October 05-C, 2022

Taggart Lake 02 Oil Paint Rendered — Grand Teton National Park, Jackson, Wyoming
Our highest order obligation
is to take care of our heart/soul,
by living from our heart/soul,
and honoring our heart/soul
in all that we do.

Being true to ourselves
is being true to our heart/soul.
Knowing ourselves
is knowing our heart/soul.

We are not taught this anywhere
along the way.

The church tells us to not trust ourselves
because we are sinful and evil to the core,
and we must trust the church 
to tell us what to do, when and how.

We have to trust ourselves to not listen 
to the church.

Or to society.

Or to commercial television.

...

Where do we take our cues for living?
Silence,
Stillness,
Emptiness,
Experience,
Reflection,
Realization,
Experimentation.

We all know when to quit pouring,
when we have eaten enough,
when it is time for water or wine,
what attracts us,
what repels us...

We come with essential knowing/recognition
intact.

When we trust our inner guide
we are trusting our heart/soul.
Being attentive to our heart/soul
is a matter of practice, practice, practice.

Awareness is a learned skill
as much as an inborn art.

We can live tuned-in to ourselves
and our environment,
and we can live clueless on all levels.

Heart/soul is a thing.
As real as the color of our eyes.
As true to us as our fingerprints.

We live to incarnate heart/soul,
to express/exhibit heart/soul,
to serve/tend heart/soul,
to be one with heart/soul--
in all times and places.

Dreams are a contact point with heart/soul.
Communing with heart/soul,
ruminating with heart/soul,
listening to heart/soul,
reflecting on heart/soul
leads to new realizations
and new ways of living
all because we take heart/soul seriously
and pay attention.

–0–

October 05-B, 2022

Dockside 14 11/14/2017 Oil Paint Rendered — Harbor River, Port Royal, South Carolina,
What are you famous for?
Not, "What do you want to be famous for?"
Not, "What do you wish you were famous for?"
What are you famous for?

What do people look for from you?
What do they look to you for?
What are you known for?
What is your shtick?

What do you like best about you?
Rank the highest?
Rate at the top of the list?

What do you look forward to doing the most?
Enjoy having done the most?
Are proudest to be associated with?

Two things stand out for me about me:

1) I get to the point.
2) I sit still and quiet,
embracing the silence,
enjoying the stillness,
relishing the emptiness,
present with nothing,
waiting to see/hear/know,
so that I may rise to do,
and continue becoming,
unfolding,
emerging,
developing,
realizing...

Oh, and there is one more,
3) I enjoy a good cup of coffee.
Alone, of course,
in the silence.

–0–

October 05-A, 2022

Adams Mill Pond 50 B&W 11/10/2014 Oil Paint Rendered — Goodale State Park, Camden, South Carolina
Everybody wants to be safe and secure
at everybody else's expense.

Vulnerability is the bane of the species.

We are vulnerable and cannot bear the idea.

The Old Testament has a line,
"We run from a bear, 
and slam the door shut behind us,
thinking we are safe at last,
and a spider bites us."

We think, "Now we have it made,"
and a heart attack nails us.

Making our peace with the way things are
is our first order of business,
in a "This is the way things are,
and this is what we can do about it,
and that is the way things are,"
kind of way.

The clearer we can be about what we fear
is a good first step toward
dealing with our fear.

The second step is to sit quietly
and consider the resources that reside within.
Our essential nature
and our innate virtues.

We have to be clear about what we are good for,
about who we are really
in the way of our nature and character.

Clarity is peace.
Is balance.
Is harmony.

A lack of clarity is fear,
terror,
anxiety,
angst.

We have what it takes!
We have to know that,
believe that,
trust that.

We have made it this far!
We have what it takes.

Finding our way past the Clashing Rocks
and the Crashing Waves of the Wine Dark Sea
is our specialty!

