Towards Freedom

In a village where streets were named for trees, former residents that the villagers chose to honour, and some romantic names, there lived a family, father, mother and son who were a little eccentric even for people who chose to live on an island. They really believed that each living thing had a right to its life and merited respect. Their house reflected this belief; a couple of birds, a rabbit, a guinea pig, two dogs and a cat all shared the same rooms. It was truly a multicultural household. Only the parents' bed was off limits to some of the critters - a barricade had to be built to keep the rabbit out because he seemed to like the smell of the wood shaving mattress for his bathroom.

The weight of anger is far heavier than the weight of joy. In it’s most vicious form, anger can lead to murder; joy easily distributes love, even in it’s simplest form. While both are natural emotions to our genetic make-up, we can choose to possess more of the one which we desire to encompass most often, but often times it seems we are displaying the less desired one. There are many ways to prevent and manage anger, which if obtained, consequently leads to more joy. A most basic technique in preventing anger is by providing your body with the proper chemicals. Dealing with anger once it arises is a matter of acknowledgement and understanding.

There are many stories told about Buddha the Compassionate One. They carry the eternal message with a simplicity that any child can understand. Here is one of those gems.

(Image generated by Microsoft Designer.)

This article deals with confusion and distress that can materialize for humans who put cats on vegan diets.

While I tend to be agnostic, there are many aspects of various religions I admire, a viewpoint which permits one to not hold arrogant perspectives like 'my religion is better than yours'.

A prominent western philosopher had come to Japan to study with a zen master through an exchange program. The two of them sat down for a traditional tea.

There is a very beautiful story from the Hindu mythology's Mahabharata that provides an insight to the meaning of our existence.

There is a tasty seaweed
On which I like to feed
Mineral rich, purple and salty dulse is
Good on salads, grains and pulses

I feel like a mermaid
Eating an Atlantis dish
To add a sea-like flavour
I needn't hurt a fish!

I sprinkle flakes on salad
Mix it into hearty stew
Blend it into veggie soup
Or snack on a piece or two!

I have two bits of pet dulse
Floating contentedly in a jar
Above a bed of stony gravel
In veganism… let's raise the bar!

This is a story we often tell to those who feel they have suffered a loss of a loved one of any species.

People sometimes get into a tizzy about whether to help others or help themselves. There is no need to see the issue as an either-or.

More to come, as we welcome new contributions.

A man and his wife having lived into their old age chose to leave behind their worldly possessions and follow the path of spirituality. They lived in the cleanliness of poverty filling their days with praying instead of preying.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull, a novel by Richard Bach, is a much-loved classic that has touched the hearts of many. A tale of courage, truth and love, this eloquently written story is a rich and vibrant literary work. This book centers on the character development of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, who changes from a quiet and timid young seagull to an enlightened, brave and courageous being.

The story begins with Jonathan as a lonesome seagull wants to transcend the boring world of eating, mating and sleeping that most gulls live in order to survive. But he did not want to just survive, he wants to transcend all barriers and go beyond the limits of being a seagull.

Here are 7 words to contemplate as you travel through your life.

Meditation is a real chance for you to connect with yourself. Most of us go through life knowing the person we spend the most time with, the least.

Many people talk about the benefits of different food diets. However we have forgotten probably one of the most important diets to our health and that being a Mental Diet.

It is not only important in what we put in our mouths but also equally important is what we put in our minds. As the saying goes 'Garbage in and Garbage out'. In today's society we have become accustomed to let a box with a screen dominate our thoughts. Have you ever watched a commercial several times then one day you will be walking along and for no reason at all you will start singing the commercials jingle and you will wonder why? Well this is a form of programming. Programming can be a powerful thing if used in the right way.

Gandhi's "become the change you wish to see in the world" is unfortunately one of those horribly misapplied items that is circulated with wild abandonment by some people who feel they've suddenly been struck with enlightenment. The idea nevertheless is a good one provided one understands what it really means and where the phrase really has relevance. Below is one such instance.

