tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87264051277966857902024-03-06T03:37:09.336+07:00Metaphysical musingsBEing aliveAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.comBlogger146125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726405127796685790.post-34662867963323459022018-04-10T15:39:00.000+07:002018-04-10T15:39:56.563+07:00convenience, plastic and the inner freedom fighter<div dir="ltr">
"It's all the plastic, that is the problem."</div>
<div dir="ltr">
"That's the symptom. What is the cause ?"</div>
<div dir="ltr">
"Huh ???<br />
What do you mean? <br />
We need to deal with the plastic waste." </div>
<div dir="ltr">
"Yes, we do. <br />
BUT, what is the cause?"</div>
<div dir="ltr">
"Too many bags, too much wrapping. "</div>
<div dir="ltr">
"Take it up a few steps, go a few levels higher."</div>
<div dir="ltr">
"You mean, why do we have so much plastic ?" </div>
<div dir="ltr">
"Yes: Why do we ?" </div>
<div dir="ltr">
"It's convenient, it's easy."</div>
<div dir="ltr">
"Exactly. Not take it bit higher, where in ourselves is that coming from ?" </div>
<div dir="ltr">
"Lazy." </div>
<div dir="ltr">
Ernie nodded and looked at Arthur. Poured him some more Cinnamon tea and leaned back. "We are learning, the balance...." <br />
He sighed.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726405127796685790.post-16440028883649322192018-04-02T18:46:00.006+07:002018-04-02T18:46:55.096+07:00row row row your boat.... life is but a dream.....<div dir="ltr">
<b>And then I woke up.... so glad it was just a dream. </b></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr">
But while you were IN the dream, you felt it was the only reality ? </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<b>Yes. Sometimes I dream and I know it's a dream, but that's rare. </b></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
What if life is like that ? <br />
What if we are in a dream, and when we die we 'wake up' ? </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<b>That's a strange idea, I don't know I believe it. </b></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr">
I'm not saying it is TRUE, just imagine if it was like that. What would you feel ? How would life be different ? </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<b>Nice, I think it would be nice. </b></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<b>But hang on, wouldn't people want to die to wake up and go 'home' ?</b></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr">
I don't know. Maybe. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
For me I want to do stuff, achieve things. That's what keeps me here. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
Most people feel that I think. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<b>Hmm....yea.</b></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
It's an idea that pops up every now and then, but not in our culture.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
Have you heard of the '<a href="http://central.gutenberg.org/articles/eng/the_dream_of_akinosuke" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dream of Akinosuke</a>' ?</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<b>No. </b></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Lafacadio Hearn, the Japanologist wrote it, over a hundred years ago now. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<b>But isn't that just a nice fairy tale ? </b></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr">
What is ? </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<b>Going home, waking up and being in a more real beautiful place ? </b></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
You mean it's too easy, too simple and not <i>"tough enough?" </i></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<b>Kind of yes. </b></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Sure, if "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0nmHymgM7Y" target="_blank">you want it darker</a>" go for it :-) </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<b>No, I want to know the truth.</b> </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Sure, we all do. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
But imagine this: a universe where you experience whatever you believe. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
Your truths will always be confirmed. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<b>Ha ha... now that would be interesting. </b></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<b>But who's to know ? </b></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr">
You can't 'know' with your mind, you can play with the idea in your imagination. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<b>Hmm.....</b></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Well that's my way anyway. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
If you want double blind six sigma proof for everything, feel free, be my guest, enjoy that you universe :-P </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726405127796685790.post-80078714015607275282018-03-13T07:29:00.001+07:002018-03-13T07:30:56.675+07:00Designed to hurt<p dir="ltr">I fell the other day, it took me months to heal. </p>
<p dir="ltr">One piece of metal from a bomb, hurt my friend, he took 10 years to recover. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The world creates more and more weapons, designed to hurt, kill, maim, injure other humans. <br>
Why ? </p>
<p dir="ltr">To ensure peace ! </p>
<p dir="ltr">How do weapons ensure peace ? </p>
<p dir="ltr">Simple: "be good or we shoot you." </p>
<p dir="ltr">Oh!</p>
<p dir="ltr">But it does not work. </p>
<p dir="ltr">No it doesn't. </p>
<p dir="ltr">So why do we continue ? <br>
We think that one day we'll get it right. <br>
One day we will have the power to ensure peace and keep the 'bad guys' out. <br>
And then it's safe to be happy. </p>
<p dir="ltr">We'll just turn on each other then. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Yes. </p>
<p dir="ltr">So why ? </p>
<p dir="ltr">There's a better question. <br>
Let me give you a hint: As within, so without, as above to below. </p>
<p dir="ltr">You mean there is war within us ? </p>
<p dir="ltr">Isn't there ? </p>
<p dir="ltr">Where ? </p>
<p dir="ltr">Where do you tell yourself "Be good  or I'll shoot you ?" </p>
<p dir="ltr">I don't understand. </p>
<p dir="ltr">You feel the truth, can you say it ? can you do it ? </p>
<p dir="ltr">No, I push it away. I behave as I'm expected to. I create an "oppressed people" within <u>myself</u>. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Exactly. <br>
It starts within each of us. <br>
You can create peace, by starting within yourself. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I want to work for peace in the world directly. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Of course. <br>
But it's very easy to "fight for peace", and you end up creating another fight, another duality. </p>
<p dir="ltr">What do you mean "duality" ? </p>
<p dir="ltr">Either or. --  Win Lose. --- Right wrong. </p>
<p dir="ltr">But some things are right and others are wrong. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Yes. <br>
So it seems. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Not seem, it IS that way. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Try replacing 'bad' with "not yet good" <br>
Try replacing every authority with "student learning his/her lessons...." <br>
Tell me what the difference is,.... <br>
See you next week. ;-) </p>
<p dir="ltr">Matta, neh.... Next week..... <br></p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726405127796685790.post-30855022371231632872018-02-24T06:13:00.001+07:002018-03-06T11:29:02.627+07:00Go your own way, all else is straying' - mindfulness HOW, WHAT?<p dir="ltr">"I am sick of it!" everyone gives me a different explanation." <br>
Orion looked at Arthur, refilled his cup and sipped hot cinnamon tea.<br>
"Everyone is different," he said.<br>
Arthur looked at the master in frustration. <br>
"Yes, everyone is different," he repeated, and that's why everyone gives a different explanation for 'mindfulness?'"<br>
"Yes," Orion watched his visitor. <br>
They sat in his cave in the great Oriander cliff,   outside windriders circled in the breeze coming in from Umi-Jabour, the great desert, created by the technocrats over three thousand years ago. <br>
"But they all say their definition is the only way."<br>
Orion shrugged, sipped tea, and watched  the sea of sand, the circling windriders. <br>
"Learning to walk, no one can do it for you. Once you can do it, it's easy and you are the expert."<br>
Arthur chuckled, "yes, that's true, So what do I do ?"<br>
"Keep learning." <br>
Arthur took a deep breath, "How did you learn to walk ?"<br>
Orion shook his head, smiled his upside down smile, "I tried and tried."<br>
Orion glanced at the small picture of his teacher the back of the cave, "my master told me to feel the ground, to listen to the sounds around me ....and I listened and I followed. And I became more and more heavy and  focussed on the physical world. It didn't help me, didn't work for me.. I thought it was my fault." <br>
He smiled, "but one day I saw. My master was teaching me what had worked for him. He needed that way, but it didn't work for me."<br>
Orion drank from his cup, poured some more from his teapot and leaned back.<br>
"So what worked for you master?"<br>
Orion shook his head, "so you can copy my path ? Don't." <br>
Arthur smiled, "I guess, yes, sort of, I want to hear your story,  I need to try something."<br>
Orion nodded, "I to copy someone until I realized it wouldn't work for me. <br>
Then  I tried something else." <br>
"What ? "<br>
Orion smiled, shrugged, "so you can walk my path ? Ok do it, if you like. But let it go one day and do YOUR thing, 'Go your own way, all else is straying'."  <br>
Arthur nodded slowly, "Tell me more, please." <br>
Orion sighed, smiled, " ..- you will tell your students the same thing one day. <br>
I played with my awareness:  I realized how much I was focused <i>out </i>of myself.<br>
I decided to <b>f</b><b>eel</b>, to become  aware of my feelings, my breath at the SAME time as I lived my daily life." <br>
"Oh," Arthur looked disappointed.<br>
Orion took a small rock from a pile on his right side, looked at it and threw it out of the open cave. It would fall three hundred yards. He listened for the impact, but the whistling of the windriders, and the  sounds of the wind rushing  from the Sea of Sand, smothered it.</p>
<p dir="ltr">He looked at Arthur: "as you listen to me, as you  look at me, at the SAME time, feel inside,  FEEL, -- what do you feel ?"<br>
Arthur was silent for a while. <br>
"Terror. It feels bad." <br>
"Yes, that's the first gate." <br>
"Oh."<br>
Orion smiled. <br>
"What's the second?" <br>
A wry grin was the answer. <br>
A keen cry from the outside brought their attention to the windrider soaring past their cave. The wings of her glider almost scraped the rock. <br>
Arthur rushed to look up, watch and resumed his place on the cushion. <br>
"She made it, only just." <br>
Orion nodded. <br>
"You knew?"<br>
"No..." Orion stood up, walked to the very edge of the cave, looked down, the three hundred yards. "If you like to try something: imagine what your goal will be, feel it, let the images talk to you... " he turned and looked at Arthur with a crooked smile, "I've probably said to much already". <br></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>.....to be continued......-></i></p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726405127796685790.post-66039773119263161412018-02-15T04:40:00.002+07:002018-02-21T05:50:41.727+07:00The Windriders' meditation - 2<span style="font-size: large;">"I tried it!" </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Orion nodded, pushed a cup of hot cinnamon tea and cloves across the table towards Elantha and looked at her without seeing her. If she was accepted by the guild, life as windrider was perilous, lonely and set apart from others. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"a beginning..." Orion said and smiled, the corners of his mouth going down.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The cave in which they sat was carved into the face of the great Oriander cliff, running for thousands of miles east to west. Windriders practiced in the breeze coming in from the desert, circling and driving like giant birds. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">She had asked for his help, 'but does she know what she is asking?' </span><span style="font-size: large;">he asked himself. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Yet, she had asked him.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Yes, I know what I'm asking." </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Orion looked at her, surprised.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Is it that obvious?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">She nodded, "master, you are like an open book."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Orion sighed, "I know, I know" </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Windriders vanish, the desert takes them, it is lonely --- they are different."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"I know," she looked at him intensely, "I KNOW. I am different already."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Orion sighed, looked out at the great desert </span><span style="font-size: large;">Umi-Jabour, </span><span style="font-size: large;">the Sea of Sand, "let's get started. What do you do in your meditation?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Breathing in, breathing out, - awareness." </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"And ?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"That's it."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Does it bore you ?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Yes."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Add to it then. Go deeper, play." </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Is that ok ?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Is that ok ?" Orion let out a long breath of frustration, "of course! Who teaches you this fear ? ....your heart... let her speak..." he shook his head. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"...a necklace of beads ?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Yes, that will do. Keep it dynamic, movement, and add to it the things you want it in your life..."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Elantha nodded, she was familiar with those ideas.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Orion looked at her for a little while, "you are practicing now?!"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Yes," she smiled.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"You can keep it going while we talk ?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">She nodded.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Good." </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"What's next ?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"breath, intent, awareness, .... breath, intent, awareness...."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"breath, intent, awareness...." they repeated the last incantation together. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Flow with it, don't fix it." </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">He smiled, and added, "that's all, that's it." </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"In that case, I'm sure there is more to it," she smiled a challenge at Orion.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">She was determined, she was older than any who had joined the windriders, and she was of the Aesinth, a people with all black eyes, no whites. They had unpredictable abilities. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Orion, poured himself another brew of tea, from a pot he made for himself, </span><span style="font-size: large;">the scent of cinnamon and cloves was very strong.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Please let me try that?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">He poured a little in a cup for her. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">She wouldn't like it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Elantha took it, drank, said nothing as she watched the circling windriders. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Her face broke out into bright smile, she nodded, pushed her cup back to Orion. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">He filled it. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"What is the next step?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Orion remained silent. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">There was only the sound of the wind soughing up the cliff, three hundred yards up, over countless cave openings like Orions. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">They sat in silence for an hour. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Meditating. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In a voice barely audible above the wind, Orion spoke, "follow the heart lines of intent," he looked at her, "always".</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Elantha closed her eyes. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">An hour passed. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726405127796685790.post-49319904056508922892018-02-14T11:37:00.000+07:002018-02-15T03:51:02.286+07:00The Windriders' meditation - 1<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">"I practiced meditation for years, more than ten years....and still....the windriders don't accept me." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Orion leaned back listening to Elantha's litany. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Windriders rode the winds of the desert </span><span style="font-size: large;">Umi-jabour</span><span style="font-size: large;">, from thermal to thermal, over the great Sea of Sand. They were the lifeline and communications blood of the Morai. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A week, even three weeks, they had to stay aloft, fly, and sleep at the same time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If forced to land, - only a few would ever get off the ground again. The heat, the cold, the vastness of the desert had swallowed countless windriders over the centuries. Even of the most experienced, sometimes simply vanished.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3tzWO2qlSRwK0oKk7jvkfseIWYrGMTTJEd2_qpH8X93xKDgOpoYg-S_EQq8cqjOORzyX0nELLDhkWW_HHEePl0yhDMuXUTQnbcIhVCGxhx7HEI8bcoABmc7SEG1BDoSDaMKFMjgrYy_A/s1600/06Jun23+408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3tzWO2qlSRwK0oKk7jvkfseIWYrGMTTJEd2_qpH8X93xKDgOpoYg-S_EQq8cqjOORzyX0nELLDhkWW_HHEePl0yhDMuXUTQnbcIhVCGxhx7HEI8bcoABmc7SEG1BDoSDaMKFMjgrYy_A/s640/06Jun23+408.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It was an honour to be accepted into the guild of windriders. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">One that Elantha had sought for more than a decade. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"I am one of the best windriders," she looked at Orion," and then out to the desert. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Orion nodded. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"But...", he smiled. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"But they won't take me," she looked down, "...I know why. I can't meditate like they do." </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"They have lost many..." Orion whispered. He was thinking of the bright eyed Jason, lost in the great storm of 3649. No one had survived that one, none returned. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"I know," Elantha sighed and stood up, looked around Orion's spacious cave. She bowed to Orion and went to leave.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Please wait," Orion, waved for her to resume her seat on the cushion opposite him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"I'm still sad about Jason," he looked Elantha in the eye, "but I have no right to decide for you."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"You haven't decided for me... I ...." </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Orion held up a hand, smiled and sighed deeply. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"In all the years you told me about your practice, you moved from normal consciousness to deeper levels of meditation, right ?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Yes."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"And you're very good at meditating."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Elantha nodded. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"What the windriders want from you is something else," he looked into the eyes of his student. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The knowledge he would give her now would change her life, perhaps an early death. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"they need you to meditate and be fully awake at the same time, for every moment, for every breath, for as long as it takes to reach safe haven."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Simultaneous awareness ?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Orion nodded, "the names don't matter, dreaming, meditation, awareness, whatever you want to call it." </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Elantha looked disappointed, "I tried that."</span></div>
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Orion shook his head, let's talk tomorrow..." </div>
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</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726405127796685790.post-74026628660694816202018-01-26T13:08:00.002+07:002018-01-28T14:40:26.531+07:00are we tuning into robots ?"I can't take it anymore."<br />
'Cafe P' was full, every table on the footpath was taken. I had just fought my way through the hubbub and found Madame P sitting at a small table between a window and a Steinway piano.<br />
She looked at me, motioned to the chair opposite her and sipped a strange smelling tea saying nothing, just looking at me.<br />
"I mean: Are we supposed to just follows rules and policies, like a machine ? Are we all supposed to be human machines, is that it ?"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1mOGvSotVFP1uQbhDHjR1AVzzHVUivM7pbenB5c1QrXxcMjpAkRc3V-pPA39Mm232yp0O2SiQDsqK63D0NdIR0JqHseJL-id1fSbEaJoGGDCxwPrGiLBIFsaZEsKtMDM5IT6JC61Y0w/s1600/floating-nosefaces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1147" data-original-width="779" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1mOGvSotVFP1uQbhDHjR1AVzzHVUivM7pbenB5c1QrXxcMjpAkRc3V-pPA39Mm232yp0O2SiQDsqK63D0NdIR0JqHseJL-id1fSbEaJoGGDCxwPrGiLBIFsaZEsKtMDM5IT6JC61Y0w/s400/floating-nosefaces.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
<br />
My Cuppochino arrived.<br />
Still she only looked at me, scanned the tables on the footpath, the steps of Parliament house across the road and smiled at me.<br />
"What do you think ?" I pushed her.<br />
<br />
She took a deep breath and said "Yes".<br />
She poured herself another cup of that tea, the scent of Cinnamon and Cloves wafted across the table.<br />
"Happy now?", she smiled a challenge at me.<br />
"No ! -- Come on, everything is reduced to indicators and standard decisions. Where is the humanity ? Where is the caring ? No room for that anymore...." I let out a deep breath.<br />
Elbows on the table, cradling her hot cup in both hands, breathing in the steam, Mme P waited for me to finish.<br />
I continued, "my mum's sick. In the hospital they just do tests with machines, read the numbers and push her down this path or that path. It's all standard protocol. She is on a conveyor belt.<br />
<i><span style="color: #444444;">'Enter here, pay there, go left, right, left, depending on the results.... die or exit over there.' </span></i> Even the doctors can't do anything. "<br />
Mme P nodded and looked at me like I was made of glass and she could see everything.<br />
<br />
It felt like a physical force.<br />
That's how I know awareness is a kind of force.<br />
Maybe one day it'll be 'discovered' and then we'll be allowed to believe it officially ?<br />
"Go on," I said, "ask me", I smiled at her.<br />
Mme P nodded slowly, "so what's your question ?"<br />
"Forget it, I know your answer."<br />
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Mme P chuckled and shrugged, "You're right, it's been the trend for quite some time".<br />
"So what do we do about it ?"<br />
Mme P shrugged, looked at the busy tables of her cafe outside and back at me, "you tell me".<br />
