Nelson Mandela 93

to be or not to be………

"I have found there is a place in myself that I can enter……..and there I find outbreaks of happiness for no reason.

I had never been there before and did not even know that place existed"

Bjorn Brunstad.

shape shifting

 

 

Mary Pickford

Life requires

Carpe Diem – changing the world

PLEEEEEZ…read her blog…you'll never be the same again afterwards

http://alicepyne.blogspot.com/

interdependency the key to survival

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13616778

the power of love-001

"After the Farhud, life changed drastically for the city's Jews. Up to that point Haddad had had many Muslim friends.

"Suddenly I changed my attitude. I didn't feel any more Iraqi. I felt I'm a Jew and I vowed that I wanted to kill an Arab," he says.

One day, swimming in the River Tigris, he encountered a drowning man, and instinctively helped him to the shore.

"When I came home I was shook up. Not because I saved the guy but because I didn't follow my vow to kill an Arab. And when I went to see the rabbi, he said, 'You can't make a vow to kill. You can only make a vow to help.'

"That's what stimulated me to go into medicine, actually. I knew that I want to save lives, not to kill people."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13610702

try it…….

The discomfort of happiness

The mind is so used to trying to solve problems that to actually not have a problem, to just sit and be okay with what is exactly as it is, feels weird and uncomfortable to it... so it looks for (and always manages to find, have you noticed?) something to worry about just to give it something "to do."

Benjamin Smythe

re-ligio – linking back – to the real self.

"There are many in this world who have devoted much energy and time to the study of religion, comparative religion and even philosophy. They are immersed in the nuances of academia and are walking libraries of centuries of other people's thoughts. This is their pleasure.

There are others who have very simply studied love and have reached an awareness of what unconditional love actually is. Usually, but not exclusively, this dawning of awareness of their inner loving self has been signposted by the actions of some small child. For these, love is not simply their joy, it is the meaning of their life and it manifests in tolerance, kindness, compassion."

gg

…..?……?…….?..any answer?

the extraordinary magnificence of beauty – 001

the irrationality of subjectivity

"Everyone is a prisoner of his own experience. No one can eliminate prejudices--just recognize them."

 Edward R. Murrow

"It is in this recognition that we disempower them  - and empower our lovingness"

gg

Protecting the earth

Interesting video that helps us understand exactly what we can EFFECTIVELY do to help…

 

Easter Sunday morning

The really great thing about this time of the year is the way in which beauty is tantalizingly revealed a little at a time.

A journey into beauty and magnificence should not be an F1 race, but a gradual ascent into ecstasy.

gg

Maya Angelou – 01

Remembrance - Tsunami

The devastation continues to have a profound effect upon our hearts. Further news that another powerful earthquake shook the area in the past few hours reminds us of the trauma born by so many in the area.

Our thoughts are with you – and our hearts weep with yours.

He ain't heavy, he's my brother

While we are talking of miracles….

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.
Nelson Mandela

and the poem that has been his inspiration

In Memoriam: Miki Endo

This post is in memory and tribute to a very special young Japanese woman – but is also a recognition that so many in Japan in recent weeks have given much of themselves for the benefit of others.

You may read Miki Endo's  moving and life-saving story HERE

or you can also watch a YouTube short documentary that tells her heroic story HERE

Sometimes, being true to our inner self costs us everything and it is only in that moment that we have fully defined who we are in spirit.

the benefit of experience…….

It has been my life experience that the people who are, arguably, the most spiritual are the ones who do not think that they are. In fact, they hardly think about 'spirituality' at all.

They just do. They don't pontificate, think, study, –they just take action - and their hearts are rivers of kindness and compassion

gg

into the light

 

gg

Discernment

"A man can counterfeit love, he can counterfeit faith, he can counterfeit hope and all the other graces, but it is very difficult to counterfeit humility".-- D. L. Moody

 

"What we think, or what we know, or what we believe, is in the end, of little consequence. The only thing of consequence is what we do".. --  John Ruskin

 

"There are many in religion and/or philosophy who are experts with the words. They have minds that can encompass innumerable definitions provided by yet more such experts.. It is a great sadness when one comes across such as these whose minds have great knowledge yet whose hearts never practised the language of the Spirit, it's dialects of humility and truthfulness, it's rhythm of lovingness". gg

We all have in common…

that our bodies consist of between 55-78% …..WATER

shed another tear or two…

……………… and  rarely, but sometimes, our tears become tears of joy

via

we weep with Japan

via

Around the world a surge of compassion, stronger than any tsunami, reaches out to the peoples of Japan.

