.

Well, we can stop

for awhile, if we try hard enough

if we are lucky.  We can sit still,

keep silent, let the phoebe, the sycamore,

the river, the stone call themselves, their own

sounds, their own silence, and thus

may know for a moment the nearness

of the world, its vastness

its vast variousness, far and near,

which only silence knows.  And then

we must call all things by name

out of silence again to be with us,

or die of namelessness.

.

~ Wendell Berry

.

Ω

Naming is a necessity for order,

but naming can not order all things.

Naming often makes things impersonal,

so we should know when naming should end.

Knowing when to stop naming,

you can avoid the pitfall it brings.

.

~ Lao Tzu : from ‘ Tao Te Ching’

.

Ω

as yet still silent, sparkling and unused,

just drinking something with its smile, as though

its singing were being infused.

.

~ Rainer Maria Rilke

.

Experiencing the good that is.  We may not see or feel the full range of blessings in our lives, but we can get closer by being receptive and present for each thing that is good, each piece of hope, breath, comfort, and joy, and by allowing that to be enough for now.
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” Lao-Tzu

.

Unless there is a still center in the middle of the storm,

unless individuals in the midst of all their activities preserve a secret room

in their hearts where they sit alone before God,

unless we do this,

we will lose all sense of spiritual direction and be torn to pieces.

.

~ anonymous monk

Ω

I laugh when I hear that the fish in the water is thirsty.

Perceivest thou not how the god is in thine own house,

that thou wanderest from forest to forest so listlessly?

In thy home is the Truth.

Go where thou wilt, to Benares or to Mathura;

if thy soul is a stranger to thee,

the whole world is unhomely.

.

~ Kabir

Ω

There is no need to run outside for better seeing.

Nor to peer from a window.

Rather abide at the center of your being;

for the more you leave it, the less you learn.

Search your heart and see if he is wise who takes each turn;

the way to do is to be.

The answer was always quietly there,

only our questions drowned it out.

.

~ Lao Tzu

Ω

Be still and know that I am God.

.

~ Psalm 46:10

Ω

When you pray, go into a room by yourself,

shut the door, and pray.

.

~ Jesus

Ω

Dale Carnegie: Tell me what gives a man or woman their greatest pleasure and I’ll tell you their philosophy of life.

Real Carnegie: Tell me what gives a man or woman their greatest pleasure and I’ll sell it to ‘em.

Alphonse Karr: The more things change, the more they remain the same.

Carphone Warehouse: There ain’t nuthin’ new under de sun.

Ursula Le Guin: It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it is the journey that matters, in the end.

Urge Le Goin: If you must travel, go First Class.

Soren Kierkegaard: Life must be understood backward. But it must be lived forward.

Liam Gallagher: Don’t look back in anger; throw the first punch.

Charles Schultz: I’ve developed a new philosophy… I only dread one day at a time.

Charlie Brown: I’m a miserable git.

Lao Tzu: The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.

Low Shoe: The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a flat tyre.

John Keats: Beauty is truth, truth beauty –  that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

Dodge McLarty: Don’t buy no ugly truck – it’s unpatriotic.

René Descartes: I think; therefore I am.

Tilly Bud: Pig Philosophy: I’m pink; therefore I’m ham.

Taoist Priest in Chengdu

November 4th

Having described in the last post what was visible at the Qingyang temple, I feel obligated to try to understand a bit what this is, in terms of religion, history, architecture. Qingyang temple is Taoist. Taoism is rooted in the writings of the 6^th century BC sage, saint and author and to some, a deity, Lao Tzu, who is enshrined in the most striking building of the complex.  Like other ancient religious figures, many of the stories about Lao Tzu seem more legendary than historical. His mother conceived him by seeing a falling star and he remained in her womb 62 years before being born as a long-eared (i.e. wise) old man. Accounts seem consistent that he was some sort of official, perhaps in the archives at the imperial court, thus a learned man. He was disillusioned with what he saw in government at the court, as attested by sayings from his writings, the Tao Te Ching. (Chapter references in Roman numerals).

