A fine WordPress.com site

Posts tagged ‘philosophy’

Isolation

X @ inspire park_001After reading what another blogger had shared with me via her blog, I meditated on what she said, and what others wrote.  Topic was that of isolation, Isolation brings to mind a couple of adjectives   When I was in hospital once, due to the physical  symptoms  my body was having after eating at a restaurant I was placed in isolation, (quarantine).  This meant that I was set apart from others on the floor, but I was not alone, although the walls around me meant I didn’t get to see anyone else on the floor, I knew there were other patients on the ward.  I was never really alone either because there was always  a nurse or technician hovering or doing something to me or around me.

When I traveled during the time in my life when I was going to various places on work, or assignments,, I did so on my own. Stayed in cities where I knew no one. In theory I was alone, yet I was always surrounded by people, so is that alone?  When speaking at a large gathering, addressing an auditorium full of people, I would stand alone at the podium, that was not isolation, but I was apart from the crowd.  Words and perspectives are interesting aren’t they. In my friend’s case she was talking about her life and family, and her first hand experience with the world of autism.  Please see  the following link to read Ann’s blog  autism. http://annkilter.com/2014/03/05/battling-isolation/

Some of us make the choice to live in seclusion, or to be private, other times the Universe, places us in situations where the isolation is not of our own making, still we are here for a reason, the key to understanding and achieving is to “listen” “learn” and take the next step,   There is a time for action and a time for rest. We are NEVER alone, we may choose to think we are, but ALWAYS we are connected to the GOD/Tao .  GOD is LIFE.

!cid_2_1770918552@web160903_mail_bf1_yahooYou may not know the person walking beside you, or coming towards you, but he/she is walking here on earth for a purpose, you may be different, but you are still part of Nature.  Whatever your reality, someone else is sharing it with you.  Reach out and touch someone today, say I love you and enjoying how good it feels.  S M I L E   its catching!!!!     Blessings today, tomorrow and always.    Oyashikiri

photo 1 – 2nd life -virtual photography

photo 2 – inventory

The tree

ec90095ea978e96e9a3ed4124392357eThe tree is one of the most essential of traditional symbols.  the oak was sacred to the Celts; the ash to the Scandinavians, the lime tree Germany, the fig tree India, etc.  Trees express an selective correspondence, symbolism of the tree denotes the life of the cosmos, its consistence, growth, proliferation, generative and regenerative process.  It stands for inexhaustible life.  The tree with its roots in the ground and its branches reaching towards the sky, symbolizes and upward trend, which it relates to other symbolism as well.

The above picture for me reminded me so much of a passage written by Kahlil Gibran, that i went in search of it to share it with you today.

“Let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other’s cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping. For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.” 
― Kahlil GibranThe Prophet

Read and take in his words today…. let it fill your meditation, find how it applies to your life/circumstances today.  Respect and courtesy are reflections of how much we value others. ” Pay particular attention to the continuing development of your character, you have the Potential Energy for an enlightened insight that could change your life.”   Tao.

“that which holds you back.. in fact can be helping in your growth” Q                                            Oyashikiri

fig tree strangling host treea fig tree strangling its host

pictures-Pinterest                            smilePencil

Wat een prachtige dag! Good Sunday Morning =^_^=

a0c89d466de7ba0a00e2d4b17a3a770cWouldn’t it be nice if our lives could be all planned out in neat little rows,   That we could organize, sow and cultivate, knowing that our wants and desires would line up just the way we want them to. The above picture is lovely,  it took hours of work, and many people  working together to produce this “garden” of colour.  Realize that all of their hard work, planning and efforts came to fruition, because they had a clear vision of what their goal was,  & what they wanted to achieve   The unspoken here, but the obvious, and this dear reader is  what we need to remember in life.. without the input and unseen help and support of Mother Nature the outcome could have been much different.  We take for granted the air we breathe, the rain that washes over and cleans our planet. Nature is a force that is a constant in our lives – sometimes we rejoice in the sunshine, – we love it and want it all the time, but without the rain our crops would fail, rivers and lakes would run dry,  When you  cry, you wash away the dust in your eyes, the sadness in your heart  grows lighter.  Appreciate all of life.

