Happiness is in her smile
Joy is in her step
Laughter is in her voice
Love is in her heart
Gentleness is in her touch
Gracefulness is in her movement
Calmness is her nature
Compassion in all that she does
Gratitude for all she has
Understanding of all my faults
Patient each and every day
Loving kindness always unconditional
My Wife
My Love
My Passion
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
War for what?
What purpose does it serve?
War spurns hatred between neighbors, brothers and friends
War takes away our sons and our daughters
Never to be returned to see another day
War for what?
What purpose does it serve?
War stimulates greed in the few and stupidity in the many
The need to control, to steal, to conquer to hate
Boarders crossed, cities crushed and rape and pillage abound
War for what?
What purpose does it serve?
War crushes all in its path, no sacred towers or history remains
War blinds the innocent and leaves children alone, no family no future, who cares?
Graves are fed by its lust for death and tombstones lie abandoned and alone
War for what?
Why do we need you?
War has no place in our world it’s archaic in its nature, outdated and pointless
We follow the drums of power, blinded and brainwashed by their messages of hatred and fear
To follow like sheep, to fight their so-called fight, for freedom, for country, for what?
To win or to loose, for what?
No end is in sight, war after war fuels another and on we go like lemmings to the cliff
As our friends fall and our loved ones are lost, for what?
For the power and the greed of the few who take what they want and leave us in tears
Alone, to grieve, to pick up the pieces, to wait for their call to do their dirty work again
War…. It must End…Today!
As I sit here writing I take a moment in quiet contemplation to pray for all the valiant men and women who gave their lives in wars around the world since the dawn of time and in this year the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I in 1914 I pray for the souls of the lost,
‘Lest We Forget’
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
I lit an incense stick this morning
In memory of loved ones lost
To my higher self
To God, The Buddha and the Angels
Kuan Yin, Lao Tzu and Confucius
Ascended Masters and Family members
Were all present in my prayers
As I sat in quiet contemplation, at peace with myself
Giving silent thanks for all I have in my life
To my family, my friends and my colleagues
My love, my compassion and my gratefulness
Unconditional thanks and love for all
The sweet heady smell of incense wafts through my room
As I sit and give praise to all
To Mother Earth, The Environment and Humanity
And May the God’s give us Peace on Earth.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
I wanted to end the week with a simple but very important post, a short video from Sadhguru including his thoughts on Love & Compassion and life itself, take 3 short minutes to calm your mind and listen to his wise words.
Have a great weekend my friends
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Once again tears are brought to my eyes and pain is in my heart when I see images like this, images that should be wiped from our minds forever, images that in this modern day and age should never exist at all! But unfortunately these things continue to happen in countries all over the world each and every day. No one deserves to be beaten, abused, humiliated or murdered, NO ONE!
We are all human beings so…….PLEASE
DO NOT Turn The Other Cheek!
Is it not about time that we stopped turning the other cheek and actually stood up for humanity?
Oppression, abuse, exploitation, torture, murder and ethnic cleansing is still happening all around the world, these problems are not someone else’s problem, they are also your problem. We are all human beings; so please wake up, do something to stop this madness as its probably happening somewhere close to you too!
Namaste with Love My Friends
Always
Mark
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
Ram Dass
How can we use our emotions positively on our spiritual path? We can look at the practice of what is called devotional yoga, or Bhakti Yoga as it’s called in Hinduism. For example, if your relationship is to say Christ- you could take a picture of Jesus and then think about the qualities of his life; and the qualities of his compassion; and the qualities of his beauty of being; and the qualities of his reminding people about God. And you could look at that being and it would generate in you, if you allow it, emotional responses.
These emotional responses are relational. They are warm, human responses of Love, of caring, of tenderness. Then if you stay with that picture of Jesus and keep being with Jesus, you will go beyond those into a deeper way of being with him. Of just being with him in the presence sense. And that presence includes more and more of the essence of love. But you go through the emotional doorway. You use your emotional heart as a vehicle to getting into that deeper way of being with God. That’s one way.
Then there are other kinds of emotions that are generated — emotions like anger, sadness, joy, that whole range of emotions. What one cultivates is spaciousness or an awareness that allows you to acknowledge the feelings, and it comes back to the word appreciating again. Acknowledge the feelings and allow them and see them as part of the human condition. They are like subtle thought forms. Emotions are really subtle thought forms. And they all arise in response to something. They are reactions that come. If somebody goes like that, you have a certain emotional response. If they go like that, you have a different response. And you can feel how reactive your emotions are to situations. So you cultivate a quietness in yourself that just watches these things coming and going and arising and passing away. And you learn not to act out your emotions, but just to appreciate and allow them. That’s part of the way in which you use them spiritually. Spiritually, you don’t act out your emotions. You just acknowledge them. You don’t deny them though. You don’t push them down. You acknowledge that I’m angry, but you don’t have to say “Hey, I’m angry.” That’s different. But you acknowledge it; you don’t deny it. That’s the key thing.
