words can be superfluous...

meditation companions - zafu by ZafuChi on etsy

when you are your Self first...

~)(~

 

"You cannot be denied anything that is perfect, whole, 

complete, and right for you when you are your Self first.

Being your Self first you automatically experience perfection 

in the way of Divine Thoughts, Words, Deeds, and Actions.

Allowing your toxic thoughts to be first, you automatically 

experience imperfection in the way of disease, confusion, 

resentment, depression, judgement, and poverty."

~Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len

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resistance creates suffering...

SUFFERING AND RESISTANCE

We suffer in the present from past experiences
In direct proportion to how much identity
we derive from that suffering.

The easiest way to keep dreaming
is thinking your dreaming is true.
Don’t get mixed up with the ‘whys’,
they will not help you.

Whatever you resist you become.
If you resist anger, you are always angry.
If you resist sadness, you are always sad.
If you resist suffering, you are always suffering.
If you resist confusion, you are always confused.

We think that we resist certain states because
they are there, but actually
they are there because we resist them.
- Adyashanti
~~~~
Looking at this I wonder if this is also true
for resisting love and joy and happiness?
It's just a question that arose.
What can I say? It happens. S.
~~~~

 

we can train ourselves to live mindfully...

Jack Kornfield:

"Hatred and aversion almost always arise as a direct reaction to a threatening or painful situation. Fortunately, we can train ourselves to live with mindfulness, to meet fear and pain with wisdom instead of with the habits of aversion and anger.When a painful or threatening event arises, we can open our eyes to it.When we learn to bear our own pain and face our own fears,we will no longer blame and inflict it on others, neither family members nor other tribes.With mindfulness, instead of reacting, we can respond with spacious clarity, purpose, firmness, and compassion. A wise response includes whatever action, fierce at times, is the most caring toward life, our own and others’. "http://ow.ly/4Stn306rkRS

photo by Minty House Photos - click for IG link

one conscious breath in and out is a meditation...

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 "Would relaxing help?" 

 for a humorous and helpful blog post by  

Martha Beck  

"Everything's uncertain, isn't it?"

Ajahn Chah quote:

 click here for the entire post by Jack Kornfield 

the one standing in Pure Conscious Awareness...

UNCONDITIONED LOVE
-by John McIntosh
"You cannot think yourself into Unconditional Love.
You can act lovingly, but it is always colored with hidden conditions.
The false self or mind-body-ego is defined by
conditioning made up of its expectations, attachments and many identity masks.
These act like filters to the Pure Conscious Awareness or God Self that you really Are.
Love is another name for God, and Pure means unconditioned – unfiltered.
The conditioned mind therefore always loves conditionally,
and to say: “I am sending you unconditional love” is not a possibility.
 One who lives in Truth – in the Real Self,  would never speak of such things.
They would never speak of distance; they simply KNOW that
 the one they wish to so-called help IS Love ... Here and Now.
As always, it is the one standing in Pure Conscious Awareness,
 that touches the rest of the collective consciousness -
 more than 7.4 billion well-meaning conditioned minds.
This is why "seeking first the Kingdom of Heaven" - meaning
 this Pure Conscious Self that you Are, is your ONLY Purpose
until you Live in that Knowing."
~)(~

luxuriate more in just the joy of being alive...

~)(~

"There's something in our makeup 

and in our bodies that really wants to luxuriate more

 in just the joy of being alive 

and not always consuming, creating, building. 

There's something inside of us 

that wants desperately to stop and experience

 and just be--not just always do."
~ Elizabeth Lesser

~)(~  

art card - "Yogini and Elephant Friend" by etsyseller beautyflows

"Greeting Card: Fine art images (4"x6") carefully placed on a white embossed 5x7 blank greeting card with matching envelope. Packaged in a clear archival sleeve. A special and unique gift for any occasion, or can be placed directly into a frame to enliven any environment."

all who have dared to dip their toes into ‘any’ pond...

"All of my, your, everyone’s experiences 

are constantly adding to group consciousness. 

The good, bad and the ugly are all equally valid contributions 

to our soup pot of perspectives and moments lived.

We need and appreciate ALL experiences each and every living cell

 is creating and living and interpreting and growing 

and even dying from their unique perspective for the collective benefit of us all! 

We ALL gain new expansion through the gift of those 

who have dared to dip their toes into ‘any’ pond.

We all receive awareness of something ‘new’ through infinite paths of experience 

that last on our eternal timelines that intertwine 

with an intelligence not meant to be understood. 

Do not judge or attempt to control others’ paths.

Allow them and your Self, to express freely and uniquely

 into new dreams and causeways that carry us all deeper 

and further into knowing who we ‘all’ really are."