nederlands,Den BoschThis tranquil setting is in Den Bosch,Nederlands.  I invite you to spend a few minutes with me in silent meditation  Take a nice easy breath in, ahhh … hold it for just a few seconds, feel it open your lungs, and now… slowly let it out… let your gaze relax, follow the ripples as they slowly meander through our view and into the beyond.  See how the stillness in the water captures the images that are beyond our immediate sight….. just because we don’t see them, doesn’t mean they are not there……………………. enjoy this brand new day……………………make it count ……………..I so appreciate  and love sharing these moments with you…………………..peace and prosperity be with you…..………….Oyashikiri

 

Peace on Earth

6130ac647fb27744634b1f2f5ef73485Simplicity………. the serenity and calm the photographer of this picture was able to capture , look at how the composition leads us over the water, into a covered  shelter, then out again up into the pristine mountains. This morning I imagined the freshness of the air, the cool cleansing water on my feet as I start into the water.  Look how clear the water is, it is so pristine.  As the light and shadows play across the face of the water, the patterns change and create the sensation of motion and movement over the stillness. Light and shadows have been used to add depth and character to the “still” picture.

Love is like this moment, as humans we often see only the surface, and not the total complete and complex intricacies/features that come together to bring the emotion of love into our lives.  Love is about opening our eyes and hearts to the uniqueness in all around us, not just wanting what we know.

Today’s world is overflowing with problems, troubles, strife, and unrest.  let’s pray for more understanding of differences, and for the happiness and health of others whether we know them or not.  Love is such a powerful emotion/feeling.  Pure love does not discriminate, it initiates.  Love is not about the flesh it is about the state of being human, and very spiritual.

7c765a71b222d384dd91ba11079b38e6Believe – walk in faith – you are never on your own 

Love is about trust – trust is rooted in honesty – honesty  grows from Love.  allow love to show in your world today, share a  smile, extend a hand, reach out……  bear hugs you can’t go wrong when you share a HUG …. have a good day everyone!    Oyashikiri

vrijdag nu… Good morning!

amishWhen we have been in upper NY State, we often will see a lone Amish buggy making its way down the side of the highway towards its destination.  Cars are whizzing by, driver and horse are not oblivious to the automobiles, their noise and fumes, they simply just keep heading to where they are going appearing to be in their own space and time.  I never can pass without  thinking of how in many ways it would be nice to be sitting along side the driver on a dirt road with nothing but natural woodlands  and meadows on either side.  Instead of concrete,, the horses were making their way over well trod earth.  Day dreaming and reality.  What a pair. We need a daily dose of both.

Life is a balance of negatives and positives, often we find ourselves experiencing the emotions of life on one side of the coin or the other. When you turn the coin on its side, you can see that the side is slim and though you see the rim of the coin, you cannot see both side of the coin at the same time. When I found the following quote this morning, I knew it was  to be shared.  Is love and being in love different?  Are they  different states of BEING?

e90031fba300ed47db3f5204118a9000Look for the beauty around us, appreciate the good qualities  in others. We all have our moments of “ops did I really do/say that”  The ongoing challenge is to see happiness and positives in our daily lives.  We have to begin with being honest with our inner self… loving who we are, and where we are in life.  We are alive.. this is vrijdag, Friday… we have another day to be creative.. Life is ART. And best of all.. YOU are LOVED LOVED LOVED, we are ALL ONE in this glorious UNIVERSE… reach out and touch someone today… let your smile shine!

fdc67ea5fab98b32dc6c374cac03932bPL Precept 15   – ALL is a Mirror

 

True Happiness

 

Good Morning Everyone… It is Wednesday another day to explore…

a2275f075a2d7fd90078d8c3c12f0070

Years back while touring on the back of a Honda Goldwing we came across a setting much like this while exploring cliffs along the Atlantic Ocean.  The past owners had obviously enjoyed sitting and watching the tides coming and going.  The little cabin had once heard the sounds of laughter, maybe even tears.. Today the scene is one of long forgotten memories and charm.  6b962e031064bcc784b36e788932e7e1

We don’t just happen to be who and what we are today, we developed over time.  The moss in this setting didn’t just happen, it came to be over many years, inch by inch, section by section. The scene would have been ever changing.  Plant life died, and new growth developed, it is the natural cycle of life.  “one door closes, another door opens”  In PL (Perfect Liberty) we learn the cause of unhappiness,  we learn that things and people come into our lives (this includes circumstances)  regardless of what we would prefer or what would be convenient for us.  True happiness is not determined by something going well or not.

