View allAll Photos Tagged materialism

iPhone 5 is coming in October 2011.

 

Humans have fallen after Apple was bitten. Who will save the souls? Jesus is not in town!

 

I always wonder what Diane Arbus (one of my favorite photographers) will shoot in this age of Apple dominance.

 

She is good in revealing the truth of human reality.

 

This is the shot taken at Marian religious store on Main Street in Mount Pleasant. Have a great Wednesday!

 

P.S. Will you buy an iPhone 5? :o)

Drifter; development 2008 to 2016, realization 2017

 

In addition to early designs, the exhibition features new, previously unseen work by the Dutch duo Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta – the founders of Studio Drift. Specially for the presentation at the Stedelijk, Studio Drift will create the largest-ever installation of Fragile Future. At the core of the installation will be Fragile Future Chandelier 3.5 (2012) acquired by the museum in 2015. Another highlight is Drifter, a floating concrete monolith measuring four by two by two meters. After making its world première at New York’s Armory Show in 2017, this magical installation will be on display in the IMC Gallery at the Stedelijk. The film Drifters (2016) and the installation Materialism (2018) go on view for the first time. In total, the presentation comprises eight of Studio Drift’s room-filling installations, together with a selection of films.

 

The work of Studio Drift occupies a unique place at the interface between tech art, performance, and biodesign. As a museum that has always placed great importance on both art and design, and performance, the Stedelijk Museum is the perfect venue to display this transdisciplinary work. Gordijn and Nauta engage with contemporary topics such as sustainability, the meaning of natural processes for today’s environment, and issues raised by the use of augmented reality. Their work focuses attention on a society in flux, shaped by the impact of fast-paced innovations, without judging.

 

www.stedelijk.nl/en/exhibitions/studio-drift

1 Corinthians 1:27

 

"Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. "

 

The picture doesn't match up to the title. I don't have this criteria that titles should match up with the pictures as sometimes my brain is blanked out thinking of titles.

I pick titles at spurt of the moment or what comes to mind.

 

After reading and listening to the babbles of blasphemies of Stephen Fry on the INDEPENDENT, 1 Corinthians 1:27 came to mind , as well as Hosea 4:6 and other verses.

 

I don't know if I have the right words or state this grammatically right , after a tiring long day, it seemed my mental faculties gone slow, love just to have a snore after my dinner. Yet some nagging thoughts come into play, pressing me to express what I thought of Stephen Fry in THE INDEPENDENT. If I speak gibberish here, please let me off. Anyway, my thoughts are : can we spiritually be enlightened of the truth of God when we read The Independent and other msm ? The main stream media is owned by big corporates who either are of the following : Atheists, bunch of Luciferians/ devil worshipers, freemasons, new agers etc. Promoting true faith of God would never be on their agenda rather its underlying objective is to justify their own beliefs against God and they are right for what they stand for, and not the least , to alienate people away from the faith by mocking and ridiculing the deity of God based on their human perspective and expectations of life. Any person claiming to be a Christian yet agreeing with Stephen Fry sadly is ignorant of the Word of God and surely have fallen into the strong delusion that their minds are conquered and damned to believe the lie.

  

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The great delusion is already upon us :

 

*Kid Confession Video Alleges Satanic British Pedophile Ring !

 

*Satanic Child Ritual Abuse & Blood Sacrifice EXPOSED !!! Children Born to be Sacrificed to Satan!

 

Who in their right mind would find it amusing / satisfying to abuse an innocent child, sexually molest a child, set a child

in pain ? But this is happening in much larger scale, yet these

nasty evil perpetrators of abuse still on the loose as they are not

ordinary common people. The common people, the working class at the end of the line of abusers gets easily caught and locked up. But the big fish, they hardly get caught, neither exposed.

 

Narcissism , witchcraft , devil worship are proliferating. It's all in the open, promoted by celebrities. Turn on the TV, everything in there promoting ungodliness, self worship, love of pleasure more than the love of God, materialism, lusts, idolatries of many forms, everything that can defile our soul mind are there. Not until the mind and heart tuned in completely unto God, through complete submission unto Christ and accepting the free gift of salvation, one is yet in chains .

  

*JOSEPH PRINCE SATANIC FALSE TEACHER EXPOSED

 

*Russ Dizdar :The Black Awakening

Satanic ritual abuse

 

* SHATTER THE DARKNESS

 

*Mythology and the Coming Great Deception: with Rob Skiba

This explains the ancient mythology in relation to Bible prophecy. Everything is in the Bible, but mythology is always presented craftily through different looking packages of religion and through cultures . Mythological gods and goddesses appearing in different names through cultures . Yet if you look through deeply, they are just about the same, only the packaging looks different. They all go back connecting to the fallen angels and the great heavenly rebellion , when a third of the angels fell.

   

Sluis tussen Westerschelde en de haven van Vlissingen

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>>To be seen in Flickr-group "Creative Composition" and others<<

"No PERFECT CAMERA? No PERFECT GEAR?....do not let materialism kill your creativity. Show the whole world your creativity through your photos and let us change the way others see things."

"We must rapidly begin the shift from a "thing-oriented" society to a "person-oriented" society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered."

— Martin Luther King Jr.

 

The rapids on the River Affric between Loch Affric and Loch Beinn a' Mheadhoin (Loch Benevean) in Glen Affric, Scotland ツ ツ ツ

 

* Sony Alpha α SLT-A77 DSLR and a Sigma 10-20mm EX DC Lens

 

My work is for sale via Getty Images and at Redbubble and 500px

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Do not use my images without my permission./ Non utilizzare le mie immagini senza il mio consenso./ No usar mis imágenes sin mi permiso. / 未经我许可的情况下不要使用我的图片

©2012- Tom Raven - Toute reproduction, même partielle INTERDITE

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Sri Astari (b. 1953) studied painting at the University of Minnesota in the United States and at the Royal College of Art, London, but went on to expand into sculpture and installation. Astari is concerned with the re-reading of Javanese traditions, its symbolism and values. Inspired by social and political issues as well as consumerism and lifestyle, she continues to challenge stereotypes and cultural construction, with a tinge of humor, giving new meaning to Javanese traditional symbolism. Her work pays special attention to the position of a woman within her cultural traditions. Recurrent themes have been the kebaya and its accessories, both repressive and protective, and branded bags as a metaphor for modern fetishism. Lately she has given the kebaya new meaning, calling it “armor for the soul”. Her recent works show a more philosophical tendency, highlighting the need to reconcile the self with nature and the universe.

 

Within the Javanese cultural and philosophical realm, Sakti symbolises the power of the South Sea Queen, who’s strength is believed to be behind the Sultan’s power, as well as within each person. This became the artist’s metaphor expressed in the pavilion installation Pendopo: Dancing the Wild Seas with seven Bedoyo dancers. The Pendopo is the fundamental element of Javanese architecture. In the palace there used to be the sacred space where the Sultan was anointed with the South Sea Queen’s invisible presence, power and blessing. In the commoners’ house, pendopo is where visitors are welcomed and ceremonial events are held, a sort of ante chamber. For Sri Astari, it is a metaphor for the soul. To find one’s identity, one has to look intrinsically to find the power that is believed to be present within. According to Astari, it is essential for everyone to “switch on” that power if the human race is to survive beyond materialism.

 

artintheheartofsummer.wordpress.com/2013/09/17/sakti-the-...

A Short history of the Andaman Islands

 

The Andamans are a chain of 184 odd islands in the Andaman sea at approx 1100 Kms to the south of Kolkata. The largest among them, The Andaman Island is 355 Kms long and 60 Kms wide. There was a time when ancient tribes lived here. Some of the natives it is said bore a remarkable resemblance to the aboriginaltribes of Australia. Today some tribes have receded into the deep forest while others have been resettled. Port Blair, it's principal port, is a picturesque and bustling town, full of greenery. It is well connected to the main land by regular passage of ships and scheduled flights from KolKata and Madras. Different communities are living in harmony and use hindi as their language.

 

Port Blair was named after the East India Companies' Lt. Archibald Blair who occupied the Andamans in 1789 to keep his ships safe and protected in the rains as a safe harbour and as a penal settlement for prisoners. But because of the unhygienic climate and outbreak of diseases and the expenses in maintaining the harbour he had to abandon the Andamans in 1796. Early in the first decade of the 19th century the roots of the East India Company were firmly entrenched in India. The British were subjecting Indians to a lot of abject atrocities, snatching away land from peasants, destroying the livelihood of craftsmen, increasing taxes, usurping the states from the Nawabs and native kings. Ordinary people, soldiers, nawabs and kings were all being terrified and harassed. Generally everywhere there was resentment and revolt. People were determined to do away with the East India Company

 

Recapture of Andaman Islands to keep Political Prisoners

 

The Andamans reminds us of those freedom fighters who on 10th May 1857, gave the clarion call to rise against the British rule. This was our First War of Independence, what the British in their history books refer to as the Sepoy Mutiny. To totally stomp out the uprising the British sent thousands to the gallows and even hung them up from trees, tied them to cannons and blew them up, destroyed them with guns and swords as if they had gone mad and were out to get revenge.

 

The revolutionaries, who survived, were exiled for life to the Andamans so that their connection with their families and their country would be severed and their countrymen would forget them forever. For this reason, in January 1858, the British reoccupied Port Blair, Andamans. For the first time on 10th March 1858, Supdt. J.B. Walker arrived with a batch of 200 freedom fighters. The second batch of 733 freedom fighter prisoners arrived in April 1868 from Karachi. They had been sentenced for life imprisonment. After this however it is not known how many thousands of freedom fighters were sent to the Andamans from the harbours of Bombay, Kolkata and Madras. Their numbers, names and addresses are not known.

 

It is said that all records were burnt when the Japanese occupied the Andamans. Some preliminary research was done by our organisation in the India Office Library, London, but no light could be shed. This worried us because whatever else the British might have been they were excellent record keepers. The truth is still not known and it needs to be. It is the responsibility of our present Indian Government to have a thorough research done to fill these gaps and to put forward in front of our countrymen, the true history of our freedom struggle and the different streams and revolts involved. The Cellular Jail was inalienably linked to the long and glorious struggle of our revolutionary freedom movement fought on the mainland and it had deep political significance. Leading figures from revolutionary upsurges on the mainland were invariably banished to languish and suffer in the Andamans.

 

Atrocities committed on early freedom fighters

 

In almost perennial rainy weather, with heavy bar fetters and shackles on their feet, surrounded by snakes, leeches and scorpions the freedom fighters were expected, in deep primeval forests to clear a path for roads through marshy land. They were punished and faced hard labour if they slowed down. In March 1868, 238 prisoners tried to escape. By April they were all caught. One committed suicide and of the remainder Supdt. Walker ordered 87 to be hanged.

 

Sher Ali: The killing of Lord Mayo

 

Despite these atrocities the freedom fighters used to resist and fight for their self-respect and for the love of their country. Sher Ali was given life imprisonment during the Wahabi movement against the British Raj. He assassinated Lord Mayo, Viceroy of India with a knife on 8th February, 1872. He was hanged on Viper Island.

 

The Construction of the Cellular Jail

 

From 1896 the construction of Cellular Jail was started and it was completed in 1906 with 698 cells. The Jail was constructed with seven wings, spreading out like a seven-petal flower. In its centre it had a tower with a turret. Connected to this were the three storey high seven wings with 698 isolated cells. This is why it is called the Cellular Jail.

 

Freedom Fighters of the National Revolutionary Movements

 

National movements were flaring up against the British rule all over India and the freedom fighters related to these movements were sent to Andamans or the "Kala Pani" with long sentences. Prominent among these were those from The Wahabi Movement (1830 - 1869), Mopla Rebellion (1792 - 1947), First Rampa Rebellion (1878 - 1879), Second Rampa Rebellion (1922 - 1924), Tharawadi Peasant Rebellion, Burma (1930). Etc.

 

The National Revolutionary Movement had prominent among them in Punjab, the Heroes of The Gadar party, The Hinduthan Republican Association in U.P. formed by Sachin Sanyal, in Maharashtra with the Savarkar brothers and of course with the partition of Bengal in 1905, secret societies and lots of underground groups were beginning to form. Lots of conspiracy cases started in the courts and the number of revolutionary freedom fighters in the jails began to swell. Most of the leaders of these movements if not hanged outright were deported to the Andaman Cellular Jail. Several died due to inhuman treatment and torture.

  

Alipore Conspiracy Case

 

Bengal's Alipore Conspiracy Case (1908) saw 34 revolutionaries being accused. In which were Barin Ghosh, Ullaskar Dutt, Upendranath Banerjee and Hem Chandra Das. They were sent to the Andamans in 1909. Later revolutionaries from U.P. and Maharashtra were also sent.

  

Veer Savarkar

 

For the assassination of Collector Jackson of Nasik District in the Nasik Conspiracy Case Veer Vinayak savarkar was convicted and sent to the Cellular jail on 7th April, 1911. According to Savarkar Freedom Fighters were made to do hard labour. They had to peel coconuts and take out oil from them. They were forced to go around like bullocks to take out oil from mustard seeds. Outside they were forced to clear the jungles and trees on hillside levelling marshy land. They were flogged on refusal. On top of this they did not even get a full meal every day.

  

Gadar Party Revolutionaries in Cellular Jail (1914)

 

The Gadar Party whose president was Baba Sohan Singh and the secretary was Lala Har Dayal was formed in America to get our country free from the British. In 1914, with arms and ammunition, Gadar Party members, travelling by the ship Kama Gata Maru arrived in Calcutta. They were arrested by the British.

  

Repatriation of prisoners from Andamans (1921)

 

The rise of socialism in Russia and the rising influence of the Chinese Revolution gave rise to revolutionary thoughts and action here in our country, and were very popular with the young. The Bengal revolutionary parties like Anushilan and Yugantar again became active. In Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, the Naujavan Bharat Sabha provided a good platform for the youth. The Hindusthan Socialist Republican Association and its leader Shaheed Bhagat Singh's ideas are symptomatic of those times.

  

Assembly Bomb Case (1929)

 

On 8 April 1929 in protest against the trade dispute bill Sardar Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw a bomb in the central constituent assembly. They threw leaflets and got themselves arrested. There was a tremendous impact on the nation. On 12 June 1929 both were given life imprisonment.

  

The Second Lahore Conspiracy Case

 

The British government filed the second Lahore Conspiracy Case against Bhagat Singh and 16 of his colleagues. In 1930, Bhagat Singh, Sukh Dev and Rajguru were hanged. Shri Yatendra Nath died because of hunger strike. Bhagat Singh's other friends Batukeshwar Dutt, Bejoy Kumar Sinha, Shiv Verma, Jaidev kapoor, Dr. Gaya Prasad, Kamal Nath Tiwari, Mahabir Singh were given life imprisonment and were sent to Andaman Cellular Jail.

  

The Chittagong Revolt (1930)

 

On the night of 18th April 1930 revolutionaries occupied Chittagong Armoury. For many days they battled with British army on the hills of Jalalabad. Many died a heroic death and many were arrested on 1st March 1932., 12 out of 32 people were given life imprisonment. Revolutionary leader (Master Da Surya Sen) was arrested and hanged on 12th Jan 1934. Ambika Chakraborty, Ganesh Ghosh, Anant Singh, Lok Nath Bal, Anand Gupta, Randhir Dass Gupta, Fakir Sen and other compatriots were sent to Cellular Jail.

  

The Reopening of the Andaman Cellular Jail (1932)

 

All around the country there were revolts against the British. In Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab a chain of revolutionary conspiracies started. On a large scale there were arrests and long sentences were given. National revolutionary movement leaders and active participants started being sent to the Cellular Jail in Andamans.

  

Inhuman treatment in Jail (1932)

 

The food that was given was not fit for human consumption. There were worms when you opened the bread and wild grass was boiled and served in lieu of vegetables. Rain drinking water was full of insects and worms. The 13' X 6' cells were dark and damp and dingy thickly coated with moss. There were no toilets. There were no lights, no reading material. Prisoners were not allowed to meet with each other. The guards carried out physical torture and flogging. Their behaviour was insulting. Things had become unbearable.

  

The first mass hunger strike

 

12 May 1933 The only alternative before the freedom fighters was to resort to a hunger strike against these atrocities. On 12 May 1933 they started a fast undo death. Mahavir Singh, Mohan Kishore Namo Das and Mohit Moitra died during this hunger strike. Their bodies were quietly ferreted away and thrown out to sea. Punjab's jail inspector Barker was called to break the hunger strike. He issued orders to stop the issuing of drinking water. The freedom fighters were resolute. There was a huge outcry throughout India because of this hunger strike. After 46 days the British Raj had to bow and the demands of the freedom fighters had to be accepted. The hunger strike ended on 26 June 1933.

  

Facilities obtained after the hunger strike

 

After the death of three colleagues the facilities won from jail authorities proved beneficial for the future. There was light in the cells. The prisoners started getting newspapers, books and periodicals. They were allowed to meet. The facility to read individually or on a collective basis was allowed. The opportunity to play sports and organise cultural events was given. The jail work was reduced to minimal. Above all there was respect for the freedom fighters from the prison officials and a marked improvement in their behaviour. A new environment was created as the freedom fighters met to discuss and read. A thirst for books and knowledge began. There were students, doctors, lawyers, peasants, and workers all together. They discussed politics, economics, history and philosophy.

 

There were classes in biology and physiology given by the doctors amongst them. Others gave classes in historical and dialectical materialism. Knowledge, experience and books were hungrily shared. A jail library was started. A veritable university of freedom fighters had begun where revolutionaries were learning about Marxist and socialist ideas and how to disseminate these amongst the people whose freedom they were fighting for. A Communist consolidation was formed of 39 prisoners on 26 April 1935. This number later swelled to 200. The freedom fighters started feeling that the atmosphere for a world war was gathering and that before the war starts we should get back to our country to be with our people and take active part in the upheaval that was imminent. A petition was sent to the Viceroy on 9 July 1937 by the freedom fighters that all political prisoners should be repatriated to the mainland and released An ultimatum was given that if these demands were not met a hunger strike would begin.

  

The second hunger strike for the repatriation of freedom fighters began on 25 July 1937

 

A country wide movement on the mainland in support of the demands of the Andaman freedom fighters began as other political prisoners in other jails on the mainland also started hunger strikes in support. There was a mass demonstration of working people, intellectuals and students. This upsurge clearly showed that their people on the mainland did not forget them. After four weeks telegrams from Bengal's chief minister, leaders of the nation Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhash Chandra Bose, Sharad Chandra Bose, Rabindra Nath Tagore etc poured in imploring the freedom fighters to end their hunger strike.

