.
compact and entwined
in each living Spring
are Life’s splendid creatures
majestic living things
like a chrysalis patiently waiting
to joyfully unfold
Spring has books of living stories
waiting to be told
from nothing comes something
it arrives every year
few love it enough
the Treasure is near
.
Fledglings in a nest. Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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On an extremely small, green planet, there was a large animal called “horse” that had four legs…
and not one of the legs felt it was separate from the other legs.
Each leg — of “horse” — walked and galloped in great beauty and harmony with the other legs;
had one or more of the legs felt it(they) was(were) separate from the other legs,
“horse” would kick and buck in disharmony.
Upon this diminutive planet, called “earth,” there were also billions of inhabitants, called “humans,”
and these “humans,” with bipedal legs, mostly thought that they were separate from those
upon other legs. They often fought in vicious wars and kicked others who walked and ran on two legs.
They also hunted and harmed many of those walking on four legs and were also often mindlessly indifferent
about the environment containing all the legs. However, a small few sagaciously and harmoniously realized
that their legs were not at all separate… and that none of the legs were really separate whatsoever.
.
(Note: Left click on the art-oriented one to see the detail. Click on arrow to return.)
Eight legs. (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Eight legs. (1) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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Tonight, go back in time to when you were a young child.
(Revisit that immortal youth that was)
far beyond the jaded, stodgy, leaden views of the overly-busy adults.
Soar again in those floating dreams… then go beyond dreaming to how
you were so very amazed at life’s wonderful, majestic living creatures.
Remember, back then, how you were small
but your perceptions were magical, large, and vast.
Return and youthfully run and fly again through that enchanting world.
Then never grow up.
.
Able to fly. (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Able to fly. (1) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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little four legs
ears listening bright
innocent and beautiful
quiet eyes soaking all the light
little four legs
legs standing true
beyond limited fences
wander forever and new
.
Beauty exemplified. (1) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Beauty exemplified. (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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Ignorance often doesn’t recognize its own ignorance. Wisdom often goes unrecognized by those who have little wisdom. Many even indifferently pass by the beauty of flowers and nature. Be beyond that!
.
Beyond the stigma. Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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Many shirk responsibility for others and for all of life… because doing nothing is easy. Go beyond dead comfort!
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Yellow Stars. Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Penciled Stars. Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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Time is space and space is time
Mountains take some time to climb
Space is time and time is space
It takes some time to wash your face
Washing in space is movement in time
The soap and the bubbles say they feel fine
The clock’s hands move in a confined, little space
Along with the hands that wash your face
The face of the clock washed away time
As moving hands took away hours of grime
Our hearts keep on ticking at a regular pace
As helping hands smile at our round, cleanly face
The hands of the clock in each stage and each term
Say its time to wake up, to feel, and to learn
The chronology of you is swinging in space
A minute of love is an occasion of grace
.
Swinging pendulum in Space. (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Swinging pendulum in Space. (1) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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“I think I’m separate from what is seen,”
said the complacent, lazy man.
“You probably are,”
said the wise man.
“I think I’m separate from what I visit,”
said the complacent, lazy man.
“You probably are,”
said the wise man.
“I think I’m separate from what is heard,”
said the complacent, lazy man.
“You probably are,”
said the wise man.
“I think I’m separate from what I want,”
said the complacent, lazy man.
“You probably are,”
said the wise man.
“I think I’m separate from what I dream,”
said the complacent, lazy man.
“You probably are,”
said the wise man.
I think I’m separate from what I think,”
said the complacent, lazy man.
“You probably are,”
said the wise man.
“I think I’m separate from the earth and the animals,”
said the complacent, lazy man.
“You probably are,”
said the wise man.
“I think I’m separate from people and their well being,”
said the complacent, lazy man.
“You probably are,”
said the wise man.
“I think I’m separate from whom I rob,”
said the complacent, lazy man.
“Your separate ‘eye’ is probably illusory,”
said the wise man,
as he closed a door
between
himself
and his blind complacency.
.
Chives, together as one. (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Chives, together as one. (1) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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When I was young, I mustered up all the energy I had to find the truth and the whole. That’s the only way to be!
.
Plush Pink. Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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One man, a complacent, indifferent man,
looked at life as if through a distorted, little peephole;
everything he saw was of limitation;
everything he saw was fragmentary and small.
