Beauty Everywhere

Against the Storm by Jude McConkey

It's been a tough winter for most of the country this year.

When it gets to be this time of the season, where many people's attitudes have hardened and soured even deeper then usual, its important become even more aware of ourselves.  When you feel yourself wading into that pool of  funk, try and step back... realize what you're doing, and adjust your perspective so it doesn't bleed over onto other people's lives and environment.

Try being nice...or, just be quiet.

The following passage is taken from the book "The Tao of Joy Everyday" by Derek Lin

Wise words ~

Beauty Everywhere

One powerful effect of Tao cultivation is that, more and more, you are able to look at everything through the eyes of the Tao.  When this happens, you will suddenly see much more that is good, and present everywhere you look.

Those who have experienced this know that it can be an overwhelming in a positive way.  It is not about thinks like the sunset or a rainbow that are already considered beautiful by everyone.  It is about tremendous beauty in the most commonplace and ordinary places.  Look at the crinkle of someone's smiling eyes.  Look at the fascinating patterns in the clouds.  Look at the symmetrical design in a leaf.  There is so much beauty in existence that no human mind can possibly contain it all.

There is something behind all this.  We can never see it, but if we close our eyes, we can sense its presence.  We can never hear it, but if we remain quiet, its whispers will resonate silently.  It is telling us without words that everything is exactly as it should be, and the beauty we see is the reflection of the beauty within all of us.

Look for goodness and beauty and you will find them.  Negative feelings like anger and resentment will recede.  When you are immersed in all that is good and beautiful, you cannot feel angry or resentful.  There will be no room in your heart for such feelings, for it will be filled to the brim with joy and gratitude.

The stunning photograph "Against the Storm" is by photographer Jude McConkey

It is available through her shop on Etsy.

Derek Lin's "The Tao of Joy Every Day" is available through Amazon.

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Your Facebook Feed - You Are What You Read

Yellow Crabapple Autumn Print

It's been awhile since I posted in this blog, but like most artists who are fortunate enough to be able to express themselves through multiple platforms, I write when I'm inspired to write.
When the words fill my head, I write.
I paint, draw and take photographs when I'm visually inspired.
The last few months, the visual has definitely taken a front seat in my life.

This morning I read something on my Facebook page that has come up several times.
That I've actually posted about it on our Mind Body Spirit Marketplace page in the past.

A friend had requested that her friends post photos of baby animals to counteract all the hateful comments and negativity that she was seeing in her Facebook feed.
  

I had to ask myself...why?
 My Facebook feed doesn't look like that, and neither does the MBS page.

So I commented:

"I honestly don't see much hatred in my feed. In fact mine is usually full of artwork, nature and people posting positive, inspiring quotes. My 'FB friends' don't tend to post negative things or hateful, political spew. The one thing about FB that a lot of people overlook, is that what you see is totally within your own control. So people need to ask themselves....who 'do' you friend with that would post such negative things to begin with?? If I don't like what I see...I just block or unfriend...
I mean, why not?"

We become what we choose to feed ourselves.  
Not just food, but what we choose to ingest visually and auditorily too.  
What we read, what we watch, who we talk to...what we listed to and choose to focus on.  
Who DO we talk to?  
Who DO we choose to spend our time socializing with?  
Both online and off.
Does it make us more intelligent and informed?
Do we feel better or angry after we read it?
Does it bring us up, or dumb us down?

We make our own choices everyday that either uplift our soul or compel us to dive down and 
swim with the bottom feeders.
  
What do you think about in your spare time? 
And -
How do you think about it?
In positive or negative terms?

  Are you thinking about how much you dislike someone or how angry they make you?
Or do or you move your thought process on to more 
positive  thoughts?

It's all within your own control, you know.

  Good example:  
This morning I was talking with a friend in his yard.  
Yes, it would have been almost too easy to focus my attention on all the work he 
needed to catch up on around his house... but when I looked in his yard, his wonderful 
 little trees, the trees that he loves so much and has patiently cultivated and 
nursed over the years, 
stood out like little golden jewels. 
Their fall colors vibrated wildly in the sunlight.
They were simply stunning.  
(I'm obviously still thinking about them)

Next time you wake up in the morning and and find yourself mindlessly scrolling through 
your Facebook feed, ask yourself -

"Why do I choose to allow myself to ingest the things I do?
And - how does that not only effect my own well being, but the well being of others?
(especially when I choose to re-post)"

Don't become a Facebook drone.  
Disconnect from the things that do not bring you to a good place and move on.

Enjoy your day!

diane fergurson

Yellow Crabapple Tree Autumn Print courtesy of Jude McConkey Photography

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What is Wisdom?