There is hardly a human being anywhere who upon seeing these images does not shed a tear in their heart.

gg

the heart of a man on Women's Day

for their devotion, practicality, friendship, dedication, emotional stamina, compassion, ingenuity, intelligence, creativity,inner beauty and, of course, their limitless love - A BIG THANK YOU to all the women whose lives have touched my life

the science of faith

"Suppose you took scrabble sets, or any word game sets, blocks with letters containing every language on Earth and you heap them together, and then you took a scoop and you scooped into that heap, and you flung it out on the lawn there and the letters fell into a line which contained the words, 'to be or not to be that is the question,' that is roughly the odds of an RNA molecule appearing on the Earth." (Dr. Robert Shapiro, Professor Emeritus and Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Chemistry at New York University)

image via worldofmolecules.com

"Our willingness to accept scientific claims that are against common sense is the key to understanding the real struggle between Science and the Supernatural. We take the side of science in spite of the patent absurdity of some of its constructs, in spite of its failure to fulfill many of its extravagant promises of health and life, in spite of the tolerance of the scientific community of unsubstantiated just-so stories, because we have a prior commitment, a commitment to naturalism ... for we cannot allow a Divine foot in the door." (Richard Lewontin, Geneticist)

blog entry inspired by "A reasonable argument for God's existence"

the soul's alphabet….part 2

love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love

part 1 can be found here

ain't it so

unless you are as a little child….

image courtesy of www.ragnhild-monsen.com

Consider this: since we are all individual then our perceptions, concepts, experiences are equally all individual. They are as individual as a snowflake in a blizzard of living.

This being so, how absurd it is of us to think we can 'understand' another person.

We may remember that as young children playing together we could empathise with another's joy, or another's pain. If we really understand ourself, then we treasure this blessing throughout life - our ability to empathise.

I am not required to understand you, nor you I. What love does require of us is that we so choreograph our empathy that we may accept the beauty of each other as we dance the melody of life. If we look through those childhood empathatic eyes, we will see the miracle of each other.

And in just the same way the snowstorm surrounds us with countless millions of individually beautiful miracles if we will look, so we are surrounded by the vast and staggeringly beautiful landscape of humanity.

gg

et tu Brute

“Friendship is not something that you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, then you really haven’t learned anything.”

The road

“It is an immense journey from a culture of victimhood to one of self-empowerment, from a culture of conspiracy to one of construction. It is a long road from rage to responsibility, from humiliation to action”.

 

Roger Cohen

The Physics of Oneness

A human being is a part of a whole, called by us 'universe', a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.

Albert Einstein

no greater love……

via

Remembering

 

SORROW is the rain of remembrance falling upon the blossom of love

gg

 

picture via

salaam – true Islam

 

"There was a time I used to reject those who were not of my faith. Now my heart has grown capable of taking on many forms: a pasture for gazelles, a convent for Christians, a temple for idols, a Kaaba* for the pilgrim, a table for the Torah, a book of the Koran. My religion is love - whichever the route love's caravan shall take, that path shall be the path of my faith."

*The most sacred Muslim shrine, to be found in Mecca Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi (1165-1240)

picture via

disruptive beauty-001

 

So often we ignore the importance of little things at our peril….

via

Honest polarity

"….often contradiction is the clearest way to truth"

Patti Smith

"we are most clearly defined not by what we will do, but by what we will not do".

gg

"…for we do not really know who we are are until we meet the opposite of who we perceive ourselves to be. We are as candles who need the darkness in order that we may see our own shining.In this sense all trauma that visits our life has within it the potential to be a magnificently radiant triumph of the human spirit"

gg

Healthy Hearted Christmas

Ok. So now it's almost Christmas, you know that time of the year when we are all pleasant and kind to each other.(even Scrooge learnt the lesson!)

SO NOW IT'S official, not simply a meaningful statement from some spiritual 'leader'. Being kind to each other is in our own best interests! What is more, 'kindness gives birth to kindness' as Sophocles said – so an act of kindness actually improves the health, physical health, of the doer – and of the receiver if that receiver also does likewise.

You are right to be sceptical. You are right to want something more than spiritual, loving theory.

So here you go – proven, verifiable, scientific FACT:

read the full scientific article here

"My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness". Dalai Lama

I hope, whatever your religion or non-religion, that your heart will be healthy during this Christmas period and throughout the coming years.

introverted conspiracy

"….minds resort to conspiracy theory because it is the ultimate refuge of the powerless. If you cannot change your own life, it must be that some greater force controls the world."