b9f214fde9e841d32197ad8b59e184e8PL teaches us about Mishirase (Divine warnings from the Univers/God, in the form of an illness, accident, pain,suffering, misfortune. We do not see them as unlucky, rather a challenge to rethink, regroup, we are not “seeing” or “using” our skills/talents  with Makoto (sincerity) we have drifted off the path.  we may be overly attached to our own thoughts and are not expressing ourselves naturally.  we are born with the ability to experience pain, and to know “hurt” so that we can recognize when we need to “stop” and rethink or meditate on present circumstances.  An important  lesson in the I Ching/Tao >  the wise man knows when to retreat. If you are a follower of the I Ching – use hexagram 53 for today’s reading.  Chien (Developing) china,huangshan,anhui, umbrella tree
When a situation is faced, head on, with Makoto…. no matter how hard that situation is, with sincerity of purpose, with the Universe in and around you…..you will be able to find a way.  There is always something to learn when we are faced with a challenge.  when we deal with the challenges we are dealt in life with a positive  and open minded attitude.  We find happiness in positive self expression.    … Oyashikiri …

photography -photos – Pinterest

Smile its Tuesday

5f12e28e32a7 Mount Cook, New ZealandWith so  many places in the world experiencing “weather drama”,  in the UK many are dealing with rain & flooding, in the States its snow,blizzards and freezing rain & Canada is getting its share of “stormy weather”  I delved into the picture files and found a highway in New Zealand  with clear blue skies and sunshine.  It is Tuesday a brand new day, there isn’t another car in sight at the moment, I can put the top down and enjoy the warm balmy weather.  The exhilaration of being on the open road, heading into unknown territory, new discoveries, I love, love, love it.  I love that moment of seeing what is around the bend.  The delight in savouring the moment and then !!  the joy at seeing another bend up ahead.  WOW….The bend up ahead will eventually come, but….. NOW is where we are today.  

Sometimes we are so intent on looking ahead, we drive by too quickly, we miss road stops along the way that hold wonders and opportunities that will enrich our lives as we travel towards our future.  Look, see, feel, smell,and if you can touch.connect . It is through experimenting, trial and error that we develop and grow.Never deny love in your life.  Love is a precious gift the more you love, the more it grows.  The more you share, the more comes back to you.  Yes, it can be scary at first, but each step forward brings you closer and closer to living a life filled with an eternal love that will embrace and hold you forever.

2c62ad0038636f6b05f4deec6a99599cTrue love cannot be measured, bought or sold. True love is unconditional and will stand the test of time, and transcend all mortal boundaries.

I pray for each and every one of you today, may your day be blessed with an inner calm and quiet that refreshes and soothes. May your frown be replaced with a smile…..  Know the warm glow of the “Divine” glows and grows within you.  Blessings….Oyashikiri

photographs – Pinterest

Welcome another Sunday =^_^=

a52c8280d299ef8f3f0b8b4c11a1efd3In the last couple of years, many churches have closed their doors,  Driving in the country we  will often drive by a deserted church.  I’m happy to say that I have seen none in this sad state the above church was in when this picture was taken.  Here, in Canada, and I hope in other countries, some of these smaller churches are being bought and rejigged to house a family and or be a home for a couple or a single person….Whether  home or studio, they are reborn, given a new lease on life.  In my research it was a rather poignant discovery that there were just so many of these wonderful buildings now in a state of ruin.

From the state of many of these buildings, the changes happened over a period of time, not overnight.  Life is amazing when you think of just how many skills you once had, are now perhaps not as honed.  Take letter writing for instance,  I was an avid pen pal correspondent when I was younger.  In school we were encouraged to meet and write to new friends in another Province, State or country.  I loved writing a letter, drawing and enclosing small pieces of artwork to share with my friend.  Looking back I’ve had several from Holland (Nederlands)  with the age of social  media, and internet, our letters became less and less as we discovered the instant gratification of an e-mail.  Soon my mailbox took on a look much like the above picture.  If I didn’t write a  welcome letter did not come back. where once my penmanship was art in itself. now my husband has trouble reading my grocery list.