 

On 28 August 1937, Gandhiji, poet Rabindra Nath Tagore and the Congress Working Committee sent a telegram…"the whole nation appeals to you to end the hunger strike… and assures you to take up your demands and to see them fulfilled…" After a lot of deliberation and discussion this historic 36-day hunger strike of 200 revolutionary freedom fighters ended. The process of repatriation started in September 1937. There were a total of 385 freedom fighters in jail at the time. 339 from Bengal, 19 from Bihar, 11 from Uttar Pradesh, 5 from Assam, 3 from Punjab, 2 from Delhi and 2 from Madras.

  

Netaji in Andamans

 

Netaji's Azad Hind Fauz first of all gave independence to Port Blair, Andaman. Netaji visited the Andaman Island and hoisted the tricolour flag on 30 December 1943. He had declared that the very first bastion to be relieved of the British yolk was Andamans, the Indian Bastille revolutionary freedom fighters were kept, very much like the Bastille in Paris during the French Revolution. The British reoccupied the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and abolished the Penal Settlement in 1945.

 

The Demolition of the Cellular Jail

 

We do not know on whose initiative the demolition of the Cellular Jail was begun. We revolutionaries who were incarcerated in the Cellular Jail intervened. We felt strongly that this symbol of tyranny needed to be preserved as a National Memorial to remind our future generations of the tremendous cost that was paid in Indian blood for the freedom of our country.

 

Source : hridyapalbhogal.hubpages.com/hub/Andaman-Cellular-Jail-Ka...

A familiar form of materialism is what has been called the atomo-mechanical theory, which derives all phenomena from the movements of material atoms in space. Matter is thus a percept derived from the interaction of the physical senses with the physical plane of nature.

 

www.denniscordell.zenfolio.com

  

2019 sept 10

 

abstract optical materialism macropaintograph with household materials

 

Camera: Pentax K-50 16 Mpixel Digital SLR + Carl Zeiss Tessar 2.8/50mm via extension tube

A statue of Joseph Priestley in Chamberlain Square outside the now demolished Birmingham Central Library. In Birmingham West Midlands.

 

Joseph Priestley was an 18th-century English Separatist theologian, natural philosopher, chemist, innovative grammarian, multi-subject educator, and liberal political theorist who published over 150 works. He has historically been credited with the discovery of oxygen, having isolated it in its gaseous state, although Carl Wilhelm Scheele and Antoine Lavoisier also have strong claims to the discovery.

 

During his lifetime, Priestley's considerable scientific reputation rested on his invention of soda water, his writings on electricity, and his discovery of several "airs" (gases), the most famous being what Priestley dubbed "dephlogisticated air" (oxygen). However, Priestley's determination to defend phlogiston theory and to reject what would become the chemical revolution eventually left him isolated within the scientific community.

 

Priestley's science was integral to his theology, and he consistently tried to fuse Enlightenment rationalism with Christian theism. In his metaphysical texts, Priestley attempted to combine theism, materialism, and determinism, a project that has been called "audacious and original". He believed that a proper understanding of the natural world would promote human progress and eventually bring about the Christian millennium. Priestley, who strongly believed in the free and open exchange of ideas, advocated toleration and equal rights for religious Dissenters, which also led him to help found Unitarianism in England. The controversial nature of Priestley's publications, combined with his outspoken support of the French Revolution, aroused public and governmental suspicion; he was eventually forced to flee in 1791, first to London and then to the United States, after a mob burned down his Birmingham home and church. He spent his last ten years in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.

 

A scholar and teacher throughout his life, Priestley also made significant contributions to pedagogy, including the publication of a seminal work on English grammar and books on history, and he prepared some of the most influential early timelines. These educational writings were among Priestley's most popular works. It was his metaphysical works, however, that had the most lasting influence, being considered primary sources for utilitarianism by philosophers such as Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, and Herbert Spencer.

 

The stained glass ceiling in one of the apses at Cosanti.

 

I first visited Cosanti in 1968. There was nothing around it in this part of Paradise Valley and it was still being built. Things sure have changed. Paolo Soleri would probably be appalled by what grew up around his vision that is the compete antithesis of his vision.

 

I live about 2 miles north of here, but I had never made time to photograph it. I made time.

 

www.arcosanti.org/cosanti-foundation/

Founded in 1965, The Cosanti Foundation is an Arizona-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Our mission is to inspire a reimagined urbanism that builds resilient and equitable communities sustainably integrated with the natural world.

Our vision is a world of equitable communities which improve earth/life balance and do better with less.

We pursue this mission and vision at our two flagship locations, Cosanti (in Paradise Valley near Phoenix) and Arcosanti (near Mayer in central Arizona), as well as with projects, programs, and partnerships that hundreds of thousands of people have participated in over the last 57 years.

The word “cosanti” is a combination of the Italians words “cosa” (meaning “things”) and “anti” (meaning “against” or “before”). It signifies The Cosanti Foundation’s commitment to a way of living, working, and building that is oriented away from consumption and materialism, and is respectful of our planet’s natural rhythms and resources. Through ongoing experimentation with and application of the principles of arcology (a combination of the words architecture and ecology), we seek to demonstrate a kind of construction and community that offers an alternative to sprawl development and a solution to modern social and environmental crises.

The Cosanti Foundation also owns and operates the for-profit Cosanti Originals, where we make our world-famous bronze and ceramic windbells and other artisan items.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Soleri

Paolo Soleri (21 June 1919 – 9 April 2013)[1] was an Italian-born American architect. He established the educational Cosanti Foundation and Arcosanti. Soleri was a lecturer in the College of Architecture at Arizona State University and a National Design Award recipient in 2006. He coined the concept of 'arcology' – a synthesis of architecture and ecology as the philosophy of democratic society.[2] He died at home of natural causes on 9 April 2013 at the age of 93.[3]

Soleri authored several books, including The Bridge Between Matter & Spirit is Matter Becoming Spirit and Arcology – City In the Image of Man.[4]

Soleri was born in Turin, Italy, Europe. He was awarded his "laurea" (master's degree) in architecture from the Politecnico di Torino in 1946. He visited the United States in December 1946 and spent a year and a half in fellowship with Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin West in Arizona, and at Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin. During this time, he gained international recognition for a bridge design that was displayed at the Museum of Modern Art.[5]

Paolo and Colly Soleri made a lifelong commitment to research and experimentation in urban planning. They established the Cosanti Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational non-profit foundation. Soleri's philosophy and works were strongly influenced by the Jesuit paleontologist and philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.[citation needed]

 

Some finished artwork at Cosanti.

 

I first visited Cosanti in 1968. There was nothing around it in this part of Paradise Valley and it was still being built. Things sure have changed. Paolo Soleri would probably be appalled by what grew up around his vision that is the compete antithesis of his vision.

 

I live about 2 miles north of here, but I had never made time to photograph it. I made time.

 

www.arcosanti.org/cosanti-foundation/

Founded in 1965, The Cosanti Foundation is an Arizona-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Our mission is to inspire a reimagined urbanism that builds resilient and equitable communities sustainably integrated with the natural world.

Our vision is a world of equitable communities which improve earth/life balance and do better with less.

We pursue this mission and vision at our two flagship locations, Cosanti (in Paradise Valley near Phoenix) and Arcosanti (near Mayer in central Arizona), as well as with projects, programs, and partnerships that hundreds of thousands of people have participated in over the last 57 years.

The word “cosanti” is a combination of the Italians words “cosa” (meaning “things”) and “anti” (meaning “against” or “before”). It signifies The Cosanti Foundation’s commitment to a way of living, working, and building that is oriented away from consumption and materialism, and is respectful of our planet’s natural rhythms and resources. Through ongoing experimentation with and application of the principles of arcology (a combination of the words architecture and ecology), we seek to demonstrate a kind of construction and community that offers an alternative to sprawl development and a solution to modern social and environmental crises.

The Cosanti Foundation also owns and operates the for-profit Cosanti Originals, where we make our world-famous bronze and ceramic windbells and other artisan items.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Soleri

Paolo Soleri (21 June 1919 – 9 April 2013)[1] was an Italian-born American architect. He established the educational Cosanti Foundation and Arcosanti. Soleri was a lecturer in the College of Architecture at Arizona State University and a National Design Award recipient in 2006. He coined the concept of 'arcology' – a synthesis of architecture and ecology as the philosophy of democratic society.[2] He died at home of natural causes on 9 April 2013 at the age of 93.[3]

Soleri authored several books, including The Bridge Between Matter & Spirit is Matter Becoming Spirit and Arcology – City In the Image of Man.[4]

Soleri was born in Turin, Italy, Europe. He was awarded his "laurea" (master's degree) in architecture from the Politecnico di Torino in 1946. He visited the United States in December 1946 and spent a year and a half in fellowship with Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin West in Arizona, and at Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin. During this time, he gained international recognition for a bridge design that was displayed at the Museum of Modern Art.[5]

Paolo and Colly Soleri made a lifelong commitment to research and experimentation in urban planning. They established the Cosanti Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational non-profit foundation. Soleri's philosophy and works were strongly influenced by the Jesuit paleontologist and philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.[citation needed]

 

DSC04103-HDR acd2

[EXPLORE] Más de 22.000 visitas, GRACIAS! | More than 22,000 visitors, THANK YOU! | Plus de 22.000 visiteurs, MERCI!

 

Actualmente y por desgracia vivimos en una sociedad materialista. Los bienes materiales, las posesiones, EL DINERO... están por encima de los sentimientos, creando divisiones y barreras entre nosotros gracias al estatus social. Mucha gente pierde su casa y algunos ni siquiera tienen que llevarse a la boca. ¿Cual es la respuesta dada a esta situación? La ignorancia de esas personas, la reventa de sus hogares a favor de los bancos y una mayor fortuna para los adinerados quedando los pobres peor de lo que están¿Y si el dinero dejase de existir?¿Acaso no sería mejor ayudarnos los unos a los otros compartiendolo todo?Las barreras físicas desaparecerían quedando únicamente los sentimientos y las buenas intenciones. De este modo todos somos iguales, no habría diferencias entre unos y otros y el mundo sería un lugar mejor para todos.

 

Currently and unfortunately we live in a materialistic society. Material goods, possessions, MONEY ... are above the feelings, creating divisions and barriers between us because of social status. Many people lose their homes and some do not even have to put in their mouths. What is the answer to this situation? The ignorance of these people, the resale of their homes for banks and greater wealth to the wealthy leaving the poor worse off than they are And if money ceased to exist? Would it not be better to help one other sharing everything? physical barriers disappear leaving only the feelings and good intentions. In this way we are all equal, there would be differences between them and the world would be a better place for everyone.

 

Actuellement, et malheureusement, nous vivons dans une société matérialiste. Les biens matériels, biens, ARGENT ... sont au-dessus des sentiments, création de divisions et les barrières entre nous à cause de leur statut social. Beaucoup de gens perdent leurs maisons et certains n'ont même pas de mettre dans leur bouche. Quelle est la réponse à cette situation? L'ignorance de ces gens, la revente de leurs maisons pour les banques et une plus grande richesse pour les riches laissant le pire mauvaise que la leur Et si l'argent a cessé d'exister? Serait-il pas mieux d'aider un d'autres tout partager? barrières physiques disparaissent ne laissant que les sentiments et les bonnes intentions. De cette façon, nous sommes tous égaux, il y aurait des différences entre eux et le monde serait un endroit meilleur pour tous.

Nikon F3/Kodak BCW400 Film/Nikon 105mm f2.5

'Along The Way' (v slight return EDIT)

jAm (April 2022)

imagesPermissionApprovalMonitored

acoustic guitar - jAm

reverb, distortion - Audacity software

recording - HP laptop

videoArt -

optical-materialism macropaintographs (jAm 2010 - 2020)

In addition to early designs, the exhibition features new, previously unseen work by the Dutch duo Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta – the founders of Studio Drift. Specially for the presentation at the Stedelijk, Studio Drift will create the largest-ever installation of Fragile Future. At the core of the installation will be Fragile Future Chandelier 3.5 (2012) acquired by the museum in 2015. Another highlight is Drifter, a floating concrete monolith measuring four by two by two meters. After making its world première at New York’s Armory Show in 2017, this magical installation will be on display in the IMC Gallery at the Stedelijk. The film Drifters (2016) and the installation Materialism (2018) go on view for the first time. In total, the presentation comprises eight of Studio Drift’s room-filling installations, together with a selection of films.

 

The work of Studio Drift occupies a unique place at the interface between tech art, performance, and biodesign. As a museum that has always placed great importance on both art and design, and performance, the Stedelijk Museum is the perfect venue to display this transdisciplinary work. Gordijn and Nauta engage with contemporary topics such as sustainability, the meaning of natural processes for today’s environment, and issues raised by the use of augmented reality. Their work focuses attention on a society in flux, shaped by the impact of fast-paced innovations, without judging.

 

www.stedelijk.nl/en/exhibitions/studio-drift

This is the foundry apse at Cosanti where the windchimes are started.

 

I first visited Cosanti in 1968. There was nothing around it in this part of Paradise Valley and it was still being built. Things sure have changed. Paolo Soleri would probably be appalled by what grew up around his vision that is the compete antithesis of his vision.

 

I live about 2 miles north of here, but I had never made time to photograph it. I made time.

 

www.arcosanti.org/cosanti-foundation/

Founded in 1965, The Cosanti Foundation is an Arizona-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Our mission is to inspire a reimagined urbanism that builds resilient and equitable communities sustainably integrated with the natural world.

Our vision is a world of equitable communities which improve earth/life balance and do better with less.

We pursue this mission and vision at our two flagship locations, Cosanti (in Paradise Valley near Phoenix) and Arcosanti (near Mayer in central Arizona), as well as with projects, programs, and partnerships that hundreds of thousands of people have participated in over the last 57 years.

The word “cosanti” is a combination of the Italians words “cosa” (meaning “things”) and “anti” (meaning “against” or “before”). It signifies The Cosanti Foundation’s commitment to a way of living, working, and building that is oriented away from consumption and materialism, and is respectful of our planet’s natural rhythms and resources. Through ongoing experimentation with and application of the principles of arcology (a combination of the words architecture and ecology), we seek to demonstrate a kind of construction and community that offers an alternative to sprawl development and a solution to modern social and environmental crises.

The Cosanti Foundation also owns and operates the for-profit Cosanti Originals, where we make our world-famous bronze and ceramic windbells and other artisan items.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Soleri

Paolo Soleri (21 June 1919 – 9 April 2013)[1] was an Italian-born American architect. He established the educational Cosanti Foundation and Arcosanti. Soleri was a lecturer in the College of Architecture at Arizona State University and a National Design Award recipient in 2006. He coined the concept of 'arcology' – a synthesis of architecture and ecology as the philosophy of democratic society.[2] He died at home of natural causes on 9 April 2013 at the age of 93.[3]

Soleri authored several books, including The Bridge Between Matter & Spirit is Matter Becoming Spirit and Arcology – City In the Image of Man.[4]

Soleri was born in Turin, Italy, Europe. He was awarded his "laurea" (master's degree) in architecture from the Politecnico di Torino in 1946. He visited the United States in December 1946 and spent a year and a half in fellowship with Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin West in Arizona, and at Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin. During this time, he gained international recognition for a bridge design that was displayed at the Museum of Modern Art.[5]

Paolo and Colly Soleri made a lifelong commitment to research and experimentation in urban planning. They established the Cosanti Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational non-profit foundation. Soleri's philosophy and works were strongly influenced by the Jesuit paleontologist and philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.[citation needed]

 

DSC04086-HDR acd

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soon_Valley

  

The 'Soon Valley' (Urdu: [‎[‎وادئ سون)]] or Soon Sakesar is one of the famous valleys of Pakistan situated in the central Punjab province. The Valley is situated in the north west of Khushab. Naushera is the main town of the Valley. The Valley starts from Padhrar village and end to Sakesar that is the highest peak of Salt Range. The length of Soon Valley is 35 miles (56 km) and average width is 9 miles (14 km). The area of Soon Valley is 300-square-mile (780 km2). Although not as coold as the valleys up north, Soon valley consists of beautiful lakes, waterfalls, jungles, natural pools and ponds. Soon valley is also blessed with ancient civilization , natural resources, and fertile farms. There are some special features of this valley that distinguish it from other areas, without knowing about them it is very hard to understand its importance. Sabhral, Khoora, Naushera, Kufri, Anga, Ugali, Uchali and Bagh Shams-ud-Din are important towns in soon valley. Kanhatti Garden, Sodhi Garden, Da'ep and Sakesar are resorts to visit. Awan[1] tribe is settled in Soon Valley.[2]

Located at a height of 5,010 feet (1,530 m) above sea level, Sakesar was once the summer headquarters for the Deputy Commissioners of three districts - Campbelpur (now Attock), Mianwali and Shahpur (now Sargodha). It is the only mountain in this part of the Punjab which receives snow fall in winters. In view of Sakesar's ideal location and height, the PAF selected it in the late-50s as the site for a high powered radar which would provide air defence cover for the northeastern part of the western wing. Pakistan Television's re-broadcasting center has been installed to provide terrestrial transmissions coverage to adjoining areas.

  

Har do sodhi

(sodhi bala and sodhi zarien), Naushahra, Jabbah ,Ugalisharif, Kotli, Mukrumi,Kaamrh,Dhadhar, Mardwal, Kufri, Uchali, Chitta, Khoora,Anga,Khabbaki, kuradhi, Uchhala, Mustafaabad (Bhukhi), Sodhi Jai Wali, Sabhral, Shakarkot, Sirhal, Manawan, Surraki, Jahlar, Anga, Ahmadabad

•Distance from Islamabad: 290 km

•Distance from Sargodha: 110 km

•Lakes : Uchali, Khabbaki, Jahlar, Khura

•Shrines :Sultan Mehdi sahb, sultan Haji Ahmed sahb in Uchhala, Baba Shikh AkbarDin Ugalisharif, Pir Baba Sakhi Muhammad Khushhaal in Khabbaki, Amb Shareef, Baba beri Wala in Naushera, Abul Hameed & Aziz Ahmedabad

  

People

The main tribe of the area is the Awan of ancient repute. This tribe came in this area with Qutab Shah and settled in the Soon valley. The other sub branches and small tribes are Shehal, Ardaal, Mirwal, Adriyal, Shenaal in Kufri, Latifal, Jurwal, Radhnal, Sheraal in Naushehra, Pirkal in Jallay wali, Majhial in Mardwal,Bazral, Chhatal,Ghadhyal,Phatal,Yakial, Maswal in Ugalisharif, Phatwal and Bhojo khail, Sheral, Mianwaddal , Alyaral, Sher Shahal in Khabbaki and so on. In the valley Awan's are known by their clans. In old time the head of clan in each village was known as Raees, and the head of a tribe was known as Raees-Azam. The most famous Raees Azam were Pir Naubahar Shah of Pail,Malik Ameer Haider of Kufri, Qazi Mazhar Qayyum of Naushera and Lumberdar Syed Gul peer Shah of Sodhi,Baba Hafiz Ilyas of Chitta.