Another man, a dynamic, caring man,
looked at life as if from a majestic, magical mountain;
everything he saw was from a panoramic, unbroken view;
everything he saw was connected, limitless, and extraordinarily special.
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Top of the World. (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Top of the World. (1) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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The crossing of the street
turned
and realized it was
the crossing of the street.
The flowing of the river
churned
and realized it was
the flowing of the river.
The oven being touched
burned
and realized it was
the oven being touched.
The aching of the heart
yearned
and realized it was
the aching of the heart.
The slavery to the job
earned
and realized it was
the slavery to the job.
The words of the poem
learned
and realized they were
the words of poem.
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The stillness of the spider squirmed. (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
The stillness of the spider squirmed. (1) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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There was a comedian on television the other night… and she said: “It seems like everyone is online as a philosopher or spiritual adviser these days… telling you to ‘love everything as one,’ or to ‘be at one with nature,’ but then — at the office, at work — they characteristically act nasty, indifferent, and cold.”
There are endless volumes of material being put out on the internet, in books, and other media — by innumerable so-called “experts” — chock full of advice on spirituality, philosophy, meditation, and mindfulness… yet, essentially, only very, very few of the people conveying their endless tips and suggestions have experienced or gone through profound enlightenment whatsoever. Here’s the thing: A lot of blind people think that they’ve seen the light; but this “thinking” is not the actuality. There are a million ways to go wrong — though they may seem fine and dandy (and wonderful) — and many people take others with them through such ways.
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From Stephen Crane: (This poem also occurs within my book.)
A learned man came to me once.
He said: “I know the way. –come.”
And I was overjoyed at this.
Together we hastened.
Soon, too soon, were we
Where my eyes were useless,
And I knew not the ways of my feet.
I clung to the hand of my friend;
But at last he cried: “I am lost.”
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Beyond smoke. (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Beyond smoke. (1) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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Personally, I don’t care to travel far — and photograph only locally — largely due to the fact that mostly fossil fueled vehicles are involved with the traveling… which is extremely bad for an already terribly abused planet.
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Probing for gold nectar. Photo by Thomas Peace 2015
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she loves me
she loves me not
she loves me
she loves me not
she is me
she is me not
she is me
she is me not
images of her are me
images of her are me not
images of her are me
images of her are me not
Life wants us to rip up living flowers
Life wants us to rip up living flowers not
Life wants us to rip up living flowers
Life wants us to rip up living flowers not
Blossoming is me
Blossoming is me not
Blossoming is me
Blossoming is me not
.
Petals intact. (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Petals intact. (1) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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This is what I wrote on Twitter:
Merely recognizing things as you were taught is looking through the implanted programming of others and is not profound perception.
This is what someone replied as a response, after they retweeted what I wrote:
We have to unlearn the old systems that are detrimental to us. Once we become aware, we perceive things differently.
This is how I replied:
This going beyond the old systems is not merely a process of time. If it is, it is merely a subtle extension of the old systems.
(The reason I wrote this is that if we use patterns and strategies to, hopefully, eventually evolve out the the old systems, we are — in effect — merely a continuance of the old systems. Though this may sound rather fanciful, it isn’t. Either it is done instantly, without time being a factor… or it is intrinsically merely an extension of the same, old systems and processes… all of which take — and “are” — time.)
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Mostly Fliers. (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Mostly Fliers. (1) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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True integrity is the honesty of perception; not being one thing… and then internally claiming (to yourself) to be something else; and it’s not pretense to others either! A truly mindful, wise being is unrelenting regarding seeing the actions that he or she is (precisely for what they are); in this, there are no lame excuses, cushioning rationalizations, or softening distortions. You are what you are at (and “as”) that moment in time… plain and simple… without all the extraneous deceit.
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A frog not a prince. (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
A frog not a prince. (1) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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Add a New Post
Read an Old Rhyme
Break a Grecian Urn
Wind up what’s called Time
Glue the Urn together
Repeat the Same Song
Mend a Broken friendship
Stay Impassioned Long
.
Short and Sweet… so they say… (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Short and Sweet… so they say… (1) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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something above the grass
stirs my very heart
butterflies and bees
are Life’s living art
some things in the woods
are my very soul
the animals,the trees,and i
are always very whole
.
