Enlightenment and the idea of “Zen” are interrelated. The essence of Zen is that all human beings are Buddha, and that all they have to do is to discover that truth for themselves.
Zen is to be completely alive. It is sometimes called a religion and sometimes called a philosophy. Whichever the term; it simply doesn’t matter.
Zen tries to free the mind from the slavery of words and the constriction of logic. Zen is meditation.
Zen is the art of seeing into the nature of one’s own being, and it points the way from bondage to freedom.
With life becoming more and more busy, I sometimes hear people talking about how they’re going to say “no” more often. There are so many things we are asked to be involved in: volunteering, events, fundraisers, running errands, giving, giving, giving…all while trying to make time for yourself in amongst it all too!
Don’t get me wrong, saying “no” is important. Because when we say “no”, we are then able to say “yes“ to the right people. And there is beauty in this. Your “yes” moments will look differently depending on the your own lives and personal situations but I challenge you to say “yes.”
Not for everything, because you don’t want to burn yourself out. But make a goal for yourself whether it’s one “yes” a week or one “yes” a day, to those who matter to you. They will be forever thankful.
Be present, be intentional. Say “no”, so you can “yes.”
I am always big on acknowledging those with particular skills or talents. Observing and appreciating those who excel at something is often energising, and makes me want to pursue my own goals.
It also produces admiration, which is a beautiful emotion – to feel positive, warm regard for someone else. Admiration could manifest while watching and listening to a virtuoso musician, reading about a great scientist, politician, or invention, the way a writer tells their story or a filmmaker weaves the components of a great movie together.
It can also manifest through the actions or manner in which a person lives their lives. If there is someone excelling in your life, let them know you admire what they do.
And me? How do I strive to achieve excellence? To put it into simple words, do the right thing. Excellence is the result of caring about what we do, and of putting our very best effort into what we care about. It is an outward expression of inner integrity, passion and a strong sense to make a true difference.
A spiderweb sparkling in the sunlight can be a truly beautiful sight, but webs have additional surprises. The strength-to-weight ratio of the material is remarkable, and spiders seem to be able to rig a web just about anywhere.
Some webs are extremely intricate. Most people assume that the design is purely functional, but this is not always the case. Many spiders actually replace their entire web every single day!
For many, values are misinterpreted as ethics or morals. The true definition of value is: a set of standards that we want to live our lives by based on what is most important to us.
This means living our lives based on the things that are most important to us in life, therefore, giving us purpose! A strategy I read about to discover our values is as follows: Identify 10 or more values that reflect our core values and then narrow them down to 5.
Understanding what what is most important to us is the very essence of appreciating beauty in our lives.
For me, I love:
Spending time in nature because it grounds me (well-being)
Talking and being with others because it makes me feel connected (connection)
African drumming because I can play music with others (creativity)
Walking my dogs because it makes them happy (sense of purpose)
Being with my husband because he is my soul mate (connection)
Dragon boating because my body can be powerful and strong (well-being)
Teaching because I feel like I make a difference (sense of purpose)
Exploring new places because I am curious and interested (knowledge)
History because we can learn from our past (knowledge)
Writing because I can explore my creativity (creativity)
Narrowing these down, I can clearly see my core values are:
Well-being, Connection, Sense of purpose, Knowledge, Creativity
Usually, the tone of the word “utterance” doesn’t fit “beautiful” well. An utterance (in the sense of something that someone says) is short, abrupt, and functional rather than beautiful,
But sometimes there are exceptions…
You. Not wanting me was the beginning of me wanting myself. Thank you.
Before we get to the teamwork part, a little bit of background is required.
Similar to the use of outrigger canoes, dragon boat racing has a rich background of ancient ceremonial, ritualistic and religious traditions.
Thought to have originated in southern central China more than 2500 years ago, dragon boat racing has been practiced continuously since this period as the basis for annual water rituals and festival celebrations, and for the traditional veneration of the Chinese dragon water deity.
