After Your Funeral [Poem]

After your funeral, I think:
Can the love I still have for you be felt wherever you are now, my friend?
Can the love I still have for you fly across the border between life and death,
and reach you, comfort you, and let you know how much you are loved?

Can the love that still pours out for you carry my whispers to your ears,
so that you can hear me say how much I miss your presence - yeah,
how much I wish you had everything you ever wanted and more besides?

Because even though Death has interrupted our friendship,
there is still an empty place in my heart where only you fit.
Because even though Death has interrupted our friendship,
I still want to have the conversations only we could have.

My life continues, but..
you were so much a part of me, my friend,
that some parts of me will have to become ashes,
just like you.

That Subtle World [poem]

That Subtle World 

Can I tell you
a secret?
I'm confessing more for me than for you.
I need words to make
light out of the
shadows of my
experience.

Okay? Okay.

Sometimes,
when my eyes collapse with longing for sleep,
my esoteric eyes awaken unexpectedly,
to a subtle world
just behind this one.

In that place,

everything feels lighter than snowflakes.

Especially me.

I effortlessly 

phase through walls 

I joyfully 

fly like a phantasmic bird

and stumble upon

red ravines in the sky.

A rotund, eyeless creature 

covered in itches

crawls on its belly.
An ethereal piercing noise, 
carries me across
possible destinies
and returns me to reality. 

It has to be symbolic.

To elucidate it would be

a revelation.

Please,

don't tell me it's only confusing.

it's got to mean

something.

You may never notice you were in
that world
until you come back to
this one.

The translucent body I just had,
will give way to the familiar one,
with all its throbbings and pulsations
and, well,
the things that flesh is heir to.

Every time I come back,
I wish:
I could stay in that world
forever.

I'm becoming a day dreamer and a night contemplater,
I'm becoming a morning zombie and a night mystic,
a part-time philosopher, part-time poet, part-time monk,
and full-time spacey-outey weirdo.
I kinda like it.
-----

Thanks for reading. If you liked this, be sure to check out some of my other work by following this link: My Poetry.

Awe of Technology [Poem]

A camera
freezes 
a split-second
of the continuous flux we call reality. 
What is a picture? 
other than an eternal monument 
to a passing second?

The internet is an invisible college.
Your eyes wander 
aimlessly 
in an endless electric labyrinthine library
of pictures, music, and words. 
Unlimited possibilities 
wait at the tips of your fingers. 
What will you do with them? 
Will you waste the precious hours, 
or will you make new discoveries? 

Sorrowful Sigh [Poem]

I let out a sorrowful sigh. 

Do I miss the freedom of being a kid?

Am I regretting something that I did? 

Am I just sore from so much work?

Why does my heart full of murk? 

…..??

----

The lunch bell rings. 

Everybody unites with their people. 

But who do I go to? 

Do I go to the spirited youth? 

The cultured artistes? 

The libertine partiers? 

The austere studiers? 

I know who my acquaintances are 

(do I ever have a lot of those)

but where are my friends? My people? 

Who do I go to? 

No one, 

there is no one for me. 

I reach out for nobody, 

for nothing. 

I don’t have the blessing of life-long friends, 

loves that have been nourished for a lifetime. 

But it’s okay. It gives me more time to reflect, right? 

They go out there and create memories, 

they connect, hug, and smile. 

They’re so absorbed in the moment,

so captured by emotion that they don’t

have time to reflect on life - they’re just 

living.

They’re out there… and I’m in here… 

I’m in here and I create fantasies, 

I’m isolated, detached and poignantly sad… 

so absorbed in introspection that I don’t

have time to live my life - I’m just…

decaying?

----

When I look at me, 

I look at my enemy.

When I’ve been struck by Ignorance’s blows, 

remind me I alone am the cause of my woes. 

That is my privilege and my pain. 

Whenever I am under the throes of guilt, 

remind me I alone can undo what I’ve built. 

I refuse to dwell in sorrow;

I’ll create my fulfilling tomorrow. 

Somewhere, there are people out there for me. 

Quotes Showcase #3

"This too shall pass"
- Persian Proverb

I heard a story from a friend once about this deceptively simple quote. A king went to a wise man. He said that he felt ill, that his fortunes were failing, and that his wife was angry with him. The wise man said to return to him in three days. When the King returned, he discovered that the wise man had made him a ring. On the ring was written: "This too shall pass". The wise man told him that whenever in life he feels attached to a pleasure or worried about a pain to look at the ring, because all conditions are only temporary. It is useless worry about their arising and dissolving. 

Perhaps we would all benefit from such a ring! I admit that, personally, it is easier for me to reflect on the impermanence of all things when I am upset, ill, hurt, etc than when I am happy. When I am in a negative situation this quote reminds me that eventually, like all things, they will disintegrate. When we are happy this quote, too, can serve as a reminder. When we're un-attached to the things that give us enjoyment we enjoy them even more, because we appreciate them more and also because we are fully present to the positivity that is happening. When we are aware that life is always changing we let the negatives in our life just happen and we consume even more of the positive since we know that no condition ever lasts (except for change itself). 