"I don't know."<br />
"Same here."<br />
"Noooo. You always have something to tell me, some way to make sense of it."<br />
"Things have been going this way for some time, and one day they won't."<br />
"Arrgghhhh.... ", I couldn't believe she fed me such banalities.<br />
"That applies to everything," I let out a deep breath, "so we just sit here and do nothing, is that it ?"<br />
"Are we following procedures now ?" Mme P looked into my eyes, "or would you like standard sympathy and commiseration protocol 101 ?", she chuckled.<br />
"Oh."<br />
Mme P pushed her chair back at an angle, crossed her legs and leaned back looking out at the crowded tables of her cafe.<br />
"Why?"<br />
"Why what ?"<br />
"The things you complained about ?"<br />
"I wasn't... Ok I was. You mean why are we turning ourselves into robots ?"<br />
Mme P nodded, sipped from her tea and gave the tiniest of nods.<br />
"We don't trust our humanness, its subjective, unreliable and unscientific. Everything has to be repeatable, predictable."<br />
.......... to be continued....<br />
Jan2018.<br />
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References:<br />
- <a href="https://steemit.com/artificial-intelligence/@infovore/are-we-becoming-more-robotic-are-robots-becoming-more-human-the-delicate-quandary-and-relearning-the-art-of-mindfulness" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Steemit asks if humans are becoming robots</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726405127796685790.post-56667142826176487012017-11-13T14:29:00.001+07:002017-11-13T14:30:29.096+07:00How to be in the NOW --o-- (very practical steps)<b><i>"The NOW, the NOW, .... everyone tells me to be in the NOW !"</i></b><br />
Felix put his cup down and looked at Orion.<br />
<i>"..but HOW ? How do I get into the NOW ?</i><br />
<i>I am running around like crazy, I have a 101 things to do and all I get is ONE more thing to do: be mindful of everything else. Geezz. </i><br />
<i>I don't get it."</i><br />
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Felix exhaled, leaned back and shook his head.<br />
Orion looked for something on his right, then held up a fresh pot of tea, a question on his face.<br />
A spicy cinnamon and clove smell pervaded the cave.<br />
Felix nodded and pushed his cup across the table.<br />
Orion looked at him: <i>"Oh my god, I should be doing the accounts but I'm surfing the net, I should be doing a thousand things and its all too much and I'm trying like crazy but I'll never get there.... arrragghhhh. </i><br />
<i>Is that about it ?</i>"<br />
<i>"Yep that's about how it goes,"</i> Felix smiled for the first time since he had entered the master's cave.<br />
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<br />
He stood up, walked over to the ledge. The dusty wind from the great sea of sand, Umi-Jabour, blew strongly and whistled on its way up the cliff face where Orion's cave lay. He looked down, four hundred meters below him , rocks and white bleached twigs. The bones of those who had fallen.<br />
Why was Orion the only one who didn't put in a window or a guard rail ?<br />
He turned and faced Orion, <i>"I'm sick of it. Sick of living like that." </i><br />
Felix returned to his cushion, and the cup of steaming spicy tea, <i>"how do you do it ?"</i> he asked Orion, <i>"you are the Abbot of the oldest tradition and you are always calm. </i><br />
<i>Are you just good at keeping it all inside ?" </i><br />
Orion chuckled, <i>"no, if I kept it inside I would have exploded long ago." </i><br />
<i>"So what do you do ?" </i><br />
<i>"Be honest." </i><br />
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<br />
<i>"About what ?" </i><br />
<i>"About the moment you are in NOW." </i><br />
<i>"I am here with you." </i><br />
<i>"And you feel pulled to finish the work you promised Arthur, and you are in a hurry because you left your post to come here and talk to me and you don't want anyone to find out." </i><br />
<i>"Uhhmm.... yes, yes, exactly."</i><br />
<i>"That is the condition you are in NOW. </i><br />
<i>How can you be here," Orion tapped the table with his cup,"if you don't include all ?"</i><br />
<i>"Because I shouldn't even be here taking time to talk to you !" </i><br />
<i>"Ok so include that too... that's part of the NOW." </i><br />
Orion leaned back looked out at the vast sand dunes stretching to the horizon and thousands of miles further on. Eagles soared past the cave.<br />
"My master used to tell me, "acknowledge your condition in the NOW and you will have peace."<br />
He looked at Felix, "I used to sit where you are now," he smiled, "and I used to argue with him even more than you."<br />
Orion rarely talked about his master, Felix waited quietly, hoping he would say more.<br />
"He used to tell me: It is not your problems themselves, it isn't the conflicts in your life, and it isn't even the misunderstandings which create this turmoil in your soul, it isn't any of those things.<br />
Can you guess what it was ?" Orion looked up at Felix.<br />
"... not facing the situation I am in NOW ?"<br />
"Yes, true, but there is more. What does 'not facing' mean? "<br />
"It means.... not looking at the truth.... running away."<br />
"Exactly, ...... but .... running from ?" Orion looked at his visitor intensely.<br />
"The problems and conflicts ?"<br />
Orion shook his head, "can you go deeper ?"<br />
"Myself."<br />
"Exactly, running from ourselves."<br />
Orion chuckled.<br />
"Do you run from yourself ?"<br />
"If you mean, distracting myself and never staying still ?"<br />
"Yes, that's it. Good way to put it."<br />
Orion narrowed his eyes and smiled, "Let's go even deeper: Why do we run from ourselves ?"<br />
"Fear ? It would have to be fear."<br />
"Yes. And what are we afraid of ?"<br />
Felix looked out at the desert. Some of the windriders were training in the afternoon breeze.<br />
"We fear ourselves."<br />
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"Why?"<br />
Felix shrugged, "that's as far I got. I could never figure out the reason.<br />
"You are almost there."<br />
"Because there is a terrible thing within us ? is that it ?"<br />
"Yes," Orion's smile was wide and happy.<br />
"Is there ? Is there a terrible thing within us ?"<br />
"What do you think ? "<br />
"Yes, I think so. We need to keep a lid on it, keep things orderly and have rules and regulations, otherwise chaos will break loose."<br />
"So then we really <b><i>should </i></b>run from ourselves, shouldn't we ?"<br />
"I know, you have a better answer, " Felix knew the master well enough.<br />
Orion leaned forward, "tell me, if we are basically terrible and fake, we have every reason to run from ourselves. Don't we ?"<br />
Felix nodded, "ok, but what if we aren't ?"<br />
"Yes, good point. If we aren't then we are running from a phantom, an illusion, a bogey man."<br />
"So are we or aren't we terrible ? Is the real me really corrupt and terrible and needs to be restrained by civilization ?"<br />
Orion shrugged leaned back and sipped more tea.<br />
Felix likewise leaned back against the cave wall,"you won't tell me, will you?"<br />
"There is no point."<br />
"Why ? It would help me tremendously to know the answer."<br />
Orion shook his head, "no, actually it wouldn't. You would walk out of here and think you knew something, and think you had the truth."<br />
"But I would !" Felix said louder than he intended.<br />
"No, you would have my truth, not your truth."<br />
Felix sighed and rolled his eyes.<br />
"I'm not playing word games," Orion smiled and stood up.<br />
"Surely there is one truth, about this question."<br />
Orion pushed at wall behind him, it was a long dividing wall that could be pushed into the rock behind.<br />
"There is one truth about everything and that is: It is your truth, and your's alone.<br />
That is the only truth that matters in this case.<br />
Find it.<br />
If you really want peace, find it."<br />
Felix stood up and followed the master into the next room, a great hall. From the ceiling hung three large gliders.<br />
Orion unfastened one of them from its suspensendors in the ceiling and gently guided it to the launching rail.<br />
"How ?"<br />
" The same way you get into the NOW.<br />
That same path leads you to find the truth of your BEing."<br />
Orion strapped himself in and grabbed the line that would open the sliding window of hangar.<br />
He looked at Felix, waiting for him to speak.<br />
"You mean 'acknowledge my inner reality in the NOW' ?"<br />
"Yes exactly, and you will have peace."<br />
"What if I find I AM terrible, and it is true that I am a corrupt cesspool of evil ?"<br />
"That question is why most of us humans don't want to know."<br />
"But you know."<br />
"You have to know for yourself, deeply fully beyond what anyone else says. That is the path to your true self, to your BEing."<br />
"I'm not sure."<br />
"That is fine.<br />
It is honest. Acknowledge it.<br />
You can only find yourself if you really truly want to know the truth, no matter what it is, and you are determined to face it, regardless."<br />
"If I want the truth within myself above everything else ?"<br />
Orion smiled, "and if you don't, -- yet, -- then be honest... about that.<br />
You cannot force yourself to desire the truth above all else, until you DO desire it genuinely from the depth of your soul."<br />
"When, how can I ..... ?"<br />
Orion shook his head, smiled and pulled open the door.<br />
"It's a wonderful day to fly.... take the first step, the others will follow.... "<br />
His glider shot forward and down, unclipped it itself and flew free into the evening breeze coming in from Umi-Jabour.<br />
- Tengra Ngiam,<br />
Xylantheum.<br />
13.11.2017<br />
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The above was inspired by the writings: <a href="https://pathwork.org/lectures/love-not-a-commandment-but-spontaneous-soul-movement-of-the-inner-self/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Love: Not a Commandment, But Spontaneous Soul Movement of the Inner Self --- in the Pathwork Lecture series number 133</a><br />
Especially this article below (from <a href="https://pathwork.org/lectures/love-not-a-commandment-but-spontaneous-soul-movement-of-the-inner-self/" target="_blank">Lec133</a>) was seminal:<br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><i>The acknowledgement of the immediate now is still not sufficiently understood and is often overlooked by the majority of my friends. </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"><i>Whenever you acknowledge the truth of each moment, you will be in peace, regardless of how much disturbance and unreality still exist in you as conditions to be gradually eliminated. </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><i> Fully acknowledging your condition in the now must give you peace. </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><i>So please understand and do not forget: It is not the problem itself, nor the conflict, nor even the misconception which create turmoil in your soul, but it is your running away from yourself. </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><i> Your not being in the immediate now, your fighting and struggling against it in an unconstructive way, causes so much soul-hardship</i>.</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726405127796685790.post-89315513914322978282017-09-22T13:00:00.001+07:002017-09-22T13:06:08.054+07:00Inner realities: Anger (part1) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"></b><br />
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arthur pushed aside the thick curtain impatiently</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ah good, Orion was in.</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He jerked the curtain fully open and stood waiting for the old master to notice him. </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Orion looked up from the intricate device he was working on, his eyes lingered a moment on Arthur. Then he waved him to the cushions on the other side of the table.</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Master, I want to hit someone. I'm REALLY angry.." </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUqlhltbBqtj7bLwXUMW4F7StUXWZjgbewoW-Mfui1u25ajOtA6dRmKwdZ232hsM2MRW3Ug7RDAx4LrRgwWbH5r3fRe35JgBGi3H8Vwc9deuELX27ixrqFY_2-LUrg2blPzZtrqLhyI18/s1600/06Jun23+298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUqlhltbBqtj7bLwXUMW4F7StUXWZjgbewoW-Mfui1u25ajOtA6dRmKwdZ232hsM2MRW3Ug7RDAx4LrRgwWbH5r3fRe35JgBGi3H8Vwc9deuELX27ixrqFY_2-LUrg2blPzZtrqLhyI18/s640/06Jun23+298.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Ok." </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Ok ? You think it's ok ?"</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Orion looked at Arthur, looked out at the desert on his right and nodded. </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He took a small piece of copper foil, bent it and attached it to others on the delicate looking structure. </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"But you don't think it's ok," he looked up at Arthur briefly, picked up the delicate device and held it out against the morning light. </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The air from the Sea of Sand whistled past the open mouth of his cave, carrying the particularly dry pungent scent of the desert in these northern parts. </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"No I don't. I mean yes I do, I'm so furious with her. I just want to scream at her." </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"But you came here instead."</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Yes."</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Why?" </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"I shouldn't be this angry should I ?"</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Orion looked at him.</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"You are this angry." </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"But I shouldn't be......right ?"</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Why not ?"</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"You ask me 'why' ?" Arthur took a deep breath, spreading out his arms in exasperation. </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"You taught me to be mindful to be calm, to observe my thoughts....and now you ask me why I shouldn't be angry?" </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Orion eyes flashed. </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"I asked you to be aware, to observe, not to force calmness where there is fire."</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"I don't understand." </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Orion stared at Arthur, "you are furious, yes ?" </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"yes."</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"So observe that." </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"But I'm sooo damn angry!"</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"So? Are you trying to be calm or to observe ?"</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Humm... . "</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Calm may come eventually, but it's not what you DO." </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"I know I'm not meant to judge, but I wanna scream at her. I can't help feeling: Isn't it wrong to be this angry ?"</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Are you trying not to judge ?"</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Yes, but I can't." </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Observe the judgement," Orion again looked at Arthur intensely, "Observe the ' I'm so angry feeling...'."</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"I'm just confused."</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Observe that. It is what IS."</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"What ? I don't get it." </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Whatever is, IS. There is nothing to DO, nothing to fix, nothing to clean and make presentable."</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Orion turned the thing he'd been working on around very carefully, examining it, poking it here and there with a small metal rod.. </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arthur stood up and walked to the edge of the cave looking down past his feet, six hundred and fifty meters to the rocky ground. </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2kalr3duPItY1UIi8e9jPcaLGOPmmw55yrRwRotaaVsKeqp3UQ3RHRRJ_Y22hknuR_RiNnPz6dxgF_5dhpIEYmsuE29aadqZcsSPUqt4ndmReQqNgUtUUIWORGl5fPPW0Ows7HbNJ6Dk/s1600/06Jun23+214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2kalr3duPItY1UIi8e9jPcaLGOPmmw55yrRwRotaaVsKeqp3UQ3RHRRJ_Y22hknuR_RiNnPz6dxgF_5dhpIEYmsuE29aadqZcsSPUqt4ndmReQqNgUtUUIWORGl5fPPW0Ows7HbNJ6Dk/s640/06Jun23+214.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In centuries past, many people had "fallen" to their death from these caves. White bones, death and vultures had covered the bottom. Now only grave markers lined the bottom. </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That was when it had been the prison fortress of Ur-Ani-Ya. A place of such death and despair, - the scars were still healing five hundred years later. </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ur-Ani-Ya had mysteriously vanished, suddenly imploded in the last days of the month of Wendurath, 3178. </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was a mystery for five hundred years, until 3548, when the diaries of Aer-il-hambara, Chancellor of the house of Aer-Ayrus were found. </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They were found deep in the cave system of Serianna, where the ancient fortress of Ur-Ani-Ya had stored its energy. </span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now everyone knew the story of Aer-il-hambara the black eyed Aesinth, who had destroyed Ur-Ani-Ya, the most powerful fortress - and herself as well. </span></b></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arthur was sick of hearing it again again. The families of the the house of Aer-Ayrus knew nothing else to talk about. </span></b></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a825-1791-71a5-2d3d706cc931" style="font-weight: normal;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He looked down. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"AAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGHHHHH!!!!" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arthur's face turned red and beads of sweat gathered on his forehead, "I hate you." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He took another deep breath and stared at Umi-Jabour, the greatest desert in history, the Great Sea of Sand. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Eagles soared past them on the updraft.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He turned around, looking at Orion who was still busy turning that thing he was working on from side to side and examining it very closely. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Better ?" he asked without looking up.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"No!"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arthur sat down. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Orion looked at him, hid a smile, and pushed the delicate structure to the side. He pulled out a bowl of dates from the shelf behind him and put it on the table between them. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"I haven't really progressed at all," Arthur took a date, "I just destroyed a year of practice by getting angry like that." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Orion shook his head, "you didn't. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Omnia Mutantur, Nihil Interit</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">". </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arthur frowned at the strange words, but let it pass.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Calmness is not the aim, it's the result. If you aim for calmness you will not find it. You will get tight brittle control and more tension."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Orion spread his hands, "that's my experience. You may be different." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He smiled and shrugged.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"So what, it's just the old 'observe, don't judge' mantra again, is that it ?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Orion nodded, "yep, that's it," reached over to his right and brought out a steaming pot of tea. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Even when I'm furious ?" Arthur asked.. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Orion nodded, "even when I'm furious as hell. When I don't want to stop. I accept that. I watch it, I embrace it with love." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arthur stared at Orion," are you joking ?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Orion stared at Arthur, "wherever you are, take a step back. Look and see the 'me that does not want to see'." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In another voice altogether Orion continued, "</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I see the resistance that never wants to give in, I see the hate that wants to murder...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I see and I observe."</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwSXvmheXB6AxSlsksoUgPL01G2xnqTeiDhRXfTi549Pu9yJhnbMhVDu_i6n6mqmPd0m9wzeXyz0xrvv9urL5tpR2LVaU3f8SLMyiPzqSAdp4Kcf8n2cLsv_630bz7RrFS4Z5L9KqdfTc/s1600/06Jun23+059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwSXvmheXB6AxSlsksoUgPL01G2xnqTeiDhRXfTi549Pu9yJhnbMhVDu_i6n6mqmPd0m9wzeXyz0xrvv9urL5tpR2LVaU3f8SLMyiPzqSAdp4Kcf8n2cLsv_630bz7RrFS4Z5L9KqdfTc/s640/06Jun23+059.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Wow," Arthur sat back exhaling deeply, shaking his head, "wow."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Why ? You think some things are excluded from the oneness ?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"I'm not supposed to, but, yes." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"That's honest," Orion smiled, "whatever you exclude, judge, cut off - you make it your enemy, you give it more power." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Can't I win ?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Yes, if you will pay the price." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"What's the price ?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"That another will win over you." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"No I mean win finally, total victory."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Orion took a deep breath, looked at Arthur for a long time. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"You mean win once and for all, always on top, always king ?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arthur squirmed uncomfortably, "I guess so".</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Why ?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"To be King forever, to be safe forever." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"And others ? To be your 'subjects' forever ?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"OK, you got me." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Orion shook his head, "no, I don't want to 'get you'. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Winning over the 'bad guy', is the illusion that keeps the endless fight going. Each side fighting for goodness, purity and safety through the annihilation of the other,... " he opened his hands, pointing his head to the desert on his right, "you get endless war."</span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The desert, Umi-Jabour, had been created in the greatest war the ancients had ever fought, over three thousand years ago. Their civilization had ended.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The continental plate had split, land had dropped, land had risen, and the cliff Orion's cave was carved from, had emerged. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Yet each side only sought safety from the other...." Orion sighed. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He pushed a cup of tea in Arthur's direction, and they both leaned back. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"The question is," Orion smiled his upside down smile, " what do you want most ? Safety or being in control ?