Compassion and Unconditional Love

If we make our goal to live a life of
compassion and unconditional love,
then the world will indeed become a garden
where all kinds of flowers can bloom and grow.

~ Elisabeth Kuebler-Ross

Of Note: Just today in my studies on the three states of spiritual feeling, compassion was defined as "the antithesis of passion, which is selfish and grasping." The other two states were tenderness, otherwise known as mercy, "the antithesis of self-centeredness, which is always hard and self-absorbed" and dispassion, "the antithesis of desire." The promise is made that if these three states were entered into, we would be in touch with the souls of all men. The kicker here is that we will never truly know these states until we each know our own souls. How does this happen? By acting As If we are compassionate, merciful and dispassionate. If we are successful, one day we will have become these three states and will not be play-acting, and the world will be better for it.

Today's Weather Report: Just another cloudy day in the 20's Fahrenheit. A typical winter scene. Nothing to write home about but who cares. We are just glad to be alive here at Mt. St. Mossback Monastery (my tongue-in-cheek name for the homestead here.) The election in Massachusetts today may change the way any action on health care moves forward. Polls are showing that the electorate is not happy with the way the process has gone so far. But pollsters are saying this is more of a general message to Washington about spending, health care, climate change and other policy matters that have been taken up this past year by the new administration.

The Time to Understand More

Nothing in life is to be feared.
It is only to be understood.
Now is the time to understand more,
so that we may fear less.

~ Madame Marie Curie

Of Note: One aspect of Light is understanding, which when coupled with intelligence equals wisdom. The three synthesized aspects of Light eradicate fear. Primeval fear is an instinctual response to many stimuli and is shared with the animal kingdom. However, only humans fear death. It grips us; it owns us and thus rules the planet. Over the course of lifetimes, the fear of death is proven to be an illusion when transmuted by the Light of the Mind. What we find is no-death, only change of circumstances for the better. When humanity as a whole embraces this truth, the whole world will be transformed.

Today's Weather Report: By golly, it is 38 degrees Fahrenheit as we speak, and the predicted January thaw has arrived as evidenced by a dripping roof. If this would keep up for a few days, the dirt road to the house would be almost impassable. Bring it on! The dogs are even more wet than usual when they come in and smell like drenched wool which is not entirely appealing. Neither of them seem to mind and are glad to plop down on the heated floor to dry off. At least their "pee-you factor" is due to water not something more onerous.

Watch for Change Snippet: A brand new concept has been introduced in shopping--the drive-through store. Yes, that's what I said--drive-through. Picture ordering groceries on-line, then driving through a warehouse-like building for loading with groceries in less than 5 minutes. The idea was hatched in France by entrepreneurs who sought a McDonald drive-through experience for grocery shoppers, and it is spreading like wildfire. Wal-Mart is studying the innovation, and Sears Holding Company has moved even further by putting plans in place to convert K-Mart stores to drive-through warehouses that will sell department store merchandise. Why does this model hold so much promise for international companies? The warehouse model means that fewer employees are needed and that is music to the ears of CEO's, who are always looking for ways to cut expenses.

The Hidden Charm

THE WORLD IS FULL OF SUFFERING,
IT'S ALSO FULL OF OVERCOMING IT.
~ Helen Keller

PROVIDENCE HAS HIDDEN A CHARM
IN DIFFICULT UNDERTAKINGS
WHICH IS APPRECIATED ONLY BY THOSE
WHO DARE TO GRAPPLE WITH THEM.
~ Anne-Sophie Swetchine

Of Note: Today we have a twofer because both quotes wisely explain that the universe provides difficulties as a gift. Swetchine elaborates further by saying that the gift is "hidden" which means veiled, not readily apparent, in need of finding. In the midst of a crisis, we rarely think to look for a hidden charm. Most of the time we can't imagine that any good could come from the situation and resent those who say otherwise. But later in retrospect, when the emotions have lifted, the treasure beckons. Best to go find it, I have found, or the experience may be reconvened at a later date in a less subtle fashion.

Today's Weather Report: Don't know where the 30 degree Fahrenheit temps went but today it is in the teens and cloudy. We still have lots of days ahead for a January thaw, though, and I have my fingers crossed.

Watch for Change Snippet: The big news today is that the End-of-World Clock, or Doomsday Clock, has been set back a minute from 5 to 6 minutes before midnight. The announcement focused on both the positive and negative ways to stem nuclear weapons and global warming. One of the predicting scientists stated: "For the first time since atomic bombs were dropped in 1945, leaders of nuclear weapons states are cooperating to vastly reduce their arsenals and secure all nuclear bomb-making material. And for the first time ever, industrialized and developing countries alike are pledging to limit climate change..." The clock has been changed 18 times since its inception in 1947, the most recently in 2007 from 7 to 5 minutes before midnight because of negative global response to the same two issues. However, the closest the clock came to midnight was in 1953 when it only had 2 minutes to go. Nuclear testing by the two super-powers that year caused that change. Lest we think the time has always been within minutes of midnight, in 1991 the clock stood at 17 minutes before the fateful hour.

