I want to sing like the birds sing, not worrying about who hears or what they think.”
~Rumi

“That which is false troubles the HEART,
but Truth brings joyous tranquility”
~Rumi

• Everyone has become beautiful: Just look at any photograph on a social media site and you would realize that a beauty revolution/miracle has struck the world. No one is plain/ugly. If you don’t agree, you are not the social media. [[Impact: people meet each other only on social media; rise and rise of stocks of cosmetic companies; photo-editing skills become basic survival tool.]]

• Everyone has become a genius: Going by the profound one-liners, pithy poems and awesome jokes, it seems all my dullard friends (and me) have suddenly been allotted brains. [[Impact: conversations are banned – people just dole out wisdom; google replaces natural memory.]]

• Everyone has become a celebrity: 20,000 followers on Twitter! 345 likes on a comment on Facebook!! We are the new celebrities. At a time when your “I am feeling sleepy” status update shakes the world, Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian can rightly…

“Could you explain your experience with Qi? I’d like to hear why you believe it exists, and why your belief definitely isn’t a result of immersing yourself in a situation where everyone around you believes and acts as though it exists for several months,” James asked on the Why I love Common Lisp and hate Java post. A wonderful question indeed and a discussion worthy of its own blog post.

In a random hotel restaurant in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, where all the tables and chairs have been put to the side for the afternoon Tai Chi practice, we formed a perfect human rectangle of 12×5, if it weren’t for Fu Nengbin, the teacher topping the cake. Only Alan Au from Vancouver was younger than me; the average age was probably around 55. Most of them have been practising for over a decade. I could barely keep up, but…

The heart and mind are many times thought of as different elements to our being; whether analytically or symbolically. One would certainly consider them residing in different parts of the body. From a symbolic standpoint there are differences as well. This is especially the case in western culture where the ego and materialistic attachments drive our suffering. In Eastern cultures, especially in Buddhist cultures, the mind and heart are many times one entity or being. Let me explain: The mind is normally considered to reside in the head or brain. The heart of course would reside in our chest. I speak of the heart in symbolic terms as a place where love and compassion are born.  The mind is a place left for analytical or occupational work and doing the monthly bills.  The heart is our True Nature – its essence is unwavering and indestructible. The mind is where we…

I really liked the G is for Goals post from last week, so I have decided to make a weekly post on Wednesdays dedicated to A-Z Inspirational Alphabet! Join in and create discussion in the comments section to make it more interactive if you like! 😀 I had attempted to post to another page, but I have not quite figured that part out yet! Enjoy readers!

Have you ever had the urge to pack up and take off? Go on a random road trip with no real destination in mind? I think about this all the time. I crave the impulsive road trip! Adventure can answer a lot of questions when you don’t even know it. Adventure can help you figure out what you really want out of life, or help you figure out who you are. Traveling to an unknown place, not knowing anyone there, can be a…

.

Intoxicated

 by

 ideas

 of

 this & that,

 &

 the

 story

 &

 seduction

 of

 becoming;

 the

 seeker

 loses

 her

 assumed

 self

 in

 Mudra / Mantra / Yantra / Tantra.

.

.

.

.

Twitter

“S o m e t h i n g   I s   T h e r e . . .”   [Video]

“S o m e t h i n g . . . ”   [Book]

The Doctrine of One [Book]

ZEN Shredding ~ The Prequel [Book]

ZEN ~ Shredding [Book]

Soulananda [Book]

Soulananda [Web site]

ZEN Shredding ~ Unpluged [Michael Sean Symonds ~ Blog]

.

If you have enjoyed these posts and you would like to make a donation to support my work, your contribution would be gratefully appreciated…

.

(c) Copyright – Michael Sean Symonds. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

.

One day a boy came crying to his grandfather.

The worrying grandfather asked, “What is the matter son?”

The boy replied in between the sobs, “My friend called me racist.”