A majority of the people are serving in the armed forces of Pakistan. Many loyal brave soldiers and officers belong to this land who even laid down their lives for their homeland.[4]

Other professions like education, business, transportation and agricultural are also adopted by the locals. The people are hard working and agriculture used to be the main profession. Per person square footage of land decreased, as population increased. Consequently the people have migrated to large cities for jobs.

There are famous writers[5] like Ahmad Nadeem Qasimi, and journalist[6] from this area. Famous Physicians and Surgeons like Dr. Muzaffar-ul-Haq, Dr. Ghaus Malik neurosurgen (USA), Dr. Javaid Malik (USA), Dr. Nazir Ahmed Malik (Child Specialist) and Hafiz Habib Sultan (Eye Specialist) and Shaukat Memud Awan, general secretary Adara Tehqiqul Awan pakistan also belong to this land.

FARMING: Our farmers are also not behind to make their real contribution in agricultural growing corps like wheat , dalls , jawar and bajra including makaee crops .In this way our farmer is also playing a remarkable roll to full fill the local food requirement at large level , i remember that our local production of wheat including other eatable plus abandant quantity of vegitable for our local use with addition we are meeting the requirement demand of vegitable up to Lahore , Gujranwala , Sargodha , Talagang and Rawalpindi Districts for their people at large quiantiy hence our small population is never dependant on any one else . We are self sufficient .

Review on “My celestial Dreams” written by Abdul Ghaffar Aamir Ghufri Valley Soon Sakaser khushab AAMIR’S POETRY AND MONTOMERY

By Allama Muhammad Yousuf Gabriel

I opened the book, here and there, and my cursory glance met with certain spurts of genius. There was before me the vision of a bud that could blossom one day into fascinating flower to adorn the garden of English poetry. To reach that pinnacle, however, sincerity, purity, fortitude, patience, perseverance and learning, besides the general pre-requisites, such as imagination, wit, faculty of expression and command over language were necessary. The first two poems are hymns about the omnipresence of God. Quite naturally my thought went to a poem “The Omnipresence of Lord”, written by Montgomery. My acquaintance with this poem was due to its review written by Lord Macaulay in 1830. Literary Essay of Lord Macaulay) the review indeed was horrible. Shaking his fierce trident, the enraged critic fell upon the author with deadliest attack and would not cause till the victim lay dead. This was the work of blind fury; we have seen only such part of poem which were exhibited by the critic and faulty. Yet despite Macaulay’s total condemnation of the work, we think that criticism as a preplanned act of cruel murder. We are not in a position to challenge of defy the points raised by Macaulay, yet we cannot hesitate to assert that the work after all was not so bad and also, that besides flaws. It contained point of merit, for example it’s them, which Macaulay had internationally refuse to see. This certainly meant the violence of the rule of criticism. On the whole we think this Macaulay’s criticism as a tragedy in the annals of criticism itself. It is the blemish on the name of both of the critic and the criticism. Montgomery fell as the victim of illuck before the trident of Macaulay, who himself tells us in his article, that the practice of puffing of worthless literary works was the vogue in England. Macaulay called upon every one who was anxious for the purity of the national taste or for the honour of the literary character to join in this discountenancing the practice that of puffing which according to him was then so shamefully and so successfully carried on in the country. It was on this point that Montgomery appeared as the target, because Montgomery’s work had run into eleven editions. It is thus in his effort to discountenancing the practice of puffing that Macaulay fell headlong upon a poet whose work despite flaws had certain points of merit and was purchased and read with rapture in eleventh edition by the public of England. The whole article of Macaulay is interesting, but due to the considering of space, we shall have to be content with only one instance of Macaulay’s criticism. Say, he: “The all pervading influence of the Supreme being is then described in a few tolerable lines borrowed from Pope and a great many intolerable of Mr. Robert Montgomery’s own. The following may stand as a specimen.”. : Upon thy Mirror earths majestic view, : To paint thy presence and to feel it too, These last two lines contain and excellent specimen of Mr. Robert Montgomery’s Turkey carpet style of writing. The Majestic view of the earth is the mirror of God’s presence. And on this mirror Mr. Robert Montgomery paints God’s presence. The use of a mirror submit is not to be painted upon”. Says Macaulay:

We do not mean that this couplet is the specimen of high class English poetry, but the word paint of the mirror put easily be some substituted by the word canvas and show. We, however, want to make it clear that we are not going to judge the work of our point. Aamir on the standard of poet like Montgomery. Our poet shows the signs of genius that could rise to the highest of high class poetry in English.

Now before we leave Macaulay and Montgomery to rest in their graves, we intend to show some identity of thought and view between Montgomery and Aamir and not at all with a view to evaluating their works in comparison. Monitory’s work can stand no comparison. His verse is slow, sluggish, unwidely and lacks the qualities of high class poetry. While the works of Aamir is brist, precise, to the point and expressed with strong effect. Aamir’s thought a beginner in a language which is quite foreign to him, yet he shows the sign of rising to highest maintain while the great English poet. Montgomery says : : There is not a blossom fondled by the breeze, : There is not a fruit that beautify the trees, : There is not a particle in sea or air, : But nature own thy plastic influence there” Aamir says: : I feel your hand wherever I look in every flower, tree or brook, Montgomery says : : Yet not alone created realm engage, : Thy faultless wisdom, grand primeval sage: For all the thronging woes of life allied, Thy Mercy Tempers and Thy cares provide” Aamir says:- All kingdoms are yours, all crowns for you, You are the greatest, perfect and true When we suffers sorrow and decay, Your blessings see us through all the way: Montgomery says: : The dew that on the violet lies, Mocks the dark luster of thine eyes” Aamir says:- : All this beauty, charms and grace, Is just a lovely glimpse of your face”. We have given the above-quoted verse to see the identity of the views of the two poets, and to see also the difference between the rim odes of expression. Surely the verses of Aamir taken from his Hymn must be his earliest, yet his styles who was sort of precision which lacks in Montgomery’s verse. But Aamir has to be judged by the second part of his work, “My Celestial Dreams”. Therein we can have the audacity to show his work in comparison to greatest English poets. And he is as yet so young. As for as Montgomery’s work is concerned we can agree with Macaulay when he says:

His writing bears the same relation to poetry which a Turkey carpet bears to a picture. There are colours in the Turkey carpet out of which a picture might be made. There are words in Mr. Montgomery’s writing which, when disposed in certain corders and combinations, have made, and will again make, good poetry:

Yet our complaint is that Macaulay’s treatment of Montgomery was ruthless. Ruthless beyond any bounds, Montgomery was taken as a scrape-goat. As far as Aamir’s work is concerned, he himself says:

This humble effort of mine is not meant to stir your imagination towards the poetic proness of my pen, but just to apprise you of the fact that I have drunk deeply at he fountain of God’s love for human souls”.

While reading the work of Aamir, “My celestial dreams”, novice though he is, the eye meets everywhere some expression which sounds like the voice of some great English poet, such as Keats, Shelly, Wordsworth etc. to reach the pinnacle, however, means constant flight. Aamir is not so unfortunate as Montgomery was. He is in better times, and in a better environment. The world now sick of materialism, has begun to take interest in religion. And thus the product of his mind has every probability acceptance and appreciation all over the world. His work, “My celestial Dream” could a well be divined into two distinct parts, that is before the poem. “Hero of the land”, and after that to etched end. The second part has distinctive superiority over the first. The poet appears to be blossoming fast and has reached a remarkable standard of efficiency. His thought share sacred. His expression is origin and sublime. He certainly does not appear like a foreigner who has learned English languages. He rather composes his poetry like the aboriginal English poet. His themes are simple yet deeply touching and indeed great. Judging by this religious trend, he might be taken by some European critic as a bigot, which he certainly is not. Milton and Bunyan both poets of Christianity have long since been thrown into oblivion due to surging waves of modern materialism. Whereas Aamir stands a real chance to make his mark in the world as poet of Islam. The credit of eulogizing the Holy Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) in English poetry goes to him. He has emerged as a pioneer in that field. We will now quote some of his waves to see and urge the prowess of his pen. He might deny it, yet his pen is impressive beyond expectations:-

“O! Crescent star flag! I pray you fly, With honour so high, Above this world, And azure sky, “Sons of Turkey, the tigers of Kamal Brave courageous handsome and tall “In sweet sleeps of night I see your dreams, My love for your flows like rivers and streams. O! Father come back Wipe my eyes Kiss me. Come and grace my beautiful world, Which I made for you, And be my love Part of eternity. For my love is true and eternal Born in heaven, reared an earth, Pulling you from the burning sun. It will fill you with joy and mirth. So my love, now we separate, Let time and fate on love operate, With flaming passion we shall meet, Our souls, then pure rejoice, for ever greet, Today it is corpse But yesterday it was, A paragon Wistfully recalled the golden day’s When I was like a flower, Like a delightful nightingale, I felt as if truly, I had come to what I was again You shall be forever sought, By the one who shall not? See you again Your sketch I adored it, In the temple of my soul, And worshipped it, All my life. These are some examples of Aamir’s verse which we have quoted. And we wish him good and good speed. May he blossom one day into and an eminent literacy figure, and be our pride. Dated: 14th January 1986.

Allama Muhammad Yousuf Gabriel C/O Khalid General Strores, Main Bazar, Nawababad, Wah Cantt. Distt. Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

www.oqasa.org www. soonvalley.com www.soonvalley.pakistan www.alturka.com www.likedone.pakistan

 

Martial Race

 

The Awans of the Soon Valley were also amongst those the British considered to be "martial race".[7] The British recruited army heavily from Soon Valley for service in the colonial army, and as such, the Awans of this area also formed an important part of the British Indian Army, serving with distinction during World Wars I and II. Of all the Muslim groups recruited by the British, proportionally, the Awans produced the greatest number of recruits during the First and Second World Wars. Contemporary historians, namely Professor Ian Talbot and Professor Tan Tai Yong, have authored works that cite the Awans (amongst other tribes) as being looked upon as a martial race by not only the British, but neighbouring tribes as well. The army of Pakistan also heavily recruits Awans from this area. Awans occupy the highest ranks of the Pakistani Army.[8] DHAHDHAR :- This is one of the most important village of this soon valley , which is producing wheat and vegitable at large quantity for offording local population as well as upto the range of Lahore , Gujranwala, Sargodha , Talagang & Rawalpindi Districts .

LIVE STOCK :- Our village is producing live stock breeding at large scal hence contributing a major roll for production of various type of animal like bufaloos , cow' , oxen, sheep and goats to full fill the requirement of general publc in case of meet , milk and skins for manufecturing of leather shoes and leather garments .

 

Lakes

There are two well-renowned Uchhali Lake and Khabikki Lake lakes in Soon valley. Uchhali is a salt water lake in the southern Salt Range area in Pakistan. This lake is formed due to the absence of drainage in the range. Sakaser, the highest mountain in the Salt Range, looms over the lake. Due to its brackish water the lake is lifeless. But it offers a picturesque scenery. Khabikki Lake is a salt water lake in the southern Salt Range area in Pakistan. This lake is formed due to the absence of drainage in the range. The lake is one kilometer wide and two kilometres long. Khabikki is also the name of a neighbouring village. Boats are also available and there is a rest house beside the lake. A hill gently ascended on the right side of the lake. The lake and the green area around provide a good scenery. These lakes attract thousands of migratory birds each year and are ideal haven for the bird watchers.

Tucked in the southern periphery of the Salt Range and hemmed in by its higher cliffs, is a cluster of natural lakes — Ucchali, Khabbeki and Jhallar in district Khushab. These lakes are said to be 400 years old, maybe more. The lakes are a prime sanctuary for the migratory birds and were declared a protected sanctuary for the native and migratory avifauna on the appeal of World Wildlife Fund. Nestled at about 800 meters above the sea, lakes have some marsh vegetation and are mostly surrounded by cultivated land, which is picturesquely intersected by hillocks. The lakes are fed by the spring, seepage from adjacent areas, and run off from the neighbouring hills of the historic Salt Range. The lakes are one of the most important wintering areas for the rare white-headed ducks (Oxyura leucocephala) in Pakistan that comes here from Central Asia. Locals believe that there is a volcano hidden beneath the surface of the Ucchali Lake due to which the colour of the water keeps changing. The appearance of a vert broad and brightly coloured rainbow in 1982 for consecutive 15 days is also attributed to this analogy. in 1982, a strange phenomenon was observed in the villages Ucchali and Dhadhar. The lakes’ water is also said to cure gout and skin diseases. People have been taking the water from the lakes as far as Lahore and Karachi. People think that a pure white winged creature called Great egret, from Grus family, found in the area is a symbol of longevity.

  

Town and Villages

•Naushera

•Sakesar

•Jabbah

•Uchalla

•Pail-Piran

•Sodhi

•Kalial

•Sirhal

•Shakar Kot

•Unga

•Khabbaki

•Dhadhar

•Mardawal

•Khewra

•Kufri (now its name is sadiq abad so called with this new name)

•Sabhral

•Koradhi

•Uchhali

•Shakarkot

•Anngah

•Ugalisharif

•Makrumi

•Kamrah

•Dhadar

•Ahmadabad

har do sodhi soon become union consil

Different Villages Location

Villages west of Naushehra are Sabhral, Kufri, Koradhi,Uchhali, and Chitta before reaching the Pakistan Air Force Base of Sakesar.

Villages to the north west of Naushehra are Sirhal, Shakarkot Anngah and Ugalisharif.

Villages to the north east of Naushehra are Mardowal, Makrumi,Kamrah,Dhadar, Ahmadabad, Khabakki and Jabah.

Villages to the south west of Naushehra are har do sodhi , Surraki and Jahlar.

Villages to the south of Naushehra are Chamraki and Sodhian villages.

Villages to the east of Naushehra are Dhakah, Mirokah Dhakah, Jalay Wali, (Uchhalah is not on the main road), Sodhi Jai Wali, Kaliyal, Khurrah, and Kathwai.

Padhrar and Pail-Piran are not the part of soon valley but these villages are in the same election area and fall on Chakwal-Khushab road.

There are scattered colonies of certain families which are called Dhok. Usually at each Dhoke there are two to ten houses.

  

Historical Places

•Lakes: Ugalisharif & Uchalli Lake, Khabikki Lake and Jahlar Lake.

•Waterfalls at Kufri.

•Ambh Sharif is a historical place in Hinduism.

•Kanahti Garden, Sodhi Garden, Khabakki Jheel,Ugalisharif & Uchali Jheel, Sakesar and Daip Shareef and the hiking experiences of hills

•Anga, an important village.

•Sodhi village has waterfalls, a Rest House, and wild animals like Cheetah, Rabbit, Deer, Teetar (Urdu name of a bird).

•Shrines of Babashikh Akbar Din Darbar-e- aaliah Chishtiah Akbariah UGALISHRIF, Makan Sharif Kufri sajadh nashin Sahibzadh Muhammad Hamid Aziz Hamidi, Pir Khawja Noori and Pir Sahib Acha (Hacha)- descendents of Baha Ud Din Zakkariyya Multani(Hazrat Baha Ul Haq)in Pail-Piran

•Ganji Pahari, Baba shikh Akbar Din Darbar-e- aaliah Chishtiah Akbariah UGALISHRIF. Baba Sewu Beri Wala and Baba Mari Wala in Naushera.

•Baba shikh Akbar Din Darbar-e- aaliah Chishtiah Akbariah Ugli Sharif and Pir Khawaja Noori in Pail jant

•Mahala Jurwal, is the biggest and most densed street of Naushahra. Malik Sultan Mubaraz, a well knw transporter of last dacade belongs to this street

•Mahala Qazian Wallah, is also a famous street of Naushera, where the famous qadis of Naushera used to live.

•Graveyard of qadi family

•Sodhi Jai Wali is also famous for its natural Water falls and Garden as well. The Garden is located near a Historical Rest House, It is said that this Rest House was gifted by Syed Family of Sodhi Jai wali to the British Rulers.

    

View On Black

 

Everyone’s life is driven by something.

Most dictionaries define the verb drive as

“to guide, to control, or to direct.” Whether

you are driving a car, a nail, or a golf ball, you

are guiding, controlling, and directing it at that

moment. What is the driving force in your life?

Right now you may be driven by a problem,

a pressure, or a deadline. You may be driven by

a painful memory, a haunting fear, or an

unconscious belief. There are hundreds of circumstances,

values, and emotions that can

drive your life. Here are five common ones:

 

Many people are driven by guilt. They

spend their entire lives running from regrets

and hiding their shame. Guilt-driven people are

manipulated by memories. They allow their past

to control their future.

 

Many people are driven by resentment.

They hold on to their hurts and never get over

them. Instead of releasing their pain through

forgiveness, they rehearse it over and over in

their minds.

 

Many people are driven by fear. These fears

may be a result of a traumatic experience, an

unrealistic expectation, growing up in a highcontrol

home, or even genetic predisposition.

Regardless of the cause, fear-driven people often

miss great opportunities because they’re afraid to

venture out.

 

Many people are driven by materialism.

Their desire to acquire becomes the whole goal

of their lives. This drive to always get more is

based on the misconception that having more

will make me more happy, more important, and

more secure—but all three ideas are untrue.