 "To be wise means being thoroughly familiar with all aspects of human duality 
and to apply mastery of these aspects in all our relationships.  

Wise is the one who always shows the way to follow without ever 
imposing it and who never does for others that which they are always well 
advised to do for themselves.  

Wise are also those who know who to be silent when they should just listen,
 and to speak when they can and must be heard.  

The true wise person is not the one who is favorably spoken of because of his or 
her actions.  
From all the foregoing, it follows that true wisdom always listen more than it talks, much 
less that it acts, and never acts without thinking ahead.

To show wisdom does not mean to want to absolutely reform the evil we 
believe we see in others, 
but to harmonize with the good that we are certain 
to perceive within them.  

Broadly speaking, the mission of wisdom is to preserve harmony where it exists
 and 
to do everything

possible to put it where it is not."  

~ Christian Barnard

Daisy Photograph Courtesy of Jude McConkery.
Prints available through her shop on Etsy.

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Thoreau - Know Which Path

 
When the heavens are obscured to us, and nothing noble or

heroic appears, but we are oppressed by imperfection and

shortcoming on all hands, we are apt to suck our thumbs and

decry our fates.  As if nothing was to be done in cloudy weather,

or, if heaven were not accessible by the upper road, men 

would not find a lower.  There are two ways to victory - to

strive bravely, or to yield.  How much pain the last will save us

we have not yet learned.

                                            ~ Henry David Thoreau




"Still Life Sand Beach" courtesy of Jude McConkey Photography
Prints are available in her shop on Etsy






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Affirmation of Joy

I attune myself to the universal forces of harmony, love, usefulness and accomplishment.

My thought goes out to all as sympathy, kindness and co-operation.

I expect to enjoy my daily life by perceiving that it is not a hustle, striving and intense

exertion that produce success, but that achievement comes mainly

from within, and that a spiritual power within

me is the real determining factor for

success and joyful living.

~ taken from the Golden Book of Reconstruction Letters

The Hint of a Rose courtesy of Jude McConkey Photography.

  Prints are available in Jude's shop on Etsy

You may also enjoy:  Morning Affirmation

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Morning Affirmation

"I am resolved to meet the morning of this new day with faith and hope and courage, and thus strike hands with all the inner forces of energy and power.

"I am resolved to realize and to remember that thoughts are like forces, that like attracts like; that thoughts of strength build strength from within and attract it from without, and that courage begets success.

"I am resolved therefore, that as life always and inevitably follows the thought and as it is the man or woman of faith and hope and hence of courage who is the master of circumstances, to sit as master at the helm and thus determine what course I take, what points I touch, and haven I reach."

From philosopher, mystic and teacher, Ralph Waldo Trine

 

Vintage Winter courtesy of Jude McConkey Photography.

  Prints are available in Jude's  shop on Etsy. 

  Follow the daily updates of the Mind Body Spirit Marketplace on Facebook

Spiritual Warrior - Conversations With Healer Darren Orr

Nature Forest Print by Jude McConkey

"Spirituality not practiced under fire, stress and duress is worthless and pointless.

If you practice in the hopes of attaining everlasting peace--you're deluded and

in stasis. Its easy for anyone to be happy, calm, peaceful when everything seems

perfect. Can you still remain centered, balanced, happy and peaceful when your

life falls apart?? ---that's the true test of a spiritual warrior   ~DO~

MBS:  I was reading a quote you had on your FaceBook page the other day (above)

and it referred to a person being or developing into a "spiritual warrior".

I know that the term "spiritual warrior" gets thrown thrown around pretty loosely sometimes to describe all kinds of situations and issues pertaining to spiritual attainment.

So I my question is, what is it to be a spiritual warrior?

 Darren:  My definition of a spiritual warrior would be: One who can face and embrace the

 fears within their own minds.  Having the discipline to delve deep within ones

 own darkness on a daily basis. As Lao Tzu states in the Dao darkness within

 darkness the gateway to all understanding. It takes courage to be a spiritual

 warrior and look at oneself truthfully openly and fearlessly, accepting oneself

 in its totality, the light and the dark, bringing harmony to your own duality. 

