.Go beyond the superficiality of seeing yourself as separate from the whole of life!.
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.(Milkweed Beetle and Fruit-fly on a Milkweed plant. Note how the Fruit-fly gradually moves in and feasts right adjacent to the precarious jaws (i.e., large, dangerous mandibles) of the Milkweed Beetle. The Fruit-fly’s jaws are too diminutive to successfully rasp at the Milkweed flower buds… so the Fruit-fly moves in and joins the “powerful” Milkweed Beetle… right adjacent to its “massive” jaws! Milkweed Beetles are quite “aware” for insects; in our area they sometimes roughly bang against my head – with their whole, flying bodies – to “warn” me to stay away from their precious Milkweed plants!)
Fruit-fly observing the Milkweed Beetle beginning to eat! Photo by Thomas Peace 2014
Fruit-fly trying to eat the Milkweed Beetle’s scraps from a distance! Photo by Thomas Peace 2014
Fruit-fly eating right next to the jaws of a Milkweed Beetle! Photo by Thomas Peace 2014
. Wow! Scientist’s have succeeded in creating a macro-photo of the system and intricate network of neurons composing the human brain (and the images that individual neurons contain)!
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Macro-photo of the Human Neural Network. And, as Elmer Fudd says: “Finawee, here’s scientific pruuf dat humans are wey smarter den doze krazy wabbits and all doze udder animals!” Photo by Thomas Peace 2014
. So many have (and “are”) ideas/concepts of God or no Gods. Go beyond mere concepts and intelligently inquire (for yourself)!
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Beyond words…Lyretail Anthias … Pseudanthias squamipinnis (females are golden yellow without the elongated first dorsal ray) … photo by Thomas Peace 2014
. (Sometimes, great words of wisdom can occur in a seemingly jumbled mess. Most of us were miseducated to think that we are separate from each other. Not enough of us look with real unity, compassion, and wisdom in our hearts… but, rather, see through thick walls of separation.)
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Swimming, Smiling, Egghead … (Puffer Fish) … photo by Thomas Peace 2014
. Happy Mother’s Day! And let’s all especially wish a happy Mother’s Day to Mother Earth too. She is all we have, and we all need to take better care of her (by recycling, using green energy, and planting more trees and such), not neglecting her. We can’t (as many foolish scientists suggest) leave home to go to another planet when things get bad here; some scientists are suggesting the wrong things; we have to wake up and treat her much better! Mother Earth is not at all separate from all true, good mothers!
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. Excerpt of a Navajo Native American Song (which, as a song of wisdom, occurs within my book):
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Song of the Earth
All is beautiful, All is beautiful…All is beautiful, indeed.
Now the Mother Earth, and the Father Sky… Meeting, joining one another, Helpmates ever, they.
All is beautiful… All is beautiful… All is beautiful, indeed.
Sisnajinni, Tsodsichl, Meeting, joining one another,
Helpmates ever, they. All is beautiful… All is beautiful… All is beautiful, indeed.
Now Doko-oslid and Depenitsa… Meeting, joining one another, Helpmates ever, they. All is beautiful… All is beautiful… All is beautiful, indeed.
And the night of darkness… And the dawn of light… Meeting, joining one another… Helpmates ever, they. All is beautiful…All is beautiful… All is beautiful, indeed.
Now Hastyeyalli and Hastyehogan… Meeting, joining one another, Helpmates ever, they. All is beautiful… All is beautiful… All is beautiful, indeed.
And the white corn and the yellow corn… Meeting, joining one another, Helpmates ever, they. All is beautiful… All is beautiful… All is beautiful, indeed.
And the corn-pollen and the Ripener… Meeting, joining one another, Helpmates ever, they. All is beautiful… All is beautiful… All is beautiful, indeed.
Life-that-never-passeth, Happiness-of-all-things… Meeting, joining one another, Helpmates ever, they. All is beautiful… All is beautiful… All is beautiful, indeed.
Now all is beautiful, All is beautiful, All is beautiful, indeed.
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Happy Mother’s Day to all good mothers and to our good Mother Earth! … photo by Thomas Peace 2014
. First thing in the morning, many birds sprightly sing to the joy of the new day, returning sun, and the exhilaration of being and sharing! 🙂 Namaste!
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“You two don’t ever sing to the sun in the morning. Are you atheists?” … photo by Thomas Peace 2014
. The door to success in the entertainment world… may be illusory.
. Real success is in finding truth, helping others, and ending suffering… not in showing off like some kind of monkey, getting all the apish stares!