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"I would be safe by being in control, having the power behind me." </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Hmmm....," Orion looked at Arthur, "you can answer that one yourself, does power and control lead to safety ?" </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arthur shook his head, <i>"true safety comes from within yourself, - knowing that you can look after yourself better than anyone or anything." </i></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Orion chuckled, "a textbook answer, but we'll let it stand."</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arthur sipped his tea, looked out at the Sea of Sand. A few windriders were circling in the updraft, Ari sensei and his students. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He faced Orion, "ok, let's say I have the power and the control: I am king forever, I am safe." </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Safe from what ?"</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"From being powerless."</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"So you have power and control just to have it, for its own sake ?"</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"No, not quite. I have it to be safe." </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Safe from what ? Pain ? Death ? Unhappiness ? An assassin ?" </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arthur nodded.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Orion chuckled...., "we humans have tried that path over and over again. And fortunately it doesn't work."</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Why ?" </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"It's not how reality is made. I can't explain to you 'why'. You just know it in your bones." </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"And if you don't ?"</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Then you join those who try that path over and over again... until you truly know." </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Orion sipped his tea, slowly lost in thought. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arthur watched him. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The master's eyes moved to his visitor, "...and isn't that what we're here for ? To learn, to know - through experience ?" </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arthur was surprised at the question.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He had expected the usual insights and the masters touch. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They looked at each other.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Orion sighed, and hummed a tune from a well known song:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Yes you who must leave everything that you cannot control</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It begins with your family, but soon it comes around to your soul.." </span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arthur looked at Orion, a long time. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He was different these days. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Tea ?" Orion pushed the pot of spicy tea towards his visitor.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arthur poured himself a fresh cup.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"You came here to ask, 'what do I do with the rage, my murderous feelings, right ?" Orion said.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Yes." </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"You know what to do."</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arthur shook his head. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Orion looked the young man in the eye. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Ok, I won't follow my anger, and I know I can't 'kill' the anger. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What else ?", he waited then added, "ignore it?" </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Orion shrugged, "an interim solution, it will surface again, and again. The ancients tried that until everything surfaced at once," he again indicated the desert with a tilt of his head.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"What then?"</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"You know." </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Accept." </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"You are repeating a text book answer.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What you think I want to hear. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is YOUR answer ?"</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arthur sat back, looked at the desert. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"It's no different from any other thought or feeling is it ?" Arthur mused. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Yes, it's another thought, it's another feeling." </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"But stronger." </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Yes, much stronger, but essentially the same as all the others." Orion agreed.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Then why don't I just treat it the same as all the others. See it. Watch it arise, watch it be, watch it fade." Arthur watched Orion's face.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Orion smiled his upside down smile, the scar on the left side of his face stood out clearly. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He reached for the teapot and poured himself a cup of tea and dragged his strange device back to work on it and became totally absorbed with it.</span></div>
<br /><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Suddenly he looked up, at Arthur: "Ok, then, tell me, why you are here" he waved at the bowl, inviting his visitor to take some more, nuts and dried fruit, "what really happened ?"</span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">End of part 1</span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By Tengra Ngiam</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hong Kong, 2017</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a830-ac0e-1b67-08683cb2ea0b" style="font-weight: normal;"></b></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a830-ac0e-1b67-08683cb2ea0b" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is an old prayer it came to me to rewrite. It’s about surrendering.and</span></b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a830-ac0e-1b67-08683cb2ea0b" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I don’t know which side everybody’s on any more, and …I don’t really care. There is a moment when we have to transcend the side we’re on and understand that we are creatures of a higher order. It doesn’t mean that I don’t wish you courage in your struggle. There is on both sides of this struggle men of good will. That is important to remember… on both sides of this struggle. Some struggling for freedom, some struggling for safety. In solemn testimony of that unbroken faith which binds a generation one to another, I sing this song: “If it be your will”.</span></b></span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-ecfb4671-a830-ac0e-1b67-08683cb2ea0b" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Leonard Cohen:</span></div>
</b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /> </span></div>
</b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726405127796685790.post-69044171018968723482017-09-20T14:34:00.000+07:002018-03-08T05:06:59.845+07:00What's behind the mind ? ...and what's behind that ? <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Seven hundred meters of sheer cliff forced the air from the great desert Umi-Jabour up into the forested lands above. </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Buteo hawks rode the air </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> currents</span></span> in long leisurely circles, barely moving a wing. They were expert gliders and used the natural air flow to spiral up. </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Orion, had been sitting in meditation for hours, facing the desert, from his cave in the side of the cliff, when the room was filled with tension.</span></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSn5o6Mw1LIwzeKvBlfvl5PdTei4Rb4FlDSejlXjUF9kr1bpe2_gic8GowAQrU9s0_Bpk3xGGZlzsaEBZsJ08rySmZh1pNc0GrzVzg9syQpvdXDd8-HvaD_ZokUe1dUe6UarYRwX5MRbI/s1600/06Jun23+305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSn5o6Mw1LIwzeKvBlfvl5PdTei4Rb4FlDSejlXjUF9kr1bpe2_gic8GowAQrU9s0_Bpk3xGGZlzsaEBZsJ08rySmZh1pNc0GrzVzg9syQpvdXDd8-HvaD_ZokUe1dUe6UarYRwX5MRbI/s640/06Jun23+305.jpg" width="640"></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The heavy curtain behind him separated noiselessly in the middle and a face with bright eyes and dark hair watched him. </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Please make us some tea Elsa" Orion's quiet voice carried just far enough for her to hear. </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just as noiselessly the newcomer entered, filled a kettle and put it on the hotplate. </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Her movements betrayed the calmness of the long distance windrider. </span></span></span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She sat on a mat by the table behind Orion and waited. </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Orion remained sitting as he had been for the last three hours. </span></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The kettle boiled and Elsa moved to prepare the tea. </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She pulled the power cord from the kettle in a hard sharp jerk and poured the hot water into the already prepared pot. </span></span></span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Of all the guilds, windriders were the most opposed to the ways the technocrats. They </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">utterly </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">loathed electricity and all things electronic. Waste was anathema to their creed and everything was put to purpose. </span></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She wore the elegant and smooth clothing of a master windrider. Cloth mended and tended, repaired re-formed over a lifetime. </span></span></span></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"What's behind the mind ?", she whispered. </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Orion remained as he had been. </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The wind soughed and ruffled her hair. </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The dry dusty scent of the desert made her feel at home. </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Originally from the far North, where snow and ice covered the ground for most of the year, Elsa had found her calling in the hot dry desert winds, soaring and gliding like one of the hawks. </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She had found again the old ways of entering a deep level of awareness, where mind and body fused and time moved differently, dream-waking. </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Windriders now used dream-waking, to </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">cover vast unimaginable distances, flying for days even weeks on end. </span></span></span></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yet some never returned. </span></span></span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Their families blamed Elsa. </span></span></span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Some brought back news of settlements isolated since the great cataclysm three thousand years ago. </span></span></span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">They praised Elsa. </span></span></span></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Orion, stood, stretched, and faced his visitor as he continued to bend and stretch.</span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You mean who chooses what your mind thinks about ? </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The fears, the desires ?" </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Elsa nodded. </span></span><br><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I", Orion smiled, "I AM -- behind, within, through, all, I think and do."</span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He walked to the back, carried the steaming teapot to the center of the table and poured tea for Elsa and himself. </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Some people would say your mind chooses."</span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yes. My mind finds reasons for a choice, once it is made. </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But the choice is made elsewhere."</span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You are sure ?" </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yes." Elsa fixed her eyes on him.</span></span><div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Orion sipped his tea, savouring the scent of cinnamon and liquorice root and watching a hawk soar past his cave. </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"That's what I found too," he said after a while. </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Elsa knew better than to ask him, she waited for him to continue.</span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"You are wondering why you chose to be a windrider, and found the way of dream-waking ?"</span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Elsa shrugged, "in a way, yes. But not only."</span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Who am I?" Orion asked. </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yes. Exactly." </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Orion took a deep breath, "the answer can't be put into words." </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Elsa nodded, "yes. Words compare, describe in terms of the known."</span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"And who you are is not describable that way." </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yes. I am who I am." </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Orion nodded his head and watched Elsa intensely. </span></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tengra Ngiam,</span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">20Sep2017 </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hong Kong </span></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> ---o---</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">References: </span></span></span></span>
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Buteos.</h3>
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<img alt="Buteo" src="https://www.hawkmountain.org/images/thumb?w=534&h=240&img=/data/uploads/media//image//08122011081615_ID-Buteo.jpg" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></div>
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These soaring hawks have long, broad wings and wide, fanned tails. Buteos are built to glide effortlessly on air currents. They can soar for long stretches without flapping their wings. Their soaring ability lets them hunt for prey while circling over open areas. They will perch on trees and utility poles and wait for unsuspecting prey to move below. Buteos include the Broad-winged Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk and Rough-legged Hawk. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www.hawkmountain.org/raptorpedia/how-to-identify-hawks/page.aspx?id=353</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726405127796685790.post-41047393056786296152017-08-23T14:24:00.000+07:002017-08-23T14:26:26.909+07:00Plastic culture -"we love Ya !"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"We have told people how bad plastic bags are for the environment, we had advertising campaigns, but people still use plastic bags." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Joseph had dropped himself on the sofa in Madame Pickwick's house in Syngapore's<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1)</span> Chinatown. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"The government has even asked businesses to charge for plastic bags. But it's not made much difference so far." </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEint2vOJYJVP3aAJ-qn5ZPEjmC1Tyugk-KH22JRWhruXSaAW6b61DfKL1fj2-Jwhyphenhyphenl_pxw6QXrMSEFViBx4zjO-7iWirC-AJgQJd1x4AQQykn5O3I6zg5_THuYplYlcksVttzeVH4BEKPQ/s1600/DSC04879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEint2vOJYJVP3aAJ-qn5ZPEjmC1Tyugk-KH22JRWhruXSaAW6b61DfKL1fj2-Jwhyphenhyphenl_pxw6QXrMSEFViBx4zjO-7iWirC-AJgQJd1x4AQQykn5O3I6zg5_THuYplYlcksVttzeVH4BEKPQ/s640/DSC04879.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Madame Pickwick stood smoking a long white cheroot and looking at her plants. Her place was like an urban jungle of flowering, medicinal plants. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">put down the cheroot, capped the end, and and slowly blew white smoke through her nose, turning to face Joseph.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Yes, you worked really hard, I saw the articles."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Why do people not change ?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Don't they understand ?" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Madame Pickwick drummed her fingers on the table, looking at Joseph, evaluating what to say. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Ritual,"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Ritual?".</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Madame, some tea?" voice asked from the stairs. The speaker's head was just visible in the stairwell. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Madame raised one eyebrow and looked at Joseph. He nodded, Madame nodded and the head disappeared. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"What else can we do ?" Joseph held his hands palm up, "I've tried everything I can think of."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Madame Pickwick, looked at him, but said nothing, the question had largely been rhetorical. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The head that had asked about tea came up the stairs, carrying a tray of dried fruit, spicy tea, and three cups.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Madame helped her set the table. The tea bearer was about half of Madame Pickwicks age, a little taller and had classic Chinese features. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Let me introduce you," Madame Pickwick gestured to Joseph, "This is Joseph." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"I'm Chellah."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Joseph stood up to shake her hand.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Chellah simply stood looking at him, her hands at her sides then sat down. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Joseph tried to hide his shock </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sat down abruptly and took a dried fig.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Chellah held out a cup for Joseph. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He took it, without making eye contact. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The sounds of the street markets in Chinatown drifted up to them. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Balcony ?" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Sure."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">They moved everything to the balcony. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A broad couch surrounded by pot plants, some the size of small trees, decorated the balcony. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Shorter plants crowded as high as the bannister. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">They moved everything to the long thin table in front of the couch. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The flat was on the top floor of one of the higher buildings facing north over Chinatown. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The towers of the financial center in the distance, the colourful houses of Chinatown below them. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Madame Pickwick caught Joseph's eye: </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"How did you feel, just now ?" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"When you couldn't shake hands ?" Chellah added, she spoke with a slow melodic rhythm. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"You, you mean you did that on purpose....?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Chellah laughed and looked at Madame Pickwick. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"How did you feel ?" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Stupid, confused, a bit annoyed."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"You said couldn't understand why people keep using plastic bags." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"You mean habits ?" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Madame Pickwick shook her head. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"It's more than that, shaking hands is a ritual, it's what we do naturally," Chellah said. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"When you stop a ritual you need to replace it with something else. The momentum of expectations can't just stop, you need to redirect it in some other way," she continued in her melodic way, "otherwise people feel 'stupid, confused, a bit annoyed.' "</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Ok I get it, " Joseph took a deep breath, picked a date and some almonds and leaned back, "wrapping things in a bag, is a ritual. The sale isn't finished until it's in the bag." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Joseph looked at Madame Pickwick, at Chellah. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"You want to stop people using plastic bags."</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Joseph nodded, picked up a cup. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Before plastic, paper was used." Chellah looked him in the eye,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"And before paper ?" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Bring your own bag." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"In Korea they used a bojagi to wrap and carry things in, a furoshigi in Japan. They're pieces of cloth," Madame Pickwick added. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"You use one don't you ?" Chellah asked.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Hmm...yes."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"You had the same one for over 10 years, I think ?" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Twenty."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Ok, so what can we put in place of the bag giving ritual ?" Joseph asked, standing up and walking to the bannister. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Chellah laughed and shrugged, "Good question, and did you notice that with plastic bags it is the seller who gives something to the buyer ?" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Hmmm.... that's a good point," Joseph paced between the bannister and the door. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He stopped looked at the two ladies on the couch, "Any ideas ?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Chellah smiled and looked at Joseph, "you got the basic outline." She paused, "By the way: have you forgiven me yet?" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"You mean 'have I got over my embarrassment and wounded pride ?" </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4IL_Ig8CwtnC5WgZpcIxs2W4kRm7Vttw1VoJPU6Dpu2DFcbxVdzJaCjvi_XvsZ9ICFA46iHbTT6RxHYT-DkkHycFKXhPzMLrpn4uoii_RmfyqI4KA37aZr2ihi445AuSxU0UAc5Zix1w/s1600/DSC05145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1086" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4IL_Ig8CwtnC5WgZpcIxs2W4kRm7Vttw1VoJPU6Dpu2DFcbxVdzJaCjvi_XvsZ9ICFA46iHbTT6RxHYT-DkkHycFKXhPzMLrpn4uoii_RmfyqI4KA37aZr2ihi445AuSxU0UAc5Zix1w/s640/DSC05145.JPG" width="489" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MarketPlace supermarket, Sule Square, Rangoon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Have you ?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Joseph laughed and reached for more nuts.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Thank you, I got the message." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"But you didn't answer the question." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"How about I answer it tonight at Fullerton ?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Chellah shook her head, "no time. I have an hour before a meeting at three, let me show you something you haven't seen in Chinatown ?" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Joseph, looked at Mme Pickwick. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Twelve noon tomorrow ?" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She nodded and waved them away. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She looked out over the roofs of the houses. In the street below she saw Chellah guide Joseph to the old warehouse, </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She would introduce him to Master Wu. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">No telling what the old master would make of Joseph.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She picked up her cup, added some more tea, and leaned back, watching the reflection of the sky on the surface of the tea. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: #999999;">1) A parallel universe version of Singapore. </span></i></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726405127796685790.post-90557064320268845312017-08-18T10:42:00.005+07:002017-08-18T12:18:47.958+07:00Limits of education.....<div dir="ltr">