~ Mel Morfitt ~

~)(~

"Circle Dance" by etsyseller TransformativeArt

"Circle Dance" giclee print original piece was inspired by the book "Cracking the Cosmic Egg" by Joseph Clinton Pierce.

inner peace...

~)(~

 "Inner peace is like 

an ocean without waves,
at Full Moon."
~Jyotisha Tat

~)(~

photography by etsyseller KathyFornal

Nature Photography, Surreal Blue Moon Landscape, Winter Fantasy Nature Photo, 

Blue Full Moon Sparkling Stars Tree, Dreamy Nature Photograph

 art photography available by etsyseller KathyFornal

when for and against are forgotten...

Words will not improve upon this photo and quote...

Inner Peace is always, always a choice.

keep calm and drink coffee...

The world could change in the twinkling of an eye. 

If everyone who is slinging and hurling and spewing

 one kind of low vibration emotion/thought/word or another 

just abruptly stopped. 

And began to be respectful and gracious, 

and interested in seeing and understanding 

beyond their personal biases and prejudices. 

I do understand the difference between possibility and probability. :)

One can imagine and visualize.

~)(~

artwork by etsyseller SweetLimeEmbroidery

post election blues or unnatural highs...

The "morning after" the 2016 Election Day came and went.

It may not be more true than ever, but right now it seems that way.

We desperately need more people who are able to see clearly, 

and maintain emotional equilibrium. 

So many people voted with raw emotions, namely fear and anger.

Politicians have been cashing in on primal emotions for a long time, 

and by the looks of it will be able to continue doing so for a long time.

But what if Donald Trump is one of our greatest spiritual teachers? 

The Id in superb disguise, I might add.  (It's going to be great! ;))

Click below to read how writer Patricia Pearce explains it very well.

Patricia Pearce on huffingtonpost.com 

~)(~

artwork by etsyseller MotherTeresaQuotes

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Six Principles for Developing Humility as a Leader 

by John Dame and Jeffrey Gedmin
~)(~

One definition of humility is that it means open-ness. 

Somehow, that seems more appealing, and possibly
 more effective than the groveling kind.

it's all just turtles all the way down...

"The problem is, you think you have time..."

- Jack Kornfield's Buddha's Little Instruction Book (1994)

We do, and we don't. And today we have an extra hour 

that will be reclaimed come spring. 

What we do seem to have is beliefs, and dreams, and experiences. 

We cling to those we liked and loved, and feel bad about 

or try to hide those we didn't or don't want. 

"It's all just turtles - all the way down."

"Turtles all the way down" is a jocular expression 

of the infinite regress problem in cosmology 

posed by the "unmoved mover" paradox. 

source: Turtles_all_the_way_down - (wikipedia)

Not Today - Tortoise Turtle art print by etsyseller collageOrama

 illustration beautifully upcycled dictionary page book art print by

click here for more by etsyseller collageOrama

 

let the Light shine out...

"The wound is the place where the Light enters." ~ Rumi

I see this Rumi quote frequently. I always feel that I have to remind myself that the Light enters from within - not from without. (The Kingdom of Heaven is within you.) Thinking of the Light coming from within is empowering. From without, it means being dependent/co-dependent upon someone or something outside, and in my experience outside support can vanish in the blink of an eye. Or there may be too many undesirable strings attached.
~)(~

photo by me: Siesta Key Beach, Sarasota Florida

essentially still yourself...

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Buckwheat Hull Zafu Meditation Cushion. Floor Pillow. Black/Off-White

Buckwheat Hull Zafu Meditation Cushion/Floor Pillow. Black/Off-White Cotton Print. OOAK. Measures approx. 15" W. by 5" D.. 6" L. Sidewall Zipper and carrying handle. Contains approx. 5 lbs. Dakota grown buckwheat hulls - ready to use. Handmade, USA.

*Eco-friendly - made with new cotton fabric sourced at a local thrift store. There's only one in existence. If you love it buy it. Nobody knows, of course, but it's highly doubtful I will ever come across this particular print again.

NOTE: books and meditation beads are for display purposes only, and are not included. The beautiful mala necklace is by ZardeniaJewelry on etsy. See: For mala necklaces and bracelets see ZardeniaJewelry on etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ZardeniaJewelry?ref=listing-shop2-all-items-count#items

conscious breathing is very affordable healthcare

"Breath is the bridge

  which connects life to consciousness, 

which unites your body to your thoughts. 

Whenever your mind becomes scattered, 

use your breath as the means 

to take hold of your mind again."
~ Thich Nhat Hanh ~

(Breathing...so diy; effective and affordable healthcare.)

~)(~

Cassia Tree in bloom again!