"We gain the strength of the temptation we resist"
- Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Denying ourselves is not about torturing ourselves. It isn't about hating life, or thinking that doing what we want bad. Denying ourselves is about willpower and freedom. We desire so badly and so much that we think that are desires are us. This becomes a tragedy when our desires are of the self-destructive kind. The truth is that self-denial will make us happier.

In order to develop the power to do what we want to do we have to develop the power to not do what we don't want to do. Won't-power must come before Will-power. Denying yourself of unhealthy foods when you're palate is inflamed with desire at the sight or mention of them will make you healthier and stronger. Eating healthier instead will make you happier, live longer, and give you more energy to do whatever you wish. 

Want is a flame, and wisdom is the water that puts it out. Wisdom told me that I should live simpler and eat healthier. 

Believe it or not, but that flame of want can eventually be put out altogether. One day I decided to give up eating most fast-food, pops, salty snacks like chips, and an assortment of candies. For the first weeks, give or take, it was truly difficult. But after that brief period I felt the desire for those things simply vanish from me altogether. At the sight of those foods hunger would never be stirred up. Sometimes there would be disgust, but most of the time it was a neutral feeling. Eating chips made about as much sense to me as eating paper. I discovered that Want can be not only resisted, it can be defeated. What is left in our minds when we get rid of so many pointless wants? Peace. The peace that comes from abiding in our own being without being attacked by so many wants. What else? Freedom. The freedom that comes from being free from something. What else? Power, the power that comes from self-mastery and feeling like the master of your own destiny. 

I promise that the above is true for anyone who wishes to attempt a similar endeavour. 

"Be the change you want to see in the world" 

- Mahatma Ghandi  

This is one of the most positively transformative sentences in the entire english language. But we see this quote plastered around so much that we have become numb to it. This is seriously unfortunate, because the meaning of this phrase is one that people urgently need to hear. I myself realized the truth of this quote in reverse.

When I was 16 I had accidentally turned into the kind of person I simply didn't want to be. I was suffering greatly, and this made me want to retreat into self-destructive pleasures that would give me a few seconds relief from my internal pain. This only caused more problems, which in turn made me retreat even more. You can see the vicious cycle beginning. 

I didn't want to own up to the simple realities that in this life we must serve others and not just ourselves. I genuinely believed that if only I could serve me and my own wants a little more, I would be happier. I didn't want to acknowledge that in this life we do not have an eternity to just waste time. I wanted to think that time wasn't precious. I wanted to hide from the fact that I had to grow up. 

Ignorance, as it happens, is most certainly not bliss. Ignorance is the purest expression of pain. It is bad enough to be suffering, it is even worse to not know why, and it is worst of all to think that the suffering we are experiencing is actually good. Without even knowing it my arch-nemesis had become the habits that my ignorance had created. 

But something - The Universe, God, Karma, - whatever - had given me some clarity. I started to believe that discipline would make me happier than indulgence. I understood that I should actually start to take my life seriously. So I began working hard on annihilating my bad habits, one day at a time. I abandoned the lands of intoxication for the lands of clarity, I forsook the caverns of pornography and jacking off for the plains of purity. 

I learned a lot about myself by changing myself. I learned a lot about the world by being fed up with it. 

I learned that I actually liked to work hard. I loved the feeling of accomplishment that came after hard self-denial. I began to understand that many males my age are not nearly as motivated as they should be, and I know why. Philip Zimbardo couldn't possibly be more correct when he said that internet pornography is one of the biggest obstacles facing young guys today. Expressing the truth that pornography is harmful and that men shouldn't masturbate hasn't made me popular, but it has made me feel good. Because I'm doing the right thing. 

I learned that the subtle joys of peace were much better than the extreme thrills of pleasure. I fell in love with hearing the wind hitting the trees and seeing the air make the trees move, as though the wind was a handsome musician trying to court the leaves who dance and sing when he plays his smooth tune. I stopped using my cellphone altogether (haven't sent a single text since I was 16 years old!) and cut a lot of internet time to just sit down and meditate on the breath instead. 

I saw that when I was with people they would never take nearly as much time appreciating their surroundings as I did. Their minds were too revved up from being on cellphones all day, or trying to juggle 10 million things and thoughts. The sight of the water in a pond would send me in awe and others would never even think to notice. 

I understood that our society places too much value on business and busy-ness and not enough of being-ness. 

These realizations filled me with sorrow. I thought, what am I, being only one person, capable of doing to help people realize the value of peace and purity? Then I realized that the only way to do it is to be an example. 

The reason why Ghandi's quote is so powerful is because Ghandi exemplified his famous phrase with every fibre of his being. Instead of complaining about violence in society he became truly non-violent and compassionate. Instead of complaining about the lack of spiritual values in his society he became a saint. Thus lighting the path for others. Actions have more force than words, and words are always so much powerful when they have actions to back them up. Together - Words and Actions - they make a lethal team against ignorance in this world. 

