86,400 Seconds

Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400. Every evening whatever part of the balance you fail to use during the day is deleted. What would you do? Draw out every penny and use it well, of course!!! Each of us has such a bank - Its name is TIME. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Invest the day's deposits well, or the loss is yours. How could you bring the most contentment, happiness and benefit to yourself and others? The clock is running.

Harmony Day - Sunday 21 March 2010

This Sunday (21 March 2010) is Harmony Day. Harmony Day celebrates the cohesive and inclusive nature of our nation and promotes the benefits of cultural diversity. The continuing message of Harmony Day is ‘Everyone Belongs’. It's about community participation, inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone.

The 2010 theme is ‘Express Yourself’. And this inspired the owners of Nu Art at the Stables (Bairnsdale) to take the opportunity to support creativity and diversity in the community by organising the conception of a large pavement artwork open to all to participate in.

Children and adults are invited to help create a community pavement artwork to celebrate cultural diversity.

2010 Harmony Day event details:

Location: Nu Art at the Stables – 6 Service Street Bairnsdale
Date: Sunday 21 March 2010
Time: 10am-4pm

Self-Soveringty

from thoughtfortoday.co.uk



Subservience to my negativity is a very precarious existence as I can never be sure how well I will handle a difficult situation. With practice it is possible to create appreciative and compassionate thoughts; then I no longer need to indulge in resentment, bitterness or dislike. Training myself to react calmly and wisely offers enormouse dividends. Let me talk to myself silently with love and encouragement, balanced with firmness, and like the wise old sovereigns of fairy stories, let me rule the inner kingdom of my mind with benevolence.

Gentleness

Non-violence is a very deep philosophy. Not only does it require me to harm no one physically, but also to avoid harming anyone's self-respect. Such an ethic requires tremendous awareness and sensitvity. When I have learned to be gentle with myself, I can be the same with others.

Divine communication, communion, darshan... Or connection?

We connect with source/infinite wisdom/god/goddess through prayer, divine communication, holy communion, darshan, dharma, karma, meditation, physical activity, or retreat.  Lately my mind has been consumed by everyday life and I have spent little time in divine communication with my soul and the infinite energy that I look to for guidance. 
It is easy to be absorbed by daily earth plane life and devote little time to the one thing that matters - your soul.  Activities like work, household chores, playing the role of mother/father/brother/sister/friend can often leave you feeling consumed and disillusioned, so much so that you walk through daily life unconscious to the miracles that surround you.

Today, I devoted thirty minutes of time to my physical needs and ran on a treadmill at my local gym.  As I moved through each metre and kilometre; I focused on breathing, a collective of cockatoos collaborating on a sporting field in the distance, the gum trees in the foreground of the view and Bob Marley playing on my iPod! 

I felt that this form of moving meditation allowed me to simply be in the moment, because when you're running there's no other place to be.  Lose yourself for just a minute and your gait or breath falls out of synch with the flow and you end up feeling breathless.  Life is a moving meditation.  "In prayer you communicate with God, in meditation God communicates with you."  www.thoughtfortoday.co.uk

Om Namah Shivaya!

Kind Thoughts

Over the past weekend, I have spent a large amount of quality time with a gentleman whom lives on a Buddhist dharma centre.  Conversations oscillated between water skiing, overseas travels, Buddhism, karma, hedonistic adventures and parenting.

This evening, I received a meditation from thoughtfortoday.co.uk which sums up the way we should interact with one another and I thought I would share on my blog.  What have  you done for another sentient being today?  I gave my Buddhist friend some fresh, free range eggs from our chickens...

Great souls take advantage of every moment and every opportunity to give happiness to others through kindness in their thoughts; such souls are willing to overlook weaknesses and mistakes and have the desire to help everyone reach their potential.

Astro ponderings

Half an hour from now, the literary consumption of my astrological "Personal Portrait" by Robert Pelletier will be complete.  After reading my son's Youth Portrait today, I am intrigued and eager to hear of my astrological dharma.

Watch this space!

Inner Beauty

"Wow...that's beautiful!" Is either a cry or a thought when faced with the mountain sunset, a spectacular view or a well formed man or woman. But where is the beauty, where is the appreciation of beauty, where is the ability to discern beauty? It is within our own consciousness. For the essence of who and what we are is beauty itself. The essence of beauty is not found in the body, a face or a mountain - they only stir the essence of beauty within our own spirit. And that beauty is not only something we taste within ourselves, but it emerges in our character as virtue, and in our life as care. For what is virtue, but love in action. The next time you say, "That's beautiful!" know that you speak of yourself, and it is you who are beautiful. Always were, always will be.

Self-Discipline

Real power and authority is not power and authority over others, but over the self.

Image: Chinese character for Self-Discipline

Respect!

Have the heart to forgive souls for being who they are not, and the respect that inspires souls to become who they are.

Image: Chinese character - Self Respect.

 

Two really pertinent thoughts for today...

