Snowy pines at sunset
Its been a lovely warm weekend, definitely feeling on the edge of spring with crocuses and snowdrops out in the garden. However, here’s another one from last weekend’s walk in the forest. This is taken at sunset, as the suns rays were directly horizontal onto the tree trunks, coming from the same direction that the snow had come from, directly illuminating the vertical snow-stripe on the trunks and contrasting with the darker depth of the woods behind. It created quite a magical feeling while it lasted.
For this week’s quote, something from ancient China, which reads like it could be written now:
“Humanity grows more and more intelligent, yet there is clearly more trouble and less happiness daily. How can this be so? It is because intelligence is not the same thing as wisdom. When a society misuses partial intelligence and ignores holistic wisdom, its people forget the benefits of a plain and natural life. Seduced by their desires, emotions, and egos, they become slaves to bodily demands, to luxuries, to power and unbalanced religion and psychological excuses. Then the reign of calamity and confusion begins.
Nonetheless, some people can awaken during times of turmoil to lead others out of the mire. But how can the one liberate the many? By first liberating his own being. He does this nor by elevating himself, but by lowering himself. He lowers himself to that which is simple, modest, true; integrating it into himself, he becomes a master of simplicity, modesty, truth. Completely emancipated from his former false life, he discovers his original pure nature, which is the pure nature of the universe. Freely and spontaneously releasing his divine energy, he constantly transcends complicated situations and draws everything around him back into an integral oneness.
Because he is a living divinity, when he acts, the universe acts.”
– Lao Tzu, Hua Hu Ching