My Blog primarily consists of close-up nature photos (that I've taken locally) combined with original holistic-truth oriented prose and/or poetry involving mindfulness/awareness. I love nature and I love understanding the whole (not merely the parts and the details). I'm a retired teacher of the multiply handicapped.
I have a number of interesting hobbies, such as fossil collecting, sport-kite flying, 3D and 2D close-up photography, holography, and pets. Most of all, I am into holistic self-awareness, spontaneous insight, unconventional observation/direct perception, mindfulness, meditation, world peace, non-fragmentation, population control, vegetarianism, and green energy.
To follow my unique Blog of "Nature Photos and Mindfulness Sayings" and for RSS feeds to my new posts, please access at: tom8pie.com (On my regular Blog posting pages, for additional information and to follow, simply click on the "tack icon" at the upper right corner... or, on my profile page, you can click on the "Thomas Peace" icon.)
Stay mindful, understanding, and caring!...
Curious if you’ve ever considered panpsychism? Part of this problem you address is our physical separation from the natural world. We live in barriers and buffers constantly. Hard to be in touch without the touch.
Personally, i do not care to label myself in terms of belonging to or subscribing to specific beliefs or theories. The word is not the thing. The barriers and buffers, which you mention — and i really like how you mention it — are caused by words and images that we have fabricated or subscribed to. That being said, i think that Pantheism comes rather close, perhaps, to the way things really are. But we have to be very careful with even that limited interpretation. It’s all too easy to let primitive anthropomorphic (God) images creep in, which would be rather ludicrous really. Einstein was very appreciative of Spinoza, and i did have a good amount of one on one conversations with Professor David Bohm, whom Einstein thought of as his spiritual son. We have to be very cautious with labeling things and looking through our labels. Much of our knowledge involves limited symbols and mental images, none of which are actual realities. We humans exist in a rather Socrates shadow-like world within a cave. There is a universal Energy (or Mind) beyond all of the apparent chaos and shadowy fragmentation of man. Such energy, beyond fragmentation, is not of illusion, not of thought/thinking, not of deception. 🙂
Thank you. One must be very careful lest they mire themselves in the ready-to-eat prepackaged dogmas. I like how you put that; “none of which are actual realities”. I also think a lot of the controversy could be diminished if people would put down the commentary and opinions of the experts and go outside and observe. Ideas are too easily hijacked and influenced, and a lot of that could be alleviated by actually using our own senses to interpret the world and productive ways of being. Thanks Tom, always appreciate your insight.
Ha! “Ready-to-eat prepackaged dogmas”… i like that phrase a whole lot! 🙂 Takeout religion! 🙂
Yes, it would be great for them to put down the commentaries and opinions (and beliefs) and observe for themselves. But the trouble is that they would still likely only be observing via all of the nonsense that was implanted into them… which isn’t real observing at all! We were all deeply preprogrammed far deeper than we can imagine.
Few invite us to look beyond what even they put forward.
Awareness of the programming is the first step. Studying the biases should be grade school stuff. “Ok kids, here’s the deal, you’ve been tricked on every level since you were born” then couple that with the neurology lessons. I also like the term “Big Box religion”. It’s like going to Home Depot…everything you need is there waiting.
Very beautiful, vibrant Cardinal Wildflower Tom. I have noted the changes at Council Point Park and it hurts my heart to see it … something is amiss and it is either climate change or hawks looming about scaring the wildlife who fear for their lives. It is one or the other, most likely the former.
Thank you very much about the wildflower, Linda! 🙂
Yes, i’ve noticed less animals over the years (and especially over the last few years). Unless we humans really change our ways — and i doubt that enough of us will, until it is too late — things will get exponentially worse. There is some hope, with wonderful Iceland developing technology involving turning atmospheric carbon into rock. Let’s hope more is done positively for the environment and that more people wake up.
Yes, so beautiful Tom. With all the heat we have had … (and will have again next weekend they say), the wildflowers will thrive a lot longer into the Fall season than usual. Hopefully more people will show the concern that Greta Thunberg did today – I just watched a part of her speech before the UN, especially her line: “you have stolen my dreams and my childhood!”
Greta is a true champion among us.
“You have stolen my dreams and my childhood!”
That is so powerful and true.
They say that in a few years everyone will have to be wearing oxygen masks because the increases in CO2 will be too much to handle.
So sad to read, Mich. Many orangutans — what is left of them — live in Indonesia. It is heartwrenching about those forest fires. Man is causing too much suffering for the animals, for nature.
