So many people are in need of your help, people who are in deep despair, in deep fear and have a deep sense of anger in their hearts. By holding out our hands in support and with compassionate listening we will start to understand how we can really help end their suffering.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
“If it were not laughed at, it would not be sufficient to be Tao.” – Lao Tzu,Tao Te Ching
Did you ever have a bad day? Everything seems to go wrong and you are completely lost in anger, frustration and self-pity. It gets worse and worse, until the final moment when, say, you have just missed the last bus. There is some critical point where it gets so bad the absurdity of it all overwhelms you and you can do nothing but laugh. At that moment you uplevel your predicament, you see the cosmic joke in your own suffering.
Meditation, because of the space it allows around events, gives you the chance to see the humor of your predicament. Awareness of the passing show of one’s own life allows a lightness to enter it where only a moment before there was heaviness.
Humor puts things in perspective. There are many levels of humor – there is a humor of survival, a humor of sex and gratification, a humor connected with power. Beyond all these there is a humor that is filled with compassion. It is reflected in the tiny upturn in the mouth of the Buddha, for he sees the humor in the universal predicament: all beings are lost in illusion, yet he knows that they will awaken from that illusion for they are, at heart, already enlightened. He knows that what seems so hard to them is from another perspective their own path to liberation.
Often the perspectives about yourself and the universe that you arrive at through meditation make you want to giggle or laugh. This giggle is without malice. It’s a cosmic giggle, one that I identify with my guru, Maharaj-ji. For his giggle was not of this world. It was not a social or personality giggle, but rather a cosmic chuckle, the delight in the fun of it all. His giggle was from the plane that gives us the term “lila,” the divine dance of life.
– Ram Dass
A DAY WITHOUT LAUGHTER IS A WASTED DAY!
Namaste with Love My Friends
Always
Mark
Together we can make a change to our world
Love Is The Answer My Friends
Namaste With Love
Always
Mark
My Dear Friends,
Compassion, something that is always on my mind, am I compassionate enough, do I help people who are in need of my help and support, do I listen with Empathy (with the intent to really understand), do I go out of my way to do my best for the environment, for mother nature, for the people around me and for the long term good of our planet?
All good questions and ones in which I ask myself each and every day.
I came across this really interesting Nat Geo video re Compassion, it has some really cool observations, tests of compassion and pointers to watch out for in yourself and in others.
Please give it a few minutes of your busy day and think on the content…Are you compassionate?
Have a wonderful weekend full of love, happiness and compassion.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Hello again my dear friends,
Here are some more pictures from my recent trip to France, this time I’m going spiritual with images from the Plouray Sangha in Brittany, His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa whom I had the pleasure of meeting in France and a beautiful range of stained glass windows and wall paintings in some Catholic Churches in Brittany. I do hope you like them?
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Inner Peace, Do you have it?
To be happy with yourself, to be at peace with yourself, your looks, your life and the life around you is sometimes difficult to achieve but you can do it, you can be at peace with yourself, you can be stress free and enjoy your life to the full, all it takes is to firstly make a decision to love yourself unconditionally, then start living in the ‘Now’, forget about the past, it’s gone and it can never come back, don’t waste your time thinking or worrying about tomorrow because thats a total waste of your ‘Now time’. Be thankful for all you have in your life, look around you and count your blessings, love the people close to you, hold out your hand to those in-need and start your life a new 🙂
Tomorrow is another day, so live today to the full and be at peace with yourself 🙂
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
How will we deal with grief and the loss of a loved one?
Imagine yourself sitting on the deck of a beautiful white yacht, the sun shining its warm rays on your skin and the wind filling the sails speeding you along a beautiful deep blue ocean. You are watching dolphins playing nearby. They jump out of the water one after another, they spin gracefully through the air in an arc before diving back into the sea.
The arc is not unlike the cycle of life and death for human beings. We appear in this world like the dolphin jumping out of the water, visible for a short time. Before long, we return to mother nature like the dolphin diving back into the ocean, to complete the circle of life that began there.
