Wednesday, April 29, 2015

The Hand and the Heart of Man Go Together

"There are several basic kinds of touch that you may experience:  Intimate -- Here, your pressure receptors respond to a handshake, hug or kiss. If the person giving the touch is someone you care about, you'll probably feel warm and comforted. Your pressure sensors send the feeling of how hard the embrace is, and your brain interprets the nature of the touch as soothing.  Healing or therapeutic -- This type of touch is often associated with massage or acupuncture. Sometimes, the pressure is gentle and meant to soothe sore muscles. Other times, the pressure is deep in order to work out knots. Despite differences in severity of pressure, you likely to be aware that the outcome is healing, so your body allows you to relax.  Exploratory or inquisitive -- We all learn about the world through our sense of touch. Many people test out foods, fabrics or other objects by feeling different textures. Sometimes it's possible to rely solely on the sense of touch. This is why it's easy for you to reach into your bag and find a pair of keys without looking. You know the cold feeling of the metal key and hard smooth feel of your plastic key chain.  Aggressive or painful -- Of course, we all know that touch can also equate to pain if the pressure is too much and the intent is wrong. A handshake that's too firm can be uncomfortable instead of reassuring."
Psychology of Touching


"The hand is so widely represented in the brain, the hand's neurologic and biomechanical elements are so prone to spontaneous interaction and reorganization, and the motivations and efforts which give rise to individual use of the hand are so deeply and widely rooted, that we must admit that we are trying to explain a basic imperative of human life."
-  Frank R. Wilson, M.D., The Hand, p. 10



“If a thing can be said to be, to exist, then such is the nature of these expansive times that this thing which is must suffer to be touched. Ours is a time of connection; the private, and we must accept this, and it’s a hard thing to accept, the private is gone. All must be touched. All touch corrupts. All must be corrupted."
-  Tony Kushner, Homebody/Kabul

"Fine art is that in which the hand, the head, and the heart of man go together."
-  John Ruskin 




 

Monday, April 27, 2015

Reiki Information from Karen Garofalo

Reiki: Bibliography, Quotations, Information, Resources

By Karen Garofalo
Reiki Master

In the Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki Tradition
Valley Spirit Center
Red Bluff, California

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Make Us Happy with the Happy Bees

"The leaves are budding across the land
on the ash and oak and hawthorn trees.
Magic rises around us in the forest
and the hedges are filled with laughter and love.
Dear lady, we offer you a gift,
a gathering of flowers picked by our hands,
woven into the circle of endless life.
The bright colors of nature herself
blend together to honor you,
Queen of spring,
as we give you honor this day.
Spring is here and the land is fertile,
ready to offer up gifts in your name.
we pay you tribute, our lady,
daughter of the Fae,
and ask your blessing this Beltane."
Beltane Prayers  


Beltane, May Day, Walpurgis Nacht Celebrations

May: Quotes, Sayings, Lore


"Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,
The which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfill."
-   Robert Frost, A Prayer for Spring



"Now that the winter's gone, the earth hath lost
Her snow-white robes, and now no more the frost
Candies the grass, or casts an icy cream
Upon the silver lake or crystal stream;
But the warm sun thaws the benumbed earth,
And makes it tender; gives a sacred birth
To the dead swallow; wakes in hollow tree
The drowsy cuckoo and the humble-bee.
Now do a choir of chirping minstrels bring
In triumph to the world the youthful spring."
-  Thomas Carew, The Spring, 1630      




Beltane, May Day, Walpurgis Nacht Celebrations

April: Quotes, Sayings, Lore









Friday, April 24, 2015

Dao De Jing, Laozi, Chapter 18

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
Chapter 18

"When humankind strayed from the natural way of life,
Relative social disciplines began to appear. 
When intelligence and cleverness of mind are admired,
Great hypocrisy is born. 
When disharmony manifested in family relations,
Children who respected their parents
And parents who respected their children
Became rare examples. 
When chaos prevailed in the county,
Only a few loyal ministers were recognized. 
Let all people return to their true nature. 
Love, kindness, wisdom, family harmony, and loyalty
Should not be taught one by one,
Separately from an honest life. 
Then, once again,
People will regain the natural virtue of wholeness. 
The world will be naturally ordered.  
There will be no one who singly and cunningly
Works for personal interest alone."
-  Translated by Hua-Ching Ni, 1979, Chapter 18   



"When the great Tao perishes
There is jen and justice.
When intelligence is manifest
There is great deception.
When the six relationships are not in harmony
There is filial piety and compassion.
When the country is in chaos
Loyal ministers appear."
-  Translated by Charles Muller, 1891, Chapter 18 


"On the decline of the great Tao,
The doctrine of "humanity" and "justice" arose.
When knowledge and cleverness appeared,
Great hypocrisy followed in its wake.
When the six relationships no longer lived at peace,
There was praise of "kind parents" and "filial sons."
When a country fell into chaos and misrule,
There was praise of "loyal ministers." "
-  Translated by Lin Yutang, 1955, Chapter 18 

