Many of us bloggers, who take pictures often, are scrupulously concerned about keeping our camera lenses clean and spotless. Many of our minds (and concomitant actions), however, are not taken care of so very diligently. We look at things through tainted, jaded, contaminated lenses, according to the way we were programmed to look. We see what we were programmed to see. We think what we were programmed to think. Most merely react, very predictably, according to the ways in which they were molded to react by. If one desires to clean the mind, to polish the lens of the mind, it is usually merely according to someone else’s system, methodology, or beliefs. That may merely be an extension of the crass conditioning.
Before considering cleaning the lens of the mind, please consider who (or what) is doing the cleaning. If the “perceiver” is not something separate from the perceived, then the cleaning itself may be part of the programming, part of the conditioning. Yet, most will just want to go out and take some mighty fine pictures.
I am quite aware that my blog only helps some people. Most will not see the seriousness of it. That lack of seeing the seriousness is what i have seen all my life, ever since childhood. Our world is going under because of it and, in the long run, our superficial images of things won’t matter one damn bit.
Leopard Frog Time… Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2018
Tom's Nature-up-close Photography and Mindfulness Blog 
I couldn’t agree with you more, Tom. Excellent thoughts, my friend.
Nice post. I’m usually going my way rather than following the herd. If you knew some of the abuse I’ve put equipment through it would be obvious it’s just tools to get the image. If a mosquito lands on the camera it gets squashed on the camera.
I gave up a long time ago on anyone understanding.
The Buddha suggested that his followers sift his teachings through a mighty fine sieve. Then whatever came out test it to see if it made sense in their life.
But he also taught the middle way. Seriousness in balance with frivolity
Wise words – well put, keeping a copy of this one.
And a frog to remember!
Thank you for sharing both
Fortunately, humans do not have the capacity to destroy the world. We do have the ability to create mass extinction, which is sad. When we look through the lens of the span of human life, things seem quite dire. Taking a wide-angle view, we can see that life on earth is amazingly resilient and persistent. New species will arise to fill vacant niches. Hopefully humans will be gone or possibly evolve into something less destructive.
If America was to detonate their nuclear arsenal the world would end. Same with Russia.
Interesting how many of your writings arouse people to acclaim what you are saying and I agree with them and you on this one. I don’t think we can change the human nature that currently exists on our planet. It is too far gone…
Very interesting analogy you have made here Tom. We all look forward to your return “live”.
After I read your post, the phrase “see with new eyes” kept going through my mind. I couldn’t pin it down for a while, but then I remembered. After I had my cataract surgery and had new lenses implanted, I wrote about it on my blog. In that post, I included this wonderful video. It’s the song that includes the line about seeing with new eyes, and certainly is in the spirit of this post about mind-cleansing, too. At least I think so, and I think you’ll enjoy the video.
How true your words, Tom. Outstanding capture of the Leopard Frog, WOW!