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brad warner, zen buddhist


I hadn’t heard of Brad Warner (although he seems to have many people reading his blog, listening to his music, and attending his sessions on Zen teachings) until reading about him in Tricycle Winter 2011 magazine. www.tricycle.com. “What an interesting guy,” I said to myself as I read on.

It’s refreshing to depart from the usual way of doing things and look at another way – Brad Warner’s way, and I intend to read more about him on his blog: www.hardcorezen.blogspot.com


It seems that there’s a whiff of criticism in the air about the way he practices, and, in general, lives his life. We live in a world that likes to criticize sometimes. I’m thinking though that what’s important here is that he’s helping people and teaching people, and that, one would think, is the bottom line.

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madan lloyd


It’s taken a long time for me to read The Watkins Review Mind Body Spirit, Issue 27. Since this past summer I’ve been transporting it by way of tote bag, suitcase, hand always thinking I’ll find a cafe, enjoy a delicious cup of coffee, and read. However, with this magazine it’s not that simple, the reading of it doesn’t get very far because many of the articles are worthy of consideration as they’re not the kind that allow going from page to page, and then casting out the magazine. They seem to want to be read, and savored throughout the day, and somewhere along the way, the question becomes, why are they special in my life?


This morning I began reading DIANA’S LEGACY The Death and Rebirth of a Monarchy by Madan Lloyd who “is the UK Co-ordinator for the New Earth Olympics 2012, a free-to-enter online video competition in 12 categories, running concurrently with the London Olympics.” The following is an exquisite, not-to-be-missed website pertaining to this: www.neo2012.co.uk All of a sudden tears started welling up in my eyes because the writer, after lovingly writing about the former princess, takes an abrupt turn – still tying in with the idea – just taking it in an entirely different direction. It’s a powerful piece of writing; it keeps in mind love’s power, while it touches upon this Planet’s heavy topics.

And he mentions Prince Charles, and William and Kate, and then writes: “. . . and we all badly need a real live fairytale love story like this one, not least because the happy ending is the timely and definitive demise of an empire built on lies, deceit and outrageous abuse of the sacred process of education, by which every man, woman and child on Planet Earth – regardless of race, creed, colour or social status – possesses the divine right of equal access to all information and instruction regarding how to make the very best use of this precious human life.”

And then, in his poetic style, he writes: “. . . as a bright new sun rises at the end of a long, dark night when corporate predators – most notable of banking, oil and pharmaceutical persuasion – preyed mercilessly on every innocent life they could entrap within the deadly web of their economic and media manipulations.” – I somehow lost it for a few minutes. And I had to wonder, why tears when reading this particular article?

I think it’s a special person who can write about corruption, greed, power – those topics that especially weigh heavily on us – while managing to keep an eye on the importance of every human being and, or course, on the power love can play in the world. A writer with heart and new wisdom has the ability to touch upon heavy topics using few words – the right words – and having those words stab at the reader’s heart – in a good way.

The next article in The Watkins Review: Eros, Buddha & the Spectrum of LOVE, an interview with ANDREW COHEN; GURU and KEN WILBER: PANDIT which took place at the Boulder Integral Center. I wonder what you’d think of this interview. If you don’t have the magazine, and want to read it, check out www.watkinsbooks.com

Are you having a beautiful day? I hope so.

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a sore throat

Last week I took Amtrak from Penn Station NYC to 30th Street Station Philadelphia, and somewhere along the line, I realized I had a sore throat. Uh-oh, I thought. And as I walked along the Schuylkill River rolling my suitcase to my apartment I wondered what was in my bag of tricks for curing a sore throat – fast.

The first book I saw on a table in my apartment was SECRET FOOD CURES & Doctor-Approved Folk Remedies by Joan Wilen and Lydia Wilen. It was within easy reach because it’s a pleasant and different kind of book to check out every so often. There were two pages of possible cures for sore throats – plenty of choices. I decided on two, and I’ll tell you what they are just in case you might need to know.


One choice is to warm a cup of water and then add 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar. “Gargle a mouthful, spit it out, and then swallow a mouthful until it’s all gone. An hour later, start all over.”


The second choice of possible cures for sore throats is an exercise: “Stick out your tongue to the count of 30. Then relax and do it again, five times in all. It will increase blood circulation, help the healing process and make you the center of attention at the next board meeting.”

It’s easy to forget about having a sore throat when standing in front of a bathroom mirror doing this exercise.