They were in a very privileged state. Of all the multitudes of spiritual beings in the universe, how many of them are able to have such a close and daily contact with the Creator God? Just very few — probably those associated with the throne itself such as the Cherubim and the twenty-four elders. But in the Garden were two human beings in the closest of association with God Himself. It must have been like a heaven on earth! And indeed, that’s just what it was, in a symbolic way. It was as if God’s celestial palace temporarily had come to earth. Even the Garden, the Cherubim of the Garden, the altar built by Cain and Abel, the land of Eden, and the land of Nod are all connected with the temple symbolism and are direct images of God’s heavenly abode. And for the brief period of time before the sin of Adam and Eve, "heaven” was really here on earth. In the Garden our first parents were able to talk face to face with God. But note an important point. They only had conversations with Him at certain times of the day. They did not see Him on all occasions. It was “in the cool of the day” that they came into “the presence of the Lord” (Genesis 3:8). The expressions “cool of the day” and “the presence of the Lord” were a part of temple language. 7 “The cool of the day” was the period when the Sun got lower in the sky and the cool sea breezes normally swept over the Palestinian region. This was the time of the evening sacrifice (1 Kings 18:36; Daniel 9:21) — about three in the afternoon. This was the time when the animals were being regularly sacrificed (and also in the morning about nine o’clock). At these times the people were then reckoned as being “in the presence of God” (2 Chronicles 20:19). As the Kingdom of Heaven is increasingly seen as a highly advanced extraterrestrial/alien civilization from a scientific perspective, so too will the collective ...... These so-called extraterrestrial "aliens" have been known to reveal that they originate from the Pleiades, Zeti Reticuli, Arcturus, Aldebaran and Sirius, among others.. Arian allegedly is the name of a planet that circles Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri), and that’s inhabited by a humanoid civilization. Arian would be the 4th planet circling Aldebaran. Older estimates situate it approx. 60 LY away, which is in line with the 59 LY Martin Wiesengrün mentions. Note that there are – thus far unconfirmed reports – of a possible brown dwarf companion, in which case Aldebaran would be a binary system. Allegedly the natives call their sun Raula. Arian’s orbit around it would take approx. 20.2 earth years to complete.Thus Jerusalem's holiest spot is a rock that the ancient Jews saw as the center of the Earth, the axis of the universe, the pivot that joined Heaven and Earth, and Earth with the ..... DOME: The dome over the Temple Mount, Old Jerusalem, and the entire city corresponds to Aldebaran, the alpha star and eye of the bull Taurus.

The term New Jerusalem occurs twice in the New Testament, in verses Rev 3:12 and Rev 21:2 of the Book of Revelation. A large portion of the final two chapters of Revelation deals with John of Patmos' vision of the New Jerusalem. He describes the New Jerusalem as "'the bride, the wife of the Lamb'", where the river of the Water of Life flows.After John witnesses the new heaven and a new earth "that no longer has any sea", an angel takes him "in the Spirit" to a vantage point on "a great and high mountain" to see the New Jerusalem's descent. The enormous city comes out of heaven down to the New Earth. John's elaborate description of the New Jerusalem retains many features of the Garden of Eden and the paradise garden, such as rivers, a square shape, a wall, and the Tree of Life.ccording to John, the New Jerusalem is "pure gold, like clear glass" and its "brilliance [is] like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper." The street of the city is also made of "pure gold, like transparent glass". The base of the city is laid out in a square and surrounded by a wall made of jasper. It says in Revelation 21:16 that the height, length, and width are of equal dimensions - as it was with the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle and First Temple - and they measure 12,000 furlongs which is approximately 1500.3 miles). John writes that the wall is 144 cubits, which is assumed to be the thickness since the length is mentioned previously. 144 cubits are about equal to 65 meters, or 72 yards. It is important to note that 12 is the square root of 144. The number 12 was very important to early Jews and Christians, representing the 12 tribes of Israel and 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ.Part of Jerusalem's significance and holiness to Muslims derives from its strong association with Abraham, David, Solomon, and Jesus. They are all regarded as Prophets of Islam and their stories are mentioned in the Qur'an. Jerusalem served as the first qibla (direction of prayer) for Muslims. Whilst Muslims were in Mecca, and also for 17–18 months in Medina, Muslims prayed towards Jerusalem. Early mosques in Medina were built to face Jerusalem. In 625, the qibla was changed to the Kaaba in Mecca.[21][Quran 2:142–151] After Muhammad, many of his Companions lived in Jerusalem, and upon their death they were buried there The four sides of the city represented the four cardinal directions (North, South, East, and West.) In this way, New Jerusalem was thought of as an inclusive place, with gates accepting all of the 12 tribes of Israel from all corners of the earth.There is no temple building in the New Jerusalem. God and the Lamb are the city's temple, since they are worshiped everywhere. Revelation 22 goes on to describe a river of the water of life that flows down the middle of the great street of the city from the Throne of God. The tree of life grows in the middle of this street and on either side, or in the middle of the street and on either side of the river. The tree bears twelve fruits, or kinds of fruits, and yields its fruit every month. According to John, "The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." This inclusion of the tree of life in the New Jerusalem harkens back to the Garden of Eden. The fruit the tree bears may be the fruit of life. John states that the New Jerusalem will be free of sin. The servants of God will have theosis, and "His name will be on their foreheads." Night will no longer fall, and the inhabitants of the city will "have need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light." John ends his account of the New Jerusalem by stressing its eternal nature: "And they shall reign forever and ever."There are twelve gates in the wall oriented to the compass with three each on the east, north, south, and west sides. There is an angel at each gate, or gatehouse. These gates are each made of a single pearl, giving them the name of the "pearly gates". The names of the twelve tribes of Israel are written on these gates. The (four) New Jerusalem (cardinal) gates may bear some relation to the gates mentioned in Enoch, Chapters 33 - 35, where the prophet reports (from four) "heavenly gates opening into heaven;" {(like) the extremities of the whole earth (reaching)}, "three (more gates) distinctly separated." [33, 3.] (All four of the gates) of the four major compass directions (are involved in the separating into 3 more gates, thus giving 12 gates total).[ref. Laurence translation, Book of Enoch.]The wall has twelve foundation stones, and on these are written the names of the Twelve Apostles. Revelation lacks a list of the names of the Twelve Apostles, and does not describe which name is inscribed on which foundation stone, or if all of the names are inscribed on all of the foundation stones, so that aspect of the arrangement is open to speculation. The layout of the precious stones is contested. All of the precious stones could adorn each foundation stone, either in layers or mixed together some other way, or just one unique type of stone could adorn each separate foundation stone. This latter possibility is favored by tradition, as each gate presumably stands on one foundation stone, and each of the twelve tribes has long been associated with a certain type of precious stone. These historical connections go back to the time of Temple worship, when the same kinds of stones were set in the golden Breastplate of the Ephod worn by the Kohen Gadol, and on the Ephod the names of each of the twelve tribes of Israel were inscribed on a particular type of stone.

It is interesting to note that the translated meanings of the various sorts of foundation stones have varied through the centuries: those in King James Version are differently named in later translations. "18: And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 19: And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 20: The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst." Rev 21:18-20 with the more modern, New Jerusalem Bible version, "18 The wall was built of diamond, and the city of pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the city wall were faced with all kinds of precious stone: the first with diamond, the second lapis lazuli, the third turquoise, the fourth crystal, 20 the fifth agate, the sixth ruby, the seventh gold quartz, the eighth malachite, the ninth topaz, the tenth emerald, the eleventh sapphire and the twelfth amethyst." In 21:16, the angel measures the city with a golden rod or reed, and records it as 12,000 stadia by 12,000 stadia at the base, and 12,000 stadia high. A stadion is usually stated as 185 meters, or 607 feet, so the base has dimensions of about 2220 km by 2220 km, or 1380 miles by 1380 miles. In the ancient Greek system of measurement, the base of the New Jerusalem would have been equal to 144 million square stadia, 4.9 million square kilometers or 1.9 million square miles (roughly midway between the sizes of Australia and India). If rested on the Earth, its ceiling would be inside the upper boundary of the exosphere but outside the lower boundary.. By way of comparison, the International Space Station maintains an orbit with an altitude of about 386 km (240 mi) above the earth.The Book of Revelation was composed during the end of the 1st century AD, sometime during the later end of the reign of Emperor Nero Domitius (54 to 68 CE). The work is addressed to the “seven churches that are in Asia” (1:4). Revelation is normally broken into three sections: the prologue (1:1-3:22), the visions (4:1-22:5), and the epilogue (22:6-20). This study is principally concerned with chapter 21. The author of Revelation was both a Jew by birth and a believing Christian. For the author and the addressees of Revelation, they are searching for the Lord to vindicate them and judge the “inhabitants of the earth,” for their suffering (6:10). The fall of Jerusalem coupled with the Neronian persecutions form the tension within the subtext of Revelation. Throughout Revelation, several references to the Temple are made REV 3:12,7:15,11:19,14:15,16:1. This Temple appears to be of heavenly origin. When the eschaton arrives in REV 21:1, the reader expects the temple to come down from heaven with the New Jerusalem. Revelation 21 even contains typical New Jerusalem terminology that accompanies a restored Temple. Specific measurements are given for the new city (Ezekiel 40-48, 4Q554), and the city is built with gold, sapphires, and emeralds (Isaiah, Tobit). In addition, 21:21 references the “twelve gates.” Revelation maintains another typically aspect of New Jerusalem tradition – the reunification of the twelve tribes of Israel (Ezekiel 48:33-34, 4Q554).

Verse 22 marks a sudden and remarkable shift in New Jerusalem apocalyptic rhetoric: “I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb.” Following with the tradition of 3 Baruch and 4 Sibylline Oracles, Revelation foresees an eschaton without the Temple. Why has the Revelation suddenly denied an eschatological Temple? Verse 23 sheds light on this disparity. Verse 23 proclaims, “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is the light, and its lamp is the lamb.” For the author of Revelation, there is no need for a Temple because the Lord will be the New Jerusalem’s eternal light and Jesus (the lamb) will be its lamp. This re-interpretation utilizes Isaiah to make its case: “The LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun shall no more go down, or your moon withdraw itself; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended.” (Isaiah 60:19) The Temple is discarded in the eschaton because the Lord will provide illumination for the New Jerusalem, and Christ will be the glory for its residents. Henceforth, Christians believed that the New Jerusalem no longer required a Temple. For Christians, their Lord sufficiently replaced the Temple.The Babylonian threat to the Kingdom of Judah began as the Babylonian Empire conquered Assyria and rose to power from 612-609 BCE. Jerusalem surrendered without major bloodshed to Babylon in 597. An Israelite uprising brought the destruction of Nebuchadnezzar’s army upon Jerusalem in 586 BCE. The entire city, including the First Temple, was burned. Israelite aristocrats were taken captive to Babylon. The Book of Ezekiel contains the first record of the New Jerusalem. Within Ezekiel 40-48, there is an extended and detailed description of the measurements of the Temple, its chambers, porticos, and walls. Ezekiel 48:30-35 contains a list of twelve Temple gates named for Israel’s tribes. The Book of Zechariah expands upon Ezekiel’s New Jerusalem. After the Second Temple was built after the exile, Jerusalem’s population was only a few hundred. There were no defensive city walls until 445 BCE.[7] In the passage, the author writes about a city wall of fire to protect the enormous population. This text demonstrates the beginning of a progression of New Jerusalem thought. In Ezekiel, the focus is primarily on the human act of Temple construction. In Zechariah, the focus shifts to God’s intercession in the founding of New Jerusalem.

New Jerusalem is further extrapolated in Isaiah, where New Jerusalem is adorned with precious sapphires, jewels, and rubies. The city is described as a place free from terror and full of righteousness. Here, Isaiah provides an example of Jewish apocalypticism, where a hope for a perfected Jerusalem and freedom from oppression is revealed. As the original New Jerusalem composition, Ezekiel functioned as a source for later works such as 4 Ezra, 2 Baruch, Qumran documents, and the Book of Revelation. These texts used similar measurement language and expanded on the limited eschatological perspective in Ezekiel.Judaism sees the Messiah as a human male descendant of King David who will be anointed as the king of Israel and sit on the throne of David in Jerusalem. He will gather in the lost tribes of Israel, clarify unresolved issues of halakha, and rebuild the Holy Temple in Jerusalem according to the pattern shown to the prophet Ezekiel. During this time Jews believe an era of global peace and prosperity will be initiated, the nations will love Israel and will abandon their gods, turn toward Jerusalem, and come to the Holy Temple to worship the one God of Israel. Zechariah prophesied that any family among the nations who does not appear in the Temple in Jerusalem for the festival of Sukkoth will have no rain that year. Isaiah prophesied that the rebuilt Temple will be a house of prayer for all nations. The city of YHWH Shamma, the new Jerusalem, will be the gathering point of the world's nations, and will serve as the capital of the renewed Kingdom of Israel. Ezekiel prophesied that this city will have 12 gates, one gate for each of the tribes of Israel. The book of Isaiah closes with the prophecy "And it will come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, all flesh will come to worship before Me, says YHWH"

 

At the core, apocalypses are a form of theodicy. They respond to overwhelming suffering with the hope of divine intercession and a perfected World to Come. The destruction of the Second Temple in 70 meant an end to Second Temple Judaism. Naturally, apocalyptic responses to the disaster followed. This section will first cover 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch. Fourth Ezra and 2 Baruch are important for two reasons. First, they look for a Temple in Heaven, not the eschaton. Second, these texts exhibit the final new Temple texts in Judaism. Jewish texts like 3 Baruch began to reject a restored Temple completely. However, these texts were deemed to be apocryphal by the Rabbis who maintained the belief in a Third Temple as central to Rabbinic Judaism. The Jewish apocalypse of 4 Ezra is a text contained in the apocryphal book 2 Esdras. The genre of 4 Ezra is historical fiction, set thirteen years after the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem. Fourth Ezra is dated approximately in 83 CE, thirteen years after the Roman destruction of Jerusalem. The story follows Ezra’s period of mourning following Jerusalem’s fall. Ezra is Job-like in his criticism of God’s allowance of Jerusalem’s downfall. In Ezra’s deep state of grief, he meets a woman lamenting over Jerusalem. Ezra consoles the woman, and tells her to, “shake off your great sadness, and lay aside your many sorrows… the Most High may give you rest.” (4 Ezra 10:24). Suddenly, the woman is transfigured in an array of bright lights. She transforms into the New Jerusalem being rebuilt. As a bereaved widow she convinced Ezra to apply solace to himself through the image of a New Jerusalem. Fourth Ezra has two clear messages. First, do not grieve excessively over Jerusalem. Second, Jerusalem will be restored as a heavenly kingdom. Fourth Ezra also uses the title “Most High,” throughout the apocalypse to emphasis that the Lord will once again reign and reside in Jerusalem. The apocalypse of 2 Baruch is a contemporary narrative of 4 Ezra. The text also follows the same basic structure 4 Ezra: Job-like grief, animosity towards the Lord, and the rectification of Jerusalem that leads to the comfort of the Job-figure. Second Baruch is historical fiction, written after the Roman destruction but set before the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians. Baruch is distressed when the Lord informs him of Jerusalem’s impending doom. Baruch responds with several theological questions for God. For this study, Baruch’s inquiry about the future of Israel and the honor of the Lord are most pertinent (2 Baruch 3:4-6). Baruch learns that the Lord will destroy the city, not the enemy. Baruch also learns of a pre-immanent heavenly Temple: “[The Temple] was already prepared from the moment I decided to create paradise.” And I showed it to Adam before he sinned.” (2 Baruch 4:3). This Temple was created before Adam, and shown to him before Adam’s fall.

Two important conclusions come from 2 Baruch. First, the author dismisses hopes for an earthly re-built Temple. The focus is entirely on the heavenly Temple that pre-dated the Garden of Eden. This may be a device to express the supremacy of the heavenly Temple as a sanctuary built before Eden (the traditional location of the earthly Temple). Second, Baruch believes that restoration for the people of Israel exists in heaven, not on earth. The apocalypse of 3 Baruch is the anomaly among post-revolt New Jerusalem texts. Unlike 2 Baruch and 4 Ezra, the text exemplifies an alternative tradition that lacks a restored Temple. Like other apocalypses, 3 Baruch still mourns over the Temple, and re-focuses Jews to the heavens. Yet 3 Baruch finds that the Temple is ultimately unnecessary. This move could be polemical against works which afforded the Temple with excessive veneration. In the passage, an angel comes to Baruch and consoles him over Jerusalem: “Where is their God? And behold as I was weeping and saying such things, I saw an angel of the Lord coming and saying to me: Understand, O man, greatly beloved, and trouble not thyself so greatly concerning the salvation of Jerusalem.” (3 Baruch 1:3) Third Baruch certainly mourns over the Temple. Yet 3 Baruch is not ultimately concerned with the lack of a Temple. This text goes along with Jeremiah and Sibylline Oracles 4 to express a minority tradition within Jewish literature. In the first Christian apocalypse, the Book of Revelation coincides with this perspective on Jerusalem. The study will now move to early Christian perspectives on the Temple and the apocalyptic response in Revelation.Since Christianity originated from Judaism, the history of Jewish places of worship and the currents of thought in ancient Judaism described above served in part as the basis for the development of the Christian conception of the New Jerusalem. Christians have always placed religious significance on Jerusalem as the site of The Crucifixion and other events central to the Christian faith. In particular, the destruction of the Second Temple that took place in the year 70, a few decades after Christianity began its split from Judaism, was seminal to the nascent Christian apocalypticism of that time. In the Olivet discourse of the Gospels, Jesus predicts the destruction of Herod's Temple, and promises that it will precede the return of the Son of Man, commonly called the Second Coming. This prophecy of the renewal of Jerusalem by the messiah echoes those of the Jewish prophets. John of Patmos' vision of the New Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation draws on the Olivet discourse and all the historical precursors mentioned above.

Based on the Book of Revelation, premillennialism holds that, following the end times and the second creation of heaven and earth (see The New Earth), the New Jerusalem will be the earthly location where all true believers will spend eternity with God. The New Jerusalem is not limited to eschatology, however. Many Christians view the New Jerusalem as a current reality, that the New Jerusalem is the consummation of the Body of Christ, the Church and that Christians already take part in membership of both the heavenly Jerusalem and the earthly Church in a kind of dual citizenship.In this way, the New Jerusalem represents to Christians the final and everlasting reconciliation of God and His chosen people, "the end of the Christian pilgrimage." As such, the New Jerusalem is a conception of Heaven, see also Heaven (Christianity).Christianity interprets the city as a physical and/or spiritual restoration or divine recreation of the city of Jerusalem. It is also interpreted by many Christian groups as referring to the Church to be the dwelling place of the saints.

