tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7204566953556534922024-02-18T20:01:44.697-07:00My Mostly UnFabulous LifePart fairy, part imp, part fool, and part unrequited lover...
Me and my mostly un-fabulous life, Scooting in and around DenverScooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.comBlogger460125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720456695355653492.post-28524310542181568462012-12-29T10:00:00.001-07:002012-12-29T10:00:06.822-07:00Daily Tao / 363 - Night<div class='posterous_autopost'><p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile1.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-12-28/cjJficfEsEHEzpmllztDmebmBljGFokoqlkvBkivlADxjsFiqHBestnBeEyd/night_ocean.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Night_ocean" height="375" src="http://getfile4.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-12-28/cjJficfEsEHEzpmllztDmebmBljGFokoqlkvBkivlADxjsFiqHBestnBeEyd/night_ocean.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>In night's vast ocean,<br />Sun, moon, and earth align,<br />Pulling the earth out of roundness<br />And making tides rage.<br />Such is the power of night.<br /></strong></em></p> <blockquote style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">Night. You are mother of all. You existed before all. You are the background, the fabric, the whole underpinning of the universe. <p style="text-align: center;">In you is abstruse mystery, darker than the deepest water, blacker than the sleep of sleeps. You are an inconceivable fertility, a wild and uncontrollable realm from which strangeness and power and creativity and mutation and life spring. The miracle of birth comes from you. And the horror of death. That is why you both comfort and frighten us.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">Stars and planets are scattered through you like luminescent pearls. You string them on your current effortlessly, and the pull of syzygy is so tremendous that the birth shape of the earth is pulled out of roundness, the seas exceed their brims, and the heads and hearts of all the creatures on this planet are made to pound and wonder in dazzled confusion.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">When stars and novas burst, energy untold is unleashed -- explosions of such magnitude that human intellect and instruments could never hope to measure even if made superior by a hundredfold -- and yet these flames burn out, sputter, become mere dim coals in the supreme expanse that is night.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">Night. You are mother without a mother. You are mystery and power and ruler of all time.</p> </blockquote> </p></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720456695355653492.post-89856079876022306762012-12-28T10:01:00.001-07:002012-12-28T10:01:50.574-07:00Daily Tao / 362 - Emptiness<div class='posterous_autopost'><p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Img_1519" height="500" src="http://getfile9.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-12-28/FacnmztyDxHCwfhclCxoizrEHfcyGzFlcuydIBbkkgIDIkncptCsdqkHCAmd/IMG_1519.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="483" /> </div> </p> <table> <tr> <td><strong>EMPTINESS</strong></td> </tr> </table> <p> <p><em><strong>Dust cannot gather<br />If there is no mirror there.<br /></strong></em></p> <blockquote style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">Some people have compared a pure soul to the unsullied brightness of a perfect mirror. <p>Others have retorted that if there is no mirror there in the first place, then there cannot be anything to be sullied. The soul is empty.</p> <p>We should not think of our souls as discrete and separate from the rest of creation. We are indeed one with everything, so there is no need to think of our souls as isolated entities. Thus, it is the concept of the soul as separate being that is empty.</p> <p>It is impossible to live in this world and not be sullied by it. The red dust will settle on you no matter how often you clean. It is good to strive for purity, but if you conceive of purity as a fight against the filth and the dust of the world, you doom yourself to obsession and futility. The only way to achieve actual purity is to realize your essential oneness with all things. If you are one with everything, then even filth is pure. For this to happen, you must transcend all distinctions in yourself, resolve all contradictions. With this erasure, the mirror-bright soul and the dust are all dissolved in a single purity.</p> <p /> </blockquote> </p></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720456695355653492.post-4412461620018757092012-12-26T09:11:00.001-07:002012-12-26T09:11:50.740-07:0029 Years Ago ... <div class='posterous_autopost'><p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile0.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-12-26/emfdIcogpxtcCJdBEmufkmhvuHrIAkphdebpHtgikuFAfGzpdDsmxnutsABy/IMG_0531.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Img_0531" height="310" src="http://getfile8.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-12-26/emfdIcogpxtcCJdBEmufkmhvuHrIAkphdebpHtgikuFAfGzpdDsmxnutsABy/IMG_0531.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> </p> <p>29 years ago today, I started a job that would end up being my career. Six years earlier, the airline industry had been de-regulated, and I was coming in on what would be the end of the "golden age" of air-travel. Airlines like Braniff were disappearing while others the People Express ( the grandather of the discounts llike Southwest ) were just showing up on the scene. You could still get prime rib sliced fresh in front of you on long-haul flights and watching 1/2 the plane light-up after the no smoking light went out was always fun for kid like me. </p> <p>Into this atmosphere stepped an 18 year-old kid whose father was an anirline person hmself. My first job, working at the United Airlines flight kitchen in Denver almost never happened. My father gave my application to a work colleague who gave it a spouse who gave it to the person who ran the kitchen. ( got that ? ) The interview with this gentleman was short and sweet - Hi, how are you? Are you a union person or not ? ( to which a naive kid said no ) and last but not least, when can you start ? Me - now ! His response was "welcome board". I was then sent across the street to the United Flight