View allAll Photos Tagged COMPASSIONATE
“Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man”
For this week's theme: "Being Compassionate"
"we live with the scars we choose"
I hear that saying a lot, on the internet, from people.
As a person, I've always found it easier to be compassionate towards others than towards myself.
I find it difficult to like myself and forgive myself for past and present mistakes/wrongdoings.
I live with scars.
We all have them, physical or emotional or both.
So here's to loving oneself;
to moving forward;
to trying to be better in every facet of one's life;
to being happy;
For all those out there who have ever felt unsure about their own love for themselves:
You can have some of my love,
I have plenty to give;
I'm only now just figuring out how.
Ladies and gentlemen... ... ... The Ninja.
Wow, a Kinnikuperson ninja!
He looks tough!
"Fear me."
Yep, we're working on that.
Just need to ask you some questions.
And, as a warning, its in the Q&A that any fear we might have had of you goes out the window.
So, what's your name?
Or are you just THE Ninja? As in you are the epitome of-
"I am The Ninja. I am also known as Ninja Ned."
...
*SNRIK*!!
HAHAAHA!!
'Ninja Ned'??
See, this is what I was talking about. It's difficult to fear a ninja named 'Ninja Ned'
"I'm also known as... ザ・ニンジャ."
Okay, that just sounded like 'The Ninja' with an accent.
"I was originally a kind and compassionate friend that wanted to protect my loved ones, but, after the destruction of my village, I became a more cold, mysterious and cruel Chojin, helping Satin and Akuma Shogun in their evil schemes. I am a deceptively deadly opponent and I have been known to show a rather sadistic side while fighting."
Okay, good motivation.
Wow, a Kinniku-origin that kind of makes sense.
Don't ask him to expand on it. Let's just stop while we're ahead.
"Before I became a Devil Chojin, I believed in the importance of loyalty! I trusted my fellow ninja! Ayame, Gounen, Saizou, and Kasumi were my elite followers. You can imagine how devastated I was to see Saizou betray my village! I loved Saizou like a brother!! How it pained me to dismember him as he died a slow, excruciating death."
...
Um...
Well, betrayal is a hard thing.
This Ninja is really going on about his feelings.
Isn't that kind of un-ninjalike?
It could be that-... oh, he's still going.
"But I maintain my LOYALTY! Now that I am bitter, twisted, and sadistic, I am with the Devil Knights and I am loyal to them! I am part of the Chojin Blood Oath Brigade! C-BOA represent! Once, when I was almost to be defeated by Crowman, Brocken Jr. and the other Justice Chojin reminded me of my brotherhood in the Chojin Blood Oath Brigade, and I fought harder and won the match!! C-BOA!! For LIFE!"
Crowman?
I don't think we've seen Crowman yet.
What do you want to bet he looks like a crow?
I'm assuming so, being a Kinnikuperson and all.
"That fight with Crowman! What a battle! It was at the Tokyo Silver Pavilion. First, a swarm of crows descended on the pavilion! Then they began dropping stones!"
A swarm of crows flies over... there are worse things they could drop.
"I caught one of the stones and realized it was silver! The crows kept dropping the silver stones until the entire Silver Pavilion was coated in shining silver!!"
If it's called the 'Silver Pavilion', wouldn't it have already been silver?
Shh! Be quiet so he can finish. He's dangerously close to breaking out into a full blow origin.
Sorry!
"Then, Crowman himself materialized on top of the building. I opened the combat, testing him with a kick but he mocked me for bein a student of Goldman!"
We haven't heard anything about Gold-
SHUSH!!
Sorry.
"We exchanged a thundering series of blows until Crowman used a Raven Wing Strike... only to realize that he only attacked a log that I used as a diversion! HAHA!"
Huh? How do you use a log as a diversion in a wrestling match?
Maybe it's a Ninja thing?
Ninja use logs??
SHH!!!
Sorry.
"Then Crowman pulled a dumbbell from his feathered costume, which he used to reveal a ring beneath the pavilion! Crowman then revealed this pavilion as the place where Silverman trained the Ancient Chojin who would go on to become Devil Chojin and Justice Chojin!"
Thaaaat's... a lot of historical stuff that means nothing to us.
How do you use a dumbbell to reveal a ring?
"As I was distracted, Crowman knocked me into the ring. I attempted a jutsu, which failed, but Crowman revealed that the Ninja's techniques rely on speed, which he also possesses and thus can counter any jutsu!"
Jutsu bummer.
Sounds like a lot of revealing going on.
Yeah revealing why The Ninja is gonna lose this fight.
"Crowman proceeded to use a Parrot Back Body Motion on me, followed by a Crow Beak to the face. He attempted many, many Crow Beaks, but I began to dodge them. I used another log to evade the attacks, and the canvas became covered with feathers shed from Crowman! And do you know what I did??"
Does it involve another log?
I'm still on Parrot Back Body Motion. Where'd a parrot come in??
"I used one of the feathers and designed a brand new jutsu against Crowman, right there, ON THE SPOT! I coated Crowman in the feathers on the canvas. I then tried to set them aflame, but Crowman used a Crow Feather Shield, which formed a barrier to stop the flames."
Wait. You were trying to set the feathers on fire... so he put up a shield of feathers so you couldn't set the feathers on fire?
Shh!
I'm not shushing! That doesn't make any sense!
Right, and we definitely expect the Kinnikustories to make sense.
"Crowman followed with a Raven Wing and a Crow Feather Fireball. This engulfed me in flames, but I used my cape to change the canvas into a lake, and dived inside to douse the flames!!"
What!?
How would your cape turn the wrestling canvas INTO A LAKE??
I feel like we're not getting all the details.
"I then removed the cape to change the canvas into a fiery pit, and then performed a Back-Flip Skewer! Crowman was sent hurtling into the lava of the pit, but built a quick nest to protect himself."
Sure, at this point, why not?
I think we're overdue for another log appearance.
"My attack was reversed with a Crows Bombs Away, which sent ME into the pit! I broke free with an elbow drop and a drop kick, and removed the fiery pit to put back on my cape."
This is making so little sense, I can't even visualize it.
I know! There are silver droppings, lakes of water, lakes of fire lava, and suddenly an elbow drop!