"We can educate people about the dangers of junk food"</div>
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We can educate poeple to do the right thing.... </div>
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we can educate people to behave better... </div>
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<br></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinIEOYOZ_I24nlkfpTiGN8395hUOfbWsftdI3kQqx0qDOW07BB4IRpNPBsklirj-tJv5D7JLYHcCoVgaJNXBR8DZ80fw0gdB8w7dGhpzb4PfPJyBduSQloFexKcSOw1pLIe5ufk9IY5Y0/s1600/IMG-20140215-WA0062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinIEOYOZ_I24nlkfpTiGN8395hUOfbWsftdI3kQqx0qDOW07BB4IRpNPBsklirj-tJv5D7JLYHcCoVgaJNXBR8DZ80fw0gdB8w7dGhpzb4PfPJyBduSQloFexKcSOw1pLIe5ufk9IY5Y0/s400/IMG-20140215-WA0062.jpg" width="400"></a></div>
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education has limits.... </div>
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What limits? </div>
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Let me tell you a story.....</div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> "Is Orion in ?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yes go on in." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Elsa pushed her way through the heavy thick curtain, a scent of cloves, cinnamon and aniseed greeted her. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The old master sat in his cave, he was already pouring tea and waving her to the pile of cushions opposite him. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Three yards on his right the cave terminated in a huge opening, a sheer drop of 130 yards, with a bird's eye view of the Sea of Sand, the great desert Umi-Jabour. They were close to the top of the cliff and the dry air from the desert blew past the open mouth of Orion's cave. He was the only cliff dweller who refused to install a window. "Keeping the door closed works just as well", was his reply to anyone who was naive enough to ask him about it. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Vultures soared on the updraft coming in from the Sea of Sand. Elsa dropped herself on a cushion.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"I don't get it," she looked at Orion and took the cup he offered her. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"The facts are clear. It's been proven over and over that this food causes diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke. It's junk food of the worst kind.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We showed videos of the victims, we had survivor testimonials, but only a handful of people came forward and asked questions and in the end it made no difference. Just as much of the stuff was sold." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She shrugged and sipped her tea. Orion nodded for her to continue.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"In fact more of it's selling now." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Orion looked at her for long time. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She was tired. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Her work had taken its toll on her. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She believed in what she was doing.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">They both watched the circling vultures. The sun was setting, already the naked desert sky sucked the heat out of everything. The icy cold fingers of space probing for the tiniest source of heat. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Elsa wrapped her hands around the cup, letting it warm her fingers and breathed in the smell of cinnamon, and cloves. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How did Orion get cinnamon at a time like this ? </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There was nowhere she had heard of where they were growing it. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Orion looked at Elsa, the hint of a smile on his face:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"You presented the evidence and no one cared, Is that it ?" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Yes, we showed them the effects of eating that......sh....sh.... stuff," Elsa replied, "they knew it was really unhealthy, but they didn't change. I don't understand". </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"You don't understand why they don't listen ?" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"I dont understand. It's so simple, so clear." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"I think you know why. I wouldn't listen either." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"What do you mean ? You wouldn't listen either. Why not ? " </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"You are going to war".</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"War ?" Elsa put down her cup.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"We are doing good." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"That's what they all say."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Who?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Those who make war. Every war is fought for a 'great good, noble cause'"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Elsa shook her head </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"No! WE ARE helping people be healthier." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Really ?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Yes, really."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Orion's eyes shone with intensity.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Do you really care about their health or that no one followed you? Are you upset that no one listened to you? "</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Elsa leaned back on her cushions, she felt the sharp rock wall dig into her.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She looked out at the now dark desert.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Both."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Orion shook his head slowly, his eyes smiling, his mouth a solid line. "You can do better than that."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Elsa continued staring out at the desert, not moving her head.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">They sat in silence.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The wind whistled on its way up the huge sharp cliff face, carrying the dry dusty, tang of Umi-Jabour. There was a raw honesty about the desert, clear rules, life and death, 'this is who I am, no matter who you think you are, I am Umi-Jabour, and you are here on my terms'.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Every child was taught this, every child knew to respect the desert. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Her face to the vast endless desert, she spoke quietly:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> "I wanted to be the hero who saved the health of a city."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She looked at Orion, "is that so bad ?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Orion smiled deeply, "no."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Then why do you say we made 'war'?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"You did."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"How?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"What were you really saying ?" Orion took her cup filled it and pushed it back. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Isn't it something like:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We have THE TRUTH, WE HAVE THE SCIENCE, therefore you MUST listen to us: You MUST stop eating this junk food. We have the evidence !" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Orion leaned back, watching Elsa. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Was it a fair paraphrase ?" he asked her.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Elsa felt the cold of space, from the cloudless sky. Her hands tightened around the warm cup, </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She nodded, looked at and noticed the pin prick,sharp light of the night sky. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She turned her face to Orion and looked him in the eyes.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In a hoarse voice she said: " .. not only that, I was hoping for gratitude, to be thanked."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Orion met her eyes and said nothing. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She looked at the master, tears ran down her face. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Orion sat quietly, his face softened. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">His eyes grew moist. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After a long while Orion stood up, and pushed his way through the thick curtain. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">His visitor remained sitting, staring at the place he had occupied, dried salt tracks on her face. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When he returned moving backwards through the curtain, his hand full with plates of food and a jug of water, Elsa jumped up and took some plates and the jug from him. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Dates, figs, oil, nuts, dried fruit, beans and strong spicy tea was the evening meal. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He put down his load and lit a small candle in a glass lantern. Like the open cave, and thick curtain, Orion would not allow modern things in his private place. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"I understand now why no one followed us." Elsa said as she took a fig. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Orion nodded and examined the spread. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"But I do want to help" she looked at the old master until he stopped and met her gaze, "and so do the others." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Orion nodded and ate some beans. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"So what will you do ?" he asked her.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Elsa smiled, she knew his maneuvers, he had pre-empted her question and thrown it back at her. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Go back and ask more nicely." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"You mean beg people to do what you think is right ?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">No.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">" Hope they will follow you then, for their own ood ?" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Else felt the heat of anger rise to her face. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">No</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Good. Then what will you really do ?" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Orion asked as he helped himself to a date. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Elsa shrugged, "Actually I was going to ask you that." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Orion chuckled. "You already know the answer."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"And you are the master, to help the student find the truth within them." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"A text book quote but I will let it stand." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">His face grew serious: "Can I tell you what won't work ?" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Elsa nodded, shrugged.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"As long as you still believe you are saving people, and that you have the truth, people will sense it and stay away.. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">You can hide your belief you can try to trick them, put out sweeteners, but people will take your sweet bait and leave you with nothing". </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He looked at Elsa, "Oh I guess some will follow you, for their own reasons, that have little to do with you came for." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Orion poured two cups of tea. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"But your aim you will not fulfill. So...." he spread his hands palm up, smiling at her, "what will you do Elsa ?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"You make it sound like having the truth is bad, like trying to help people is bad."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"No. The truth is the first step, it's essential. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">but there is more. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If you use truth as a weapon to force people you will get paid in kind.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Having a truth is no problem. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Having The Truth usually is.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Thinking you have the whole of it is. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">and using it as a weapon to force others to accept it, is war."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"So what do we do ?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Orion lifted a shoulder, looked at Elsa, relaxed, "You tell me."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"If we didn't think we had 'a truth' " Elsa looked at Orion to make sure he had heard the 'a', "we wouldn't be out there trying to help people." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Orion nodded, leaned back and sipped his tea. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Forcing or begging people, I understand now. But...."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Orion waited. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Elsa said nothing. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">They sat in silence. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Do we live there and demonstrate a different way." Elsa spoke quietly. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Orion listened, drinking tea. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"We spoke to people, already, we gave lectures..." she added even more softly. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The master nodded. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Elsa leaned back, "what can we do?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Orion looked at the deep night sky, pulled a thick blanket around himself and pointed to a one near Elsa. "My master wouldst say unto thee:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">'Thou has tried the way of war, overt and covert. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Thou art now ready to leave the path of separation. Follow the way thou hast wanted to since the beginning. Thou knowest of what I speak.' </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Orion took a deep breath and closed his eyes. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Elsa had wrapper herself tightly in her blanket and watched the night sky, the desert. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was past midnight when Elsa woke, finding herself alone in Orion's cave. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A candle burnt in an alcove by the thick curtain door. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">---o---</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Over the decades Elsa and her people became known for their work in the outlying lands. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The respect and courtesy they showed to all, drew the people to them in great numbers. Some even came from places that had not been charted or recorded. </span></div>
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726405127796685790.post-75198999645434386862016-08-11T18:45:00.002+07:002016-08-11T19:05:03.074+07:00Dream navigation<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Do this. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKIuC34Bfkj0nssg0akkP3I9mSvxrNvVLbUOHgzcYDY7cCMXvx04MVZrTF1J2EKlspMkdUQ6Fd1pSkYUBruhh6NqQa9mRl3KLPZEUMZJaKLqAkEVmeSswrndZO9GxXimGdv7hZMdY0pY/s1600/13887129_1064039390352680_5240308683511947625_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKIuC34Bfkj0nssg0akkP3I9mSvxrNvVLbUOHgzcYDY7cCMXvx04MVZrTF1J2EKlspMkdUQ6Fd1pSkYUBruhh6NqQa9mRl3KLPZEUMZJaKLqAkEVmeSswrndZO9GxXimGdv7hZMdY0pY/s400/13887129_1064039390352680_5240308683511947625_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do it that way.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Come here, </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">go there,...." </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I fit into normal life and flow with it.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And as long as I am happy to be a part of the river and flow along all is fine. </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b83cfa8a-7969-0776-e11f-70e7e4956424" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But one day I want to do something different, I want to change the river, flow in a different direction, do different things. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But I'm in my river, where I grew up all my life. . </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now things get interesting. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How do I change my life ? </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Don't be silly, the flow you are in too strong, and you are looked after, all is fine, you are comfortable, - go back to sleep and 'flow....'" I have said to myself </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And for a while I did, I went back to sleep.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But I am more than my mind, I am a child of the Universe, and there is a whole Universe to explore, infinite worlds, which call me. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sitting fearfull in my comfortable cave, becomes harder and harder as the sounds and smells of the summer outside call to me. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I want to follow the deep urging inside me. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I can no longer flow with things as I did before, I now want to go a different way. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have tried going to sleep but it does not work anymore. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, I try to change things. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I complain a lot. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> It doesn't work. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I fight with the flow. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> It doesn't work. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I carefully build a new life, step by step. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That does work, but it's very very tedious and slow, and I get exhausted. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It must be my fault, I am defective, I need to fix myself. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I spend a few decades doing that. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> it doesn't work. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Say YES, accept." </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the Guru tells me. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I do that. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I feel better. - for a while. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">but soon I'm asleep again.... </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">but the ache to move, to grow, to see the wonderful world out there.... wakes me up. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am awake, I long to move, to leave this flow to move in other flow. to feel the flow of the wind on my skin, to fly like a bird, to soar and dive and sail and turn - to float and glide over the forest. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I look up from my river to see the bird fly above, I've never noticed them before. I never really looked up before. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Try as a I might, I simply can't leave the river. I'm too heavy, I'm afraid and I don't know HOW to leave.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"There is a million steps between you and them", my friends tells me, "we are safe here, float with us..." </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And I do. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For a while. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then I turn over on my back and I look up, I see them fly high above us, soaring and gliding on the wind. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do they notice me ? </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Is there even one of them who wants to float here with me ? Like I want to fly with them ? Up there ? </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I dream of flying like them, floating up there, on wings, gliding in the rising air, smelling the flowers of the forest. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I can almost feel the air rushing past me, the call of my friends flying beside me. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I CAN feel the air on my wings. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I AM up in the air. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Far far below me, is a river, flowing through the forest. Fish swim in it, and I see a flash of silver, as one of them jumps out of the water turns over and looks up. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I remember now, once upon a time, a long time ago, I floated in a river, swimming with my friends. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"We navigate the Universe by dreaming" </span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726405127796685790.post-79229349057354193002016-05-18T13:12:00.002+07:002016-05-18T13:30:43.290+07:00when fear strikes -- it speaks with forked tongue<span style="color: #351c75;">when I'm afraid of something, I think it's the thing I'm afraid of, which is the problem. </span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">But it's not. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzeZkYYCLrVuFqs-Mxm9tOaXc3-DM8IOiQONoU5rPT0dC66Da6C0ZC9ouf9E3ZBIz5_iH829t32_RAAjQDzBPTysoiQ-OvVJc-JCudsycDIebnpEmon9uBQ_YBTuzqlr0cYiC5nUfjoY/s1600/rocket_japan_lighthouse.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzeZkYYCLrVuFqs-Mxm9tOaXc3-DM8IOiQONoU5rPT0dC66Da6C0ZC9ouf9E3ZBIz5_iH829t32_RAAjQDzBPTysoiQ-OvVJc-JCudsycDIebnpEmon9uBQ_YBTuzqlr0cYiC5nUfjoY/s400/rocket_japan_lighthouse.png" width="305" /></a></div>
