“To accept, really to accept a situation, is to think and feel with the whole of one’s being that, even if one had the faculty of modifying it, one would not do it, and would have no reason to do it.” The Supreme Doctrine, Hubert Benoit
What Flies?
Category: Acceptance
A Picture of Contentment
“Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” Lao Tzu
Pictures of Lily
“A lily or a rose never pretends, and its beauty is that it is what it is.” Jiddu Krishnamurti
Darkness Visible
“Enlightenment consists not merely in the seeing of luminous shapes and visions, but in making the darkness visible. The latter procedure is more difficult and therefore, unpopular.” Carl Jung
Monkey Mind
The Buddha said that we all have monkey minds, with dozens of monkeys all clamoring for attention. Fear and anxiety are very loud monkeys, pointing out all the things we should be wary of and everything that could go wrong.
Daniel B. Smith, author of the book Monkey Mind writes: “Admit the anxiety as an essential part of yourself and in exchange that anxiety will be converted into energy, unstable but manageable. Stop with the self-flagellating and become yourself, with scars and tics.”
In other words, everybody’s got something to hide, except for me and my monkeys.
Letting Go
“How do you let go of attachment to things? Don’t even try. It’s impossible. Attachment to things drops away by itself when you no longer seek to find yourself in them.” Eckhart Tolle
Note: this is mostly true for living room chairs but also applies to couches, especially if you have pets.
The Eye of the Beholder
“As a man cannot be known by his looks, neither can the sea be fathomed by a gourd.” Chinese Proverb
Sunday Morning Sunflower
The Buddha (allegedly) said: “If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.” I figured yes, I’d like my whole life to change, so I took a few photos to study at home since it was already almost 80 degrees at dawn this morning.
Not only could I not see the miracle of the flower but was disappointed that after getting up early, waiting for the right light and using a tripod my photos were not the way I wanted them to be.
Charlotte Joko Beck, author of one of my favorite books Everyday Zen: Love and Work wrote: “If we can accept things just the way they are, we’re not going to be greatly upset by anything.” I’m pretty sure that doesn’t apply to photography but it’s probably better than driving myself crazy.
Calming the Storm
“You can’t calm the storm, so stop trying. What you can do is calm yourself. The storm will pass.” Timber Hawkeye
The Little Engine That Couldn’t
The famous little engine that could, inspiring millions of other little engines is known for saying: “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can. I know I can.” But in this case, even with the Herculean effort of the pit crew his brakes could not be fixed and the little engine went home to practice his positive affirmations.
So basically, take it easy, take it easy, don’t let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy. Lighten up while you still can, don’t even try to understand. Just find a place to make your stand and take it easy.