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The door to success in the entertainment world… may be illusory. Mantled Howler Monkey at the zoo, briefly resting after antics with his group… photo by Thomas Peace 2014
. Deep intelligence sees that the psychological dichotomy between the “controller” of ideas and the “ideas” is essentially fallacious and illusory; one’s ideas and feelings are what one actually is… not — as we were erroneously taught — something at a distance that one “has.” Your reactions and thoughts are not truly separate from what you are. Conflict inwardly can project as conflict outwardly.
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At an end and a new beginning… female Widow Skimmer Dragonfly … photo by Thomas Peace 2014
. Years ago when one was in parochial school, we were required to attend mass, in the church, every day before classes. As a youngster, kneeling in church as the requisite rules called for, i remember thinking: “God is not here (locked up for us to visit), God is outdoors among nature and the good, great outdoors.” I remember feeling like being in prison… but i realized that, some day, i would get out. Later, while in college (and away from home), i purchased a rock music album that happened to have lyrics that really “hit home” with me. The album was entitled “Aqualung”… and the second half of the album contained lyrics helping one to question orthodox perspectives about spirituality and, instead, think (and discover) for oneself. This album, among others, was integral for me regarding my independent search within the realm of the spiritual/philosophical. That search became far more important to me than girlfriends, far more important than having a good time, competing in the job market, or being admired by others in the social realm. I am very appreciative of that album and others like it. I feel that my writings and photos (and especially my book) attest to the fact that independent inquiry (including intelligent doubting and searching) is not only worthwhile… but very noble, fruitful, and magnificent. (Of course, one may be all wrong about this… and may still be primarily just a fool.) 😉
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Later in life, it was a pleasant surprise to discover that the historical Jesus himself seemed to not be in favor of — as my book is indicative of — orthodoxy, temples, and the priests within. It was the high priests, the Sanhedrin (in their fancy robes), that accused him of things and arranged to have him killed by the Romans. After the death of the historical Christ, there were many gospels and versions of gospels that many people could choose from. Ironically, it was high priests that eventually chose the ones they wanted people to adhere to; they (like they did to the historical Jesus) arranged to have those that cherished other versions… to be terminated and destroyed. Likewise their (banned) bibles were destroyed and discarded.
Many of the top biblical scholars of today acknowledge that the ancient Gospel of Thomas — discovered by a peasant in 1945 in an earthenware jug, (and also in Greek fragments in an ancient dump heap) — was very likely existent before the Gospels of Mark, Luke, Matthew, and John. The apostles did not, it is well known, write the four orthodox gospels. The gospels called Luke and Matthew copied Mark; some scholars contend that John is a rebuttal against the Gospel of Thomas.
from the ancient Gospel of Thomas:
Jesus said, “Why have you come out to the countryside? To see a reed shaken by the wind? And to see a person dressed in soft clothes, [like your] rulers and your powerful ones? They are dressed in soft clothes, and they cannot understand truth.”
From the Gosp. of Thomas, Greek dump heap POxy 1 fragment:
[Jesus says], “Where there are [three, they are without] God, and where there is only [one], I say, I am with that one. Lift up the stone, and you will find me there. Split a piece of wood, and I am there.”
Lyrics from the song Wind Up… from the Aqualung album by Jethro Tull:
“Wind-Up”
When I was young, and they packed me off to school and taught me how not to play the game, I didn’t mind if they groomed me for success, or if they said that I was a fool. So I left there in the morning with their God tucked underneath my arm — their half-assed smiles and the book of rules. So I asked this God a question and by way of firm reply, He said — I’m not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays. So to my old headmaster (and to anyone who cares): before I’m through, I’d like to say my prayers: I don’t believe you, you had the whole damn thing all wrong — He’s not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays. Well you can excommunicate me on my way to Sunday school
and have all the bishops harmonize these lines — How do you dare tell me that I’m my Father’s son
when that was just an accident of Birth. I’d rather look around me — compose a better song `cos that’s the honest measure of my worth. In your pomp and all your glory you’re a poorer man than me, as you lick the boots of death born out of fear. I don’t believe you, you had the whole damn thing all wrong — He’s not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays.
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A dancer to another tune… Blue-fronted Dancer Damselfly… photo by Thomas Peace 2014
Dorothy to Glinda (in Oz): “If I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own backyard, because if it isn’t there, I never really lost it to begin with.” … Photo (from the backyard) by Thomas Peace 2014
. You don’t have to believe in anything to enjoy and love nature; you don’t have to swallow dead doctrines to love others and all of life’s creatures.
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John the Baptist – whom the historical Christ followed – was far from the bureaucratic temples, and didn’t believe in them. J.C. tore up temples. …photo by Thomas Peace 2014
. A true, effortless silence between two thoughts… can be the immense awareness that perceives without symbolism, illusory control, conflict, and separation.
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Red Admiral Butterfly resting… photo by Thomas Peace 2014
Tom's Nature-up-close Photography and Mindfulness Blog 