our present realities. However.. where the past has perhaps had some influence, you have assimilated and processed life at your own pace/speed. In Perfect Liberty, “Life is Art”, to live the PL “Way” you  learn to live in the present.  Now is the reality of everyday life.  Learn from today, and move on.  focus on true feelings.  The past becomes your present, its all good… yes! =^_^=

smiles

 

Namaste  – Oyashikiri

October eve

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The month of October had so many themed events.  The stores were costumes were being sold were crowded almost every day of the week. It is amazing how many people get into the “spirit” of Halloween. We see on the telly streets where people have invested time and money decorating and producing gigantic themed sets around their homes.  It is a competition on whether Halloween or the Xmas season brings out the creativity in the “set designers” in the communities.

Who do you want to be?  How will you dress up for the party?  Do you deviate from your regular look, or do stick pretty much to outfits that compliment your everyday persona?  October is a month for adults/grown ups to really “play” at being someone else.  I personally find it difficult to be anything other than the person I am.  That said, I have many “sides” to my personality, certainly over the years, I’ve had opportunity to live out a number of my “passions”  As a Taoist, I do not believe in labels, or limiting myself.  I believe that in life we can be and do anything we set our minds to do.  If we can’t do something it is because we have not motivated ourselves into wanting to do it.  i.e. if you are a smoker, no one can make you stop smoking, it has to be something you yourself want to do, and act accordingly.

I recall in an early part of my life, being with someone who held me responsible for his bad moods or failure to enjoy himself.  LOL you are right if you guessed that this person did not remain in my life for very long.  It didn’t happen overnight, some times we are deaf, dumb and blind to our own circumstances. It is in living through the challenges we are given that we become  more in tune with our own needs and wants.

Beauty is not about visual appearances, but rather in the kindness we show others, the sincerity of our actions, and the gift of appreciation we have for life itself.

Fall is a time of year when the world is full of colour.  Let your light shine… be the “star” you are.

PL Precept #1  Life is Art

PL Principle #1   I will live paying careful attention, putting Makoto (sincerity) into all I say and do.

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True friendships last forever 

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a witch is good  for you.. =^_^=

and lastly, have

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Namaste – Oyashikiri

* found on funguerilla.com

** found retrogasm.tumblr.com

** found on squidoo.com

Silliness aside

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Jalapeno bacon, scrambled with eggs and hot chili spice, topped with another  jalapeno sliced, seeds left in.

 Side of calamari,  battered in salt and pepper.  accompanied by a garden fresh juicy tomato.

Dear reader who asked the question, would I eat this when my taste buds are not busy battling a nasty flu bug.  Answer, yes and no.  I am on the mend, the omelet I am eating no problem, I cannot do the sliced jalapeno even with the tomato to cool it down.  The jalapeno bacon, ,hmmmm yes.. it is sooo good.  I cook the bacon up on it’s on with about as many slices of jalapeno as you see in the picture.  The whole package of very thinly sliced bacon goes into a wok type pan and is slowly cooked in its own juices along with the peppers.

When the bacon has simmered and cooked for about 20 minutes it is taken out with tongs and well-drained,  When I cook I used the bacon for flavouring, in the mornings it is used to do up an omelet such as the one above…  It is delicious, no extra seasoning is needed, but hey, go crazy with whatever you feel will grab your morning appetite.

This morning I am treating myself to a hearty breakfast since I know we will be on the road for a couple of hours.  It is a beautiful autumn day, Hubby will take us for a drive, so the dogs can have a good run in the dog park by the St. Lawrence River. (body of water that runs between Canada and the United States.

Principle #12 in Perfect Liberty is about starting the day with a pleasant and positive attitude.

Whatever your plans for today, I  hope that you succeed at accomplishing what you want to do,  you are all in my thoughts and prayers no matter where I am,  In heart and spirit you are with me always…

Namaste          Oyashikiri

A turtle day

a5af37145413a2c598e3eb044df0540fTo the Chinese and other Asian cultures, the turtle is a symbol of longevity.  My Mother had a collection of turtles,  I remember he coming home from her travels abroad with another turtle for her charm bracelet or for the collection that was growing in leaps and bounds in the curio cabinet.  When the turtle comes to mind for me is when I am having what I call a “Turtle Day:”…   Usually a mental health day, a day where I know I want to retreat into my “make believe” shell and just sleep or day dream.

Today is the 21st of the month, the day that in PL (Perfect Liberty) we gather to show our appreciation , saying Thank you, for all that we have experienced in the previous days and weeks.  We pray for guidance and renew our dedication to live with full Makoto (sincerity)  following the practices and instructions as laid out in Perfect Liberty.  Just as we must eat and sleep regularly to refresh our bodies, so too must we  pray and give thanks to God on a regular basis and say Thank you for the blessings of life.

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Whatever is meant to be, will be.  The results may not be what we expected or even wanted, but we are open to what life brings our way, we will be truly blessed.  Feelings of appreciation become real when you express them and mean them.

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*turtle totem wisdom teaches us about walking our path in peace and sticking to it with determination and serenity

( *Lena Townsend)

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BLESSINGS 

Namaste -Oyashikiri

*green sea turtle swimming among coral -Lee Rentz – Flickr

** found on contentinacottage.blogspot.ca

****pictures. furkl.com

 

 

Monkey Wisdom

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I have Rev. Goto (NY PL church) for this expression.  He had my complete attention today while explained to the members PL Principle #9. I will not have a mind to be dishonest.  The set of 21 Principles are there for us to help us live our lives following the 21 Precepts.  Today Rev. Goto talked about Principle #9. He always like to give us an example of the lesson so that we better visualize and understand the teaching.  Like all good teachers, he doesn’t talk forever, he says what he has to say, and then cheerfully leaves us with an embedded image and lesson to ponder and assimilate.

He related a story to us that came to him through another PL Minister, Rev. Ono.  The story takes place years ago, in a different time.  An elder in a small viillage decided to organize a festival that would take place in the square at the village shrine.  For the occassion he had asked that everyone come with one item of food, and one bottle of sake (Japanese rice wine)

This was a time before bottled sake, villagers made their own sake, and kept it in traditional jars or containers made f wood or ceramics.  The idea was that each villager would bring a container of their sake, and it would be poured into one large sake barrel, for the enjoyment of the community.  This ‘sake cocktail” would be a sharing and each member participating would be honoring their fellow neighbours.

Once the mixture was prepared, the party started.  The village elder took a sip from the barrel to start the festivities, took a sip, and stood back in surprise, calling out…”oh m God, what is wrong with the sake?  It tastes like water!”    Hmmmm. how could sake turn into water?  It was clear that the sake had not changed into water, but that it had been water in the first place.  Each guest at the party who was to bring sake, had decided to bring water instead.  It was a precious commodity, and they thought no one would notice.  However,  they were not the only ones to have that thought and to act on it.  Monkey wisdom… since the majority thought to be deceitful, the few who did bring sake, had their sake diluted by all the water.

When we live with a pure and honest mind, our actions and our thoughts bring a joy and satisfaction to what we do, for us and those around us.  We should live with one mind, a mind that says “there is nothing to hide between God and myself”  Just because you think no one is looking or will know, God knows.

This story although told with humor, shows us that as humans our ego does not always motivate us in the “right” direction.    All people have a mind capable of thinking in a manner that is not always “honest” –  Let us do our best to live with a mind that will apply makoto (sincerity) to being honest in all we do and say.

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SMILE

sorry I couldn’t resist.

Blessings to each and everyone of you.  You are so Loved!

Namaste – Oyashikiri

 

 

 

* found on iso.500px.com
** found on huffingtonpost.com

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