Inquiry

 Charles, you are truly a master of awareness and the keyboard.

 Charles, you are truly a master of awareness and the keyboard.

Where else could the term "Holy Shit!" have come from?

--

Don't you know that God is Pooh Bear?!?

 Charles, Wonderful example about spiritual education. You had to cut regular education some (not all, because regular education does also serve spirit some) to discover the non-regular, unexpected, Jesus-in-a-shity-manger, sort of beauty.

My wife and I are getting old. It is in many ways a pile of shit (getting old). Yet I see her radiant beauty clearer than ever. I now see her soul. She is as young and beautiful as she ever was "physically".

The world (and your non-zoo, regular class/education) said shit is ugly. I too learned from the world's classroom that age sucks and that impending death is a bummer, both of which are ugly, are piles of shit. I learned well.

Yet grace, or something smarter inside, taught me that my wife is a beautiful gift to help me through this physical journey, and that death is simply a passageway to another form of being (or beyond being, or being beyond being! whatever! It is a passage as much, or more, than it is a loss.). And the buffalo taught your smarter, inner student, something of the same sort of beauty which transcends physical attachment and conventional "wisdom".

The buffalo was a great spiritual teacher, using the simplest of object lessons to teach you "right", right  when your inner student was ready to learn, about "beauty". Thanks for the story. It cut right through the world's "shat" (It wouldn't be pretty to say "shit"!) Shat is where it's at!

Is the deeper principle something to do with how we learn to look at things? Can we learn to look deeper? At the essence or spirit of a thing (s)? Or freer? Or more open? Or as part of a larger, wholer, process? Is that what the shat lesson was communicating? There is beauty in how we see. 

If so, then the buffalo was teaching you about the spiritual principle of appreciation. This was one of five spiritual principles which evolved out of contemplation, thought, and fictional and philosophical writing, while writing a book about a model "trans-faith" community.

The Book is 3/4 s done, and is called The Marketing of Virtue. The fictional model community which is being virtually developed and marketed is Allsberg. The 5 spiritual principles are the way the various religions of Allsberg remind themselves that the religions will serve spirituality and spiritual growth in the production of human virtues.

Allsberg's priority "product" is not flat screen TVs or other material products. It is devoted to being a live-in virtue factory. It just so happens that when Allsberg's citizens own these virtues, the product transforms the owners of the product into higher-stage spiritual beings. That is a real selling point for virtues, as opposed to buying an expensive flat screen, high definition, TV which only shows pretty pictures (although even that can serve spirit, some). 

Below is a description of Allsberg's "Spiritual Principle of Appreciation". It is an excerpt from the book. 

Todd Enters

    The door knob rattled and interrupted the discussion. It was Todd. He was late because he went to watch his nephew's little league baseball game. He hadn't watched one since his own boys were that age. He felt renewed from the experience, so it was worth being late for the meeting. Besides, he had already formed so many ideas that it ran the risk of interfering with the group process. As it turned out, he had been correct. His presence in the early stages of discussion would have competed with the group's more-or-less natural discovery of the first principle, whole-to-part. Since the concept had been written about first in Todd's essay, his being there would have risked self promotion and/or the group giving into a perceived authority. Better that the group members referred to the concept on their own, and were able to judge its merit without the influence of its author. 

    It was fitting that the group's endorsement of his concept seemed a gift to him. The core virtue of gift-hood, purpose, was just then in the process of being translated into a spiritual principle. Todd also hope his arrival, as well as his existence, was seen as a gift by his new friends. He certainly felt that each of them was a gift, and that each had a vital role - a purpose - as regards the creating of Allsberg. 

   Drew asked "What spiritual principle do you guys think of when you think of the fourth core virtue?" Phil said it reminded him of thankfulness. "Thanksgiving day is one of my favorite holidays, because it is a time to reflect on the bounty, or the gifts, that we have. Christmas has turned into a gift-giving event, but it is so busy that the focus is not on thankfulness about the gifts. Ironically Thanksgiving day doesn't shower us with gifts, other than a nice turkey dinner, but it seems to help me appreciate the gifts of loved-ones and of having a warm, safe, place to live more-so than Christmas with its new gifts. 

    I would say there is something spiritual about giving thanks or fully appreciating the gifts all around us already, rather than being dependent on getting something new as a gift. The latter seems to involve a mentality of acquisition, which seems more materialistic and less spiritual than simply appreciating what is. We can spend our whole life trying to find - to hunt down - happiness, only to miss the gifts we had all along. 