training center where our medical offices where for a physical and this is where the story gets fun. </p> <p>Walking in to the offices the female manager/boss asked me what i was doing there ( with no apparent appointment in the books ) and told here that I was just hired and was told to come here for my physical. She informed me that I wasn't hired, and probably wouldn't be hired because of broken protocol, and was told in so many words to leave. Now these buildings. The flight Kitchen and flight Training center literally shared the same parking lot, so i left and proceeded back to the Kitchen where I pleaded my case the manager who had just interviewed me. This ended with me sitting at his desk while several phone calls where made which grew more and more heated with each conversation. Most of them went like this ( from my end because i could only hear what the Kitchen manager was saying) ... " he's hired because i SAID SO & I'm not taking any more crap from you!! ". I was then told to go back to the medical center ..... </p> <p>This lady was not happy. She made that point to me several times saying that if she had any say I would be pemanently banned from United because I had gone over her head. I tried to explain that I was only doing what I had been told by the other management people at the building over there, but she wouldn't have any of it. </p> <p>This all happened on about December 20th ... on December 24th I got a phone call from United Employment congratulating me on being hired and was told to report for duty on December 26th at 4am. </p> <p>... I was late. my first day. by 10 minutes. </p> <p>There have been many ups and downs since then, from traveling the world to seeing the world come down around the airlines. Every time I think I've seen it all someting else happens. And after 29 years I really am looking forward to the 20 ... ( I am young enough still - smh ) </p></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720456695355653492.post-84898381310330291012012-11-10T10:32:00.001-07:002012-11-10T10:32:14.475-07:00Robb's One-Word Movie Review <div class='posterous_autopost'><p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile0.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-11-10/miezFmsyDgtqpzHocterlzgyAEniGuAsBxGvuGtdCIdjhblivdozyqkmEenv/IMG_0611.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Img_0611" height="741" src="http://getfile8.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-11-10/miezFmsyDgtqpzHocterlzgyAEniGuAsBxGvuGtdCIdjhblivdozyqkmEenv/IMG_0611.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> </p> <p>Best. Bond. Ever. ( ok - so it's three words ) </p></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720456695355653492.post-29391039109044073502012-07-24T10:47:00.001-06:002012-07-24T10:47:12.258-06:00diy project: erik’s recycled wine bottle torch | Design*Sponge<div class='posterous_autopost'><div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Media_httpassets7desi_gdefy" height="627" src="http://getfile4.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/mymostlyunfabulouslife/otAIFpuIudvbvAGEvismrtuAkFtscowkqhtfxBApcGozgrorktmGvvBJiFty/media_httpassets7desi_GDEFy.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="475" /> </div> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.designsponge.com/2009/08/diy-project-eriks-recycled-wine-bottle-torch.html">designsponge.com</a></div> <p>This weeks DIY project ...</p></div></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720456695355653492.post-46815375708920628672012-07-13T10:10:00.001-06:002012-07-13T10:10:03.214-06:00A Death, that struck when I was most in need ...<div class='posterous_autopost'><p>( with all apologies to Emily Bronte ) </p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile2.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-07-13/gatvBJHpohlCBcatdDrtFiuiEsvhotiiecEfAnrqJskCuqbCxGzjcepdhror/IMG_1358.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Img_1358" height="667" src="http://getfile6.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-07-13/gatvBJHpohlCBcatdDrtFiuiEsvhotiiecEfAnrqJskCuqbCxGzjcepdhror/IMG_1358.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> </p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">Death, that struck when I was most in need </span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">In my certain Faith of joy to caffiene, </span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Strike again, The on switch's old worn button </span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">From years of use and despairity !</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"> <p>Grinds upon thy filter, were waiting brightly, <br />Full of flavor and of silver dew; <br />Mugs, 'near its carafe, gathered tightly; <br />Daily, round its flowing, the browned brew.</p> <p>Sorrow passed and plucked the golden liquid, <br />Guilt stripped of the broken inside; <br />But, within its parent's kindly bosom,<br />Flowed forever Keurig's restoring tide.</p> </span></p></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720456695355653492.post-28983761154958513312012-06-16T07:57:00.001-06:002012-06-16T07:57:29.924-06:00Retro Saturday -<div class='posterous_autopost'><p>After an extended hiatus , I'm back !</p> <p>And to celebrate Denver's Pridefest 2012; and oldie, but goodie</p> <p> </p> <p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TNAQ8LLptUo" frameborder="0" height="360" width="480"></iframe></p></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720456695355653492.post-79008008312173334842012-04-20T10:28:00.001-06:002012-04-20T10:28:22.329-06:00Day of Silence ...<div class='posterous_autopost'><p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile7.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-04-20/viulvcxwkxlfczCCBElrsjxtIwbsFuphdxhyiFFbaHoqnGCxFifnlwwHGwfk/day-of-silence.gif.scaled1000.gif"><img alt="Day-of-silence" height="500" src="http://getfile7.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-04-20/viulvcxwkxlfczCCBElrsjxtIwbsFuphdxhyiFFbaHoqnGCxFifnlwwHGwfk/day-of-silence.gif.scaled500.gif" width="500" /></a> </div> </p></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720456695355653492.post-73094451261542887122012-04-04T10:33:00.001-06:002012-04-04T10:33:00.803-06:00Daily Tao / 94 - Practice<div class='posterous_autopost'><p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Taoist-meditation1-300x189" height="189" src="http://getfile4.