Roger Cohen

via

hasty judgements

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

picture via

It is well for us all to remember that the vast majority of Western-based Muslims are

as horrified by this development as we are. It would be good to know how many

innocent Muslims were actually in Drottninggatan at or around that time.

The fact that a  so –called Jidadist website web-site claims the 'lone'(?) bomber was

acting on behalf of Al-Quaeda is simply that – a claim. It appears the man so far

identified was also of exceptionally high moral and religious character – married

with 2 children he nevertheless was to be found on the ' Muslima dating website'.

.

So, just to be sure we understand, the Q'ran expressly forbids the murder of innocents.

This was no more a religious act than climbing everest proves the world is flat.

The actions of an emotionally or psychologically disoriented individual do not

represent any recognisable tenets of a true religion – if those actions are without

love, they have nothing to do with God.

A true religion – and it's leaders – finds ways to heal wounds and and not create more pain.

anjelolidemon Irredeemingly Inspirational

Well, I've been around now for over 6 decades cascading through this amazing kaleidoscope of experiencing that we call 'life'.

Just occasionally, roughly about once a decade or so, there comes amongst us someone who so pushes the boundaries of our possibilities that we are staggered to see just what the human spirit is capable of doing with the energy factory we call the body.

So, check this decade-inspiring 8 year old out:

Now, if he can train his mind, body, reflexes, to do a thing like this…….and he's only 8 years old…..

what do you think we could create in this world with all our loving energy if we had his dedication?

a thousand thanks anjelolildemon.

I hope I have the joy of watching you over the coming years – you are an inspiration :)

.

Liquid Drop Art

Liquid Drop Art

And just in case you think it's only flowers that can manifest magnificence....

check out this site

This blog is in need of a picture

now that the picture posting problem is resolved (with thanks for help to new Katney)

as I said earlier in this blog, it's amazing how helpful people can be – simply for the joy of helping and seeking no other recompense

Introverted Inquisitiveness

"Question: Can your loneliness fill another's loneliness?

Question: Can an empty glass fill another empty glass?

Question: Can your sense of being unwanted fill another persons want?

Question: If you cannot love yourself, how can you expect that someone
else can love you? Is that not an unfair and unrealistic demand
upon another?

Question: If you do love yourself, if you really know who and what you are,
is not your primary motivation to give out 'the lovingness' rather
than to concern yourself with receiving from another? Is not this
the way of Christ, of the Bhudda, the Dalai Lama, Gandhi and others
we regard as 'spiritual greats' that have walked the earth?

Question: If you lack 'self respect' how can you expect others to respect you?

Question: If you make yourself less than you are, why be surprised when
others treat you as less?

Question: why do you seek from the outside an awareness that can only
be found on the inside?"

 

gg

Missing pictures saga- episode 2

I am waiting for answers from Google/Picasa about the missing pictures

Missing Pictures

I have been made aware that most of the pictures on this blog have suddenly disappeared…

 

the matter is being investigated

write about Love - 001

"For what is it to love if only discord be our course,
and to what city of contentment shall we journey
if the stars of forgiveness do not point our way".

excerpt from the poem "Hol Hermitage" , Geoffrey Groom

 

the soul's alphabet

"

and they said to me 'write'

and I asked 'of what shall I write?'

They answered 'write words that inspire us, lift us to higher, nobler things.'

I asked 'do you want the words as a scripture, as a story, as a poem, or simply as a child speaking?'

 

Now there followed much discussion, much heated argument about respecting traditions or interpreting meanings or having regard to this or that sensibility or establishing the historicity of the words or the burden of responsibility in translating or………..

Meanwhile, with the cannon cacophony of their doubtless well intentioned but grossly heated disputes receding in my consciousness like the dying groans of thunder as the sun broke through, I began writing…….

love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love

In my life I have not yet finished writing……….

"

gg

reclaiming true Islam

Two aspects of a complex problem.

Via

if there is to be a future……

via

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them".

Albert Einstein

perception is everything

 

the science of prejudice/intolerance

What's true for seeing colour is also true for seeing form and shape. In fact it's true about everything we see. When you look at this image, you are aware of two very differently sized tables.

via

So why do they look so different? Because your brain takes the image on the retina and creates what it sees according to what the information would have meant in the brain's past experience of interacting with the world.

…………………………………………………………………………………..

Now, doesn't that make you think about what is taught to children?

No wonder it is written 'the sins of the father are visited upon the sons'