When a dolphin disappears beneath the waves, we feel no need to grieve because we know it is still there, it is still alright, even if we can no longer see it. Loved ones who pass on are just like that. They have made the transition, but they do not suddenly cease to exist. They are still there. They are still alright, even though we can no longer see them.
One day it will be your turn to pass on yourself. As you plunge into the waves, you will find the dolphins waiting for you. You will be reunited with your loved ones and once again swim with them..together through the infinite oceans of mother nature.
If you know people who are struggling with grief, give them the gift of caring.Talk to them and listen, just be there and offer a shoulder for them to cry on. When the time is right, let them know that we are all part of something that always has been and always will be. There is birth and death for the body, but not for the soul. Share the truth that the passing of a loved one is but a temporary separation, and let the truth set them free.
R.I.P Robin Williams, your relentless pursuit of happiness has made millions of us smile and your tears of joy have kept us company through the years. May you now be freed from your internal suffering and once again join your loved ones and swim free with the dolphins in Mother Earths great and infinite oceans of love.
Namaste with Love My Friends
Always
Mark
We often forget to share our love with the people closest to us and regret it at the end if their days. Share your love while you still can my friends, reach out to your loved ones today, tell them you love them and leave them with a smile 😄❤️
My Dear Friends
I will join Deepak Chopra, India Arie, Gabrielle Bernstein and hopefully millions of other beautiful souls in a Global Meditation For Peace, this event will take place on the 8th August 2014 at 12 Noon EST so for me that is Midnight same day (approx 13 hours from now), I will be there to pledge my support in meditation and feel the positive peaceful energy that this mass global meditation will bring to our world.
Please go to http://globalmeditation.chopra.com to register, this will give you the specifics of the event, a countdown timer, a short video etc
Namaste with Love and Peace
Always
Mark
In a world where war is just a video game to some, it’s perhaps worth taking time to remember the true cost of war.
在当今世界，战争对于一些人来说只不过是视频游戏，而对于战争的真正代价可能会需要时间铭记在心。
This weekend saw the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I, which over 4 years, grew to claim the lives of over 9’000’000 （Yes thats 9 Million) service personnel from countries around the world. During WWI, across Europe, the flower of the red poppy became a symbol for remembering all those lost in War. As part of the commemorations this weekend in London, British artist Paul Cummings placed 888’246 ceramic flowers around the Tower of London – one flower for each soul lost from countries around what was then the British Empire.
刚过去的周末中我们见证了第一次世界大战爆发的100周年纪念日，在那4年里世界各国参战牺牲的总人数超过了9千万人。一战期间，在欧洲大陆的这片土地上，红色的罂粟花成为了战争中所有遗失祭奠的象征。在本周的伦敦为了纪念一战，英国艺术家保罗·卡明斯伦敦塔周围放置888’246陶瓷花 —一朵花象征着每一位在一战中为大英帝国所壮烈牺牲的灵魂。
Here are some images of the exhibition.
下方陈列一些相关图片
The poppy is a way of not forgetting the sacrifice of those who didn’t return home to their loved ones because of War and whilst we should never forget the price they paid, we should also look forward and remember that with a little more understanding, kindness and love for those of us who walk the Earth with us today, we could potentially have less need for more poppies in the future.
罂粟花一种用来祭奠那些在战中为国捐躯、壮烈牺牲的英魂，由于战争导致其无法回到所心爱的人身边，然而我们应该永远铭记所付出的代价，同时也应该向前看，记住对身边的每一位多一分理解，仁慈与关爱，我们可能对那些未来的英勇之士给予的太少。
It’s now 2014, 100 years on since the start of what they called “The Great War’, and I can still see no real progress, there have been over 260 major wars fought around the world since 1918 the end of World War 1 and they still rage on, mainly due to Religion or Greed by governments and corporations to control natural resources.
Now is the time to really step back and look at these pictures, every one of those red poppies represents a soldier killed in that 1 war alone, I wonder how many have fallen since? What would that picture look like and how far would the poppies go? A frightening thought my friends!………….Here is the reality of that frightening thought……….