“The people are hungry because taxes are too high” (LXXV)
“The government is corrupt, with swords at their sides, filled with food and drink, and possessed of too much wealth” (LIII).

Thus disillusioned, Lao Tzu abandoned his high position in the imperial government to become a hermit. He traveled to the wilds of western China, riding a humble water buffalo, presenting his sayings to a frontier guard  who demanded his wisdom to let him leave. This scripture of less than 5000 words is indirect, speaking not in parables but in aphorisms usually vague, frequently paradoxical and often dialectical.

“All recognize beauty, yet this is only the ugly…something and nothing produce each other…therefore the sage takes no action and teaches without words” (II)

“The further one goes, the less one knows” (XLVII)

”Exterminate the sage, discard the wise, and the people will benefit” (XIX)

Taoist Priest Waiting to give Spirit Consultation

Not all his sayings are quite as counter intuitive as the last. Many of his sayings resonate with teachings of other traditions, reflecting a universal wisdom, as if, for example, Lao Tzu and Jesus sometimes used the same writer.

“Do good to him who has done you an injury” (LXIII)

“The sage puts his person last, and it comes first” (VII)

“He who knows contentment is rich” (XXXIII)
“Expensive goods hinder progress” (XII).

“There is a thing confusedly formed, born before heaven and earth, that does not change. It is the creator of the world. I know not its name so I call it the Way” (XXV)

“The Way was the beginning of heaven and earth, creator of the myriad creatures” (I)

“Cherish three treasures: compassion, frugality and humility” (LXVIII)

Taoist Priest Before Qingyang Temple Hall

These teachings are still living, though in quite what form the ignorant casual visitor can hardly judge. But visible throughout the temple complex are numerous black robed Taoist priests, their hair bundled in a top knot, Ming dynasty style, and their robes decorated with the yin-yang symbol. Most are youthful, so the tradition is regenerating rather than dying off. There is even displayed on a message board a photograph of a few western naïve looking youths, but perhaps they are wise beyond their years and not just tripping in the East.

Some Taoist priests keep order among the devotees placing of incense, others ring a bell by the altar in some of the halls. Some wait to give spirit consultations from the I Ching whose 8 trigrams are painted on the octagonal pagoda hall of Lao Tzu. Any who have had the experience of consulting the I Ching with due gravity, will know the power of its Jungian insights.

While Qingyang temple worships Lao Tzu prominently, other wooden buildings contain sacred statues of other deities or saints: The Three Purities; the Goddess, the Jade Emperor. All have attendants, some peaceful and contemplative, others fierce and wielding swords. Then of course, there are the two 18^th century bronze rams, from which the temple gets its current name.  One is actually a mythical animal comprising parts of all 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. The profusion of symbols leaves a visitor befuddled, like a Moslem visiting a Roman church: the exuberance of images and color, of figures and myth, are beyond understanding and incredible.

Exhausted, pause to review the architectural details. The temple site dates back to the Zhou dynasty, sometime before 200 BC, but it rose to prominence after 881 AD when a Tang Emperor took refuge here in a time of upheaval. Restored to power, the Tang emperors, said to be descendents of Lao Tzu, built up the complex.  It was almost completely destroyed in the 1640s in the chaos of the last days of the Ming dynasty, so most of the buildings date from the time of the rule of the Manchus, many being the work of the great emperor Kangxi, others more recently reconstructed in the 19^th century.

Late in the evening after the crowds have gone, a sudden haunting music fills the air, drums and chimes, then chanting. Going into the Hall of the Three Purities, before the giant seated gilded statues are gathered in chant some 15 Taoist priests, most in the black robes, but those playing the instruments and leading the chants wear garments of yellow silk.

The only source quoted by Mao Zedong in “Contradictions Among the People” is not Karl Marx, not Engles, not Lenin, but Lao Tzu.

