the essential point

 ~ Milarepa

"Always recognize the dreamlike qualities of life and reduce attachments and aversion. Practice good-heartedness towards all beings. Be compassionate and loving, no matter what others do to you. What they do will not matter so much when you see it is a dream. The trick is to have positive intention during the dream. This is the essential point. This is true spirituality."

photo source: pixabay

 This post brought to you by the human being 

(designer, maker, sewist) 

behind ZafuChi, an etsy store that offers buckwheat hull filled zafus, 

unfilled zafu covers, and filled and unfilled bolster pillows.

Enjoy the day!

the underlying ground of existence...

Contrast

"A few months ago, new people moved into the rental house that backs onto my lot. They brought with them two large dogs named Micah and Dexter. The dogs fought each other every time they were let into the back yard, and that was many times throughout the day and evening. Perhaps it was play to them, but from the other side of the fence it sounded just awful. People who came to the house commented about how fierce it sounded. Then there was the people noise. Almost every evening, anywhere from 10:00 P.M. to 2:00 A.M., they would burst into the back yard, and erupt into loud conversation with other people in person or on the phone. Every word could be heard and understood by all the neighbors in the surrounding houses, and not by choice. Talk about involuntary eavesdropping! I’m assuming that the privacy fence around the entire property gave the illusion of privacy, or maybe they just didn’t give a damn. One of the girls couldn’t speak a sentence that didn’t include “Oh! My God!”. Last weekend a moving truck was on site. My neighbors were quietly giving each other the thumbs up! Whew! Yay!

 

The point being made here is about “contrast”. Contrast is something I’ve been hearing about lately. Now that everything has become quiet again in the neighborhood, it took a few days to register that the noise is actually gone. Somehow, peace doesn’t seem to register as much as noise does. In a world of duality, the senses were created to experience by contrast. Peace and quiet, or rather the absence of noise or sound, is more noticeable, by contrast.

 

Of course, underneath all the contrast is the real deal, Eternal or everlasting, without beginning or end, Peace that cannot be touched by any noise or sound. It’s the ground upon which contrast takes place. It remains unaffected by anything that takes place on the stage of life. That’s the real Whew!"

Blessings, Sarah Nolt

Flax colored European Linen Zafu Meditation Cushion/Pillow. PinTuck Design.

For more zafus and bolster pillows by etsyseller zafuChi click here: 

Connecting Threads, Freebies and Zafus

In the last few weeks I cut a lot of zafu covers, and am in the process of sewing some every day. As sewing goes it's pretty simple. I am using a lot of thread though, and it was time to buy more. My source usually is Connecting Threads online, and as luck would have it they are having a sale on the kind of thread I use. Usually, I buy the cones but since the smaller spools were on sale I pulled out my calculator and did the math. This time it paid me to buy the smaller spools x 3, which added up to over the $50.00 total for free shipping. Hopefully, my thread supply will hold out till the new shipment arrives during this busy Christmas season mail. I signed up for their weekly email, checked out their blog and saw a post about a making a clutch - something I have yearned to do but never realized there might be kits out there to help me get over the "it's too complicated" hump. And last but not least, I would definitely recommend that you take good look at their freebies section. And, tell your sewing friends!

Without further ado, here are pix of a few zafus that came into existence recently. Oh, shoot! The photos I was planning to use are stored on my laptop. My laptop and my computer aren't on speaking terms yet. Until I remedy that or sign out here and get online via the laptop here is the etsy store link for all my zafus. My favorite is the Cinnamon and Sage Mandala Zafu (made using pie-shaped wedges cut from reclaimed dust ruffles). I also love the Floral Cotton/Linen Zafu (vintage fabric), and the Mustard Yellow zafu (made from a Ralph Lauren duvet). A popular seller has also been Pillow Ticking Zafu, so I felt happy when I lucked out at the thrift store with two large pieces of ticking fabric! And, here's one for the guys made from a reclaimed army blanket.