Name of War ∨ ∧ Years ∨ ∧ Fatalities
Libyan Civil War 2011 – 2012 2,080
Syrian civil war 2011 – 2012 18,821
Yemen vs Al-Quaeda 2009 – 2012 3,811
Kivu Conflict 2006 – 2012 4,272
Mexican Drug War 2006 – 2012 83,000
Southern Lebanon War 2006 – 2006 1,003
Waziristan conflict 2004 – 2012 22,016
Iraqi Insurgency 2003 – 2012 23,461
Iraq vs US led coalition 2003 – 2003 8,202
Al Quaeda vs USA and allies 2001 – 2012 4,538
Afghanistan war 2001 – 2012 43,917
Civil War in Côte d Ivoire 2000 – 2005 1,471
Eritrea vs Ethiopia 1998 – 2000 98,192
Guinea Bissau Coup 1998 – 1999 1,700
Congo Brazzaville Civil War 1997 – 1999 15,540
Yugoslavia vs NATO Forces and UCK Guerilla 1997 – 1999 4,992
Nepal Civil War 1996 – 2006 12,284
First and Second Congo Wars 1996 – 2006 208,367
Russia vs Chechnyan Secessionists 1994 – 2007 20,381
North Yemen vs Secessionists 1994 – 1994 1,491
Tajikistan Govt vs Opposition 1992 – 1998 6,834
Bosnian Govt vs Serbian Insurgents 1992 – 1995 24,504
Iran vs rebel groups (MEK,PJAK etc) 1991 – 2011 3,200
Burundi Civil War 1991 – 2005 13,671
Sierra Leone Govt vs Rebels 1991 – 2002 12,034
Georgian Civil War 1991 – 1993 2,439
Croatia vs Serbian Irregulars, Rep. Krajina 1991 – 1992 1,749
Rwanda Civil War (Hutus vs Tutsis) 1990 – 2012 527,145
Somalia Civil War 1990 – 2012 37,236
Algeria Govt vs Islamic rebels, 1990 – 2005 18,348
First Gulf War 1990 – 1991 22,848
India vs Pakistan, Kashmir Dispute 1989 – 2012 24,253
Liberia Civil War 1989 – 2003 22,247
Indonesia Gvt vs Aceh Liberation movement 1989 – 2003 5,280
Nagorno-Karabakh War 1988 – 1994 4,623
South Yemen Coup 1986 – 1986 10,000
Indian Govt vs Punjab 1985 – 2000 7,247
Turkey Gov vs Kurdistan Guerilla (PPK) 1984 – 2012 33,990
Sudan Government vs Militias 1983 – 2012 68,769
Sri Lankan Govt vs Tamil Militants (LTTE) 1983 – 2009 62,313
Senegal Civil War 1982 – 2011 1,781
Iraq Government vs SCIRI 1982 – 2000 1,306
Falklands War 1982 – 1982 964
Nicaragua Govt vs Contras 1981 – 1990 30,000
Uganda Civil War 1980 – 2007 116,044
Peruvian Gvt vs Sendero Luminoso and MRTA 1980 – 1999 19,466
Iran vs Iraq 1980 – 1988 644,500
Iran vs Muhajedin e-Khalq 1979 – 2001 4,395
Cambodian Govt vs Khmer Rouge 1979 – 1998 84,950
Mozambique Govt vs Guerilla 1979 – 1992 115,600
El Salvador Gvt vs FMLN Guerrillas 1979 – 1992 55,000
Sino-Vietnamese War 1979 – 1988 48,223
Syrian Govt vs Muslim Brotherhood 1979 – 1982 2,075
Afghanistan Civil War 1978 – 2001 121,536
Rebels vs Ethiopian Government 1978 – 1991 52,398
Uganda vs Tanzania 1978 – 1979 4,000
Iranian Revolution 1978 – 1979 1,100
Vietnam vs Cambodia (Kampuchea) 1978 – 1979 32,500
Nicaraguan Gvt vs Sandinistas 1978 – 1979 10,000
Ethiopia vs Oromia rebels (OLF) 1977 – 2012 3,070
Chittagong Hill Tracts Conflict 1977 – 1997 1,152
Ethiopia vs Somalia 1977 – 1978 4,000
East Timorese Guerilla vs Indonesian Govt 1976 – 1999 75,150
Ethiopia vs Somali (Ogadeni) Rebels 1976 – 1983 3,839
Angolan Gvt vs UNITA Guerilla 1975 – 2000 157,400
Iraq vs Kurdistan (KDP/PUK) 1975 – 1996 5,928
Western Sahara War 1975 – 1991 13,000
Lebanese Civil War 1975 – 1990 144,000