Evening Chant in Hall of Three Purities

Chapter 11, Tao-Te-Ching

A. A wheel is made of thirty perceptible spokes but it turns due to the imperceptible central axis of the hub.
B. Vessels are made of perceptible clay, but it is their imperceptible hollow that is useful.
C. The imperceptible holes that make the doors and windows of a house are its essentials.
D. It is the imperceptible that produces effects and results.

Lao Tzu says it is not the perceptible or the things that can be seen that make a being, but the imperceptible (hollow, void, hole) that cannot be seen that makes the being. He gives the example of the perceptible wheel which has spokes but turns due to its imperceptible central axis, he gives the example of vessels which are made up of perceptible clay but are useful due to their imperceptible hollow. What Taoism wants to put across is that its not the perceptible body of the man but it is the imperceptible soul, feelings and thoughts that make a man who he is. Thats why suffering of the imperceptible is more painful than suffering of the perceptible that is emotional and mental suffering is more painful than physical suffering.
One should realize that there is an immortal soul, your feelings and your thoughts that make you who you are. Pass down your thoughts and whatever you learn from life, for your mortal body may die but your thoughts will remain alive in this world.

Here are just a few examples of my “Portraits of Strangers,” ranging from summer of 2008 to the present.  These drawings will give you an idea of what I’m talking about, and also serve to form the basic conditions of future collaborative PoS projects.

June – August 2008 in New York City and Florida: In the beginning, I did not draw the portraits using a continuous contour line, but was more concerned with exploring live drawing.  I used a Japanese style Moleskine as my sketchbook, because its concerto style enabled me to create drawings that ran into each other.

September – December 2008, studying at Fudan University and travelling throughout China:  I used watercolor in China because I was inspired by…

“True virtue in a life is lived like water.” -Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu (or, The Way and Its Power by The Father of Taoism)

“Life starts with ocean; humans, as lords of creation, grow on Earth.” – from the Shanghai World Expo 2010 “The Wings of Human Dreams”

I also decided to do an oil painting of this woman I spoke broken Mandarin to at the Summer Palace in Beijing, because oil paints were very cheap back in Shanghai, and I had never done one before.  I put numbers on the bottom that recall the phone numbers scrawled all over the walls and sidewalks of China, advertising for a variety of services.  These numbers evoke a mugshot, how we’re statistics, just a drop in the ocean.

January – May 2009, studying Film and Television on Boston University’s London Program:

Clockwise from top left: man I saw twice on the tube; woman behind me in line for Ryan Air reimbursement tickets after our flights were cancelled and spent the night in Stansted Airport; man also waiting for the bus in Positano, Italy; Brits on the tube; women in Venice, Italy, eating at the same restaurant as my friends and I.

All the players, drawn by various Coney members and myself

These photos (not taken by myself) are from the game “Guess Whose Portrait?” which I designed to be play-tested at a PlayDay in March 2008 facilitated by London-based group Coney.  At the time, I was helping out with some of their projects through my internship at Solar Associates.

If you want to play your own version of  “Guess Who”, there’s no need to go out an buy it…just assemble some family or friends and draw each other’s portraits.  Collage, or photographing are okay too.  Then paste the portraits on paper, get some cardboard and cut slits into it for the cards to stick into. Et voilà! You have created a personalized “Guess Whose Portrait?” game.

I suggest you don’t draw two portraits of everyone, though, but instead photocopy one portrait for both game boards.  We ran into a bit of a problem since the two drawings were often drawn by different people and used different colors, or someone had taken off their sweatshirt, hat, etc. so the portrait was very different.  As a result, you couldn’t win the game!

]]> http://memoonyourhealth.com/2009/11/15/healthcare-reform-is-a-marathon-not-a-sprint/ Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:51:31 +0000 Memo Sanchez http://memoonyourhealth.com/2009/11/15/healthcare-reform-is-a-marathon-not-a-sprint/

In light of the legislation being debated on Capitol Hill, I am of the belief that healthcare reform is like a marathon, and too many Americans are making it out to be a 1600 meter dash.

