22. Pa-ling’s Secret Transmission

A monk asked Pa-ling,

"What do the words 'secret transmission in the east and in the west' mean?"

"Are you quoting those words from the poem of the third patriarch?", Pa-ling inquired.

"No", answered the monk, "those are the words of the master Shih-t'ou".

"It is my mistake", Pa-ling apologized. "I am such a dotard".

(from The Iron Flute)

Such is life

Seven times down,
Eight times up - 
Such is life.

(by unknown)

The first snow last Saturday!

Some snow pictures from Wikimedia Commons.

The painful dilemma

I'm one body, but I can't eat with my eyes, or walk with my hair.

A mother and her child are one, but they have different destinies.

Drawing ideas

- paper dolls (fantasy, vintage, folk)
- traditional Irish motifs
- portraits
- animals
- fantasy creatures
- Tarot/oracle decks

Gardening inspiration

A home garden is a source of endless inspiration and life lessons.

1. Watching the cycle of life and death.

2. Every plant is the way it is. It grows in its own way, and no plant's way is higher or better, lower or worse than that of other plants.

3. Plants don't hurry and don't do wrong things. They float with the current of life and accept life the way it is.

4. Plants grow slowly, but steadily. There is endless patience in the way they live.

Wonders

Wonders are closer than we think.

We all belong here

I'm not upset when the weather is bad or life is cruel.

No matter what happens, I belong here. This is my planet, my place to live, and everything that's around me is my friend. 

Abundance of the Universe

The excessive abundance of the Universe is overwhelming. 

But it also offers limitless options for creating and changing my world.

The sense of life

The sense of life is being happy. If you're unhappy, you have no reason to live.

Happiness comes from being in control of your own life. 

The ability and possibility to choose what and who are in your world make you truly happy.