So the way you would use emotions like love and caring is in devotional practices, you aim them towards God. And for the other kinds of emotional realms, you witness them and you sit with them and you watch them change and come and go but you don’t deny them- you allow them to be burnt in the light of awareness. Because that’s part of your human condition. I mean when we talk about service, you will see how we deal with suffering. And you will see that it awakens intense emotions. And your heart is breaking. And you have to let your heart break. But you’ve cultivated another plane of reality which is the one that notices and allows it and behind it all is the quality of equanimity. So, emotions work best when you also have another plane that is not emotional, going simultaneously with it actually. Because getting lost in your emotional reactivity just digs a deeper karmic hole. But allowing your humanity, that’s really part of it. Allowing your humanity.
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
Lao Tzu was a philosopher and poet of ancient China. He is best known as the reputed author of the Tao Te Ching and the founder of philosophical Taoism, but he is also revered as a deity in religious Taoism and traditional Chinese religions. Although a legendary figure, he is usually dated to around the 6th century BC and reckoned a contemporary of Confucius, but some historians contend that he actually lived during the Warring States period of the 5th or 4th century BC. A central figure in Chinese culture, Lao Tzu is claimed by both the emperors of the Tang dynasty and modern common folk of the Li family as a founder of their lineage. Throughout history, Lao Tzu’s work has been embraced by various anti-authoritarian movements.
Lao Tsu taught that all straining, all striving are not only vain but counterproductive. One should endeavor to do nothing (wu-wei). But what does this mean? It means not to literally do nothing, but to discern and follow the natural forces — to follow and shape the flow of events and not to pit oneself against the natural order of things. First and foremost to be spontaneous in ones actions.
In this sense the Taoist doctrine of wu-wei can be understood as a way of mastering circumstances by understanding their nature or principal, and then shaping ones actions in accordance with these. This understanding has also infused the approach to movement as it is developed in Tai Chi Chuan.
Understanding this, Taoist philosophy followed a very interesting circle. On the one hand the Taoists, rejected the Confucian attempts to regulate life and society and counseled instead to turn away from it to a solitary contemplation of nature. On the other hand they believed that by doing so one could ultimately harness the powers of the universe. By ‘doing nothing’ one could ‘accomplish everything.’
Lao Tzu writes:
The Tao abides in non-action,
Yet nothing is left undone.
If kings and lords observed this,
The ten thousand things would develop naturally.
If they still desired to act,
They would return to the simplicity of formless substance.
Without form there is no desire.
Without desire there is tranquillity.
In this way all things would be at peace.
In this way Taoist philosophy reached out to council rulers and advise them of how to govern their domains. Thus Taoism, in a peculiar and roundabout way, became a political philosophy. The formulation follows these lines:
The Taoist sage has no ambitions, therefore he can never fail. He who never fails always succeeds. And he who always succeeds is all- powerful.
From a solitary contemplation of nature, far removed from the affairs of men, can emerge a philosophy that has, both in a critical as well a constructive sense — a direct and practical political message. Lao Tzu writes:
Why are people starving?
Because the rulers eat up the money in taxes.
Therefore the people are starving.
Why are the people rebellious?
Because the rulers interfere too much.
Therefore they are rebellious.
Why do people think so little of death?
Because the rulers demand too much of life.
Therefore the people take life lightly.
Having to live on, one knows better than to value life too much.
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
My Dear Friends,
I need your help!
Im looking for articles that I can translate into Chinese for use with my non-profit free of charge Chinese social media platform, articles that will help inspire future generations of young Chinese, articles on spirituality, the environment, nature, health, nutrition, happiness, care for others, meditation, stress management, love, relationships etc
Would you be willing to send me articles for consideration and translation? I cannot afford to pay you for these articles but I will give you credit in name and a link to your blog/website if the article/s are used.
China is growing so fast and its young are eager to read and grow their knowledge, please help me help them and together help make a better world for us all to live in.
Please reply by comment or send me a personal email.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Wise words indeed from H.H the 14th Dalai Lama. If we could take these words into our hearts and realize that there are always many people in our world who are worse off than we, and come to the realization that there are many people out there in our families, communities, countries and other regions of the world who really need our help and that we certainly do have the the power and abilities to overcome our own struggles in life, then we could and will be able to change our own circumstances for the better and also at the same time enable us to help others overcome theirs.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Some days, I’m not so sure!
I wake up and start my day, I amble out of bed
Feeling tired, lethargic and grumpy
More sleep needed maybe, more time to rest, to lie dormant and be; just me!