"It is then that I realized my friends had come to support me. I told them that I did not need their support, as I was fighting as a Devil Chojin for General Devil, and I threw a smoke bomb into the ring! I followed with an Air Shuriken, which pinned Crowman to a pillar of the ring, and I delivered a crushing series of blows against him."
Did you notice the smoke bomb?
I know! Logs, smoke bombs, weird transformative capes.
A most unusual ninja.
"Crowman started to knock away the shuriken, before countering with a Crow Beak. I then revealed that I took the blow on purpose, as it gave me an opening to strike Crowman's chest! I was prepared to die to obtain victory in battle! BUT... Crowman descended again with a Peacock Feather Blade and Crow Beak Scissors, and finished with a Crow's Prey Skewer. I was stunned! I had no strength left!"
Oh, no! Well, that was that.
Just enough time to hit the concession stand before the next act!
"BUT THEN... I looked out of the ring, and I saw that my friends had assumed a formation to send signals to me in the ring. This triggered my Friendship Power!!"
That sounds like a My Little Pony thing.
I'd like to see the formations they were signaling with!
HAHAHA!
"I gained the upper-hand and trapped Crowman in the ropes. I then turned the ropes to steel, which added extra pressure onto Crowman's body parts! I was trying to break him! But Crowman used a Parrot Back Body Motion to break free and trade places with me! I realized I could not win in that situation, so I used a Ninja Face Copy, which allowed me to copy Crowman's appearance and his skills. Crowman countered with his own switch attack! We kept trading places until it appeared that Crowman placed me in the ropes and dismembered me!!"
It appeared that way??
I'm completely lost in what's going on.
"The crows flew down and began FEASTING ON MY BODY PARTS! BUT!!! I then revealed my true form, that what looked to be me dismembered in the ropes was Crowman and I was alive and well... AND THE WINNER!!! The Crowman was thus defeated and killed. I took the dumbbell from Crowman and left with a jutsu."
...
Wow, okay.
Lots of switching going on at the end.
I still don't know what a 'jutsu' is.
💪M💪U💪S💪C💪L💪E💪
A year of the shows and performers of the Bijou Planks Theater.
M.U.S.C.L.E. No. 26, "The Ninja"
Painted by Paprika, thus losing all collectible value forever.
"What is more pleasant than the benevolent notice other people take of us, what is more agreeable than their compassionate empathy? What inspires us more than addressing ears flushed with excitement, what captivates us more than exercising our own power of fascination? What is more thrilling than an entire hall of expectant eyes, what more overwhelming than applause surging up to us? What, lastly, equals the enchantment sparked off by the delighted attention we receive from those who profoundly delight ourselves? - Attention by other people is the most irresistible of drugs. To receive it outshines receiving any other kind of income. This is why glory surpasses power and why wealth is overshadowed by prominence."
Caterina Fake, Co-founder of Flickr, 2005.
A couple of years ago I wrote a post called Top 10 Tips for Getting Attention on Flickr that proved fairly popular. A lot has changed at Flickr in the past 2 years though and how imagery is rated and ranked on the site has also changed. That said, I thought I'd write a fresher updated post on the top 10 ways, presently, to get attention on Flickr.
Back in 2006 when I wrote my original article on how to achieve popularity on Flickr my photostream had been viewed almost 400,000 times. According to a Flickr stats page that's been added since that time, the view count for my pages on Flickr now stands at 9,953,328. It should pass 10 million sometime this week. I'm averaging about 14,000 page views a day on Flickr.
Some of how one gets attention on Flickr has remained the same since 2006. Other stuff has changed.
1. Take great pictures. This was my number one way to achieve popularity on Flickr in 2006 and remains the number one way today. Despite all the other things that you might do to promote your photography, none of it will matter if your photos are not interesting. Everyone can be creative. Some are more creative than others. Sometimes your gear and photo processing matters, other times it doesn't. I've seen incredibly beautiful and creative photos taken with a $10 toy camera. And I've seen incredibly beautiful and creative photos taken with a $40,000 digital Hasselblad. I've seen people upload interesting things from a crappy iPhone camera and I've seen people upload interesting things that they spent 8 hours on Photoshop with. But, the better your photos are the more likely that you will get attention. Taking great photos is a prerequisite to everything else in this article.
This said, there are certain types of photos that tend to become more popular on Flickr than others. Provocatively posed female self portraits or photos of attractive women in interesting poses, extremely saturated photos rich with eye candy like color, cityscapes, night photography, photos depicting movement and motion, silhouettes, dramatic architecture, unique portraits, creatively arranged macros and cross processed and some film photography.
2. The order that you post your photos to Flickr counts. The number one way that your photos will likely be seen in Flickr comes from your Flickr contacts looking at their Flickr contact's photos. At present Flickr allows you to set your contacts most recent photos to their last photo, or their last 5 photos. Anything beyond 5 photos in a single batch upload will largely be buried on Flickr. If you are uploading more than 5 photos at once, make sure that you upload your best 5 photos last and what you consider your very best photo last of all. Frequently people will upload a batch of 30 photos from a concert or something with no thought as to which will be the last 5 of the 30 in order.
3. Consider places outside of Flickr to promote your photography. Do you have a blog or a photoblog? If you want more attention on Flickr you should. Flickr makes it very easy to blog your photos, you simply cut and paste the html code above your photo and you are now photoblogging with a direct link back to your photo. My blog, thomashawk.com is my number two external referrer of pageviews to my Flickrstream. Are you on FriendFeed yet? You should be. It's easy to set up and makes sure more people see your photos. Pownce (when it is working) is another place to post interesting photos.
4. Do you have your settings on Flickr configured for maximum exposure? After Flickr itself, Google drives more traffic to my Flickrstream than any other source, even my blog. Yahoo search and both Google and Yahoo image search drive traffic as well. But your photos will be blocked from appearing in search engines unless you authorize Flickr to display your images in search engines. Make sure your photostream is set to not "hide your stuff from public searches," here.
Same goes for the Flickr API. Lots of people are using the Flickr API in interesting ways. I get traffic from places like Flickrleech, Compfight, Technorati and lots of other places that use the Flickr API to extend your photos outside of Flickr. Make sure that you've authorized Flickr to allow API access to your photos here.
