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11 Quatrains : Simply Living Simply |
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Written by Footman
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Thursday, 15 April 2010 00:50 |
 1.
Care not for all you have.
Be distinct from all you own.
Want no more than you need.
Take no more than you’re owed.
2.
Let your hands create.
Let your feet be bare.
Let your spine be straight.
Let your heart show care.
3.
Sleep when you’re tired.
Wake when you’re not.
Work when work needs done.
Play when there is none.
4.
Treat a whisper as a shout.
Treat a shout as a whisper.
When listening, be devout.
When speaking, less is more.
5.
The Ego is strong.
People cling lifelessly to it.
Do not force opinions on them,
But lead with a peaceful example.
6.
If one is dressed sloppily,
One cannot preach tidiness.
If one is against spirit,
One will fail when they profess it.
7.
If one lacks understanding,
They will use only words.
These words have no essence.
Like a birdhouse with no birds.
8.
If one has only heard words from
someone lacking understanding.
They will quote many books,
And refer others to them.
9.
If one has been referred to books,
and gains an understanding.
Their opinion will change often.
After every book they read.
10.
And one with many opinions,
keeps no solid understanding.
They get bored easily,
And become a hypocrite.
11.
In Life, live simply.
In Nature, see divinity.
In Spirit, listen closely.
In All, show compassion. |
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Last Updated on Thursday, 15 April 2010 00:55 |
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Golden Core of Religion |
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Written by Footman
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Thursday, 15 April 2010 00:50 |
The Golden Rule - Within many different religions
(or ethic of reciprocity)
The Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”,
which Jesus gave in his Sermon on the Mount, is found in some form
in the scriptures or sacred texts of nearly every religion and philosophy.
Baha'i Faith
Lay not on any soul a load that you would not wish to be laid upon you,
and desire not for anyone the things you would not desire for yourself
Baha'u'llah,, Gleanings
Buddhism
Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.
The Buddha, Udana-Varga 5.1
Christianity
All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them:
for this is the law and the prophets.
Christ Jesus, Matthew 7:12, Luke 6:31
Confucianism
One word which sums up the basis of all good conduct... loving-kindness.
Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself.
Confucius, Analects 15.23
Hinduism
This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you.
Mahabharata 5:1517
Islam
Not one of you truly believes until you
wish for others what you wish for yourself.
The Prophet Muhammad, 13th of the 40 Hadiths of Nawawi
Jainism
One should treat all creatures in the world
as one would like to be treated.
Mahavira, Sutrakritanga
Judaism
What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour.
This is the whole Torah; all the rest is commentary. Go and learn it.
Hillel, Talmud, Shabbath 31a
Native Spirituality
We are as much alive as we keep the earth alive.
Chief Dan George
Sikhism
I am a stranger to no one; and no one is a stranger to me.
Indeed, I am a friend to all.
Guru Granth Sahib, pg. 1299
Taoism
Regard your neighbour's gain as your own gain
and your neighbour's loss as your own loss.
Lao Tzu, T'ai Shang Kan Ying P'ien, 213-218
Unitarianism
We affirm and promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
Unitarian principle
Wiccan
Bide the Wiccan Rede ye must,
In perfect love and perfect trust
Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfils
An ye harm none do what ye will.
Zoroastrianism
Do not do unto others whatever is injurious to yourself.
Shayast-na-Shayast 13.29 |
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Chapter 34 - Tao Te Ching |
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Written by Footman
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Thursday, 15 April 2010 00:49 |
The Great Tao is universal like a flood.
How can it be turned to the right or to the left?
All creatures depend on it,
And it denies nothing to anyone.
It does it's work,
But it makes no claims for itself.
It clothes and feeds all,
But it does not lord it over them:
Thus, it may be called "the Little."
All things return to it as their home,
But it does not lord it over them:
Thus, it may be called "the Great."
It is just because it does not wish to be great
that its greatness is fully realized.
-Lao Tzu (Translated by John C. H. Wu)
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Godhead = the sum of all energy in the universe. |
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Written by Footman
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Thursday, 15 April 2010 00:48 |
Godhead is a useful concept for Logical Pantheism. Deity may appear as Jehovah, Jesus and the holy ghost in one culture, and as Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma in another. We can say all are equally valid views of deity, representing different appearances of the same phenomenon in two different cultures. That common phenomenon can be described as a godhead with thousands of faces, the appearance of each face determined by the cultural viewpoint of the observer.