Of the twelve animals which make up the traditional Chinese zodiac, only the Dragon is a mythical creature. Dragons were traditionally believed to be the rulers of water: rivers, lakes, and seas. They were also thought to dominate the waters of the heavens: clouds, mists, and rains.
Dragon boat racing venerates the dragon deity and is meant to avert misfortune and encourage rainfall.
The crew of a standard dragon boat consists of 22 team members:
– 20 paddlers in pairs facing toward the bow
– 1 drummer
– 1 sweep standing at the rear
Dragon boats, however, do vary in length and the crew size changes accordingly, from small dragon boats with only 10 paddlers up to traditional boats which have upwards of 50 paddlers.
Races are typically a sprint event of several hundred meters, with 500 metres being the most common. Races measuring 200, 1000, and 2000 metres are also standard distances in international competition.
The true beauty of paddling a dragon boat comes from teamwork – immersing yourself in this amazing culture of community, commitment and determination! There is something spiritual about the synchronicity of the crew and being focused on a common goal.
It’s not the fittest or strongest team that succeeds on the water – it’s the team that works as a single force.
I love my Invictus dragon boat family and am so proud of how far we’ve come in just our first 12 months of competition.
“Everything, as you well know . . . cannot always be sweetness and light.” – The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo
There is beauty in the darkness.
For example, consider how shadows are formed. Shadows are made by blocking the light. Light rays travel from a source in straight lines. If an opaque (solid) object gets in the way, it stops light rays from traveling through it. This results in an area of darkness appearing behind the object.
While this may seem counterintuitive to beauty, there truly IS something winsome to be found in shadows – for only by ignoring the light can we have the elegance, anonymity and secrecy of the black that hides, or shields our deepest selves. Thus allowing us to appreciate all that is good.
Look again…Things aren’t always what they seem
“To light a candle is to cast a shadow.” – Ursula K. Le Guin
“If you don’t have any shadows you’re not in the light.” – Lady Gaga
“Fancies are like shadows…you can’t cage them, they’re such wayward, dancing things.” – L.M. Montgomery
“We find beauty not in the thing itself but in the patterns of shadows, the light and the darkness, that one thing against another creates.” – Jun’ichirō Tanizaki
1. Who I truly am can never be destroyed — my shadow is indestructible. I’m indestructible. My physical body’s not indestructible, but “I” am.
2. There is no limit to my growth — at the right angle with the right light, my shadow can span so far and wide, standing strong…no matter what.
3. Our mistakes in life don’t define who we are — the shadow itself can do no wrong. Even if I do something that ‘bad’, the shadow itself remains pure.
4. I am 100% unique — my shadow is mine and mine only! It is unique to me.
5. In life, there will be clouds that hide the best in us from our own eyes and the eyes of others — it’s important that we remember that just as the shadow didn’t disappear, the darkness of life doesn’t remove the good that is in us.
In my mind, these 5 lessons, are exceptionally beautiful and well worth appreciating!
The processes resulting in the formation of tors started millions and millions of years ago. Simply speaking, tors are the result of granite cooling and solidifying from molten rock.
Granite is formed from three main minerals: Quartz – appearing in the granite as greyish-looking grains; Feldspar – white grains, sometimes stained yellowish or pink; and Biotite – dark brown glistening flakes.
Tors are awesome. In sitting perfectly still, holding their space on this earth, their solidity and monolithic nature ensure they are simultaneously imposing and majestic. I love the vibrations that run through these rocks. They seem to hold the energies of times gone by; bearing witness to events – enduring the past, present and future. There is something beautiful in this feeling of insignificance and fragility; reminding me I am here for a mere blip in time.
Three areas where I have spent significant time with tors are Mt Buffalo National Park, Yeddonba Aboriginal Cultural Site and Namadgi National Park.