 Many believe a warrior to be one who kills or destroys, especially from

 an external perspective of soldiers, the military and war. This is not what

 I'm talking about. A spiritual warrior does not kill or destroy they transform

 and transmute. This is what the Daoists were really referring to when you read

 about alchemy. It's a transformation process where you transmute the base elements

 of yourself (fear, anger, negativity) and use them as compost to grow new life

--unconditional love, health and healing. This is also what the resurrection means

 in a broader symbolic form. You die or let go of the old and use it so new life can

 be born. This is why to train as a spiritual warrior no matter the system, they use

 the breath. As you inhale you take in new life and as you exhale you release all

 that is unwanted. To become conscious of that exchange and interchange between the 2

 on a moment to moment basis allows you to fully experience the grandeur,

 beauty and majesty of life and fulfill your destiny in this lifetime. 

It's so easy in spiritual circles to literally get caught up in spiritual samsara--

thinking everything is all light. They use the teachings as way to distract themselves

from themselves keeping it superficial so they don't have to face their darkness,

pain, fear and negative habitual patterns. The other common misconception is many

mistakenly think a teacher, guru or sifu is going to save you. No one can save you.

You are the only one that can save you. That realization that this path of the spirit

is in it's essence a solitary journey and you must trek within the uncharted internal

terrain of your deepest darkest fears alone and face them alone is the path of the

spiritual warrior. Each persons life is unique unto themselves, no can live your life

for you or give you some magical pill or key to health, healing, enlightenment or any

other desire. The teacher can only point the way back to your spirit. The warrior must

walk the path and navigate the dangers along the way. The more the teachers words are

aligned with their actions and life experiences, the more powerful and profound the

example will be. 

I have two living examples of a spiritual warrior that I get to witness, learn from and

love. My father Donald Orr and my teacher pointing the way for me by how he has and

continues to live, Ted Cibik.

Both have endured, faced and embraced hardships that would cripple most people yet

they choose to live, thrive and survive daily. The true test of spiritual warrior is

when everything is gone, and your life is on the line, how do you respond?



Darren Orr is a Doctor of Classical Chinese Medicine in Medical QiGong Therapy with a specialization in Dao-yin. He is currently training in ShenGong to be a Formless Daoist Priest. He is a Medical QiGong Master, nationally certified massage, bodywork and somatic therapist, Reiki Master, sound healer, Dao yoga, Dao Yin and meditation teacher. Darren is an A-Z practitioner specializing in life-altering illness, palliative care for the terminally ill, bereavement services for family, cancer, PTSD, fibromyalgia, addiction, mental/emotional imbalances, chronic pain and stress management as well as preventative medicine. CEU courses, lectures, workshops, seminars, classes, qi parties, and corporate wellness programs also available. Serving the tri-state area in a triangle from Philadelphia to NYC to Atlantic City Nj. Long Distance therapy also available.

You can contact Darren at:  d.orr333@gmail.com

You may also be interested in reading our interview with Darren about healing and the practice of Qigong.

Also his article - "Shedding Our Acquired Life Roles and Medical Qigong"

 

Nature Forest Print is courtesy of photographer Jude McConkey.  Prints are available through her

shop on Etsy.

   Follow the daily updates of the Mind Body Spirit Marketplace on Facebook and Tumblr.

Serenity of Trees

Just recently one very kind and considerate soul (yes, you Manny) sent me a copy of a poem by Cedric Wright. One particular passage reads:

A tree, a rock, has no pretense, only a real growth out of itself, in close communion with the

universal spirit.

A tree retains a deep serenity.

There is no shortage of mythological and religious resource that enriches our experience of trees. From Yaggdrasil to the bodhi tree to the entire Celtic calendar, trees have played an integral role in our conception of the universe. Our human experience has been enriched with sacred groves, trees of knowledge, and the trees of life. And for many of us, the personal experience is there, proving that this reverence is warranted.

And yet, as much as we impose our wondrous conception of trees upon them, “a tree retains a deep serenity” with “no pretense.” The tree is just being. The tree never strives to be anything other than a tree and this is it’s greatest lesson. As Thich Nhat Hanh calls it in his book "Being Peace", here are some excerpts: this is the lesson of “not talking, not teaching, just being.” And this is Dharmakaya, the teaching of Buddha that can be found within all things. The lesson is to be ourselves, to just be human, wherever it is that you are. For most of us, the hard part is to even recognize what that is. What does it mean to just be? For myself, it is to strip away the desires and endless mental stories of “what if” and “if only.” It entails a long exploration of what actions help me be happy and what actions are led by false concepts. It is discovering truth and living by it. And it is always to smile from that place of serenity. Even when my ego tells me it is better to not smile.

---

We'd like to thank Indig Woodworks (Mat) for this beautiful blog post.

The exquisite photo "The Tree - A Memory", which accompanies Mat's post, is courtesy of Jude McConkey.

Thank you both very much!

You May also enjoy reading:
Wu Chi
Namaste- An Explanation of a Very Old Greeting