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-04-04/cfwaandvwxbcuEobmioJBlEuxyCxGeoacbwyCbpyCpAhIfJCveronziCFgkk/Taoist-Meditation1-300x189.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="300" /> </div> <p /><br /></p> <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"> <tr> <td><strong>PRACTICE</strong></td> </tr> </table> <p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Spiritual success is gained by daily cultivation.<br />If you practiced for the day, then you have won.<br />If you were lazy for the day, then you have lost.<br /></strong></em></p> <blockquote style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Self-cultivation is the heart of spiritual attainment. Gaining insight and ability is not a matter of grand statements, dramatic initiations, or sporadic moments of enlightenment. Those things are only highlights in a life of consistent activity.</span> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">Whatever system of spirituality you practice, do it every day. If it is prayer, then pray every day. If it is meditation, then meditate every day. If it is exercise, then exercise every day. Only then will you be able to say that you are truly practicing spirituality.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">This methodical approach is reassuring in several ways. First, it provides you with a process and a means to maintain progress even if that particular day is not inspiring or significant. Just to practice is already good. Secondly, it gives you a certain faith. If you practice every day, it is inevitable that you will gain from it. Thirdly, constant practice gives you a certain satisfaction. How can you say to yourself that you have truly entered a spiritual path unless you can look back on years of daily practice and take comfort in the momentum that it has given you?</span></p> </blockquote> </p></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720456695355653492.post-53768957995342017312012-03-28T09:25:00.001-06:002012-03-28T09:25:32.245-06:00Daily Tao / 87 - Integration<div class='posterous_autopost'><p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Stillness" height="360" src="http://getfile7.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-03-28/oasdGyEFFlfvkzkqaaqcysacasoDoAnymybpEbEadedIeGdDJcmnHfiGcmCx/stillness.jpeg.scaled500.jpg" width="480" /> </div> <p /><br /></p> <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"> <tr> <td><strong>INTEGRATION</strong></td> </tr> </table> <p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Be still to know the absolute.<br />Be active to know the outer.<br />The two spring from the same source,<br />All of life is one whole.<br /></strong></em></p> <blockquote style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In stillness, one seeks the absolute Tao. There is neither beauty nor ugliness in it. Because it has no opposites, it is called absolute. By contrast, nothing of this world is absolute, because all things that we experience are relative.</span> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">Seeking the absolute may be among the greatest goals, but you cannot remain on your meditation cushion forever. You must go out and explore life as well. This is the investigation of the outer Tao -- that aspect of Tao that flows through all existence. You must not fail to explore anything that interests you. Any skill you want to master should be learned. Any subject that arouses curiosity should be examined. Every insecurity should be overcome. Every question should be answered. If you do not do this, then you cannot freely flow with the outer Tao : Every one of your uncertainties will be an obstacle.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">Initially, it will seem as if there is no connection between your time meditating and the outer things in your life. After all, the masters themselves constantly stress the difference between the spiritual and the social. But eventually, you will reach a point where the quiescence of contemplation and the activeness of living are integrated. Then there is no anxiety about whether one is living a spiritual life or not. You realize that it is all part of the same seamless whole.</span></p> </blockquote> </p></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720456695355653492.post-79916554215297709602012-03-27T09:08:00.001-06:002012-03-27T09:08:33.738-06:00Daily Tao / 86 - Images<div class='posterous_autopost'><p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile5.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-03-27/vzikeGIpAtvHznscwfdvymmGcalyzquoCquagCIJCncdEvsICwxHHbfkqfmi/2840460-father-and-son-riding-bicycle-silhouette-in-sunset.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="2840460-father-and-son-riding-bicycle-silhouette-in-sunset" height="338" src="http://getfile0.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-03-27/vzikeGIpAtvHznscwfdvymmGcalyzquoCquagCIJCncdEvsICwxHHbfkqfmi/2840460-father-and-son-riding-bicycle-silhouette-in-sunset.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <p /><br /></p> <table> <tr> <td><strong>IMAGES</strong></td> </tr> </table> <p> <p><em><strong>Sound, smell, taste, image, touch, sleep.<br />Can you think without clinging to these forms?<br />A thought without shape is rare,<br />Knowledge of Tao rarer still.<br /></strong></em></p> <blockquote style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">Our mind needs to cling to some object in order to function in its usual modes. If you look at your memories, you will find that most are tied to some sensory image. The thought of being in the country brings up a certain fragrance. You "see" relationships in a certain way. We may do math problems, or compose something to say to our companions, but we will still think in numbers and words. <p>Some people make the mistake of rejecting this type of thinking, but we need to use these modes in order to function in the everyday world. When it comes to knowing Tao, thought tied to sensory images is not enough to bring complete realization. Dualistic thinking cannot be used to know Tao. But don't discard it as long as ordinary functioning in the world is necessary.</p> <p>When one meditates, one must use an aspect of consciousness that does not cling to external forms. This type of consciousness is beyond the senses. Some call these states of mind superconsciousness, samadhi, nirvana, or enlightenment. These are mere names. All that matters is getting to these states. Then all labels fall away.