Hi everyone,
Happy Vesak Day to you all, may your lives be filled with Love, Happiness, Compassion and excellent health 🙂
Sorry, I have been a little tardy and busy with mundane things like work 🙂 So I have not had so much time to update my post on my walk around the Leshan Temple in Sichuan China. So here we are continuing our walk around this stunningly beautiful place of worship which eventually leads us to the largest Buddha carving in the world ‘Dafo’, I do hope you are all enjoying this walk with me and my beautiful wife May (she is in one of these pictures)?
Namaste
Mark
Hi everyone,
Here are some more images of the beautiful statues and wall carvings during my walk around the Leshan Temple gardens. Leshan is in Sichuan Province China close to Chengdu where the horrific earthquakes have taken place in 2008 and most recently in 2013. The worst earthquake happened in Wenchuan on Monday May 12th 2008 killing 69,195 people and a further 18,392 still missing presumed dead, so a total of 87,587 souls were lost to Mother Earth on that day. The earthquake was also felt in nearby countries and as far away as both Beijing and Shanghai—1,500 km (930 mi) and 1,700 km (1,060 mi) away—where office buildings swayed with the tremor. I too felt these tremors in Shanghai 😦 Strong aftershocks, some exceeding magnitude 6, continued to hit the area even months after the main quake, causing new casualties and damage.
I hope you enjoy my continued walk around these beautiful gardens and you feel some energy and serenity from the images?
Namaste
Mark
My Dear friends,
After my very sad and shocking post re animal cruelty yesterday, I felt the need to bring us back to some peace and tranquility, so i’m continuing my walk with you through the gardens surrounding Leshan Temple and the largest Buddha in the world ‘Dafo’.
These statues and carvings bring me to a calm state of mind as soon as i see them, it’s like walking into a temple, a Church, a Cathedral, a Synagog or a Mosque, these wonderful places of worship are also filled with stunning artworks from ‘God, our creator’ and they are placed all around the world to bring us back to the ‘NOW’, to re-focus our minds to the beauty this world has to offer, to give us time to re-think and to help us focus on what is important in our lives.
I’m truely sorry if my post shocked you yesterday but it is part of this crazy world we live in and it’s people like us who can make a difference, we can stop cruelty, we can bring peace to this world… if we work ‘Together’!
I do hope you enjoy these images and meditate a little today, re-focus your mind and be at peace with the world!
Namaste
Mark
Stunningly beautiful carvings are everywhere as you walk through the vast gardens which surround the temples and Dafo Buddha. 
A place to sit, to close your eyes, listen to the birds singing in the trees, to feel the wind on your face, relax and be mindful 🙂 Namaste Mark
Hello Everyone,
I’m going to take you on a pictorial journey of Leshan to see The Giant Buddha of Leshan also known as
樂山大佛, ‘Dafo’ which means Big Buddha, Dafo is the tallest stone Buddha statue in the world, and by far the tallest pre-modern statue in the world. carved out of a cliff face by an 8th-century monk during the Tang Dynasty (618–907AD) in southern Sichuan province. The Giant Buddha overlooks the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers which flow below his feet and faces the sacred Mount Emei (with which it shares its World Heritage status).
I will share with you many images during the next few days which I hope will enable you to enjoy the beauty and serenity that this very special and spiritual place has to offer.
I do hope you enjoy the journey with me!
Namaste
Mark
The sounds of flowing water connects us to the circle of nature and reminds us that nothing stops still in life and that change is a natural part of our lives. The soothing sound of flowing water blocks out other harsh noises and helps us deal with our own mental chatter.
The peaceful sounds of flowing water can help us calm our mind and release tension from our bodies. It can also improve our general mental and physical health. Water droplets produce beneficial negative ions, so, if we are close to flowing water we will inhale these negative ions which are then absorbed into our bloodstream. Negative ions are known to improve our wel-being, and our physical and mental capacity by accelerating the delivery of oxygen to our cells. That is why we can feel so refreshed and invigorated after a spring storm or by standing next to a waterfall.
Using Flowing water whilst meditating.
Try this meditation if you have been stuck inside your office or place of work for a long period of time or where the air is not particularly fresh or healthy.
If you have any flowing water nearby then sit on a cushion or chair near it or us a miniature water fountain.