About three years ago I ran my first marathon in Las Vegas, and I’ll be honest, it sucked. I trained completely wrong, my nutrition was not where it needed to be, and my legs were about to fall off around mile 21. I bolted out of the start line like a bat out of hell, but 20 miles later I must have looked like a wounded one-legged wallaby hobbling pitifully towards the finish line at the Mandalay Bay.

Yeah, healthcare reform is kind of like that.

It isn’t going to happen overnight. It’s going to be a long and arduous process of trying new policies, refurbishing old ones, and somewhere in between, making a lot of people uncomfortable with the  prospect of change. And let’s not kid ourselves, twenty six miles of  running can get uncomfortable, really uncomfortable.

One runner I saw defecated in his shorts around mile 17. He didn’t
even skip a beat, he just sauntered along with everyone else towards the finish line.

But this is how progress is attained, one step after another, over and over, clean shorts or not.

The best healthcare systems in the world are constantly evolving; they’re always trying new and innovative ways to improve access to and quality of healthcare.

Now it’s our turn to try something new, and no, we probably won’t get it right the first time. In fact we might even have to crap in our running shorts once or twice before we get to where we want to go.

But just like the man at mile 17 we’re going to trot along towards the finish until we reach a point where medical costs are under control and affordable high quality care is accessible to all Americans.

It’s likely we won’t ever reach a point where everyone is happy with the way things are in healthcare. But there is an undeniable need for change, and this ashamedly belated realization is in itself a catalyst for what needs to be done.

Healthcare reform is a marathon, not a sprint, people. The sooner we realize this the sooner we can have realistic expectations about how things are going to change these upcoming years.

What has happened these past months is that the seeds of  beneficent change have been planted and the pistol at the start of the marathon has shot off. Our healthcare system has just crossed the first mile marker, and we undoubtedly have a long way to go.

So have patience with reform and fight our seemingly innate American need for instant gratification: it took us decades to get into this mess and it will take a while for us to dig ourselves out of it.
Afterall, as Lao-Tzu once famously said, the journey of a thousand
miles begins with the first step.

“Water” by Peggy Nolan©

“Nothing in the world is more flexible and yielding than water. Yet when it attacks the firm and the strong, none can withstand it, because they have no way to change it. So the flexible overcome the adamant, the yielding overcome the forceful. Everyone knows this, but no one can do it.” ~ Lao Tzu

Where can you become flexible in your life?  What can you yield to or let go of?  Where can you be like water?

“Be content with what you have;

rejoice in the way things are.

When you realize there is nothing lacking,

the whole world belongs to you.”

–Lao Tzu

“At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.” – Lao Tzu

Yes we can! Your political affiliations notwithstanding, you gotta love the Obama story. Just a few years ago, the man who would eventually become President was struggling to pay his bills – hell, he didn’t pay off his student loans until he was well into his 40s. What an uplifting story.

Last night I saw the HBO Original Documentary By the People: The Election of Barack Obama. In an age where the American dream is more elusive than ever, the Obama presidency reminds us that although the American dream is wounded, it’s still alive and kicking.

One part that stuck out to me was Campaign Manager, David Plouffe’s pep talk to volunteers. He reminded them how far the campaign had come because of their commitment and devotion. He praised them for taking a candidate cloaked in the shadows of obscurity and turning him into a fierce competitor in the final stages of the Presidential race.

David Plouffe’s words remind us that we all start at nothing, but we eventually become something. Whatever we want to become, we can get there if our minds let us. First we have to let our minds let us. The beginning of a long journey toward success may seem daunting, but consider the journey already started, for Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu once said, “Even the longest journey must begin where you stand.”

So whatever it is you’re planning – however you plan on taking over the world, your journey has already begun … and you needn’t worry about how quickly you get there. Just remember this Confucius quote: “It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.”