5. Explore. Explore still remains the number one way to get photos viewed on Flickr. Explore uses Flickr's "Magic Donkey" algorithm to each day highlight 500 of what Flickr feels are the best photos on Flickr for that day. It's a very popular section of the site despite the fact that everyone seems to constantly hate Explore and decry its mediocrity in selecting exceptional photos. Explore has changed and evolved a lot since it was first introduced at Flickr a few years back. Initially things like *when* you posted your photos mattered.
Whether or not Flickr chooses your photos for Explore is still very much a mystery. But there are some things that we do know. The more faves, comments, tags, etc. your photo gets, the more likely it is that it will appear in Explore. Explore also uses averaging in their algorithm now. This means that if your average photo gets 5 faves, then you'll need to do considerably better than average if you hope to see that photo in Explore.
Photos are also constantly dropping in and out of Explore. I've got 157 photos in Explore at present but I've had 446 that have appeared in Explore at one time or another. You can check out which and how many of your photos that have been showcased by Flickr in Explore here. Just change my Flickr ID at the link above for your own.
6. Groups. Speaking of Explore, if you really want to get a particular photo in Explore consider adding it to a group that encourages tagging, faving and comments of photos. Photo critique groups are good examples of this. Some of the photo critique groups play games where tagging and commenting on a photo are part of the game. Flickr does not distinguish between a photo that has been commented on or tagged organically vs. one that is included in some sort of photo critique game. If you want to boost the likelihood that your photo will be selected for Explore consider putting a strong photo into one of these pools. Photo critique groups on Flickr run the gamut from nice and friendly photo critique groups like TWIP's, to hostile and brutal photo critique groups like DeleteMe Uncensored (note NSFW and maybe not the best group if you are easily offended).
Whatever the case, the key to groups is participation. If you simply dump a bunch of photos blindly into random groups you will likely not get much benefit. In fact, Flickr actually penalizes photo rank if someone posts their photo to too many groups. But posting your photo to selective groups where you participate will encourage activity on your photos and photostream.
7. Tag for Exploration (especially your most popular photos). Why has this photo of mine been viewed over 27,000 times on Flickr? Well in part because it shows up on the first page search results on Flickr for the search term guitar. And why does it show up in searches for the word "guitar?" Because I've got the photo *tagged* guitar. By tagging your photos appropriately you can ensure that more people will see them in search. Think of other ways that you can tag your photos. Are all of your photos taken in San Francisco also tagged "California?" They should be. Are all of your photos tagged "self portrait" also tagged with your name? Again, they should be.
The better you keyword and tag your photos, the more likely they will show up in searches that take place on Flickr. Even if you think that your photos will never be popular enough to rank highly in search, remember that there are other ways that Flickr users can filter search. You can search just by your contacts photos on Flickr for instance. So even if you don't have the most popular sunset photo amongst millions on Flickr, you might have the most popular sunset photo amongst your contacts because you tagged it.
A note that I've seen some people on Flickr abuse tags. They will tag every photo with girl, sunset, cat, etc. Even if these things are not in their photo simply to try and trick people into getting to their photos through search. This sucks. I'm not sure what/if/how Flickr penalizes people who do this, but it's a crappy thing to do and ruins the search experience for everyone. Tag early and often, but only tag your photos with tags that truly are accurate and descriptive.
8. Geotag. One of the more interesting ways to find photos on Flickr is through exploring photos that are geotagged on a map. When I'm going to a new place that I'm not familiar with, frequently Flickr's "Explore the World Map," is one of my first destinations. But of course your photos will not show up here if they are not geotagged. The best way to geotag your photos is actually at the file level before you upload them. I use Geotagger on the Mac which allows you to use Google Earth to geotag your photos. You can also download the free software program from Microsoft Pro Photo Tools to geotag photos on a PC.
Check what Flickr considers your most popular photos and make sure that you geotag (and more descriptively tag) these photos especially -- even if you have to geotag these shots on Flickr using their tools. Geotagging has been documented by Flickr staff as increasing the Flickr "interestingness" rating of a photograph.
9. Consider creating a few "best of" sets and feature them prominently on your Flickrstream. Frequently when people first discover your photostream they don't have time to check out your entire stream. But if you make it easier for them and create a few sets that highlight some of your best work they may stick around longer. I've created two such sets myself. My 10 faves or more set and my 25 faves or more set. These sets highlight what are some of my best work according to the Flickr community and are my two most visited sets on Flickr. As my photos are faved 10 or 25 times I add the tag fav10 or fav25 to these sets and then use SmartSetr to automatically generate these sets.
Make sure also that you change your Flickr page layout from the boring default one to one that highlights your collections and sets better.
10. Tell everyone you know about your Flickrstream. Are you active on other social networks? Is a link to your Flickrstream prominently displayed on your blog? On your Facebook profile page? Be sure to include a link to your Flickrstream in every profile that you are on with other sites. Consider buying Moo cards (even though Moo.com has been lousy for me lately and won't let me buy anymore cards from them) which highlight your photostream that you can give out to people that you run across while out shooting. Tell your friends and family and your offline "real life" contacts about your Flickrstream.
Bonus tip: Reciprocation. Above everything else, perhaps the most important thing about Flickr is that it is a community and a reciprocation based community. If you think that you can just post your photos on the site and they will garner thousands of faves and views simply because, you are wrong. Even the best photos on Flickr will not get very much attention if you simply upload them to the site and never participate.
Flickr has been built to encourage reciprocation. In fact a recent study cited reciprocation as the number one key to popularity on Flickr. Every single time you fave or comment on someone else's photo you are giving them a link back to your own photostream. While you may not have the time to check out *everyone* who faves your photos, spend time each day faving and commenting on other people's photos on Flickr. By sharing with others the fact that you appreciate their photos they will return the favor. Be generous with your faves and comments. Remember, other people like the attention as much as you do.
Update: An interesting link to comments Flickr staff have made about the Explore algorithm here. Thanks, Ole!
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32
nature sends such important messages. this little bloom reminds me to be brave, kind, and true; to radiate love and hope; to be bold and compassionate.
in the wind. christmas greetings to everyone. may we all be kinder and more compassionate in the coming year. it is up to ourselves.
Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.