Namaste
Mark
The cloud does not insist upon its form,
The wave does not force its way over the ocean,
So why should you clutch so tightly
Your little map?
Follow your heart
And know joy in all things.
The path of freedom
Has no markers,
Yet leads to fulfilment;
The path of confusion
Is crowded with signs,
Pointing in all directions.
The Great Way is a humble, solitary path
Leading Home;
Follow it closely and be guided.
How do you know you are on the way?
When your map no longer serves you!
Namaste
Mark
His Holyness The Dali Lama
When will we start to realise that we are ‘All THE SAME’ and start to respect each other as brothers and sisters, unite and be as one?
Namaste
Mark
There was a time when barefoot walking was considered to be immodest and was frowned upon by people. In fact, watching someone walking without his/her shoes, or at least slippers, on was bound to create a negative impression about him/her in other people’s mind. However, this has ceased be the case in the present times. In fact, today, there is a complete society, called ‘Society of Barefoot’, dedicated to the cause of walking barefoot. Have you ever wondered why more and more people are taking to bare foot walking these days, especially in their home? Let us tell you that walking bare foot has a lot of positive effects on the health of a person. If you want to explore the benefits of bare foot walking, go through the following lines.
In Children
It has been noticed that people who have walked barefoot in their childhood encounter much less foot troubles, as compared to those whose feet were always covered with slippers, sandals or shoes. In other words, the children who go barefoot, and are allowed to do so by their parents, have been seen to have lesser foot deformities, greater flexor strength and more feet agility. At the same time, they are able to spread their toes to a greater extent than others.
In General
• Irrespective of the extent of care shoes companies take, in making footwear that suits the shape of human feet, they can never ever beat the comfort that one gets from bare foot walking. In fact, those who walk with their shoes on encounter much more aches and pains in the body, as compared to the people who indulge in home bare foot walking.
• Barefoot walking helps straighten out the toes of a person. At the same time, if you walk bare foot, even the lazy muscles of your feet are prompted to move and develop more, with the result that you have toned and much stronger foot muscles.
• Another positive effect of bare foot walking, which most of the people are unaware of, is that it helps the leg muscles pump blood back to the heart. This makes it beneficial for those who are suffering from the problem of varicose veins.
• Though most of the people are unaware of the fact, walking barefoot helps relax tired feet. It has also proven beneficial for people suffering from flat feet, in many cases helping them overcome the problem altogether.
• Walking barefoot in the summer season has been found to have a cooling effect on the body of a person, especially if he/she walks on morning grass, leaves or a piece of log in the garden.
• In traditional exercises, like yoga, tai-chi and martial arts, it is believed that being barefoot helps a person absorb Chi, the life-force energy. As you walk with your feet bare, you increase your vitality. At the same time, it helps you think clearly and increases your capacity to work.
• Walking barefoot in your garden or the local park will help you feel closer to the nature. This will not only take your mind off everyday tensions and relax your body, but also rejuvenate your mind and boost your energy levels.
Wise Woman Way: Barefoot Meditation
By:Susun Weed
Winter or summer, indoors or out, in the forest or the desert, on a mountain or a city street, I prefer my feet to be bare. I do own shoes, not many, which I wear when I must (airplanes, restaurants, when driving, at the gym), but most of the time my feet are bare. (My bare toes are wiggling at you as I write this.) What is this love affair with bare feet? Why would I expose my toes and soles to wet, gooey, sharp, slimy, muddy, thorny, prickly, and possibly dangerous terrains? Because bare feet sharpen my senses, expand my consciousness, give me a greater connection to nature, energize me, keep me in touch with my overall health (thanks to reflexology), and remind me that every step is a blessing.
Going barefoot sharpens my senses. I listen more acutely, pay much more attention to odors, even use my eyes in a different way when I am barefoot. I am more present, more aware of every detail. When walking barefoot, I go more slowly, I observe my surroundings in detail. Instead of being lost in my head, I am connecting to what is beneath my feet. Instead of carelessly plopping my heels down on the ground, I send my toes out ahead to reconnoiter. Once they give the “all clear,” the rest of my foot is safe to fall softly and caringly upon the earth.
Going barefoot expands my consciousness and enhances my experience of being alive. It nourishes the thoughtful and appreciative aspects of my personality. It causes me to move more gracefully through life.