Mt Buffalo National ParkYeddonba Aboriginal Cultural SiteSquare Rock, Namadgi National ParkSquare Rock, Namadgi National Park
They show you affection, give you a sense of purpose, and greet you every day when you come home (well, maybe not if you have a cat).
There’s a lot of beautiful sayings and quotes out there about the rare kind of magic pets bring to our lives.
These people say it better than I ever could…
“If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.” James Herriot, British Writer
“Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.” Roger Caras, American Activist
“If I could be half the person my dog is, I’d be twice the human I am.” Charles Yu, Taiwanese-American Author
“Dogs are the leaders of the planet. If you see two life forms, one of them’s making a poop, the other one’s carrying it for him, who would you assume is in charge?” Jerry Seinfeld
“Bliss is the result of a silent conversation between me and my dog.” Unknown
And now, shameless puppy spam! Here are some beautiful pictures of my beautiful dogs…
I recently stumbled across this old journal article and was intrigued by the sentiment andquestionsposed within:
Source: Coleman, Francis J. “Can a Smell or a Taste or a Touch Be Beautiful?” American Philosophical Quarterly, vol. 2, no. 4, 1965, pp. 319–324. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20009182. Accessed 12 Apr. 2021.
For me, I certainly disagree with these aestheticians. There IS beauty in touch, and taste, and smell. I was startled to learn this was not a common view point.
For the purposes of my post (which is focusing on “O”) I wish to explore the beauty of the olfactory.
Undeniably, there is comfort, contentment and excitement in smell. Are these things, not things of beauty?
Take:
– A freshly brewed cup of coffee, tantalising our sense of smell, providing anticipation to jumpstart our day?
– The tangy salty stinging in our nostrils as we inhale the beach on a windy day, reminding us that we are alive and in the presence of awesome nature?
– The scent of eucalyptus trees and scrubby bushes after the rain, symbolising the new growth and nourishment of life
OR
– The smell of nanna’s perfume lingering on a blanket she crocheted, bringing her into my presence, even though she’s long gone?
These things are beautiful. But most importantly, they are precious. And I will shamelessly declare the beauty of smell, to anyone who will listen…especially at the dinner table!
Mathematicians and non-mathematicians can surely agree, there is beauty in mathematics.
Not just the simple gratification that can be felt from balancing an equation, or solving a multi step problem. Beauty is more than skin deep when it comes to numbers.
Beauty can be found in the harmony, patterns, and structures of numbers and forms – providing the classic ideals of balance and symmetry.
The non-mathematician often appreciates the beauty of mathematics without even realising it.
For example:
feeling a sense of awe while admiring a flower or a tree
feeling attracted to a certain piece of art
favouring a specific type of architecture
The beauty that attracts your eye is made possible by, and can be explained by mathematics.
There are three elements of beauty: symmetry, proportion, and harmony. The perfect balance of these elements created the “Golden Mean” (otherwise known as the golden ratio). The Golden Mean can be found (literally) everywhere in our world!
Where in the world would we be without music? Somewhere I’d rather not be, that’s for certain!
There is no question that music stimulates the mind. There are many beautiful aspects to music, which one can listen to and focus our attention on music, we can be mindful of melodies or themes, harmonies, rhythms, the tapestry of sounds, “activity” within a piece, or how they all relate to one another, all while, figuring out how the composer conceived the piece in the first place!
Focused and attentive listening is an incredible experience that allows one to become lost in a foreign world of sound. Music can raise someone’s mood, get them excited, or make them calm and relaxed. Music also – and this is important – allows us to feel nearly or possibly all emotions that we experience in our lives. And this is truly beautiful.
In just 12 different notes, we can play any kind of music. I find it extraordinary that all songs can be created from this small range, with seemingly infinite combinations.
Here are some pieces of music I truly appreciate. They touch my soul in a profound way…even though each is very different to the next.
(Of course, lyrics also play an important role in this too, adding yet another dimension – truly the most perfect accompaniment…but that’s for another post!)
By Sarah 
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