Of Butterflies and Bees. (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Of Butterflies and Bees. (1) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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The animals have so little room left; and we — as a species spoiling this marvelous earth — think that we are far superior! We need to change the way we do things and perceive things!
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Flight number 492. (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Flight number 492. (1) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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Look beyond the learned patterns; see beyond the limited, learned symbols!
.
Together. (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Together. (1) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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Insensitivity ignores nature, ignores truth, ignores others. Compassion and wisdom loves nature, perceives the truth, and helps others.
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Rarity. (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Rarity. (1) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
(This is just satire on the Rule of Thirds — the simplified form of the Golden Ratio — which is all the rage in photography realms; most everyone has used it, including myself; those of you who use it or who have written about it… please do not be offended. Note: Within the poem, switch “parts” with where “countries” occurs… and “country” with where “part” occurs.)
.
the rule of thirds
came by
it divi
ded
up
the
sky
it sectioned nature’s flowing traits
with man-made lines
in graphed points of space
the rule of thirds
jumped in
it drank a fifth of gin
it cut up the world
into little
bits
and it
sucked nine squarish
chocolate mints
the rule of thirds
marked its spot
in a
tic tac toe game so hot
everyone wanted
to draw up their lines
and
everyone figured why not
the rule of thirds
squared away
it decreed a superior way
it di
vided (countries)
of the whole for itself
for its superhuman
(part)men’s wealth
precisely properly
today
.
The Golden Rule. (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
The Golden Rule. (1) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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between past
and future
is another realm
but few ever live there
they are too busy
thinking “as the past”:
about the future
or regarding the past
most think that
the past changes
into the future
but perhaps neither fundamentally changes
they may not change
because each the other ‘s
the only thing that really changes
is the undefinable,infinite now
.
Tongue projecting Einstein (2). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Tongue projecting Einstein (1). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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The wise mind goes beyond constant symbolic thinking. It does not — therefore — necessarily need to always be recognizing things as it was taught. Constant recognition involves constant thought, mental labeling, categorization, and residual attribute manipulation. Constant recognition is a form of reacting; and reacting is second-hand and is not essentially original.
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Together as one (2). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Together as one (1). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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the alcohol brought itself 2 a face
the movement toward the mouth was
slow
and
deliberate at 1st
then unnoticed things(which began
hap
in
ing
contin
you)
‘d
2 be unmanifested
the mouth opened 4 more
4 more
the brain closed
4 less
words mispronounced dayselves
justified 1 more
and sipped
in
2
oblivi
on
a clear
day
you can
see
4ever
the car
brought itself 2 a tree
da alcohol poem
brought itself
2 a close
the end
.
Horsetail growing not far from the tree (2). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Horsetail growing not far from the tree (1). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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Be very careful: The security of mere belief may be blind detachment from intelligent inquiry and open observation.
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Volkswagen Beetle (1). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Volkswagen Beetle (2). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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Physical threats can be escaped from… and psychological fears are not separate from what you are.
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The Jaws of Life (2). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
The Jaws of Life (1). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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Ideals cause conflict and friction in the mind. Existing without them and without conflict is true intelligence. Instead of having (and “being”) mere ideals… observe what is taking place from moment to moment (without the conflict that occurs between the “ideal” and the “actuality”… or the conflict that occurs between “fantasized images of the watcher” and the “watched”) and let understanding and learning (beyond conflict) flower. Ideals cause friction between “what you actually are” and what “you wish to be.” Profound understanding trumps ideals every time! When you clearly understand that a certain snake is venomous and extremely poisonous, you naturally avoid getting bitten; you don’t need an ideal about not kissing that snake; intelligence and understanding naturally have you act with (and “as”) caution (beyond lame, fabricated ideals).
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Green in green (1). Photo by Thomas Peace 2015
Green in green (2). Photo by Thomas Peace 2015
.
in our lush and magical garden
creatures come and go
although they’re here forever
they endlessly busy themselves
with enjoying alive
without learned thoughts
of death
or
never
.
Endlessly Busy (1). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Endlessly busy (2). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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Though our situation may seem rather unlucky now and then… be appreciative for what you have (or who you are with) and are. We are very lucky to have gotten to this point in (and “as”) time and space, whomever we are.