Psalm 112:4
Please always help those less fortunate. Whether it’s an act of kindness or monetary. Don’t just pass by... Thanks ♥️ Now when I said what I wanted to say, off till March. 😊♥️ I definitely rather stay on Flickr procrastinating, because getting nervous just thinking about what I have to do; CEs, essay, application, work-out training + overtime
May our compassionate Lord bless,strengthen ,heal ,and provide for all who need strength,healing ,and provision that only He can grant.In Jesus Name!
Please listen for a moment.
Most merciful and compassionate God,
Giver of Life and Love,
hear our prayers
and let our cries come unto you.
We weep with your people in Japan
We hear the cries of orphaned children and laments of bereaved parents
We feel the desperation of those searching for loved ones
We behold the silence of vanished villages.
We see the devastation.
We are overwhelmed by the enormity of it all.
Our hearts are hushed, our minds are numb.
Let not our hands be stopped, our voices dumb.
God of the universe,
Open our hearts to feel your compassion
Galvanize in us the act of continued giving
Bond us to our sisters and brothers in need
Comfort and heal the injured, the bereaved, the lost
Strengthen the aid workers and medical personnel
Bolster the resolve of governments and those with power to help
Open through this tragedy pathways to partnerships and peace
In Your Name of mercy and healing and compassion we pray,
Amen.
Read more at Prayer For Japan Earthquake And Tsunami Victims
Never Give Up
No matter what is going on
Never Give Up
Develop the heart
Too much energy in your country is spend developing the mind instead of the heart
Be compassionate
Not just to your friends but to everyone
Be Compassionate
Work for peace in your heart and in the world
Work for peace and I say again Never Give Up
No matter what is happening
No matter what is going on around you
Never Give Up.
~ Dalai Lama ~
16 characteristics of agape love:
1. Patient (unconditional) – even-tempered while enduring trying circumstances.
2. Kind (Compassionate) – warmhearted, considerate, gentle, and sympathetic.
3. Not envious – not desirous of other's advantages.
4. Not boastful – does not exhibit self-importance.
5. Not arrogant – not haughty or conceived as being puffed up.
6. Not rude – not behave dishonorably but in accepted social standards.
7. Not self-absorbed – does not reach for personal desires.
8. Not irritable – not stirred up emotionally to act negatively.
9. Not resentful – not exhibit morally objectional behavior.
10. Does not celebrate wrongs – does not keep a tally of one's sins.
11. Rejoices in Truth – feels happiness and joy in uprightness.
12. Bears all things – endures the pleasant and the unpleasant.
13. Believes all things – applies trust in something.
14. Hopes in all things – expects and wishes.
15. Endures all things – withstands everything in courage.
16. Never fails – wins, does not suffer defeat.
Love doesn't always carry the biblical meaning, but if it's carried out the right way, its meaning is almost biblical, like the U2 song "40."
They found a bench and sat down together. Jeffry cleared his throat. He took a deep breath. He paused. He briefly closed his eyes then opened them in a caring and compassionate way. “Marsha,” he started, “this whole evening has been designed for us. I don’t understand how, but for some reason, we were drawn here together, and I can’t really explain it. But after seeing what Robby was doing, and what ultimately happened to him, I now know what I must ask you.” He paused briefly.
Marsha started to tremble. Her heart rate increased. She began to get a little teary eyed.
“I was wondering,” Jeffry continued, and again cleared his throat, “if we could see each other again.” He paused, not knowing what else to say, but wanting to say more.
“I, I, was thinking the same thing, too,” Marsha replied slowly. She felt her heartstrings being pulled gently.
“Those songs, especially that song, “That Old Black Magic”, did it for me.”
Marsha chimed in, “It did for me, too!” She felt a little relieved that after these ten years, she has met the one she now can call “The Man I Love”.
“Robby must have known what was going on and tonight was ‘his’ night to join his parents as he explained in his note.” Jeffry was attempting to bring things to a closure and had to rely on his memory of what Robby said.
“I think I just figured out who those other people were. For one,” Marsha also had to clear her throat, “it was Sasha whom we both thought we saw, but in her ghostly form. The other one must have been Robby’s mother, who was also very acquainted with Sasha.”
“You know, I remember a long time ago that Robby said that Sasha was a special family friend, but never mentioned why. But when I read Sasha’s obituary in the newspaper, I realized that Robby’s mother and Sasha’s father were cousins! They were related—but Robby didn’t want to admit just how.” Jeffry’s eyes lit up and now things were adding up.
Marsha suggested, “I bet that Robby’s mother had orchestrated things to bring her family together again, and she used the backdrop of Halloween night to do it!”
“I think you’ve nailed it!” Jeffry agreed. “You would make a great detective, wouldn’t you?”
“Well, I should have told you when we met the other day, but I am a detective’s assistant.” Marsha said sheepishly. “But I didn’t want to tell you right off the bat. I had to wait for the right moment.”
Jeffry didn’t seem too surprised. “You know, I kind of thought you were a good investigator, and after tonight, I’ll need one to help sort out something for me.”
“What’s that?” Marsha asked.
“Can you help me find how our lives will turn out in the future?”
“I’ll be more than happy to do that!” Marsha said as she grabbed Jeffry’s arm and pulled herself close to him.
The wind picked up and swirled around this couple, and soon they heard a familiar voice—Sasha’s to be exact—singing:
“Someday he'll come along
The man I love
And he'll be big and strong
The man I love
And when he comes my way
I'll do my best to make him stay.”
Finis
Katie is a sweet, compassionate, and gentle soul who has a thirst for adventure and exploration. She loves to dance, boulder and recently has begun to dabble in rock climbing (sport). Katie has also begun to dance with hoops. I haven't yet seen a demonstration of this but I hope that I'll get to see her perform tomorrow.
Originally from New Mexico, Katie has been in Colorado for about six months. She is buying her time until she meets a local university's residency requirements. After she meets these requirements, she plans to begin school sometime late this year or early next year.
I enjoyed spending a portion of my day with Katie. I know she'll do well. When you see her out and about, please tell her you saw her on the www.100strangers.com project.
For those that are unfamiliar with the 100 Stranger project, the goal is to take the photographer out of our respective comfort zones and engage complete strangers in conversation to learn a little more about their life. After we have developed a level of trust with our subject, we request to take a shot and include them into our project. Katie was my willing victim of the day. She said she normally doesn't take very good photos. I would have to disagree. She looks at home within the frame.