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</div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Fear, itself, the<i> feeling of fear</i> is the problem, not the person, not the situation, not the thing (unless it happens to be a hungry Tiger on the footpath :-) - That's a different kind of fear... ) </span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Fear says: "hey this person, Hey this new idea, they are the problem ! </span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;">Fight them, and you will be free of fear! </span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;">Is it a deal ?" </span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">And if I fight in order to be free of fear, am I not really just fighting to feel different? fighting for myself ? <br />I don't even 'see' the person, the idea, I'm afraid of, I'm just fighting to 'feel better'. </span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;">I haven't <i>left myself</i>, no matter what beautiful reasons I tell others to justify my fight. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #351c75;">Fear is a liar.</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;">One I too often believe..... </span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726405127796685790.post-80778878995743661602016-05-11T20:48:00.000+07:002016-05-12T05:31:36.739+07:00why is mindful so hard ?<p dir="ltr"> When I try to be mindfullness, I usually lose it within ten to twenty seconds....</p>
<p dir="ltr">Why is being mnidful so hard ?<br>
I don't need convincing that it's a good idea. <br>
I just don't make it for more than 20 seconds, or a minute. </p>
<p dir="ltr">"Ah Grasshopper, it is like meditation, you need to bring the 'monkey mind' back to the moment, gently without judgement and just continue to meditate." </p>
<p dir="ltr">Hmm.... yes, master, that's what I've been thinking too, BUT.... BUT... I thnk there is more to it than that. </p>
<p dir="ltr">When we are being mindful we often try to hold a fixed posture. <br>
We assume that being mindful is a static fixed way to hold our mind and feelings like holiding a fixed posture in our body. <br>
We can't do that, just as we can't hold a physical posture for a long time. <br>
We are made for motion and movement. </p>
<p dir="ltr">"Good point grasshopper,..." </p>
<p dir="ltr">what if mindfulness is switching our mood, our level of awareness, our .... how to say it, ... 'register' or 'octave' ? <br>
We don't even have good words to describe changing our mode of consciousness that makes it something that is sustainable for the whole day, not just for 20 seconds. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Unless I change 'mode' or 'mood' or however you put it, .... unless I do that, being mindful is just ONE MORE THING TO DO in my already busy and stressfull life. <br>
I just pile on another straw onto the overloaded camel. </p>
<p dir="ltr">So being mndful for a whole day, without draining myself, without criticising myself for not being mindful, has to do with entering a different mode of operation. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Sometimes you get nto a very gentle, relaxed mode, and still get things done. </p><p dir="ltr">"Yes."</p>
<p dir="ltr">How do you get there ? </p>
<p dir="ltr">Personally I try and remember that state, and I try to hold onto it, enter into it.<br>
Whatever I'm doing I try to feel that state, and pull it towards me. <br>
Maybe that's how it work? <br>
I don't know. <br>
I guess there is no fixed formula. It's not like a catching a train: get on here and get off there.. <br>
It's a different path for everyone. </p>
<p dir="ltr">That doesn't really help much does it ? </p>
<p dir="ltr">"It helps grasshopper, it helps. <br>
Actually that is what I end up doing, I drop into a different 'mode' as you put it. <br>
But I never thought of it like that. <br>
I just tried and tried and tried and somehow one day I popped into a different mode, for longer and longer each time.... </p>
<p dir="ltr">So I guess I left the static posture idea, but I didn't think of it like that.<br>
You put it very well." </p>
<p dir="ltr">I would give up if I didn't find this way of seeing it, master. </p>
<p dir="ltr">"Ah, you young folk, always ready to give up." </p>
<p dir="ltr">Ah master, you old folk, you lived in in a world where you could spend years, mastering awareness and mindfulness, finially entering a different level of awareness and acquiring the abiilty to move your consciousness into different levels. </p>
<p dir="ltr">"Yes we did, you are right. <br>
And that world is goine. ☺" </p>
<p dir="ltr">Now I know about changing 'mode' of being, I know what to look for during the day...... <br>
Wish me luck ...:-0 </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tTf2GWDtuRQ/VzOvQKBqcFI/AAAAAAAAiNQ/s1600/IMG-20160411-WA0035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tTf2GWDtuRQ/VzOvQKBqcFI/AAAAAAAAiNQ/s640/IMG-20160411-WA0035.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQoNjl9PMq6dNn_3dVLZDWynVxJMHiJZADv7kATo9ABI03jCDHp_EdhvPFdVdI14L9jIPmyrUisNYJiLKE8wfZ5UDNB2QtTWFFV49d30RSfR0g80BIvGqLb5timc-ypso6Tt7Et5vIas/s1600/DSC08181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQoNjl9PMq6dNn_3dVLZDWynVxJMHiJZADv7kATo9ABI03jCDHp_EdhvPFdVdI14L9jIPmyrUisNYJiLKE8wfZ5UDNB2QtTWFFV49d30RSfR0g80BIvGqLb5timc-ypso6Tt7Et5vIas/s640/DSC08181.JPG"> </a> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726405127796685790.post-14694562655528631232016-03-30T09:37:00.001+07:002016-03-30T10:10:03.644+07:00Two different worlds <p dir="ltr">Yesterday I understood something about myself. <br>
I was just here doing stuff, but I couldn't feel any purpose. <br>
I was drifting around the place. <br>
Lost. <br>
I felt lost.<br>
Why ? <br>
I didn't really believe I would ever achieve my life's purpose.  Hell,  I didn't even know what it was. <br>
I couldn't even tell myself what it was. <br>
Everything I thought of as worthwhile, my inner critic shot it down in in flames. <br>
I was going through the motions. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Oh, but don't you remember that reality confirms your beliefs, whatever they are, they will be confirmed and become self reinforcing. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Yea, I remember that, - I told other people that reality was like that. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Well how about applying it to yourself ? </p>
<p dir="ltr">As in ? </p>
<p dir="ltr">As in believing you have a purpose and that you will achieve it. </p>
<p dir="ltr">What just believe it and I have it ? </p>
<p dir="ltr">Kind of. </p>
<p dir="ltr">That's crazy. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Reality confirms your belief. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Yea, that's what I told others. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Tell yourself. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Hmm...... </p>
<p dir="ltr">(A short while later)</p>
<p dir="ltr">Oh, it's called 'Faith' isn't it ? </p>
<p dir="ltr">Yep, that's what some call it. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I feel something different now.  <br>
I don't have to be in charge of my destiny, I can trust a greater power that it will all work out somehow, even though I have no idea how. <br>
Yes. <br>
I don't need to know, in fact I can't know all the steps. <br>
I am a part of all there is and all there is has manifested me . </p>
<p dir="ltr">Something like that. </p>
<p dir="ltr">What do you mean 'something like that ?' <br>
Do you know more or better ? </p>
<p dir="ltr">No, I don't. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Why say "something" then ? </p>
<p dir="ltr">Any expression of 'it' in words, any attempt to encapsulate 'the truth' kills it. <br>
We can only approximate it. <br>
The minute you think you 'got it nailed down' its gone, you have a corpse. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Hmm.... yes ... I get that. <br>
This blog article is my attempt to 'catch it'. <br>
I knew when I started the article it wouldn't really ever hold 'it', but I did it anyway. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Yep, I thought so. <br>
That's what we do. <br>
Do it anyway. </p>
<p dir="ltr">*******************</p>
<p dir="ltr">When I look back on my feeling yesterday, i was in a place where I looked for my purpose, couldn't find it, didn't know it, couldn't express it. <br>
So i didn't believe I had one. <br>
I tried to get used to taht. </p>
<p dir="ltr">And what happened ? </p>
<p dir="ltr">I felt crap. <br>
It was like getting used to a missing leg and arm. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Yep. </p>
<p dir="ltr">And as I told you, I remembered the bit about 'Faith' about 'something being real only if you believe it to be so' which makes no sense to the rational mind. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Yes you told me all that. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The strange thing is: when I'm in the 'rational mind frame' I don't see my purpose, I can't express it. <br>
So i get down. <br>
I feel crap. <br>
For no rational reason, but I feel crap.<br>
I drop into pain and feeling the pain. <br>
Then at the level of the pain, i  enter the world of feeling. <br>
In the world of feeling things that didn't make sense in the world of mind, make a lot of sense. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Things like what ? </p>
<p dir="ltr">Stuff like: <br>
Believing that I will get my life's purpose done. <br>
That even though I don't know the steps of "HOW", I will get there, I will get there. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Yes, that sounds like you got a grip on what is going on. </p>
<p dir="ltr">My rational self doesn't know how to digest food, how to beat the heart, it all just happens. <br>
I grew up from a one cell egg in the womb, I will go back to dust, and yet some part of me, of the 'i' is still there. <br>
Other parts will go to dust. <br>
It's a FEELING, level of being, which still includes mind and logic, but mind and logic are not the only citizens in that world. <br>
The trouble starts when mind and logic do a 'coup de'tat' and try to seize total control, then they kick out 'feeling' and everything else. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Yes that's what I noticed too. </p>
<p dir="ltr">And once mind and logic try to seize total control, and deny feeling and intuition and all the rest of life, then life becomes a battle, a duality, a fight for survival. <br>
It's 'me against them'. <br>
I, the mind and logic, have to run the whole show. <br>
But that is not reality. <br>
The rest of the Universe is still there. <br>
So a dictatorship of mind and logic creates pain. <br>
And since feeling has been banished, into the jail of the subconscious, pain is not acknowledged. <br>
It can't be. <br>
But it's still there. <br>
So what happens ? <br>
Pain is allowed back in through the backdoor of pseudo reason and rationale. <br>
Pain is projected onto something, someone 'out there' and then its labeld 'bad' and 'enemy' and then the battle begins. <br>
You get more duality. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Psychology calls all that "projection". </p>
<p dir="ltr">Yes, that's it. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The rational mind likes to be 'in charge'. <br>
It doesn't say that in so many words. <br>
If you ask the rational mind "do you want to be in absolute control?" it will say "of course not, it's not even possible." <br>
But because the rational mind has denied (can't understand) feeling, those feelings don't go away, they do what they want. <br>
The heavier ones come up. <br>
That's usually fear and anger. <br>
Fear and anger then direct the mind, and the mind not able to understand or accept feelings, makes up "reasons" and "rationales" that it can accept, for those feelings so it can act on those feelings. <br>
Not realizeing that the true motivation comes from outside the mind i.e. those feelings of fear and anger. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Why do you say the 'rational mind likes to be in charge' ? <br>
How can you say that ? </p>
<p dir="ltr">How can you say a fish likes to swim, and a  bird likes to fly ?</p>
<p dir="ltr">Ok Ok, I get it. </p>
<p dir="ltr">You can't solve a problem at the same level of the problem.<br>
A fish who lived in water all his life can't conceive of air and flying or earth and walking, if it insists that there is nothing but water in the universe. </p>
<p dir="ltr">There are two worlds then. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Yes, many more but let's just talk about those two.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The world where reason and logic are the dictators, and claim absolute control, and the world of feeling and faith. </p>
<p dir="ltr">yes. </p>
<p dir="ltr">How do you move between the two ? </p>
<p dir="ltr">You have to 'want' to move. <br>
Nothing can force anyone. <br>
No amount of reason of evidence can convince someone who doesn't want to be convinced. </p>
<p dir="ltr">You mean the fish that doesn't want to leave the water ? </p>
<p dir="ltr">Yes. <br>
The fish doesn't have to leave the water, he just needs to acknowledge that there are a limits to the ocean. <br>
But it's more than that. </p>
<p dir="ltr">What ? </p>
<p dir="ltr">Free will. <br>
Respect. <br>
If the fish doesn't want to leave the water or even swim close to the limits you can't force him. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Ok.<br>
So let's say someone wants to move between the worlds. <br>
How does it usually happen ? </p>
<p dir="ltr">Pain and or imagination. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">Huhh ??? What do you mean ? <br>
We talked about how the dictatorship of reason and logic creates pain. That's one way. </p>
<p dir="ltr">So given enough pain people will change and see the truth ? </p>
<p dir="ltr">No. <br>
They still have free will. <br>
To be forced by pain is not free will. <br>
It's like someone holding a gun to your head and asking you to say that you freely choose to give them all your money. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Hmm..... <br>
I guess that's where the idea of 'hell' comes in. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I guess that's one way to see it, yea. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Ok, so what's the other way, you said 'imagination'. </p>
<p dir="ltr">In our fish and ocean analogy: if the fish is curious, and imagines something different than just ocean then he will check out the limits of the ocean, discover that there is a bottom, and top and sides to his ocean. <br>
And the idea of something 'other' than his world comes into his mind. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I see. <br>
I have heard about worlds created from imagination. <br>
The act of creation is imaginative.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Yes :-)<br></p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726405127796685790.post-10103656740065560032016-03-02T13:32:00.000+07:002016-03-02T14:36:43.751+07:00facing dragons -- <div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-5e9d86c8-35aa-c8e4-ccaa-822bf1e8c8a3" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38;">What IS INSIDE me really ?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">Most of my life I did not dare to look.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">Lots of darkness probably.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">I peeked a few times, then slammed the lid down hard. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">“It’s dangerous…. There be dragons !!!” </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">It might be too much to handle. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">"Darkness is only the name we give the unknown, grasshopper.” </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yes master. But I’m still afraid of the dark.” </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">“Then bring light to it.” </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">“Easy for you to say. I can pretend, but I’m still afraid of the dark, no matter what you say. I can’t help it.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">“Why not do it anyway ? You love doing things you are not supposed to ? You love rebelling, so why not rebel against your fear ? ”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">Wow, that was clever. He got me there. I did love rebelling and doing things I wasn’t supposed to. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">“How ? I can’t just light a candle and walk into it can I ?” </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">The master looked at me, and said nothing for the rest of the day. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">Then over tea, as we looked out over the desert sunset he continued as if no time had passed. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">“The candle of consciousness”.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hmm…..” </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">I’ve avoided this all my life because …..because, well, … it was hard and unpleasant and I didn’t want to know about the dark side of myself. </span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">Other people had dark sides. </span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">The world had a dark side. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">I worked hard to fight the darkness out there in the world. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">But me ? a dark side ? </span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ehhh he he …. well ok, yea I guess I’m not perfect…. there’s probably a bit of darkness in me here and there. But hey, who’s perfect? </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">There are great battles against the darkness to be fought out there in the world, no time to sit and look at my own small darkness….” </span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">Right ? </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">I knew the master would not agree. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">You’re just ‘shouting for silence’ he would say, he doesn’t like the idea of fighting to make the world a better place. He’s old, should get out more, see the world, but I can’t tell him that.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">So I didn’t say anything to him for the rest of the evening. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">-> 10 years later: </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;"> Well it took me a long long time and then I DID look and at some of the darkness in myself, ....yep, pretty dark, pretty bad. </span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">I looked at my darkness, without judgement </span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">(as much as I could)</span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">. </span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">I did the watching and observing without rejecting what I saw, without clinging to what I saw. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">I let the light consciousness shine on the unknown areas in myself (i.e. the darkness), and tried not to force any result. </span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">I did all that for a few days and then forgot about it.</span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">The next day something surprising happened.</span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">I felt love, connection with myself.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">I felt love for myself. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">Like wtf ? </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m used to feeling crappy deep down, because I know I’m definitely not perfect. No one’s perfect and all that jazz… . </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">I had not expected feeling love, not for myself, and not for others. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">I didn’t deserve love. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">I wasn’t perfect yet, the love had come too soon. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">But there it was. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">I felt love, for myself, for others. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">Oh. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">Why didn’t I expect it ? </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">Well because I dare only expect things I can control. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">Oh I see: And because I don’t control it, I can’t expect it. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">I can’t force the feeling of love to come, so I don’t count on it, I forget about it. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">It is outside my controlled reality. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">Therefore I don’t think about it at all,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">and I forget about it. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">I only believe in my own will, and myself…. “Isn’t that pretty lonely ?” </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yes, come to think of it, it is.” </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">In my culture, in my world, we reject anything we cannot control, or at least we don’t count on it, we might be ‘prepared for it’ like one is prepared for a disaster. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">But life is relationship, and relationship is being with ‘the other’.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">The other that is other, BECAUSE it is not me, is not under my control or knowledge. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">Yet we fear ‘that other’ - and at the same time we yearn for it. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">“Why yearn for it ?” </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">“Because in ‘the other’, ‘the new’, ‘that which is not I, and yet is I’ there lies love, relating, meaning and all that truly makes life worth living.”</span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">In a machine, all is known, controlled and as it should be. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">Do I want to relate to a machine ? </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">Then why do I try to make others into machines, control them, reduce them to narrow paths of the known ? </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">Fear.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">Why ? </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">What do we fear ? </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">Why do I fear the bright light of life ? </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">...the adventure ? </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">....the joy…. ? </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">….the unknown, unpredictable …? </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">“I fear all that, for the same reason I fear looking inside myself…” </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">We make laws, erect walls, defences, surveillance…. to defend ourselves from what ? </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">“From ourselves.” </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">“That is ridiculous, Master. Afraid of myself ?” </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">He said nothing, just looked at me. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">I knew, he would not argue, with me if I didn’t want to see the truth.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">“Same darkness, isn’t it? “ I looked up at the Master. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">He smiled. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">……..</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">“Yes you who must leave everything that you cannot control.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">It begins with your family, but soon it comes around to your soul.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">Well I've been where you're hanging, I think I can see how you're pinned:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">When you're not feeling holy, your loneliness says that you've sinned.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">from: </span><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline;">"Sisters Of Mercy"</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 255); font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline;">by Leonard Cohen. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjk3VawodjrYyhsmcAvctV5NBp6wHfW8sdLzEuPxCfjRid4fOOPmRtCfHu1VV_h5J_43HVByp9_XKczqoN9WDRqK0TcRzJjVm5Dy1k8A7jY9I_Bs2WAVNi9oMR89TJqYuyZZL3jD0bfw/s1600/DSC08111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjk3VawodjrYyhsmcAvctV5NBp6wHfW8sdLzEuPxCfjRid4fOOPmRtCfHu1VV_h5J_43HVByp9_XKczqoN9WDRqK0TcRzJjVm5Dy1k8A7jY9I_Bs2WAVNi9oMR89TJqYuyZZL3jD0bfw/s640/DSC08111.JPG" /> </a></span> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Pathwork <span lang="EN-GB" style="color: blue;"> </span><span lang="EN-GB">Lecture 141:
</span><span lang="EN-US">To the extent that
deliberate destructiveness is
unconscious and therefore cannot be given up, happiness cannot
be embraced.