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“I’m Looking Over A Four Leaf Clover”
(originally by Art Mooney)
I’m looking over a four leaf clover
I overlooked before
One leaf is sunshine, the second is rain
Third is the roses that grow in the lane
No need explaining
The one remaining is somebody I adore
I’m looking over a four leaf clover
I overlooked before
I’m looking over a four leaf clover
I overlooked before
One leaf is sunshine, the second is rain
Third is the roses that grow in the lane
No need explaining
The one remaining is somebody I adore
I’m looking over a four leaf clover
I overlooked before
I’m looking over a four leaf clover
I overlooked before
One leaf is sunshine, the second is rain
Third is the roses that grow in the lane
No need explaining
The one remaining is somebody I adore
I’m looking over a four leaf clover
I overlooked before
I overlooked before
I overlooked before
Be a 4-leaf clover (2). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Be a 4-leaf clover (1). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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Prelude to
a dream
between the crushed
and convoluted sheets
with their
protruding
feet
Prelude to
a dream
a placid silence
attained by pillows
Things are
not
what they seem
.
Walking on Clouds (2). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Walking on Clouds (1). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
.
To a truly wise mind, many supposedly tantalizing sensations are often — though not always — rather trivial and unnecessary… because a truly wise mind is fully content in itself, not needing extraneous stimuli to (eventually) make it happy. It is only a very empty cup that constantly craves being filled…
.
Propeller. Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
.
You can give a precious ring to a girl easily; but giving true loyalty, compassion, integrity, and honor is a million times more valuable.
.
And violets are blue… (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
2D3157 And violets are blue… Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
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There was an after
which occurred
following a before
which occurred
as a now
and then
a movement contemplated
itself before
and after
someone else did
not care
two pins
about
the distance
involving
pastandfuture
as well as
the distance
involving
themandus
.
Pinkingly (2). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Pinkingly (1). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
.
Deep mysteries can be understood if one goes beyond the superficial and accepted ways of seeing.
.
Excerpt from Emily Dickinson’s first poem — Valentine Week 1850:
****Awake ye muses nine, sing me a strain divine,
Unwind the solemn twine, and tie my Valentine! ****
Oh the Earth was made for lovers, for damsel, and hopeless swain,
For sighing, and gentle whispering, and unity made of twain.
All things do go a courting, in earth, or sea, or air,
God hath made nothing single but thee in His world so fair!
The bride, and then the bridegroom, the two, and then the one,
Adam, and Eve, his consort, the moon, and then the sun;
The life doth prove the precept, who obey shall happy be,
Who will not serve the sovereign, be hanged on fatal tree.
The high do seek the lowly, the great do seek the small,
None cannot find who seeketh, on this terrestrial ball;
The bee doth court the flower, the flower his suit receives,
And they make merry wedding, whose guests are hundred leaves;
The wind doth woo the branches, the branches they are won,
And the father fond demandeth the maiden for his son.
The storm doth walk the seashore humming a mournful tune,
The wave with eye so pensive, looketh to see the moon,
Their spirits meet together, they make their solemn vows,
No more he singeth mournful, her sadness she doth lose.
The worm doth woo the mortal, death claims a living bride,
Night unto day is married, morn unto eventide;
Earth is a merry damsel, and heaven a knight so true,
And Earth is quite coquettish, and beseemeth in vain to sue.
Now to the application, to the reading of the roll,
To bringing thee to justice, and marshalling thy soul:
Thou art a human solo, a being cold, and lone,
Wilt have no kind companion, thou reap’st what thou hast sown.
Hast never silent hours, and minutes all too long,
And a deal of sad reflection, and wailing instead of song?
There’s Sarah, and Eliza, and Emeline so fair,
And Harriet, and Susan, and she with curling hair!
Thine eyes are sadly blinded, but yet thou mayest see
Six true, and comely maidens sitting upon the tree;
Approach that tree with caution, then up it boldly climb,
And seize the one thou lovest, nor care for space, or time!
Courting the Flower (2). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Courting the Flower (1). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
.
Occasionally dying (without effort or methodology) — psychologically — to thinking… is harmless, bright, and intelligent. Constantly, mechanically, habitually reacting as mere symbolic thoughts is rather cadaverous and is the equivalent to clinging to superficial shadows.
.