</p> </blockquote> </p></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720456695355653492.post-64211536553552986542012-03-25T09:45:00.001-06:002012-03-25T09:45:04.474-06:00Daily Tao / 84 - Intellect<div class='posterous_autopost'><p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Old-book-shelf" height="339" src="http://getfile0.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-03-25/JGCkyharlFajzfurrwAHxwEFaplmevhfsdBtmhAaclcoqbJFxiHtyneIpduG/old-book-shelf.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="432" /> </div> <p /><br /></p> <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"> <tr> <td><strong>INTELLECT</strong></td> </tr> </table> <p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Scholars, drunk on words and obscure meanings,<br />Weave a tangled web of concordances.<br />Simple practice never occurs to them.<br />Give up education, and the world will be better.<br /></strong></em></p> <blockquote style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There are many who seek Tao through the intellect. They revel in thousands of concordances, seek similarities in all the world's religions, conduct learned discourses for enthralled audiences. But they would reach the truth <a href="http://www.fortunecity.com/roswell/vortex/401/library/365/084.htm#" class="itxtrst itxtrsta itxthook" rel="nofollow" style="float: none !important; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: none; border-color: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: normal; text-align: left; display: inline !important; font-family: inherit; font-variant: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: normal; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: underline; border-bottom-color: #006400; color: #006400; border-bottom-width: 0.1em; margin: 0px !important;"><span class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxthookspan" style="float: none; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: none; border-color: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: normal; text-align: left; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline !important; font-weight: inherit; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-bottom-color: transparent; color: #006400; padding: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important;">faster</span></a> if they tied their thoughts to experience.</span> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">The intellect is inherently dualistic. It makes distinctions and creates new connections between concepts and calls that "meaning." This type of analytical thinking is extremely limited in the face of Tao, which is not fully rational, not fully quantitative, not fully describable. Though most followers of Tao are learned, they also realize that the intellect is but one aspect in what must be a multifaceted approach to Tao.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">It is said one must give up on education, not because we should be dumb, but because we must seek a level of consciousness beyond the intellect. We must study, but not to the point that emphasis on experience and meditation is lost. If we can combine the intellect and direct experience with our meditative mind, then there will be no barrier to the wordless perception of reality.</span></p> </blockquote> </p></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720456695355653492.post-75376826105632333682012-03-24T11:57:00.001-06:002012-03-24T11:57:57.265-06:00Retro Saturday -<div class='posterous_autopost'><p>Today we'll go for a classic - </p> <p> </p> <p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tDZy6-fMCw4" frameborder="0" height="360" width="480"></iframe></p></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720456695355653492.post-32753059277967883412012-03-24T08:59:00.001-06:002012-03-24T08:59:49.616-06:00Daily Tao / 83 - Parting<div class='posterous_autopost'><p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile7.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-03-24/wyjfFEwvEnmvmEneCqrwmrigungbAgHtjDuiBfHCnjxrbqujfjEljIElGzoi/Parting_Ways_by_Yarns.png.scaled1000.png"><img alt="Parting_ways_by_yarns" height="375" src="http://getfile1.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-03-24/wyjfFEwvEnmvmEneCqrwmrigungbAgHtjDuiBfHCnjxrbqujfjEljIElGzoi/Parting_Ways_by_Yarns.png.scaled500.png" width="500" /></a> </div> <p /><br /></p> <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"> <tr> <td><strong>PARTING</strong></td> </tr> </table> <p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>You and I assumed forever<br />When we became companions.<br />But now, unhappy, you are leaving.<br />The sky turns to bitter candescence<br />Unslaked by resignation.<br /></strong></em></p> <blockquote style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There are times when we have been lucky enough to have companions on our spiritual path, but the time of parting often comes without welcome. When our friends decide to leave, we are often left with doubt, confusion, and sometimes guilt. Anyone may leave the path. They won't suffer damnation; they will only walk a different path.</span> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">The rule for those who follow Tao is this : Walk the path together as long as you can, and when you must part, never hold your companion back.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">Should one seek to have no feelings at all regarding friends? After all, the sages constantly warn against attachment. Yet emotion is part of what makes us human. We may understand philosophically why a companion must leave, but we need not deny our feelings as we walk on alone.</span></p> </blockquote> </p></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720456695355653492.post-19328343150969221192012-03-23T08:14:00.001-06:002012-03-23T08:14:53.124-06:00Daily Tao / 82 - Attunement<div class='posterous_autopost'><p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Flowers-in-sun" height="341" src="http://getfile6.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-03-23/EqkJCvHczAjCrEhnkqhveEJculsesjoEqAfDkgGHgrDBalzBFFnttJjjfovn/flowers-in-sun.