Argentina: Civil War and Dirty War 1975 – 1983 20,000
Ethiopia vs Eritrea 1974 – 1991 98,927
Turko Cypriot War 1974 – 1974 5,000
Balochistan Insurgency 1973 – 1977 8,600
Chilean MIlitary Coup 1973 – 1973 2,095
Yom Kippur War 1973 – 1973 6,450
Hutu Rebellion 1972 – 1972 153,000
Philippines Govt vs Mindanao Guerilla 1971 – 2008 13,639
Sri Lanka Govt vs JVP 1971 – 1990 1,902
Bangladesh War 1971 – 1971 50,000
Philippine Government vs CPP Guerrilla 1969 – 2008 25,000
Northern Ireland, The Troubles 1969 – 1994 3,149
Israel vs Egypt 1969 – 1970 5,520
Football War Honduras vs El Salvador 1969 – 1969 2,107
Rhodesian Government vs ZANU,ZAPU,PF 1967 – 1979 27,080
Chinese Cultural Revolution 1967 – 1976 2,050,000
Cambodian Civil War 1967 – 1975 246,204
Nigerian Civil War 1967 – 1970 75,000
The Six Day War 1967 – 1967 10,047
Chad Civil War 1966 – 2010 37,233
Namibia vs South Africa 1966 – 1988 10,000
Guatemalan Civil War 1965 – 1995 88,575
Indonesian annexation of West Papua 1965 – 1978 2,100
Vietnam War 1965 – 1975 2,048,050
Second Kashmir War 1965 – 1965 5,000
Dominican Republic Coup 1965 – 1965 4,027
Colombia Govt vs Guerillas Farc and ELN 1964 – 2012 47,303
Mozambique War of Independence 1964 – 1975 13,500
Sudan Government vs Insurgents 1963 – 1972 10,000
First Rwanda Civil War 1963 – 1964 1,000
Guinea Bissau War of Independence 1962 – 1974 15,000
North Yemen Civil War 1962 – 1970 10,000
Algerian Civil War 1962 – 1963 1,500
Sino-Indian War 1962 – 1962 2,105
Angolan War of Independence 1961 – 1975 79,000
Laos Civil War 1960 – 1973 21,500
First Kurdish–Iraqi War 1960 – 1970 6,600
Congo Crisis 1960 – 1965 7,150
1959 Mosul uprising in Iraq 1959 – 1959 2,000
Second Taiwan Strait Crisis 1958 – 1958 1,500
First Lebanese War 1958 – 1958 1,400
PRRI and Permesta revolts in Indonesia 1957 – 1961 27,200
Cuban Revolution 1956 – 1959 1,000
Tibetan Uprising 1956 – 1959 12,000
Soviet Invasion of Hungary 1956 – 1956 3,171
Sinai War 1956 – 1956 2,142
Vietnam Civil War 1955 – 1964 164,923
Cameroon War of Independence 1955 – 1960 11,700
Algerian War of Independece 1954 – 1962 182,526
First Taiwan Strait Crisis 1954 – 1955 2,370
Moroccan War of Independence 1953 – 1956 3,000
Indonesian Govt vs Darul islam 1953 – 1953 2,700
Kenya, Mau-Mau vs UK 1952 – 1956 17,100
Tunisian war of Independence 1952 – 1954 3,000
Bolivian Revolution 1952 – 1952 1,000
Korean War 1950 – 1953 995,000
Third Sino-Tibetan War 1950 – 1950 4,000
Burmese Government vs Separatist Guerillas 1948 – 2012 49,243
Israel vs Palestine 1948 – 2012 16,697
Burmese Govt vs Communist Guerillas 1948 – 1988 17,700
La Violencia 1948 – 1958 29,800
Malayan Civil War 1948 – 1957 9,100
Arab-Israeli War 1948 – 1949 8,000
Cheju Rebellion in South Korea 1948 – 1949 17,000
Costa Rican Civil War 1948 – 1948 2,000
Yemeni Imamate War 1948 – 1948 5,000
First Kashmir War 1947 – 1949 3,200
Civil War in Mandatory Palestine 1947 – 1948 4,009
Telangana Rebellion and Indo-Hyderabad War 1947 – 1948 5,210
Madagascar Rebellion 1947 – 1948 12,200
Indian Partition Communal Violence 1947 – 1948 200,000
Taiwanese revolt 1947 – 1947 1,250