- Lao Tzu

How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Other People

Experience is a riverbed,
Its source hidden, forever flowing:
Its entrance, the root of the world,
The Way moves within it:
Draw upon it; it will not run dry.

-Tao Te Ching, chapter 6

Il bene più alto è come l’acqua.
L’acqua si prodiga per le innumerevoli creature senza competere e abita in luoghi che gli esseri umani detestano. Perciò essa è simile al tao.
Nell’abitare è bene restare vicino alla terra.
Nel meditare è bene entrare profondamente nel cuore.
Nel dare è bene essere come il cielo.
Nel parlare è bene essere sincero.
Nel governare è bene essere giusto.
Nel trattare gli altri è bene essere competente.
Nell’agire è bene essere tempestivo.
Astieniti dal competere e resterai impassibile.

L’osservazione degli elementi, nella loro spontaneità, può dunque darci indicazioni su qualità da acquisire, o meglio da risvegliare dentro di noi, visto che  siamo fatti della stessa sostanza energetica di terra, fuoco, acqua, aria, etere. Mettiamo l’attenzione sull’acqua: essa è trasparente, cedevole, perchè può prendere la forma del recipiente dove viene messa senza perdersi anche quando viene mischiata con altre sostanze, nutre e disseta tutti gli esseri viventi. Hai poi la capacità di trascinare con sè, di smuovere gli ostacoli in maniera dolce, smussando ed infine riflette…ci permette di osservare ed osservarci!…Una superficie d’acqua, che sia lago o mare, può presentare un apparente stato d’agitazione con onde e correnti, ma più si scende in profondità e più se ne potrà percepire la calma, il silenzo profondo.

Ma perchè il mondo orientale guarda così tanto al mondo degli elementi, alla Natura vista nei suoi aspetti più sottili? Certo lì si ha una profonda sensibilità per le immagini, per il concepire poeticamente la realtà,come per i meravigliosi giardini giapponesi, ma io credo che si tratti soprattutto di una capacità, a loro rimasta, di  entrare in contatto con gli elementi, riuscendo a percepirne l’empatia con l’uomo,  quell’intelligenza energetica che può essere ipotizzata per esempio per l’Energia Creatrice, che crea appunto, produce, dona generosamente, permette tutti i processi viventi. L’uomo non può creare dal nulla, non è in grado di nutrire se non durante la maternità, e dunque sente il rispetto, l’amore dovuto per un’entità più potente. D’altro canto altri tipi di uomini hanno preferito dare un credito eccessivo all’intelligenza della mente, che sicuramente ha una sua utilità, ma non può certo creare, se non manipolando materia morta, e spesso e volentieri ha dimostrato di poter facilmente essere utilizzata per scopi che con il benessere dell’uomo hanno niente a che fare.

Tentativi per dimostrare l’esistenza di questa intelligenza sono stati fatti: un ricercatore giapponese, Masaru Emoto, ha condotto degli studi sull’acqua. Egli ha sottoposto l’elemento a musiche, parole di diverso genere. I cristalli che l’acqua ha formato subito dopo sono risultati molto diversi a secodo della parole, delle musiche considerate, come se l’acqua percepisse le vibazioni provenienti dall’esterno e  si relazionasse ad esse. Questi video mostrano alcuni dei suoi risultati:

Altri estratti dal Tao Te Ching:

Meditando con Lao Tzu 4/8

Meditando con Lao Tzu 3/8

Meditando con Lao Tzu 2/8

Meditando con Lao Tzu 1/8

“Whatever is flexible and flowing will tend to grow, whatever is rigid and blocked will wither and die. –Lao Tzu, from the Tao Te Ching.

Ideas can be life-changing. Sometimes all you need to open the door is just one more good idea” [Jim Rohn].

Greg and I are notorious for listening to business leaders, inspirational speakers or books on CD when we travel. I keep a small notebook handy to write down any compelling  phrases or ideas I hear.

