View allAll Photos Tagged GUIDANCE
"They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night."- E.A.P.
Detail from The Ten Largest. Part of the Paintings for the Temple (1907) by Swedish artist Hilma af Klint (1862-1944). Exhibition in Kunstmuseum The Hague NL.
This is what all the current nest building is for ... this shot was taken in June 2013 while the parents at many of the nests along the rivers in Baltimore County performed neighborhood watch.
This is one of the nests that is out over open water on one of the many channel markers. If I am lucky I may get the chance to get out on a boat again to see what the children look like this year.
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THE REALITY OF EVIL AND THE NEED FOR GUIDANCE
With all the debate now raging in America between the Christian view of original sin and fallen humanity and the goodness of human nature according to what some call a modern version of Gnosticism, it is imperative, in discussing the truth according to Sufism, to deal with the question of evil and the necessity for Divine Guidance.
It must be emphasized that Sufi treatises are not simply "self-realization kits" to be handed out to those who wish to realize the Supreme Self within on the basis of their own efforts and without Divine Succor. Islam does not believe in original sin, but it does emphasize our fall from our primordial state, that primordial nature we still bear deep within ourselves.
We are separated from this nature by layers of forgetfulness and imperfection, by veils that can be removed only with God's Help. And it is precisely these veils, or ontological separation from our Source, that result in what theologically is called evil.
It is to these veils with which we usually associate ourselves and our existence that the Sufi saint of Basra, Rabi'ah, was referring when she said, "Alas my son, thine existence is a sin wherewith no other sin can be compared.”
Metaphysically one can explain the reality of evil as separation from the absolute Good. Let us remember the saying of that supreme Christian poet, Dante, who said that hell is separation from God: As mentioned above, the Divine is at once the Absolute, the Infinite, and the All-Good. And let us not forget that infinite means containing all possibilities, including that of self-negation; as mentioned already, it is in the nature of the good to give of itself as it is in the nature of light to irradiate. This emanation, which constitutes all the levels of existence below the Absolute Being, also implies distancing and separation, gradual dimming of the light and appearance of shadows. Positively, the reality of the world issues from the One Reality, but to use the very term world implies already separation from God. As the Kabbalists have said, the Divine had to "withdraw" from Its full Plenitude to create a "space" for creation.
What we call evil is the result of this withdrawal and separation. That is why evil does not have the same ontological status as the good in the same way that darkness does not have the same ontological status as light.
The so-called problem of theodicy (that is, how could a good God create a world in which there is evil?) is the result of ignorance of the nature of God and the world and lack of knowledge of the doctrine of veil or maya. This so-called problem, which has driven many a modern Westerner away from Christianity and in some cases from Judaism, has been discussed in depth by many non-Western philosophers, theologians, and mystics belonging to other religions. Countless souls in traditional societies have observed evil and misery surrounding them, but such experiences have hardly ever drawn Muslims, Hindus, or Buddhists, to name just a few examples, away from religion and the world of faith. Observing evil in a world created by God who is good has not had the same religious consequences for them as it has had for many in the modern West and of course did not have the same consequences for those in the traditional West, whose reactions to this problem were similar in many ways to those of people today in most non-Western cultures.
From the point of view of the Divine Reality, there is no evil because there is nothing to be separated from the Source of the Good, but for human beings living in the domain of relativity, evil is as real as that domain, although creation in its ontological reality is good since it comes from God. This is demonstrated by the overwhelming beauty of the natural order. That is why both the Bible and the Quran assert the goodness of His creation and the fact that goodness always predominates ultimately over evil. Furthermore, the infernal, purgatorial, and paradisal states are real although located in the domain of relativity but each with very different characteristics.
The problem of evil becomes intractable when we absolutize the relative and fail to distinguish between the existential reality of a thing, which comes from the Act of Being, and its "apparent" separative existence. To speak of a world without evil is to fail to understand what the world is and to confuse the Absolute and the relative, the Essence and its veils, or to use the language of Hinduism, Atman and maya.
Some Sufis have said that there is no evil but only goodness and beauty. Such statements must be understood in the context of the state of consciousness from which they were speaking, the state that allowed them to see the Face of God everywhere. Everything has a face turned inward to God beyond all blemish and evil and a face turned outward. The Sufis who have denied evil have gazed upon that face of inwardness and have seen the outward face of things in light of that inner reality.
Otherwise, if Sufism had denied evil, there would be no need for Sufism itself because the role of Sufism is to overcome the imperfections and evil tendencies of the soul, called "nafs inciting to evil" in the Quran and subsequently by the Sufis. On the existential level of the ordinary soul, they are as real as the soul itself.
To transcend evil and to behold only the good and the beautiful, one must transcend one's own ego or this nafs. The overwhelming beauty of God's creation and the ultimate triumph of the good, whatever transient phenomena of an evil nature may hold sway in the short run, is itself proof of the existential inequality between good and evil, the beautiful and the ugly.
