Braiding Sweetgrass

I'm reading a beautiful book: "Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants" by Robin Wall Kimmerer. 

Here are a few quotes which I love.

“Strawberries first shaped my view of a world full of gifts simply scattered at your feet. A gift comes to you through no action of your own, free, having moved toward you without your beckoning. It is not a reward; you cannot earn it, or call it to you, or even deserve it. And yet it appears. Your only role is to be open-eyed and present.”

“The Honorable Harvest asks us to give back, in reciprocity, for what we have been given. Reciprocity helps resolve the moral tension of taking a life by giving in return something of value that sustains the ones who sustain us. One of our responsibilities as human people is to find ways to enter into reciprocity with the more-than-human world. We can do it through gratitude, through ceremony, through land stewardship, science, art, and in everyday acts of practical reverence.”

“until we can grieve for our planet we cannot love it—grieving is a sign of spiritual health. But it is not enough to weep for our lost landscapes; we have to put our hands in the earth to make ourselves whole again. Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.”

“We perpetrate the illusion that the things we consume have just fallen off the back of Santa’s sleigh, not been ripped from the earth. The illusion enables us to imagine that the only choices we have are between brands.”

“In a garden, food arises from partnership. If I don't pick rocks and pull weeds, I'm not fulfilling my end of the bargain. I can do these thing with my handy opposable thumb and capacity to use tools, to shovel manure. But I can no more create a tomato or embroider a trellis in beans than I can turn lead into gold. That is the plants' responsibility and their gift: animating the inanimate. Now there is a gift.”

“There are some aches witchhazel can’t assuage. For those, we need each other.”

The World in Our Backyard

quote from Auguries of Innocence
by William Blake

Most of the world is familiar with Rick Steves, because he has been everywhere and taken us with him, via his travel show. With the restrictions going places, he has had to rethink his life’s purpose, and he’s come up with some wisdom we can all take to heart. He has an article in the latest Atlantic, where he talks about discovering his own backyard. He is visiting places close to home, noticing small things he’s never paid attention to, and found a world he knew nothing about in cooking! I hope we’re discovering things about ourselves and our world. Sitting and watching insects, birds, the stars — it’s magical! Sometimes I feel like Horton [who] Hears a Who, being absolutely certain there’s a whole world on a speck of dust. Life is good...

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/08/how-we-travel-when-we-cant/614800/

The Same -- Here, There, and Everywhere

Stock photo - Shangri-La Resort, Pakistan

Bob Woodruff is a journalist who was a war correspondent. During that time, he was severely injured while covering the conflict in Iraq. He and his son now have a show called “Rogue Trip”. They travel to war-torn areas and show us the beauty and wonder of those lands. We watched one about Pakistan tonight and were totally blown away by the people and beauty of the land. They were welcomed by residents who are peaceful and loving, wanting to show everyone that they are not warlike and terroristic. One of the places they visited was the inspiration for the fictional Shangri-la. And it seems most of the people in the mountains of Pakistan are healthy and happy, living simply and abundantly. I was once again reminded of how similar we are, no matter where we live. While we hear about turmoil, right next door is beauty and peace. I am holding to the fact that the majority of people are honest, kind, and compassionate. Let’s notice goodness today and acknowledge it in others whenever possible!

"Unselfish ambition, noble life-motives, and purity -- these constituents of thought, mingling, constitute individually and collectively true happiness, strength, and permanence." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 58

Jai Guru Deva, om

A beautiful song for a beautiful Sunday :)

https://youtu.be/jLfIkb9cpAg

The Threshold of Your Own Mind

“No man can reveal to you aught but that which already lies half asleep in the dawning of your knowledge.
The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among his followers, gives not of his wisdom but rather of his faith and his lovingness.
If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.”
― Khalil Gibran, The Prophet

Do Better

The last of the Four Agreements is: Do Your Best. For years, I was comforted by thinking that everyone was doing the best that they could. This "best" may not have been what I thought was best, but it was the best they could do at their stage of development. I managed to think that even someone like Hitler thought he was doing a good thing. I truly believed that everyone was working towards being the best that they could be, truly wanting to better humanity and their environment, and they were simply ignorant of how to do those things. Now I've come to think that is not so. Many people are willfully ignorant and seem to revel in it. They witness pain and suffering and find selfish ways to blame the sufferer. They turn their back on animals in pain, giving shadowy excuses for their behavior. Is this the best that they can do? If I could find some reason for their lack of empathy, perhaps I'd still think they were doing the best that they can. But it seems too many people are ruled by a love of money and power; wanting no more than fame and flattery. My heart has been broken by everyone from Bill Clinton to Bill Cosby. We're all just tired. But we must continue to strive to do better. Namaste...

"The best sermon ever preached is Truth practiced and demonstrated..." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 201-1

Don't Make Assumptions

Don’t make assumptions is the 3rd point in The Four Agreements. In today’s world, we seem to have a huge problem when it comes to communicating with each other. I’ve noticed things which keep me from hearing what is really being said. It’s easy to be thinking about what my response will be, rather than listening to someone's actual words. Have you ever thought you knew where someone was going in a conversation, only to discover you were wrong? Hence, if we’re formulating a response to someone rather than hearing what they are saying, we have just given up any hope of having an honest communication with them. Or maybe we misinterpret someone’s actions, thinking they mean harm, when the opposite is true. Today I’ll practice hearing what people are saying to me, without assuming I know what they mean. May those in power do the same...

“The wrong done another reacts most heavily against one’s self. Right adjusts the balance sooner or later.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 449:7