The old man was shocked and trying to calm down his grandson he started talking, “Listen son, your friend Juan is Mexican. Aslam is a Muslim. Christina is Black. Peter is Scottish. Now, you all play together. You all go to one another’s house and equally treated by the parents. Neither we nor their family has any problems with that. In fact we all welcome everyone just the same way. We greet and meet everyone equally. Racism is nowhere near us okay. So, do not even say this again that you are racist. I wonder why after all you said that, where did you hear that from? Who called you racist?”

The boy said, “My friend-Juan, Aslam and Christina. They…

This was the sight that stopped me in my tracks last night on my way home.

The kids and I were racing home from soccer practice at 7:15.  I kept thinking about all the things I needed to get done… feed kids, bathe kids, clean up supper, talk to Grady about possible weekend plans, get things lined out for my UBER early morning and try to find some time wind down in between.  My mind was racing.  As I turned south on the last 5 mile stretch to our house I looked out my window and saw that.

I HAD to stop.  It wasn’t just the photographer in me that had to catch a moment like this. 

No, it was the God loving Christian in me that NEEDED to stop for this.

Whenever I see the sun’s rays beaming through clouds like this I can’t help but equate it to…

~

Let your silent presence express that which no words can express. Let it enlighten the dark spaces, where no light seems able to reach. Often we serve love better thru our silence than thru clever words. Being silent doesn’t mean being passive, it is a very powerful way to communicate and how we used to communicate before the fall of awareness. The language of light is the only pure and undistorted truth. Dare to be silent. Dare to be present. Dare to just love.

~ Grace Elohim ~

How mindful are you of the thoughts that you are contributing to the collective consciousness of all humanity?

That whole concept seems to carry a heavy burden of responsibility for the evolutionary process. And, yet, it really speaks to what it means to be fully human, doesn’t it?

If we think about the human beings who have inhabited Planet Earth for thousands of years, we can understand how thinking has evolved over time. The enslavement of cultures was widespread at one time and then some forward thinkers started looking at assimilation, rather than conquering and destruction, as a way to advance civilization. Sadly, we still have some of those old thinkers suppressing others but there are millions more of us who are calling out conquering for what it is and who are, at the same time, moving forward in our evolution of consciousness.

Advances in science, mathematics, astronomy [look at…

Knowledge coupled with wisdom or lack thereof in academia

In regard to the acquirement of knowledge, Alfred Whitehead (English mathematician/philosopher of the 20th century) wrote the following: “…If you have much to do with the young as they emerge from school and from the university, you soon note the dulled minds of those whose education has consisted in the acquirement of inert [unused] knowledge. …Furthermore, this overhaste to impart mere knowledge defeats itself. The human mind rejects knowledge imparted in this way. … The discipline, when it comes, should satisfy a natural craving for the wisdom which adds value to bare experience. … In my own work at universities I have been much struck by the paralysis of thought induced in pupils by the aimless accumulation of precise knowledge, inert and unutilised. It should be the chief aim of a university professor to exhibit himself in his own true character—that…

The woman handed her son the egg. “Now take care and carry it over the hill to the poor people on the other side.” she said.

“Yes, Mother.” The boy cradled his hands carefully, taking the egg with great delicacy. He walked out of the door with a look of determination to fulfill his important mission as his mother smiled proudly.

It was a hot day, the hill was steep and the boy was glad to reach a level shelf of land. He sat down in the shade of an old ruin. Nearby, some other boys were shouting and playing. The boy stared enviously at them, looked up at the hill and wondered. The other boys waved and beckoned to him, so he got up and walked towards them.

“Wanna play?” one asked.

“Yeah, but…” the boy’s voice trailed off as he looked at the egg.

“Oh, you don’t need…

tears
cried
alone
are
the saddest

The idea was to get extremely close-up with the photos this week for Tara’s Gallery over at Sticky Fingers.

I thought I’d play around with my iphone and snapseed. I have to say this picture looks better on the phone but hey – you can’t have everything!

Do go and visit the others because I know there will be some amazing shots!