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="455" /> </div> <p /><br /></p> <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"> <tr> <td><strong>ATTUNEMENT</strong></td> </tr> </table> <p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Traversing sun leads to a new season,<br />Vernal breath attunes the leaves.<br /></strong></em></p> <blockquote style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Tao is here. It is we who are not always in harmony with it.</span> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">Tao proceeds on its own way. It is we who are not ready to follow.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">Tao is absolutely sure in its movement. It is we who involve ourselves in amusements.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">Tao has no consciousness, yet it is supreme. It is we who think compulsively.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">Therefore, tuning ourselves to Tao is the basic task. We must make ourselves the perfect instrument, much in the way a beautiful harp has all its strings adjusted. If we are less than perfect, how will we harmonize with the universal music? Once we are attuned, we can become open to Tao. Where it leads, we follow without hesitation. Just as a <a href="http://www.fortunecity.com/roswell/vortex/401/library/365/082.htm#" class="itxtrst itxtrsta itxthook" rel="nofollow" style="float: none !important; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: none; border-color: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: normal; text-align: left; display: inline !important; font-family: inherit; font-variant: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: normal; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: underline; border-bottom-color: #006400; color: #006400; border-bottom-width: 0.1em; margin: 0px !important;"><span class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxthookspan" style="float: none; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: none; border-color: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: normal; text-align: left; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline !important; font-weight: inherit; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-bottom-color: transparent; color: #006400; padding: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important;">musician</span></a>expresses individual talent and understanding and yet blends with the swelling magnificence of the orchestra, so too does the follower of Tao remain human and yet in harmony with the universal.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">When the sun begins its new pattern, spring follows. The air warms, and the world rejoices. A new breath comes over all things, and even the trembling leaves are attuned to the vernal rhythm. Turn your face to the sun, as flowers know how to do. Turn your face to Tao, as we should all do.</span></p> </blockquote> </p></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720456695355653492.post-66931046755740242202012-03-23T06:57:00.001-06:002012-03-23T06:57:53.679-06:00Robb's One-Word Movie Reviews ...<div class='posterous_autopost'><p>I was lucky to get invited to a private advanced-screening of </p> <p> </p> <p>Hunger Games - </p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile2.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-03-22/AckuuHDruDvdydyBgoEFhGGyhjrfhronzhkGyJzDAamHhkmwgeCInGfEHAFA/hunger-games-one-sheet.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Hunger-games-one-sheet" height="741" src="http://getfile5.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-03-22/AckuuHDruDvdydyBgoEFhGGyhjrfhronzhkGyJzDAamHhkmwgeCInGfEHAFA/hunger-games-one-sheet.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> *** Fantastic ***</p></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720456695355653492.post-746248229468365192012-03-22T07:57:00.001-06:002012-03-22T07:57:50.606-06:00Daily Tao / 81 - Sailing<div class='posterous_autopost'><p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile1.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-03-22/DIFtJlvAufohxtmhBzaoFEysJtybDrBICpnruCmabJeujBupFyGhhjHwwkcC/Sailing-small-boat-in-Fiji.gif.scaled1000.gif"><img alt="Sailing-small-boat-in-fiji" height="375" src="http://getfile5.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-03-22/DIFtJlvAufohxtmhBzaoFEysJtybDrBICpnruCmabJeujBupFyGhhjHwwkcC/Sailing-small-boat-in-Fiji.gif.scaled500.gif" width="500" /></a> </div> <p /><br /></p> <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"> <tr> <td><strong>SAILING</strong></td> </tr> </table> <p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Infinite expanse, sleek ocean teaming with life,<br />Turbulent, virile, ever-moving spread,<br />Seamlessly laid to the brilliant sky,<br />I float on you in my fashioned womb,<br />Sustained against your green-black depths.<br />Those on land never understand maritime life.<br />Those of the sea are intimate with your moods;<br />They navigate but are ultimately helpless.<br />Destinations become useless, drifting the sole reality:<br />A sailor's fears dissolve into acceptance.<br /></strong></em></p> <blockquote style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">Tao is sometimes compared to the ocean. Its depth is immeasurable, its <a href="http://www.fortunecity.com/roswell/vortex/401/library/365/081.htm#" class="itxtrst itxtrsta itxthook" rel="nofollow" style="float: none !important; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: none; border-color: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: normal; text-align: left; display: inline !important; font-family: inherit; font-variant: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: normal; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: underline; border-bottom-color: #006400; color: #006400; border-bottom-width: 0.1em; margin: 0px !important;"><span class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxthookspan" style="float: none; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: none; border-color: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: normal; text-align: left; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-variant: normal; font-size: inherit; text-decoration: underline !important; font-weight: inherit; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-bottom-color: transparent; color: #006400; padding: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important;">power</span></a> rules all who enter it. We seek to sail it with our knowledge of knots, direction, mathematics, and charts, yet our understanding is incomparable to its vastness. The young have great ambitions about exploring both above and below the surface, while the old have given in : They know that there is no other alternative than to accept the ocean and float upon it. One who accepts is sustained. Those who go beyond its terms meet death. Thus the wise say that they float here and there without care; they trust in the overwhelming power of Tao.