Wise one

Found on fotografia-przyrodnicza.art.pl

This owl seems to be looking straight at me, through me. I feel transparant, and it is not a comfortable feeling. Do I know what I am doing? Am I in need of wisdom? Do I have any wisdom to offer? Are there any white lies I have forgotten to tell myself about ? Am I sure, truly, in my heart of heart and in my bone of bones?
Eventually, I relax. Of course I know what I am doing, even if I don't know it yet. I tell the owl how beautiful it is. It doesn't even blink.

Left versus right brain

Graphic by Andrew Keir. More here

I took a course in drawing some years ago. One day a friend showed us his paintings and I sighed: 'oh, I wish I could draw" ... and he offered to teach me, saying that drawing really wasn't that difficult. A matter of learning to see followed by diligent application of effort. Apparently it takes only 3000 hours to become good at something:-)
So far I have not managed to spend the 3000 hours, but I did learn to see. With my "right" brain. And hence to draw. A bit. It was a revelation, in many respects, to my thinking, feeling and imagining mind.  As is depicted in this graphic. Do read the small print describing the left- and right side of the brain.

Human nest

Reblogged from here

This is a human nest, conceived and custom built by Yayson Fann. Created from locally harvested wood, these nests may fit a range of purposes, from a love nest to a look-out to an actual living space  for 1 to 30(!) people. In me, the sight of such a nest evokes .. yes, nesting urges. Wouldn't I just love to have one of these in my garden ...or indeed in the house.... and  it seems to appeal to me at some primal level. Do you suppose that humans ever lived in trees?

Alter ego in pink

"Toad" by  Yu Chen Hong

I adore this toad.  I have even adopted her as my avatar on Wordfeud (don't tell anyone).
She is everything I don't want to be ... pink, fat, frilly, silly, dumb, even gross. And yet ... she speaks to me. She feels familiar somehow. I  feel I could talk to her. And I do think that she is absolutely beautiful.

Metaphors

Ripples on the Ocean by Vladimir Kush

I find metaphors useful to describe things, explain concepts, evoke feelings, hint at truths which I could not otherwise express. I enjoy using metaphors in language, am always trying to find new and better ones.

The artist of the painting above, Vladimir Kush, uses image methaphors with a similar goal. He says: "Metaphor leaves the mind open to grasp onto the hidden likeness of things and events. And the more distant these things are, the greater the effect. The unexpectedness of the connection and sudden insight, which takes your breath away, is the true measure of the painting's value".

Slow is the new fast

Found on http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/stuffnoonetoldme.blogspot.com

Maybe it is the holiday nearly finished now. Maybe it is old age creeping up on me. Maybe it is an intimation of Grand Things to Come. Or quite the opposite. Or simply plain good sense, finally catching up with me. Whatever ...I will adopt this as a new rule of life. Or do I mean rule of my new life ? My credo ? I will get it. Slowly.

Sleeping water

Photograph by me

Air listens, like the sleeping water, still.... 

(Wordsworth, from "An Evening Walk")

Breathing room

As a child, I loved blowing dandelions. I would rush up to them wherever I found them. Poppies had the same effect on me. I used to make my father stop the car so that I could pick them.  Blowing the dandelion and seeing its seeds fly in the air gave me a feeling of oneness. As a (semi) grown up, I do not find myself changed much (except for walking much more slowly).
I stumbled into a website about breathing together in a breathing room  There is actually a map so that you can see who is using the breathing rooms (you may choose one to suit you). The idea made me giggle at first, until I tried it. It is an amazing feeling to breathe in and out with others. For me it is quite like blowing that dandelion, lots of them, with a feeling of connection. Try it yourself.

On November 11th 2012, at the exact same time, for one hour, the Universal Breathing Room invites you to do whatever most powerfully and joyfully connects you to the feeling tones of unity and love. Pray, meditate, sing, chant, dance, laugh, party, paint and then at the end of the hour: breathe synchronously as one global family in The Universal Breathing Room on  DoAsOne.org. Check their website for more details and time conversion.

Path work

Monks at Pongour Falls in Dalat, Vietnam by photographer Dang Ngo.

Known as the 7 Layers Waterfall, Pongour Falls is located just outside of Dalat (Lam Dong province) and is the largest waterfall in the region. The water drops about 30 meters (98.5 ft), and flows dramatically over 7 ‘layers’ into a big pool at the bottom.
Perhaps these layers connect to the 7 layers of Heaven? Or  to the 7 layers of the aura? Are these monks meditating as they come down? Is that even possible on a slippery path like this? Or ...?

Duty for dummies

Available  here

You remember C.S. Lewis, from the Narnia Tales? The one that used to drink with Tolkien in a quaint little pub in Oxford. I always wonder at how many pints the dragons started to appear. 

Apparently C.S. Lewis received a lot of letters from children, which he answered at some length, offering advice. In a letter to a girl named Sarah, dated April 3, 1949, he writes:

"Remember that there are only three kinds of things anyone need ever do.

1. Things we ought to do
2. Things we’ve got to do
3. Things we like doing.

I say this because some people seem to spend so much of their time doing things for none of the three reasons, things like reading books they don’t like because other people read them. Things you ought to do are things like doing one’s school work or being nice to people. Things one has got to do are things like dressing and undressing, or household shopping. Things one likes doing — but of course I don’t know what you like. Perhaps you’ll write and tell me one day."

Now isn't that an excellent breakdown of "what to do" for (semi) grown-ups like me - with a conscience that weighs heavily upon my need to play?