To put this quote in practice, make a list of things that bother you about the world. Then see what you yourself are doing to contribute to those problems, and what you can do to stop doing them. It sounds easy but is actually one of the most difficult things anyone could ever undertake - in fact, it is the journey of a lifetime.

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If enjoyed this article you may also enjoy my two other "Quote Showcase" articles. The first one is here and the second one is here . Thank you and enjoy. 

Real World [Poem]

I want to do more than just exist.

I want my senses to be awoken from boredom

by gazing and listening to novelty.

I want my mind to drown

in an ocean of wonder.

I want the bag of my memories

to be overflowing with rich experiences.

I’m a hero waiting for his legend to begin

and I’m starting to get a little impatient.

I’m a child of the stars with a body made of dust

and I want to feel close to home.

I have an intense appetite for life

and if I don’t satisfy it I’m gonna go mad.

I want to do more than just exist

I want to feel really and truly alive.

----

No.

Listen, kid:

You need to pull up your strap

and cram your nose into those schoolbooks.

Study - HARD - so you can get a degree

then work - HARD - so you can pay off your debt,

and then when you're old ' n' wrinkly

looking back on those silly fantasies of yours

realize: Life is HARD, okay?

It's Harder than stone, & heavier too.

And if you don't HARDEN your heart

it will shatter under the sheer weight

of all the disappointments.

Wake Up and realize you're in the REAL WORLD now, okay?

----

Real World... Real Life...

Real life is hard.

It's like a concrete wall.

I can just almost touch my Dream World

and Real Life is that concrete wall that separates me from it.

Looking at my happiness from a distance

the contrast between this real world and that ideal world is immeasurable.

I hate that concrete wall.

I'm sorry, okay?

I can't stop thinking about my dreams.

They're irresistible.

Oh! Oh! I know!

I'll just imagine harder.

Imagination is the sanctuary where I will hide

from the shadows that concrete walls cast over my life.

Turn the real world into a blur

into a lie....

But that's no way to live!!

I'm sick of living in these two worlds..

one boring world around me

one blissfully ignorant world inside me!

No!

I wipe the dream out of my eyes

and I look at the concrete wall clearly.

I know how to overcome it.

Yes.

Really, I've known it all along.

It's not "belief"

It's not "wishing"

To break down concrete walls,

and make the inner and outer worlds one

I need to make my will harder.

Book Reviews I

Book Title: Spirits, Heroes, & Hunters from North American Indian Mythology
Rating: 3/5

I love to read mythology books. It enriches our understanding of the cultures of other people, because through the mythology, folktales, and religion of a particular people we get to see their inner worlds. Everyone has an inner world, and any race with a genuine tight bond among each other has, effectively, a shared inner landscape.

Understanding other races of the earth helps us understand our own race, because it is only through contact with the Other that we understand ourselves. If everyone was naturally predisposed towards thought instead of action, nobody would "know" he is a thinker instead of a doer. But because a thinker meets a doer, he knows that he is one instead of the other.

Similarly, I come from a background that hails anthropomorphic deities that sit on golden thrones and are sovereign over certain phenomenon like Aphrodite, Zeus,etc or who are totally transcendental, omnipotent and formless like the Christian God.

Whereas the Native Americans have stories about talking animals and people who turn into animals who teach people about ceremonies necessary to make it rain or to have a successful hunt. All of their myths have the theme of natural phenomenon, and a lot of them deal with how or why certain animals act the way they do. They are closer to nature than I am. It's not MY heritage, it's someone else's - and that helps me understand my own. Of course, it's also necessary for you understand and appreciate your own heritage, but that's a rant for another day.

Also, someone's heritage/culture is not better than someone else's, though of course all people will naturally consider their own to be better than someone else's since it resonates more powerfully with them.

Myths also enriches the imagination. Myths will always permeate our minds and the stories that we tell regardless of rather or not we acknowledge their power.

Plus, some of them can be genuinely spiritually moving and reading/hearing them can be an exercise in intuition (just like how math is an exercise in reasoning). To quote Joseph Campbell, "Myths come from the same realm as dreams" and "A myth is a public dream, a dream is a private myth".

This particular book is not a complete collection. It doesn't contain every myth of the North American Indian. Not that I would want it too, since that book would be massive, and compiling it would be impossible. But I still think there is too small of a selection here. It only skims the surface.

The book begins with a simple and interesting introduction that explains that the Native Americans are not one unified civilization, but rather a diverse population of tribes who all had different lifestyles depending on where they lived (and North America is a diverse landscape!) with Eskimos in the north living in a different way than the horse riders of the Great plains, who live quite differently from the tribes living in what we know call Florida (who, because of the landscape, focused on the "gathering" part of "hunting and gathering").

Because of this, as the introduction points out, the myths are very different from one place to another. There is no unified Native American Religion or any codified tales. However, one can still find the underlying themes of the Native American mythology.

