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Post by toramenor on Apr 21, 2015 13:52:22 GMT -5
By the way, did you see on the track listing revealed today that Adam named a track on TOH after this thread?  I was reading the track listing and immediately thought of this thread when I saw that track name! lol I doubt there's any connection, though. :cynic: I ran across this bit of First Nations wisdom last fall and made a note of it on my phone -- just re-discovered it again this week, and while it's not in reference to creativity or nondual thinking, it also kind of is: Sometimes I go about pitying myself, and all the while I am being carried across the sky by beautiful clouds. Ojibway proverb lovely On a barely related note, I have been reading Oriah Mountain Dreamer myself recently... Her "The Invitation" is amazing...  This is a quote from her as well: “And I found that I can do it if I choose to - I can stay awake and let the sorrows of the world tear me apart and then allow the joys to put me back together different from before but whole once again.” And that ties in with a song I love (by Carrie Newcomer www.carrienewcomer.com/everything-is-everywhere/) called Breathe In Breathe Out: To live we learn what we love most, Embrace it all and hold it close. Breathe it in and breathe it out, let it go... To live is to love so many things, To fly on beautiful wax wings. Breathe it in and breathe it out, let it go... Breathe in, breathe out, let it go Breathe in, breathe out, let it, let it, let it go Breathe in, breathe out, let it go, let it go... I held anger like a coal, Burning hot but not let go, With the thought that I could throw it at someone. Such a hard lesson to learn, My own hand was what got burned. Breathe it in and breathe it out, let it go... Breathe in, breathe out, let it go Breathe in, breathe out, let it, let it, let it go Breathe in, breathe out, let it go, let it go... What is won is won What is done is done Let it go What is real is real What we feel we feel Then let it go I saw one candle in the night Become a thousand lights. Breathe it in and breathe it out, let it go... Life is fleeting this I know, Short and draped in marigolds. Breathe it in and breathe it out, let it go... |
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mirages
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Post by mirages on Apr 21, 2015 15:44:29 GMT -5
Thanks for that today, toramenor -- currently helping a friend research the right new medication for her multiple sclerosis which seems to have kicked into a higher gear, help my dad figure out if it's time to move to assisted living, and comfort a friend whose mother died suddenly on the weekend. "Breathe in, breathe out, let it go ..." is good advice. You know I was just joshin' about the song title/thread title coincidence, right?  ) |
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Post by red panda on Apr 21, 2015 22:45:55 GMT -5
I am a quote collector, and this reminded me of a lengthy conversation I had with a friend. It got a little heated on her part, and I sort of lost my ability to profer a clear case of what I was trying to say. Then I found this:  and I think it is also reflected in the quote above from Liz Stanley and Sue Wise. Don't visit this thread often, but love the reasoned discourse. |
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Post by toramenor on Apr 22, 2015 13:44:14 GMT -5
Me too  I love to write down quotes in a special notebook I have designated just for such things... Yes, I still write with pens... I know, I'm a hundred, but it gives me joy to actually write (not type). P.S. YES! on the quotes you posted - I agree 100%. |
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Post by toramenor on Apr 23, 2015 1:44:08 GMT -5
Thanks for that today, toramenor -- currently helping a friend research the right new medication for her multiple sclerosis which seems to have kicked into a higher gear, help my dad figure out if it's time to move to assisted living, and comfort a friend whose mother died suddenly on the weekend. "Breathe in, breathe out, let it go ..." is good advice. Sorry to hear about your problems... I've had some medical issues myself lately, and I've been using singing as an anti-stress technique. It really helps me relax. Of course, my repertoire consists of uplifting slower songs, like some songs from Carrie Newcomer's album Everything is Everywhere, and some other songs by various artists. This is one of the songs that is regularly on the menu - the lyrics are amazing (they can mean different things to different people), and I just love singing it to myself: The Face (by RyanDan) Traveler of great divides, Vagrant on a path to life... Every day seems a little closer To where it is that you're headed for, Given to a hope of so much more. For every time you fall apart There'll be a soul to guide your journey, But if you choose to turn away - There in the mirror you'll see my face. Think you're on this road alone? Looking for a truth untold... Many times you've been close to breaking, Giving up and letting go. Something inside says: It's not over... For every time you fall apart There'll be a soul to guide your journey, But if you choose to turn away - There in the mirror you'll see my face. And when the world crowds your space Remember days when noise was silent, No empty vows, loveless displays, Just a sense of knowing you'd see my face. You'd see my face. |
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Post by toramenor on Apr 23, 2015 2:06:17 GMT -5
There is another kind of distress, the ability to hold paradox without attempting to resolve it, and the ability to sit with uncomfortable feelings of my own, that I'm getting better at, but it takes work. Or, rather, it takes not-work and not-distraction ... which is why the article author's comments about how we protect ourselves with information struck home to me. I guess all humans have their times of grappling with this stuff and their times of running from it, and we all have our different ways of running (which is one of the reasons I love Runnin' from TP so much ... we all have our drugs/distractions of choice to keep us from coming to terms with the uncomfortable). I wanted to come back to this, because of this one sentence you wrote "it takes not-work and not-distraction". Now I'm gonna sound like a book-seller or something, but you really need to read The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula LeGuinn. In this novel, among other things, she describes a religion which is not a religion. The main thing about it is "I don't know", which is how you gain knowledge and insight - by actively practicing NOT knowing and NON-insight. It's like a philosophy with some mysticism in it. It sounds complicated but it makes a lot of sense in the context of the book. And it's like you said: it takes work to relax, or rather it takes not-work. Similarly, in the novel, those who practice these mystic techniques are actually learning not-work and not-distraction, which gives them exceptional focus and presence. This allows them some abilities, like foretelling the future, and so on - I don't want to give too much away (these are not spoilers, by the way, but if you do get around to reading it, it's more interesting when you don't know too much already). |
