Contemplative Monday

The following is from 'Heart Advice, Weekly Quotes from Pema Chodron'.

HEAVEN AND HELL

"There's another story that you may have read that has to do with

 what we call heaven and hell, life and death, good and bad.

It's a story about how those things don't really exist except as a creation of our own minds.

It goes like this: A big burly samurai comes to the wise man and says,

"Tell me the nature of heaven and hell."

And the roshi looks him in the face and says: "Why should I tell a scruffy, 

disgusting, miserable slob like you?"

The samurai starts to get purple in the face, his hair starts to stand up, 

but the roshi won't stop, he keeps saying,

"A miserable worm like you, do you think I should tell you anything?"

Consumed by rage, the samurai draws his sword,

 and he's just about to cut off the head of the roshi.

Then the roshi says, "That's hell."

The samurai, who is in fact a sensitive person, instantly gets it,

that he just created his own hell; he was deep in hell.

It was black and hot, filled with hatred, self-protection, anger,

and resentment, so much so that he was going to kill this man.

Tears fill his eyes and he starts to cry and he puts his palms together and the roshi says,

"That's heaven."

Eclectic Tastes

I have just 'discovered' this great blues singer, thanks to my friend Sharon in Tennessee!!

Have a great Sunday everyone.

Saturday Morning Post

Been very busy this week.........

Last Saturday morning I was literally up with the birds getting ready for a yard sale.

Time to clear out our basement.....or at least try to!! Only sold a few things.

Will try again when we have 'the community' highway 207 sale.

Getting carried away with editing!

Gazebo at the park.

Looking one way at the beach (Ron and Sophie)....

.....then the other way.

Wild flower/plant along the Atlantic Trail at the beach.

Anyone know what it is?

Reflections at the water's edge....

'Pitcher plants' near the trail at the beach....there are a ton of them this year.

Ron reading an inscription on a very old cannon at Point Pleasant Park in Halifax.

My sister Paula (left) and our cousin Cathy share a laugh at Dad's birthday party.

Those dark skies make for dramatic photos!

Rehearsals have begun at 'Shakespeare By The Sea' at Point Pleasant Park.

Just couldn't walk passed this little moth.....

'To Be Or Not To Be.....'

Whether that is the question or not,

I do know that the world is this fellow's stage.....

At Point Pleasant Park in Halifax this week.

Let's Party !!

My father's 98th birthday was earlier this week and we celebrated with him on Sunday.

There were about fifty people there helping him celebrate.

This is Dad, Jimmie Sr., with his first cousin, May, whom he hadn't seen in 50 years!!

My nephew, Matt, and niece, Meghan, carry the cake over to Dad.

That is a ball and glove that my sister made for the cake.

Dad was a 'noted' ball-player in his prime.

With the help of my great nieces Sarah-Jane and Julia,

all the candles were blown out!

This is sure evidence that the cake was acceptable, 

at least according to my great-niece Cameron.

It had been a while since the whole family was together in one place. 

So photos to mark the occasion were taken.

This is one taken of the 'boys' :

From left....Laurie, Fred, Dad, myself, and Dennis sitting on floor.

Then the 'girls' of the family:

From left....Mary Elizabeth (Mim), Paula, Jo-Ann, and Marilyn with Dad.

Then all together!

It was really a good celebration for our father's birthday. Dad was very pleased

and the food was excellent! For the first time we had it catered and it was delicious.

Oh yes, my brother Dennis gave a wonderful and funny toast/speech in honour of Dad.

Only Dennis could do this and have everyone in the palm of his hand.

Good job Den!

Some Things Just Work

While waiting at the boardwalk for my sister and her granddaughter on Monday to arrive,

I looked across to the lake and couldn't help but notice these 'very tidily-parked' motorbikes.

Just couldn't resist.

A Fun Afternoon

What better way to spend a few hours at the beach than with a 2 year old!

 

My sister, Paula, and her granddaughter came to the beach with us yesterday afternoon.

It was a very entertaining afternoon for all, especially Ron and I. 

We discovered that it isn't that much different than being at the beach with Sophie.

Both require your utmost attention and you are at their beck and call.

It is so much fun though and you can play in the sand again!

But hey, we wouldn't have it any other way!

Contemplative Monday

The following is from 'Heart Advice, Weekly Quotes from Pema Chodron'.

NOT BITING THE HOOK

'In Tibetan there is a word that points to the root cause of aggression, the root cause also of craving. It points to a familiar experience that is at the root of all conflict, all cruelty, oppression, and greed. The word is 'shenpa'.

The usual translation is 'attachment", but this doesn't adequately express the full meaning. 

I think of shenpa as "getting hooked". Another definition, used by Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche, is the "charge"----the charge behind our thoughts, and words, and actions, the charge behind "like" and "don't like".

Here's an everyday example: Someone criticizes you. She criticizes your work or your appearance, 

or your child. In moments like that, what is it you feel? It has a familiar taste, a familiar smell.

Once you begin to notice it, you feel this experience has been happening forever.

That sticky feeling is shenpa.

And it comes along with a very seductive urge to do something. Somebody says a harsh word and immediately you can feel a shift. There's a tightening that rapidly spirals into mentally blaming this person, or wanting revenge, or blaming yourself. Then you speak or act.

The charge behind the tightening, behind the urge, behind the story line or action is shenpa.

You can actually feel shenpa happening. It's a sensation that you can easily recognize.

Even a spot on your new sweater can take you there. Someone looks at us in a certain way,

or we hear a certain song or walk into a certain room and boom. 

We're hooked. It's a quality of experience that's not easy to describe

 but that everyone knows well. 

Now, if you catch shenpa early enough, it's very workable. You can acknowledge that it's happening and abide with the experience of being triggered, the experience of urge, 

the experience of wanting to move.

It's like experiencing the yearning to scratch an itch, and generally we find it irresistible.

Nevertheless, we can practice patience with that fidgety feeling and hold our seat."