For what it is worth, I took a bible study years ago and there are two chapters in Genesis about our relationship with the earth. One was that man shall have dominion and the other saying we should be stewards. Hm-m, one seems to have been forgotten.
Like i just told Jim (above) in a comment to him (in his recent blog), i am appreciative of the Gospel of Thomas. It was rejected by the Roman Bishops who were clinging to their power over the people. The book entitled “The Five Gospels” gives a good perspective about the G. of T.! I wish they would find more of the earlier Greek fragments of Thomas. Things are so easily twisted (and intentionally distorted) over time.
Many of the Native Americans had it right. But they sure didn’t last long after the white man came along. And now, the current U.S. administration is even trying to suppress their votes and rights.
The flowers are gorgeous. They’re a beautiful example of that red you mentioned when I posted my scarlet catchfly. I can see now why the color reminded you of this one!
To bastardize a quote from “Butterflies Are Free”:
“There are none so deaf as those who will not hear.”
We were deaf to Native peoples. Savages. Heathens. Practicing their idolatry, their primitive beliefs.
They laughed as they told us “No, we can’t sell you this ground. We don’t own it. No one can own it, we only occupy it for our time on the planet. We must treat it with reverence and respect if we expect to thrive.”
They cried when they saw men with powerful repeating rifles gun down millions of bison. No exaggeration. Millions. The newcomers stacked their bones in heaps taller than three men. “We must take only what we need.” they said through their tears.
Drilling for oil, digging for gold, blasting tunnels for railroads, they told us “We must care for Mother Earth if we expect her to care for us. You cut and scar the land, you dam the rivers, you clear cut the forests. How will Mother care for us if you kill her?”
Who would listen to backwards, heathenish, half-naked savages?
I disagree, Tom… Nature is not an extension of ourselves; we are an extension of Nature. There could not be a ‘we’ without Nature, while Nature can get on fine without us.
Tom's Nature-up-close Photography and Mindfulness Blog 
Curious if you’ve ever considered panpsychism? Part of this problem you address is our physical separation from the natural world. We live in barriers and buffers constantly. Hard to be in touch without the touch.
Personally, i do not care to label myself in terms of belonging to or subscribing to specific beliefs or theories. The word is not the thing. The barriers and buffers, which you mention — and i really like how you mention it — are caused by words and images that we have fabricated or subscribed to. That being said, i think that Pantheism comes rather close, perhaps, to the way things really are. But we have to be very careful with even that limited interpretation. It’s all too easy to let primitive anthropomorphic (God) images creep in, which would be rather ludicrous really. Einstein was very appreciative of Spinoza, and i did have a good amount of one on one conversations with Professor David Bohm, whom Einstein thought of as his spiritual son. We have to be very cautious with labeling things and looking through our labels. Much of our knowledge involves limited symbols and mental images, none of which are actual realities. We humans exist in a rather Socrates shadow-like world within a cave. There is a universal Energy (or Mind) beyond all of the apparent chaos and shadowy fragmentation of man. Such energy, beyond fragmentation, is not of illusion, not of thought/thinking, not of deception. 🙂
Thank you. One must be very careful lest they mire themselves in the ready-to-eat prepackaged dogmas. I like how you put that; “none of which are actual realities”. I also think a lot of the controversy could be diminished if people would put down the commentary and opinions of the experts and go outside and observe. Ideas are too easily hijacked and influenced, and a lot of that could be alleviated by actually using our own senses to interpret the world and productive ways of being. Thanks Tom, always appreciate your insight.
Ha! “Ready-to-eat prepackaged dogmas”… i like that phrase a whole lot! 🙂 Takeout religion! 🙂
Yes, it would be great for them to put down the commentaries and opinions (and beliefs) and observe for themselves. But the trouble is that they would still likely only be observing via all of the nonsense that was implanted into them… which isn’t real observing at all! We were all deeply preprogrammed far deeper than we can imagine.
Few invite us to look beyond what even they put forward.
Awareness of the programming is the first step. Studying the biases should be grade school stuff. “Ok kids, here’s the deal, you’ve been tricked on every level since you were born” then couple that with the neurology lessons. I also like the term “Big Box religion”. It’s like going to Home Depot…everything you need is there waiting.
🙂
They’ve got Him locked up for you to visit.