Going barefoot gives me a greater connection to nature, physically, because I are experiencing it with my bare feet, and metaphysically, because I are being grounded into the electrical circuit of the planet. Rubber (the soles of most shoes) insulates me and prevents me from partaking of the energy of the earth.
Without shoes, I become part of the electrical and magnetic flows around this planet. I pulse with the same rhythms as all other barefoot life. Grandmother Twylah (Wold Clan Grandmother of the Seneca Nation) admonished us to: “Let your heart beat as one with the heartbeat of Mother Earth.”
Going barefoot energizes me, directly and intimately, with Earth Energy. My bare feet connect me to the endless flow of loving, healing energy that emanates from the earth. With every barefooted step, I can feel it tingling up my legs. I breathe it into my belly and nourish my personal power. I breathe it into my heart to help it stay in rhythm. I breathe it into my joints, and let it put a spring in my step.
You can experience this merely by taking off your shoes and placing your bare feet on the ground. No need to walk around if that is a challenge. Even five minutes a day of sitting quietly with your bare feet on the earth can have amazing repercussions on your health, sense of contentment, and feelings of joy.
Going barefoot keeps me in touch with my overall health. When I am healthy, my feet flex in all directions and conform to uneven ground without pain or discomfort. When I am ill, it hurts to walk barefoot. Reflexologists say that there is a reflex point on the bottom of the foot that relates to each organ and system of the body. When it hurts to walk on gravel, I connect the pain I feel to the part of the body it reflexes to, and then do what I can to nourish that organ. (Reflexology charts are easy to find.)
One of my first teachers (Margo Geiger), would go into a room, choose a “victim,” drop down on the floor next to them, take their foot in her hands, remove their shoe and sock, elicit a piercing scream as she knuckled their reflex points, and finish by telling them what their health problems were, all within a minute! Walking barefoot is like having a reflexology treatment several times a day. Perhaps it keeps me healthy, too.
Going barefoot reminds me that every step is a blessing. I am blessed to be alive in these most interesting times. Every barefooted step is a blessing. I allow myself to be blessed and to bless each thing my feet touch. Every step is a blessing. I am filled with gratitude to have a body. Every step is a bountiful blessing. Each step is a barefoot meditation. Each step is a blessing. Beneath my feet, plants. Each step is a green blessing.
I hope this article inspires you to take off your shoes and feel the earth as it should be felt ‘Naked’
Namaste
Mark
Is there an Angel by your side?
Watching over me
Making sure I’m safe and sound
Holding me back from signs of danger
Pushing me forward when opportunities arise
Hugging me when I’m sad and tears roll down my face
Keeping me warm when the nights and days are cold
Leading me through the dark into the light
He or She is there…I can feel them!
Can you?
Namaste
Mark
And Who Am I to Argue !
Spend some quality time alone this weekend, relax your mind, de-stress, feel the life blood and Qi energy flowing throughout your body, concentrate on your breathing and be at peace with the world 🙂
Namaste
Mark
Long before the venerable text Tao Te Ching was penned, the philosophy we think of as the Tao or Dao, meaning ‘way,’ ‘path’ or ‘route’ was forming. The Tao is not a name for a human-like god, a thing or a power. It’s more accurately translated as the matrix of the universe, its ultimate life essence. In light of quantum discoveries, we could think of the Tao as the consciousness, energy and potential that is the foundation of All That Is. Penned in China around 500-300 BCE, the Tao Te Ching is thought to be a compilation of even earlier Taoist thought. Although the text is usually attributed to the sage, Lao-tzu (meaning ‘old master’), it’s impossible to know whether Lao-tzu was an historical person or the symbol of a group effort.
The next Taoist work of note, the Book of Master Chuang is accurately attributed to an historical person, the sage Chuang-tzu (369-286 BCE). Instead of copying the proverb/aphorism format used in Tao Te Ching,
Chuang-tzu draws in the reader with a series of allegorical stories and philosophical discussions. Chuang-tzu lived during a time of violent civil war, which ended about 150 years later with the founding of the Han dynasty. The basic concepts of the Tao survived these changes, but the philosophy was altered in the process, much as the words of Jesus underwent radical change as later followers bent the earliest teachings to their own use.