    Remember the scene in the movie Field of Dreams, where his spirit guide/father asked if this was heaven? The main character, played by Kevin Cosner, looked around, thought a moment, and said, in a kind of reverent tone, 'maybe it is'. Not only did the spirit guide help him eventually heal his strained relationship with his father, but in that moment he already had Cosner really appreciating what was right in front of him, and that he had taken for granted before. The spirit guide's role seemed to be to help Cosner see in a spiritual way, and the seeing seemed to be related to an appreciative attitude - like the attitude of thankfulness cultivated during Thanksgiving day."

    Todd said "Phil, you used the word 'appreciation' quite a few times. I think you have gotten to the crux of the matter. It's one thing to acknowledge something. Another thing to comprehend it. Yet another to understand it. But to fully appreciate its significance seems to be a more complete way of knowing or experiencing - a more complete way of using one's mind as the thing or event is being contemplated. I have been blessed with a good marriage. Even though we have encountered some occasional cold vibes socially, due to the fact that it is an interracial marriage, Becky and I  have been blessed within and without by this relationship. It is a true gift to both of us, as it is a true gift to the community. Our two boys are another gift that came out of the gift of that marriage. 

    Now, I just declared this information, as a matter of knowledge (the fact that I count the marriage as a gift - know it as such), but that doesn't mean I necessarily appreciate the sacred quality of that manifestation of grace. Am I moved by it, as one would be moved by seeing the morning mist as the breath of God? Are my emotions connected with the understanding or knowledge in a way that compliments it, rather than overshadows it or is oblivious to that knowledge? Is it a full, integrated, whole-mind awareness of the gift of my marriage?  If my knowledge is complimented by the heart, then I have appreciation of the marriage as a true gift. Otherwise, the knowledge is only a matter of identification of a situation or frame of reference about the situation - not a matter of true awareness.

    Gift-hood, as I conceptualized it in the essay, meant just what you were describing above as you spoke on appreciation and thankfulness. I thank God everyday for the gift that he, she, it gave me. This is the attitude of thankfulness that you associated with Thanksgiving day. By my thanking God for my marriage, I am making every day Thanksgiving day. Plus, there is another clever way of looking at what I am doing when I engage in prayers of thanks.

    I truly believe that I am also increasing the value of the gift itself, not just my perception of the gift, but the value of the actual gift. In the form of a positive self-fulfilling prophesy I am increasing the quality of the actual marriage. In economic terms, I am appreciating, rather than depreciating, the asset of marriage. The word you used - 'appreciation' - has two meanings. It means the emotional fullness, or 'soaking it in', and it means building it up, making it healthier and stronger. Gift-hood, like a place called a 'neighbor-hood', is a meaningful zone, a place to be mentally. And it involves both meanings of the word 'appreciation'. I propose that we call that a principle - the principle of appreciation."

   The group agreed. They felt that they had discovered the spiritual principle behind (or through) the fourth core virtue. 

   Drew saw his golden opportunity right then and there - another positive teachable moment. "How do you guys feel about what just happened? Let me put it another way. Can we appreciate what our group mind just did? What do you think I am talking about here?"

    Ann got the gold star. She looked at Drew past the top of her half-lensed glasses, as though she "saw" what he was talking about, and in a way that subtly reflected a new perspective about the fourth core virtue. She said, "we infused our discussion and our task with a sense of purpose, because we explored the fourth core virtue from the angle of appreciation. In so doing, we are appreciating the value of that healthy characteristic of the very community we are creating right here and now with our collective mind." Wow! The group was stunned to silence, as though the Holy Spirit had just tapped each of them on the shoulder. Their auras were high.  The chasm between words and actions had been bridged, if for only that shining moment. But such moments are the little movements of mind which help create a new reality. Those moments of insight or awareness, those gifts, build Allsberg.  

           Hope you found something of value, and/or something beautiful, in that huge pile.     Darrell

 Charles, I dug this gem out of my archive of poems I have written over the years. Your wonderful story reminded me of this poem. 

The Pile

He took four books of poems

into the bathroom.

He sat them on the nearest corner of the bathtub, 

across from the commode -  

the books crisscrossed, untidy,

loosely arranged, not so much 

in a collection, as in a pile. 

