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China Jon's Syncretic Journal

An American in China

Posts tagged with "philosophy"

Thanks to Kelly

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What did I do when someone gave me a life?

AT first I learned to crawl in a funny way that was called my 'elephant walk' since I got up on my four legs (counting my two arms as legs) and tried to go as fast as I could. My family was entertained, though that was not my intent.

I learned the things that babies learn, to walk and talk and run and play.

I learned the things you learn in church and school and in the street and in the park.

I learned the things you learn in university and in your own family raising your own kids.

I learned the things you learn in a lifetime of working with others.

I learned that there was a lot I had not learned and began to look for more.

I found out things that no one nor no thing had ever taught me.

Miracles became apparent that I was not able to see before even though they had been around me every day.

I made up my motto: "Miracles Happen Every Day. Pay Attention!"

My life has changed. It has become smaller and larger. More simple and more fulfilled.

I learned that the enemy is fear, and the answer is love.

How well do you fly?

For Wiwin, a sweet lady

What if you were successful
in everything you tried?
What if you felt better,
every time you cried?

Do your memories guide you forward,
or simply hold you back?
Does the wind tear your sail to shreds,
every time you tack?

Perhaps you are holding on too tight,
to the thoughts you got in school.
Perhaps you believe you've got it right,
since nobody calls you fool.

You could use a little rest,
now that you have a life.
Just a little well earned rest,
without the daily strife.

But what is it that carries you forward,
the doesn't let you rest?
What momentum is pushing you
toward a goal it thinks is best?

How well do you fly
when you let yourself go?
Do you plummet to the pavement,
or float like a bubble,
ever so slow?

May the glowing light surround you
and protect you while you heal.
May the pains of life you suffered
no longer seem so real.

One step forward. Don't look back.
Two steps forward. Stay on track.
Three steps forward, then fly like a dove.
Four steps forward, and find true love.

This smile's for you sweet lady.

:yes:




:wizard:

Synchronisity

Maybe you have read my statement before: "Miracles happen every day. Pay attention." I am not going to explain. Just know that this post is a result of my journey through the miracles around me.


Where there is a voice, there is a listener.

Where there is love, there is no fear.

Where there is hate, there is pain.

Where there is knowledge, there is limitation.

Where there is life, there is hope.

Where there is death, there is change.

Where there is serenity, there is no hope.

Where there is harmony, there is separation.

Where there is Dao, there is a path.

Where there is a path, there is a traveler.

:wizard:

Soul Mates

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I looked into the theories of "Soul Mates" and found that it is mostly a romantic notion, quite rebellious in nature with regard to society, often is linked to the idea of "True Love,"and usually limited in application. I found some art that I liked and some writing that was interesting. First, what I found, then how I responded:

To My Soulmate

"Somehow, out of all the twists & turns our lives could have taken,
& out of all the chances we might have missed,
it almost seems we were given a meant-to-be moment~to meet,
to get to know one another, & set the stage for a special togetherness.

When I'm with you, I know that I'm in the presence of someone
who makes my life more complete than I ever dreamed it could be.
I turn to you for trust, & you give it openly.
I look to you for inspiration, answers, & encouragement, &
~not only do you never let me down
~you lift my spirits & take my thoughts to places where my troubles seem so much farther away
& my joys feel they're going to stay in my life forever."

by Carey Martin
__________________________________




True love is a modern idea and very Western in style. It is counter to the idea of what constitutes a "perfect" relationship in many cultures.

This statement struck a chord with me:
"Love isn't bound by time or space when our connections come from our heart."
by Melody Beattie

I did feel some appreciation of the idea of love, time and space being unlimited, but connected. The concept of the "Soul" must have a limitlessness to it or it would not be a soul. What good is the idea of "Soul Mates" if the soul itself did not exist. Also, it is often said that soul mates seem to respond to each other in ways that do not fit in to the accepted rules of Science.

Of course in the area of human love, our imagination is often motivated to see beyond the ordinary and into places only the poet can describe. The imagery and emotions thus perceived are no less real to us than what can be proven factual. Science has broken down love into three chemical states in the brain. These scientific discoveries might be factual, but they do not explain what people have experienced over the ages. There is more out there than fits the measurements of science. As some people say: "Life is not black and white, it is shades of grey." But love is not just red or green either. Love is shades of rose. Love is degrees of heat. Love is Art, not Science.

So, there is a connection between soul mates but it is not the same for each pair. As some liquids will mix together totally, others will not mix, but still interact if only briefly. And there are solutions where various mixtures create a limitless number of tastes from which we can choose our favorites. Every soul must have the ability to interact with any other soul. But the reaction can not be predicted in advance. It is one of the mysteries of life. I am sure you have heard statements like this:
`Why this one and not that one?
`I expected this one to be so "Right" but it was such a mistake!
`I never knew when I first met her that we would fall in love!
`We loved each other so much, but now, well... it's over.

And you have also heard this one:
`From the first moment we met, we knew we were 'meant to be' and we have been happy ever since!'
That is what I think romantic, sexual, soul mates feel.