A moment of visual clarity,
A small glass to catch the light
A reflection into the soul
A calming, yet expansive harmony.
Peaceful and soothing
Beautiful visual element
Small and uncomplicated
Smooth, humble and comforting
A glass of abundance, hope and life
Elegant surface light reflecting
understanding, friendhip and soothing
hope and peace.
A tranquil relaxing vitreous
image of fertility and
compassionate generosity
So tells luster abounding within the heart.
. Peace and love be with you.
Namaste.
12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called nin one body. And obe thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And swhatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Col 3:12–17.
To become wholly compassionate requires us to open our eyes and hearts, to behold the pain and exploitation our culture obscures, to arouse deadened emotions, and to rise above our egos. --Joanne Stepaniak
FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
~"The value of compassion cannot be over-emphasized. Anyone can criticize. It takes a special person to be compassionate. No greater burden can be borne by an individual than to know no one cares or understands.” Arthur H. Stainback
~“The dew of compassion is a tear.” Lord Byron
~“Make no judgements where you have no compassion"
~“Compassion will cure more sins than condemnation.” Henry Ward Beecher.”
~“Man may dismiss compassion from his heart, but God never will” William Cowper
~“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.”
~“No one has ever become poor by giving.” ― Anne Frank
~"The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His COMPASSION'S never fail. They are new every morning; Great is God's faithfulness" Lamentations 3:22-23
"DARE TO BE" (this is good : )
"When a new day begins, dare to smile gratefully. When there is darkness, dare to be the first to shine a light. When there is injustice, dare to be the first to condemn it. When something seems difficult, dare to do it anyway. When life seems to beat you down, dare to press on. When there seems to be no hope, dare to find some. When you’re feeling tired, dare to keep going. When times are tough, dare to be tougher. When love hurts you, dare to love again. When someone is hurting, dare to help them heal. When another is lost, dare to help them find the way. When a friend falls, dare to be the first to extend a hand. When you cross paths with another, dare to make them smile. When you feel great, dare to help someone else feel great too. When the day has ended, dare to feel as you’ve done your best. Dare to be the best you can – At all times, Dare to be!” ― Steve Maraboli
Hi Everyone...I will be around as I can to view your treasures, lots going on right now : )
Have a great day my wonderful and very talented friends : )
Sensoji (Asakusa, Kannon)Temple, Tokyo, Japan
Senso-ji Temple, also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple, is the oldest and most popular temple in Tokyo. It is a Buddhist temple and the main residing deity is Bodhisattva Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy. Legend has it that two fishermen brothers found the statue of Kannon while fishing in the nearby Sumida River in 628 AD. Upon finding that the statue would always return to them no matter what they did with it, they decided to build a temple for Kannon. It has been the local deity for fishermen, shogunates, and samurai alike ever since. Its glorious days were during the Edo period (1603-1867), when, with the help and patronage of shogunates, the temple became the center of the Edo (Tokyo) culture. Today, over 30 million pilgrims from all over the world visit this temple annually.
The temple has been destroyed and rebuilt again and again at least some twenty times over the years. The last time it was destroyed was by the great firebombing raids of WWII in 1945 and it was only rebuilt in 1958. The famous five story Pagoda was rebuilt only in 1978! Today, this temple serves as a symbol of rebirth and peace in Japan.
In Buddhist traditions around the world, Kannon takes on different forms and is perhaps the most worshiped Buddhist deity around the world. The deity is ‘known as the most compassionate, relieving beings of their suffering and responding to prayers with great benevolence.’
“Namu Kanzeon Bosatsu” (I place my trust in Bodhisattva Kannon).
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I send to you all, my dear Flickr Friends, very best wishes for Happy, Healthy, Safe, Prosperous, Sane, Contented and Compassionate New Year.
As you can see, a frequent tropical storm is not the only 'Tempest', occurring in my life, right now...
My mother has been my sole responsibility for many, many years.
Ten days before Christmas, she suddenly deteriorated and is now in palliative care.
I stopped working and have been by her side most of the time.
So, my apologies, if I have not replied to all your wonderful comments, they are still very much appreciated.
My Flickr hobby has been my 'mental escape' each night, as I don't sleep much…
Thank you, everyone, for sharing so many amazing photos from all over the world, I have felt like I have travelled away, every evening, and it has been so fascinating, entertaining, intensely interesting, educational, and very helpful…. such a bonus,….a perfect distraction, during this particular time.
Thank you, also, for all the wonderful, often humorous, hilarious communications.
These messages have often made me laugh out loud, even given me the giggles much later, and that has not happened, since I don't remember !!!!
I have had more communication with my Flickr Friends, than with my own family members, who live elsewhere in Australia.
Love and Light, to you my New-Found Flickr Friends….
Pearl
……………………………………………………….
Each one of us has to be our true self: fresh, solid, at ease, loving and compassionate. When we are our true selves, not only you but everyone around you will profit from your presence. Just like a beautiful tree: if the tree is anything but a tree we will all be in trouble.
Thich Nhat Hanh
photo rights reserved by B℮n
Wat Si Phan Ton is known for its beautiful architecture and the use of gold-colored sheet metal to cover the buildings and structures. This gives the temple its distinctive shiny golden appearance, which contributed to its nickname Golden Temple. Buddhist monks live in Wat Si Phan Ton, including the venerable monk Chao Abbot. In Thai temples such as Wat Si Phan Ton, monks perform several roles: Prayer and Meditation, Buddha's Teachings, Community Service, and Almsgiving. Monks may be involved in community service, such as providing spiritual guidance to those in need, attending ceremonial events, and providing moral support. They follow a strict set of precepts and devote their lives to the pursuit of spiritual development, meditation and spreading the Buddha's teachings. Monks spend a significant portion of their time in prayer and meditation. This enables them to achieve inner peace and gain profound insights. Monks can be involved in community service, such as providing spiritual guidance to those in need, attending ceremonial events, and providing moral support. In Buddhism, it is considered virtuous to give food and donations to monks. Monks often enter the community early in the morning to receive alms as a way to promote spiritual connection. Monks lead a simple lifestyle and have minimal material possessions. They wear traditional orange robes and shave their heads as a sign of renunciation of worldly vanity. Wat Si Phan Ton is not only a place of worship, but also a cultural and historical site.