Wasn't sure how much he could read 

in one sitting, but

he did know he could saunter through 

many pages, any pages

he wanted to, and relax

and go through some of the material

and then move on 

when he wanted to.

He began to dream, leaving 

material things behind,

leaving the pile

in the bathroom

after he finished. 

© 2008 Darrell Moneyhon

adam

Bill, You have learned to appreciate things in the economic sense of appreciating them in value, as opposed to depreciating their worth. We are spiritual, energetic, beings who co-create reality. You choose to use an active sort of en-joying (puting joy in) other beings and in life objects and events. That, in and of itself - that process "thing" you do -  is, like the woman walking gracefully down the street, beautiful.

Darrell 

Beauty is everywhere and in everything.The Seer Himself is Beauty. When we become the Seer , all is beautiful, even death, monotony and so on.The truth is beautiful."Beauty is not in the face;beauty is a light in the heart." Kahlil Gibran

Beauty is in my eyes when I see the Christ in my eyes. Try it . Look in a mirror at your own reflection, then pretend you are looking at yourself through the eyes of God himself.You will see the most beautiful reflection you could ever hope to see. If this is the way I look to my Higher Power, then I must be radiant.

All is beautiful!!!!

Dear Proesmo, I loved the way your mind sorted through the trash to find beauty. And the story of getting past the awful stench of things reminded me of the second poem I wish to share on this blog discussion (I shared one earlier called The Pile, which accompanied the beautiful Buffalo shit story). This poem is a crude rhyming poem I wrote way back in the 70's while still working on my dad's farm. The writing of it was like a negro spiritual sung in the cotton fields (except mine were hay fields or tobacco fields). Here is a copy of the poem. I also made an audio presentation of it, using my garage band (from my macbook) to add a guitar track of a bluegrass sounding chord progression in the background, but I'll have to ask my IL online buddy, Mark Dubois, how to get the audio file to this location. For now the words will have to do.

You implied the ability of mind to rearrange things to see deeper. "Lagg Cobbin" is simply a re-arranged form of Log Cabin, but it becomes a similar smelly man like the interesting, and beautiful, man you encountered on the subway.

  Lagg Cobbin

At old Lagg Cobbin’s funeral not too many showed,

just four or three, the preacher and he, and all his friends

(about the only two people he knowed). 

The preacher said, as serious he could, 

“He rose to heaven from the wood. 

A man made mostly of mud and stick -

not bound in by mortar and brick. 

He knew more of vermin than he did of folk,

but I truly believe with God he spoke.

Where else could he have got the strength

to tell his tales at such length?!

He made good friends who never went astray.

You, dentist, and you, jeweler, are yet here with him today.

Perhaps not many, but better than some

who command the rule of a whole kingdom.”

Afterward, Lagg’s two recollected him,

when he came into town and visited them. 

The others there looked down their nose

at his shoes unlaced and his shabby clothes.

But these two loved the wit and charm he put in a story.

His heart was warm, and in his glory

he unfurled pearls and diamonds galore.

When he was done, they wanted more. 

Of course, old Lagg smelt a little bit.

But if you’d listen long, you’d forget about it.

He took a bath every seven fortnight, yet

he didn’t want to get too wet.

Though not the most aromatic thing to walk the earth, 

who’d use smell to measure worth?

The dentist and the jeweler thought him gold,

no matter what the others said. 

And they cried when they heard that the old

man was dead. 

And rich as gold was Lagg Cobbin, you see.

For two good friends had he. 

A plain pine box is what Lagg was buried in.

He still had dirt caked on his skin.

But nestled neat, and shinin’, underneath

his word-worn lips is fourteen-carat teeth. 

                                                   © 1977 Darrell Moneyhon

These are the true words of an artist. I do feel that some artists are meant to reveal the beauty in the most unlikely places. What many people would pass by an artist is able to capture and express in a way that helps other see something there as well. I love when you say "Beauty is not a device to create disharmony", lol, so very true! How often in this world beauty becomes a vehicle for selfish, egotistic pursuits. It's interesting how condemned a person can get for their lack of conventional beauty of the internet where people have little else but a buddy icon to go by. I've been ridiculed for my glasses! I assume that the same people would never say a thing in real life - let alone notice the eyewear. Still it signals a society that is obsessed with slickness and perfection at the expense of soulfulness.