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mirages
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Post by mirages on Apr 23, 2015 15:49:57 GMT -5
There is another kind of distress, the ability to hold paradox without attempting to resolve it, and the ability to sit with uncomfortable feelings of my own, that I'm getting better at, but it takes work. Or, rather, it takes not-work and not-distraction ... which is why the article author's comments about how we protect ourselves with information struck home to me. I guess all humans have their times of grappling with this stuff and their times of running from it, and we all have our different ways of running (which is one of the reasons I love Runnin' from TP so much ... we all have our drugs/distractions of choice to keep us from coming to terms with the uncomfortable). I wanted to come back to this, because of this one sentence you wrote "it takes not-work and not-distraction". Now I'm gonna sound like a book-seller or something, but you really need to read The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula LeGuinn. In this novel, among other things, she describes a religion which is not a religion. The main thing about it is "I don't know", which is how you gain knowledge and insight - by actively practicing NOT knowing and NON-insight. It's like a philosophy with some mysticism in it. It sounds complicated but it makes a lot of sense in the context of the book. And it's like you said: it takes work to relax, or rather it takes not-work. Similarly, in the novel, those who practice these mystic techniques are actually learning not-work and not-distraction, which gives them exceptional focus and presence. This allows them some abilities, like foretelling the future, and so on - I don't want to give too much away (these are not spoilers, by the way, but if you do get around to reading it, it's more interesting when you don't know too much already). Sounds very Zen ... mind you, I'm currently reading Thomas Merton's "Mystics and Zen Masters," so it's not a big leap! I love the title, "Left Hand of Darkness" ... will look for that one after my kids and I finish the Earthsea trilogy -- I have read the first two books and am waiting for my kids to catch up before I read the third. |
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Post by mirages on Apr 23, 2015 15:55:28 GMT -5
I am a quote collector, and this reminded me of a lengthy conversation I had with a friend. It got a little heated on her part, and I sort of lost my ability to profer a clear case of what I was trying to say. Then I found this: and I think it is also reflected in the quote above from Liz Stanley and Sue Wise. Don't visit this thread often, but love the reasoned discourse. Hi, redpanda -- nice to see you! That's a good series of aphorisms and they make a good point. On the other hand, I was listening to a session Katie Hopkins did at Cambridge University recently and was powerfully struck by the reality that even if women do get to define what harassment is, we're no more a homogeneous block than are men or gay people. (Granted, Katie seems to be a law unto herself, but it was a bit of a wake-up call for me.) So in that case, who does get to do the defining? And wouldn't it be nice if we all just treated each other courteously as people and inquired about what did and didn't offend one another rather than making assumptions based on gender or race or orientation? |
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Post by mirages on Apr 24, 2015 0:43:25 GMT -5
And that ties in with a song I love (by Carrie Newcomer www.carrienewcomer.com/everything-is-everywhere/) called Breathe In Breathe Out: To live we learn what we love most, Embrace it all and hold it close. Breathe it in and breathe it out, let it go... To live is to love so many things, To fly on beautiful wax wings. Breathe it in and breathe it out, let it go... Breathe in, breathe out, let it go Breathe in, breathe out, let it, let it, let it go Breathe in, breathe out, let it go, let it go... I held anger like a coal, Burning hot but not let go, With the thought that I could throw it at someone. Such a hard lesson to learn, My own hand was what got burned. Breathe it in and breathe it out, let it go... Breathe in, breathe out, let it go Breathe in, breathe out, let it, let it, let it go Breathe in, breathe out, let it go, let it go... What is won is won What is done is done Let it go What is real is real What we feel we feel Then let it go I saw one candle in the night Become a thousand lights. Breathe it in and breathe it out, let it go... Life is fleeting this I know, Short and draped in marigolds. Breathe it in and breathe it out, let it go... Ahhh, the things Adam brings us through each other ... toramenor, thank you for reminding me of Carrie Newcomer again! And thank you, Adam, for making me check out Spotify so I could stream your single, because not only do I get to do that but I just searched for Carrie in Spotify and then have scads of her albums all the way back to 1991! I just stopped to listen to "Breathe In, Breathe Out," which is even more beautiful with music. (I spent this afternoon invigilating exams for students with disabilities at a local university and spent some time trying to "breathe in, breathe out" a bit of peace in the exam room for them. Ya never know -- can't hurt!) |
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Post by red panda on Apr 24, 2015 19:08:42 GMT -5
Thanks for the welcome, mirages! Pertinent to my previous post, this headline caught my eye:
Native American Actors Walk Off The Set Of Adam Sandler Comedy
Pertinent to me because in response to the walk off, Netflix responded: For me, this is an example of Netflix telling a group of Native Americans how they should feel about an issue that directly impacts the Native Americans. Not right, in my opinion. Plus, not a fan of that type of humor anyway, so may be a personal bent. And just a touch of humor to lighten up this post:   |
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I love to write down quotes in a special notebook I have designated just for such things... Yes, I still write with pens... I know, I'm a hundred, but it gives me joy to actually write (not type).