As part of a Han dynasty cultural restoration, a group of eight Taoist sages were brought before the king of Huai-nan to demonstrate their insight. The text called Huai-nan-tzu is said to be a record of the wisdom shared by these masters. Unfortunately, the spiritual insights contained in the work became largely overshadowed by political pressure, superstition and the official acceptance of Confucianism. Texts were produced that were supposedly based on Lao-tzu’s teachings, but they were now offered with the idea that Lao-tzu was not a human sage, but an immortal being who would continue to reappear on earth. Many of the Taoist writings available from this time period reflect a far more esoteric/magical approach that is absent in Tao Te Ching or the teachings of Chuang-tzu. When Taoist teachings were bastardized, those who remained faithful to classical Taoist thought went underground. However, there is another text that remains faithful to original Taoist teachings.
The Wen-tzu (or Wen zi, literally Book of Master Wen) claims to be the work of a disciple of an historical Lao-tzu and attributes its contents directly to him. This was thought to be a fiction until the 1970s when archeologists discovered a copy on bamboo while excavating a tomb that dated to 55BCE. The Wen-tzu also follows the aphorism/proverb format of Tao-te-Ching, but adds comments on the writings of Chuang-tzu and Huai-nan-tzu. Even more exciting, its words echo many recently discovered quantum truths. Here are a few of its many gems:
Wen-tzu: Consider the world light, and the spirit is not burdened; consider myriad things slight, and the mind is not confused.
As physicists have discovered, the universe is made of quantum light, and as the writer pointed out, the material portion of the universe is only a small part of All That Is.
Wen-tzu: Those who are known as Real People are united in essence with the Way, so they have endowments yet appear to have none; they are full yet appear to be empty. They govern the inside, not the outside. Clear and pure, utterly plain, they do not contrive artificialities but return to simplicity… not doing anything with the world is the drum announcing learning…comprehending the fundamental, embracing the spirit, thereby they roam the root of heaven and earth, wander beyond the dust and dirt…they are not moved by things… their attention is focused internally.
Understanding that this world is not our reality, the sage looks to the foundation of all things. Quantum physics tells us that consciousness, energy and potential are the foundation of the universe. It is at the quantum level where Reality exists, and the world of form is an illusion projected from quantum consciousness. The ‘Real People’ are those who are awake to this truth and no longer are attached to the illusion of the body.
Wen-tzu: Those who are known as Real People…regard ten thousand differences as of one Source… Everything is mysteriously the same; nothing is wrong, nothing is right… Those who are known as Real People…keep to the simplicity of wholeness and stand in the center of the quintessential.
The physical senses perceive a world divided into separate forms, but quantum physics tells us there is only one interconnected, indivisible whole. In other words, nothing exists outside this one ‘relationship.’ As the sage points out, nothing is wrong and nothing is right because the Divine is everything, and everything is Divine.
Wen-tzu: Mind is the master of form; spirit is the jewel of mind…The spirit is where knowledge gathers; when the spirit is clear, knowledge is illumined. Knowledge is the seat of the heart; when knowledge is objective, the heart is even…sages use the inner to make the external enjoyable, and do not use externals to make the inner enjoyable… Seeing the evolution of events, [sages] keep to the Source. Their attention is focused internally… They take the Way as their guide; when there is opposition they remain empty and open, clear and calm.
Not long ago, it was believed that all thought originated in, and was limited to, the brain. But as sages have always understood, the heart has an even greater intelligence. Research is now backing up that concept. The most important thing that sages reveal about the heart is that it serves as a direct connection to the One Mind, the consciousness that permeates All That Is. As the Wen-tzu points out, we all have the choice of either focusing our attention on the external or the internal, with very different results.
Whether the words found in the Wen-tzu are Lao-tzu’s teachings of the words of master Wen, they demonstrate an understanding that comes from the direct, personal experience of the Source. These words can help us understand that there is something at the foundation of the universe that gives and sustains all life. But why limit ourselves to words? The ancient masters who penned these words wrote so that you too would want to go beyond the words to the experience of the Divine, so you would know that you too could go straight through the heart to Source.
Lee & Steven Hager are the authors of several books exploring the dynamic synergy of science, spirituality and gnosis including
The Beginning of Fearlessness: Quantum Prodigal Son and The Gospel of Thomas: Where Science Meets Spirituality.
