Tag: beauty

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Living the dream

As I was walking through the meadow above Rajarsi Park this morning, looking at the buildings where I get to work every day, I was struck yet again by the incredible beauty of where I live.

I breathed in the perfectly clear and crisp October day with the sun shining, the autumn foliage standing out in the distance, and the palpable sense of peace and serenity permeating the scene.

Then I stopped and took a quick photo to try and capture the moment.

Two thoughts alternated in my mind as I walked on. First I found myself thinking about how fortunate I am to live in such a unique place. Beautiful, peaceful, knowing everyone, surrounded by spirituality.

But then I remembered that — even though it’s something to be constantly grateful for — living in the “perfect place” is not really the point.

Self-realization is the point. Knowing my oneness with God and all that is, that’s the point. In the meantime, I try to remember that this life which seems so real to me is God’s dream.

Yes, I’m living a beautiful manifestation of God’s dream compared to many other people on the planet, but still…the ultimate goal is to awaken from the dream into the pure light and love of God.

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Unusual beauty in nature

I happened to glance down as I walked up the path from my apartment to the car, and the markings on this leaf literally stopped me in my tracks.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like it.

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Alyssum & rosemary

Last Sunday we finally got our yard area completely cleaned up — weeds whacked, wisteria trimmed, leaves raked, patio swept, the whole nine yards!

Once it was done I had an irresistible urge to add something beautiful as a way of affirming our intention to keep our outdoor space sattvic and uplifted.

We can’t do a whole lot right now, given the drought situation, but a few small containers won’t take much water.

So I bought some rosemary (which Ramesha loves to cook with) and some alyssum (which I simply love) and planting them became this morning’s project.

Very soothing and grounding.

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Beauty at the kitchen window

This is our kitchen window. I really noticed this “view” while I was doing dishes this morning.

It’s so easy to grow accustomed to what we see every day, but I was struck by the beauty and decided it was worth documenting and consciously appreciating.

There’s so much to be grateful for in these small moments of life.

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Ingredients for a successful vacation

Ramesha and I are agreed that this was one of our best vacations ever. So, it seems wise to make note of what worked, in order to remember it for next time.

Being near the main drag of Carmel allowed us to park at the hotel and then not touch the car again until the morning we left. We walked to restaurants; we walked to pick up groceries; we walked to parks; and we walked to the beach. I had slacked off on walking during my last challenge, but these three days more than made up for it!

On our first full day we arrived back at our room pooped out from lots of walking and ready for a nap…only to realize that some new hotel guests had arrived in the room directly above us and they were really noisy! Heavy footsteps, loud laughter, banging doors type noisy.

It was bad enough in the afternoon but our intuition told us they were there to party and we weren’t eager to be woken up in the wee hours of the morning. So, we asked to move to a different room! It was a little annoying having to pack everything up and then unpack it again, but we were soooo glad we did! And we realized that in future we should always ask for an upstairs room.

We loved having very little on our agenda. We did virtually no sightseeing and oriented our “schedule” around eating delicious meals whenever we were good and ready.

We got plenty of rest, getting to bed early and not being in a rush to get up and go.

Adding to all that was the natural charm and beauty of Carmel — uniquely quaint buildings; flowers blooming everywhere; stunning artwork in every other shop; the beautiful white sand beach; and some of the nicest, most genuinely friendly restaurant people we’ve ever encountered.

All in all, it was a perfect vacation!

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The beauty of endings & death

I heard this amazing recording of “The Last Rose of Summer” and it touched something very deep inside me. It’s not just that my friend, Sofia Sala, has an incredible voice and exquisite artistry. It’s the depth of feeling that she conveys through the words and the music.

Arranged by Philip Lawson; poetry by Thomas Moore

Then, not more than thirty minutes later, I read on another friend’s Facebook profile this poem by Mary Oliver titled, “When Death Comes.” It felt like a one-two punch of profound depth combined with extreme beauty.

I’ve been reflecting on both all day.

When Death Comes
When death comes
like the hungry bear in autumn;
when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse

to buy me, and snaps the purse shut;
when death comes
like the measle-pox;

when death comes
like an iceberg between the shoulder blades,

I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering:
what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?

And therefore I look upon everything
as a brotherhood and a sisterhood,
and I look upon time as no more than an idea,
and I consider eternity as another possibility,

and I think of each life as a flower, as common
as a field daisy, and as singular,

and each name a comfortable music in the mouth,
tending, as all music does, toward silence,

and each body a lion of courage, and something
precious to the earth.

When it’s over, I want to say: all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.

When it’s over, I don’t want to wonder
if I have made of my life something particular, and real.

I don’t want to find myself sighing and frightened,
or full of argument.

I don’t want to end up simply having visited this world.

~ Mary Oliver

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Hope and beauty through music

I can’t seem to get enough of this young woman, Alma Deutscher. I find her inspiring on so many levels…and I think Swami Kriyananda would have found her as delightful as I do.

In fact, I think Swamiji would consider her a kindred spirit when it comes to her perspective on the purpose and meaning of music. If you haven’t listened to this video yet, I’ve cued up the section where Alma introduces the Siren Sounds Waltz by explaining her commitment to writing beautiful music.

And here’s what she had to say after receiving the European Culture Prize last October: “Until now, I have always composed melodies and harmonies just as they pour out from my heart. But I have often been told: ‘as a modern composer, you’ll soon have to forget your melodies, and concentrate on dissonance, as befits our modern age.’ But maybe this award today means that a more tolerant age is dawning, when melody and beauty will once again be permitted. Perhaps this is a message that there is more to European Culture than just dissonance. Perhaps there is also a place in European Culture for harmony. And how beautiful it would be if this message could go out into the world from Vienna, from the city of music.”

The Star of Hope. The Choir of Hope. A passion for expressing beauty in melody and harmony. A charming manner and droll sense of humor. Articulate and very intelligent. What’s not to love?!?

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Writing again

That’s Manisha on the left, with friend, Jujuolui, and husband, Dambara.

I love whatever my friend, Manisha, writes. So I’m thrilled that my fellow Ananda blogger, William, and I have somehow managed to cajole her into writing a regular blog once again.

I just read the first two posts of her new blog, Camano Heaven on Earth: Simple living amidst beauty and friendship, and two things happened:

  • I’m ready to hop on a plane for another visit to beautiful Ananda Farm Camano Island.
  • I’m inspired to try her suggestion of starting my day off by writing in a gratitude journal, in order to “prime the pump” and start my day with more joy.

Thanks, Manisha. I’m looking forward to more; much more! 🙂