Physical Freedom
“From birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is bolted to earth. But man has only to sink beneath the surface and he is free.”
–Jacques-Yves Cousteau (French Oceanographer, 1910-1997)
Personal Transformation
“I must only warn you of one thing. You have become a different person in the course of these years. For this is what the art of archery means: a profound and far-reaching contest of the archer with himself. Perhaps you have hardly noticed it yet, but you will feel it very strongly when you meet your friends and acquaintances again in your own country: things will no longer harmonize as before. You will see with other eyes and measure with other measures. It has happened to me too, and it happens to all who are touched by the spirit of this art.”
–Eugen Herrigel (German Philosopher and Daishakyôdô Practitioner, 1884-1955)
Not Confusing the Teacher and the Teaching
“Everyone’s looking for the perfect teacher, but although their teachings might be divine, teachers are all too human, and that’s something people find all too hard to accept. Don’t confuse the teacher with the lesson, the ritual with the ecstasy, the transmitter of the symbol with the symbol itself. The Tradition is linked to our encounter with the forces of life and not with the people who bring this about. But we are weak: we ask the Mother to send us guides, and all she sends are signs to the road we need to follow. Pity those who seek for shepherds, instead of longing for freedom! An encounter with superior energy is open to anyone but remains far from those who shift responsibility onto others. Our time on earth is sacred and we should celebrate every moment.”
–Paulo Coelho (Brazilian Writer, 1947-)
Fractals in Nature
Here is a remarkable video that I first saw on Stuart Wilde’s highly recommended website. It’s from Nova, and well worth a few minutes of your time.
Consciousness In The Brain?
One of the most important of all debates is whether or not consciousness is simply a phenomenon – or perhaps even an illusion – created by the brain:
“The highest activities of consciousness have their origins in physical occurrences of the brain just as the loveliest melodies are not too sublime to be expressed by notes.”
–W. Somerset Maugham (English Novelist and Playwright, 1874-1965)
For another approach, and one that is much closer to my own view, you might be interested to look at my review of one of the most important books published in recent years:
“Irreducible Mind: Toward a Psychology for the 21st Century” (Edward Kelly, Emily Williams Kelly)
Fractals in Nature
Here is a remarkable video that I first saw on Stuart Wilde’s highly recommended website. It’s from Nova, and well worth a few minutes of your time.
The One
“We are always around The One. If we were not, we would dissolve and cease to exist.
Yet our gaze does not remain fixed upon The One. When we look at it, we then attain the end of our desires and find rest.
Then it is that, all discord past, we dance an inspired dance around it.”
–Plotinus (Egyptian-born Roman Philosopher and Founder of Neo-Platonism, A.D.205-270)
‘The Good or The One’ The Essential Plotinus Translated by Elmer O’Brien, S.J.
Your Special Moment
“Each person has his special moment of life when he unfolded himself to the fullest, felt to the deepest, and expressed himself to the utmost, to himself and to others.”
–Alexander Solzhenitsyn (Russian Writer and, in 1970, Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, 1918-2008)
Joy Unlimited
“A Course in Miracles: Combined Volume” (Dr. Helen Schucman)
“Joy is unlimited, because each shining thought of love extends its being and creates more of itself.”
–A Course in Miracles (Book of Spiritual Principles Scribed by Dr. Helen Schucman between 1965 and 1975, and First Published in 1976) (T22.VI 14:8)
Courage
“Have the courage to face a difficulty lest it kick you harder than you bargain for.”
–Stanislaus Leszcynski (Polish King – Stanislaus the First – who reigned from 1704-1709 and again from 1733-1735, 1677-1776)