John of Patmos describes the New Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation in the Christian Bible, and so the New Jerusalem holds an important place in Christian eschatology and Christian mysticism, and has also influenced Christian philosophy and Christian theology. Such a renewal of Jerusalem, if a reconstruction, is an important theme in Judaism, Christianity, and the Bahá'í Faith. Renewed Jerusalem bears as its motto the words Ad librum (Latin: "as by the book".) Many traditions based on biblical scripture and other writings in the Jewish and Christian religions, such as Protestantism, and Orthodox Judaism, expect the literal renewal of Jerusalem to some day take place at the Temple

 

The dome over the Temple Mount, Old Jerusalem, and the entire city corresponds to Aldebaran, the alpha star and eye of the bull Taurus. The Foundation Stone within the Dome of the Rock is the center of this dome. Aldebaran, the thirteenth brightest star in our galaxy, is a first magnitude star located sixty-eight light years from Earth, forty times larger than our Sun and 125 times more luminous. It's usually described as rosy or pale reddish-orange in color, a quality the Hindu astronomers noted in their name, Rohini, which means "the Red One" or "the Red Deer." In Hindu star myths, Rohini is the female antelope, the daughter of the male antelope, Prajapati, the Lord of Generation (the constellation Orion). Its name, from the Arabic Al Dabaran, means "the Follower," or "Bright One of the Follower," a reference to how its appearance in the sky follows just after the rising of the Pleiades or perhaps the Hyades, both in Taurus; it also sets immediately following the setting of these two star clusters. To the Mesopotamian astronomers, Aldebaran was one of the four royal stars, or "Watchers," along with Antares in Scorpio, Regulus in Leo, and Fomalhaut in Piscis Austrinus (the Southern Fish). The Babylonians knew it as Ikuu, "the Leading Star of Stars," the Akkadians as Gisda, "the Furrow of Heaven."

Appropriately, with respect to the attributions of the Flood, tehom, and the cosmic waters to the Foundation Stone, in various cultures Aldebaran was associated with the gods of the rain and the Earth's fertility. An interesting astronomical aspect of Aldebaran is that it is one of the few first-magnitude stars that are eclipsed regularly by our Moon, sometimes, as happened in 1978, every month for a year. It would be a useful study to correlate the schedule of occultations by the Moon of Aldebaran with political events in Jerusalem to see if the astronomical events coincide with earthly happenings. GRAIL CASTLE: To understand what is meant by the statement that the Even HaShetiyah was set over the tehom to keep the waters of chaos from inundating the land, you need to reverse the relationships. The physical stone, which is part of the rock outcropping of Mount Moriah, is not the issue or the important player in this activity; it marks the spot.

The Foundation Stone does not keep the subterranean waters below the Temple Mount from rising up and flooding Jerusalem; rather, the Stone, which is an astral device, is the "plug" on the cosmic bathtub upstairs in the higher worlds. It is the realm of the ether, the primordial "waters" of creation, in which water is an esoteric code word for ether and primeval creative substance or matrix, for a level of undifferentiated consciousness-surely chaos to us.

The Temple Mount on Mount Moriah is the equivalent of Mount Ararat, the legendary resting place for Noah's Ark after the Deluge. There are in fact 144 such resting points for the Ark, for the resting place, the "Mount Ararat," is the staging ground for the ascent into the Grail Castle which is the same as the Ark. There the Ark floats, high above us, in the exalted dimensions, floating safely on the top of the Flood waters released in the interregnums between vast periods of creation and destruction Days and Years of Brahma, in the Vedic time system. The Ark, or Grail Castle, is the repository of all the information from the previous epochs of cosmic existence; the extent of this knowledge is almost unfathomable, almost incomprehensible, almost unattainable-except it isn't. The attainment of this inestimable, mind-dilating knowledge is the goal of the Grail Quest; it is the riches in the Celestial City of Lord Kubera of the North; it is the diverse contents of Noah's Ark; it is the cosmic wisdom of the Fish that towed the boat of Matsya-avatara to the northern mountain as the Flood subsided. The real Foundation Stone is the regulator for the flow from above to below of the cosmic waters, which when they flow, inundate human consciousness with the living, consciousness energizing wetness of the spiritual worlds. You could say that this Stone regulates how much deep cosmic memory and awareness can enter the human continuum at a given time without driving people mad. Too much transcendental knowledge is like chaos; it can be a deadly poison. But when the land has gone dry with an intellectualism and atheistic materialism, when it has become the Wasteland, as periodically happens, then it's appropriate to let a little water moisten the land. One master of this water-world was King Solomon, who, with his wife, fashioned the Ship of Time, using wood from the original Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. Solomon placed King David's sword (the one he claimed from giant Goliath after he slew him) on the Ship of Time, which was an Ark, or repository, outside of space-time, to arrive, much later in planetary history, at the Celtic King Arthur's Camalate in England to be used by the Christed Knight, Sir Galahad."'

The connections will not be clear yet, but this is about the alpha and omega of the Temple of Jerusalem, the original Jerusalem temple in that holy city in the planet's early days, and the New Jerusalem to come at Glastonbury in England. King David's "sword" is the knowledge of how to activate and use the Jerusalem temple; this knowledge was obtained from the giant Goliath, who is a symbol for the Elohim, the angelic family whose members were the consummate masters of the geomantic temple and conservators of its mysteries. MYSTERIES OF THE EMERALD: As Jacob and Muhammad discovered, the Stone is also the launching pad for a remarkable Miraj into the higher spiritual worlds. The Stone itself-the real Even HaShetiyah-is the ladder into the higher worlds. It is the emerald, the true foundation and Foundation Stone of Jerusalem. It is the green stone brought by the angels from Heaven to Earth, the Stone by which the Phoenix is burned to ashes and restored to life, the stone that is "forever incorruptible" and whose "essence is most pure," known as the Grail, as Wolfram von Eschenbach wrote. The emerald is the Heart within the heart chakra, an esoteric dimension between the outer and inner aspects of this chakra. It is a six-sided double-terminated green stone standing vertically on one of its terminations; seen from the bottom up it is also a green cube. The entire Earth energy matrix is bounded by this emerald; it exists within every human; and it is one of the jewels from the crown of the Lord of Light. It is the essence of the Jerusalem temple as an archetype of the consummate heavenly city, the divine ideal.

In practical terms, the emerald as a subtle light form sits magnificently upon the physical Foundation Stone within the Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount. Its size is irrelevant and flexible; it is easier to interact with if you allow yourself to see it as perhaps the size of a skyscraper. That way it is easier to enter, which you may do through any of its six fluidic, permeable walls. There are other geomantic emeralds like this around the planet, but this one is special because its location is special. Only two places on Earth have the right combination of geomantic elements that allow this emerald (meaning, this emerald's special functions) to operate as intended. Only two places are designated for this seed to sprout: the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and the Tor in Glastonbury England. These are the Old Jerusalem and the New Jerusalem, both based on what we might call the once and future archetype of Jerusalem. Here I mean not the physical Israeli city, nor the architectural details of the First and Second Temple of Jerusalem, but the celestial original for this temple, from the light pattern library from which our reality is created. The existence of the two physical Temples of Jerusalem for a time embodied and grounded this heavenly ideal, enabling it to function in the material world, and that was centrally important for the Earth. Here is one reason why. The planet's twelve Vibrating Stones all lead here, to the Jerusalem temple archetype grounded at Temple Mount. Each stone grounds one of the Oroboros Lines that encircle the planet; each stone is coordinated with the celestial Jerusalem as overlaid on the Earth at the Temple Mount. There is one stone per one-twelfth division of the planet's surface, each of which is a Pentagon. To each Pentagon was assigned one of the twelve tribes of Israel; this was not a diaspora, but rather a code, a metaphor, for energies and holders of those energies assigned to each of the Earth's pentagons. If you were standing by one of the stones-at Delphi in Greece or in Glastonbury-you could follow its energy connections and find yourself in the original Temple of Jerusalem. That temple, and its archetype, had twelve gates: the twelve Vibrating Stones are also twelve gates, and lead into the archetype of the Temple of Jerusalem, which for a time was coincident with the two physical Temples. In practical geomantic terms, this meant that the twelve Oroboros Lines and the twelve zodiacal energies they represented were grounded at the Foundation Stone. Insofar as the twelve lines comprise twelve out of the fifteen prime energy lines that are the armature of the Earth's energy matrix, this central grounding point was potentially pivotal for the health, welfare, and destiny of the planet. A paradise on Earth-or something less exalted and uplifting-could be created or sustained from here. The myths are true in saying the world was created from this Foundation Stone, with all things spreading out from this point. Energetically the Earth is inside the emerald, the original Foundation Stone. Every aspect of the planet's complex geomantic structure is subsumed in this single planet-sized emerald; everything that comprises the Earth's geomythic matrix comes out of the emerald, and returns to it. When the Temple of Jerusalem is physically grounded on the Earth, things are in the process of returning to their source within the emerald; everything that spread out from the Foundation Stone at the beginning of creation is now magnetically being recalled to its point of origin. Seen over vast stretches of Earth time, it is like a shape turning itself inside out, over and over, cycling in on itself like a torus, Jerusalem manifest, then unmanifest, then manifest again."'

THE ARK OF THE COVENANT. What about the Ineffable Name of God inscribed on the Foundation Stone and the Ark of the Covenant, which resided in the Holy of Holies (the Devir, a perfect cube of twenty cubits), said to be over the Stone? Jewish belief says that the location of the Ark "marks the exact center of the world, or God's footstool. The Ark is understood to have been a container, a portable rectangular box or wooden chest lined with gold with long parallel handles, measuring about four feet long, two feet high, and two feet wide. It held the tablets of the Ten Commandments, both the shattered first version and the intact second one, as well as Aaron's magical rod and a small quantity of manna (a miraculous angelic food). At the time he received the Commandments while on Mount Sinai, Moses received instructions from God to construct the Ark of the Covenant to house the tablets. In many respects, Solomon built the Temple of Jerusalem to house the Ark. The Ark was the holiest of objects, said to possess extraordinary magical powers capable of protecting the Jews from danger. Biblical references–the Old Testament has two hundred–indicate that the Ark blazed with fire and lightning, emitted sparks, produced tumors or severe burns, could stop rivers, blast armies, destroy cities, and level mountains. It issued a moaning sound and was capable of rising off the ground and rushing at the enemies of the Jews in battle. God was said to descend and sit in the miniature Mercy Seat atop the Ark. The Ark of the Covenant is one of the mysteries of the Earth, and it is presumptuous to speculate as to its true nature. However, it was a device that had to do with a combination of sound and energy, and there was only one Ark. We can try approaching the matter sideways, as it were, through metaphor. The Ark was the voice of magic, the Word, the Ineffable Name uttered, all the living letters of the Hebrew alphabet spoken correctly, at once, the electric current that turned the system on. The system was the Earth grid, its armature of Oroboros Lines, its multiple linked emeralds-the "modem." It could make twelve Oroboros Lines into a single twelve-stringed instrument, played from here at the Foundation Stone. It could make all the elements of the Earth's energy matrix cohere, turn inside out, and become part of the Temple of Jerusalem. It was perhaps like a recording of the Word that was in the beginning, all the sacred syllables and sounds in perfect pronunciation-a magic wand of sound. When this sound touched the Even HaShetiyah, it animated the Earth's spiritual body and remarkable things happened and were possible.;When it was "on," it made not just the Temple but the entire Earth the Morning and Evening Star, the Foundation of Venus-Heaven on Earth realized, the celestial Jerusalem Temple fully manifest in matter. The downside was misuse, as J. R. R. Tolkien said of another unique magical device in The Lord of the Rings, "One ring to rule them ... and in the darkness bind them." The Earth had witnessed such a misuse, a malfeasance remembered in Grail myth as the Dolorous Stroke by which the Fisher King had misused the Sword of David (the Elohim's celestial codes for operating the system), wounded himself, and precipitated the Wasteland, The plug was put back in securely to block the flow of the tehom into the human world. Access to the Grail Castle was curtailed, and its reality eventually disbelieved, forgotten. INIMICAL ENERGIES AT THE TEMPLE MOUNT- We should not be surprised to find a fair concentration of what we could label dark and negative energies marshaled at the Temple Mount to block or distort access. Two giant astral beings are locked in mortal battle atop the Mount, swords clashing, wounds gaping; they are primitive beings of a male valence, and all they do is fight, striving to kill each other. This energy permeates Jerusalem. Numerous alien ships high above the city quarantine the Mount in a ring of beams broadcast like laser shafts. These energies help maintain the energies and functions of several circles of reptilian beings and giant astral snakes that surround the Mount, facing outwards into Jerusalem, discouraging access, keeping the energies combative, fragmented, bent on isolation and conflict. Behind them and also facing away from the Mount is another circle of large demonic control beings; their function too is to dissuade the fainthearted, to inflame those on the edge, to confuse or scare the rest, to keep the Mount and Stone from being used again as intended. The dome directly over the Mount and encompassing all of Jerusalem is damaged. Part of its crown is severed, like a yarmulke riding the side of the head by the ears instead of the occiput. The two cords linking the dome to the master dome at Avebury are damaged; one of them is not "hooked up" at all. The damages mean that Jerusalem through its dome is not receiving the beneficial cosmic energies of both Sirius and Canopus through Avebury as they are meant to; this allows other inimical energies to exert the predominant influence. The dome can be repaired, but it requires human assistance in conjunction with the angelic realm, and such repair could only be undertaken if the spiritual worlds judged it appropriate or karmically possible. (For information about another damaged dome, see Clingman's Dome, Tennessee.)

LUCIFER BINDING SITE: Coincident with the decommissioning of the Jerusalem Temple was the binding of Lucifer, Lord of Light, under the Foundation Stone. The Foundation of Venus, the Jerusalem new, old, and archetypal, is his light realm.

Elsewhere in Christendom, the tendency was to bury Lucifer under the granite weight of a massive Gothic cathedral, such as at Lincoln in England. For Jerusalem as the city to be healed, Lucifer, its foundation, will have to be unbound, and for the New Jerusalem to manifest on the planet, the Lord of Light will have to be restored to his pre-Fall position as God's chief archangel. This is not meant to be a definitive listing of the geomantic features of Jerusalem, for it has many others. Notable among these is one of the Earth's twelve Crowns of the Ancient of Days at Golgotha, the Hill of Skulls, and an eighteen-mile wide Landscape Zodiac on the periphery of the Old City.

  

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jerusalem

  

Let me manifest a way,

where materialism will no longer be neccessary for my existance and comfort in this self imposed and greedy consumerism fueled world that I have immersed myself into and amongst. Let me viusalize serving others to help them heal and have joy, peace and comfort, through my own healing...

Commentary.

 

It says it all. A wonderful location. Nature at its raw, honest, pristine best.

Where river, forest and mountain meet the sea at a sandy bay, near the Sandaig Islands, at the entry to the majestic Loch Hourn and where views south down the Sound of Sleat

take in the Island of Eigg and the south-east “wing” of the Isle of Skye.

This is where Gavin Maxwell came to live with, amongst others, the wild otters, Mijbil and Edal.

In his novel “Ring of Bright Water” and in the 1969 film version with Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, playing the key roles, ostensibly, the story appears to be a triumph of mankind over nature.

Or is it a naturalist’s dream to escape from the city to a remote, beautiful place, with his beloved otters, live amongst nature, watch it, draw it, write about it and live, self-sufficiently, a naturalists “Good Life,” but away from the pollution, noise and materialism of 21st. Century living, with all the self-imposed work restrictions, commuting and frenetic, competitive commercialisation that that brings.

In fact, when fully absorbed, the story is much more akin

to a modern Shakespearean tragedy based on a curse that kills the dream.

As is so often the case when dealing with passionate, “driven,” slightly obsessive, creative and single-minded individuals, balancing their passion with relating to others, equably, becomes, nigh on, impossible.

When, Kathleen Raine, a local poet, falls madly in love with Maxwell, they plan to marry, but she soon realises that all her love for him is but a thimble-full of poison, compared to his love for his otters, and their doomed marriage lasts less than a year.

When Kathleen realises that Gavin has very active homosexual relationships with his young estate workers

she curses him, “Let Gavin suffer, in this place, as I am suffering now.”

Then, a sequence of misfortune occurred, that would be very easy to associate with the curse or affirmation.

Kathleen lets Mij escape, and, while out the otter was clubbed to death by a roadworker.

The uninsured house, “Camusfearna” burns to the ground one night and Edal is killed in his pen outside.

Gavin is destroyed by these events and his own life spirals out of control.

Fast living, heavy drinking and smoking takes its toll and he dies of lung cancer at 55 in 1969.

Times and attitudes have changed since the 1950’s.

No longer do most people see wild animals as pets for our entertainment, zoos have to adopt conservation as their main purpose.

Circuses are for clowns not shackled, “performing” animals.

But without doubt for all his own personal “conflicts”

Gavin Maxwell really did love nature and has inspired millions

of others to love and protect the natural world because of his inspirational writings about the wild beauty and wild life in the magical West Coast of Scotland.

 

Looking back to this time last year 2019. Online/social media poster for my 35-piece art exhibition of optical materialism macropaintographs with household materials.

 

canvas prints - of 2 macropaintographs from my Flickr photostream - (L) 'lovers rock, 2017; (R) 'good moon rising,' 2018. JI .

 

photo - courtesy niece K.

   

Most of Cosanti is earthtones. These bright colors really stood out.

 

I first visited Cosanti in 1968. There was nothing around it in this part of Paradise Valley and it was still being built. Things sure have changed. Paolo Soleri would probably be appalled by what grew up around his vision that is the compete antithesis of his vision.

 

I live about 2 miles north of here, but I had never made time to photograph it. I made time.

 

www.arcosanti.org/cosanti-foundation/

Founded in 1965, The Cosanti Foundation is an Arizona-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Our mission is to inspire a reimagined urbanism that builds resilient and equitable communities sustainably integrated with the natural world.

Our vision is a world of equitable communities which improve earth/life balance and do better with less.

We pursue this mission and vision at our two flagship locations, Cosanti (in Paradise Valley near Phoenix) and Arcosanti (near Mayer in central Arizona), as well as with projects, programs, and partnerships that hundreds of thousands of people have participated in over the last 57 years.

The word “cosanti” is a combination of the Italians words “cosa” (meaning “things”) and “anti” (meaning “against” or “before”). It signifies The Cosanti Foundation’s commitment to a way of living, working, and building that is oriented away from consumption and materialism, and is respectful of our planet’s natural rhythms and resources. Through ongoing experimentation with and application of the principles of arcology (a combination of the words architecture and ecology), we seek to demonstrate a kind of construction and community that offers an alternative to sprawl development and a solution to modern social and environmental crises.