Paraguayan Gvt vs Rebels 1947 – 1947 1,000
Philippines, Huk rebels vs Govt 1946 – 1954 11,300
First Indochina War Comm. vs France 1945 – 1954 269,500
Soviet Union vs Baltic Partisans 1945 – 1951 32,400
Chinese Civil War 1945 – 1950 1,200,000
Ukrainian Revolts 1945 – 1947 59,700
Indonesian Independence 1945 – 1946 5,400
Greece Civil War 1944 – 1949 68,207
Franco-Thai War 1940 – 1941 1,400
World War II 1939 – 1945 50,000,000
The Winter War in Finland 1939 – 1940 151,798
The battle of Khalkhin Gol 1939 – 1939 28,000
Changkufeng Incident 1938 – 1938 1,726
Third Sino-Japanese War 1937 – 1941 1,000,000
Spanish Civil War 1936 – 1939 466,300
Arab revolt in Mandatory Palestine 1936 – 1939 2,576
Second British-Waziristan 1936 – 1939 10,200
Italo-Ethiopian War 1935 – 1936 20,000
Spanish Socialists vs Govt 1934 – 1934 1,335
Saudi-Yemeni War 1934 – 1934 2,100
Chaco War 1932 – 1935 92,661
Aprista Revolt in Peru 1932 – 1932 1,100
El Salvador, La Matanza 1932 – 1932 2,600
Brazilian Revolt 1932 – 1932 1,000
Xinjiang Muslim Revolt 1931 – 1934 21,000
Manchurian War 1931 – 1933 60,000
Communists vs Koumintang 1930 – 1935 500,000
Saya San Rebellion 1930 – 1932 1,140
The Yên Bái Uprising 1930 – 1931 1,000
Ikhwan Revolt 1929 – 1930 5,500
Kuomintang vs warlords 1929 – 1930 75,000
Escobar Rebellion 1929 – 1929 2,000
Sino-Soviet war 1929 – 1929 3,200
Second Afghan Anti-Reform War 1928 – 1929 15,000
Kuomintang vs Gansu Rebels 1928 – 1928 200,000
The Cristero War 1926 – 1929 10,000
Northern Expedition 1926 – 1928 126,500
Druze revolt 1925 – 1927 6,000
Third Chinese Warlord War 1925 – 1926 1,000
Afghan rebels vs govt 1924 – 1925 2,000
Honduras Coup 1924 – 1924 1,000
Second Chinese Warlord War 1922 – 1922 20,000
Soviet-Turkestan War 1921 – 1923 3,500
Moplah Riots in Kerala 1921 – 1922 2,450
Ireland freestaters vs Irregulars 1921 – 1922 4,000
Kronstadt Rebellion 1921 – 1921 2,600
Senussi Orden vs Italy 1920 – 1932 40,000
Third Rif War 1920 – 1926 70,000
Blackshirts vs Leftists 1920 – 1922 3,300
Conquest of Mongolia 1920 – 1921 4,000
Green Rebellion 1920 – 1921 6,700
Iraq vs UK 1920 – 1921 9,540
Franco-Syrian war 1920 – 1920 3,500
First Chinese Warlord War 1920 – 1920 35,000
Lithuanian-Polish War 1920 – 1920 1,000
Nejd-Hejaz Wars 1919 – 1925 4,000
Second Greco Turkish War 1919 – 1922 50,000
Turkish War of Independence 1919 – 1921 40,000
Hungary Civil War 1919 – 1920 1,500
Polish-Soviet War 1919 – 1920 100,000
First British-Waziristan War 1919 – 1920 2,000
Hungarian–Romanian War of 1919 1919 – 1919 11,000
Sparticist Rising 1919 – 1919 2,170
Third Anglo-Afghan War 1919 – 1919 2,136
Caco Revolt 1918 – 1920 2,102
Estonian Liberation War 1918 – 1920 11,750
Latvian Liberation 1918 – 1920 13,246
Finnish Civil War 1918 – 1918 15,150
Second Sino-Tibetan 1918 – 1918 1,500
Russian Revolution and Civil War 1917 – 1922 802,225
Russia-Turkestan 1916 – 1917 1,350
Southern China Revolt 1915 – 1918 1,000
World War I 1914 – 1918 10,670,868
Horrifying Total of lost lives due to war since 1914 = 76,671,289 Million Souls
PLEASE REBLOG THIS, AS WE NEED TO BRING MORE AWARENESS TO THIS MADNESS IN OUR WORLD!