One recent quote I heard by John Maxwell, contributor to SUCCESS magazine, was this:

On any given day
you can massively change the direction of your life.

That’s pretty powerful stuff when you think about it. Sometimes, it only takes “one” to set the plan in motion, open the door, make the difference:

One idea.

One introduction.

One response.

One person.

One invitation.

One approval.

One commitment.

One change.

One phone call.

One day . . .

to change your life.

I was having lunch with a friend earlier this week and she mentioned how much she enjoys meeting new people. “It only takes one, you know,” she said.

“One, what, exactly?” I asked, perplexed.

“One person.  It only takes one person to take you from being an orphan to a Queen. And you never know who that person will be. That’s why it is so fun.”

I immediately realized she was talking about the Bible story of Esther. She was right.  One person played a pivotal role in introducing Esther to her destiny.

Our conversation started me thinking about the power of one. Not 100 or 1,000 or 1 million.  Just one.  And the potential one contains, if you’re willing to harness it.

Too often we overlook the opportunity because it appears insignificant. We’re conditioned to believe that unless it is huge and extravagant and over-the-top, it’s meaningless. We avoid the small as we chase after the enormous.  We waste the day hoping for a better next year.

Is today your day?  The day when you discover your “one” which equips you to massively change the direction of your life?

Or are you content to continue waiting for a brighter inspiration, a larger check, a more compelling argument?

Lao Tzu said, ”If  you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.”  I say, “It only takes one turn to change your direction.”

Whatever you are, be a good one!

Deanna

PS: Today marks my 150th blog posting. It only took one comment from one friend, “What could it hurt?” to get this thing up and running.  What a difference “one” can make.

How many zillions people in this world so addicted to social networking thingy? A LOT. But here’s what the founder of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg says:

“What it comes down to, for me, is that people want to do what
will make them happy, but in order to understand that, they
really have to understand their world and what is going on
around them.”

in two words: BE AWARE.

always remember that people barely fall because of a huge mountain in front of them but of a small pebble, indeed.

For most of my life, I would not have considered myself an active person. I’ve struggled with fitness for a long time, and I usually think of myself in terms of my intellect and artistic ability– I was always the kid with the paintbrush, not the basketball — and I really never thought of myself as an actual body. I did participate in a variety of activities when I was younger (activities that I ended up quitting: horseback riding, fencing, rowing, ballet, swimming, soccer), but I never stuck with any regular exercise. The result was a terribly out of shape and overweight adult, somebody continually struggling.

This year, I decided to change all of that, and to let go of my baggage. Most of this started for me in January of last year, when I decided to start running. I downloaded the Couch to 5k podcast and began my training – and I did it! I completed the 9 week training schedule, and on April 20th I ran for a few miles at the end of the Boston Marathon to support a close friend. Later in the year, I found Healthworks (through Groupon – it was a great deal!), and took up spinning classes. The really crazy part was when I decided to run a half marathon, which I finished over Labor Day weekend.

When I first began my fitness overhaul, I was scared out of my mind. I had never done anything like this before, and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to do it — or that I would give this up, like everything else. My marathon coach gave me some great advice, and told me to bite off goals in manageable chunks in order to avoid feeling overwhelmed. “Just take one step at a time,” she said. And she’s right! Her advice made me think of Lao Tzu’s very famous and very over-quoted encouragement: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

At this point, I have taken a lot of steps to change my life. One step was starting to run, another step was joining Healthworks, joining an intramural soccer team, running my half marathon. In this process, I’ve already lost 50 pounds, and I know that I’m on my journey to a healthier, stronger, more confident me. I also know that I have more work to do, and that my journey isn’t nearly completed. Part of my journey involves thinking about workouts, meals, inspirations, frustrations, and goals. I just have to put one foot in front of the other and keep running on my journey.

-Hannah

Learn more about Hannah and her goals by following the “Meet the Bloggers” link at the top of this page!

Niente è più morbido e flessibile dell’acqua, eppure niente può resisterle.
Lao Tzu

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