A Couple of Moving Quotes

     Here are a couple of quotes worth thinking about for the week:

"The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life -- the sick, the needy and the handicapped."  (Hubert H. Humphrey) 

 "The ultimate sense of security will be when we come to recognize that we are all part of one human race.  Our primary allegiance is to the human race and not to one particular color or border.  I think the sooner we renounce the sanctity of these many identities and try to identify ourselves with the human race the sooner we will get a better world and a safer world."  (Mohamed ElBaradei)

 

A Lovely Quote

 Here is a quote for our age:

"To learn to transform conflict, we must let go of the notion that something or someone is wrong or bad.  This belief creates fundamental resistance, and it is the first obstacle to working with conflict.  We can shift our point of view to see that conflicts, like dreams, may possess an elegant intelligence that expresses truths we may not want to see clearly.  For example, an old pattern needs to be abandoned or a relationship needs to grow or change.  We can, with practice, learn to see this intelligence at work and respond creatively and constructively.  The conflict isn't the problem; our response to it is."  (Diane Musho Hamilton)

(photo courtesy of pixabay.com)

A Book That I'm Proud I Finished! Part 2

      Last week I was patting myself on the back for having finished B.K. Frantzis' The Great Stillness, the Water Method of Taoist Meditation.  In this book, Mr. Frantzis presents all the positions that a person might find themselves in, and still be able to meditate in the Taoist water method.

     These positions are:  sitting, lying down, standing, walking, and during sex.  For each, he offers some preparatory exercises and specific methods for meditating in those situations.

     Now, about the "during sex" part.  I'm no prude, but before I read the book, the idea seemed a little, well, unspiritual.  But Frantzis deals with this issue in a matter-of-fact, tasteful, and helpful way.  I did not feel a bit squeamish or put off.  Rather, his point is that no matter what we are doing, we can still meditate.  That seems like a whole new level of spirituality to me.  

     For that reason, I recommend this book.  

A Book That I'm Proud I Finished!

      A while back, I wrote how I tried to get through B. K. Frantzis' first book (Relaxing Into Your Being, The Water Method of Taoist Meditation Series, Volume 1) on the Taoist water method of meditation, and it took three attempts, some months and years apart.  I was so proud of myself when I finally finished that book.

     Well, there is a second book in that series, and I am proud to say that I finished that one, too.  And I didn't have to stop and restart it three times!  The book I speak of is The Great Stillness, the Water Method of Taoist Meditation.  It starts where the first book ends, that is, the first book is considered preparatory, and this second book is for intermediate practitioners, along with hints about some advanced practices.

     Some people, in their reviews, complained that the book seemed disorganized and meandering.  To me, it felt like a one-on-one master's level course on Taoist meditation, with asides and forays into history or experiences that are relevant to the topic.  Yes, it does take patience, but Taoist meditation is a practice for life, and there is not point in rushing through.

     If this sort of meditation practice appeals to you, do yourself a favor and start with the first book first (Relaxing Into Your Being, The Water Method of Taoist Meditation Series, Volume 1) before going to this one.  Otherwise, many of the practices and references won't make any sense.  It is a book to treasure and refer to time and time again.