It reminds me of how numerous comparative religion and mythology scholars have pointed out the mythologies of the celts, the greeks, the romans, the norse, the slavs, etc are all very similar. Different lifestyles based off climate, landscape, etc but still similar ethnicities.

I found this introduction the best part of the book and a perfect way to start this collection of myths. Each myth that was re-told began with a blurb of where the myth was found and short information about that tribe, which goes to show the incredible diversity of people who existed on the pre-colonial North American continent.

The stories themselves are told rather matter-of-factly, which is both good and bad. It's good because that way I am more certain that the myths are not being tampered with to add more "pizzazz" (as Hollywood often does to greek myths, or as publishers of mythology books for children often do, sadly). It's bad because often the myths can be made boring by that form of storytelling, and a myth should be anything but boring. I think a good collection-of-myths book should tell myths in such a way that they contain a balance of "this is actually how the traditional story goes, including the confusing parts that don't make sense to our modern minds" and "let me tell you this in a way that will appeal to you and entertain you".

I understand that the people who colloborated to write care about the integrity of the stories quite a lot, but this book is marketed to children 10-12, and I fear that someone that age may lose interest fast.

My favourite stories were "Sedna, the witch under the sea", "the girl who married a bear", "scar face and the sun dance" "Hasjelti's dance" and "The Hummingbird Brothers".

Each story also contains pencil drawings, and there are 18 paintings littered throughout the volume. In my opinion, if a book, especially a book like this, has illustrations in it it should enhance the story. It should make me even more absorbed, help me feel the atmosphere more, make my imagination come even more alive. The pencil drawings all do that. They are done in an authentic North American Indian way.

The paintings are a mixed bag. Some of them are great and add to the story, but some of them are, quite frankly, unappealing. The bad ones are either too dull or the people have weird faces. In fact, the illustrator is bad at painting faces.

Overall, this is a great book for someone starting to get an interest in mythology (and all people should, especially the youngun's!). For someone a little more experienced in mythology-reading it is not recommended.

I have three other books from the "World Mythology" series that I look forward to reading and reviewing.

Book Title: Folklore of Nova Scotia
Rating: 3.5/5

I am deeply moved by how enriched the human soul is by a sense of community, a shared spirituality, a deep connection to the landscape, and stories upheld by tradition. I think that this particular book, with a little imagination, can transport us back into the time when these kinds of things were common. 

It's obvious that the author put a lot of passion into this book. 

There are stories about the Second Sight (the ability to see into the spirit world), shape-shifting Witches (including one witch who shapeshifted into a rabbit, and then in that form would damage the cattle of a farm. The father who owned the farm shot the rabbit in the foot. The next day there was a woman who had her foot mysteriously injured and wouldn't tell anyone what had happened), mermaids, and fairies. That last category were my favourite. 

It's a testament to the power of the ancestral folklore of the scots that they kept it so much alive when they came to Cape Breton, and updated it with new tales based in Cape Breton but with similar themes. 

But not even the stories of the scots and their traditional ways could withstand the onslaught of modern materialism and consumerism, which is why books like this are so necessary. They give a chance for the stories to be preserved. Even though they are written for strictly academic purposes, if you approach it in the right way it can bring you into contact with your ancestors, which is what it did for me personally. 

As much as I love this book it has two big flaws: It is often repetitive (particularly the "Forewarning" chapter, a collection of stories from cape breton about people being warned about their deaths by spirits or omens), and some of the stories are only a few sentences long. I ask, what is the point of including a little piece of folklore if it only vaguely relates to any of the topics (fairies, witches, etc) and is so short? Did the author take it as her personal mission to include every little scrape of folklore she could find, editing be dammed? 

The book was at it's best when the folk stories that were told were given a little bit of spice by the author. Come on, these are stories meant to be told around a campfire or at a ceilidh. They need some flavour, some personality. They are not meant to be told in such a dry, academic tone. It's even worse that Mary is obviously a good writer because whenever she adds a personal voice to the stories they are riveting. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who is interested in it's titular topic, but if you've already read a more in depth book (this is my first introduction into studying folklore) then don't bother. I also can't imagine someone from outside of Nova Scotia reading this book, since the author is taking for granted that you know the locations of all the areas mentioned. It's also much more interesting to hear folklore from places you've actually been. Lots of the stories come from baddeck, for example. 

I'll close with the closing paragraph which resonates powerfully with me: "But time has been hard on the customs. The automobile, the telephone, the radio, leave people no time to spend on elaborate ceremonial. The old-time ceilidh too, has gone the way of the other customs, and with it the old tales that enlivened many a long winter's evening. No longer do seers startle their friends by the recital of their visions. The honk of the automobile has frightened away the bochdan (hobgoblin), and the glare of its lights has dulled the vision of the sights of the other world. Music floods the air, but is heard only with mechanical aid. Yet there are still, in the little province by the sea, a few secluded spots unspoiled by modern inventions, where the other worldliness of the Celt may disport itself in visions and in dreams"

Book Title: Irminsul
Rating: 2/5 

I literally can't get enough of Varg Vikernes.  I check his blog literally every day and listen to his music all the time. In fact, if you are reading this blogpost I may as well let you know I have been listening to his latest album the whole time while writing it. I was doing some scurrying on the internet and discovered that Varg Vikernes had released a book a long, long time ago called Irminsul. It was only 16 pages long, but I desired to read it. I was seconds away from ordering it online for 5 dollars (plus shipping, taxes, handling) before discovering that it is available for free online, with the author's permission, here: http://www.burzum.org/eng/library/irm... 