Wat Si Phan Ton is a striking Buddhist temple located in Nan, Thailand, and it is sometimes affectionately referred to as the Golden Temple because of its dazzling golden appearance. The temple is an important spiritual and cultural site in Nan. It is not only a place of worship and meditation, but also a symbol of the region's rich Buddhist tradition and cultural heritage.
Wat Si Phan Ton staat bekend om zijn prachtige architectuur en het gebruik van goudkleurige bladmetaal om de gebouwen en structuren te bedekken. Dit geeft de tempel zijn opvallende glanzende gouden uiterlijk, wat heeft bijgedragen aan zijn bijnaam Golden Temple. Er wonen boeddhistische monniken in Wat Si Phan Ton zo ook de eerbiedwaardige monnik Chao Abt. In Thaise tempels zoals Wat Si Phan Ton, vervullen monniken verschillende rollen: Gebed en Meditatie, de leer van Boeddha, Gemeenschapsdienst en Aalmoezen. Monniken kunnen betrokken zijn bij gemeenschapsdienst, zoals het bieden van spirituele begeleiding aan mensen die dat nodig hebben, het bijwonen van ceremoniële gebeurtenissen en het bieden van morele ondersteuning. Ze volgen een reeks strikte leefregels en besteden hun leven aan het nastreven van spirituele ontwikkeling, meditatie en het verspreiden van de leer van Boeddha. Monniken besteden een aanzienlijk deel van hun tijd aan gebed en meditatie. Dit stelt hen in staat om innerlijke vrede te bereiken en diepgaande inzichten te verwerven. Monniken kunnen betrokken zijn bij gemeenschapsdienst, zoals het bieden van spirituele begeleiding aan mensen die dat nodig hebben, het bijwonen van ceremoniële gebeurtenissen en het bieden van morele ondersteuning. In het Boeddhisme wordt het als deugdzaam beschouwd om voedsel en donaties te schenken aan monniken. Monniken gaan vaak in de vroege ochtend de gemeenschap in om aalmoezen te ontvangen als een manier om spirituele verbondenheid te bevorderen. Monniken leiden een eenvoudige levensstijl en hebben minimale materiële bezittingen. Ze dragen traditionele oranje gewaden en scheren hun hoofd als teken van verzaking van wereldse ijdelheid. Wat Si Phan Ton is niet alleen een plek van aanbidding, maar ook een culturele en historische plek.
How is one to live a moral and compassionate existence when one is fully aware of the blood, the horror inherent in life, when one finds darkness not only in one's culture but within oneself? If there is a stage at which an individual life becomes truly adult, it must be when one grasps the irony in its unfolding and accepts responsibility for a life lived in the midst of such paradox. One must live in the middle of contradiction, because if all contradiction were eliminated at once life would collapse. There are simply no answers to some of the great pressing questions. You continue to live them out, making your life a worthy expression of leaning into the light.
Barry Lopez
real tourists gave me compassionate looks because I used a "polaroid", as if I could not afford a crappy digital camera.
"What is more pleasant than the benevolent notice other people take of us, what is more agreeable than their compassionate empathy? What inspires us more than addressing ears flushed with excitement, what captivates us more than exercising our own power of fascination? What is more thrilling than an entire hall of expectant eyes, what more overwhelming than applause surging up to us? What, lastly, equals the enchantment sparked off by the delighted attention we receive from those who profoundly delight ourselves? - Attention by other people is the most irresistible of drugs. To receive it outshines receiving any other kind of income. This is why glory surpasses power and why wealth is overshadowed by prominence."
Caterina Fake, Co-founder of Flickr, 2005.
Over the course of the past 4 years, about every 2 years or so I've written a blog post that has been one of my most popular entitled "Top 10 Ways to Get Attention on Flickr." It's been a few years, Flickr's changed a bit, and so I thought I'd take a bit of time today to outline some of the techniques that active power users use on Flickr to get more attention for themselves and their photos.
Fundamentally it comes down to a pretty simple equation:
quality photos + reciprocation² = attention.
But there are lots of other little tricks and tips, so let's get right into them.
1. The order that you publish your photos in matters -- alot. A lot of people will take 50 snapshots of that killer sunset on their vacation and then upload them at random to flickr. Some are better, some are worse. At Flickr, those that call you contact predominantly only see your last photo uploaded or your last 5 photos uploaded (depending on their settings) from the popular "your contact's most recent uploads" page. The other 45 are effectively buried. Always upload what you feel are your best, strongest, etc. photographs as the last five and save the very last spot for the photo you want to pimp the most.
2. Explore, you whore. Explore is a section of Flickr where Flickr highlights what they feel are 500 interesting photos every day.
I used to have photos show up in Explore pretty much every week. Then Flickr staff blacklisted me from Explore (and their help forum) about 7 months or so ago after I wrote a blog post criticizing Flickr staff for nuking a popular group on Flickr that I administered. Payback's a bitch, right?
After having photos regularly appear in Explore every week since it started, they capped my ass in there at 666 photos (cute, because I'm the devil, get it?). That doesn't mean that you shouldn't consider Explore though. It's probably the fastest way to get a lot of views on any of your photos. Whilst everyone bitches about how full of crappy photos Explore is, secretly you know you all love it when your photos show up there.
Flickr claims to have a "magic donkey" formula which picks the photos for Explore. This "magic donkey" is really just an excuse though to avoid transparency/accountability about Explore. In general, the more activity a photo has (activity = faves, comments, notes, blogged, etc.) the more likely it is to show up in Explore. By putting your best foot forward (see item 1) and by focusing on promoting a popular photo of yours on a given day, (see below) it just might get there.
3. Promote your photos outside of Flickr. What are you doing to promote your photos outside of Flickr? Some things are super, super easy and involve no active participation on your part other than setting something up. Popular content aggregators on the web allow you to publish your Flickr photos out of Flickr, with valuable links back to your photos on Flickr.
Have you configured Flickr Tab on your Facebookery page yet? Why not? It's free and easy.