The Wonder of Silence:  The disease of anger needs the medicine of tolerance; the pain of disappointment needs the medicine of hope; the violence of revenge and spite needs forgiveness; fear needs courage ego needs self-respect. Through inner silence we receive the strength to heal.

A Part of Me: If I keep the weaknesses of others in my mind, they soon become a part of me.

Rural Health

Heywire, the ABC’s online forum for young people, airs views of rural youth.  Young people living in rural and regional communities have used the Heywire space to talk about mental health services – and the need for change. 

Source: http://www.acys.info/?a=23714

Youth mental health to be debated on Insight

Source: http://acys.info/youth_field_xpress/index/no.162_february_2010/YFX_February_2010.pdf 

A debate about youth and mental health will be SBS TV Insight's first show for 2010, airing next Tuesday, 23 February, at 7.30pm. Since Professor Patrick McGorry was announced as the 2010 Australian of the Year, youth and mental health issues have gained prominence. The program will feature Professor McGorry as well as other experts, carers and young people who have been dealing with mental illness. For further information, go to: sbs.com.au/insight (Source: email from Auskar Surbakti, SBS News and Current Affairs, 3 February 2010.)

Love all

Image: Chinese character - Heart

Love can never be exclusive. The sun does not choose to shine on some flowers in the garden and not others. Love is inclusive and has many faces - caring, listening, sharing from the heart, just accepting someone for what they are right now, are all acts of love, as long as you seek nothing in return. It all starts with acceptance of yourself - you're just fine as you are right now, warts and all. It's not that you will stay that way for ever - but you might, if you don't accept. The secret key to the greatest door called love is acceptance. First your self, then others (especially the ones you currently resist) and eventually ...all.

Talking to the Self

Image: Chinese character - Self respect

When you talk to yourself in your mind, which self do you address? And how? Usually people do not talk to their divinity, but to the most superficial aspects of their everyday personality. And often its a stream of fears, complaints and mindless repetition of old things. If we talked that way to another human being, we would have to apologise. Learning to talk properly to the self is a spiritual endeavour. Thoughts from the past and worries about the future do not create good conversation. Instead learn to talk to your mind as if it were a child. Talk to it with love. If you just force a child to sit down, he won't. A good mother knows how to prompt her child into doing what she wants. Be a good mother to your mind, teach it good, positive thoughts so that when you tell it to sit quietly, it will. Love your mind. Stay happy.

Ammachi's 2010 Tour!

Public Programs:
6 and 7 April (10.00am and 7.30pm both days)


Retreat:
8, 9, 10 April

Public Program "Devi Bhava": 
10 April (7pm)

Location:
Sandown Racecourse, Multi Purpose Room, 591-659 Princes Highway, Springvale, VIC 3171

For more  information visit Amma's website: http://www.ammaaustralia.org.au/Tour/Amma_Tour.htm

Astrological Forecast for Sunday 14 February 2010

TAURUS: (Rising Sign)
Just as Neptune and Chiron come together again in your career sector, reforming an alignment they temporarily put on hold, a New Moon falls here today. With Venus gone and the period of establishing what you're aiming for behind you, this is a day for drawing a line in the sand and letting the next phase begin, that of turning desires and dreams into reality. It’s time to start walking the talk, making this the first day of the next phase.

VIRGO: (Ascendant & North Node)
Any self doubts that may have plagued you just 24 hours ago are gone and old beliefs that may have held you back in the past have been challenged and prevailed over. It’s today that the Sun and Moon come together to form a New Moon in your work sector, on the very day that Neptune and Chiron come together again, resuming their alignment here. The heavens are coming together in support, making this the first day of the rest of your journey.

SCORPIO: (Moon Sign)
Just a day after an opposition between Mercury and Mars forced you to come up with an achievable work/life balance, ensuring that you’re able to achieve what you want on both the professional and home fronts, you have a chance today to commit to that. It’s a New Moon in your home, family and property sector that gives you an opportunity to draw a line in the sand and turn a fresh leaf. This is a day for new beginnings and a fresh start.

Amazed at Mother Nature

On my way to town today I noticed a Black Crake which must have been hit by a car around the Macleod Morass ... A fellow Black Crake was standing on the road near its dead friend, oblivious to the oncoming traffic.

When I returned home, I noticed that the dead Crake was removed from the road and its living friend was hovering around it, almost mourning.

Isn't mother nature amazing?!

What's a Black Crake?  see below :O)

Buddha...

A Buddha photo given to me just after my son was born... photo of a photo, one of my favourite artworks in our house!

Determination and Patience

Determination is the strength that will enable you to pass the barrier of useless thoughts in order to create positive thoughts and to be successful in whatever you wish. It comes from within and its partner is patience. Patience teaches you not to push but rather to wait and appreciate the game of life instead, knowing that nothing remains the same, and everything will change at some point. ~ thoughtfortoday.co.uk ~

Patience, like concentration, requires the skill of the heart!