The Cosanti Foundation also owns and operates the for-profit Cosanti Originals, where we make our world-famous bronze and ceramic windbells and other artisan items.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Soleri

Paolo Soleri (21 June 1919 – 9 April 2013)[1] was an Italian-born American architect. He established the educational Cosanti Foundation and Arcosanti. Soleri was a lecturer in the College of Architecture at Arizona State University and a National Design Award recipient in 2006. He coined the concept of 'arcology' – a synthesis of architecture and ecology as the philosophy of democratic society.[2] He died at home of natural causes on 9 April 2013 at the age of 93.[3]

Soleri authored several books, including The Bridge Between Matter & Spirit is Matter Becoming Spirit and Arcology – City In the Image of Man.[4]

Soleri was born in Turin, Italy, Europe. He was awarded his "laurea" (master's degree) in architecture from the Politecnico di Torino in 1946. He visited the United States in December 1946 and spent a year and a half in fellowship with Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin West in Arizona, and at Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin. During this time, he gained international recognition for a bridge design that was displayed at the Museum of Modern Art.[5]

Paolo and Colly Soleri made a lifelong commitment to research and experimentation in urban planning. They established the Cosanti Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational non-profit foundation. Soleri's philosophy and works were strongly influenced by the Jesuit paleontologist and philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.[citation needed]

 

DSC04088-HDR acd

Some finished artwork at Cosanti.

 

I first visited Cosanti in 1968. There was nothing around it in this part of Paradise Valley and it was still being built. Things sure have changed. Paolo Soleri would probably be appalled by what grew up around his vision that is the compete antithesis of his vision.

 

I live about 2 miles north of here, but I had never made time to photograph it. I made time.

 

www.arcosanti.org/cosanti-foundation/

Founded in 1965, The Cosanti Foundation is an Arizona-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Our mission is to inspire a reimagined urbanism that builds resilient and equitable communities sustainably integrated with the natural world.

Our vision is a world of equitable communities which improve earth/life balance and do better with less.

We pursue this mission and vision at our two flagship locations, Cosanti (in Paradise Valley near Phoenix) and Arcosanti (near Mayer in central Arizona), as well as with projects, programs, and partnerships that hundreds of thousands of people have participated in over the last 57 years.

The word “cosanti” is a combination of the Italians words “cosa” (meaning “things”) and “anti” (meaning “against” or “before”). It signifies The Cosanti Foundation’s commitment to a way of living, working, and building that is oriented away from consumption and materialism, and is respectful of our planet’s natural rhythms and resources. Through ongoing experimentation with and application of the principles of arcology (a combination of the words architecture and ecology), we seek to demonstrate a kind of construction and community that offers an alternative to sprawl development and a solution to modern social and environmental crises.

The Cosanti Foundation also owns and operates the for-profit Cosanti Originals, where we make our world-famous bronze and ceramic windbells and other artisan items.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Soleri

Paolo Soleri (21 June 1919 – 9 April 2013)[1] was an Italian-born American architect. He established the educational Cosanti Foundation and Arcosanti. Soleri was a lecturer in the College of Architecture at Arizona State University and a National Design Award recipient in 2006. He coined the concept of 'arcology' – a synthesis of architecture and ecology as the philosophy of democratic society.[2] He died at home of natural causes on 9 April 2013 at the age of 93.[3]

Soleri authored several books, including The Bridge Between Matter & Spirit is Matter Becoming Spirit and Arcology – City In the Image of Man.[4]

Soleri was born in Turin, Italy, Europe. He was awarded his "laurea" (master's degree) in architecture from the Politecnico di Torino in 1946. He visited the United States in December 1946 and spent a year and a half in fellowship with Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin West in Arizona, and at Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin. During this time, he gained international recognition for a bridge design that was displayed at the Museum of Modern Art.[5]

Paolo and Colly Soleri made a lifelong commitment to research and experimentation in urban planning. They established the Cosanti Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational non-profit foundation. Soleri's philosophy and works were strongly influenced by the Jesuit paleontologist and philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.[citation needed]

 

DSC04107-HDR acd

Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed.

 

-Mahatma Gandhi

  

www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34320413

2019 oct 18

 

abstract optical materialism macropaintograph with household materials

 

Camera: Pentax K-50 16 Mpixel Digital SLR + Carl Zeiss Jenna 2.8/ 50mm via extension tube

 

Browsing my archive in search for what might become an upload I came across the photograph above that I took in November 2009. It was one among other stuff I keep in a group labeled “failures”. A quick glance at the original shot would reveal nothing interesting other than some flowers and a butterfly or what looked like one, all set against a lifeless wall made of dust-colored bricks with the in-between cracks being loosely stuffed with cement. This is how it looked when I first downloaded it from my camera last year.

  

This time there was something new to perceive. While the wall represented impediments hindering or slowing down progress in my life, the flowers and the butterfly bore resemblance to good things: Making friends online and exploring new depths in terms of human relations, enjoying thrilling novels, photography, Flickr, an exciting movie, a lovely song…etc in the time when everything around was not only frustrating but in many times saddening, sometimes seriously!

  

Realizing that life is far more complicated than a mutely flat wall to speak for and that those impediments had to be felt in some way or another…that hours, days and weeks are never the same and that the ups and downs carry us, we like it or not, from one stage to the next and the next, I sat down with my friends the laptop computer and Adobe Photoshop with a new vision in mind: Writing all that down in a legible and perhaps funny photographic language.

  

I thought of transparent or nearly transparent columns of somehow different widths to stand for those days and weeks. Now for the columns to play their assigned roles each would be given a particular layer mode and/or opacity level different from the adjacent, to speak in “photoshopic” terms with the varying widths referring to the seriousness of the situations. In this way they would lighten up at times and darken at other times, get wider, that is to say easier now and become narrower, that is harder shortly after…appear refreshing at stage A then depressing at B. Rhythm is out of control as harmony intersects with chaos…the common with the irregular…the predictable with the unexpected!

  

Gradually and inadvertently I found myself engaged in a world where fancy overlaps with real life and the work started to put on a garment different from being a nearly duplication of some other works intended to shed light on the here and now of my life.

  

From that point the entire attempt became secondary and even trivial to what my mind was now trying to crack: IMAGINATION!

 

Searching the net for some info several months ago I remember I was more than astonished to know that Jules Verne, a capable French author wrote in 1865 “De la Terre à la Lune” (From Earth to the Moon) and that H.G. Wells, that brilliant British novelist whose “Kipps” I studied at high school did publish his scientific fiction “The First Men in the Moon” in 1901. The idea that the two great men had such admirable talents to conceive of such great ideas DECACEDS before NASA was impressively capable of replacing the word “fiction” with “Fact” proved to me how great achievements could be traced back to some daring dreams of brilliant people.

  

Now that I had something more serious to busy my mind with, I ended the amusing dialogue I was having with Mr. Photoshop, shut down the computer and started a new mental journey.

  

What occurred to me next had its roots in the book of Genesis. “God saw all that he had made – and it was very good!” Genesis 1:31 it was so clear now that our God, the most genius and the most creative ever, had that trait: Imagination or the ability to imagine things even before they come into existence. He saw all that he had made and it was very good!!! Where does that lead? Doesn’t it mean that the most brilliant designer, the most creative engineer ever had mental sketches? designs? Perhaps even prototypes that He worked on over what “we” regard as “giant periods of time”, resulting in what we now call “evolution”? For me it is certain that all were in His creatively creative mind long before He decided to roll up His sleeves for hard work! Having finished the creation and now examining His marvelous masterpieces I can imagine Him admiring the fact that whatever He did did exactly match His earlier visions (imaginations) and as if saying “All our calculations were so accurate… all designs so perfect…ALL IN ALL IS SO GREAT”…

  

Now what does that have to do with you and me? Well, we, human beings, are said to fall under the “Animal Kingdom” category. A scientific theory that held and will continue to hold true as long as we have our “mental eyes” wearing the glasses of materialism and as long as we keep examining “only” our “physical” existence and that under the microscopic lens of our hi-tech biolabs. Genius, creative and open-minded like Sir. Charles Robert Darwin we might be regarded yet with our perspectives still imprisoned within the boundaries of “traditional scientific criteria”…the jailor that would never permit that we look beyond the visible and/or perceivable worlds of MATTER.

  

Based on the assumption that we are highly ranked or superbly developed animals we then have to compare ourselves to our less developed siblings and see where would that lead. Animals do think indeed, some of them are so clever; they use tricks, even improvise maneuvers to communicate, compete with one another and survive. But can you tell me of an animal whose patterns of thinking have ever proved to be creative enough to compete with and conquer us humans? I’m sorry my friends but we are “unique” and that “missing link” will never be found in my opinion simply because it never existed!

  

Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness,…” Genesis 1:26. In the image of God? After His likeness? How? Tall or short? Slim or pudgy? Dark-skinned or Caucasian white? Don’t think I’m joking…some and I say “some” people in the part of the world where I live would see it this way!!! But it is so obvious. There is no code here to decipher and the entire idea is so easily grasped: to be made in the image of God and to be created after His own likeness is to bear the divine genes of the Creator, among which is the ability to imagine, spiritually speaking of course.

  

I know that for that “some” of the people what I say here falls under blasphemy. Now what I really believe I’m doing is glorifying God who planted in us that remarkable holy likeness in order that we become like the Creator: creative! What sin did after was that it brought “dirt” which in turn drove the “holy” out of the human entity…now that’s another story but what I mean is that I believe that the credit for whatever honorably impressive and admirably creative along recorded history of mankind belongs to Him, Elohim who decided to make us in His image, to create us after His likeness…hallowed be His Name for ever and ever… Amen!

  

Following is a bunch of quotes on “imagination” and for my new friends I’d stress that by putting my own quotes among those by great people I’m not counting myself as one of them. I’m a humble person but only with some vision to share.

  

“I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them” by Pablo Picasso

 

“They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night” by Edgar Allan Poe, "Eleonora"

 

“Trust that little voice in your head that says ‘Wouldn't it be interesting if...’ And then do it” by Duane Michals.

 

“Perhaps imagination is only intelligence having fun” by George Scialabba

 

“It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see” by Henry David Thoreau

 

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom the emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause and stand wrapped in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed” by Albert Einstein

 

“Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought” by Albert Szent-Györgyi

 

“To think creatively, we must be able to look afresh at what we normally take for granted” by George Kneller

  

“I believe in the imagination. What I cannot see is infinitely more important than what I can see” by Duane Michals, Real Dreams

  

“When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge” by Tuli Kupferberg

  

“Limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our imaginations, our possibilities become limitless.” by Jamie Paolinetti

  

“You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, 'Why not?'” by George Bernard Shaw

  

“If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it.” By Jesse Jackson

  

“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” By Albert Einstein

  

“Imagination is the first step towards achieving the impossible for it has the power to release God’s image implanted in us all, humans” By Salwan Binni

  

“If you are still dreaming, if your mind is capable of imagining beautiful things then forget about impediments and know you are on the right track. Imagination is the early manifestation of the upcoming uprising. It indicates the urge in our minds to rebel against the reality, hence to create a better one” by Salwan Binni

  

“Imagination is the mother of all arts, without it human civilizations would have withered and died out long long ago” By Salwan Binni

  

“The first secret behind creativity is imagination…then follow persistence, discipline, hard work and maybe luck” by Salwan Binni

  

“Imaginations make up the daydreams of the genius. Once they are materialized, we ordinary people, get to call ‘breakthroughs’” By Salwan Binni

 

Have a great time everybody! God bless!

  

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soon_Valley

  

The 'Soon Valley' (Urdu: [‎[‎وادئ سون)]] or Soon Sakesar is one of the famous valleys of Pakistan situated in the central Punjab province. The Valley is situated in the north west of Khushab. Naushera is the main town of the Valley. The Valley starts from Padhrar village and end to Sakesar that is the highest peak of Salt Range. The length of Soon Valley is 35 miles (56 km) and average width is 9 miles (14 km). The area of Soon Valley is 300-square-mile (780 km2). Although not as coold as the valleys up north, Soon valley consists of beautiful lakes, waterfalls, jungles, natural pools and ponds. Soon valley is also blessed with ancient civilization , natural resources, and fertile farms. There are some special features of this valley that distinguish it from other areas, without knowing about them it is very hard to understand its importance. Sabhral, Khoora, Naushera, Kufri, Anga, Ugali, Uchali and Bagh Shams-ud-Din are important towns in soon valley. Kanhatti Garden, Sodhi Garden, Da'ep and Sakesar are resorts to visit. Awan[1] tribe is settled in Soon Valley.[2]

Located at a height of 5,010 feet (1,530 m) above sea level, Sakesar was once the summer headquarters for the Deputy Commissioners of three districts - Campbelpur (now Attock), Mianwali and Shahpur (now Sargodha). It is the only mountain in this part of the Punjab which receives snow fall in winters. In view of Sakesar's ideal location and height, the PAF selected it in the late-50s as the site for a high powered radar which would provide air defence cover for the northeastern part of the western wing. Pakistan Television's re-broadcasting center has been installed to provide terrestrial transmissions coverage to adjoining areas.

  

Har do sodhi

(sodhi bala and sodhi zarien), Naushahra, Jabbah ,Ugalisharif, Kotli, Mukrumi,Kaamrh,Dhadhar, Mardwal, Kufri, Uchali, Chitta, Khoora,Anga,Khabbaki, kuradhi, Uchhala, Mustafaabad (Bhukhi), Sodhi Jai Wali, Sabhral, Shakarkot, Sirhal, Manawan, Surraki, Jahlar, Anga, Ahmadabad

•Distance from Islamabad: 290 km

•Distance from Sargodha: 110 km

•Lakes : Uchali, Khabbaki, Jahlar, Khura

•Shrines :Sultan Mehdi sahb, sultan Haji Ahmed sahb in Uchhala, Baba Shikh AkbarDin Ugalisharif, Pir Baba Sakhi Muhammad Khushhaal in Khabbaki, Amb Shareef, Baba beri Wala in Naushera, Abul Hameed & Aziz Ahmedabad

  

People

The main tribe of the area is the Awan of ancient repute. This tribe came in this area with Qutab Shah and settled in the Soon valley. The other sub branches and small tribes are Shehal, Ardaal, Mirwal, Adriyal, Shenaal in Kufri, Latifal, Jurwal, Radhnal, Sheraal in Naushehra, Pirkal in Jallay wali, Majhial in Mardwal,Bazral, Chhatal,Ghadhyal,Phatal,Yakial, Maswal in Ugalisharif, Phatwal and Bhojo khail, Sheral, Mianwaddal , Alyaral, Sher Shahal in Khabbaki and so on. In the valley Awan's are known by their clans. In old time the head of clan in each village was known as Raees, and the head of a tribe was known as Raees-Azam. The most famous Raees Azam were Pir Naubahar Shah of Pail,Malik Ameer Haider of Kufri, Qazi Mazhar Qayyum of Naushera and Lumberdar Syed Gul peer Shah of Sodhi,Baba Hafiz Ilyas of Chitta.

A majority of the people are serving in the armed forces of Pakistan. Many loyal brave soldiers and officers belong to this land who even laid down their lives for their homeland.[4]

Other professions like education, business, transportation and agricultural are also adopted by the locals. The people are hard working and agriculture used to be the main profession. Per person square footage of land decreased, as population increased. Consequently the people have migrated to large cities for jobs.

There are famous writers[5] like Ahmad Nadeem Qasimi, and journalist[6] from this area. Famous Physicians and Surgeons like Dr. Muzaffar-ul-Haq, Dr. Ghaus Malik neurosurgen (USA), Dr. Javaid Malik (USA), Dr. Nazir Ahmed Malik (Child Specialist) and Hafiz Habib Sultan (Eye Specialist) and Shaukat Memud Awan, general secretary Adara Tehqiqul Awan pakistan also belong to this land.

FARMING: Our farmers are also not behind to make their real contribution in agricultural growing corps like wheat , dalls , jawar and bajra including makaee crops .In this way our farmer is also playing a remarkable roll to full fill the local food requirement at large level , i remember that our local production of wheat including other eatable plus abandant quantity of vegitable for our local use with addition we are meeting the requirement demand of vegitable up to Lahore , Gujranwala , Sargodha , Talagang and Rawalpindi Districts for their people at large quiantiy hence our small population is never dependant on any one else . We are self sufficient .

Review on “My celestial Dreams” written by Abdul Ghaffar Aamir Ghufri Valley Soon Sakaser khushab AAMIR’S POETRY AND MONTOMERY

By Allama Muhammad Yousuf Gabriel

I opened the book, here and there, and my cursory glance met with certain spurts of genius. There was before me the vision of a bud that could blossom one day into fascinating flower to adorn the garden of English poetry. To reach that pinnacle, however, sincerity, purity, fortitude, patience, perseverance and learning, besides the general pre-requisites, such as imagination, wit, faculty of expression and command over language were necessary. The first two poems are hymns about the omnipresence of God. Quite naturally my thought went to a poem “The Omnipresence of Lord”, written by Montgomery. My acquaintance with this poem was due to its review written by Lord Macaulay in 1830. Literary Essay of Lord Macaulay) the review indeed was horrible. Shaking his fierce trident, the enraged critic fell upon the author with deadliest attack and would not cause till the victim lay dead. This was the work of blind fury; we have seen only such part of poem which were exhibited by the critic and faulty. Yet despite Macaulay’s total condemnation of the work, we think that criticism as a preplanned act of cruel murder. We are not in a position to challenge of defy the points raised by Macaulay, yet we cannot hesitate to assert that the work after all was not so bad and also, that besides flaws. It contained point of merit, for example it’s them, which Macaulay had internationally refuse to see. This certainly meant the violence of the rule of criticism. On the whole we think this Macaulay’s criticism as a tragedy in the annals of criticism itself. It is the blemish on the name of both of the critic and the criticism. Montgomery fell as the victim of illuck before the trident of Macaulay, who himself tells us in his article, that the practice of puffing of worthless literary works was the vogue in England. Macaulay called upon every one who was anxious for the purity of the national taste or for the honour of the literary character to join in this discountenancing the practice that of puffing which according to him was then so shamefully and so successfully carried on in the country. It was on this point that Montgomery appeared as the target, because Montgomery’s work had run into eleven editions. It is thus in his effort to discountenancing the practice of puffing that Macaulay fell headlong upon a poet whose work despite flaws had certain points of merit and was purchased and read with rapture in eleventh edition by the public of England. The whole article of Macaulay is interesting, but due to the considering of space, we shall have to be content with only one instance of Macaulay’s criticism. Say, he: “The all pervading influence of the Supreme being is then described in a few tolerable lines borrowed from Pope and a great many intolerable of Mr. Robert Montgomery’s own. The following may stand as a specimen.”. : Upon thy Mirror earths majestic view, : To paint thy presence and to feel it too, These last two lines contain and excellent specimen of Mr. Robert Montgomery’s Turkey carpet style of writing. The Majestic view of the earth is the mirror of God’s presence. And on this mirror Mr. Robert Montgomery paints God’s presence. The use of a mirror submit is not to be painted upon”. Says Macaulay:

We do not mean that this couplet is the specimen of high class English poetry, but the word paint of the mirror put easily be some substituted by the word canvas and show. We, however, want to make it clear that we are not going to judge the work of our point. Aamir on the standard of poet like Montgomery. Our poet shows the signs of genius that could rise to the highest of high class poetry in English.

