bench far and near ~

little one ~

warning: die hard sophie fans only! ~

  MVI 8979 from julie a on Vimeo.


so windy up there...this is where we perch overlooking our peaceable kingdom! i am happily warbling on in the wind about this and that, someone is playing eric clapton in the background (wonderful tonight), but mostly i am trying to find the mountains for you all to see...

into the heart of the matter ~

gold leaf ~

a merlin ~

pure trust in your own basic goodness ~

ribbon creek ~

nymphalis antiopa ~

Otherwise known as the Mourning Cloak or the Camberwell Beauty.

perched atop the fall equinox ~

song of awakening ~

Lama Gyurme ~ Song of Awakening

magic hour ~

healing ~

Translation - Raa- Sun Maa- Moon Daa- Earth Saa- Impersonal infinity Saa Say- Totally of infinity So- Personal sense of merger and identity Hung- The infinite vibrating and real 

May this mantra assist you during these times of much intensity...if you so choose, allow the vibration of the sound of the mantra to permeate and vibrate every cell in your body...

RaMaDaSa ~ Snatam Kaur

to just walk ~

Meditation is getting into the natural situation, the organic natural situation of what we are, directly, thoroughly, properly. In order to do this, we cannot just rent a helicopter and fly to the heart of the matter without any inconvenience. We do not have the money to buy such a fantastic machine. So what shall we do? The obvious thing to do is walk, just to walk on our own feet, just walk. We have to get into the countryside of this intimate natural beauty and walk. That is exactly what the first step of meditation is, going into our natural psychological situation without trying to find some fancy touristic vehicle. It is a very pleasant thing, to begin with, to just walk.

Glimpses of Abhidharma ~ Chogyam Trungpa

looking for the cat ~

and i found her in the plant pot...guess that's why it is called cat mint.

in your entire life ~

If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough. ~ Meister Eckhart

sometimes time stands still ~

airplane ~

captured by the grass ~

candy chang ~

some lovely lavender ~

sophie girl ~

but it is a good journey ~

Our life is an endless journey; it is like a broad highway that extends infinitely into the distance. The practice of meditation provides a vehicle to travel on that road. Our journey consists of constant ups and downs, hope and fear, but it is a good journey. The practice of meditation allows us to experience all the textures of the roadway, which is what the journey is all about. Through the practice of meditation, we begin to find that within ourselves there is no fundamental complaint about anything or anyone at all.  

Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior ~ Chogyam Trungpa

rolling hills ~

we can appreciate anything that exists ~

Any perception can connect us to reality properly and fully. What we see doesn't have to be pretty, particularly; we can appreciate anything that exists. There is some principle of magic in everything, some living quality. Something living, something real, is taking place in everything.

Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior ~ Chogyam Trungpa

my constant companion ~

cold, clear river water ~

riverbank ~

sweet magpie ~

otherworlds ~

overseer ~

castle river ~

hope is the thing with feathers ~

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

~ Emily Dickinson

a gathering ~

a wish ~

bowls ~

landing on hard ordinary ground ~

Surrendering does not involve preparing for a soft landing; it means just landing on hard, ordinary ground, on rocky, wild countryside. Once we open ourselves, then we land on what is.

Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism ~ Chogyam Trungpa