Gratitude and Compassion

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.

It turns what we have into enough, 
and more.

It turns denial into acceptance, 
chaos to order, confusion to clarity.

It can turn a meal into a feast, 
a house into a home, 
a stranger into a friend.

—Melody Beattie

💚🙏💚

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.

_/|\_

oh the places she has been

My belief is in the blood and flesh as being wiser than the intellect. The body-unconscious is where life bubbles up in use. It is how we know that we are alive, alive to the depths of our souls and in touch somewhere with the vivid reaches of the cosmos.

– D. H. Lawrence

enough

Sonlight and Summer, doing what they graciously did, grazing (being).

I WISH YOU ENOUGH

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.

I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

~ Author Unknown

whoa.man

'There is a vitality, a life-force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you.
Keep the channel open...'
~Martha Graham

◊

On a Women's Circle site I read that in South Africa, you might hear local people greeting each other with

"Sawu bono"

equivalent to "Hi" or "Namaste"

which literally means

"I see you".

If you were from the same tribe you would respond with

"Shikona"

which means "I am here".

The essence of the exchange:

It is only when you see me that I exist.

◊

One woman I have been seen by is Marion Rosen.
I had the blessed opportunity to receive a bodywork session from her during an Intensive (photo below was taken shortly after) and it was one of the most powerful experiences of my life. Marion recently passed after living fully for 97 years. When I grow up if I may be a fraction as good as her... well, she was just one of those amazing conduits for transformation. Not that she was trying to be, she simply showed up in her own life, and her light shone so brightly from a place of goodness, gentleness, and genuine humanity that she made the world a better place. A more worthwhile place.

Berkeley, CA 2008

◊

Yesterday was International Womens Day, and in gratitude of so many beautiful sister-women-friends I have crossed paths with in my life,

Sawu bono.

◊

If you want to go quickly, go alone.
If you want to go far, go together.
  ~African proverb

further

In my previous post when I quoted Alan Watts saying that he wanted to

realize absolutely that

life and death are two sides of the same coin,

it struck a deep chord in me.


A 'radical acceptance of death'
can be a learned approach
to life,
as can clouding ones' perspective
with fear and ignorance.



At the time of my grandfather's death when I was eleven, innately I had no fear of what was occurring. Somehow I was very in touch with the
natural process of him passing,
including the months leading up to that afternoon,
after we had gotten the morning call
that the time was near.
yet at the end, I was excluded.
sent to sit in the waiting room by myself.


We all do the best we can,
and nurses do their jobs.
they (nor did I then) did not know how deeply I was
feeling this loss.
those weren't just tears
because he was gone.
I also lost part of my voice.
and I was cheated out of experiencing

that part of the grieving process

in the moment.

Untouched grief lies dormant,
and when it rises up
beckoning and then
demanding to be
seen and felt at last,
it is an opportunity for healing and forgiveness,
and reclaiming wholeness...


Back to realizing how life and death being
two sides of the same coin
 is vitally important in learning to embrace life,
and to live in possibility.

Aha!

Both are equally juicy, complex topics!

They are only as 'out there'
as we choose to keep them...

further 'food' for thought...

Though we live in a largely hands-off culture, especially when it comes to the actual process of dying, it is completely within our rights to organize our own

home funeral:

A noncommercial, family centered response to death that involves the family and its social community in the care and preparation of the body for burial or cremation, and/or in planning and carrying out related rituals or ceremonies, and/or in the burial or cremation itself.

There are also people
offering compassionate support

for the final transition process.

“I request that my body in death be buried, not cremated, so that the energy content contained within it gets returned to the earth so that flora and fauna can dine upon it just as I have dined upon flora and fauna throughout my life.” —Neil deGrasse Tyson

Since our bodies have many toxins in them,
not to mention the added pollutants like formaldehyde and embalming agents in traditional preservation,

this woman presenting her mushroom burial suit
 takes the green burial a step further,

which for me is quite possibly an ultimate way of

leaving the world better than I found it...

♥

Ode to Gibby

(he was present and joyful with me on my 1st birthday,
and beyond...)

this past month you would

have been 110

though you've been gone

physically

for a long time now

  I feel your spirit

daily.

your wisdom and gentleness

live on through your only son,

a gem of a father

and human being.

when I left your side

as you were taking your

last breaths

I pray you knew that

I didn't know that

I didn't have to listen

to the adults who

intended to protect me

by leading me away from witnessing

death.

I knew you were leaving

and I wasn't scared.

 I needed to hold your hand.

It is a painful consequence

at any age to not

trust yourself.

I carried a piece from your

rock collection

in my wedding bouquet,

and I carry you in my heart

wherever I roam.

May you continue resting in peace.

A Sweet Slice of Fall

To me, this pie is so heavenly, I just needed to share the recipe...

(If she knew she was going to be photographed, she would have worn her fancy top...)

(I am hoping you can click on the pics to make them large enough to read clearer.)
(Instead of the 3/4 - 1 cup of sugar, I use only about 1/4 cup and then add some agave nectar, and I use half 'n half.

I admit I do not make my own crust. I use the Pillsbury refrigerated rollout crust.)

Mmmmmmm.......

Thank you, Rodney...

For this 'welcome to Maine' cookbook years ago,

For taking the time to teach me how to eat a real lobstah,

For your patience with me as I learned to hear you through that thick accent,

And especially for sharing who you were, and for being who you were without apology.

You remain an inspiration, and you are missed.

This pie's for you, I know apple was your favorite!

Rest in Peace, dear Sonlight

You brought sunshine to my days,

and I will miss your physical presence.

I am grateful I got to know you!

You taught me about true strength,

the essence of how being strong

does not involve an abuse of power.

The other horses looked to you for your

guidance and wisdom, to show them the way,

and your example of leadership will live on...

God bless you, dear one.

Safe travels.

And if you see Mr. Blue,

or Grandpa,

say hello for me.