In the book, Louise L. Hay HEAL YOUR BODY, THE MENTAL CAUSES FOR PHYSICAL ILLNESS AND THE METAPHYSICAL WAY TO OVERCOME THEM, writes this about a sore throat: “Holding in angry words. Feeling unable to express the self.” Good to know, and important to ponder.

Here’s to all of us, may we stay happy and healthy.

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jerry hicks

www.abraham-hicks.com

I subscribe to the Abraham-Hicks Newsletter (the Law of Attraction), and received the following “Note From Esther About Jerry” about her husband Jerry’s recent death. To take the time to read what she has to say about his death can only be a good thing. Every so often, putting our attention on death gives us a chance to think about our own transition “into Nonphysical,” and what could be better reading about death than when it comes from someone who has an ease about it.

* * * * * * * * *

Dear, dear Friends,

Our sweet Jerry made his transition into Nonphysical last Friday. How sweet the Vortex is feeling to him today!

Jerry said to me when we came together over 30 years ago that given the difference in our ages that it was likely “that I will cut out on you early,” to which I replied, “I don’t mind.” His joy of life and continual new discovery of purpose kept his life feeling fresh and we shared such joyous eagerness for life.

Over the years, Abraham has consistently insisted that there is no death. Again and again they have reminded us that there is only life and more life and more life. It has taken me some time to understand this, and I honestly must say I have not yet fully come to terms with it, but I do believe that in what we are calling Jerry’s death he is discovering the next logical step of life that Abraham has always been talking about. And at times I am catching a glimpse of the bigness of what Jerry is feeling and while I am still pretty mad at him for not sticking around longer to surprise and delight me in all the ways he has been doing throughout our 30 years together I accept fully that the next logical step of joyous life for Jerry was to be found in his re-emergence into Nonphysical.

Since 1985 it has been Jerry and Esther and Abraham and I believe with everything that I am that that has not changed. I know that Jerry will continue to be the third powerful point of the triad of Energy that makes up the Abraham experience and I am certain that his new vantage point will be, as it has always been, of advantage to us all.

I know for sure that Jerry will help me, in time, release my own personal resistance to physical death, because I will not be able to maintain that resistance and also play easily with him. And my desire to continue not only my Abraham experience but also my Jerry experience I am certain he will be the catalyst to help me do what Abraham has been trying to help us all do all along.

Once again, Jerry is out there leading the way for me. But the difference this time is that I must find the way. I am not there yet, but it is my absolute promise to myself that I will find the way, because it is the most natural thing in the world to do and because Jerry has provided for me the reason to do it.

I am eager about what is ahead and while I cannot begin to explain or even imagine the details of how it is all going to play out, I am certain that it will be fun.

I am such a fortunate girl, to have been able to play with Jerry and Abraham and all of you for so many wonderful years and I am so eager to continue doing more of the same for many more years to come. I feel certain right now that not only has nothing gone wrong, but things are going especially right. It will be different, for sure, but it will also be very, very good.

I’m feeling such love for you all, and for Abraham and most of all for Jerry. And as I have said to him a thousand or more times through the years, “Well isn’t life just a kick in the pants?”

Love,
Esther

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tiny houses


Have you been to the site BlogHer? I just left it, but not before reading the post “From Large to Little: My Tiny House Saga. . . about, yes, tiny houses. I liked what she said, and all the reasons given for opting to live in a tiny house. The woman who wrote the post said she saw a video about tiny houses, and, well, there she is sitting next to hers now; it’s very appealing, isn’t it?.
www.blogher.com

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Ecuador

At this time of the year many of us, for different reasons, leave the bright lights and merriment of our own hometown to travel abroad. We go for various reasons: we don’t want to be alone in familiar surroundings, we’re thinking that, at this point in time, we’re not compatible with family, we’re grieving and want to get away, or we simply enjoy the sheer pleasure of traveling. I’ll be going, too, in imagination – to a sweet, small country called Ecuador where celebrations in the streets are happy, lively, and colorful. If you haven’t yet formulated your traveling plans, you might want to consider Ecuador.

I’m reminded of Ecuador for two reasons: I receive information from International Living and lately their focus has been on Ecuador, and I’m in the midst of organizing papers and came across a box filled with memories of five months spent in a beautiful place; a place so enjoyable that it’s perfectly understandable that people from different parts of the world are wanting to buy and live there.