But some relationships are neither romantic nor sexual. Still, they feel "Right" and can last longer than most marriages. But like diamonds, they are rare, and very valuable. If you find one, take care of it. It could be your soul mate. If they ask you to dance in the rain with them, don't be afraid to sing as well!

Best Miracle

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Stop looking for a girl/boy-friend!

Now just relax, and send your loving heart out into the universe and let it harmonize with all corresponding loving hearts that are being sent there by the sweet girls and tender hearted boys out there who you didn't notice before, while you were looking for the wrong one.

Now if you pay attention, the right person will miraculously appear before you.. The question is, will you put away your prejudices and accept reality?

Hearts in harmony are much more important than money, or beauty, or sexuality, which, of course, are the primary prejudices.

A loving heart will carry you farther than 1st class tour tickets.
A caring heart will soften the ride more than a Mercedes S350.
A kind heart will earn more rewards than a big bank account.

I would say 'good luck,' but what you need is a miracle, not good luck. So, use your inner love to call for one. Then pay attention. What you need is in the heart of someone who will come into your life right when you need them to. Not necessarily when you want them to.

:wizard:

Angels

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I feel so peaceful today. Why? Just a few days ago I was so angry! How could I be at this point today?

Simple. I always feel a boost in mood when a theory of mine - any theory - gets some evidence that it is true. If you have been reading this blog very long, you know I have some far out theories!

so here is the scenario... Throughout history, there have been told stories of sightings that we cna not explain today. They are put into various theories from mythical, to supernatural, to miraculous. As you may know, I like to tinker with ideas. See if I can imagine what the truth might be, if any. I remember a lesson I did in which a student was - separately - told a story. Then one by one the students went out and were told - one by one in order - the story as they remebered it from the previous student. By the time it got to the last student, very little of the original remained. But core bits usually remained. The little pieces that if left out, would render the story unsustainable. So I guessed that myths, legends, miracles, or other supernatural stories might have a core bit that was truthful, or factual. It was just that the story had been around for so long it was all bent out of shape by human imagination.

Take angels for example. Usually, angels are portrayed as females with wings. I know that this is not 100% the case so don't quibble. Where they 'reside' and why they interact with us are also subject to imagination. I heard a recording - I guess you would classify it as 'New Age' - that described in great detail where angels were and how to experience them. But \\\

As you know, I was upset, and wrote a mood piece here, as well as a blog entry and replies. thanks for your comments by the way.

So what about my theory?

I believe in links between people that are outside this normal physical reality.
These links are powered by love.

What happened?

Friends of mine who I have not heard from for a long time contacted me yesterday. In each case, they brought an experience to me that lifted me out of my depressed mood. Basically, I just felt their affection and warmth, their appreciation of me, their confidence and acceptance in and of me. It was very uplifting, and healing.

I had not contacted any of them. None of them had read my blog. They had no conscious idea how much I needed them. Yet there they were, on the same day, a day that I felt very sad.

I am in a web of love. The Angels are in us all. Our love lets them live in us. Or Their love for us lets us live. I don't know. But there is something there.
Coincidence? Synchronicity? Miracles?

What do you think?

The Water The Life The Heart

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The Water:
So comforting, so familiar,
It disappears from our thoughts.
Yet without it, we suffer and die.
We seek something in the far distance,
and have forgotten that which
touches our heart.


Origin of Life on Earth

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If you talk about life on Earth, it leads to a discussion of religion, creation and life-creating chemical stews. All of that is ... boring. The truth on Earth is what it is and taking sides will not answer the deeper questions. We don't know what life is in the first place.

One of the steps in science is to simplify the problem so that you can manipulate one variable. In this way you get an understanding of complex problems. Life is surely a complex problem. But taking it down to the simplest form of life is not the same as breaking a Physics problem into workable parts. For example, to point out the the earliest fossils occur in sedimentary rock is only partially valid as an argument regard life's origination - on Earth - as being in water. This is because there are not any other fossil records to examine. This does not mean that life did not exist elsewhere, only that that environment was not one which produced fossils. The absence of a proof does not constitute 'negative proof' or disproof. So we can only agree that there are ancient fossils on Earth that are sedimentary in nature.

In fact we find life in places that are most inhospitable. For example, tube worms that never experience light, deep under the sea around hot water vents. Or, algae that live in sulfurous thermal springs which are hot enough to cook eggs in. Or, the bacteria that inhabit about every place on Earth that is imaginable. Are these life forms related? Are algae, tube worms, and bacteria somehow related?
This little guy lives at a depth of over 2000 meters in hot water vents at a temperature of 80 degrees Celsius. (176 F!)


















This bacteria is found in harsh environments:
The World's Toughest Bacterium
Date of Publication: July 5, 2000
By Sarah E. DeWeerdt

Deinococcus radiodurans is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as "the world's toughest bacterium." And for good reason: The microbe can survive drought conditions, lack of nutrients, and, most important, a thousand times more radiation than a person can. The bacterium, whose name means 'strange berry that withstands radiation,' is the most radiation-resistant organism known.
The red, spherical bacterium was discovered nearly fifty years ago in a can of ground meat that spoiled despite having been sterilized by radiation.