To learn more, they invite you to visit their website: http://thebeginningoffearlessness.com or follow on Twitter @LSHager
It’s the end of yet another day, a productive and happy day but as I sit here quietly contemplating I can feel tears rolling down my face one more time, tears of sadness and despair so I sit and wonder if my spiritual journey is becoming too much for me to bare….I ask myself ‘Why me, Why Now’, ‘What do I have to do?…..
Our spiritual journeys are all very different and our aims, needs and destinations are all very different too! In my case, I have no idea as to why I have been chosen to follow a spiritual journey; but all I know is, I must follow the path and help as many people as I can along the way.
My days and nights are often full of sadness, trying to juggle family life, business life, friendships and relationships at home and abroad whilst also trying to follow a spiritual pathway to an end we often still don’t understand. I have always been a soft hearted man, easy going as many might say, always putting the needs of friends, employees and business relationships before thinking of; or, caring for myself, never putting anyone down, smiling as often as possible and trying to keep a cheerful, sunny, caring disposition as much as possible, and certainly not intentionally doing anything to hurt or harm anyone or anything as I go. However, what I don’t understand is ‘why do our friends treat us differently as we grow spiritually? It’s like they no longer trust us, or think were doing something underhand, untoward or against them! They become distant and off-hand with us for no reason! Maybe its just me overthinking things too much or maybe it’s their lack of understanding or nervousness of where we may be headed…I honestly don’t know why they change, but I do know it’s upsetting and it breaks my heart! When we honestly ask ourselves which person or people in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those friends who, instead of giving much advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our journey, help us through the spiritual growing pains we are going through and touch our battle wounds with a gentle and tender supporting hand. The friend’s who we care for dearly who can be silent when the time is right and also offer words of wisdom and support to us in our moments of frustration, despair, lack of energy or general spiritual confusion, friends who can stay with us in our hours of need, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is in my opinion a friend who cares.
I still don’t know where I’m heading but I know I’m on the right pathway, I keep checking my direction at each and every kink and curve in the road, and look for clarity along the way. I don’t possess to be anything special, I’m just a simple man who needs to follow his destiny and love and help people along the way.
So my dear friends please, please be open and honest with each other because friendship is precious and love is needed by all, not just the few!
Namaste
Mark
Today is the 20th day of March the ‘International Day of Happiness’ and I’m sure there are many millions of people out there all around the world who have NO happiness in their lives today! Their lives full of sadness, fear, hunger and tragedy.
What will you do today on this day of happiness to try and make someone else happy if only for a minute?
“What is important is to look upon everyone with a deep sense of honor, because your own heart and mind are influenced by the way you look at others. If we could do just that, we would be rendering the greatest service to our fellow beings.”
The young man above did just that, he took the time to honour the beggar and not just give him money but feed him food 🙂
Treat everyone with Respect and Honour them as fellow human beings, if we all started to do this, this world we live in will become a better place for us all to live and for our grandchildren and great grandchildren to grow up with love, happiness and compassion imbedded in their hearts, minds and souls:)
Namaste with Love my friends
Mark
One day mankind will come to it’s senses and realise were all in this together!
I just hope it won’t be too late!
If each and everyone of us stood up and said THIS IS WRONG…then things will change!
Namaste with Love
Mark
A very simple introduction to Mindfulness, easy to follow showing the benefits of its practice and being in the NOW.
Enjoy 🙂
Namaste
Mark
In which tense are you living in now?
It’s ultimately your choice, so do ‘YOU’ need to make a change to ‘YOUR’ life?
Lao Tzu is a particular favorite of mine and I have studied his writings but he is only one of many great sages that can offer you great advice and help you bring your thoughts into the NOW.
The Now is where you need to be, you need to be happy and content with who you are and where your life is taking you, if not then you need to make a change.
I wish you happiness, love and peace.
Namaste
Mark
Unless and until we have peace deep within us, we can never hope to have peace in the world. You and I create the world by the vibrations that we offer to it. If we can invoke peace and then offer it to somebody else, we will see how peace expands from one to two persons, and gradually to the world at large. Peace will come about in the world from the perfection of individuals. If you have peace, I have peace, he has peace, and she has peace, then automatically universal peace will dawn.
Namaste
Mark
Please read this beautifully written article on Deep Belly Breathing by Nicole.
Click on the link below and Enjoy 🙂
Namaste
Mark
Endless Light and Love 