Everything is made of one
All else is illusion
If you perceive separation
You will feel confusion

There is no point in resisting
And trying to block things out
Just open up to more
That is what life's about

New experiences of the soul
Another piece revealed
Is this never ending
Love that God is sending?

Reveal that problems don't exist
Except in our perception
Surrender thoughts to God
For effortless correction

Dear Father, I remember, I am your holy Son
There is no separation, everything is one
Suddenly the land shone with golden light
As I took your hand and my wings took flight
Everything now sparkles, everything is love
Now that my eyes are open to the holy dove

Father I surrender, for my will is yours
The path that you lay takes me through many doors
From darkness I emerged into eternal truth
First I prayed for faith and now I see the proof
We are merely stars in your holy sky
A sacred constellation, an eternal lullaby

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

A long winding adventure that tells the tale of how a 2024 Fiat 500e became the Kyron's first car.

This is an article written by the San Diego organizer of the 1998 Season for Non-Violence event.

I would like to inform you if you do not know already about an exciting and uplifting time of the year- it is called the Season for Non-Violence. January 30 and April 4, 1998 mark the 50th and 30th anniversaries of the assassinations of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The days between these memorial anniversaries are being hailed as A Season for Non- Violence - a time to raise awareness about the principles and practices of nonviolence, to highlight the local 'heroes' and initiatives that are putting them into practice, and to honor the legacies of two great men who taught the world an alternative means for defusing conflict and transforming communities.

The following is a well-known tale from the Liezi attributed to Taoist Lie Yukou.

We revisit the famous conversation between a warrior and his charioteer before the battle of Kurukshetra.

It seems that choosing one's state of being leads to creations that further reinforce it; such is the nature of physical reality.

Looking at the picture you will see a selection of treasures on a table in the corner; a bed of crystals upon which rests a desert rose (rock) on the left, a lantern on the right and a Goddess statue in the middle who is draped with an angel quartz necklace, plus a candle that lies before her and a glass pyramid prism aligned directly behind her. There are crystals of many kinds, with many pieces of rose quartz and purple amethyst among them, interspersed with various green crystals. So what of these objects, is it just that they look pretty?

There is a delightful story told by Sri Ramakrishna about a man who chose to become a sadhu (a holy man who relinquishes worldly possessions and takes a vow of chastity).

Once there was a holy man who had many disciples. He taught them well and revealed how God is in all things.

Buddha asked his disciples to help the poor during a great famine. A very wealthy man spoke up, "Not all my wealth can feed the hungry - there are so many!"

Nanak was a travelling guru. He visited many places in India, Arabia and Mesopotamia.

My mother related this story to me about my grandfather. She lived in his household as was often customary with East Indian families in the 1900s. These extended families were usually quite closely knit and often mutually supportive. My mother adored her father-in-law and it was through her that I found out about his character.

There is a fine story of a poor old lady who was selling some fruit she had gathered in order to make ends meet.

Have you ever noticed that you have the power to control time? In fact, you are doing it right now. "That can't be true", I hear you say, "Time is shared by everyone, so if one person controlled it then everyone else would notice time speeding up or down! There would be conflicting influences on time happening from many different people, so it wouldn't be possible!" This logic makes sense based on the idea that time is a shared reality between all human beings and something that is unchangeable.

A zen master was teaching a class.

We examine the meaning of Compassion and find that:

The need for a complete understanding of compassion arises out of the following facts. People are mostly very indifferent to the plight of animals. But some are not. What is the difference between these two classes of people. It is that the indifferent people lack compassion for animals and the others have compassion for animals. Animal exploitation will persist until the balance shifts and compassion comes to predominate.

Pieces die off that are no longer needed
Tears of revelation cleanse my soul
Release aspects with which I once pleaded
As they wither away I let them go

Things become barer and more plain
But the chill that winter is thought to have
Remains outside the window of my perception
As I'm warmed by the fire with reason to be glad

Branches are snapping but beneath the earth
Roots are deepening and spreading
The snow outside is a stunning landscape
A mirror of where I am heading