To my friends and blog readers in the United States, “Happy Thanksgiving!”. These are my wishes for you on this day.
On this special day, I wish to each of you,
All the best of everything!
May each of you have much abundance in your life.
May each of you feel laughter and have fun.
May each of you connect with all your loved ones.
And, may each of you find the time to say a prayer
for all those who do not have anything.
May Great Spirit smile upon each of you today.
Blessings,
Judy
Not to commit evil, but to practice all good, and to keep the heart pure: This is the teaching of the Buddha.
“To keep the heart pure” means to try to keep the mind uncluttered. It does not mean that we are saintly. It means that we are reasonably aware, reasonably caring, open to ourselves and to others, and not influenced by hatred, greed, or delusion. – Martine Batchelor, "The Precepts: A Special Practice Section"
I read this passage the other day, and I was struck by the simplicity of living that this bit of wisdom crafts for us. I wonder how this teaching, now nearly 5000 years old, could be replaced by a belief in Christianity and Muslim, which seem to cause great violence to other humans.
I wondered how these faiths only in existence for about 2000 years, could arise. As I was sitting in meditation, the simple answer came to me – they arose because the true teachings which supported the teachings of Buddha for different geographical regions, were pushed aside because of the individual’s need for power and to support their hatred and greed. This thought was so powerful that I nearly fell off my meditation cushion. And, it made me sad – very sad.
May we all find that place in ourselves to be kind and carrying, and beyond the passions of hatred, and greed. May delusion be released as we shed our ego.
Blessings,
Judy
It is soon time to begin looking at Christmas trees. The Elementals shake with frustration when their beloved trees are mistakenly identified as pine, when they should be fir, or as spruce when they should be pine. So, the Elementals asked me to give a brief lesson in how to tell the trees apart. And, yes, they are all EVERGREENS, remember, however, that calling a tree an evergreen is like calling you a human instead of using your name.
Look for the number of needles that come out of the same spot on a twig. If a twig bears needles in groups of two, three, or five, you can safely call it a pine.
Pine Tree Branch
If the twig carries its needles singly, it’s a good bet you’ve got a fir or a spruce. If the needle has four sides and, thus, rolls easily between your fingers, it’s a spruce.
Spruce Tree Branch
Pull off a needle, and roll it between your fingers. If it feels flat and doesn’t roll easily, it’s a fir.
Note: This information on the trees comes from www.finegardening.com. I am grateful for their informative site.
Blessings,
Judy