Very beautiful, vibrant Cardinal Wildflower Tom. I have noted the changes at Council Point Park and it hurts my heart to see it … something is amiss and it is either climate change or hawks looming about scaring the wildlife who fear for their lives. It is one or the other, most likely the former.
Thank you very much about the wildflower, Linda! 🙂
Yes, i’ve noticed less animals over the years (and especially over the last few years). Unless we humans really change our ways — and i doubt that enough of us will, until it is too late — things will get exponentially worse. There is some hope, with wonderful Iceland developing technology involving turning atmospheric carbon into rock. Let’s hope more is done positively for the environment and that more people wake up.
Yes, so beautiful Tom. With all the heat we have had … (and will have again next weekend they say), the wildflowers will thrive a lot longer into the Fall season than usual. Hopefully more people will show the concern that Greta Thunberg did today – I just watched a part of her speech before the UN, especially her line: “you have stolen my dreams and my childhood!”
Greta is a true champion among us.
“You have stolen my dreams and my childhood!”
That is so powerful and true.
They say that in a few years everyone will have to be wearing oxygen masks because the increases in CO2 will be too much to handle.
`great words, Tom. I have trouble with reds, they won’t come out clear!
Thanks much, Michael! 🙂 We know some people who smoke marijuana, and they couldn’t get their reds out either! 🙂
Ha!!😁
Amen. And a stunning flower!
Thank you, Sandy! It was a delight to photograph! 🙂
Nature indeed is being exploited now..currently we are experiencing the worst haze ever in Asia…as a result of forest fire in Indonesia…
So sad to read, Mich. Many orangutans — what is left of them — live in Indonesia. It is heartwrenching about those forest fires. Man is causing too much suffering for the animals, for nature.
And its not only the animals sufferings Tom, we are suffering …its been weeks and the air is in its unhealthy level already…
Sad. Many decades ago, i had premonitions of nature being destroyed by mankind. Now it seems to be happening.
Tragic isn’t it? Nice snapshot by the way! 🙂
Yes, like what michnavs, above, wrote about. So sad what is happening to nature. But we have to be stable and fearless despite what is going on.
Amen to that!
Beautiful picture – and yes, we must be much better caretakers!
Yes, much better caretakers!
For what it is worth, I took a bible study years ago and there are two chapters in Genesis about our relationship with the earth. One was that man shall have dominion and the other saying we should be stewards. Hm-m, one seems to have been forgotten.
Like i just told Jim (above) in a comment to him (in his recent blog), i am appreciative of the Gospel of Thomas. It was rejected by the Roman Bishops who were clinging to their power over the people. The book entitled “The Five Gospels” gives a good perspective about the G. of T.! I wish they would find more of the earlier Greek fragments of Thomas. Things are so easily twisted (and intentionally distorted) over time.
Yes, I borrowed “The Five Gospels”.
Somehow separating ourselves as if we are “something” beyond nature has sent us to brink. I pine for a relational ecology, well said Tom.
Many of the Native Americans had it right. But they sure didn’t last long after the white man came along. And now, the current U.S. administration is even trying to suppress their votes and rights.
Well stated Tom. Lovely photo too!
I wish i didn’t need to say it! Thank you much, Belinda! 🙂
The flowers are gorgeous. They’re a beautiful example of that red you mentioned when I posted my scarlet catchfly. I can see now why the color reminded you of this one!
They are magically gorgeous, Linda!
Keep clickin’ those wild beauties at your end! 🙂
To bastardize a quote from “Butterflies Are Free”:
“There are none so deaf as those who will not hear.”
We were deaf to Native peoples. Savages. Heathens. Practicing their idolatry, their primitive beliefs.
They laughed as they told us “No, we can’t sell you this ground. We don’t own it. No one can own it, we only occupy it for our time on the planet. We must treat it with reverence and respect if we expect to thrive.”
They cried when they saw men with powerful repeating rifles gun down millions of bison. No exaggeration. Millions. The newcomers stacked their bones in heaps taller than three men. “We must take only what we need.” they said through their tears.
Drilling for oil, digging for gold, blasting tunnels for railroads, they told us “We must care for Mother Earth if we expect her to care for us. You cut and scar the land, you dam the rivers, you clear cut the forests. How will Mother care for us if you kill her?”
Who would listen to backwards, heathenish, half-naked savages?
Paz
Wonderful thoughts, Tom! The image is gorgeous too. 🙂
I disagree, Tom… Nature is not an extension of ourselves; we are an extension of Nature. There could not be a ‘we’ without Nature, while Nature can get on fine without us.