When you comprehend the deliberate destructiveness and in what
form it exists
(not necessarily in action, but perhaps predominantly in hidden
emotions, which
can only lead to indirect corresponding actions as well as to
vague thoughts
and half-conscious wishes), when this is concisely crystallized
in your
consciousness, then you will </span><span lang="EN-US">immediately
understand what blocks you.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726405127796685790.post-42062401035719126702016-02-10T12:28:00.001+07:002016-02-10T22:39:40.301+07:00 what separates me from a direct experience of life ?<span style="font-size: large;">A monk and his teacher are walking in the teacher’s garden. The monk asks his teacher to explain a quote from the fourth-century teacher, Seng Chao, “The whole universe is of one and the same root as my own self.” The teacher points to a flower and says, “Most people see this flower as if they were in a dream.” The dream the teacher refers to is the cloudiness of our mind that separates us from our direct experience of life. --- from Judith Blackstone, "the enlightenment process: a guide to embodied spiritual awakening."</span><br>
<br>
<span style="font-size: large;"> I read this stuff before.</span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;"> I know it all.</span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;">Right ?</span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;"> Well, so I thought.</span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;">But no.</span><br>
Whe<span style="font-size: large;">n I judge someone, when I see them in terms of 'they are for me, or against me', then I am NOT seeing the real person.</span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;"> When i see the person as an object, a wheel in the machine...i deprive myself of a direct experience of life.</span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br><br>When I see life in terms of abstracts, and generalities, I get bored.</span><div><span style="font-size: large;">Does my level of boredom tell me how much I live in abstracts in my head ? </span><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxgKCO7n-xLgbe1s02EbdcH06HdNUuzhDienQbfyMJdt7g_1WVOs8il7IuR2c0RdM-eO8sYw1Ibb1m-l5D75zLJHsj4pPRrhuMy-axMgL0d1lFUHdqhdoktLhC4rns36XI5nOXsREwr4/s1600/DSC08088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxgKCO7n-xLgbe1s02EbdcH06HdNUuzhDienQbfyMJdt7g_1WVOs8il7IuR2c0RdM-eO8sYw1Ibb1m-l5D75zLJHsj4pPRrhuMy-axMgL0d1lFUHdqhdoktLhC4rns36XI5nOXsREwr4/s640/DSC08088.JPG"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726405127796685790.post-32635412285749747692016-01-26T19:37:00.001+07:002016-01-26T19:37:30.869+07:00What is possible ??? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://design.osu.edu/carlson/history/images/Transistor.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://design.osu.edu/carlson/history/images/Transistor.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
This photo is the first working transistor 1947 <br />
It's in a lab its only just working a little.<br />
If someone showed me this and said:<br />
"This is just the beginning, from this thing here, will come a revolution that lets people talk over distance, around the planet, for almost nothing, guides planes, controls machines, calculates numbers, makes artificial intelligence possible.... lets you talk on video phones....<br />
<br />
"You are crazy..." is what I would say.<br />
<br />
But that is what happened.<br />
<br />
What else can happen.... ?<br />
How do you know what a simple little idea can lead to....<br />
and how do you know that some 'great idea' is really going nowhere? <br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726405127796685790.post-15766701163033877792015-11-08T15:29:00.000+07:002015-11-08T15:40:50.655+07:00trying to fit myself into 'the box'<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwzYWoAS-OWfOPRaJnkSQPp2JEkldf9yNegRKauKxD2DBEt_UiBprRMh9TlGsVUG85zgiKCjNZRkOXHUidy9joaeUwKvm6fo7cjLVD8hbLxbYEj3FsRE4tW-YbXb5NNYESWfk8CI1w4D8/s1600/COPY+squeezing+self+into+small+box%252C+feel+bad+when+don%2527t+fit+-+Copy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwzYWoAS-OWfOPRaJnkSQPp2JEkldf9yNegRKauKxD2DBEt_UiBprRMh9TlGsVUG85zgiKCjNZRkOXHUidy9joaeUwKvm6fo7cjLVD8hbLxbYEj3FsRE4tW-YbXb5NNYESWfk8CI1w4D8/s640/COPY+squeezing+self+into+small+box%252C+feel+bad+when+don%2527t+fit+-+Copy.jpeg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Trying to squeeze myself into the box: judging myself 'bad' when I can't make it</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Usually I squeeze myself into the socially acceptable box, of the ideal person</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSGc4vZ52U80pGTi5lDFN45VGqS8nZKwa26jaZq7Fmydotine6cfRTG6wKxiu8KSjZw6V_nmTAw4l3SdCbMvSR-6MV2cY2N6SbG4qWzNH-Ljj0fB5-FpiAGI3_H_PG4EznmoqiSNU_-4/s1600/COPY+squeezing+self+into+small+box%252C+feel+bad+when+don%2527t+fit+-+Copy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSGc4vZ52U80pGTi5lDFN45VGqS8nZKwa26jaZq7Fmydotine6cfRTG6wKxiu8KSjZw6V_nmTAw4l3SdCbMvSR-6MV2cY2N6SbG4qWzNH-Ljj0fB5-FpiAGI3_H_PG4EznmoqiSNU_-4/s320/COPY+squeezing+self+into+small+box%252C+feel+bad+when+don%2527t+fit+-+Copy.jpeg" width="159" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Social ideal person</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">when that does not work I judge myself as bad, pathetic, wrong, deficient, and I try harder.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It never occurs to me that actually I don't know who I am, what I truly want, and what my own energies are. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I just assume I know all that. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And if I am not the ideal person I think I ought to be, then it's because I'm not trying hard enough, I'm not good enough. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Social ideals are simple: heaps of money, good looks, admired by all, super smart, innovative, 'green', + whatever the current fashion is....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Can anyone really meet them ? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So we try harder. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Actually we can both, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">we can put a bit of our energies into the social role, but not all of it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If this is me: <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAnVenz012XX-hN-wFag1l7R6HNCoCFdQMCDnldLYMWgZak9erp9BntS4ZtdRLD2n0c6S9chzULeN-UD6xWOkKcl_qZzio9mrawtU4XsII03c_zMH4ihEtm9QUvxZ0vXoXeV6OWKrj-kE/s1600/COPY+ideal+one+.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAnVenz012XX-hN-wFag1l7R6HNCoCFdQMCDnldLYMWgZak9erp9BntS4ZtdRLD2n0c6S9chzULeN-UD6xWOkKcl_qZzio9mrawtU4XsII03c_zMH4ihEtm9QUvxZ0vXoXeV6OWKrj-kE/s320/COPY+ideal+one+.jpeg" width="242" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">full energies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
it won't fit into the small ideal. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0M66iYza5T3bK1Vy-1Rl28UgTsrWYvzz5LKjOPtBUOwpo2y-vtjyo9nMYbDu5xehEgM6aaW1yq5aLvl_e2G4xWWGXBt0bY-iuoAGL6wUSOknS5luzKPH8g93P2V3Kvy3D4J1PNqtITk/s1600/COPY+squeezing+self+into+small+box%252C+feel+bad+when+don%2527t+fit+-+Copy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0M66iYza5T3bK1Vy-1Rl28UgTsrWYvzz5LKjOPtBUOwpo2y-vtjyo9nMYbDu5xehEgM6aaW1yq5aLvl_e2G4xWWGXBt0bY-iuoAGL6wUSOknS5luzKPH8g93P2V3Kvy3D4J1PNqtITk/s320/COPY+squeezing+self+into+small+box%252C+feel+bad+when+don%2527t+fit+-+Copy.jpeg" width="159" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What to do ? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">respect each reality, the social as well as the greater being I am. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Neither try to be all one or the other. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Middle path, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Balance</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">easy ? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">no</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Possible ? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">yes <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">like learning to ri<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">de a bicycle....</span></span> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726405127796685790.post-38842564154679411642015-09-18T09:22:00.002+07:002015-09-18T09:28:13.374+07:00The DiHydrogen Monoxide inspection<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKxuAG-1ig_IVPo-b8vqbXVlY3LNL02nzwfnGZGcio_2N0xL46h1FXulPyiHjKZFzmtzUeftYKq9EZ-nw4uXmJiCMFoByza4zFL5imuaiq6YIfjRe-viiwPJ96R8kcRd6C6QeAo1tVSYY/s1600/SpiderFacesMixup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKxuAG-1ig_IVPo-b8vqbXVlY3LNL02nzwfnGZGcio_2N0xL46h1FXulPyiHjKZFzmtzUeftYKq9EZ-nw4uXmJiCMFoByza4zFL5imuaiq6YIfjRe-viiwPJ96R8kcRd6C6QeAo1tVSYY/s400/SpiderFacesMixup.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
"Are your qualified and certified to handle DiHydrogen Monoxide Madam ?"<br />
<br />
"I am, I did the course 3 years ago."<br />
<br />
"And you completed a refresher course within the last 12 months ?"<br />
<br />
"I did, here is the update stamp, and the receipt to the 'safe handling of DiHydrogen Monoxide Association' ".<br />
<br />
The fat balding official made notes on his tablet computer, updated the master database and looked around the living room.<br />
<br />
"Have all the members of your family familiar been briefed about HiHydrogen Monoxide safety procedures ?"<br />
<br />
"I'm not sure what procedures you mean ?" Maria looked worried.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRby9XBTS260CCCPoUHxVhmYU1v1lh2MghD2fIFLWaQ6R9egS67CjNzllWlNzLR1u2fpEKKRDId5lFJpu_u5rO8QU9xs-hqIEtffLEYol_gEkUVobrIv1Szm6LS9KbbzPltWx_DVyLBuI/s1600/tropical+forest+SMALL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRby9XBTS260CCCPoUHxVhmYU1v1lh2MghD2fIFLWaQ6R9egS67CjNzllWlNzLR1u2fpEKKRDId5lFJpu_u5rO8QU9xs-hqIEtffLEYol_gEkUVobrIv1Szm6LS9KbbzPltWx_DVyLBuI/s400/tropical+forest+SMALL.jpg" width="280" /></a>"Safe limits for ingestion, handling of hot DiHydrogen Monoxide, small children and DiHydrogne Monoxide Overdose ?"<br />
<br />
"Oh yes, they all been told, and they very good at it. We have put them into the DiHydrogen Monoxide survival course and they love it."<br />
<br />
The official looked around the flat briefly, and took his leave.<br />
<br />
-o- <br />
<br />
More information about DiHydrogen Monoxide <a href="http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html" target="_blank">here at DHMO</a> <br />
an organization dedicated to the regulation of DiHydrogen Monoxide.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dihydrogen_monoxide_hoax" target="_blank">Wikipedia DHMO information</a><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726405127796685790.post-28750060982503710842015-09-14T10:12:00.001+07:002015-09-16T11:49:57.329+07:00biting off more than I can chew ? <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The waterfall rushed in the background. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">He stirred his tea, and looked at me. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“There is a way of stepping back from life,” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he said and looked at me. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“How so ?” </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“I pretend that I am not part of the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>life I know, that I’m far far away, watching
things from a great distance. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I pretend to myself that I’m on ‘the other side’, I have no
body, I have I am free, pure spirit. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I look at the colour, the physicality of this world. The
‘realness’ of the stones,” </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">He hit the stone wall beside him with his palm, “I see the
water, the food <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and I feel a desire to be
part of it all. To be part of that world again. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It’s a deep longing, to dive in again, to go through with the
adventure of a physical life and body. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Does that make sense ?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I just nodded. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">How could I tell him? </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Better to be quiet. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“...and the adventure calls and calls.... I think about
it.... I imagine being there... I play with different places, different
times,... and then one day it just feels ‘right’. I know it’s time and I jump
in... <span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span> ”
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“Jump where ?” </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“Here, this physical world, the hard ground, the water, the
air, that sense of final realness, and yet it isn’t really final – or rather it
is, and it isn’t. Both at the same time. “</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I smiled at him.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“Come on, doesn’t the world feel like it’s hiding a
tremendous, terrible secret ?” </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I wanted him to go on talking, so I just shrugged.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“It’s a secret of terrible beauty, the things we see in this
world are just the surface, it’s pretending to be one thing, waiting for you to
find the key, the way in. The physical world wants you to find it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s really simple, but you have to find it
yourself. If someone tells you, you don’t get the benefit, you will just have
to do it all again from the beginning.” </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“Hmm.... I think I understand,” I told him, glad to be able
to confirm his hunch. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I wasn’t allowed to say anything else. If I told him any
more, it would only make things more difficult. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">So I played the part he needed me to be:“I don’t get it. Why
do we come here then ? You say it’s an urge, a desire. But when we are here, we
don’t remember and we all just want to go ‘home’ leave behind this world of
limitations. We dream of ‘escaping the cycle of death and rebirth, or to put it
more bluntly, we just dream of leaving this ‘shithole of imperfection’ for the pure
realm of spirit. Almost all religions treat the physical world as lower class,
and something to get away from, because it’s impure, imperfect and all that
kind of thing.” </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">He nodded. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“Yes they do. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">But what if it’s actually not like that ? </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">What if the point is to see the true perfection in the here
and now physical world ?” </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I shook my head. It was kind of fun playing the part.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">He went on: “Wait, just play with this idea: What if the
whole point is to get beyond the idea of physical life as ‘imperfect’ and
somehow lesser ? </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I’m not saying this is THE TRUTH I want you to believe, I’m
saying, play pretend. Pretend for the next five minutes that there is a way of
being in harmony with this imperfect shithole of a world. There is a way of
seeing it as perfectly imperfect. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Just take what everyone says and turn it around by 180
degrees.” </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I looked at the waterfall. Water birds stood on the lotus
leaves and stared into the water. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Then I looked at him again, his expectant face, watching
mine. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“I get it,” I said quietly. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">He had no idea just how close he was. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“It’s funny isn’t it ? We come here because we want that
focus, to drill down into the thing we want to learn, and then, when we’re
here, we spend all our time trying to escape again and go back to where we came
from.” </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">He looked at me, as if reading a secret message on my face. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">"Are we just scared ? </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">When I was 18 years old, I had this idea of going on a great
adventure. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I left school, left home and hopped on a plane and flew to
Denpasar. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We landed and I looked out of the window of the plane,
soldiers with guns patrolled the runway. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It smelled weird. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I didn't understand the language.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">What the hell had I got myself into ? </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I felt scared. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">For the next few months I just kept really quiet and
followed the other tourists. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Back home, it all seemed like a great idea. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Leave everything, get out, and go on a great adventure.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Once I got there, the reality was a totally different thing.
