"Repent. Get clear. Get out!
Look Homeward Angels
"They are taking the Kingdom of Heaven by storm and doing it violence.”
Jesus
Greed is an incredibly contagious disease 🦠 And, it’s a shame when anyone catches it.
Zippi

Friday, April 26, 2013

TGIF, railing at the How-Two-Year-Old-Minds-in-Three Piece Suits-Blew-the-World-Up machine, and some Buddhist and Taoist legend

But, just think!  In a few days it will be Monday again.  *Sobs*

One of the most wonderful people in the world died a couple of weeks ago.  And her daughter is devastated.  I'm trying to think of ways to help this great kid.  I call her kid because our girls were nearly the same age.  My heart breaks for my friend's daughter.  

Friday Fill-ins:  If the gals who do Friday fill-ins do come back this week, their MeMe will be here just above this line of words.....

I think that all of us who give a flip are trying to recover our sense of balance in a world where the escalation of violence roars frightfully along toward some sort of unthinkable brink.  I truly don't see enemies here, but I do see that, globally, most people are trying to stop something like a chain reaction of atoms under intense pressure.  But ,sprinkled in among these people are those who have decided, for whatever reason - either that everything belongs to they themselves even if someone else has it - or Conversely -  it's because they are tired of seeing little children getting blown to bits half an earth away and not enough people caring about it.  And, I see that, all over the world, there are still wonderful people trying to stop this madness, insanity if you will.  You probably know what I mean, as there are those needing to be cured of "this insanity".  Think "Avatar".

Spirit trails:  Today, I found out that I have too many "buffalo" (bits and pieces I do not need, even for an avid crafter). So, I'm busy tidying up after all the "buffalo", so I probably won't post as much but will try to keep up with all of your blogs.  I call the detritus of crafting "buffalo" because there is a Buddha story about this.

It is written that a very upset man came running down the road toward where Buddha sat with his followers - at a "Y" junction in a road.  The man was hot and out of breath, and asked hurriedly if any of them had seen his herd of water buffalo.   They all said that they had not, so the man rushed off down the other leg of the "Y", in search of his animals.  The Buddha turned back to his followers and said, "Now, that man has too many Buffalo!"  Well, the lesson's been taken.

I see Kuan Yin as inspirational, sort of like an Oriental Mother Mary, and I do so love Mother Mary.

This next piece, of Taoist Legend, is from HERE, and pretty much tells how I feel about the World as circumscribed by humans:  Make this picture BIG.  She's lovely....and expensive.

Gorgeous Guan Shih Yin Statue
Borrowed from the internet.
Most beautiful one I've ever seen.

"Guan Shih Yin

Guan Shih Yin, called “Guan Yin” or “Kuan Yin” for short, is the Bodhisattva of Karuna, or Compassion. Guan means “to observe, watch, or monitor”. “Shi” means “the world”, and “yin” means “sounds”, specifically the sounds of those who suffer. The name therefore translates to mean “one who hears the cries of the world”. The Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara was depicted in the Lotus Sutra as male and female, so that he/she could assume any form necessary in order to help others. The word “karuna” means “to weep”. Karuna is our ability to relate to another so intensely that his or her plight affects us as much as if it had been our own. The Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara was apparently so overwhelmed with the task of saving so many people that Amitabha Buddha (the Buddha of boundless light) gave him 11 heads and 1000 arms so that he could hear the cries of the suffering people, and help as many as possible. Eventually, Avalokitesvara was able to deliver all sentient beings from suffering, so that they were all enlightened. Enthused, he reported the success of his efforts to his spiritual father, Amitabha. Amitabha asked Avaolkitesvara to look behind him.

Turning back, Avalokiteshvara saw the world being filled with new sufferers, and shed tears of compassion. It is said that Avalokitesvara’s tears gave birth to the female embodiment of compassion. When Buddhism came to China in the 12th century, the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara morphed into a female figure named Kuan Yin. The legend during that time was of a Buddhist saint named Miao Shan. Miao Shan was the human personification of Kuan Yin. She was a Chinese princess who refused to get married. She wanted to be a nun and dedicate her life to spiritual matters. Her father, enraged by her decision, ordered the nuns to give her the most detestable and difficult chores at the nunnery. This did not deter Kuan Yin, and she eventually received help from all of the animals surrounding the nunnery. Her father, seeing this, became so frustrated that he attempted to burn down the temple. Kuan Yin put out the fire with her bare hands and suffered no burns. Struck with fear, her father ordered her to be put to death.

After she died, Kuan Yin was transformed into a goddess for all of her kindness and began her journey to heaven. She was about to cross over into heaven when she heard a cry of suffering back on earth. Kuan Yin asked to be sent back to earth and vowed to stay until all suffering had ended. Due to the fact that Kuan Yin symbolizes compassion, Kuan Yin is associated with vegetarianism."

I truly hope that you do
All this makes me think, therefore I should knit as an antidote!   There are so many beings still stuck in the mud.  I'll gladly help if only I can figure out how to accomplish this task!

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I’m going through some stuff but I will peek in now and then and will be back when it’s over..