This tenet is a description of how the face of the godhead appears from the Logical Pantheist perspective, and it can be expressed as a mathematical equation (As seen in the picture):
Traditional pantheism associates God with the forces of Nature. Literally, it sees God in all things. The traditional Judaic/Christian/Muslim definition of God holds that God is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient. By defining the godhead in mathematical/physical terms, Logical Pantheists feel they have satisfied the pantheist, and the Judaic/Christian/Muslim definitions, as well as the need of science for a mathematical formulation of the concept.
Since the godhead is defined as the sum of all energy in the universe, the godhead is, from this definition, omnipotent. Since energy is everywhere present in the universe (at least in the form of cosmic background radiation), it follows that from this definition, the godhead is omnipresent. Since knowledge exists either in the form of matter (e.g. books, films, etc.) or energy (e.g. computer memory, human memory, etc.), and since matter is a form of energy (from E = MC^2), it follows that the sum of all energy includes all knowledge, and thus from the Logical Pantheist definition, the godhead is omniscient. Thus Logical Pantheists feel they can represent an omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient godhead by a mathematical equation comprehensible by science.
If someone is struck by lightning, the electrical discharge can be explained as the result of the sum of the electrical forces in the area. Thus a Logical Pantheist can maintain with verifiable scientific accuracy (based on the definition of the godhead as the sum of all energy), that the victim was struck down by the godhead. In the same manner, anything that occurs, occurs as a result of the sum of all forces in the universe, and can thus be said to be caused by the godhead with scientific accuracy.
Taken from HERE |
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Enso |
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Written by Footman
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Thursday, 15 April 2010 00:47 |
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Ensō (円相) is a Japanese word meaning "circle" and a concept strongly associated with Zen. Ensō is one of the most common subjects of Japanese calligraphy even though it is a symbol and not a character. It symbolizes enlightenment, strength, elegance, the universe, and the void; it can also symbolize the Japanese aesthetic itself. As an "expression of the moment" it is often considered a form of minimalist expressionist art.
In Zen Buddhist painting, ensō symbolizes a moment when the mind is free to simply let the body/spirit create. The brushed ink of the circle is usually done on silk or rice paper in one movement (but the great Bankei used two strokes sometimes) and there is no possibility of modification: it shows the expressive movement of the spirit at that time. Zen Buddhists "believe that the character of the artist is fully exposed in how she or he draws an ensō. Only a person who is mentally and spiritually complete can draw a true ensō. Some artists will practice drawing an ensō daily, as a kind of spiritual exercise."[1]
Some artists paint ensō with an opening in the circle, while others complete the circle. For the former, the opening may express various ideas, for example that the ensō is not separate, but is part of something greater, or that imperfection is an essential and inherent aspect of existence (see also the idea of broken symmetry). The principle of controlling the balance of composition through asymmetry and irregularity is an important aspect of the Japanese aesthetic: Fukinsei (不均斉), the denial of perfection.
The ensō is also a sacred symbol in the Zen school of Buddhism, and is often used by Zen masters as a form of signature in their religious artwork. For more on the philosophy behind this see Hitsuzendo, the Way of the Brush or Zen Calligraphy.
see : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enso |
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Zen Koan for the Day |
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Written by Footman
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Thursday, 15 April 2010 00:30 |
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Without pointing, without talking, without gesturing...
Which direction should you go? Bodhidharma - The man who traveled from India to China and developed Chan (Zen) buddhism there. |
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Last Updated on Thursday, 15 April 2010 00:46 |
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Tao Te Ching - Chapter 67 |
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Written by Footman
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Thursday, 15 April 2010 00:29 |
我有三寶持而保之一曰慈二曰儉三曰不敢為天下先
Here are my three treasures. Guard and keep them! The first is compassion; the second,simplicity; the third, refusal to be ‘foremost of all things under heaven’. |
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Life Inside a Merry Moron |
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Written by Footman
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Thursday, 15 April 2010 00:26 |
Life inside a merry moron,
does tell a tale to me.