Namaste with Love and in Peace
Always
Mark
In Taoism the Tao ‘Wu Wei’ is often compared to a river. When we talk about going with the flow, we are describing the Tao as having a definitive direction, just like a river flowing in a certain way. Since we live in the Tao, it is important to understand its direction, just as those who swim in a river must understand how its currents work and how this effects their ability to swim, or not.
Moving in flow with the Tao is like swimming downstream. It requires little or no effort at all and you can travel a large distance in a very short time without expending all your energy. Moving against the Tao is like swimming upstream. No matter how hard you try and how hard you swim against the flow of the river, you will struggle to get anywhere and very soon you become exhausted and will possibly drown.
This is why harmony, peace and love are emphasised in the teachings of the Tao. They represent the same flow as the Tao. The more you move with them, the more we experience the effortless grace that they bring to our lives. Life is smooth and easy, and you can go along way in a short time.
To swim with the flow, focus on the positives within your life. Like attracts like, so as soon as you mindfully turn your attention to the goodness of life, you start heading in the same direction. Even the smallest act of appreciation, like a slight movement of a fish to align itself to the powefful current of the river, can be all that you need to turn your life around.
Stop living your life of negativity, go with the flow of life, be thankful for the blessings your life has to offer you and open your heart to a new way of life.
Namaste with Love my Friends
Always
Mark
Would you rather be know by others
Or know yourself?
Is money more important
Than freedom?
Is security sought more than service?
The greedy get the least
The stingy lose the most
The fearful fare the poorest.
The one willing to give all away for free
Only grows richer.
The one who gives his/her life to love
Has nothing to loose
Please give your love freely my dear friends
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
My Dear Friends,
Who am I?
You have often read these words within my posts, but as I work in the field of Psychology and Mindfulness I’m often trying to help people understand who they really are. Even I, after all these years of life must from time to time remind myself who I really am. I often reflect and go deep inside myself through meditations and connect to my inner self, to my very being, to my heart and to my soul in order to understand why I am; where I am; in my life.
You can’t see it with the ordinary eye
You can’t hear it with the ordinary ear
You can’t feel it with the ordinary touch
You can’t separate it from light or dark
You can’t approach it from ahead or behind
It’s like a pyramid of mirrors.
Everywhere you look
You see yourself.
Open the pyramid to see whats inside:
The reflection is you.
To define your life is futile;
Don’t get ahead of yourself
Don’t get behind yourself
Don’t compare yourself.
Just be you and enjoy what’s inside.
Consider this: In this present moment God chooses to be you.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
My Dear Friends,
To give, receive.
Be the wet fertile valley
That rivers of life flow through.
The full will be emptied
The empty, filled.
So be the empty, that you may be filled.
The greatest healer shares all
And becomes yet greater.
One who wants to be healed
Must become a healer.
And one who wants to be a healer
Must first seek healing.
Suffering gains meaning only when healed
And healing is meaningless
Until it is shared.
To receive, give,
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
I came across this image today and felt the need to share it with you, I think it sums up my feeling that we as humanity are loosing sight of what is real due to the fog of social media and technology that run our lives today. We are sadly loosing the skills of face to face communication and our lives are measured by the social media rankings that we are given when we take part in online happiness, relationship and personality type tests that pigeon hole us into certain groups, no longer are we wise individuals with our own thoughts and aspirations, but slowly but surely becoming lemmings to the corporate powers that be!