</blockquote> </p></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720456695355653492.post-80721806870355588592012-03-21T07:57:00.001-06:002012-03-21T07:57:46.591-06:00Daily Tao / 80 - Opposites<div class='posterous_autopost'><p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Opposites" height="361" src="http://getfile7.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-03-20/qmisGpymdfEebsmcpFJJldtgbbithyJjvFuttBeHmEqxvbpGaGmzzqCqiwgC/opposites.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /> </div> <p /><br /></p> <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"> <tr> <td><strong>OPPOSITES</strong></td> </tr> </table> <p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Before emptying, there must be fullness.<br />Before shrinking, there must be expanding.<br />Before falling, there must be ascent.<br />To destroy something, lead it to its extreme.<br />To preserve something, keep to the middle.<br /></strong></em></p> <blockquote style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Although we speak of opposites, they are not truly antagonistic elements. All opposites are part of the same entity. Like a two-headed snake, opposites are two parts of the same whole. They define one another, as black defines white. They alternate with one another, as war alternates with peace.</span> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">Whenever any phenomenon reaches its extreme, it will change toward its opposite, just as the darkest night begins to change toward dawn, and the coldest winter is followed by glorious spring. Therefore, anything that one wishes to destroy need only be led to its extreme or crushed while it is just appearing. For example, the two easiest times to destroy a tree are when it is so tall that it is about to topple or so young that it can be easily uprooted.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">The same principle holds if one wishes to nurture something. You can prevent its destruction by bringing it close to, but not over, its apex. You can take a branch from an old tree and graft it. This is the wisdom of the middle ground. Followers of Tao change a situation when it reaches its apex. By joining their efforts to a new situation that is just budding, they attain perpetuity.</span></p> </blockquote> </p></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720456695355653492.post-11115176067668852382012-03-20T15:15:00.001-06:002012-03-20T15:15:26.719-06:00Daily Tao / 79 - Spring<div class='posterous_autopost'><p><br /><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile6.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-03-20/slrwEpbDkijHfnhABtEBkmGfkIkrpixEwDinmfrxtyAyECpoccjjIevyCurD/big2.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Big2" height="375" src="http://getfile3.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-03-20/slrwEpbDkijHfnhABtEBkmGfkIkrpixEwDinmfrxtyAyECpoccjjIevyCurD/big2.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <p /></p> <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"> <tr> <td><strong>SPRING</strong></td> </tr> </table> <p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Sun and moon divide the sky,<br />Fragrance blooms on pear wood bones :<br />Earth awakens with a sigh.<br />Wanderer revels on the path alone.<br /></strong></em></p> <blockquote style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It is the time of equinox, when day and night are briefly equal. This day signals the beginning of spring, the increasing of light, and the return of life to the frozen earth.</span> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">Of course, this day only represents a moment in time. Spring has long been returning, and we know that summer will soon follow. The cycle of the seasons will continue in succession. There is no such thing as a true stopping in time, for all is a continuum. Nature makes its own concordances as a mere outgrowth to its movement; it is we who see structure and give names to pattern.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">But who can begrudge temporary pleasures to a solitary <a href="http://www.fortunecity.com/roswell/vortex/401/library/365/079.htm#" class="itxtrst itxtrsta itxthook" rel="nofollow" style="float: none !important; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: none; border-color: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: normal; text-align: left; display: inline !important; font-family: inherit; font-variant: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: normal; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: underline; border-bottom-color: #006400; color: #006400; border-bottom-width: 0.1em; margin: 0px !important;"><span class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxthookspan" style="float: none; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: none; border-color: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: normal; text-align: left; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline !important; font-weight: inherit; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-bottom-color: transparent; color: #006400; padding: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important;">traveler</span></a>? Let us go out and enjoy the day, revel in the coming of spring, rejoice in the warming of the earth. For though the ground may be covered with frost, movement and growth are taking place all around us. Beauty bared fills our eyes and makes us drunk. As we wander the endless mountains and streams, filling our lungs with the breath of the forests, let us take comfort in being part of nature. For life has enough misery and misfortune. Philosophy reminds us enough of the transience of life. Give us the charm of the ephemeral, and let it silence all who would object.