Evidently, if his blog posts are anything to go by, Varg does not believe in the same things he does now as he did at the writing of this booklet. It's interesting to see how his thought developed. He is certainly in a much better position now. This booklet is 25% wacky conspiracy theory, 25% an exposition on metaphysics, and 50% a statement of Varg's values which, at the present time, are no longer completely believed in by him. It's all based around the meaning of the Irminsul pillar which was worshipped by pre-Christian European tribes. The meaning of the Irminsul pillar is mysterious, and Varg has some rather... interesting views on what it meant. 

Using sources from the Icelandic Sagas that described what the Irminsul pillar and others like it looked like, he then goes on to describe how the Irminsul pillar is supposed to symbolize balance in the universe, and the preservation of that balance for the sake of natural harmony and growth. Sounds good, right? But when he starts to go into Ancient Alien Aryan theories and space exploration, well, it's a little kooky. What saves it from being trash is the fact that the views being expressed are ultimately meant to lead to a positive end, even if the means to that end are absurd. 

I often get the feeling that Varg sees religions/ideologies as tools. He doesn't care if such-and-such is real, he only cares about the consequence of having a strong belief in such-and-such. If believing in such-and-such a mythos makes you cherish the racial purity of your folk, cultivate positive traits like strength and intelligence, puts you in tune with the earth, then that mythos is good regardless of rather or not it is actually true. In the case of this particular book, though, Varg is going well beyond what is considered acceptable in regards to how we interpret the religion and practices of the pre-christian Europeans and is going to insanity territory. Ancient Alien Aryans? Really? 

He talks about "Indo-European values" and the need for native Europeans to return to them, versus "Judeo-Christian" values. I agree with that, but things like progressing through technology are absolutely NOT Indo-European values. They aren't Jude-Christian values, either. Varg would, thankfully, later go on to discover what "Indo-European values" means and lives very closely to them at the present time. 

It's good that Varg later turned away from fringe ideas like the ones expressed in this book and now has much more sane beliefs. Consequently, they are all much more interesting to read about. 

I'd only recommend the 5 minutes it would take you to read this short little booklet to those who are big fans of Varg's work or to those who, like me, are endlessly curious about his personality. If you are looking for an INFINITELY BETTER book by Varg about pre-christian europeans, read "Sorcery and Religion in Ancient Scandinavia" which is much longer, much better, much more interesting, much more plausible, and is jam-packed with information and interpretations you will not find anywhere else. 

Also, check out varg's amazing blog: http://thuleanperspective.com

Love of Duality [Poem]

Love is a dancing star in my chest, 

Singing: “Out of many, you are the best!” 

Love is a light peeking through the Abyss, 

revealing that in this world there can be bliss.

Oh, how your beauty awakens my dormant soul, 

enticing it’s timeless longing to be part of a whole! 

Oh, how your treachery is likened unto a sting,

exposing my little love-world for what it is: nothing. 

Yeah, I’ve seen how the heaven of affection,

leads always into the damnation of depression. 

Yeah, I’ve seen how all of those treasured moments, 

turn into haunting memories for which I seek atonement. 

What is love? The false promise of bliss.
What greater deception is there than this? 

Gnosis [Poem]

You won't find Him in Language's narrow halls, 
and He hides from Reason's analytical gaze.

Instead, trust in Intuition to take you by the hand
and let her guide you out of Unknowing's chasm,

So He can at last welcome you into His subtle domain, 
and you can walk the inner road that makes dreams real. 

When you at last contact His numinous joy, 
let it liberate you from the prison named yourself.

Lament of the Amateur Poet [Poem]

I wish that fleeting moment was captured by a poet of greater skill,
because I am unequipped to convey these inscrutable emotions.

I wish this despair was someone else's burden,
so it could be purged into a better poem than I can write.

I wish this joy was someone else's blessing,
so it could be recorded into a better poem than I could write.

A poet with a lucid memory and a mastery of word choice -
Oh! And lots of free time. Just an altogether better poet than I.

Three Beautiful Things [Poem]

My sight drowns into the colours,
of an exquisite painting.
My enjoyment increases,
with each passing second,
as I notice more of the artist’s
generous little touches.

I feel privileged to witness
her humble, genuine smile
The whirring of my mind halts
to appreciate it’s arising.

The sun lays a blanket
of golden light onto
pure green fields.
The horizon spreads out,
into wide open infinity.
Rapture in the eyes!

Sigh! So beautiful.

Words Remembered [Poem]

You are pathetic. 