Please remember your loved ones this weekend, give them a hug, tell them you love them and spend some quality time together out amongst nature without your phone or tablet device.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
My Dear Friends,
I was blessed to be drawn to this wonderful video poem by Jamie Dunmore, his message is clear as he speaks to the world as a ‘Human Being’ asking us a simple question…What Will You Do?
Please take the time to watch this wonderful short video and please share with your networks because it is indeed ‘Time For Change’
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
I pose a very simple question to all readers of this blog and to all your followers too.
If all religions team peace, then why can’t all religions achieve peace?
Is it not time for us to put our differences aside and come together just as our religions say deep within their ancient texts, and live as one in PEACE!
Food for thought my friends
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
I see your indifference
But I want to warm the cold heart
I see,
In fact, I am yet to accept your indifference
I see your pain
But I want to end the pain
I see,
In fact, I did not accompany your pain
I see your selfishness
But I judge your selfishness
I see,
In fact, it was driven by my selfishness
I see your anger
But try to get rid of your anger
I see,
In fact, I did not let you feel angry
I see your anxiety
But I feel worry about your anxiety
I see,
In fact, I start being anxious
I see your weakness
But I do not know which hand shall I use to give you a hug
I see,
In fact, I am feeling weak now as well
I see your beauty
And I appreciate your beauty
I see,
I am getting beautiful now as well
I see your kindness
And I am delighted with your kindness
I see,
Originally I have such kindness as well
I see you are true
And believing in your truth
I see,
Originally I am also being true
I see you are firm
And see the gentle accompanying
I see,
I am firm and gentle now
I see you are strong
And feeling the flexibility of the strength
I see,
I start having such power now
I see your humbleness
And feeling the self-confidence inside
I see,
I start am being humble as well
I see your peacefulness
And feeling the peaceful mercy
I see,
I am walking towards mercies now
I see your open-heart
And hugging your open-heart
I see,
In fact, I am opening my heart as well
I see you giving
Without any condition
I see,
In fact, I am learning how to share myself
I see your purity
Simply just,
Do what you want to do
Love who you want to love
Walk on the road you want to
Cry when you feel pain
Laugh when you feel happy
Rest when you feel tired
Go on when you are fine
I see myself too
If only see it, that’s only seeing
And accepting what we see
But not immediately thinking what shall be changed
Through seeing
I see myself
And I also see
The original purity and completeness of life
我看见你的冷漠
却想去温暖这个冷漠
我看到
其实我还没接纳你的冷漠
我看见你的痛苦
却想去结束这个痛苦
我看到
其实我并没有陪伴你的痛苦
我看见你的自私
却去评判你的自私
我看到
其实真正涌动的是我的自私
我看见你的愤怒
却想躲开你的愤怒
我看到
其实我没有允许你可以愤怒
我看见你的焦虑
却去担心你的焦虑
我看到
其实我已开始陷入焦虑
我看见你的无力
却不知道要伸哪只手来抱你
我看到
其实当下我也无力
我看见你的美丽
并欣赏着你的美丽
我看到
当下我也开始美丽
我看见你的善良
并喜悦着你的善良
我看到
原本我亦善良
我看见你的真实
并相信着你的真实
我看到
原本我也如此真实
我看见你的坚定
并看到相守的温柔
我看到
我正坚定并且温柔
我看见你的坚强
并感受着柔韧的力量
我看到
我正承接到这样的力量
我看见你的谦卑
并感受到内在的自信
我看到
我也开始低头谦卑
我看到你的淡定
并感受到平静的慈悲
我看到
我正在走近慈悲
我看见你的敞开
并拥抱你的敞开
我看到
其实我也正在敞开
我看见你的付出
不带任何条件
我看到
其实我也学会将自己分享
我看见你的纯粹
只是
做自己想做的事
爱自己想爱的人
走自己想走的路
痛了就哭，喜了就笑
累了就歇，好了就走
我也看到了自己
如果对于看见
只是看见
并接纳所有的看见
而不要想要马上去改变
透过看见
我看见了自己
也看到
生命原本的纯粹与全然
The ‘Guest House’ A fantastic way to think about our emotions and feelings. Welcome them into your life, don’t judge them for they may be coming to you for a reason!