A pick me up coffee to raise my spirits, its heady smell and strong taste slapping me awake like a hand to my face
Or does it help suppress my mind, control my senses and take away my creativity
Breakfast…Oh no, that’s for wimps, no time for that in my busy life
Off to the bathroom for me instead, the slow walk to that place of awakening
The mirror lies before me, standing proud and tall the size of my wall, no place to hide
I’m naked for my eyes to see, Ohh a sight for sore eyes and not for the faint at heart
Too much fat hiding my chin, my eyes are red and sleepy, lids wanting to close and sleep once again
Plenty of excess around my middle, my arms my hips, my rear, it appeared overnight, I think!
Is my hair receding even further, is that a spot on my face
I’m no teenager, where have they come from, maybe a memory of day’s gone bye
What’s that hair doing coming from my ears and nose, should it not be on my head
It wasn’t there yesterday, my body it would seem to be out of control
A clean shave is what I need and into the shower I go
The fresh warm water cascading down upon my head
Awakening my body and my soul
Water cleansing, washing away my negativity, bringing life back to my body like rain to a seed
The towel meets my skin, rough and soft all at the same time
The water disappearing into the fabric, leaving my skin soft and dry
A splash of aftershave hits my jaw, awakens my senses to the sweet smell of summer
Stepping into my trousers, and a fresh shirt completes my attire
Looking into the mirror a new man, a new day, a new opportunity
I love my self again, I’m happy in my skin, I’m proud of what I have achieved
I’m off to start a fresh day, out into our wonderful world, more people to help, more spirits to lift
Opening the door, the sun greets my face it awakens me to mother nature, warm and gentle welcoming me once again
Stepping down my steps I feel my breath, catching the fresh morning air
Feet touching the ground with a steady momentum, taking me on to more challenges in life
I hear the sounds of our world, the noise of the city, millions moving towards their day, but if I listen carefully there is so much more to hear
The quietness of nature, birds in song, the soft rustling of leaves as the gentle breeze passes through the trees
Mothers walking their children to school, grandparents exercising in the gardens their slow Tai Chi movements, bringing life to their aging bones
Ladies dancing under the trees, awakening their limbs and bringing smiles of joy to their faces
I am indeed grateful for all I have in my life
I have a gift, the gift of sight, the gift of sound, the gift of smell, and the gift of touch
The ability to realize all that is around me, the gift is LIFE itself
So easy to forget in our crazy non stop world, so easy to loose sight of what we have, So easy to fall into the hands of the media and follow their never ending tales of doom and gloom
I do love my life; I do love my world
I’m thankful and grateful for another day to share this gift with you
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
Hi Everyone I’m back fro my trip to France, its been a long time for me to be away from my family, my friends and my two beautiful puppies but the trip was great, I was blessed with wonderful weather, I met some beautiful people and I had the opportunity to be in the presence of His Holiness the Eighth Mipham Kunzig Choekyi Nangwa Gyalwang Drukpa the supreme head of the Drukpa Lineage if your interested in Buddhism please take a look at http://drukpa.com
As I slot back into the realities of life back in Shanghai China I thought I would share with you a few photographs I took whilst on my trip to France, I hope you like them as much as I enjoyed seeing and experiencing them?
I will probably need to do a few posts to bring you some of the beauty i experienced in the French countryside
Take care
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
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
Most people would look at this picture and disagree because they cannot see any value in what the picture contains, but I see unconditional love and respect. And I thoroughly agree with the statement ‘The less you have the more you value it’.
We live in a material world when goods/products out value lives, when the throw away left overs from your meal cost more than these people on the streets have to survive on all month; and even more depending in which country they are from!
Human kindness takes a different turn when you have little, you see the goodness in the small things, you notice the sun shining, the warmness or the rain, the flowers blooming, the scent of freshly mown grass, and the genuine kindness and smiles of hope given to you by a passer by, in this image the man treasures his dog, his companion on his life journey and he will protect it and care for it unconditionally.
I look around me and see so many things, things i take for granted, things that make my life easier, computers, cell phones, printers, pens, paper, books, clothes, food, drinks, everything I could possibly want….but…., do they bring me happiness? No!…Happiness comes from within, I don’t need these things to make me happy and more of these things will not raise my levels of happiness, only I can do that. I often look and watch children playing, children with nothing, some of the poorest children around me, these children play on the streets with the simplest of toys that they pull together from scraps, pieces of string, the wheel of a cart, a box for them to sit in, but their smiles say it all, they live in the now, the swiftly fashioned toy takes them to somewhere else, and they live the dream. They don’t need more expensive toys to bring them happiness, because happiness is within!
I wish we could all see these children play, to watch their joy, their simple lives not yet effected by the media, the sales promotions that create ‘Want and Desire’, If only we could learn that ‘Happiness comes from Within’
Namaste with Love My Friends
Always
Mark
Endless Light and Love 