what is soft is strong

Water is fluid, soft, and yielding.

But water will wear away rock,

which is rigid and cannot yield.

As a rule, whatever is fluid,

soft and yielding

will over come what is rigid and hard.

This is another paradox: what is soft is strong.

- Lao-Tzu

Live life as a rehearsal
(from a Martin Landau interview I heard recently)

Trust is the most important thing.

     Trust yourself to the point where you don't rely on getting
          help from the Director...

Talent is one thing, but to trust your talent is another.

Trust your choices.

Use the rehearsals in a way where you're not watching yourself.
     "Leave the director outside"
Make choices on a scene or character from the objective point in you
Make a conscious choice.

Either trust that to your subjectivity or don't.

If you do, 

let it take you where it will~

If it does what you hope it will, it will end the scene
     As opposed to your deciding to end the scene.

Trusting yourself to the degree that you trust your subjectivity
is what rehearsals are for....

The wonderful thing about trusting yourself:
If you can swim well,
what are you worried about drowning for?
(it's a waste of time)

If you can,
     learn how to do what you do well. 
          Trust it.
               Trust your craft.

♥︎

perspective

there

mesmerized

two hours

passes like minutes

where am I

sitting

in India

or key west

during

peace week

dissolving

softening inside

creating space

gratitude

re-energized

ah,

impermanence

The mandala represents an imaginary palace that is contemplated during meditation. Each object in the palace has significance, representing an aspect of wisdom or reminding the meditator of a guiding principle. The mandala's purpose is to help transform ordinary minds into enlightened ones and to assist with healing.

According to Buddhist scripture, mandalas constructed from sand transmit positive energies to the environment and to the people who view them. They are believed to effect purification and healing. Mandala sand painting was introduced by the Buddha himself and there are many different designs of mandala, each with different lessons to teach.

The design of the mandala is marked with chalk on a wooden platform. This meticulous process takes an entire day.

Starting from the centre and concentrically working outwards, the monks use metal funnels called chak-pur to place millions of grains of dyed sand to make the elaborate patterns. The vibrations of the chak-pur being grated with a metal rod cause the sands to flow like liquid.

monks from Drepung Gomang Monastery in India at St Paul's

Key West, FL January 10, 2017

Once the mandala is complete the monks ask for the deities' healing blessings during a ceremony. As the monks chant, one monk begins the destruction of the mandala by scraping a knuckle through the sand, creating a cross of grey sand.

Another monk takes a paintbrush and slowly and carefully sweeps the sand from the perimeter to the centre of the mandala. The destruction of the mandala serves as a reminder of the impermanence of life.

The coloured sand is swept up into an urn and dispersed into flowing water - a way of extending the healing powers to the whole world. It is seen as a gift to the mother earth to re-energise the environment and universe. 

The above text is from a BBC Religions online article on the mandala.

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