We are made for this kind of thing!
We are built of rugged stuff!
We came straight out of the Serengeti!
Out of the caves and the steppes!
We have dealt with Arctic cold
And Sahara heat!

There is nothing we have not done!
We come from good stock!
We. Have. What. It. Takes!

Be clear about what is robbing you
of your peace.
Be clear about what you have access to
in countering the destabilizing fear.

And pick yourself up,
and go about your business,
with the confidence of the species
as your heritage and your companion.

You will not be bereft or abandoned.
Your genes have seen it all before.
Trust yourself to your genes
and step boldly into your life,
day after day.
You will be amazed.

–0–

October 04-B, 2022

Cormorant Sunrise Oil Paint Rendered — Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Ocracoke Island,. North Carolina
Living between the extremes,
between the contradictions,
between the dichotomies,
between the contraries,
between the mutually exclusive polarities...
takes all the fun
out of being alive.

And so, denial.

In the form of diversion,
distraction,
dismissal,
disregarding,
denouncing,
delaying,
postponing,
rejecting
and refusing to consider
anything we don't want to think about.

The entertaining pastimes--
money,
sex,
drugs,
alcohol,
video games
and all the spectator sports--
come to our rescue,
delaying indefinitely
the unwanted realities
of our life.

Can you imagine the dreadful existence
of someone like the Buddha, say,
or Jesus,
Gandhi,
the Dali Lama
and all of the saints in light--
who just faced straight-up
life-as-it-is 
every day?

What a dreadful way to live!

Doing nothing than what needed
to be done,
when, where and how it needed to be done,
from get up to lights out?

Who could live like that?

No TV?
No commercials?
Nothing to take their mind off
whatever was at hand?

WHY???

We don't wait around for the answer.
The idea alone is more than we can 
bring ourselves to consider.
There has to be a beer around here somewhere...

–0–

October 04-A, 2022

Lake Andrew Jackson Mirror Oil Paint Rendered — Andrew Jackson State Park, Lancaster County, South Carolina
Everything turns on how we perceive our life.

No one teaches us about perception.
About interpretation.
About hermeneutics.
About ascribing meaning.
About seeing.
About understanding what we look at...

We stumble into some mode
of explaining to ourselves
what's happening,
making things up to suit ourselves,
call that knowing how things are,
and responding to it
in ways commensurate with our explanation. 

Is there any wonder that the world 
is insane?

We are all doing the only thing we know to do--
thinking things are what we say they are
and doing what we say needs to be done about them.
And, here we are.

Nobody wants to be here,
but, everybody is here.
Because everything turns
on how we perceive our life.

–0–

October 03-B, 2022

The Grove 05 01/25/2015 Oil Paint Rendered, B&W — ACE National Wildlife Refuge, Hollywood, South Carolina
There is no peace
as long as wanting 
is running the show.

The only companion of peace is knowing.
Knowing what's what
and what needs to be done about it,
and doing it
with our original nature
and our innate virtues.

We never need more than that
to live in the service
of what needs to happen
in each situation as it arises.

We sell our original nature
and our innate virtues
for the price of a pair of sandals.

Have no use for integrity,
sincerity
and spontaneity,
the source,
or emptiness,
stillness
and silence.

And so, the mess we live in
from day-to-day.

Our first order of business
is to turn the light around.

This is to understand that 
we are the Buddha,
we are the Christ,
and that nothing happens
until we become who we are
by remembering the face that was ours
before we were born,
before our parents were born,
before our grandparents were born...
from before the beginning
of time and space.

Innate virtues.
Essential nature.
Emptiness.
Stillness.
Silence.
Spirit.
Energy.
Vitality.
Seeing.
Hearing.
Knowing.
Doing.
Being.

Money is nowhere on the list.
Nor is wanting.
Getting.
Having.
Owning.
Possessing.
Amassing.
Striving.
Forcing.
Compelling.
Contriving.
Conniving.
Controlling.