Have you signed up for Google Buzz yet? Google Buzz does a great job presenting your Flickr uploads and has a killer lightbox feature that allows people to see your photo BIG (if you allow it) on Google Buzz. I'm faving more Flickr photos that I'm finding on Google Buzz these days than from any other source. I fave more photos from Google Buzz than even Flickr itself.
Have you linked your stream to a FriendFeed account yet?
How about a photoblog? Anyone can set one of these up. They are so easy. And they have cool widgets that can do a lot of automated things for you. Check out the widget I'm using for my Flickr photos (to the right over there). It's called Fidgetr. It automatically pulls in the six most recent photos from my "10 faves or more set" on Flickr, making sure fresh new photos are constantly being published to thomashawk.com. Don't those large thumbnails rock!
4. Avoid watermarking, small-sized low-res photos, frames and other gimmicky crap. People don't want to see this stuff. It's a turn off. It pushes them away. Yes, yes, I know, you cry, but the thieves, the photo thieves, they all want to steal from me. GASP!
Get over it. You know what happens when people steal your stuff? Recently a friend of mine had an image of hers taken by a commercial entity. Do you know what we did? We contacted them, and after a little arm-twisting they paid her $700 for her photo. You know why? Because they had to. Because she could have sued them if not and probably gotten a lot more than $700 if she was inclined to put the time in it. Courts award statutory damages (not actual damages) for copyright theft. Trust me. If you like getting paid $700 for your photos, you WANT people to steal them. Put a big sign on the photo. "Steal Me, I Dare You."
With tools like Tineye, it's getting easier and easier and easier for you to find unauthorized commercial use of your photos on the web.
Sure, some dude is going to print up your big bouquet of sunflowers shot and hang it in his living room to impress his friends while they drink beer and watch football and you'll never find out about that use. Trust me, that dude wouldn't have paid for your photograph in the first place anyways.
As a byproduct, uploading full, glorious, high res, original photos to Flickr gives you one more backup of your precious photos in the cloud.
5. Moooooooooooo. Do you know about moo cards? Get some. They're cheap -- well, at least the little ones are cheap. Give them to everyone you can. When you are out and about and people talk to you about your photography say (in your best Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad voice possible) "Hey Yo, I'm slinging this camera, check me out here Yo," and hand them a moo card. Trust me, it works.
6. Groups. Most groups on Flickr are a waste of time. Dead groups where photo whores dump billions of photos in dead pools that nobody cares about and nobody sees. Your photos are quickly buried deep, deep, in the pool, never to be seen or heard from again. Avoid these groups. They typically have names like "Baskets! Show us all your photos of baskets!" or "You Say Tomato, I Say Tomato, show us all your photos of tomatoes!" Don't just dump your photo into 30 random groups.
Instead pick a few meaningful groups and actually hang out there and interact with people. You might consider a local group for where you live. Or a photo critique group. Or whatever. But find a few active groups (meaning several new threads are engaged in a day) and participate. I belong to a number of groups on Flickr, but 95% of my Flickr group time is spent in the critique group DMU. (Note, DMU is uncensored and not for everyone. Remember above where I told you that Flickr nuked one of our groups? yep.)
7. Fave it Forward! Have you heard of Billy Wilson? Because if you haven't, you will soon. Not to be confused with his second cousin and other Flickr legend Billy Warhol, Billy Wilson is the original Flickr fave machine! Billy has favorited more photos than anyone else on Flickr and he's showing no signs of slowing down. Want to know what happens when you fave almost 200,000 photos on Flickr? Just check out Billy's stream. How's that for getting some attention? Fave Billy Fave!
Now, you don't actually have to copy the Billy Wilson favoriting machine. He's an original and that's his gig. But. Don't be stingy with your faves either. If you like something fave the hell out of it. You can start here at my "10 faves or more set" if you'd like. You have an unlimited amount of faves to give out on Flickr. People love getting faves. People reciprocate.
Be like Billy, fave it forward.
Same goes for comments too. If you like something say so. Maybe you can be the next "nice photo" guy. Or maybe you can be known as that super hot chick who writes deep, meaty, insightful, witty, quirky comments on people's photos -- especially then, you'll be loved.
8. Tag for discovery. You know how people find many of your photos? Search. Don't be "that guy" who tags the 300 most commonly used keywords to your photos no matter what they are. I don't want to see that photo of your bikini clad girlfriend when I'm searching for puppy. Good boy.
But. Be descriptive. Be sure to tag the place the photo was taken. The subject matter. Anything relevant that people might use to search for your photo. Consider geotagging as well. The more discoverable your photos are, the more likely they'll be seen on Flickr.
Oh, also keyword at the file level, not on Flickr itself. It's much faster to keyword and geotag that way and also when Flickr ends up nuking your account (KABOOM!) you won't lose all of those tags and geotags that you worked so hard on adding to your photos. When you tag/geotag at the file level, these tags/geotags are automatically populated at Flickr when you upload your photos. Read about my workflow here for more on that.
9. Are you allowing the search engines to index your photos? If you aren't, you should be. You can check your settings on that here. I'd estimate that about 20% of the traffic to my own Flickr photos comes from search engines. Oh, and while you are in your settings, you might want to take a second and turn safe search off, we're all 18+ adults here right, even if Flickr does treat you as a child by default? Filtered Flickr sucks.
10. Certain subjects just seem to garner more attention. In general I've found that certain subjects tend to do better on Flickr than others. Your (and my) Egglestonian masterpiece of the sidewalk curb? Not so much.
But. Subjects that seem to garner a lot of attention. Attractive women (number one attention getter on Flickr, especially self portraits), motion or blur, silhouettes, images with stories in the description, some HDR, bokeh, abstract architectural photography, bridges, cityscapes, artwork by famed graffiti artist Banksy, you get the idea.
Also sometimes an interesting looking thumbnail will pull people in as well.
Well there you have it. 10 tips to get you more attention on Flickr. Use them in good health and with good company.
Disclaimer: remember my equation above? "quality photos + reciprocation² = attention" It doesn't matter how much work you do optimizing the promotion of your photos if they suck. Find your voice. Make your style. Create your art. But put time, energy and pride in the work that you share. Make the world a more beautiful place with the amazing work that you are capable of creating. The best photos in the world have yet to be taken.