Ecuador’s centuries old buildings and cathedrals have plenty of history. And now I’ll generalize and say that the people are kind and helpful, the hostals are clean and have a nice array of travelers, it’s easy and pleasant to get around (a little knowledge of Spanish is helpful), the food is excellent – north, south, east, west – there’s plenty to admire, fresh fruits and vegetables are plentiful in the large markets, it’s inexpensive, and additionally, this is a chance to buy a Panama hat. If you haven’t read THE PANAMA HAT TRAIL by Tom Miller you might want to take it along. It’s a good book about Ecuador; it’s witty and informative.


I’d like to tell a simple story because it was a sign of how it would be for me in Ecuador – one helpful person after another. In Quito, the capital, I checked out of one hostal for no particular reason other than another was highly recommended. I wandered the unfamiliar streets and wondered where oh where could this place be. Suddenly next to me stood a high school boy. He asked in English if I needed help. That sounded like an offer, and it was too good to refuse. He took my suitcase, and away we went walking and talking right to the door of the lovely mother and son operated hostal. He wouldn’t accept a tip. He said that he wanted to practice speaking English. Very nice, I thought. Though being an American, I’ve yet to understand how people know one when they see one. Quito, the capital, has what many big cities have, its own history, museums you don’t want to miss, historical sites, and culture. The following are a few places to consider:
www.lacasasol.com
www.cafecultura.com
www.magicbeanquito.com
and Hassan’s Cafe, located at Reina Victoria No 24 399 Y Colon, Tel.: (02) 223-2564
You’re probably saying, I’m not going to Ecuador to eat Lebanese food. And I’m saying, Ah, but this is very tasty Lebanese food, and it’s a good chance to mingle with the locals.

Let’s leave the big city of Quito for the beautiful colonial city of Cuenca; we can always return. In Cuenca many of the hostals have wonderful old, big, beckoning courtyards. It’s a joy to walk along the streets and come upon small museums, old and well-used churches, restaurants, markets, the Tomebamba River, etc. and finding history in all of it. it’s a walking city and with a map, quite easy to navigate. One of the places I stayed at was the utterly charming Inca Real. Finding a hostal or hotel is not a problem, or, if staying a while, an apartment for $200-$250/month with kitchen and full bath.
www.hotelincareal.com.ec


A good guidebook and intuition helps when walking along Cuenca’s streets. Eventually Raymipampa Restaurant on the main square will appear just when it’s time to eat. And also El Maiz Restaurante although it’s a little out of the way, is not to be missed,


Now for a hair-raising bus ride from Cuenca south to Loja and then Vilcabamba. It’s worth the bus ride because it’s a chance to see the land and the people in a different way, and that’s all I’m saying. Loja is a good stopover for the night. Time to get acquainted with this interesting old city, and find a place to stay, and enjoy the evening before leaving for Vilcabamba tomorrow to savor the mountains. It’s tomorrow already? To the beautiful mountains by taxi or bus. Perhaps staying at Le Rendez-vous Hostal owned and operated by a couple from France who built it after touring South America and deciding to make Vilcabamba their home. Time to hear about what’s happening in Vilcabamba from Serge and Isabelle. Or check out other places to rest and revive; what makes one person happy, doesn’t necessarily make another. – a soft mattress, a hard one, maybe a hammock; it’s all there waiting.
www.rendezvousecuador.com

So much to see, the coast, the city of Guayaquil, the Galapagos, the Amazon, and north to Ibarra, Otavalo, Cotacachi, etc. Ah, yes, another time, perhaps.

* * * * * * *

The pleasure in traveling consists of the obstacles, the fatigue, and even the danger. What charm can anyone find in an excursion when he is always sure of reaching his destination, of having horses ready waiting for him, a soft bed, an excellent supper, and all the eases and comfort he can enjoy in his own home! One of the great misfortunes of modern life is the want of any sudden surprise, and the absence of all adventures. Everything is so well arranged.
– Theophila Gautier, WANDERINGS IN SPAIN

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thanksgiving day


Now seems a good time to prepare for the thanksgiving part of the day, and have it be a real awareness of gratitude. We all should have the specially prepared food down pat with all the help from magazines, cookbooks, etc. The food of: roast turkey (or, if we’re in the south, deep-fried turkey), the kind of gravy and stuffing we want to eat at least once a month, cranberry sauce, mashed or roasted sweet or white potatoes, green beans, or brussel sprouts, or collard greens, warmed bread/rolls, a drink for toasting, and then there’s the dessert, with tea or a special kind of coffee and, oh yes, perhaps a few drops of Amaretto in it.