The Buddha gave up everything
for a monk's robe
and a begging bowl.

Jesus was born in a stable
and died on a cross.

They both spent their life
in the service of doing 
what needed to be done
for the joy of doing it
and the satisfaction 
of having done it,
using only their essential nature
and their innate virtues.
Seeing,
hearing,
knowing,
doing,
being.

Happily at peace with themselves,
with others,
with the world.

The lesson is clear
for anyone with eyes to see
and ears to hear.

It begins with 
turning the light around,
and doing what's next.

–0–

October 03-A, 2022

Dome Sunset 11/08/2006 Oil Paint Rendered — Clingman’s Dome Parking Lot, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cherokee, North Carolina
We make things worse than they need to be
by enlarging them beyond the absurd
into the realm of things Hollywood 
hasn't come up with.

We scare ourselves sick
with our endless "What if that then?" 
scenarios.

I recommend that we stop it.
And tell ourselves instead,
"We will deal with whatever comes up."

Instead of feeding our fear,
allow our fear to evoke our courage.

We will never talk ourselves out of fear.
Fear has an answer for anything.
Only courage works with fear.
"I don't care what you say,
I'm going to deal with whatever comes up."

And you will.
You always have.
So have I.
It's what we do best.
Dealing with whatever comes up.

We have all the courage we need
to get us where we need to be.
Trust that it is so.
Allow it to be so.
Act as though it is so,
and it will be so.
So, there.
Do that.
Always and forever.

–0–

October 02-B, 2022

Leaving Peggy’s Cove 10/03/2008 Oil Paint Rendered — Nova Scotia
Fear is our base emotion.
Everything falls into place around fear.

Fascism is Fear and Denial.
Its grounding premise is,
"If we kill our enemies, we will be safe."

Judaism and Christianity are Fear and Denial.
Their grounding premise is,
"If we keep God happy, 
and do as we are told,
God will take care of us,
and we will be safe."

Hinduism is Fear and Denial.
Its grounding premise is,
"If we abide by the dharma
and stay where we belong, we will be safe."

Buddhism is Fear and Courage.
Its grounding premise is,
"If we don't kid ourselves about what's what,
live in right relationship
with ourselves and one another,
and let things be as they are,
we will be safe."

Taoism is Fear and Courage.
Its grounding premise is,
"If we are true to our essential nature
and our innate virtues,
live with integrity and sincerity
with one another, 
and let nature take its course,
we will be safe."

All the heroes, gods and goddesses
of Greek and Roman mythology
are about Fear and Denial,
or Fear and Courage.

Odysseus, Prometheus, Sisyphus, etc.
are about doing what is right
and having the courage
to not worry about being safe.

Others are about denial and compromise
in the service of being safe.

Of them all, Taoism is my choice
for a grounding orientation to life.

We live with Fear and Denial,
or with Fear and Courage.

Living with Fear and Courage
means facing what's what
and doing what needs to be done about it
and letting that be that.

Doing what needs to be done about it
means, among other things,
the continuing practice
of reflection and realization.
Reflection leads to realization,
and realization leads to more reflection,
and that produces/maintains
balance and harmony,
yin with yang,
and a life in accord with the Tao,
the Way,
and everything falls out around that.

How we come to terms with our fear,
and build a life around that,
tells the tale.

Denial, distraction, dismissal, diversion
(Via sex, drugs, alcohol, entertainment and money)
are popular ways of dealing with our fear.
What do we spend our time thinking about/doing?
What does that keep us from thinking about/doing?
How conscious are we of our fear
and its influence upon what we think about/do?

Our relationship with fear
is reflected in what we think about/do,
and how well or poorly we live our life.
The more conscious we can be of our fear
and what we do in response to it,
the better chance we have of living well
in proper relationship with fear.

This is the central work of being alive,
coming to terms with fear
and living in proper relationship with it.

