Naked soul-Kazantzakis.

Copied this from "Zorba Te Greek" . I thought it was so beautiful. I love all of Kazantzakis books.

Purity

“Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

    

Zorba

I' m reading " Zorba " which I have read several times over the years . Many years ago I read identifying with the younger narrator of the story . This time I'm closer to Zorba's age and identify with him . Interesting to read same book from a very different perspective . It is kind of like my grieving for my Dad who was killed in WWll
in his twenties. I used to grieve for him as a loss of a Dad . He is frozen in time and now I look back and grieve for him as I would a child from dying so young and all he missed. Strange strange strange ! Read Zorba if you haven't-great! Also another book I love is " Life of Pi" -The movie cannot possible capture this wonderful tale !

Pets

I am house and pet sitting while my daughter and her family are on vacation. The needs of the pets for human contact always amazes me .I do not own a pet so to see this need is interesting .Many times I will close the door of the room in which I’m reading for I like my privacy too .At least three times a day I will sit in the living room where they can get to me and in no time flat they appear. The dog always comes first and all he wants is for me to pet him and to talk to him .Before long he is resting at my feet pushed up against my legs for contact .Next in a short time one of the two cats has arrived and gets in my lap. While I stroke him he starts a quiet purring I can feel. A side note : one cat I can hear purr and the other I can feel .The second cat on arrival ends up on my shoulder .At night I like to sleep on the couch in  the game room and this is our sleeping pattern dog at feet ,cat on my back and the other beside my head. I can tell they need this companionship and human contact. It is just a strange phenomenon to me. It is relaxing to me sitting for at least an hour three times day and not moving and relaxing my muscles and quieting my mind.

Self Potrait

We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Nature's inexhaustible sources of energy — sun, wind and tide. ... I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.
Thomas Edison

                  “The happiest man is he who learns from nature the lesson of worship”
                    ― Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nature

                                         “Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.”
                                           ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Donkey

I use a lot of sources for my recovery . I love the story in the old testament of God talking to Balaam through a donkey. I was going up and down the channels on TV and I heard a fundamentalist minister say this : Before God talked to Balaam through the donkey :The donkey was a donkey. While god was talking through the donkey : the donkey was a donkey and after God finished talking through the donkey the donkey was a donkey.Then he added because why didn't God talk directly to Balaam . The minister said because God likes to show us He talks to us through other things.So when people talk to me I listen because they may be my donkey . I don't care what they do before or afterwards. They are just a donkey. Same for me if I am lucky enough for God to talk through me . I am just the donkey . If I could ever say anything that helps you on your journey . Always remember I'm just the donkey . It is God talking to you . Also use what you can and leave the rest . Your heart will know what you need.

I like this also . If you were to take a sign pointing to Memphis  and take it to a lab and melt it down . Study all of it's components . You would not find Memphis . It is only a sign pointing to Memphis. Same with fables or the like . If you pick them apart  , You will not find the truth . They are only signs pointing to the truth.

Everyday I start my day by saying and claiming , " I am a beautiful precious child of God." I will tell you more about this later. You will not believe it at first , but it has worked for me . You are indeed  A beautiful precious child of God .

Let's be Honest

I like this saying I heard . " Honesty without understanding and compassion is not honesty at all but subtle hostility .” How many times have we heard ," Let me be honest with you ." You had better hold on to your head.

                                           Ode to Robert Crumb.One of my favorite artist.

Say Nothing Negative

Here is something I tried that changed my life .If I have anything negative to say to someone , I make myself wait twenty four hours . If there is any doubt as to whether I should say it . I wait another 24 hours  and there is always a doubt. At the end of the 48 hours .I have never found it necessary to say it . This includes spouses and children.

I love these blooms.1/2 inch across .

You may find the worst enemy or best friend in yourself.
English Proverb

Sick Opinion

I never accept a negative opinion of me from a sick person . How do you know recognize a sick person ? The minute they give me the negative opinion I know they are sick , because a healthy person will only build someone up or say nothing at all .

 Look at a tree, a flower, a plant. Let your awareness rest upon it. How still they are, how deeply rooted in Being. Allow nature to teach you stillness.

ECKHART TOLLE, Stillness Speaks