Horses

For me, a horse represents qualities as - Beauty, Strength, Speed, Charisma, Gentleness, Courage, Fitness, Silence, Stillness, Energy, Style, Discipline, Humility, Innocence, Endurance and Diligence. These, just to name a few.

I thank the Almighty God for horses!!! :)

Equanimity and Moderation

Some very kind people at the Hindu temple presented me with a copy of the Bhagvad Gita. On receiving the book, I flipped through the pages in order to gain some familiarity with the organization of the contents. I noticed the images in the Bhagvad Gita are quite detailed, colorful and that each one is a representation of a profound message; it's as if you can admire them for hours and not get tired of it. In general, most works of art have their way of leaving me inspired. From the Gita, this one image in particular made it's impression. It stands as an illustrative metaphor for the spirit, mind and body.

 

Bhagavad-gita 6.34 The chariot of the body. The five horses represent the five senses (tongue, eyes, ears, nose and skin). The reins, the driving instrument, symbolize the mind, the driver is the intelligence, and the passenger is the spirit soul. 

It is intriguing to consider our capacities as human beings. In the Bible it is written,"God created man to have dominion over all things, both living and non-living." Isn't it awesome to be in a mode of constantly discovering ourselves and also knowing that this is a continuous, never-ending process until we breath our last (after passing away who knows)?! Two words - Loving it!!! :)

Books, books and more books!

Not so very long ago, I thought that I had a condition which entailed not being able to read. The truth of the matter, as I now come to realize it, was that I was looking for a fancy excuse to not have to work on my concentration. Fast forward to a few years later, one of my favorite activities these days is being immersed in the word jungle of the books I choose to read. The experience is just out of the world.

Ernest Holmes' "Science of the Mind" is by far the longest book I've read. It speaks a lot about the law of attraction. I do know that the law of attraction really works. One example - in the past few weeks, a number of my friends have let me borrow their thickest books. You know those books that are not less than 800 pages. And each of them are like,"Jennifer, here, I think you'll really like this book. I'd like to hear what you have to say about it once you are done reading." And me, standing there with my head about to explode with the overwhelming thought of the books that are already piled up in my apartment and also not break this friends heart, am like,"Yeah sure! See you in another lifetime." (Off-course, I didn't really say that.)

Jokes apart, I am grateful to all these wonderful people who so generously share their books with me. I hope that I can get through each one of them soon enough. Because truly, I do think they are interesting, and also not to undermine the fact that shared book experiences are really fun, especially the really thick books.

The First Grader

I'd like to say that I had the privilege of watching a wonderful movie today called "The First Grader", based on the life of a truly remarkable man. Kimani Nganga Maruge was 84 years old when he decided to go back to school, and join the first grade. His reason for the unique and courageous choice was, he wanted to learn how to read. One of the lessons I have taken away from the life of this person is that it does good to acknowledge and be grateful for the basics which lay the foundation for growth. And also that (in the words of the teacher) - "Learning never ends until you've got soil in your ears."

Here's part of Mr. Maruge's story taken from Wikipedia:

Kimani Maruge

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kimani Ng'ang'a Maruge (c. 1920 - August 14, 2009) holds the Guinness World Record for being the oldest person to start primary school—he enrolled in the first grade on January 12th 2004, aged 84. Although he had no papers to prove his age, Maruge believed he was born in 1920.

Maruge attended Kapkenduiywo Primary School in Eldoret, Kenya; he said that the government's announcement of universal and free elementary education in 2003 prompted him to enroll.

In 2005 Maruge, who was a model student, was elected head boy of his school.

In September 2005, Maruge boarded a plane for the first time in his life, and headed to New York City to address the United Nations Millennium Development Summit on the importance of free primary education.

Maruge died on August 14, 2009 of stomach cancer, at the Cheshire Home for the Aged in Nairobi. He was buried at his farm in Subukia.

 

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A few pictures I found on the web of the man himself.

 

Reason

Reason was described by Plato as being the natural monarch that should rule over spiritedness and emotion.

 

The above image is an etching made by the Spanish painter and printmaker Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes. The etching contains the words "El sueno de la razon produce monstruos" (in Spanish) translated as “the sleep of reason produces monsters”.

Here, Goya shows a man asleep, his head resting on his folded arms. Owls and bats fly menacingly around his head; at his feet, a lynx sits motionless, alert and staring. Bats, bloodsucking creatures of the night, evoked associations with the devil; owls, were at the time symbols of "mindless stupidities," not, as we might suppose today, of wisdom. Yet there is an intimation of wisdom in this unsettling scene: the ability to see through darkness and perceive truth from error was the special talent of the lynx. It seems the sleeper is none other than the artist himself, offered a piece of artist's chalk by one of the owls. If this is a self-portrait, Goya, at fifty, is a man exhausted; beset by demons that haunt him, assault him, but might, after all, serve to inspire him; a man seeking wisdom, yet subject to a swirling maelstrom of stupidities and evils.

I had a conversation earlier today with a friend, which took a very interesting spin. I shared with her how I was interested in learning more about people's beliefs, more so to do with the religions of the world. She said that I better be careful lest I not stray too far from God. I thought the comment to be absurd. I guess this blog-post is in the context of my thought process that followed thereafter.

Fearless - Lady Gaga philosophy

I respect her because she walks her talk. I respect her because she isn't afraid to be outrageously weird, and still come out on the top of it all as a HUGE ICON. I guess to possess this insane amount of confidence you would really need to know yourself THAT well. It almost is as if living in another world. I think it's fascinating.

Some of the Gaga quotes that caught my eye:

"I had a boyfriend who told me I’d never succeed, never be nominated for a Grammy, never have a hit song, and that he hoped I’d fail. I said to him, ‘Someday, when we’re not together, you won’t be able to order a cup of coffee at the f***ing deli without hearing or seeing me."
— Lady Gaga

"I'm already crazy. I'm a fearless person. I think it creeps up on you. I don't think it can be stopped. If my destiny is to lose my mind because of fame, then that's my destiny. But my passion still means more than anything."
— Lady Gaga

"All that ever holds somebody back, I think, is fear. For a minute I had fear. [Then] I went into the [dressing] room and shot my fear in the face..."
— Lady Gaga

"I just I felt like a freak, I guess what I'm trying to say is
I want to liberate them, I want to free them of their fears and make them feel that they can create their own space in the world"
— Lady Gaga

"I don't want the 5 dollars in your pocket, I want your soul"
— Lady Gaga

"I used to walk down the street like I was a star. I want people to walk around delusional about how great they can be - and then to fight so hard for it that the lie becomes the truth."
— Lady Gaga

"It doesn't matter who you are, or where you come from, or how much money you've got in your pocket. You have your own destiny and your own life ahead of you."
— Lady Gaga

My personal favorite:

"Peace. it does not mean to be in a place where there is no trouble, noise, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart"
— Lady Gaga (Lady Gaga - The Fame)

Placeless One

 

 And, I can now confirm that poetry if silently listened to, has the power to intoxicate the senses.