Truthfully, I don’t usually remember to say a thank you before meals, and when I do I’m aware that’s it’s done quickly, and not as thoughtfully as it should be. So one recent morning I decided to say a proper thank you for my breakfast which consisted of Gaia chia in a glass of water, and later coffee, and toasted bread with butter and jam. The interesting part is that once I started with the thank you I couldn’t stop. Never did I suspect that so many were involved in this simple breakfast.

The coffee, Organic Fair Trade Shade Grown Ethiopioan was purchased at Trader Joe’s. I began thinking of the people who plant the organic coffee beans (my knowledge is limited; I could only imagine), and carefully supervise it, the best beans are considered, coffee is transported by truck to the marketplace, negotiations, purchasing, packaging, the traveling to selected stores (what does all that take?), trucks arrive at stores, coffee is stored, or placed on shelves by the employees. Then we, the customers, arrive, and pay the cashier. It’s bagged, and off we go. And that’s only the coffee.

Then I noticed the Wedgewood cup and saucer, a gift that came from Japan, the plate from Indonesia, the knife, the wheat sandwich bread from Metropolitan Bakery in Philadelphia, the jam from France, the butter from Iceland, the cinnamon sticks for the coffee from Viet Nam, the French Press, the toaster. How many people were involved before this simple breakfast found its way to my table?

It’s not necessary to say thank you to everyone involved, of course, – the Creator is the important One. Though I discovered that thoroughness has it’s own reward, and sitting quietly for a one-time thorough thank you brought a heightened sense of awareness to what those words mean. And after all these years, on this Thanksgiving Day I’ll finally be able to say a heartfelt thank you.

I want to wish you all an enjoyable, full-of-laughter, satisfying Thanksgiving Day. And where ever you find yourself, whomever you’re with, and whatever you’re eating, enjoy thoroughly.

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are we alive yet?


For the people who are lounging on a beach soaking up the sun sipping a favorite hot day drink, well, I’ll just say that you’re missing the delightful season of autumn. The leaves are falling and carpeting the sidewalk. The many that are on the trees have turned from green to red, gold, orange, and yellow. Pumpkins still sit where they were placed in October. Soup is the order of the day. The sun is playing hide and seek. Thank you leaves for brightening the day.

“Your wildest adventures can happen
without ever leaving home.”
from the book THE WAY OF THE WANDERER by David Yeadon


Lounging on a beautiful beach, looking at the sparkling water, swimming in the sparkling water, jumping into the waves, eating avocados for lunch (they’re so good for us), walking along the beach at sunrise and sunset, having the pleasure of being in a completely different environment, conversing with newly-made friends, visiting new sites is not too shabby a day either. Come to think of it, I want it all.

“Walk down
as many roads
as possible.”
– Phil Cousineau

* * * * * * *
The real voyage of discovery consists not in
seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.
– Marcel Proust

Most people have that fantasy of catching the
train that whistles in the night.
-Willie Nelson

People say that what we are all seeking is a
meaning for life. I don’t think this is what we’re really
seeking. I think what we’re seeking is an experience
of being alive.
– Joseph Campbell, THE POWER OF MYTH
from the book Vagabonding by Rolf Potts

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controversy? or choices, changes, teachings

Before I clicked on, “Empty Spam,” a few words caught my eye, and I had to smile. They were: “Some of the things you say are controversial. . . .” Controversial: “clash of opposing views.”

But . . . opposite views seem a part of life, and help us to sort things out, so to speak. Most of what’s on this blog is light and sort of simple; I like simple. The words that inspire me over and over are: beauty, harmony, love, wisdom, joy, forgiveness, happy, compassion, understanding, fun, elegance, right action, change, laughter, courage, abundance and success (these last two words mean different things to different people). And the Divine. Controversial? – just choices to be made, changes taking place, teachings to ponder.

It often seems, however, that whenever we think we’ve found the “right” teaching from an “expert,” turn around and they’ll always be another “right” teaching” from a different “expert” saying the opposite of what we now hold to be true. I used to find this disconcerting, because it happened a lot. Now I understand that there’s room for many kinds of teachings because there are many kinds of people. And if we’re evolving the way we’re supposed to be, we might need to look around for something that will take us to the next step on our journey. If we stay at the same place, always thinking the same way, how will we ever find the next step?