www.vivimaricarpelan.com

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder...hmm, but the Eye of the Beholder can and has been shaped through osmosis. Osmosis in regards to any relative natuaral or nurtured existence. To me...life in and of itself is Beauty. By definition I see beauty in all person, places and things...an optimistic point of view..lol, 83-640 if you will. I can understand how a materialistic or even broader way of "seeing" beauty can differ. For to "feel" beauty I believe one must actually "think" beauty is everywhere. Otherwise how can one "see" beauty in a relative or relationship wise way! I have only lived and experience American Culture, that is, an urban sect of more specifically...Seattle, WA. 70-680 Taking nature v. nurture as a theoretical view I can only subscribe to the way I was raised. By a single, working, middle-class mother..the youngest of four, by EX0-101 four marriages. My mother was a feminist, ahead of her time in the 60s and 70s...a business owner and landlord. As a culture that is only, IMO, 40 years old politicallly, how can beauty be obtained at all times in all cicumstances. That is the existential goal...life is beautiful...therefore, you are JN0-303 beautiful! Commercialism, sexism and pessimism is the downfall of beauty...IMO!!

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder...hmm, but the Eye of the Beholder can and has been shaped through osmosis. Osmosis in regards to any relative natuaral or nurtured existence. To me...life in and of itself is Beauty. By definition I see beauty in all person, places and things...an optimistic point of view..lol, 83-640 if you will. I can understand how a materialistic or even broader way of "seeing" beauty can differ. For to "feel" beauty I believe one must actually "think" beauty is everywhere. Otherwise how can one "see" beauty in a relative or relationship wise way! I have only lived and experience American Culture, that is, an urban sect of more specifically...Seattle, WA. 70-680 Taking nature v. nurture as a theoretical view I can only subscribe to the way I was raised. By a single, working, middle-class mother..the youngest of four, by EX0-101 four marriages. My mother was a feminist, ahead of her time in the 60s and 70s...a business owner and landlord. As a culture that is only, IMO, 40 years old politicallly, how can beauty be obtained at all times in all cicumstances. That is the existential goal...life is beautiful...therefore, you are JN0-303 beautiful! Commercialism, sexism and pessimism is the downfall of beauty...IMO!!

Your sharing is as complete as I would dream to express...  I just needed to say thank you for your clear sharing.

I came upon this site today and I started to read about beauty.  I see the mirror and I hold the mirror.

Humbly, I am deeply touched by you and your conecttion to the Great Circle of Life, which is relative, relating, relationship love with all others and as you say starts with you -  me - each of us.

You are a beautiful human being!! And so is me.

Jimmy

Oh and  "Mitakuye Oyasin" means "we are all related"

Faith born of wings,
  Risen fore the sun.
My faith is grounded in GrandMother Earth.
   My quest to be free,
Is to know in my heart and mind that I am with you,
  In this Great Circle of Life.

Mary, that was beautifully said. Yes, I thought of the role of authenticity, or genuiness, just last Sunday during the sermon at the church I attend. The sermon was about giving, not so much to get credit or to solve problems with the external act itself, but to be transformed by opening up your heart and connecting while giving.

I thought of "hands", "heart", and then saw "head" as needing to be set on authenicity (being one's authentic self), in order for head to help interface hands and heart. If a person is being authentic and giving authentically of his or her "gifts", especially those "gifts" of the self, then the heart will be opened and touched, and will connect, as the hands offer the external gifts.

It took me awhile to get to your comment above - about a week after last Sunday's sermon - but now I see how much you added to the theme. Amazing how truth weaves itself together in seemingly unrelated ways. Thanks for giving more depth to the spiritual concept of giving-by-connecting. You showed that my hunch was right. It takes authenticity and self-acceptance to do such connective, or transformative, giving.  

Beautifully said.  

                                    Darrell

Hello Dee, Marita, and Dora,

All of you are beautiful souls, and your songs coming forth through your words fill my heart with love. Thank you so much for all your light.

Mary Linda

I remember when I first saw the work of Andy Warhol. I was a kid and I had to laugh and ask myself "People actually think this is art?!" Well, sometimes I still wonder about that but now, I Get It. I love the whole Pop aesthetic. Satirical, whimsical, authentic, candid and aware-- that describes my approach to Beauty and my approach to Culture at the same time. I feel that the Pop Art movement is really representative of that from Andy Warhol to Shepard Fairey's famous portrait of Barack Obama.