(In Socrates’ parable of the Cave — within Plato’s Republic — people were born in a cave, and they were fettered with chains… and forced to merely see and learn the details about shadows cast on the cave walls from puppets and a fire that they didn’t see behind them. One of them was taken — at one point, by force — first to see the fire… and then out of the cave into the true light of day… into a truer reality; then he came back down into the cave with the others. When he — the man who returned back — pleaded with them to look beyond the shadows, they called him a fool, and continued giving prizes to those who could best guess which shadows came before or after. Such is life.)
Silhouette of a Sage (2). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Silhouette of a Sage (1). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
.
There are innumerable charlatans out there — claiming all kinds of ludicrous things — so take the following with a grain of salt. Don’t believe anything; find out for yourself.
A being who truly experiences enlightenment is someone who is visited by that immeasurable, holistic energy which, if anyone would be filled and visited by it, would make one feel a trillion times more alive than what occurs as regular consciousness; and one so visited would feel the undeniable, sacred quality of that indescribable, eternal energy. Thoughts (being symbols) are always “about” energy; they are virtual (in a big way), are symbolic representations, and are never the actual energy. (If one continues to crave enlightenment — turning it into a mere desire — it will never happen. Just be open, orderly, and passionate about life, and it may happen.)
.
Stepping Stones (2). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Stepping Stones (1). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
.
Flowing movements(callingthemselvespeople)
see these actionsmovements(here)unfoldinglymove
and label it as me a nounstuckrocklikewithinagroove
Evolving observings streaming
and there’s a thinking that
themselves are firmandfixed
There’s metamorphosis movingbursting
here within and all around call
but learned chrylalis concentrated separations
continue to divide pigeonhole label and
stiffen cement and densify all
.
Unpinned (2). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
Unpinned (1). Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
.
When thinking is absent… the “thinker” is not. Going beyond the thinker and thought — which are both one and the same — is a psychological dying. However, this dying makes way for a new field of living and awareness (that is vast, profound, alive, compassionate, and insightful). When thinking does occur — and it is often very necessary — there is no need to conceive of a “thinker” separate from thought; doing so creates more fragmentation and is a waste of energy. Not wasting energy is intelligent and very prudent. To understand the whole, there cannot be mere fragmentation and a waste of energy. When energy is not wasted there is that possibility that the whole of intelligence and universal order will manifest. Only in complete order is there a possibility for the sacred to visit. It cannot — and never will — merge with what is fragmentary and of conflict (which is what all thought and thinking intrinsically is).
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Beyond cities (2). Photo by Thomas Peace 2015
Beyond cities (1). Photo by Thomas Peace 2015
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Breaking News:
Scientists — those fellows who are ever so clever — say that the universe is spiraling and expanding… and we have found concrete evidence of that (as illustrated in the accompanying photographs). The new, solid evidence supports the theory that the universe — at its current degree of expansion — is optimally suited for supporting life.
😉
.
New, hard evidence:
New hard evidence! (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
New hard evidence! (1) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
.
Though experience is often very necessary, a truly wise mind is intrinsically fulfilled — without motive — and doesn’t always need to be experiencing; but a happy infant usually depends on its toys.
.
Simply beeing. Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2015
.
Psychologically speaking (without fictitious, crass separation):
In seeing… the see-er is the scene; in hearing… the hearer is the heard; in learning… the learner is the learned; in driving… the driver is the driven; in thinking… the thinker is the thought; in reading (this)… the reader is the read.
.
Jack and the Bean Stalk (1). Photo by Thomas Peace 2015
Jack and the Bean Stalk (2). Photo by Thomas Peace 2015
.
Many have assumptions that the “I” is the central controller of thinking; but, the “I” is actually another one of the conditioned thoughts. Not fully realizing that causes all kinds of illusion, fragmentation, mischief, and needless conflict. One thought — even though it purports to be central — does not, in reality, truly govern, dominate, or keep “other” thoughts in subservience. Profound wisdom and intelligence goes beyond that needless falsity and is then composed of magnificent order that is far more parallel with that of the true, overall order of the universe.
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Topsy-turvy (1). Photo by Thomas Peace 2015
Topsy-turvy (2). Photo by Thomas Peace 2015
.