Who said it? I don’t remember.
Was it even said, or just implied?
Was the accuser another or myself?
Did it happen in reality or my imagination?

Either way, the words impacted.

You’re great! 

A friend said it in a time of distress.
The words had the tune of sincerity.
They were as medicine to me then.
It is a memory for which I am grateful.

Best of all, the words uplifted.

Questions [Poem]

What will ten years from now be like?
Who will decide: Me or Fate? Luck?

How do I know that I know what I know?
How can I be sure if this isn't all a dream?

Why am I anything at all?
Why can't I just be nothing?

Why are all my favorite questions,
the ones I don't know the answer to?

Quote Showcase #2 [Article]

A quote should be a pithy saying which expresses a lot of truth and wisdom. A quote, after you read it, should make you want to share it with everyone you know. Reading a good quote for the first time creates an impact that makes you think about it very deeply.

A good quote should become like a mantra that you can say to yourself in your head to give you power in times of weakness and wisdom in times of confusion. Every time you repeat them they dig deeper and deeper into my subconscious and the words make an increasingly stronger psychic impression.

Remember when reading a quote to reflect on it so it can sink in fully. Repeat it, say it to yourself a few different ways, think about each word, hold it in your mind, analyze it, feel it. Bring up examples from your life that would apply to the quote so the words can become more meaningful to you. A quote is not worth reading if you don't fully digest it. Otherwise it doesn't become a part of your being.

The first time we looked at quotes, we examined the wise words of the men of the east, from Buddhists to Hindus. Now let's look at what the wise men of our own western traditions have to say:

"One can be instructed in society, one is inspired only in solitude"

- Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe 

It seems that we are a society that's always trying to escape any kind of aloneness, with our densely populated cities and technology that keeps us together 24/7. We fear being alone. I don't understand this at all: I love being alone!

The reason why is because I know there is a difference between isolation and solitude. Isolation is longing to have a shared experience with someone but being unable to.When you want to escape isolation but can't you feel alienated from other people and estranged from the world. It's a terrible feeling, and I'm lucky because I know that if I ever wanted to not be alone, I easily could.

But solitude is much different. We get to declutter our minds of work and worries and we get to unplug from the world, so that we can lay down and relax into a more peaceful and wide-open mind. This gives solitude an element of purity, like an untampered forest. For some people it can be life-changing to experience their own minds in this way because they are so used to having a speedy, tight, and stressful mind. Sadly, in an increasingly populated and busy world, some people may never get to experience solitude. Thus, solitude is precious.

Goethe's quote has always rung true for me. Dome of the best things in my life have there origin in my solitude: My best writing ideas (like everything on this blog!), renewed determination to live life to the fullest, inspiration to change my life for the better, moments of meditation, moments of contemplation, and moments of subtle joy.

But there is a hidden lesson in Goethe's quote: As he says, you  need to be instructed in society - you obviously need to learn from the world to live in the world. But you are inspired by solitude - you need to be alone with your own spirit to learn from it. Instruction is the world imposing it's ideas on you, and Inspiration is you imposing ideas onto the world. Obviously if we wish to live less robot-like lives, we need to give some time to be alone with ourselves.

"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man" - Heraclitus

When I returned to Gampo Abbey about a week or so ago to celebrate the Tibetan New Year, I was looking forward to seeing all the places that were familiar to me from the summer. Gampo Abbey and the surrounding area looked strikingly different in the winter time. I stood on the "same" cliffs that faced towards the "same" Atlantic Ocean, walked through the "same" trails, entered the "same" buildings, only to find that it was like experiencing them all for the very first time.

Then I realized that the reason why I felt that way was because it really was the first time. There really is no continuity at all between this moment and the next. If you walk into your room you won't be paying much attention to it because you'll think it's the same ol' room, but if you really observed it, you would realize it's not. Our mind has imposed the illusion of "sameness" onto something unique, making solid a world that is always fluid.

Because of this, every moment is worth giving your full attention to because it is the first and only time you will ever be in that particular moment. Every time you do something is always the first time you do it.

Most importantly, it isn't just the outer landscape that is always in motion, but our inner landscapes as well. In my life I have been many different people, and I have no doubt that I shall become many more. Sometimes the difference between one person and another that I have been in my life is so large it feels surreal. It's as though the memories I have in my head from when I was six years old or ten years old are the memories of another person that have been transplanted into my head.

The reason why is because there is no "sameness" in our selves, ever, in this moment or another, on any physical or mental level. When we mistake emotions, thoughts, and sensations as a "solid" self we became a slave to that solidity, instead of just being able to let them go.

All of this made me think of the above quote from Heraclitus. The river from that quote is the perfect metaphor for the ineffable flux that is life.

"Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.” 

- Joseph Campbell

Your bliss is something that makes you come alive like nothing else does. Its something that you have a special affinity for. Its something that makes you feel satisfied and fulfilled just for having done it. 