There’s not just one mountain, one ocean, one kind of animal, one human face looking like all the others, etc. It would be intolerably boring if everything was the same. When we open our eyes really wide we’ll see that change is the spice of life. Many of us think that if we don’t rock our boat we’ll be secure and snug in our own little corner of the world. The funny thing is that when it’s time to evolve, our Higher Self will rock our boat until we fall out. (are you laughing yet?) Does that sound awful? I know, but in the long run it can be an energizing experience if we don’t resist. And quite possibly, after a time, we’ll say thank you for the change.

Choices, changes, teachings – we’re blessed; we have the ability to innately know what we need at any given time – if only we would stay quiet for a while, learn to listen and trust what the within is trying to tell us, and then hone the power within until we become the “expert” in our own life.

No controversy there, right?

It’s time to hit the road 🙂 What a lovely day – may the day be all you want it to be.

* * * * * * *
There is another world and it is within this one.
– Paul Eluard

Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.
– Rumi (Coleman Barks, translator)

The music that ushered in the cosmos plays on,
inside us and around us.
– Brian Swimme

How can there be redemption and resurrection unless there
has been great sorrow? And isn’t struggle and rising
the real work of our lives?
– Mary Oliver

Work of the sight is done . . .
Now do heart work
On the pictures within you.
– Rainer Maria Rilke

Which of the two powers is able to raise men to
the highest sphere, love or music? . . .
I think we may say, that while love can give us no idea of
music, music can realize the idea of love. But why separate
one from the other? The soul soars on the wings of both.
– Hector Berlioz

The beautiful quotes above are from: THE NATURE OF MUSIC Beauty, Sound, and Healing by Maureen McCarthy Draper.

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pesky little creatures treated the natural way

When I was in Boquete, Panama a friend I’d met there took me to visit a woman who produced the most luscious raspberries I’d ever seen. We visited her garden, and then went into her large kitchen where jellies, jams, and sauces were everywhere, ready for the marketplace. This is the way she kept her raspberries from being eaten by pesky-little creatures: She had a spray bottle, and in it was some soap (what kind of soap I don’t know), and in that bottle she also put hot spices. That made all the difference. I remembered the raspberry woman in Panama when I began clearing notes from a folder and read: “A spray to repel garden insects can be made from ground red pepper pods and water. It’s sprayed on the plants to keep pepper-hating insects at bay.”
from the book, HOT STUFF by Jessica B. Harris

This year I was forced to figure out how to keep a mouse at bay. I still shiver thinking about it. After researching, I went shopping for peppermint oil, whole cloves, ammonia, cayenne pepper flakes, and Bounce sheets. I used everything on the list. The Bounce sheets were placed here, there, and everywhere. I put whole cloves and cayenne pepper flakes in little cheesecloth-type bags and hung them here, there, and everywhere. Ammonia* and peppermint oil was poured on small cosmetic cotton pads and put into plastic caps and placed, well, you know where. Thankfully I was scheduled to leave for a week. I admit that I wasn’t too keen on returning because my imagination was entirely focused on a mouse dancing around my apartment after nibbling on chocolate.
*toxic – not recommended.

I wish I’d had the presence of mind to write down the website address whose owner so generously gave all that information. It worked! It worked! And whoever you are, thank you from the bottom of my scared-of-mice heart. How I wish I could say I wasn’t scared. I’m working on it though.

“Readers of the 1888 Farmer’s and Housekeeper’s Cyclopedia sprinkled cayenne pepper in nooks and crannies to keep ants away. This one really works; I’ve tried it with squirrels that took over a summer cottage.”
from the book, HOT STUFF by Jessica B. Harris


One more thing about cayene pepper: “More recently, a book on natural beauty cures published in the French West Indies suggested using red bird peppers to prevent hair from falling. Five of the small chiles are left to macerate in two cups of oil. The oil is then massaged into the scalp.”
from the book, HOT STUFF by Jessica B. Harris

David Wolfe writes about hot peppers and hair loss in his book, THE SUNFOOD DIET SUCCESS SYSTEM. He wrote that caution must be used when applying pepper oil to the scalp as it can burn if not done properly, and, of course, no one wants the experience of hot pepper oil in one’s eye. In the book that I have he explains the why of hair loss on pages 484-485.
www.sunfood.com

Do you agree that we live in a fascinating world?