  
"It was when the Great Way declined
That human kindness and morality arose;
It was when intelligence and knowledge appeared
That the Great Artifice began.
It was when the six near ones were no longer at peace
That there was talk of “dutiful sons”;
Nor till fatherland was dark with strife
Did we hear of “loyal slaves”."
-  Translated by Arthur Waley, 1934, Chapter 18



"The mighty Way declined among the folk
And then came kindness and morality.
When wisdom and intelligence appeared,
They brought with them a great hypocrisy.
The six relations were no more at peace,
So codes were made to regulate our homes.
The fatherland grew dark, confused by strife:
Official loyalty became the style."
-  Translated by Raymond Blakney, 1955, Chapter 18  



大道廢, 有仁義, 智慧出, 有大偽, 六親不和,
有孝慈國家昏亂, 有忠臣.
-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 18



ta tao fei, yu jên yi, hui chih ch'u, yu ta wei, liu ch'in pu ho,
yu hsiao tz'u kuo chia hun luan, yu chung ch'ên. 
-  Wade-Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 18 



"Wherever the cosmic order is neglected,
Goodness and morality are born.
When the heart’s awareness is repressed,
The intellect is led into hypocrisy.
When the family loses its natural harmony,
The rules of duty and honor are enforced.
When the natural society is disrupted,
The dragon of state arises,
And powerful leaders take over."
-  Translated by Brian Donohue, 2005, Chapter 18   



"When Tao is abandoned,
Benevolence and morality arise.
When wisdom and knowledge arise,
Hypocrisy flourishes.
When there is discord in the family,
Filial piety and parental affection arise.
When the country is in darkness and turmoil,
Loyal ministers appear."
-  Translated by Keith H. Seddon, Chapter 18   



"Cuando se abandona el Tao
aparecen la "ética" y la "moral".
Con la "verdad" y la "justicia"
surgen los grandes hipócritas.
Cuando no existe armonía entre los parientes,
hablan de "lealtad a la familia" y de "honrar a los padres".
Cuando hay revueltas en el reino,
aparecen el "patriotismo" y el "nacionalismo",
inventando así la fidelidad del buen súbdito.
Cuando el Tao se pierde aparece la falsedad."
-  Translation from Wikisource, 2013, Tao Te Ching, Capítulo 18   


"When people lost sight of the way to live
Came codes of love and honesty,
Learning came, charity came,
Hypocrisy took charge;
When differences weakened family ties
Came benevolent fathers and dutiful sons;
And when lands were disrupted and misgoverned
Came ministers commended as loyal."
-  Translated by Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 18


"When the great Tao is lost spring forth benevolence and righteousness.
When wisdom and sagacity arise, there are great hypocrites.
When family relations are no longer harmonious, we have filial children and devoted parents.
When a nation is in confusion and disorder, patriots are recognised.
Where Tao is, equilibrium is. When Tao is lost, out come all the differences of things."
-  Translated by Ch'u Ta-Kao, 1904, Chapter 18 




Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching



Taoism: A Selected Reading List



A typical webpage created by Mike Garofalo for each one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) includes 20 different English translations or interpolations of each Chapter, 3 Spanish translations for each Chapter, the Chinese characters for each Chapter, and the Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin Romanization of the Mandarin Chinese words for each Chapter; extensive indexing by key words and terms for each Chapter in English, Spanish, and the Wade-Giles Romanization is provided; recommended reading in books and websites, a detailed bibliography, some commentary, research leads, translation sources, and other resources for each Chapter are included.  





Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Daodejing Index and Concordance

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

Chapter Index and Electronic Concordance

Indexing and research by Michael P. Garofalo, Librarian of Gushen Grove, Valley Spirit Center, Red Bluff, California.  

All 81 Chapters of the Daodejing are Indexed

Searchable by English language terms, Spanish language terms, Romanized Chinese (Wade-Giles and Pinyin) terms.  I use the word 'terms' in my Chapter Index to loosely refer to: keywords, themes, phrases, chapter titles, subjects, topics, words, nouns, verbs, adverbs, or adjectives.  I tend to favor inclusiveness, related meanings, interrelated concepts, and generality when including Terms in this index; reflecting the fascinating complexity of translating and reinterpretation.  



Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching


Taoism: A Selected Reading List




A typical webpage created by Mike Garofalo for each one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) includes 20 different English translations or interpolations of each Chapter, 3 Spanish translations for each Chapter, the Chinese characters for each Chapter, and the Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin Romanization of the Mandarin Chinese words for each Chapter; extensive indexing by key words and terms for each Chapter in English, Spanish, and the Wade-Giles Romanization is provided; recommended reading in books and websites, a detailed bibliography, some commentary, research leads, translation sources, and other resources for each Chapter are included.