Smiling

The source of a true smile
is an awakened mind.
Smiling helps you approach the day
with gentleness and understanding.

~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Peace Is Every Step

Of Note: Every day Tibetan monks awake with a laugh. Not just a little chuckle, but a laugh right-out-loud. They believe that the act of laughing makes them calmer and more focused during the day. Scientists have now found that the monks were on to something. Studies have shown that laughing shuts off several stress hormones and turns on happy endorphins which in turn relaxes capillaries in the head and improves the flow of oxygen and blood to the brain. More surprising, any laugh will do, even a fake one, because the body does not know the difference. Other scientifically proven Tibetan monk activities include sitting up straight which increases the efficiency of spinal neurons, listening to bells before and after meditation which enhances relaxation and creativity and humming which releases feel-good hormones.

Today's Weather Report: My husband has declared that the worst of winter is over. Maybe it is wishful thinking because he envisions the time when he will not have to fill the boiler twice a day with wood. But I'd have to agree with him on this one. Something in the air says winter is passing with a whimper this year. That's a blessing. A more mild winter might make up for the deep-freeze last year when it hit minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit for way too many days. The two puppies certainly enjoy the cold. Although with their long-coats, we wonder how they will fare in the summer.

The First Thing We Feel Is LOVE

Some of us fear that when we die
there will be an awesome tribunal
sitting in judgment upon us.

The truth of the matter is that
the first thing we hear is laughter,
and the first thing we feel is Love.

~Emmanuel

Of Note: Thousands upon thousands died or will in the coming days following the 7.0 earthquake that hit Haiti yesterday. The grieving by the survivors has just begun. May they be filled with knowledge that a loving embrace and celestial sounds welcomed or will welcome their deceased relatives and friends. May peace be with all those left behind.

Today's Weather Report: I did not step foot outside today except to take a bag of cat poop to the trash can in the garage. From the feel of it, temps were in the 20's. Sun was out, all was good. We watched the news streaming out of Haiti for awhile....for some reason neither my husband nor I knew that an earthquake could take place in Haiti. From what he and I now understand, two plates meet right in that spot, and an earthquake was due. Wonder if it had anything to do with the sizable earthquake that hit California at the end of last week? That's another place that the authorities say is ready for a quake. However, California has prepared for this for years whereas Haiti never stood a chance.

Save the World While Brushing Your Teeth

SAVE THE WORLD WHILE BRUSHING YOUR TEETH

Most people leave the faucet
running while brushing their teeth.
This wastes more than 2 gallons a minute!
This means your street alone could fill an
Olympic sized swimming pool each year.

This wastes huge amounts of water--
it's like having the toilet flush
the whole time you are on it.

So why not turn off the faucet
while you brush your teeth?

~www.wearewhatwedo.org

Of Note: The book from which this passage came, Change the World for Ten Bucks, went on to say: "We bet this is one of the actions you don't forget from this book. For some reason, it seems to strike a chord with everyone." The whole book was like this--each page spread contained one pithy idea and a great accompanying photo--50 in total. With the water down several feet in our lake over the last few years so that once covered logs are revealed, ideas about saving water always hit home. At our house, water comes from a well which has no chance of drying up any time soon but worldwide water shortages are real. Collectively, we live and die by water. Thus, every drop saved at a minimum may contribute to the collective consciousness regarding resource conservation and sharing and at the maximum may save a life.

Today's Weather Report: It is so nice when the weathermen get it right. At 26 degrees Fahrenheit today, it felt almost balmy outside. Tomorrow, we can hope for even a bit warmer. Others besides me are talking about a possible January thaw. I started walking on the treadmill a few weeks back and have chalked up over 10 miles already. This was the treadmill that Jim almost moved to storage last summer but I stopped him because I thought it might make good winter exercise. Good move. 5 minutes was all I did the first day but I've worked up to 30 minutes. If it makes me overly fatigued, I take the day off, and with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, that is often. But the winters are long, and walking is often difficult outside; so, the treadmill is a good alternative to hibernating until gardening season begins.

Participating in Divinity

WHEN BEFORE THE BEAUTY
OF SUNRISE OR A MOUNTAIN,
YOU PAUSE AND EXCLAIM,
"AH,"
YOU ARE PARTICIPATING
IN DIVINITY.

~Joseph Campbell

Of Note: We all know the moment about which Campbell is referring. It is the "chills up the backbone" scene when we all know that God Transcendent is Real. Maybe even more amazing, we each carry God Immanent in our hearts and can experience this "Aha" moment at any time and place.

Today's Weather Report: It was one of those funky days when the sun shone at our house but 15 miles away it was snowing lightly. The weather forecast shows minus 10 degrees tonight but then for the next few days it should be in the 20's. My hope is that we have a January thaw with the temps in the 30's. This past week all the world has been in an unusual deep freeze. The short term effect of the brutal weather and the weak dollar has been gas prices at $2.79 per gallon. It looks like gas prices will top $3.00 again by the summer.