Be in Life

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Be in life

but keep your ideas
and your ideals
within yourself

Be true to Self
in the quiet
of your own space

Immerse yourself
in everyday life

But remain your own self
inside

Participate in the world

But be of
your own inner world

Paraphrased 

from Joseph Campbell

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Leaving a Mark

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Leaving a mark

Some talented people

leave their mark in the arts

or sciences

or in sports

in humanities and in healing

in organization 

or discoveries

But for the rest of us

more ordinary folk

I hear about the need 

to leave a legacy

to leave behind something 

tangible

memorable

to leave a trace

that the future generations 

can have as a marker

of our time on this earth

as a reminder of our presence

Some people create histories

write family records

research genealogy

create stories

Some want to leave

their creative endeavours

as their mark

some in words

others through images

or creations

and then some people

want their mark to be left

in the hearts

of their families

and friends

in the impact

that they have made 

on the souls 

of their loved ones

the Tao says that

Only by virtue of Love

does one live forever

Is it important for you

to leave a mark...

How would you like

to make your mark...

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Markings from pencil rubbings

in order:

outdoor rattan table top

 crack in my worn desk

my woven shopping basket

seam of bamboo trunk

shell

conch shell

 rattan coffee table top

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A Wabibito

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A Wabibito

is what I want to be

Ikebana

someone who understands the wisdom

of the grasshoppers and the rocks

Zen Rock Garden Kyoto

I want to become satisfied 

with my life

a simple life lived modestly

I want to pare back

and live now

and feel the peace
of the natural world
around me

Tea House

Wabi Sabi

is a Japanese view or aesthetic

based on the acceptance of transience

It suggests we find a beauty in 

all that is

Imperfect

Impermanent

and 

Incomplete

Bonsai Brooklyn Botanic Gardens

in the humble

the modest

and the unconventional

Shakuhachi Flute

Wabi Sabi nurtures all

that is authentic by acknowledging

those three simple realities

Nothing lasts

Nothing is finished

Nothing is perfect

Tale of Genji text 12th Century earliest illustrated Handscroll

The word Wabi

speaks of a rustic simplicity

a quietness

with the quirks and anomalies

which add uniqueness

and an elegance 

to a creation

Tea Cup, Hagi Ware 17th Century

Sabi

suggests a weathered rusty beauty 

and serenity

that comes with age

when the life of the object

and its impermanence are evidenced 

in its patina and wear

Kenrokuen Hanami

This is how I want to age

with wabi sabi

accepting the natural cycle of growth

decay and death

wearing the bloom of time

 Shigaraki Jar

Wabi Sabi can be considered
the material representation 

of Zen Buddhism

 

Black Raku Tea Bowl, 16th century

A wabibito

is a person

who is free in heart

who is comfortably oneself

and has the ability

to make do with less...

to appreciate the nobility
in the simple
and the common

A man is rich

in proportion to the number of things

which he can afford

to let alone

Henry David Thoreau

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Labelled Illustrations from Wiki commons

The less you have...

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The less I have

the more I have 

to be grateful for...

I wrote this as a comment 

to Steven one day

and Dan picked it up

and suggested I take it further

The paradox

above

has developed

from my world view

which has changed

and metamorphosed

over the years

as I have done so 

in parallel

Paring back

having less

not needing to accumulate

acquire possessions

belongings

not needing to achieve

or gain

or fill my life with busyness
is an emptying

that has given me
a quiet peace 

and contentment

and for what I have left

in my simpler life

I feel a deeper appreciation

In my state of less

I care more

I feel more

I share more

I experience life

more fully

 I feel more connected

to people 

and to nature

Having less has become

having more

Life is fuller 

and deeper
Life is richer

and I feel 

a rising gratitude

for all of the elements

of my Less

which are so much

more than More

and therefore

The less I have

the more I have 

to feel grateful for

Does that make sense
to you...

Artist: Jose Manuel Merello

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A Personal Symbology

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A Personal Symbology

At various times

in my life

I have been aware 

of powerful symbols

that seem to represent

the essence of an experience

or to succinctly capture

a prevailing emotion or feeling

At times when

significant people in my life

have passed through the veil

I have been visited by Brahminy kites

beautiful brown winged raptors

And I have also seen splendid rainbows

On the morning 

of my Mother in Law's death

I was driving my youngest to school

when the biggest and brightest rainbow

I have ever seen

arced across our town

in a vivid embrace

On the morning of her funeral

I took a walk by myself

and saw the same rainbow

and then again 

as we drove to Auckland Airport

to fly back home to Australia

a rainbow seemed to follow the car

These past few weeks

I have seen the Brahminy kites 

soaring the skies

and just a few days ago
and then again today
out over the ocean

the Rainbow of Hope

It may be a co-incidence

It may be synchronicity

It may be purposeful

It may be none of these things

It doesn't really matter

What does matter is that the symbol

is a container

a vessel that is able to hold

the feelings, emotions and energy

linked to the experience 

and of something more than the experience

The symbol holds all that is ineffable

beyond the scope of words

A symbol speaks in a language

more powerful than words

its magic and poignancy 

reach into the unconscious

and connect us to deeper realms

to deeper layers of feelings

and experiencing

They create a bridge

between the conscious world 

and that of the unconscious

and I believe 

of the Universal consciousness

Symbols yield a powerful connection 

and knowing

a communication that is intuitive 

Do you have 

special symbols

that have become a part 

of your personal symbology...

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A Sacred Space

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A Sacred Space

We each have

a sacred space

it is a birthright

a spiritual inheritance

One of the ways 

that we can access

our sacred space

is to create

a metaphor for it

in our physical world

This is an actual space

where you withdraw

from the world

of phenomena

and enter your 

inner world

A study

or a sanctuary

surrounded by your books

symbols

images

and photographs

can act as a portal

leading you inwards

to your sacred space

Sitting at your desk

in the company

of your journals

art objects

memorabilia

and treasures

informs the mind

that you are about 

to enter the gateway

to the inner sanctuary

A ritual act

of your own design

or one from the ages

can provide the key

to the gate

that safeguards 

your inner sanctum

Just as the joining

of the thumb and forefinger

in meditation

acts as a trigger

signaling the mind

that you are leaving

the outer world

and entering the stillness,

entering a place of peace

which is your heaven - 

the metaphor

for the sacred space

evokes the 

world within the world

and provides access

to your sacred space

Do you have 

a sacred space metaphor...

Artist: Chen Chun Zhong

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