</span></p> </blockquote> </p></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720456695355653492.post-46929094011484546352012-03-19T08:01:00.001-06:002012-03-19T08:01:17.667-06:00Daily Tao / 78 - Fear<div class='posterous_autopost'><p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Reflections" height="300" src="http://getfile5.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-03-18/kgrGkBdvBjeGgqhssfsoEfDtdAhqeGzylgfqkJhHrlmwEznJdceBkJtziHjl/reflections.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="400" /> </div> <p /><br /></p> <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"> <tr> <td><strong>FEAR</strong></td> </tr> </table> <p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Trust the gods within,<br />Accept given boons.<br />Illusion is reality's border :<br />Pierce fear to go beyond.<br /></strong></em></p> <blockquote style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In your meditations, you will meet gods. These gods are nothing more than the holiest aspects of your own mind; they are not other beings. Your inner gods will grant gifts of knowledge and power. Accept what comes your way without doubt and without fear. You can trust your gods. They will never betray you, for you cannot betray yourself.</span> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">Such trust dissolves fear and regret. You will find a resolution to your inner conflicts. The gods will direct you forward to the very border of reality itself. On the other side is vast profundity, the ultimate nature of existence. But the border can be crossed only if you have resolved all fear and regret.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">All fear comes from our sense of self. When we stand at the border of reality, we are afraid that we will lose our identities by plunging in. We are afraid of being destroyed. but we came from Tao in the first place. We are Tao. To return to Tao is not to be negated, but to become one with the entire universe. True, we will no longer be who we are now, but we will be one with Tao. In that state, there is no need for fear.</span></p> </blockquote> </p></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720456695355653492.post-89594970315615703452012-03-18T10:52:00.001-06:002012-03-18T10:52:13.652-06:00Today's Mantra ...<div class='posterous_autopost'><p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="P83" height="402" src="http://getfile6.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/mymostlyunfabulouslife/citFybGcrEoyBgksmkptdAgwqcBAtqxzgpDcwwumcCIxbfxtsohtFdbhgotj/p83.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="370" /> </div> </p></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720456695355653492.post-8491577979796422272012-03-18T10:12:00.001-06:002012-03-18T10:12:14.884-06:00Daily Tao / 77 - Fate<div class='posterous_autopost'><p><br /><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Cosmos" height="500" src="http://getfile5.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-03-18/qlguietfrAlAvkcirygzrIivCvfhslvJdlbDymmkabjaJdyFresdHnAavCCy/cosmos.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /> </div> <p /></p> <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"> <tr> <td><strong>FATE</strong></td> </tr> </table> <p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Dispel time<br />And you will <br />Dispel fate.<br /></strong></em></p> <blockquote style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Fate is the force that interferes with our lives, wrecking things at the worst moments. Yet what we call fate is nothing more than the consequence of our own actions. Each time we act, we generate a chain of events that is tied to us completely. The <a href="http://www.fortunecity.com/roswell/vortex/401/library/365/077.htm#" class="itxtrst itxtrsta itxthook" rel="nofollow" style="float: none !important; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: none; border-color: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: normal; text-align: left; display: inline !important; font-family: inherit; font-variant: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: normal; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: underline; border-bottom-color: #006400; color: #006400; border-bottom-width: 0.1em; margin: 0px !important;"><span class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxthookspan" style="float: none; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: none; border-color: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: normal; text-align: left; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline !important; font-weight: inherit; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-bottom-color: transparent; color: #006400; padding: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important;">faster</span></a> we run from these links, the faster they follow us. They cannot be severed; our every act binds us further.</span> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">The operative element here is time. The events of the past are the curse. Beginning followers of Tao learn to manipulate past, present, and future. They learn how circumstances operate and seek to take advantage of that. More <a href="http://www.fortunecity.com/roswell/vortex/401/library/365/077.htm#" class="itxtrst itxtrsta itxthook" rel="nofollow" style="float: none !important; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: none; border-color: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: normal; text-align: left; display: inline !important; font-family: inherit; font-variant: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: normal; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: underline; border-bottom-color: #006400; color: #006400; border-bottom-width: 0.1em; margin: 0px !important;"><span class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxthookspan" style="float: none; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: none; border-color: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: normal; text-align: left; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline !important; font-weight: inherit; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-bottom-color: transparent; color: #006400; padding: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important;">advanced</span></a> followers of Tao eschew this process of manipulation. They obliterate all regard to past, present, and future as definitions in order to negate the concept of fate.