Profound truth and what is sacred and timeless cannot ever be found second-hand, nor by clutching to patterns; that is why it cannot be discovered by clinging to another’s authority — neither religious, political, social, nor a (learned, though essentially illusory) central ego’s authority — but only directly, effortlessly, spontaneously. That is one reason why — for so many — it is so very elusive.
.
At the summit (1). Photo by Thomas Peace 2015
At the summit (2). Photo by Thomas Peace 2015
.
Give a dog to a bone
give a flower to some water
give a child to a hug
give a reader to the blog
give a charity to some dollars
give the question to the answer
give the itch to the scratch
give the darkness to some light
give some spider to a color
give the world to yourself!
.
Give some spider to a color (1). Photo by Thomas Peace 2015
Give some spider to a color (2). Photo by Thomas Peace 2015
.
What is belief? Is it necessary in terms of understanding the whole, or is it something that is not very intelligent? In terms of religion, there are many who believe in their various Gods, and these beliefs — unquestionably — have a lot to do with what was handed down to them from others. Each one has his or her own inherited beliefs. So many (each) think that their God is best, that their country is best. Beliefs tend to divide people. Many wars have been fought over, and about, firm beliefs. One wonders — when beliefs have caused so much havoc and conflict in the world — why we still desperately cling to them.
In terms of spirituality, as was suggested, there are many who believe in their own particular God. Atheists believe that there is no God; they say that God doesn’t exist. Please don’t go off and get overly upset about this… but if one’s images of one’s God are composed of learned concepts and if one’s ideas that there is no God are constituted of concepts… then — in a fundamental way — there really is no big difference between ardent religious believers and atheists; they are both filled with their own particular, absorbed concepts.
To really (passionately) inquire — beyond all this vast array of disagreeing and conflicting beliefs — is something totally different. Then handed-down concepts or absorbed abstractions and procedures don’t influence and hinder one’s perception. Someone beyond these is truly open (and not contaminated by some process or conclusion). If you are on a quest to really find out the true nature of the whole of everything, will you follow someone’s technique, religious process, or anti-religious process… “map” of how to get there? If you follow their methodology, that means that you strongly suspect or “believe” that they hold the answer… the “special map.” However, if you aren’t truly aware of the answer, how could you possibly accurately know, or believe, that they have the answer?
Simply inquiring and perceiving, without an accumulated procedure (involving time), and learning about one’s self — without belief — without dependence on anyone’s system, or tradition, or “special map”… is not merely another belief. Belief (including following the methodology of others) takes time; it’s the residual result of an accumulated, residual process. Immediate perception (not clouded by learned beliefs or concepts), and insight concerning the self and/or deep truth, may not be (or be part of) an accumulative process whatsoever; time essentially has nothing to do with it. You know, when you actually see the sun, you don’t have to believe in it. There are billions habitually walking around with (and “as”) accumulated symbols, patterns, and images… learned from others over time. People love symbols; they are mesmerized by symbols, and most people are “thinking,” by way of mental symbols (which are what thoughts are), nearly all of the time. But the word “sun” isn’t the sun. Accepting symbolic beliefs, images, and concepts as the primary basis of your existence may not (unfortunately) be deeply intelligent, and it may lead to more conflict in the world; it may be like clinging to dark, cloud-like, second-hand, empty shadows (that never allow one to truly see the light). One can be open and beyond all that; few ever do it.
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BZZZZZZ… Photo by Thomas Peace 2015
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We learn to imitate from the earliest age, and (unfortunately) most of us continue to imitate throughout life… never going beyond mere reaction.
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Profile of a nature lover (1). Photo by Thomas Peace 2015
Profile of a nature lover (2). Photo by Thomas Peace 2015
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When many eat, they are very careful not to bite their own fingers, yet willingly hurt others… not realizing that — in a deep sense — they are one’s self also.
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Delicately eating. Photo by Thomas Peace 2015
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Instead of seeing your actions (i.e., reactions, fears, biases, and treatment concerning others) from a distance, observe them without separation (and not from some learned, devised, isolated “central point”)… such that you are them.
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Close to the Edge… Yes. Photo by Thomas Peace 2015
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If learned, separative concepts and symbols tend to divorce you from others, nature, and the whole of life… change — look without learned separation — and get re-engaged to the beauty of true relationship!
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Together forever. Photo by Thomas Peace 2015
Tom's Nature-up-close Photography and Mindfulness Blog 