–0–

October 02-A, 2022

Katahdin Range Panorama 09/26/2010 Detail Oil Paint Rendered — Sandy Stream Pond, Baxter State Park, Millinocket, Maine
Those who have known
have been quite content
to live out their lives
chopping wood and carrying water,
doing the day-to-day chores
and taking care of the business at hand,
doing what needed to be done,
when, where and how it needed to be done
in each situation as it arose
as long as their life lasted,
and when it was done,
they let it go,
and allowed that to be that.

The only difference between them
and us
is that we think they did not know a thing.

–0–

October 01-C, 2022

Leaves in the Pond 10/28/2007 Oil Paint Rendered — Upper Pond, Bass Lake, Blue Ridge Parkway,
Blowing Rock, North Carolina
Getting what we want 
and having our way
are the hallmarks of success
and happiness.

We know nothing of what 
we ought to want.
We just want what we want
as though wanting knows.

The story goes that
the tribe of Delaware Indians
who traded Long Island
for shiny beads and silver mirrors
got what they wanted.

We trade our life
for goods and services
of about the same value,
thinking what a bargain we got,
refusing to wake up 
to the emptiness of it all,
wanting more on top of more
to take our mind off 
the futility of living 
in the hamster cage.

There are alternatives to wanting,
having, owning, possessing, striving,
attaining, grasping, forcing...

Looking/seeing,
listening/hearing,
for starters.

The right kind of emptiness,
stillness, silence.

Integrity, sincerity, spontaneity.

Spirit, energy, vitality.

Our essential nature,
our innate virtues.

Balance and harmony.

Compassion and kindness.

Relishing the wonder
of a cup of coffee
and good company.

Without contrivance
or deceit.

Just being "as one thus come."
And letting that be enough.

–0–

October 1-B, 2022

Moon Hiding 12/01/2018 Oil Paint Rendered — Indian Land, South Carolina
We have to know where we stand,
what we stand for
and what we stand against.
And everybody else has to know it as well.

Some Christians like to say
"God isn't a Democrat or a Republican."
Who would God vote for is the question.
Who would God have you vote for 
is the other question.
Does it matter to God what happens,
is the other question.
Do we know where God stands
is the other question.
Do we know what God is good for
is the other question...

So many questions.

Where do we stand is the fundamental question.
Everything falls into place around that.
Even God.

Clarity brings the truth to light,
and to life.

Clarity is another word for enlightenment.
For realization.
For knowing.

Where we stand is essential knowing.

Not knowing where we stand
is also essential knowing.

Looking for where we stand
is the life-long search.

And mirrors are everywhere.
We are mirrored by everything we do
and say.

Who we are and where we stand is obvious
to those with eyes to see.

What we say and how we say it
and what we don't say,
tells anyone who is interested
who we are and where we stand.

What we do and don't do,
where we spend our time,
what we read,
how much we watch TV...

Mirrors.

If we don't know where we stand,
what we stand for,
all we have to do 
is look in the mirror.

The right mirror.

They are everywhere.

–0–

October 1-A, 2022

Goodale 18 11/04/2018 Oil Paint Rendered — Adams Mill Pond, Goodale State Park, Camden, South Carolina
Our life is a string of coincidences
and another string of luck
intertwined and playing out,
and what we make of it 
is our gift to the mix.

It helps to have little in the way of 
expectations,
agendas,
plans,
opinions,
judgment,
willfulness,
demands
and requirements.

Being true to our essential nature
and our innate virtues,
serving integrity,
sincerity
and spontaneity, 
maintaining balance and harmony
and living with spirit,
energy and vitality,
seeing what's what
and what is called for
in each situation as it arises,
and responding with the best we have to offer,
for the joy of doing it
and the satisfaction of having done it,
moves us through our life
aligned with the movement and flow
of time and circumstance--
and it is amazing how all of this
combines with coincidence and luck
to produce wonders and magic
we could never manage through contrivance
and calculation.

It is the way.

–0–