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">In order to attain a state of being where there is no past to weigh upon the present and no future to be determined, followers of Tao must reach a profound merging with Tao. The follower then acts no differently than Tao would. There is no fate to oppose them, for they are existence, they are causality, they are Tao itself.</span></p> </blockquote> </p></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720456695355653492.post-74474332544140901832012-03-14T08:05:00.001-06:002012-03-14T08:05:40.414-06:00Daily Tao / 73 - Affirmation<div class='posterous_autopost'><p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile1.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-03-14/nlqIckareGhEuHukdurdIlrrHwrIjGmBwGjzDpkwhdJjAdJtdgBgaJabEqFG/precipice.gif.scaled1000.gif"><img alt="Precipice" height="375" src="http://getfile3.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-03-14/nlqIckareGhEuHukdurdIlrrHwrIjGmBwGjzDpkwhdJjAdJtdgBgaJabEqFG/precipice.gif.scaled500.gif" width="500" /></a> </div> <p /><br /></p> <table> <tr> <td><strong>AFFIRMATION</strong></td> </tr> </table> <p> <p><em><strong>Stand at the precipice,<br />That existential darkness,<br />And call into the void :<br />It will surely answer.<br /></strong></em></p> <blockquote style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The precipice represents our dilemma as human beings, the sense that this existence is all too random, all too absurd. Is there order? Is there a force directing things? These are the important issues, so important that we cannot rely on scripture, but must instead explore on our own.</span> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">The followers of Tao compare the void to a valley. A valley is void, yet it is productive and positive. The emptiness of the valley permits water to accumulate for plants. It allows life-giving sunlight to flood its surface. Its openness gives comfort to people and animals alike. The void should not be frightening. Rather, it contains all possibilities. Peer into it, call out, not just with your voice, but with your whole being. If your cry is deep and sincere, an echo is sure to return. This is the affirmation of our existence, the affirmation that we are on the right path. With that encouragement, we can continue our lives and our explorations. Then the void is not frightening, but a constant companion.</span></p> </blockquote> </p></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720456695355653492.post-66770229274980235662012-03-13T17:58:00.001-06:002012-03-13T17:58:52.685-06:00Daily Tao / 72 - Discovery<div class='posterous_autopost'><p>[[posterous-content:pid___0]]<p /><br /></p> <table> <tr> <td><strong>DISCOVERY</strong></td> </tr> </table> <p> <p><em><strong>Seize the mountain spirits,<br />Make them divulge their secrets.<br />Only with strength is there discovery.<br /></strong></em></p> <blockquote style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">The scriptures say that the mountains contain the answers. Generations of seekers have gone into the wilderness and have encountered spirits both benevolent and terrible. Though the possibility of great discovery is mixed with the threat of misadventure, we must all go into the mountains to seek these answers. <p>We should understand that these mountains represent the unknown aspects of our own minds. Meditation is a process of discovery, of slowly exploring how you function as a human being. Through walking in the vastness of this land, you can resolve the problems of your psyche and seek the treasures buried in your soul. Like actual mountain exploration, this process is not without danger. Failure means falling into insanity and obsession. Success is to find treasures without comparison anywhere in the world.</p> <p>People ask, "Is meditation necessary?" If you want to explore the innermost parts of your mind and ascertain who you really are, there is no more ideal method. Mere introspection is not deep enough, and psychological counseling will not necessarily bring you face to face with all parts of yourself. Only the depth and solitude of meditation can help you learn everything. Discoveries are there. We need only enter the mind to find them.</p> </blockquote> </p></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720456695355653492.post-14222259988879214872012-03-12T11:24:00.001-06:002012-03-12T11:24:44.861-06:00Daily Tao / 71 - Entertainment<div class='posterous_autopost'><p><br /><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="10499254-bungee-jumping" height="300" src="http://getfile3.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-03-12/vJEcrxuDtEjwoshdinCsfpgosyyhiIDsseczmErHFbmHzHnpGwiBlAiblwvE/10499254-bungee-jumping.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="430" /> </div> <p /></p> <table> <tr> <td><strong>ENTERTAINMENT</strong></td> </tr> </table> <p> <p><em><strong>The mind that turns ever outward<br />Will have no end to craving.<br />Only the mind turned inward<br />Will find a still-point of peace.<br /></strong></em></p> <blockquote style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It seems people never tire of seeking new thrills. They crave entertainment, and they want newer, sharper experiences. Events do not even need to be actual -- people are more than content with recreations, displays, and stimulating machines. Music must be amplified. A historic location must have museums, shops, and festivals. Life must have elaborate ceremonies with images, music, speaking, dining, and drinking.</span> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">Followers of Tao regard all reality as being projections of our minds. All phenomena are subjective and relative. Therefore, it is folly to further entangle ourselves in confusion. True reality lies in withdrawal from the swirling variations of the outside world. It lies in looking within and then slowly peeling away the layers of subjectivity. What will remain is not a core of objectivity, but a kernel of truth that absorbs rather than reflects. If we enter into this kernel, our minds cease to continue their habits of creating stimulating realities, and we enter into a silence that feels perfect and whole</span>.</p> </blockquote> </p></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080305691400238880noreply@blogger.com