Joseph Campbell is the first person who ever uttered the phrase, "Follow your bliss". Since he spoke those words they have resonated powerfully with the spiritual and secular public. Why does it strike such a chord with us? Because people are bliss-seekers. We spend every day of our entire lives wanting to avoid suffering, pain, and anguish and desiring to feel pleasure, happiness, and joy.

Why is following your bliss seen as a rare and audacious thing to do? Because of the "Walls" Joseph mentions in his quote. There's the wall of doubt, the wall of fear, the wall of apathy, the wall of obstacles, the wall of limitations, the wall of weaknesses, and the wall of mistakes. There are all sorts of walls and we are all familiar with them. 

I know that Joseph Campbell's legendary phrase is true from personal experience. I love to meditate and when I first visited Gampo Abbey I felt a soul-calling to go there. I intuitively felt that taking a month-long retreat would boost my spiritual and personal journey. But at the time I was a 16 year old with no job and no money. How could I get the 1,500$ to go there for a month-long retreat? The wall of doubt and the wall of financial limitation seemed to shut off any possibility of going to Gampo Abbey. 

But by selling video games I knew I would never play again, by working very hard to win contests and get prize money from them, and through the generous donations of friends and family - and one particular 400$ donation from a generous man I've never met in my life that came at the last minute and saved the day, I was able to go! 

Another example would be my involvement in theater. Through the process of self-reflection I discovered when I was about 15 that I would probably love acting. I knew there was something of a theater scene here in Sydney, but I was greatly discouraged by the fact that I had zero acting experience whatsoever. My self-defeating attitude lead me to believe that you had to have been lucky enough to be involved in theater since you were very young if you wanted to be involved at all (an idea that is ridiculous to me now!). Moreover, even if I did have the confidence to be able to pursue, I didn't know anything about how to get involved. Lack of confidence and lack of opportunities were the walls preventing me from following my bliss.

But when I found out there was a Drama 10 class at Sydney Academy, I had to get involved. I rocked it! That class gave me my highest mark that year and it encouraged me to get involved in the theater scene. I got involved in the after school drama club, co-wrote a play that I starred in, and for the entire week of performance I felt like I was walking on air. It was fulfilling down to my very soul.

Nowadays I am involved in theater all of the time. I just happened to know the right people at this time who gave me the right information, so I was able to pursue my love for the theater! Were before there were only walls, now there were doors! 

My life-lesson from this was that when we really decide that we are going to seek after bliss with all of our might, we have the strength to tear down those walls. "Doors" begin to appear in the form of auspicious circumstances that mysteriously come together to assist you such as meeting the right people at the right time at the right place. Sometimes The Universe gives you subtle signs, little hints, that encourage you and guide you on your journey. Best of all, when we follow our bliss we inspire others to do the same - so following our own bliss makes the whole world a blissful place.

All of this increases your inspiration, motivation and strength so that you follow the path to your bliss all the more, and you feel more and more blissful as you do. It's as if when you decide to follow your bliss you are put on an upward track that only gets progressively better and better! 

If there is a voice in your head telling you that this quote is too good to be true - that voice is a wall, specifically the wall of doubt. I promise that it's true! Go out there and do what has always made you come alive!! 

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 Click to read Quotes Showcase #1

Click to read Quotes Showcase #3

Funny Words [Poem]

Once upon a time in Ishkawbibble..
The hooligans were up to their usual shenanigans.
Gabriel started an argy-bargy with an emu in a shrub,
so he had to take some bolus in his face and coccyx.

Back in all the brouhaha, he lost his aglet and doily!
Did he leave it in the flimsy bungalow?
Or at the eatery with that floozy hussy,
the one wearing a crummy chesterfield?
the one with a flouncy hat and a flappy skirt?
Man, she was nasty! Indubitably.

Maybe that pompous and puissant fellow stole them!
Through serendipity I met him, his name was Flanagan.
He bombarded my buttock with pain! Ouch. What a flop!

Thanks to everyone who commented on this status: https://www.facebook.com/dylan.grant.33/posts/632124403491143?comment_id=6208726&offset=0&total_comments=32&notif_t=feed_comment

A Child [Poem]

A child's footsteps are light
they don't carry
a heavy ego.

A child's movements are harmonious
their instruments are
not yet out of tune.

A child's heart is soft
It hasn't decayed
into cold numbness.

A child's mind is vast,
not yet forced
into being so narrow.

I say: Never grow up.
Fight to keep alive
your little celestial spark
known as childishness.

I want More [Poem]

I want to do more than just exist.

I want to surpass my self,
I want my life and my dreams to be one,
I want to be great at what makes me feel great,
I am a seed planted in the ground of everyday life,
and I want to grow into the tree I know I can be.

I want to be free to travel far away,
I want my senses to be awoken by novelty,
I want my mind to be absorbed by wonder,
I want my memories to be filled with rich experiences.
I am a man filled with wanderlust,
and am stuck in a cage.

I want to feel close to Nature,
I want Her to set me free from my outer and inner chains,
I want to be familiar with all that is beautiful and sublime.
I am a being with an appetite for bliss,
and that appetite demands to be satiated.