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Took me six months to relax and start to enjoy things. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Is it what what's it's like when we come here into this
physical life ?" </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">"Yep, for most of us". </span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726405127796685790.post-1657484487310793532014-11-23T11:57:00.002+07:002014-11-23T11:57:47.254+07:00Lets dream out way out of the maze....<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #000066;">—o(</span><strong><span style="color: red;">O</span></strong><span style="color: navy;">)</span><span style="color: #000066;">o—</span></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333399;">Think not
that dreams appear to the dreamer only at night:</span></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333399;">the dream
of this world of pain appears to us even by day.</span></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="PT-BR" style="color: #000066; mso-ansi-language: PT-BR;">(Yoru bakari Miru mono nari to Omou-nayo!</span><span lang="PT-BR" style="mso-ansi-language: PT-BR;"></span></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="PT-BR" style="color: #000066; mso-ansi-language: PT-BR;">Hiru saë yumé no Ukiyo nari-kéri.)</span><span lang="PT-BR" style="mso-ansi-language: PT-BR;"></span></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #000066;">OLD
JAPANESE POEM.</span></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #000066;">-
Translated by Lafcadio Hearn 1899</span></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #000066;">—o(</span><strong><span style="color: red;">O</span></strong><span style="color: navy;">)</span><span style="color: #000066;">o—</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Buddhists speak about "illusion", </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">others call it a "dream" or the 'matrix'....</span></span><br />
<div class="gmail_default" style="color: #6600cc;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJ0jT-eDF-VMS1n64QoBwI9TAVyCLGfhmJ22kSeKyjEDfpUw7Jp8-oEiUzy3MXQ6WPL7Bu8jMvdyfMXL04NNyBRKWOvrKznqeE1mDWJ-l-5OmZcDhy5NzzWYgM_fRxoLiBSJQ_M0a5ds/s1600/DSC00878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJ0jT-eDF-VMS1n64QoBwI9TAVyCLGfhmJ22kSeKyjEDfpUw7Jp8-oEiUzy3MXQ6WPL7Bu8jMvdyfMXL04NNyBRKWOvrKznqeE1mDWJ-l-5OmZcDhy5NzzWYgM_fRxoLiBSJQ_M0a5ds/s1600/DSC00878.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="color: #6600cc; display: inline;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Morpheus : Do you believe in fate, Neo?</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Neo : No.</span></span></div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="color: #6600cc; display: inline;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Morpheus : Why?</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Neo : Because I don't like the idea that I'm not in control of my</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">own life.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Morpheus : I know..._exactly_ what you mean. Let me tell you why you're</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">here. You're here because you know something. What you know,</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">you can't explain. But you feel it. You've felt it your</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">entire life. That there's something _wrong_ with the world.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">You don't know what it is, but it's there...like a splinter</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in you're mind, driving you mad. It is this feeling that has</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">brought you to me. Do you _know_ what I'm talking about?</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Neo : The Matrix?</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Morpheus : Do you want to know...._what_ _it_ is....?</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Neo nods</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Morpheus : The Matrix is everywhere. It's all around us, even in this</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">very room</span></span></div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="color: #6600cc; display: inline;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">. You can see it when you look out your window or</span></span><div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">go to work, when you go to work, when you pay your taxes.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Matrix is the world that has been pulled over your eyes,</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to blind you from the truth.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Neo : What truth?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Morpheus : That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else, you were born</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">into bondage, born into a prison that you cannot smell or</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">taste or touch. A prison...for your mind....Unfortunatly,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">no one can be..._told_ what the Matrix is...you have to see</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it for yourself.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #993399;"> ---o(<span style="color: red;">O</span>)o---</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #993399;">Dance me to the children, who are asking to be born </span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: #993399;">- Leonard Cohen.</span></i><span style="color: #993399;"><a href="http://goo.gl/maps/hFyWE" style="color: red;" target="_blank">.</a></span><span style="color: #999999;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999;"></span>or is life like a dream ?</span></span><br style="color: #993399;" /><h3 align="center">
THE DREAM OF AKINOSUKE
</h3>
In the district called Toichi of Yamato Province, (1) there used to
live a goshi named Miyata Akinosuke... [Here I must tell you that in
Japanese feudal times there was a privileged class of
soldier-farmers,—free-holders,—corresponding to the class of yeomen
in England; and these were called goshi.]
<br />
In Akinosuke's garden there was a great and ancient cedar-tree, under
which he was wont to rest on sultry days. One very warm afternoon he
was sitting under this tree with two of his friends, fellow-goshi,
chatting and drinking wine, when he felt all of a sudden very
drowsy,—so drowsy that he begged his friends to excuse him for taking
a nap in their presence. Then he lay down at the foot of the tree, and
dreamed this dream:—
<br />
He thought that as he was lying there in his garden, he saw a
procession, like the train of some great daimyo descending a hill near
by, and that he got up to look at it. A very grand procession it proved
to be,—more imposing than anything of the kind which he had ever seen
before; and it was advancing toward his dwelling. He observed in the
van of it a number of young men richly appareled, who were drawing a
great lacquered palace-carriage, or gosho-guruma, hung with bright blue
silk. When the procession arrived within a short distance of the house
it halted; and a richly dressed man—evidently a person of
rank—advanced from it, approached Akinosuke, bowed to him profoundly,
and then said:—
<br />
"Honored Sir, you see before you a kerai [vassal] of the Kokuo of
Tokoyo. [1] My master, the King, commands me to greet you in his august
name, and to place myself wholly at your disposal. He also bids me
inform you that he augustly desires your presence at the palace. Be
therefore pleased immediately to enter this honorable carriage, which
he has sent for your conveyance."
<br />
Upon hearing these words Akinosuke wanted to make some fitting reply;
but he was too much astonished and embarrassed for speech;—and in the
same moment his will seemed to melt away from him, so that he could
only do as the kerai bade him. He entered the carriage; the kerai took
a place beside him, and made a signal; the drawers, seizing the silken
ropes, turned the great vehicle southward;—and the journey began.<br />
<br />
In a very short time, to Akinosuke's amazement, the carriage stopped in
front of a huge two-storied gateway (romon), of a Chinese style, which
he had never before seen. Here the kerai dismounted, saying, "I go to
announce the honorable arrival,"—and he disappeared. After some little
waiting, Akinosuke saw two noble-looking men, wearing robes of purple
silk and high caps of the form indicating lofty rank, come from the
gateway.<br />
<br />
These, after having respectfully saluted him, helped him to
descend from the carriage, and led him through the great gate and
across a vast garden, to the entrance of a palace whose front appeared
to extend, west and east, to a distance of miles. Akinosuke was then
shown into a reception-room of wonderful size and splendor. His guides
conducted him to the place of honor, and respectfully seated themselves
apart; while serving-maids, in costume of ceremony, brought
refreshments. When Akinosuke had partaken of the refreshments, the two
purple-robed attendants bowed low before him, and addressed him in the
following words,—each speaking alternately, according to the etiquette
of courts:—
<br />
<br />
"It is now our honorable duty to inform you... as to the reason of your
having been summoned hither... Our master, the King, augustly desires
that you become his son-in-law;... and it is his wish and command that
you shall wed this very day... the August Princess, his
maiden-daughter... We shall soon conduct you to the presence-chamber...
where His Augustness even now is waiting to receive you... But it will
be necessary that we first invest you... with the appropriate garments
of ceremony." [2]<br />
<br />
<br />
Having thus spoken, the attendants rose together, and proceeded to an
alcove containing a great chest of gold lacquer. They opened the chest,
and took from it various roes and girdles of rich material, and a
kamuri, or regal headdress. With these they attired Akinosuke as
befitted a princely bridegroom; and he was then conducted to the
presence-room, where he saw the Kokuo of Tokoyo seated upon the daiza,
[3] wearing a high black cap of state, and robed in robes of yellow
silk. Before the daiza, to left and right, a multitude of dignitaries
sat in rank, motionless and splendid as images in a temple; and
Akinosuke, advancing into their midst, saluted the king with the triple
prostration of usage. The king greeted him with gracious words, and
then said:—
<br />
"You have already been informed as to the reason of your having been
summoned to Our presence. We have decided that you shall become the
adopted husband of Our only daughter;—and the wedding ceremony shall
now be performed."
<br />
As the king finished speaking, a sound of joyful music was heard; and a
long train of beautiful court ladies advanced from behind a curtain to
conduct Akinosuke to the room in which he bride awaited him.
<br />
The room was immense; but it could scarcely contain the multitude of
guests assembled to witness the wedding ceremony. All bowed down before
Akinosuke as he took his place, facing the King's daughter, on the
kneeling-cushion prepared for him. As a maiden of heaven the bride
appeared to be; and her robes were beautiful as a summer sky. And the
marriage was performed amid great rejoicing.
<br />
Afterwards the pair were conducted to a suite of apartments that had
been prepared for them in another portion of the palace; and there they
received the congratulations of many noble persons, and wedding gifts
beyond counting.
<br />
<br />
Some days later Akinosuke was again summoned to the throne-room. On
this occasion he was received even more graciously than before; and the
King said to him:—
<br />
"In the southwestern part of Our dominion there is an island called
Raishu. We have now appointed you Governor of that island. You will
find the people loyal and docile; but their laws have not yet been
brought into proper accord with the laws of Tokoyo; and their customs
have not been properly regulated. We entrust you with the duty of
improving their social condition as far as may be possible; and We
desire that you shall rule them with kindness and wisdom. All
preparations necessary for your journey to Raishu have already been
made."
<br />
<br />
So Akinosuke and his bride departed from the palace of Tokoyo,
accompanied to the shore by a great escort of nobles and officials; and
they embarked upon a ship of state provided by the king. And with
favoring winds they safety sailed to Raishu, and found the good people
of that island assembled upon the beach to welcome them.
<br />
<br />
Akinosuke entered at once upon his new duties; and they did not prove
to be hard. During the first three years of his governorship he was
occupied chiefly with the framing and the enactment of laws; but he had
wise counselors to help him, and he never found the work unpleasant.
When it was all finished, he had no active duties to perform, beyond
attending the rites and ceremonies ordained by ancient custom. The
country was so healthy and so fertile that sickness and want were
unknown; and the people were so good that no laws were ever broken. And
Akinosuke dwelt and ruled in Raishu for twenty years more,—making in
all twenty-three years of sojourn, during which no shadow of sorrow
traversed his life.<br />
<br />
But in the twenty-fourth year of his governorship, a great misfortune
came upon him; for his wife, who had borne him seven children,—five
boys and two girls,—fell sick and died. She was buried, with high
pomp, on the summit of a beautiful hill in the district of Hanryoko;
and a monument, exceedingly splendid, was placed upon her grave. But
Akinosuke felt such grief at her death that he no longer cared to live.
<br />
<br />
Now when the legal period of mourning was over, there came to Raishu,
from the Tokoyo palace, a shisha, or royal messenger. The shisha
delivered to Akinosuke a message of condolence, and then said to him:—
<br />
"These are the words which our august master, the King of Tokoyo,
commands that I repeat to you: 'We will now send you back to your own
people and country. As for the seven children, they are the grandsons
and granddaughters of the King, and shall be fitly cared for. Do not,
therefore, allow your mind to be troubled concerning them.'"
<br />
On receiving this mandate, Akinosuke submissively prepared for his
departure. When all his affairs had been settled, and the ceremony of
bidding farewell to his counselors and trusted officials had been
concluded, he was escorted with much honor to the port. There he
embarked upon the ship sent for him; and the ship sailed out into the
blue sea, under the blue sky; and the shape of the island of Raishu
itself turned blue, and then turned grey, and then vanished forever...
And Akinosuke suddenly awoke—under the cedar-tree in his own garden!
<br />
For a moment he was stupefied and dazed. But he perceived his two
friends still seated near him,—drinking and chatting merrily. He
stared at them in a bewildered way, and cried aloud,—
<br />
"How strange!"
<br />
"Akinosuke must have been dreaming," one of them exclaimed, with a
laugh. "What did you see, Akinosuke, that was strange?"
<br />
Then Akinosuke told his dream,—that dream of three-and-twenty years'
sojourn in the realm of Tokoyo, in the island of Raishu;—and they were
astonished, because he had really slept for no more than a few minutes.
<br />
One goshi said:—
<br />
"Indeed, you saw strange things. We also saw something strange while
you were napping. A little yellow butterfly was fluttering over your
face for a moment or two; and we watched it. Then it alighted on the
ground beside you, close to the tree; and almost as soon as it alighted
there, a big, big ant came out of a hole and seized it and pulled it
down into the hole. Just before you woke up, we saw that very butterfly
come out of the hole again, and flutter over your face as before. And
then it suddenly disappeared: we do not know where it went."
<br />
"Perhaps it was Akinosuke's soul," the other goshi said;—"certainly I
thought I saw it fly into his mouth... But, even if that butterfly was
Akinosuke's soul, the fact would not explain his dream."
<br />
"The ants might explain it," returned the first speaker. "Ants are
queer beings—possibly goblins... Anyhow, there is a big ant's nest
under that cedar-tree."...
<br />
"Let us look!" cried Akinosuke, greatly moved by this suggestion. And
he went for a spade.
<br />
<br />
The ground about and beneath the cedar-tree proved to have been
excavated, in a most surprising way, by a prodigious colony of ants.
The ants had furthermore built inside their excavations; and their tiny
constructions of straw, clay, and stems bore an odd resemblance to
miniature towns. In the middle of a structure considerably larger than
the rest there was a marvelous swarming of small ants around the body
of one very big ant, which had yellowish wings and a long black head.
<br />
"Why, there is the King of my dream!" cried Akinosuke; "and there is
the palace of Tokoyo!... How extraordinary!... Raishu ought to lie
somewhere southwest of it—to the left of that big root... Yes!—here
it is!... How very strange! Now I am sure that I can find the mountain
of Hanryoko, and the grave of the princess."...