Sufis seek to cling to the good and the beautiful even amid what appears sometimes in life as predominance of the evil and the ugly. They hold fast to the Truth even when surrounded by error and falsehood, being anchored in the certainty that the Truth, which is always good and beautiful in the metaphysical sense, shall finally prevail. The Sufis would be the first to agree with the medieval Latin adage vincit omnia veritas, the Truth shall always triumph.
To overcome the imperfections of the soul and the abode of evil cannot be accomplished by fallen humanity without help. If there are exceptions, they only prove the rule, and one must never forget that "The Spirit bloweth where it listeth." Putting such exceptions aside, the rule and principle is that human beings are in need of Divine Guidance to remember who they are, to be able to slay the dragon within. Through His Mercy God has therefore sent prophets throughout history to guide human beings to the One.
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The Garden of Truth by Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Over 50 years ago as a young farm teenager, baling hay, milking cows and cleaning out hog sheds by hand guided my career decisions more than almost anything. In this photo, the past and the present of farming lie side by side. Round bales replaced the back breaking work of loading and unloading bales on a hay trailer. Few windmills in Minnesota still pump water and the old graineries have been largely replaced by newer methods of drying crops.
Mediatracker
Sorry for the spam but I had a run today and lot of fun messing around after gathering some medals.
Maastricht Aachen Airport.
On the picture you can see:
The Approach Lighting System, or ALS.
The Instrument Landing System, or ILS.
Province: Limburg.
Country: Netherlands.
Please press "L" to see large picture.
Leça's lighthouse
The lighthouse is 57 meters tall and started providing guidance in 1927 but the idea of it is much older, 1866 is referred as the year when the need for such an equipment was first recorded. At that time three white strobes every 15 seconds were supposed to reach 43 miles. Since then it had several improvements and the rotation is no longer assured by a clock mechanism. Since the foundation up 1962 the lighthouse buildings hosted the school for lighthouse keepers.
After some hours shopping around - IKEA is really close - I finally get the chance to get the camera off the car trunk. It was one of those days where the sun is always trying to come out but showers are present all the time. The sky here is a bit pushed to reasonable limits as my wife after seeing the tuned chromatics provided by edition software gave me the face asking «Who do you expect to fool?»
Detail from The Ten Largest. Part of the Paintings for the Temple (1907) by Swedish artist Hilma af Klint (1862-1944). Exhibition in Kunstmuseum The Hague NL.
“I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving: To reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it, but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor”
One way system in operation.
Please follow the arrow.
Please don't keep a safe distance and lick my filthy wellies clean 👅
Excerpt from Wikipedia: An articulated bus (either a motor bus or trolleybus) is an articulated vehicle used in public transportation. It is usually a single-deck design, and comprises two rigid sections linked by a pivoting joint (articulation) enclosed by protective folding bellows on the in- and outside of the vehicle (usually of gray or black colour) and a cover plate on the inside of the vehicle. This arrangement allows a longer legal overall length than single-decker rigid-bodied buses, and hence a higher passenger capacity, while still allowing the bus to maneuver adequately on the roads of its service route.
Around the English-speaking world, articulated buses have acquired several different synonyms that allude to their articulated design, such as bendy buses, bending buses, tandem buses, stretch buses, double buses, banana buses, slinky buses, wiggle buses, caterpillar buses, accordion buses or vestibule buses. Due to their high passenger capacity, articulated buses are often used as part of bus rapid transit schemes, and can include mechanical guidance.
Used almost exclusively on public transport bus services, articulated buses are approximately 18 metres (59 ft) in length; standard rigid-construction buses are usually 11 to 14 metres (36 to 46 ft). The common arrangement of an articulated bus is to have a forward section with two axles leading a rear section with a single axle, with the driving axle mounted on either the front or the rear section. Some articulated bus models have a steering arrangement on the rearmost axle which turns slightly in opposition to the front steering axle, allowing the vehicle to negotiate turns in a crab-like fashion, similar to hook-and-ladder fire trucks operating in city environments. A less common variant of the articulated bus is the bi-articulated bus, where the vehicle has two trailer sections rather than one. Their capacity is around 200 people, and their length about 25 metres (82 ft).
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Excerpt from www.ttc.ca: The Articulated Low-Floor Diesel Buses manufactured by NovaBus, a Division of Volvo Group-Canada, in Ste. Eustache Quebec, are now on Toronto streets.
In keeping with TTC’s commitment to improved customer service, the new “Artics” are 60 feet long and will replace aging existing buses that are scheduled for retirement due to high mileage and general deterioration.
As part of the TTC’s modernization plan the accessible low-floor bus fleet will increase capacity on our busiest routes. Each bus has a capacity of 46 seated passengers and approximately 31 standing passengers. Features include LED interior and exterior lighting, automatic central air conditioning and heating, and ergonomic seating for passenger comfort.
Buses are designed to accommodate two standard wheelchairs and nine priority passenger seats, identified by bright blue upholstery. To minimize engine exhaust emissions, clean diesel engines are furnished with the latest electronic engine controls and diesel exhaust after treatment systems.
TTC’s new fleet of Articulated Low-Floor Clean Diesel Buses is being solely funded by the City of Toronto to improve customer service and replace some of TTC’s aging 40 foot buses.
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.