Mindfulness and meditation practice allows us the valuable time to connect deeply with our inner self, to spend time with ourself and to listen to what is going on with our mind, body and soul. Lets take a quick look at emotions and feelings through the use of meditation and mindfulness and as Rumi says, ‘welcome them into our guesthouse’.
As we sit or lie and start our meditation, we close our eyes and relax our body, concentrate on our breath, in and out, in and out, we can take our time to bring our awareness to our breath, focussing our attention only on our breath, the feeling of our breath as it raises our stomach, inflates our chest or the coolness of the air entering through our nose, the key is to allow the time for our mind to become calm and concentrating on the breath certainly helps us do this, it may take you some time because you may; at the beginning get caught up with thoughts flashing into your mind, you will hear sounds which break your concentration, feel an itch, cough, hear your children playing, the phone ringing etc, but please take my word for it; with practice it gets easier 🙂 So, back to our breath, in and out, in and out, feel the cool air entering your nose, in and out, in and out, feel the air inflating your chest, be aware of the gap/time in -between the top of your in-breath and before the out=breath starts, then feel the air slowly leaving your lungs, moving up through your throat and up and out of your nose, in and out, in and out. If your mind starts to wander, don’t worry, its normal, just recognise the fact that it happened and bring your focus back to the breath, in and out, in and out.
As thoughts enter your mind place a label on them ‘thought’ or thinking’, you can label them more deeply if it help you like such as ‘ work’, ‘children’, chores’ or whatever helps, but try to regain your composure and bring your awareness back to your breath, in and out, in and out.
Emotions and feelings may arise like ‘Happiness’ or ‘Anxiety’, if they come; then accept them in, concentrate on your breath, in and out, in and out, what is ‘Happiness’ why are you feeling Happy? Concentrate on your breath and get acquainted with the emotion of’ happiness’, where did it come from and what are the feelings behind it, maybe your feeling so happy that you have given yourself some time for yourself, maybe your heart is telling you it loves you. This is your journey of discovery so enjoy the feeling. If ‘Anxiety arrives, then accept it too, why is it there, what made it arrive? Do you feel anxious because your spending valuable time on yourself? does that make you anxious? Are you anxious of not knowing the outcome? Are you anxious of time and wanting the session to end? Get acquainted with the emotion and allow it to come and to go.
Concentrate on your breath, in and out, in and out.
Also from Rumi as posted by Dr Victoria Lee
The purpose of emotion
A certain sufi tore his robe in grief,
and the tearing brought such relief….
his teacher understood the purity
of the action while others
just saw the jagged appearance.
If you want peace and purity
tear away the coverings.
This is the purpose of emoton, to let
a streaming beauty flow through you.
Call it spirit, elixir, or the original
agreement between yourself and God.
Opening into that gives peace, a song of
being empty,
pure silence.
In this poem, dear Rumi guides us once again toward deepening our spiritual experience. Stripping away the covering imposed by the false self is always the path. This means letting go of our attachment to the ideas we have about ourselves, as well as to the ideas others have about us. The most fundamental of these may be our limiting beliefs–I am incapable, the world is too harsh, I am too old, too young, too attached to obligations, too unable to feel anything transcendent, too ____; when we allow all that to dissolve, Rumi famously tells us that we will find glints of treasure in the dirt of the demolition of the house we’ve built out of false ideas about who we are. Then the streaming beauty emotion is meant to allow us can flow through us.
Then we may look in the mirror–and in every human and animal face–and know that:
Inside you are sweet beyond telling. There is a sun in everyone!
May you look in the mirror today, dear visitor, and look deeply into any human face; look into the eyes of a child. See the longing and see the beauty!
Mindfulness and meditation my dear friends can bring you so much awareness and help you come to terms with your emotions, feelings and pain.
Good luck on your personal journey of discovery.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Endless Light and Love 