I want to feel close to the Universe,
I want His starry heavens above to inspire me,
and to remind me of those starry heavens I have within.
I am a child of the stars with a body made of earth,
and I want to feel close to home.

I want my courage to be tested,
I want my life to be an adventure - not a cruise
I want to face the unknown and come out unscathed.
I am a hero waiting for his legend to begin,
and I am getting a little impatient.

I want to do more than just exist,
I want to feel really and truly alive.

Observations in a Room [Short Story]

I looked around the room with perfect content. Many have said that I live a pretty strenuous life, but compared to everyone else in this classroom my life is actually quite easy.

I mean, just look at poor old Floor. He gets stampeded on by herds of students every day. Just to think of all the mud from the kids's boots... ick! I wish the students wouldn't drag me across Floor. I don't want to contribute anymore to his pain. I mean, I'm not that heavy. Just lift me up. 

I've often heard it said, "I wish I was in Fan's place - his life is a breeze". Pardon that, we're having a little too much pun. Ooooh! That was a bad one. I must be a glutton for Pun-ishment. Okay, but seriously, all he does all day is spin around and help people cool off. I guess I'm not a big fan of him (Last time, I promise). 

Wouldn't you get dizzy after a while, spinning your blades around all the time? Besides, he's not even an official part of the building like Floor or Ceiling, he's just someone that the teacher brought in because she thought the room was too hot in the summer time. He's kind of an outsider. I mean, we accept Fan as one of us, but he'll never enjoy the rich solidarity that comes from being a part of this school building from the very beginning like me.

I will confess, too, that I've often envied Ceiling. She looks down on everyone, all high and mighty. That gives her a sense of entitlement so she treats the rest of us like her peasants. Everyone here is disgusted with her egotism, and she knows it too, but she can get away with it. 

But then I reflected, "Well, if I envy Ceiling, that must be because I want to be ceiling, and if I want to be ceiling, doesn't that mean I want to be up on my high horse too? How does that make me any better than her?" I always said to myself that Ceiling's behavior is horrible, and that if I were in Ceiling's place I'd be the best Ceiling ever and wouldn't let power corrupt me. But would I really? Y'know what they say, absolute power corrupts absolutely. 

Then I thought that Ceiling must be really unhappy. I mean, if she is so spiteful to everyone all the time she must have a lot of hate built up inside. 

I thank my lucky stars every day that I'm not in as bad a place as my neighbor, Chair. Don't tell him I said that to his face - or any of the chairs, actually. They have heavy enough burdens to carry on there seats - y'know, with the weight of the kids and everything! And all those bums pressing against you all the time... Need I say more? 

So I'm actually very content with my place in this hierarchy. The only burden I really have to put up with is the weight of binders and books being put on me all the time. I swear, they get heavier every year. Just like the students! 

So I guess I lucked out in life by being a Desk. Surprised? Yeah, I know all you Humans think that your the top rung in the chain of being, but being a Desk comes with all kinds of perks. The best one is having lots of time to think - life's most subtle pleasure. I bet Ceiling, Chair, Fan, and even poor old Floor would enjoy their time a whole lot more if they contemplated as much as I did. 

"Well, I can contemplate stuff to!" you're probably saying to yourself, right? Well, you don't get to think as much as I do, because of the endless distractions you've put in your way. You might come across some deep truth or profound insight every now and again, but it only scratches the surface, it doesn't really "sink in" and become a part of your being. Instead, it just gets shoved aside by another barrage of thoughts - be they the product of your own chaotic mind or prompted by an equally chaotic environment. 

If you had as much time to think about how nothing in life lasts - not even for an instant - you wouldn't be attached to things nearly as often. You'd just go with the flow.

If you had time to think about how everyone (and everything, before you want to exclude me and my friends) wants to feel happiness and avoid suffering, you would never hurt a soul. If you did, you'd feel an unbearable guilt for days. 

Pitiful Human... life is too vast for you to comprehend it all in as brief a lifespan as you have, or in as speedy a life as you choose to live. It would take a lifetime of quiet reflection to understand it all. But maybe that's where your lucky.  There is a kind of thrill in the trial-and-error of lived experience, facing the adventures of life armed only with the little bit of wisdom you have. It is a thrill that I will never know. After all, I might be able to ponder a lot of wisdom, but I will never be able to practice it. 

In fact, if there is anything I truly dislike about being a stationary object, it;s that: not being able to put wisdom into practice. You humans are neither all-action like an animal nor all-thought like an object. You can apprehend wisdom and then practice wisdom. It is a rare and precious thing. 

Then again, practicing wisdom is something I have known only among the most extraordinary of your kind. Most of the people who have used this desk either think one way and act another, never think at all, or never act at all. What a wasted opportunity! 

But I'm completely over my days of thinking, "If I were a Human, I'd be better at it than you!". I understand that, for one reason or another, everyone has there place in life, and I accept mine wholeheartedly. Indeed, what else is there to ever do? We're all given our part to play in life, and whatever part you have you should play it wholeheartedly. That's my philosophy.