Work he says that he works on,
brings up a hefty fee.
And then the many crafts create
a picture of his heart.
And from this I delineate
a work of splendid art.
A moron thinks no more of me,
and I no more of him.
But in his work I plainly see
a gift full to the brim.
His fee is just I thought just then,
and in his heart it seems;
A mind awake inside of men,
does break the shell and gleam. |
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Last Updated on Thursday, 15 April 2010 00:47 |
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How to Pray - From Matthew 6 |
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Written by Footman
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Thursday, 15 April 2010 00:25 |
5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.[a]' 14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
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I think this is very profound and enlightening... especially coming from a christian point of view. Clearly Jesus (if this is truly what he said) wants us to pray simply, quietly, and with as little words as possible. Truly prayer is meant to be contemplative in nature. |
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Just Drop It! |
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Written by Footman
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Monday, 12 April 2010 02:38 |
 I am not sure if it is simply anxiety, or if it's something a bit more complicated. I feel as though I often stumble when I come close to understanding it. It always seems to change when I get close to normalcy. Why does it always change? Can I ever be happy. Taoist one day, Buddhist the next. Maybe I'll be pagan this month, or maybe I'll be Catholic. Whatever it is that I set my mind upon, I do it. No hesitation, no planning. I spring forth full force into the depths of whatever it is. Is it boredom? Is it high expectations, or impatience? Why does religion have to be the defining attribute to my insanity? Why is it what always makes things difficult. I am fine with everything else, but I'm never fine with the way my spirituality is, it has to be better, fuller, more intense, less intense. Maybe I want to be a monk, but I don't like what they wear. Maybe I want to be a hippie, but the thought of being associated with drug addicts is revolting. Maybe I want to study Zen, but I don't care for the empty rituals that come along with it. Maybe I want to be Taoist but I hate the traditional outlook on Taoist practices. Maybe I want to be Christian, but I hate Christians. Why am I so freaking stubborn?
What is it about me that keeps my head pounding? Why does the very thought of going to church make me sick? Why does religion have to exist? Why do the walls keep smashing my head back and forth between them. I don't want this, I can't do this. The sky is blue some days, some days it's white. Right now it is yellow, and tonight it will be black. It seems to be perfectly okay for the sky to change it's colors so often, why can't I? Am I not as important as the sky, or perhaps I'm supposed to be more important? When the sky pours down rain and causes floods, no one gets mad at the sky. When it blows it's winds and causes hurricanes and tornadoes, no one holds the sky accountable.
 So what is it that I believe? What is it that becomes the brick and mortar of my spirituality? A wise priest once told me that we are given free will not to use it to make good choices, but to freely give it up. What does this mean to give up our free will? I suppose it is the same as the Taoist concept of Wu Wei. And in the process of giving up our free will, we recognize our “P'u”, or true nature. Maybe that's why the sky can change so often, and is never accountable? For it has given up its free will, and in so doing, has become its true essence. I suppose this can be said of all things, save man. A tree is a tree, a frog a frog. So why does man have such a hard time giving up their free will? Some probably think they do, but I suppose doing things in the name of “the lord”, or “allah”, or “jehovah”, etc... is not it, those have completely missed the point. What is the point? To choose between opinions is not giving up free will, but using it. To be a Christian is a choice, to be a Taoist is a choice, to be a Buddhist is a choice. This is all wrong. One must not choose anything, one must... let go and be. What is it that one will then be? I don't know, I cannot know the true essence of another being. But as I am not the same as my neighbor, I doubt my true essence will be either. Or... is it simply that we are the same, but we don't realize it until we let go of our free will, drop our Ego, drop our attachments, and stand naked. Naked with no books, no jewelry, no statues, no opinions, no preconceived notions, no baggage.
What would you look like then? Would you even recognize yourself? Would you be scared of what you saw? Or would you finally be satisfied? This will be my path, not the path of Christianity, not the path of Buddhism, not the path of Taoism, not the path of Hinduism, Unitarian Universalism, Islam, Shinto, Pagan, Wicca, Judaism, etc... Dropped. Dropped. Dropped. Dropped....
Am I naked yet? |
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Last Updated on Monday, 12 April 2010 02:54 |
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