Now before we leave Macaulay and Montgomery to rest in their graves, we intend to show some identity of thought and view between Montgomery and Aamir and not at all with a view to evaluating their works in comparison. Monitory’s work can stand no comparison. His verse is slow, sluggish, unwidely and lacks the qualities of high class poetry. While the works of Aamir is brist, precise, to the point and expressed with strong effect. Aamir’s thought a beginner in a language which is quite foreign to him, yet he shows the sign of rising to highest maintain while the great English poet. Montgomery says : : There is not a blossom fondled by the breeze, : There is not a fruit that beautify the trees, : There is not a particle in sea or air, : But nature own thy plastic influence there” Aamir says: : I feel your hand wherever I look in every flower, tree or brook, Montgomery says : : Yet not alone created realm engage, : Thy faultless wisdom, grand primeval sage: For all the thronging woes of life allied, Thy Mercy Tempers and Thy cares provide” Aamir says:- All kingdoms are yours, all crowns for you, You are the greatest, perfect and true When we suffers sorrow and decay, Your blessings see us through all the way: Montgomery says: : The dew that on the violet lies, Mocks the dark luster of thine eyes” Aamir says:- : All this beauty, charms and grace, Is just a lovely glimpse of your face”. We have given the above-quoted verse to see the identity of the views of the two poets, and to see also the difference between the rim odes of expression. Surely the verses of Aamir taken from his Hymn must be his earliest, yet his styles who was sort of precision which lacks in Montgomery’s verse. But Aamir has to be judged by the second part of his work, “My Celestial Dreams”. Therein we can have the audacity to show his work in comparison to greatest English poets. And he is as yet so young. As for as Montgomery’s work is concerned we can agree with Macaulay when he says:

His writing bears the same relation to poetry which a Turkey carpet bears to a picture. There are colours in the Turkey carpet out of which a picture might be made. There are words in Mr. Montgomery’s writing which, when disposed in certain corders and combinations, have made, and will again make, good poetry:

Yet our complaint is that Macaulay’s treatment of Montgomery was ruthless. Ruthless beyond any bounds, Montgomery was taken as a scrape-goat. As far as Aamir’s work is concerned, he himself says:

This humble effort of mine is not meant to stir your imagination towards the poetic proness of my pen, but just to apprise you of the fact that I have drunk deeply at he fountain of God’s love for human souls”.

While reading the work of Aamir, “My celestial dreams”, novice though he is, the eye meets everywhere some expression which sounds like the voice of some great English poet, such as Keats, Shelly, Wordsworth etc. to reach the pinnacle, however, means constant flight. Aamir is not so unfortunate as Montgomery was. He is in better times, and in a better environment. The world now sick of materialism, has begun to take interest in religion. And thus the product of his mind has every probability acceptance and appreciation all over the world. His work, “My celestial Dream” could a well be divined into two distinct parts, that is before the poem. “Hero of the land”, and after that to etched end. The second part has distinctive superiority over the first. The poet appears to be blossoming fast and has reached a remarkable standard of efficiency. His thought share sacred. His expression is origin and sublime. He certainly does not appear like a foreigner who has learned English languages. He rather composes his poetry like the aboriginal English poet. His themes are simple yet deeply touching and indeed great. Judging by this religious trend, he might be taken by some European critic as a bigot, which he certainly is not. Milton and Bunyan both poets of Christianity have long since been thrown into oblivion due to surging waves of modern materialism. Whereas Aamir stands a real chance to make his mark in the world as poet of Islam. The credit of eulogizing the Holy Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) in English poetry goes to him. He has emerged as a pioneer in that field. We will now quote some of his waves to see and urge the prowess of his pen. He might deny it, yet his pen is impressive beyond expectations:-

“O! Crescent star flag! I pray you fly, With honour so high, Above this world, And azure sky, “Sons of Turkey, the tigers of Kamal Brave courageous handsome and tall “In sweet sleeps of night I see your dreams, My love for your flows like rivers and streams. O! Father come back Wipe my eyes Kiss me. Come and grace my beautiful world, Which I made for you, And be my love Part of eternity. For my love is true and eternal Born in heaven, reared an earth, Pulling you from the burning sun. It will fill you with joy and mirth. So my love, now we separate, Let time and fate on love operate, With flaming passion we shall meet, Our souls, then pure rejoice, for ever greet, Today it is corpse But yesterday it was, A paragon Wistfully recalled the golden day’s When I was like a flower, Like a delightful nightingale, I felt as if truly, I had come to what I was again You shall be forever sought, By the one who shall not? See you again Your sketch I adored it, In the temple of my soul, And worshipped it, All my life. These are some examples of Aamir’s verse which we have quoted. And we wish him good and good speed. May he blossom one day into and an eminent literacy figure, and be our pride. Dated: 14th January 1986.

Allama Muhammad Yousuf Gabriel C/O Khalid General Strores, Main Bazar, Nawababad, Wah Cantt. Distt. Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

www.oqasa.org www. soonvalley.com www.soonvalley.pakistan www.alturka.com www.likedone.pakistan

 

Martial Race

 

The Awans of the Soon Valley were also amongst those the British considered to be "martial race".[7] The British recruited army heavily from Soon Valley for service in the colonial army, and as such, the Awans of this area also formed an important part of the British Indian Army, serving with distinction during World Wars I and II. Of all the Muslim groups recruited by the British, proportionally, the Awans produced the greatest number of recruits during the First and Second World Wars. Contemporary historians, namely Professor Ian Talbot and Professor Tan Tai Yong, have authored works that cite the Awans (amongst other tribes) as being looked upon as a martial race by not only the British, but neighbouring tribes as well. The army of Pakistan also heavily recruits Awans from this area. Awans occupy the highest ranks of the Pakistani Army.[8] DHAHDHAR :- This is one of the most important village of this soon valley , which is producing wheat and vegitable at large quantity for offording local population as well as upto the range of Lahore , Gujranwala, Sargodha , Talagang & Rawalpindi Districts .

LIVE STOCK :- Our village is producing live stock breeding at large scal hence contributing a major roll for production of various type of animal like bufaloos , cow' , oxen, sheep and goats to full fill the requirement of general publc in case of meet , milk and skins for manufecturing of leather shoes and leather garments .

 

Lakes

There are two well-renowned Uchhali Lake and Khabikki Lake lakes in Soon valley. Uchhali is a salt water lake in the southern Salt Range area in Pakistan. This lake is formed due to the absence of drainage in the range. Sakaser, the highest mountain in the Salt Range, looms over the lake. Due to its brackish water the lake is lifeless. But it offers a picturesque scenery. Khabikki Lake is a salt water lake in the southern Salt Range area in Pakistan. This lake is formed due to the absence of drainage in the range. The lake is one kilometer wide and two kilometres long. Khabikki is also the name of a neighbouring village. Boats are also available and there is a rest house beside the lake. A hill gently ascended on the right side of the lake. The lake and the green area around provide a good scenery. These lakes attract thousands of migratory birds each year and are ideal haven for the bird watchers.

Tucked in the southern periphery of the Salt Range and hemmed in by its higher cliffs, is a cluster of natural lakes — Ucchali, Khabbeki and Jhallar in district Khushab. These lakes are said to be 400 years old, maybe more. The lakes are a prime sanctuary for the migratory birds and were declared a protected sanctuary for the native and migratory avifauna on the appeal of World Wildlife Fund. Nestled at about 800 meters above the sea, lakes have some marsh vegetation and are mostly surrounded by cultivated land, which is picturesquely intersected by hillocks. The lakes are fed by the spring, seepage from adjacent areas, and run off from the neighbouring hills of the historic Salt Range. The lakes are one of the most important wintering areas for the rare white-headed ducks (Oxyura leucocephala) in Pakistan that comes here from Central Asia. Locals believe that there is a volcano hidden beneath the surface of the Ucchali Lake due to which the colour of the water keeps changing. The appearance of a vert broad and brightly coloured rainbow in 1982 for consecutive 15 days is also attributed to this analogy. in 1982, a strange phenomenon was observed in the villages Ucchali and Dhadhar. The lakes’ water is also said to cure gout and skin diseases. People have been taking the water from the lakes as far as Lahore and Karachi. People think that a pure white winged creature called Great egret, from Grus family, found in the area is a symbol of longevity.

  

Town and Villages

•Naushera

•Sakesar

•Jabbah

•Uchalla

•Pail-Piran

•Sodhi

•Kalial

•Sirhal

•Shakar Kot

•Unga

•Khabbaki

•Dhadhar

•Mardawal

•Khewra

•Kufri (now its name is sadiq abad so called with this new name)

•Sabhral

•Koradhi

•Uchhali

•Shakarkot

•Anngah

•Ugalisharif

•Makrumi

•Kamrah

•Dhadar

•Ahmadabad

har do sodhi soon become union consil

Different Villages Location

Villages west of Naushehra are Sabhral, Kufri, Koradhi,Uchhali, and Chitta before reaching the Pakistan Air Force Base of Sakesar.

Villages to the north west of Naushehra are Sirhal, Shakarkot Anngah and Ugalisharif.

Villages to the north east of Naushehra are Mardowal, Makrumi,Kamrah,Dhadar, Ahmadabad, Khabakki and Jabah.

Villages to the south west of Naushehra are har do sodhi , Surraki and Jahlar.

Villages to the south of Naushehra are Chamraki and Sodhian villages.

Villages to the east of Naushehra are Dhakah, Mirokah Dhakah, Jalay Wali, (Uchhalah is not on the main road), Sodhi Jai Wali, Kaliyal, Khurrah, and Kathwai.

Padhrar and Pail-Piran are not the part of soon valley but these villages are in the same election area and fall on Chakwal-Khushab road.

There are scattered colonies of certain families which are called Dhok. Usually at each Dhoke there are two to ten houses.

  

Historical Places

•Lakes: Ugalisharif & Uchalli Lake, Khabikki Lake and Jahlar Lake.

•Waterfalls at Kufri.

•Ambh Sharif is a historical place in Hinduism.

•Kanahti Garden, Sodhi Garden, Khabakki Jheel,Ugalisharif & Uchali Jheel, Sakesar and Daip Shareef and the hiking experiences of hills

•Anga, an important village.

•Sodhi village has waterfalls, a Rest House, and wild animals like Cheetah, Rabbit, Deer, Teetar (Urdu name of a bird).

•Shrines of Babashikh Akbar Din Darbar-e- aaliah Chishtiah Akbariah UGALISHRIF, Makan Sharif Kufri sajadh nashin Sahibzadh Muhammad Hamid Aziz Hamidi, Pir Khawja Noori and Pir Sahib Acha (Hacha)- descendents of Baha Ud Din Zakkariyya Multani(Hazrat Baha Ul Haq)in Pail-Piran

•Ganji Pahari, Baba shikh Akbar Din Darbar-e- aaliah Chishtiah Akbariah UGALISHRIF. Baba Sewu Beri Wala and Baba Mari Wala in Naushera.

•Baba shikh Akbar Din Darbar-e- aaliah Chishtiah Akbariah Ugli Sharif and Pir Khawaja Noori in Pail jant

•Mahala Jurwal, is the biggest and most densed street of Naushahra. Malik Sultan Mubaraz, a well knw transporter of last dacade belongs to this street

•Mahala Qazian Wallah, is also a famous street of Naushera, where the famous qadis of Naushera used to live.

•Graveyard of qadi family

•Sodhi Jai Wali is also famous for its natural Water falls and Garden as well. The Garden is located near a Historical Rest House, It is said that this Rest House was gifted by Syed Family of Sodhi Jai wali to the British Rulers.

    

The only gold building in the Wat Rong Khun 9 acre complex, it is the home of the fanciest restrooms. The gold color is supposed to represent the body and the world and materialism. - Chiang Rai, Thailand -- December 6, 2019

Come join us this coming Monday April 4th at 5:30 on the steps of SF City Hall for a public reading of Dr. Martin Luther King’s last speech “Beyond Vietnam. A time to Break Silence” which denounces the triple evils of racism, materialism, and militarism sponsored by The People’s Campaign and organized by the San Francisco Friends Meeting. Speakers will take turns reading the speech for one hour, then at 6:30 Francisco Herrera will sing and play guitar for about a half hour. There will be an art exhibit inside on the 2nd floor in room #279 from 7:00 -8:30 of district #9 paintings and photos by Art Koch in Supervisor Hillary Ronen’s office.

by Bongsoo Kim from South Korea

 

Loved the reflections metaphorical of lying Pinocchio's deceiving thoughts. Meant to convey the false promises of status and acquisitions that promote greed and materialism, the trappings of modern life - at Cottesloe Beach, Sculptures by the Sea 2019

stiched with autostitch,it made a lil wave on the line on top but its ok i think( i m too lazy to do it again ) =). made on this years mos in mz-kastel with mos11, meloko, ates, vogelfrei, keon , sdkaroe, hotcheescrew, zores, retro71, rick, mexiko

I think this is the Pumpkin apse at Cosanti. This is part of the outside display areas where the windchimes are sold.

 

I first visited Cosanti in 1968. There was nothing around it in this part of Paradise Valley and it was still being built. Things sure have changed. Paolo Soleri would probably be appalled by what grew up around his vision that is the compete antithesis of his vision.

 

I live about 2 miles north of here, but I had never made time to photograph it. I made time.

 

www.arcosanti.org/cosanti-foundation/

Founded in 1965, The Cosanti Foundation is an Arizona-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Our mission is to inspire a reimagined urbanism that builds resilient and equitable communities sustainably integrated with the natural world.

Our vision is a world of equitable communities which improve earth/life balance and do better with less.

We pursue this mission and vision at our two flagship locations, Cosanti (in Paradise Valley near Phoenix) and Arcosanti (near Mayer in central Arizona), as well as with projects, programs, and partnerships that hundreds of thousands of people have participated in over the last 57 years.

The word “cosanti” is a combination of the Italians words “cosa” (meaning “things”) and “anti” (meaning “against” or “before”). It signifies The Cosanti Foundation’s commitment to a way of living, working, and building that is oriented away from consumption and materialism, and is respectful of our planet’s natural rhythms and resources. Through ongoing experimentation with and application of the principles of arcology (a combination of the words architecture and ecology), we seek to demonstrate a kind of construction and community that offers an alternative to sprawl development and a solution to modern social and environmental crises.

The Cosanti Foundation also owns and operates the for-profit Cosanti Originals, where we make our world-famous bronze and ceramic windbells and other artisan items.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Soleri

Paolo Soleri (21 June 1919 – 9 April 2013)[1] was an Italian-born American architect. He established the educational Cosanti Foundation and Arcosanti. Soleri was a lecturer in the College of Architecture at Arizona State University and a National Design Award recipient in 2006. He coined the concept of 'arcology' – a synthesis of architecture and ecology as the philosophy of democratic society.[2] He died at home of natural causes on 9 April 2013 at the age of 93.[3]

Soleri authored several books, including The Bridge Between Matter & Spirit is Matter Becoming Spirit and Arcology – City In the Image of Man.[4]

Soleri was born in Turin, Italy, Europe. He was awarded his "laurea" (master's degree) in architecture from the Politecnico di Torino in 1946. He visited the United States in December 1946 and spent a year and a half in fellowship with Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin West in Arizona, and at Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin. During this time, he gained international recognition for a bridge design that was displayed at the Museum of Modern Art.[5]

Paolo and Colly Soleri made a lifelong commitment to research and experimentation in urban planning. They established the Cosanti Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational non-profit foundation. Soleri's philosophy and works were strongly influenced by the Jesuit paleontologist and philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.[citation needed]

 

DSC04080-HDR acd

The Parable of the Rich Fool

 

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

 

Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

 

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

 

“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

 

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

 

“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

 

[Luke 12:13-21 NIV]

 

5 MORE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

 

1. Like it or not, we are ALL sinners: As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous—not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” (Romans 3:10-12 NLT)

 

2. The punishment for sin is death: When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. (Romans 5:12 NLT)

 

3. Jesus is our only hope: But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8 NLT) For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 NLT)

 

4. SALVATION is by GRACE through FAITH in JESUS: God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT)

 

5. Accept Jesus and receive eternal life: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 NLT) But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12 NLT) And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. (1 John 5:11-12 NLT)

 

Read the Bible for yourself. Allow the Lord to speak to you through his Word. YOUR ETERNITY IS AT STAKE!

pink, pink & pink

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>>To be seen in Flickr-group "Creative Composition" and others<<

"No PERFECT CAMERA? No PERFECT GEAR?....do not let materialism kill your creativity. Show the whole world your creativity through your photos and let us change the way others see things."

However far the ‘solidification’ of the sensible world may have gone, it can never be carried so far as to turn the world into a ‘closed system’ such as is imagined by the materialists. The very nature of things sets limits to ‘solidification’, and the more nearly those limits are approached the more unstable is the corresponding state of affairs; in actual fact, as we have seen, the point corresponding to a maximum of ‘solidification’ has already been passed, and the impression that the world is a ‘closed system’ can only from now onward become more and more illusory and inadequate to the reality. ‘Fissures’ have been mentioned previously as being the paths whereby certain destructive forces are already entering, and must continue to enter ever more freely; according to traditional symbolism these ‘fissures’ occur in the ‘Great Wall’ that surrounds the world and protects it from the intrusion of malefic influences coming from the inferior subtle domain. (In the symbolism of the Hindu tradition the ‘Great Wall’ is the circular mountain Lokaloka, which divides the ‘cosmos’ (loka) from the ‘outer darkness(aloka).) In order that this symbolism may be fully understood in all its aspects, it is important to note that a wall acts both as a protection and as a limitation: in a sense therefore it can be said to have both advantages and inconveniences; but insofar as its principal purpose is to ensure an adequate defence against attacks coming from below, the advantages are incomparably the more important, for it is on the whole more useful to anyone who happens to be enclosed within its perimeter to be kept out of reach of what is below, than it is to be continuously exposed to the ravages of the enemy, or worse still to a more or less complete destruction. In any case, a walled space as such is not closed in at the top, so that communication with superior domains is not prevented, and this state of affairs is the normal one; but in the modern period the ‘shell’ with no outlet built by materialism has cut off that communication. Moreover, as already explained, because the ‘descent’ has not yet come to an end, the ‘shell’ must necessarily remain intact overhead, that is, in the direction of that from which humanity need not be protected since on the contrary only beneficient influences can come that way; the ‘fissures’ occur only at the base, and therefore in the actual protective wall itself, and the inferior forces that make their way in through them meet with a much reduced resistance because under such conditions no power of a superior order can intervene in order to oppose them effectively. Thus the world is exposed defenceless to all the attacks of its enemies, the more so because, the present-day mentality being what it is, the dangers that threaten it are wholly unperceived.