Small town Green_004When we stop doing something, the joy/fun and learning from that activity begins to recede, other activities take its place.  Are they as fulfilling?  Only you can answer that …For me I think I will sit down and write a few letters today.  I will do so with enthusiasm, my journey is coming full circle, I am again interested in the Nederlands, and I am reminded of my earlier friendships ones that, shame on me, I let fall away.

determinationThis is a picture that someone titled – Determination – it shows how “Nature” will always have its way, we may struggle in life, and feel that we are locked in a place we are not happy with, but in time, you will reach through the windows and doors of your confined space and  find open skies and warm sunshine. It is the “Way” (Tao) “God” – What will you do today… whatever you decide to do, walk with God! Be ONE with the Universe.

Friendships like gardens need to be tended and loved if they are to survive.

smilePencil  Oyashikiri

photographs >Pinterest

virtual photo >Q in SL

Perception

fcbedffee2d397edcd63af5e0bc52b74

 

 

In conversation with a friend, she asked me a question about feelings, and hurts, something that had been bothering her for some time.In PL fashion, I replied “life is  mirror”  Intelligent and thoughtful, she was quiet for some time, then she said, I have heard that before, but I don’t know that I understand“.  Then I had to pause, reflect and meditate on her response.  My reply had been simple to me “life is a mirror” but in fact when I thought about it.  I have had years of living with this perspective, and each time the challenge crossed my path, I learned a different lesson.  fortunately our relationship is such that we converse over a period of days and even weeks sometimes.. so I have  had time to “chew” on this one.

When we are hurt, sad, perplexed by the “perceived” action of others,  we own the reaction, we own the thoughts.  No one else is feeding them to us, they are ours, and ours alone.  It may take some time, but at some point in time, we realize that the choices we made were our own.  What takes longer is choosing to accept and own the situation you are living. The strength and courage to remove ourselves from the cycle of hurt, vulnerability and dependency.  OOOHH OUCH did I actually say that word,  write it, (takes a moment to read back a few lines)… yes I did, I said dependency, not a word I liked to associate with, but over the years I’ve learned to accept that it has been a lesson I’ve had to address more than once.

Mirrors, they can be our friend or our hardest task master.  Melody Beattie in one of her books, said “Go with the flow” let go of fear and your need to control.  Relinquish anxiety, ”  I read those words many many years ago,  I’ve never forgotten them, I remember highlighting them and reading them over and over again for weeks.  She talked of being present, accepting where you are and who you are. Taking ownership of your emotions, actions and thoughts.  Mirrors are a tool, they will only project to you what you are “seeing” in that moment.

When we look into a mirror, the only eyes looking back into ours, belong to “ me,myself and I.”  Express your appreciation for your SELF today, look in the mirror, smile and say “thank you”  ..Then find someone else in your world to say thank you to, saying it out loud is empowering, and a very nice sharing of a moment.  Not only will the person you are thanking feel a smile, you will too  One smile at a time we build a better future!

907888db1838f1d8c6c1f0a1ac1c280d

makoto

811d8bd709af5e1300b5977b5d1f80d3

 

 

One challenge that always seems to reoccur in my life, is recognizing and accepting that I am not perfect!  My type AA personality often gets in my way.As I mature/age I’d say that I’m doing better, at one time I would have been a triple A. I’m working at whittling it down. =^_^=.  A devoted and 100% practicing Taoist, I was overcome with a wonderful emotion of community when I first attended a PL service. (Perfect Liberty)  I was very fortunate that the minister at the time I visited the church was one, Rev. Takashi Goto.  I was never a church goer but over the years I had attended Christian services before and was very interested in finding out that this was nothing like I had ever experienced before.

For the first time ever, I heard and felt my beliefs and connection to God/TAO expressed in a way that spoke to me and said…”The philosophy here is mine”.  I was able to have meaningful and thought provoking conversations with Rev. Goto, that expanded  and nourished my connection to the Universe.  The encounter dusted off some of the forgotten lessons I’d learned in the past, and swept out the dust bunnies in corners of the “room” I was residing int.  He had words in Japanese that were totally unfamiliar to me, but explained, I understood.  I began to revisit places in  my mind that had been forgotten or neglected.  My connection with God/TAO grew stronger, and continues to grow stronger each and every day.  He would say ” we must put “makoto” in everything we do and say”…  he reinforced something I’ve tried to do all my life (not always succeeding)…  No matter how small the task, or light hearted the conversation, when we practice makoto in everything we do and say, when a challenges reappears in our lives, we will handle it with a new perspective.

a02e1753ae4d6670f5d173129e1134fbPL is  non denominational.

Rev. Goto is now Senior Minister with the church in NY City    goto@perfectliberty.ca

 

Tag Cloud