<br />
In the wreck of the nest he searched and searched, and at last
discovered a tiny mound, on the top of which was fixed a water-worn
pebble, in shape resembling a Buddhist monument. Underneath it he
found—embedded in clay—the dead body of a female ant.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The dream of Akinosoke <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1210/1210-h/1210-h.htm#dream">http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1210/1210-h/1210-h.htm#dream</a><br /><span style="color: #993399;"></span><span style="color: #993399;"></span></span></span><div>
<br style="color: #993399;" /></div>
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</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726405127796685790.post-76397829022445743982013-03-06T13:17:00.001+07:002013-03-11T11:38:50.555+07:00Social media spam<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">To all my friends who get emails from me asking them to join Linkedin or some other network.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>first: </b></span>my appologies.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The invitation is NOT from me directly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It's sent by the Linkedin (or whatever other) website.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Second</b></span>: I don't want you to join, the Linkedin website does.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxSKj7V8sGj6SObS6CVQuOt2uy9Hb-GmIh4skFqT1J5JJSADNvBNHAhGPvui7wK7hbI527MtT8FweGTRqauyRAqjnRZte-RDbb5uZpByDPhuF-DTLaXsxZmyFRIrjqlFaxbYAsdJPJviw/s1600/cat+grace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxSKj7V8sGj6SObS6CVQuOt2uy9Hb-GmIh4skFqT1J5JJSADNvBNHAhGPvui7wK7hbI527MtT8FweGTRqauyRAqjnRZte-RDbb5uZpByDPhuF-DTLaXsxZmyFRIrjqlFaxbYAsdJPJviw/s1600/cat+grace.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Third</span></b>: Why is it sent ?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Linkedin (or whatever website) grabs a person's email address book and then automatically sends email to their friends that looks like it's coming from that person.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Why ?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">to get more people ?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Why ?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">to make more money. (i.e. the <i>'holy grail'</i> of the current level of human civilization)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Legal: is it ? I guess so. They don't do this without user permission, but they make it so that you can very easily spam all your friends without clearly meaning to. This is what just happened to you. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Fourth</b></span>: I also get emails like this from other friends.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It's usually pretty simple to work out that the email comes from some social network site that sent it autotmatically.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I usually classify it as SPAM and I never see any of those emails again from that person.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I suggest you do that with any annoying Linkedin emails that say they come from me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">If I really want to talk to you I'll email directly with a personal email, and you will easily be able to tell that it's NOT an automated email, because it won't look nice, glossy, pretty and I wont' be asking you join some dumb network that you don't want to join.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Positives</b></span>: I've made contact with a whole lot of people who write to me to tell me they don't want to join Linkedin, and we have a chat that we would otherwise not have had. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="color: black;">Anth<span style="color: black;">ropologi<span style="color: black;">st's field notes</span></span></span></b></span>: </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Note1:</b></span>
those people fiercely opposed to and hating all social networks get
very annoyed and respond to Linkedin spam as a personal insult. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">They take it personally, and unleash a furious barrage. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><u>A common response is: </u>"No I don't want to join this stupid F****ing network, and I hate all social networks because of blahhha blahhh....blahh.... reason.... and how DARE YOU SPAM with with SHIT !!!!!!!!! " </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b> Note2:</b></span> those people<b> </b>who use social networks realize what is going on and quietly get rid of the Linkedin spam. </span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">A common response is: </span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">"No
big big deal, there is positive and negative to everything in life, I
can live with killing the odd email here and there. ... " </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #444444;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><b>Confession1:</b> <b>I used to be<span style="color: #38761d;"> in </span>"Note1" and hated all social network crap. I LOVED hating those things, I thought them stupid and really got into the grumpy old man thing about them. </b>But then I decided to get to</span> grips with the thing I 'hated' and found that I could quite easily control it and use it for my own purposes. <br /><b>Lesson for self: </b>This applies to life in general, not just this example. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Hating something is a blind spot and it's kinda fun, in a twisted sort of way. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Confession2:</b> I especially used to enjoy hating Facebook. The more people talked about it the more I determined to have nothing to do with it. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> (Note the "enjoy") </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">So why the hell did I get into it ? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Weeeeeeelllllllll.............. you see, t here was this girl I liked.... and she used it and so I joined too..... amidst much grumbling. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i>"I'm only using Facebook to respond to your invitation, I don't like and use Facebook.... I hate it, it sucks... "</i> I told her... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Weeeeellllllll ...and by now I've learned how to control it and use it and I know what it can and cannot do and I've dropped my fanatical "anti" stance. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Actually it's come in useful to reaching out to people. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Yes it has bad sides and it has good sides. So do knives. </span><br />
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discussion:<br />
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<span id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004310}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][1]"></span><b><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004310}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004310}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004310}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]"><span id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004310}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0].[0]">Anonymous says: </span></span></span></span></b></div>
<div class="UFICommentContent" id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004310}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0]">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004310}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004310}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004310}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]"><span id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004310}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0].[0]">I
receive several invitations from linkedin every day ! I dont think
there is a Spam from Linkedin, but they could design the procedures in a
way that sending all invitations should be double confirmed by the
linkedin member. For example, in FB, when y</span></span><span id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004310}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3]"><span id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004310}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0"><span id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004310}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0.[0]">ou
want to invite your friends to FB they will ask you to confirm it at
least two times and you are able to choose from a list of friends to
send them the FB invitation. I think the way Linkeding works is that
every time a new member registers with Linkedin they will ask him to add
your friends and maybe this process consists just a one time clicking
on a button. The LKinkedin will send all of his friends an invitation
email and will re send it almost every week as a reminder from Linkedin.
So, it is not actually a spam, but a technique they use for making
their website popular. I am not sure this way is a good way because
every time you receive such email it makes you angry about Linkedin.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
<a class="img _8o _8s UFIImageBlockImage" data-ft="{"tn":"T"}" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=574347642" href="http://www.facebook.com/TengraNgiam" id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[0].0" tabindex="-1"><img alt="" class="img UFIActorImage _rx" id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[0].0.0" src="http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-ash3/27339_574347642_9663_q.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li class="UFIRow UFIComment UFILastComment UFILastCommentComponent UFIUnseenItem" data-ft="{"tn":"R"}" id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}"><div class="clearfix" id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0">
<div id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1]">
<div class="clearfix UFIImageBlockContent _42ef" id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0">
<div id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1]">
<div id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0">
<div class="UFICommentContent" id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0]">
<a class="UFICommentActorName" content="Haiko Rudolph" data-ft="{"tn":";"}" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=574347642" href="http://www.facebook.com/TengraNgiam" id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][0]">Haiko Rudolph</a><span id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][1]"> </span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">I was going to say that </span><br id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[1]" /><br id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[2]" /><span id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3]">Linkedin makes is deliberately easy to send this stuff, ie. and easy mistake to make, designed this way on purpose. </span><br id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[4]" /><br id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[5]" /><span id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[6]">the
effect is however different now: social media will kick back and
Linkedin's image will suffer and become associated with cheap crappy
nagging software. </span><br id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[7]" /><br id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[8]" /><span id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[9]">I
used to have some respect for Linkedin, I thought they were more
"seriious" and biz like, but this method of spamming my friends, is
cheap and nasty stuff. </span><br id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[10]" /><span id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[11]">Sorry not impressed, they are just another nagging money hungry site. </span><br id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[12]" /><br id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[13]" /><span id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[14]">Facebook
makde the process double confirmed for a good reason, they too used to
spam and flood your inbox, and that turned people off much more than it
got them customers. </span><br id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[15]" /><br id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[16]" /><span id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[17]"> linkedin has not yet learned that. <span class="emoticon emoticon_smile"></span> </span><br id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[18]" /><br id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[19]" /><span id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[20]">they will</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[20]">********************************</span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[20]"> </span></span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[20]">other kinds of spam that pretend to come from your friends are more tricky, Linkedin is harmless in comparison: </span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[20]">example is below: </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[6].[1][2][1]{comment10151351101487643_28004416}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[20]"><img class="ajn" id=":0_58-e" name=":0" src="https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/profile_mask2.png" style="background-color: #cccccc;" /></span></span></span></span><br />
<div class="gE iv gt">
<table cellpadding="0" class="cf gJ"><tbody>
<tr class="acZ"><td class="gF gK"><table cellpadding="0" class="cf ix"><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="iw">
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span class="gD" name="Loh William">Bill Smith</span></span> </div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td><td class="gH"><div class="gK">
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span alt="6 March 2013 18:30" class="g3" id=":254" title="6 March 2013 18:30">18:30 (0 minutes ago)</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span class="T-KT"><img alt="" class="f T-KT-JX" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/images/cleardot.gif" /></span></span></div>
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</td><td class="gH"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></td><td class="gH acX" rowspan="2"><div class="T-I J-J5-Ji T-I-Js-IF aaq T-I-ax7 L3" role="button" tabindex="0" title="Reply">
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><img alt="" class="hB T-I-J3" role="button" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/images/cleardot.gif" /></span></div>
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<tr><td class="ady"><div class="iw ajw">
<span style="color: #a64d79;">to undisclosed recipients</span></div>
<div class="ajy">
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><img alt="" class="ajz" data-tooltip="Show details" id=":1jk" role="button" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/images/cleardot.gif" tabindex="0" /></span></div>
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</div>
<span style="color: #a64d79;">Hope
you get this on time, I made a trip to Madrid in Spain and had my bag
stolen from me with my passport and personal effects therein. The
embassy has just issued me a temporary passport but I have to pay for a
ticket and settle hotel bills. I've made contact with my bank but it
would take me 3-5 working days to access funds in my account from
Madrid.<br /><br />Western Union transfer is the best option to send money
to me. Let me know if you need my details(Full names/location) to make
the transfer. I'll refund the money back to you as soon as I return.<br /><br />Let me know if you can be of any help.<br /><br />Thanks<br />Bill</span><br />
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726405127796685790.post-81018535532044978752012-07-07T23:22:00.002+07:002012-07-07T23:58:52.902+07:00doing nothing<div style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Days and days typing on my laptop. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I'm sick of it !</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Enough !</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I 've done some great work, written new stories, even some work
on "Ze (damn) book". </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I've been emailing and piss farting around, organizing my
Hard Drive. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I have set myself the goal of going through all my key
folders and tossing out the junk. A slimming course for the Hard Dive. When I
do that I know I'm getting to the end of my patience.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTTdp-y6ifw6As6wgCu9dLP11LGbASO4C3lzybfsjp6LMLqkaU4pxIHFHDGjtODBXzKbD7UL2vXNf5brMFuVvZQ6Z4VfLxEhVv6yfIEWSdOCFVMiJXJVTL3kV1Q6jNhHtg4zSEbu7Gl8g/s1600/IMG_8406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTTdp-y6ifw6As6wgCu9dLP11LGbASO4C3lzybfsjp6LMLqkaU4pxIHFHDGjtODBXzKbD7UL2vXNf5brMFuVvZQ6Z4VfLxEhVv6yfIEWSdOCFVMiJXJVTL3kV1Q6jNhHtg4zSEbu7Gl8g/s1600/IMG_8406.JPG" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">But I am SICK of the computer. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">And I didn't want to walk around town anymore.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Mind says: "listen to a podcast, something uplifting"</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-left: 22.5pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;">è<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;">"Don't want anything uplifting."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Mind: "it's good for you." </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-left: 22.5pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;">è<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;">"Well bugger that, I don't give a hoot
!"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Mind sats: "there you go, wasting time, and then you
wonder why you get nothing done. Oh well. I've tried."</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-left: 22.5pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;">è<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;">"Yea, you tried, now shut up!"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Mind: ".......can I suggest..... a nice walk ?"</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-left: 22.5pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;">è<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;">"Don't feel like a damn nice walk."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Mind: "..............................." </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I had originally planned to go for a walk because a walk
would give me some much needed exercise, but I really didn't want a walk. So what
if I didn't get the right exercise right now ? Stiff. Tough titis. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Living life for medicinal reasons sucks. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">It's boring. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">It misses the whole point. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">With that I went to sit in the coffee shop around the
corner, they have good tea, its clean, and they have solid nice tables. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I hold up one finger very prominently and say "La
Payiiiih- ONE !" - one of those super strong, bitter, super sweet Myanmar
teas with condensed milk at the bottom. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">ONE of them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">For some reason whatever you order in Myanmar, you need to
specify the number, there is no obvious default setting. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I'm on my own, no other person is near me, I stand out as
the only European foreigner in town, but I still have to say "One"
tea. Not two, not three, not ten, just ONE tea please. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Ordering dinner, as a single guy, I still have to say
"ONE" steak with chips, as opposed to three or ten. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I mean you never know, I might want to order three steaks
and have them all at once. You just never know. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I'm sure if I bought a car, I'd have to say, "Yes, just
ONE, car today - might get two tomorrow,
but today just ONE will do for now. " </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Would I have to say "ONE" wife ? I wonder. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Ok, in all fairness, I understand, it's how the language
works. Some languages just require a counter that's how it is. Anyone learning
my mother tongue, German, will have a whole list of things to wonder about. Languages
are just what they are, not logical. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Even so called logical languages to talk to a logic machine
like a computer, there are so many different types of languages computer
engineers argue about which is the 'best' all the time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I've only been to this teashop only 3 times and already I
have 'my spot'. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I sit at 'my spot' near the door, at the corner of the table,
and do what ? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Nothing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">"What do you mean nothing. You gotta do something."
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">"You could do some MORE work, you haven't really done
enough yet..." Mind says. </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-left: 22.5pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;">è<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;">"Go away, leave me alone. In fact piss
off....!!!"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">So I sit, doing nothing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">And I sit, doing nothing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Doing nothing means, having no purpose, nothing to
achieve, nothing to do, just sitting there. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">No plan, not even the plan to have no plan, not even the
plan to do nothing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Just no plan. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Nothing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">BUT: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Doing nothing includes DOING things like: </span></div>
<ul style="color: red; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: small; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">Staring into space.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: small; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">Watching other people.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: small; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">Letting thoughts come and go.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: small; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">Staring into space. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: small; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">...................................</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: small; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">Watching people enter and watching them leave. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: small; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">ENJOYing the ambience.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Wjr_FDl_7vVi60yDrmE-Qr2hgS4EA-KNxNirTpwZqKoOI4sdG_LSGEzB1OFjk0hyphenhyphenFGt3Aj_Ol25VBfyj48eL46eDFM4GEC6cf4cqM-lJyFtZwh7p5lXsrXFbZwytpbnsh264bi51PM8/s1600/IMG_8445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Wjr_FDl_7vVi60yDrmE-Qr2hgS4EA-KNxNirTpwZqKoOI4sdG_LSGEzB1OFjk0hyphenhyphenFGt3Aj_Ol25VBfyj48eL46eDFM4GEC6cf4cqM-lJyFtZwh7p5lXsrXFbZwytpbnsh264bi51PM8/s1600/IMG_8445.JPG" /></a></span></div>
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: small; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Just sitting. </span></li>
<li style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: small; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">...................................</span></li>
<li style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: small; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">Fiddling with my camera, taking a few pictures,
reviewing them, erasing some.</span></li>
<li style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: small; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">Fiddling with the mobile phone, </span></li>
<li style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: small; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">Watching people. </span></li>
<li style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: small; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">Staring into space.</span></li>
<li style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">-</span><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: small; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">........................................</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: small;">-</span><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; color: #cc0000; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: small; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">And so on, and so on, and so on....</span> </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I'm not doing nothing because I'm following some wanker's
advice on <i>'How to do nothing'</i>, in
some erudite book on how to attain inner peace and enlightenment and leave this
shithole of a human world and move to the much nicer and cleaner and better,
and happier world of nirvanic enlightenment
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I'm not doing any of that. Though I should perhaps write
that book about doing nothing... before someone else does... - oh they've already written it ? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Does not matter, write another one. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I'm just doing nothing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">There is no method and no recipe, no technique in this. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I'm sure if I attained enlightenment suddenly the learned pundits
would writes tons of books about ' just HOW to do nothing' and thus attain
enlightenment. And the <i>'no method'</i>
would become a method, 'a path'. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-left: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-left: 36pt;">
<i><b><span style="font-size: small;">The path that is a path, </span></b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-left: 36pt;">
<i><b><span style="font-size: small;">is not the path, </span></b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-left: 36pt;">
<i><b><span style="font-size: small;">The name that can be named,</span></b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-left: 36pt;">
<i><b><span style="font-size: small;">is not the name. </span></b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-left: 108pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<i><b><span style="font-size: small;">- Tao Te
Ching </span></b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-left: 36pt;">
<i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Fortunately I don't attain enlightenment and the world is
spared all that clever B**S***. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">There's something I really love about these places: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">It's the unwritten
rule that the customer ASKS if he wants something. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Waiters don't pester or ask, or pressure anyone to leave, or
order more. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">No funny bugger games. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">No bright sweet smile saying "would you like another
drink, sire ?" which really means: "you're not spending enough, order something or piss off". </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Waves of sadness come
over me. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Ok, whatever.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I'm lonely.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Ok, whatever. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I can't be bothered fighting it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I'm thinking of the "Gyro" story, I've been
writing for quite some time. For years in fact. Will it ever get done ? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">A warm feeling goes through me. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">It really excites me, I want to write more about that story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I feel it and I see it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">This excitement is deep slow and real. It's not the frantic
monkey mind talking now. It's my deeper core. The really deep part of me. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">"You can write that once you've finished, the other stuff you are supposed to
do", mind says. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I don't even bother answering, I know that if I do that, the
excitement to write the next bit of "Gyro" will be long dead and gone
and it'll be just one more chore, one more damn thing 'TODO'. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Lots of ideas about what to write in "Gyro", flow
through my mind. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">All this time I'm staring into space, watching others. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">"Jumble dooon, makelemat, blahhh blahh blahh..."
one of my neighbours asks me. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">"Australia." </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">He smiles, yep that was what he asked me. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">How did I know ? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I didn't. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Lucky guess, - I
guess. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">He has a white skull cap and an orange beard. One day I'm
gonna figure out what orange coloured hair means. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">But not today. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The call to prayer sounds next door, slowly the guys with
white caps get up and go into the mosque. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I'm now the only guy sitting. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Time to do some more nothing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Sit and let the thoughts come and let the thoughts go. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Now that I think of it, I guess this is a kind of
meditation, 'teashop meditation' without any rules. Nothing formal. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">But give it a few years and there'll be books on it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">And the Poobaah's will argue about the correct way to do
'teashop meditation' a la Sayargyi Haiko, who attained enlightenment in a
teashop in Dawei. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">"Oh. You never did attain enlightenment in the teashop.
"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">That's right. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Lucky </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">:-) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204197806412303869noreply@blogger.com0