 

Nevertheless, although the Kali-Yuga as a whole is intrinsically a period of obscuration, so that ‘fissures’ have been possible ever since it began, the degree of obscuration pervading its later phases is far from having been attained at once, and that is why ‘fissures’ could be repaired relatively easily in earlier times; it was nonetheless necessary to maintain a constant vigilance against them, and this task was naturally among those assigned to the spiritual centers of the various traditions. Later on there came a period when, as a consequence of the extreme ‘solidification’ of the world, these same ‘fissures’ were much less to be feared, at least temporarily; this period corresponds to the first part of modern times, the part that can be defined as being characteristically mechanistic and materialistic, in which the ‘closed system’ alluded to was most nearly realized, at least to the extent that any such thing is actually possible. Nowadays, that is to say in the period which can be called the second part of modern times and which has already begun, conditions are certainly very different from the conditions obtaining in all earlier periods: not only can ‘fissures’ occur more and more extensively, and be much more serious in character, because a greater proportion of the descending course of manifestation has been accomplished, but also the possibilities of repairing them are not the same as they used to be; the action of the spiritual centers has indeed become ever more enclosed, because the superior influences that they normally transmit to our world can no longer be manifested externally, since they are held back by the ‘shell’ alluded to above; and when the whole of the human and cosmic order is in such a condition, where could a means of defence possibly be found such as might be effective in any way against the destructive forces?

 

***

 

In passing from philosophy to psychology it will be found that identical tendencies appear once again in the latter, and in the most recent schools of psychology they assume a far more dangerous aspect, for instead of taking the form of mere theoretical postulates they are given practical applications of a very disturbing character; the most ‘representative’ of these new methods, from the point of view of the present study, are those grouped under the general heading of ‘psychoanalysis’. It may be noted that, by a curious inconsistency, their handling of elements indubitably belonging to the subtle order continues to be accompanied in many psychologists by a materialistic attitude, no doubt because of their earlier training, as well as because of their present ignorance of the true nature of the elements they are bringing into play; is it not one of the strangest characteristics of modern science that it never knows exactly what the object of its studies really is, even when only the forces of the corporeal domain are in question? It goes without saying too that there is a kind of ‘laboratory psychology’, the endpoint of the process of limitation and of materialization of which the ‘philosophico-literary’ psychology of university teaching was but a less advanced stage, and now no more than a sort of accessory branch of psychology, which still continues to coexist with the new theories and methods; to this branch apply the preceding observations on the attempts that have been made to reduce psychology itself to a quantitative science.

 

There is certainly something more than a mere question of vocabulary in the fact, very significant in itself, that present-day psychology considers nothing but the ‘subconscious’, and never the ‘superconscious’, which ought logically to be its correlative; there is no doubt that this usage expresses the idea of an extension operating only in a downward direction, that is, toward the aspect of things that corresponds, both here in the human being and elsewhere in the cosmic environment, to the ‘fissures’ through which the most ‘malefic’ influences of the subtle world penetrate, influences having a character than can truthfully and literally be described as ‘infernal ’. (It may be noted in this connection that Freud put at the head of his The Interpretation of Dreams the following very significant epigram: Flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo - If I cannot move heaven I will raise hell (Virgil ,Aeneid, vii, 312)) There are also some who adopt the term ‘unconscious’ as a synonym or equivalent of ‘subconscious’, and this term, taken literally, would seem to refer to an even lower level, but as a matter of fact it only corresponds less closely to reality; if the object of study were really unconscious it is difficult to see how it could be spoken of at all, especially in psychological terms; and besides, what good reason is there, other than mere materialistic and mechanistic prejudice, for assuming that anything unconscious really exists? However that may be, there is another thing worthy of note, and that is the strange illusion which leads psychologists to regard states as being more ‘profound’ when they are quite simply more inferior; is not this already an indication of the tendency to run counter to spirituality, which alone can be truly profound since it alone touches the principle and the very center of the being? Correspondingly, since the domain of psychology is not extended upward, the ‘superconscious’ naturally remains as strange to it and as cut off from it as ever; and when psychology happens to meet anything related to the ‘superconscious’, it tries to annex it merely by assimilating it to the ‘subconscious’. This particular procedure is almost invariably characteristic of its so-called explanations of such things as religion and mysticism, together with certain aspects of Eastern doctrine such as Yoga ; there are therefore features in this confusion of the superior with the inferior that can properly be regarded as constituting a real subversion.

 

It should also be noted that psychology, as well as the ‘new philosophy’, tends in its appeal to the subconscious to approach more and more closely to ‘metapsychics’; and in the same way it cannot avoid making an approach, though perhaps unwittingly (at least in the case of those of its representatives who are determined to remain materialists in spite of everything), to spiritualism and to other more or less similar things, all of which rely without doubt on the same obscure elements of a debased psychism. These same things, of which the origin and the character are more than suspect, thus appear in the guise of ‘precursory’ movements and as the allies of recent psychology, which introduces the elements in question into the contemporary purview of what is admitted to be ‘official’ science, and although it introduces them in a roundabout way (nonetheless by an easier way than that of ‘metapsychics’, the latter being still disputed in some quarters), it is very difficult to think that the part psychology is called upon to play in the present state of the world is other than one of active participation in the second phase of anti-traditional action. In this connection, the recently mentioned pretensions of ordinary psychology to annex, by forcible assimilation to the ‘subconscious’, certain things that by their very nature elude it, only belong to what may be called the ‘childish’ side of the affair, though they are fairly clearly subversive in tendency; for explanations of that sort, just like the ‘sociological’ explanations of the same things, are really of a ‘simplistic’ ingenuousness that sometimes reaches buffoonery; but in any case, that sort of thing is far less serious, so far as its real consequences are concerned, than the truly ‘satanic’ side now to be examined more closely in relation to the new psychology.

 

A ‘satanic’ character is revealed with particular clarity in the psychoanalytic interpretations of symbolism, or of what is held rightly or wrongly to be symbolism, this last proviso being inserted because on this point as on many others, if the details were gone into, there would be many distinctions to make and many confusions to dissipate: thus, to take only one typical example, a vision in which is expressed some ‘supra-human’ inspiration is truly symbolic, whereas an ordinary dream is not so, whatever the outward appearances may be. Psychologists of earlier schools had of course themselves often tried to explain symbolism in their own way and to bring it within the range of their own conceptions; in any such case, if symbolism is really in question at all, explanations in terms of purely human elements fail to recognize anything that is essential, as indeed they do whenever affairs of a traditional order are concerned; if on the other hand human affairs alone are really in question, then it must be a case of false symbolism, but then the very fact of calling it by that name reveals once more the same mistake about the nature of true symbolism. This applies equally to the matters to which the psychoanalysts devote their attention, but with the difference that in their case the things to be taken into consideration are not simply human, but also to a great extent ‘infra-human’; it is then that we come into the presence, not only of a debasement, but of a complete subversion; and every subversion, even if it only arises, at least in the first place, from incomprehension and ignorance (than which nothing is better adapted for exploitation to such ends), is always inherently ‘satanic’ in the true sense of the word. Besides this, the generally ignoble and repulsive character of psychoanalytical interpretations is an entirely reliable ‘mark’ in this connection; and it is particularly significant from our point of view, as has been shown elsewhere, that this very same ‘mark’ appears again in certain spiritualist manifestations— anyone who sees in this no more than a mere ‘coincidence’ must v surely have much good will, if indeed he is not completely blind. In most cases the psychoanalysts may well be quite as unconscious as are the spiritualists of what is really involved in these matters; but the former no less than the latter appear to be ‘guided’ by a subversive will making use in each case of elements that are of the same order, if not precisely identical. This subversive will, whatever may be the beings in which it is incarnated, is certainly conscious enough, at least in those beings, and it is related to intentions that are doubtless very different from any that can be suspected by people who are only the unconscious instruments whereby those intentions are translated into action.

 

Under such conditions, it is all too clear that resort to psychoanalysis for purposes of therapy, this being the usual reason for its employment, cannot but be extremely dangerous for those who undergo it, and even to those who apply it, for they are concerned with things that can never be handled with impunity; it would not be taking an exaggerated view to see in this one of the means specially brought into play in order to increase to the greatest possible extent the disequilibrium of the modern world and to lead it on toward final dissolution. Those who practice such methods are on the other hand without doubt convinced of the benefits afforded by the results they obtain; theirs is however the very delusion that makes the diffusion of these methods possible, and it marks the real difference subsisting between the intentions of the ‘practitioners’ and the intentions of the will that presides over the work in which the practitioners only collaborate blindly. In fact, the only effect of psychoanalysis must be to bring to the surface, by making it fully conscious, the whole content of those lower depths of the being that can properly be called the ‘subconscious’; moreover, the individual concerned is already psychologically weak by hypothesis, for if he were otherwise he would experience no need to resort to treatment of this description; he is by so much the less able to resist ‘subversion’, and he is in grave danger of foundering irremediably in the chaos of dark forces thus imprudently let loose; even if he manages in spite of everything to escape, he will at least retain throughout the rest of his life an imprint like an ineradicable ‘stain within himself.

 

Someone may raise an objection here, based on a supposed analogy with the ‘descent into hell’ as is met with in the preliminary phases of the initiatic journey; but any such assimilation is completely false, for the two aims have nothing in common, nor have the conditions of the ‘subject’ in the two cases; there can be no question of anything other than a profane parody, and that idea alone is enough to impart to the whole affair a somewhat disturbing suggestion of ‘counterfeit’. The truth is that this supposed ‘descent into hell’, which is not followed by any ‘re-ascent’, is quite simply a ‘fall into the mire’, as it is called according to the symbolism of some of the ancient Mysteries. It is known that this ‘mire’ was figuratively represented as the road leading to Eleusis, and that those who fell into it were profane people who claimed initiation without being qualified to receive it, and so were only the victims of their own imprudence. It may be mentioned that such ‘mires’ really exist in the macrocosmic as well as in the microcosmic order; this is directly connected with the question of the ‘outer darkness’ (the reader may be referred back to what has been said earlier about the symbolism of the ‘Great Wall’ and of the mountain Lokaloka), and certain relevant Gospel texts could be recalled, the meaning of which agrees exactly with what has just been explained. In the ‘descent into hell’ the being finally exhausts certain inferior possibilities in order to be able to rise thereafter to superior states; in the ‘fall into the mire’ on the other hand, the inferior possibilities take possession of him, dominate him, and end by submerging him completely.

 

There was occasion in the previous paragraph again to use the word ‘counterfeit’; the impression it conveys is greatly strengthened by some other considerations, such as the denaturing of symbolism previously mentioned, and the same kind of denaturing tends to spread to everything that contains any element of a ‘supra-human’ order, as is shown by the attitude adopted toward religion, and toward doctrines of a metaphysical and initiatic order such as Yoga. Even these last do not escape this new kind of interpretation, which is carried to such a point that some proceed to assimilate the methods of spiritual ‘realization’ to the therapeutical procedures of psychoanalysis. This is something even worse than the cruder deformations also current in the West, such as those in which the methods of Yoga are seen as a sort of ‘physical culture’ or as therapeutic methods of a purely physiological kind, for their very crudity makes such deformations less dangerous than those that appear in a more subtle guise. The subtler kind are the more dangerous not simply because they are liable to lead astray minds on which the less subtle could obtain no hold; they are certainly dangerous for that reason, but there is another reason affecting a much wider field, identical with that which has been described as making the materialistic conception less dangerous than conceptions involving recourse to an inferior psychism. Of course the purely spiritual aim, which alone constitutes the essentiality of Yoga as such, and without which the very use of the word becomes a mere absurdity, is no less completely unrecognized in the one case than in the other. Yoga is in fact no more a kind of psychic therapy than it is a kind of physiological therapy, and its methods are in no way and in no degree a treatment for people who are in any way ill or unbalanced; very far from that, they are on the contrary intended exclusively for those who must from the start and in their own natural dispositions be as perfectly balanced as possible if they are to realize the spiritual development which is the only object of the methods; but all these matters, as will readily be understood, are strictly linked up with the whole question of initiatic qualification.

 

But this is not yet all, for one other thing under the heading of ‘counterfeit’ is perhaps even more worthy of note than anything mentioned so far, and that is the requirement imposed on anyone who wants to practise psychoanalysis as a profession of being first ‘psychoanalyzed’ himself. This implies above all a recognition of the fact that the being who has undergone this operation is never again the same as he was before, in other words, to repeat an expression already used above, it leaves in him an ineradicable imprint, as does initiation, but as it were in an opposite sense, for what is here in question is not a spiritual development, but the development of an inferior psychism. In addition, there is an evident imitation of the initiatic transmission; but, bearing in mind the difference in the nature of the influences that intervene, and in view of the fact that the production of an effective result does not allow the practice to be regarded as nothing but a mere pretence without real significance, the psycho-analytic transmission is really more comparable to the transmission effected in a domain such as that of magic, or even more accurately that of sorcery. And there remains yet another very obscure point concerning the actual origin of the transmission: it is obviously impossible to give to anyone else what one does not possess oneself, and moreover the invention of psychoanalysis is quite recent; so from what source did the first psychoanalysts obtain the ‘powers’ that they communicate to their disciples, and by whom were they themselves ‘psychoanalyzed’ in the first place? To ask this question is only logical, at least for anyone capable of a little reflection, though it is probably highly indiscreet, and it is more than doubtful whether a satisfactory answer will ever be obtained; but even without any such answer this kind of psychic transmission reveals a truly sinister ‘mark’ in the resemblances it calls to mind: from this point of view psychoanalysis presents a rather terrifying likeness to certain ‘sacraments of the devil’.

 

Excerpts from:

 

René Guénon - The Reign of Quantity and the Signs of the Times

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"Please feel free to use my images any way you like.I do not feel the need to "own" them. It is only a picture.

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>>To be seen in Flickr-group "Creative Composition" and others<<

"No PERFECT CAMERA? No PERFECT GEAR?....do not let materialism kill your creativity. Show the whole world your creativity through your photos and let us change the way others see things."

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The Post Growth exhibition invites us to challenge the dominant narratives about growth and progress, and explore the radical implications of a speculative economic model based on energy emitted by the Sun. The exhibition looks at perspectives for a shift away from the overexploitation of fossil fuels, ancient sunlight, the force on which the reproduction of our societies depends today.

 

The series of artworks presented re-envision social metabolism through an understanding of the energy it requires, reconnecting human survival with the living, material qualities of the biosphere, drawing on ecofeminism, indigenous knowledge, envi- ronmental accounting and historical materialism.

 

In complement to the main exhibition, a series of workshops, discussions and filmed interviews will further explore the forms that a post-fossil society could take and the challenges we need to confront to get there.

 

Post Growth is an invitation to a collective and practical examination of the future of life on the planet, the notion of growth in all its facets and implications, the limits of technology, of politics and of our imaginations.

 

Location: Quai des Charbonnages 30, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, Brussels

russellmoreton.blogspot.com

 

Spatial Bodies : Visual Art Materialisms~Processual Workings - Russell Moreton 2012

  

Let's step back from materialism ruling the world. Look over the wall.

 

 

(more) PENGUINS in the grass

This is the Visitor Center and Gift shop windchimes are sold.

 

I first visited Cosanti in 1968. There was nothing around it in this part of Paradise Valley and it was still being built. Things sure have changed. Paolo Soleri would probably be appalled by what grew up around his vision that is the compete antithesis of his vision.

 

I live about 2 miles north of here, but I had never made time to photograph it. I made time.

 

www.arcosanti.org/cosanti-foundation/

Founded in 1965, The Cosanti Foundation is an Arizona-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Our mission is to inspire a reimagined urbanism that builds resilient and equitable communities sustainably integrated with the natural world.

Our vision is a world of equitable communities which improve earth/life balance and do better with less.

We pursue this mission and vision at our two flagship locations, Cosanti (in Paradise Valley near Phoenix) and Arcosanti (near Mayer in central Arizona), as well as with projects, programs, and partnerships that hundreds of thousands of people have participated in over the last 57 years.

The word “cosanti” is a combination of the Italians words “cosa” (meaning “things”) and “anti” (meaning “against” or “before”). It signifies The Cosanti Foundation’s commitment to a way of living, working, and building that is oriented away from consumption and materialism, and is respectful of our planet’s natural rhythms and resources. Through ongoing experimentation with and application of the principles of arcology (a combination of the words architecture and ecology), we seek to demonstrate a kind of construction and community that offers an alternative to sprawl development and a solution to modern social and environmental crises.

The Cosanti Foundation also owns and operates the for-profit Cosanti Originals, where we make our world-famous bronze and ceramic windbells and other artisan items.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Soleri

Paolo Soleri (21 June 1919 – 9 April 2013)[1] was an Italian-born American architect. He established the educational Cosanti Foundation and Arcosanti. Soleri was a lecturer in the College of Architecture at Arizona State University and a National Design Award recipient in 2006. He coined the concept of 'arcology' – a synthesis of architecture and ecology as the philosophy of democratic society.[2] He died at home of natural causes on 9 April 2013 at the age of 93.[3]

Soleri authored several books, including The Bridge Between Matter & Spirit is Matter Becoming Spirit and Arcology – City In the Image of Man.[4]

Soleri was born in Turin, Italy, Europe. He was awarded his "laurea" (master's degree) in architecture from the Politecnico di Torino in 1946. He visited the United States in December 1946 and spent a year and a half in fellowship with Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin West in Arizona, and at Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin. During this time, he gained international recognition for a bridge design that was displayed at the Museum of Modern Art.[5]

Paolo and Colly Soleri made a lifelong commitment to research and experimentation in urban planning. They established the Cosanti Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational non-profit foundation. Soleri's philosophy and works were strongly influenced by the Jesuit paleontologist and philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.[citation needed]

 

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