Oh, and one final way to get a lot of attention on Flickr? Write long blog posts about getting attention on Flickr. It works every time. ;)
1. Work to be at peace with others, showing forbearance as needed. Forgiving others is required.
Romans 12:18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. (ESV)
Colossians 3:12–14 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. (ESV)
Romans 14:12–13; Ephesians 4:1–3, 30–32
2. Don’t seek your own way. Jesus is the great example.
Philippians 2:3–6 Don’t do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble toward one another, always considering others better than yourselves. And look out for one another’s interests, not just for your own. The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had: He always had the nature of God, but he did not think that by force he should try to remain equal with God. (GNT)
3. The words we speak and the way in which they are spoken have much to do with maintaining peace.
Proverbs 12:18 The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (NIV)
Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (NIV)
Proverbs 18:13; 25:11; Ephesians 4:29
4. If you have been hurt or have hurt someone else, go to that person for reconciliation.
Matthew 18:15 If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. (ESV)
Matthew 5:23–24 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. (ESV)
5. Paying back someone who has hurt you is wrong. If someone has truly sinned against you, trust God to take care of it.
Romans 12:19–21 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (NKJV)
Romans 13:3–4
6. Violence is not acceptable; it is not pleasing to God.
Psalm 11:5 The LORD examines both the righteous and the wicked. He hates those who love violence. (NLT)
Proverbs 16:29 A man of violence entices his neighbor and leads him in a way that is not good. (ESV)
Psalm 7:15–16; Proverbs 24:1–2
7. Remember that God is the ultimate defender.
Psalm 37:7–9 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret—it only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. (NKJV)
Isaiah 25:4 For You have been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; for the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. (NKJV)
Psalm 59:16
Biblical Narratives
• Paul and Barnabas in disagreement, Acts 15:36–40 (The solution for them was each going his own way.)
• Euodia and Syntyche, needing to live in harmony, Philippians 4:2–3
Practical Steps
• Asking whether this will really matter in eternity is always good advice. Be willing to stand down when the conflict is over something really not all that important.
• Ask, “Am I convinced that I am right in this situation?” Be willing to take advice; ask others for their thoughts. Be willing to consider other viewpoints.
• Evaluate: Do you seem to always be involved in some conflict? Perhaps you are the problem. Do you always need to be right? Is involvement in conflict a way to make you feel powerful? Commit to corrections in this area.
• Work on saying what you say with kindness and a nonelevated emotional tone. It’s not just what we say, but how we say it.
• “Breathe grace!” is a well-known biblical counseling phrase. Our mindset must always be reaching out to others with understanding and God’s love.
Keith R. Miller, Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling Men (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2014), 79–81.
This is Goddess of Mercy I taken this in Sichuan ; China.
According to Gotama, after he ascended to Nirvana. There would be 2 great Buddhisvathvas to remains in the trillions of universes to salvage the suffering beings.
1. The Goddess of Mercy Guan Yin - (Pali) Avalokitesvaraya
2. The King of Earth Treasure - (Pali) Mokalanat
Goddess of Mercy above is the great compassionate one. Actually she/he is the 1st Buddha on the trillions of universe. But due to her/his will to salvage the suffering kinds, she/he return as Buddhisvathva in order to perform her/his Vow.
Let's call & Pray for her/his great compassionate power to free Myanmar - Burma & All Suffering on earth & the trillions of Universe.
Om Ma Ni Pad Me Hom 108 times
“At least once every 15 minutes, we need to practice letting go. Bear in your heart no hatred, utter no unkind words, remain always compassionate, with no hostility or ill will."
-Thich Nhat Hanh
Dorothea Lange (1895-1965), often called the "compassionate recorder", used her photographic skills to draw America's attention to the poor and forgotten during the dark days of the "Great Depression". Her stirring images of migrant farmers and the unemployed, while working for the Farm Security Administration, have become universally recognized symbols of the Depression-era. Later photographs documenting the internment of Japanese Americans and her travels throughout the world extended her body of work. Lange was an influential photographer and photojournalist who profoundly influenced the development of documentary photography.
In this photograph, Lange was able to capture a striking look of anxiety on the face of her subject. Stranded in his car, the man's plight suggested the larger problems that society faced during the Great Depression. To add to the feeling of claustrophobia, Lange purposely cropped the photograph into this tighter composition, which originally included a woman sitting in the passenger's seat. Rather than suggesting he pose, Lange had caught him as if unaware, an effect which persuades us all the more of the truth of this image.
This shot taken from the original Lange photograph now displayed, as part of the vast collection owned by Andy Pilara and located at 'Pier 24 Photography' on the Embarcadero in San Francisco, California.
30 Days of Perception - Day 19 - Curious and Compassionate
When I follow the life cycle of a leaf from bud to decomposition after they fall from the trees onto the earth, or into water, where they slowly disintegrate. I feel compassion for the beautiful leaf at all stages of its life and growth and death which is a simple reminder of our own life seasons as we journey through life from the time of our own birth. There is beauty in all the stages of life, both in nature and in all of us.
This images tells me to embrace the change and all seasons!
14/365 Photo Manipulations Project
How is one to live a moral and compassionate existence when one is fully aware of the blood, the horror inherent in life, when one finds darkness not only in one's culture but within oneself? If there is a stage at which an individual life becomes truly adult, it must be when one grasps the irony in its unfolding and accepts responsibility for a life lived in the midst of such paradox. One must live in the middle of contradiction, because if all contradiction were eliminated at once life would collapse. There are simply no answers to some of the great pressing questions. You continue to live them out, making your life a worthy expression of leaning into the light. ~Barry Lopez, from the book Arctic Dreams
Background by Angela Wolf
Texture's by dog ma and una cierta mirada
How is one to live a moral and compassionate existence when one is fully aware of the blood, the horror inherent in life, when one finds darkness not only in one's culture but within oneself? If there is a stage at which an individual life becomes truly adult, it must be when one grasps the irony in its unfolding and accepts responsibility for a life lived in the midst of such paradox. One must live in the middle of contradiction, because if all contradiction were eliminated at once life would collapse. There are simply no answers to some of the great pressing questions. You continue to live them out, making your life a worthy expression of leaning into the light.
BARRY LOPEZ
(Ref:DSCN4884A)