The clue I see is that a life form is a processor and converter of energy. And, a life form needs a suitable supply of the energy, and a safe place to process the energy as it sees fit.

Chart of Life

The diversity of life forms we have found on Earth probably did not all begin in the same place at the same time. And, perhaps we are looking at it the wrong way around. Perhaps it is the energy that is using the life form to process the environment as it sees fit.


Compare these three simple life forms. Do you think they all were 'children' of the same parent?
That is, there was only one 'first' life form?
Bacteria
Archaea
Eukarya

Maybe life is a form of energy, and not a bundle of chemicals that came together in a stew. Maybe life began in a place and time beyond our means of perception. Perhaps it is life itself that finds what ever it needs where ever it is, and goes where ever it wants.

;-D Enjoy your life, what ever it is!

The Cusp

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I remember a time, long long ago, when many people believed that time was 'the end of an age.' There was a pop song, with the words, 'It is the coming of the age of Aquarius.'

Of course it was just a pop culture moon swing. But they were more right than they knew. We have arrived at the end of an age.

This is more than the end of the American Empire. We can all see America - at the top of the heap - and we can see it faltering. Then we say, 'ah ha! The American Empire is about to fall!' Just as Chicken Little shouted, 'the sky is falling!'

In my opinion, it is not the American Empire on the verge of collapse, it is just the end of this age, and because of America's place in this age, we can only see the cracks that are occurring in its foundation, but not the fact that these cracks extend downward into every nation on Earth.

We, as humanity, are in the process of creating a new world. Without a plan, without a leader, in some cases without hope but with faith, we are stepping forward into a new age.

And my friends, it will be a better age than the one we leave behind. The main factor in the old paradigm was our separateness, our individuality, our limited belonging-to-ness. The strength of our foundation was the family, our faith, our education (limited to what our society thought was 'good for us and itself,') our friends (limited to whom we were physically near), the city, our religious and political beliefs, and the culture of the nation that nourished us, via a huge dose of tradition.

But we have eyes to see the world, both from space, and from the viewpoint of millions of others in the world. We have ears to hear and the methods to translate other languages into our own, almost seamlessly. We can talk directly to each other, to people - and groups - who less than 20 years ago - were separated from us by both time and space.

Our actions are creating a love-hate relationship throughout our world.

The bottom line?

Traditions will be broken, and in breaking will break the hearts of millions. Traditionalists will fight the changes, will try to push back the tide. American traditionalists will feel just as much pain as Islamic or Jewish, or indeed, Chinese Communist traditionalists. The old ways are just that. Old ways include wonderful, peaceful, heartwarming traditions. There is no reason to throw them away. They are good.

But the old traditions also channel power, foment distrust, engender competition, corrupt the powerful, and waste limited resources. These traditions will be ended. It will not be an easy birth. But the egg has begun to crack, and the new age will be born.

Rule number 1? Don't be afraid. Step into the light. (I can't run the Opera editing scripts, so look at the link directly) http://www.outdoor-photos.com/store/photo/1584419.jpg


;-D Confusion is that moment between the first and the second step. After than, our direction is clear, and our confidence, assured. This is true whether we are stepping through life alone, or dancing with our partner.

What is love?

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Have you ever been 'In Love?'

Science has dissected 'love' into three (verifiable) fractions:
1) Lust (the craving for sexual gratification), driven by androgens and estrogens;
2) Attraction (or romantic or passionate love, characterized by euphoria when things are going well, terrible mood swings when they’re not, focused attention, obsessive thinking, and intense craving for the individual), driven by high dopamine and norepinephrine levels and low serotonin;
and
3) Attachment (the sense of calm, peace, and stability one feels with a long-term partner) driven by the hormones oxytocin and vasopressin.

I can't verify it, by I think love is a force of nature that is responsible for miracles. What goes on in my brain is often misleading, especially to me! I don't think it is any of their business!

But, if the scientists do figure out the chemical nature of love, I still don't believe that they will know what it is. It is the same as saying that a diamond is just carbon.

;-D

Source: http://www.mcmanweb.com/love_lust.htm

Dream Worlds

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Dream Worlds

Dreams come into the world through our heart.
To us they bring sweet fragrances, like works of aromatic art.
Our memories of the sweetest touch come not from our daily life.
That tender embrace, that longing stare, have no roots in mundane strife.


The dream’s echoes are what we seek.
They motivate both brave and meek.
A brighter light than the light of day
shines upon the words we pray.


The dream beats out the rhythm in our daily dance.
We can follow it, given half a chance.
Dream dancers moving in rhythm - if not rhyme.
Stepping to a beat we felt in a shadowed, hidden time.


Fear will cause a step so stuttering,
that night will find our stomach fluttering.
Rather let a dreamy moon
warmly bind our fate to June.


Our dreams will never let us lose our way,
to wander soulless through a lonely day.
Dreams have filled our lives with much,
like what dancers feel with their tender touch.

How Things Really Work #5

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Somebody was rather rude to some friends of mine. I am so happy about this! Huh?!?! That isn't how things are supposed to work. When someone is rude to your friends, you are supposed to get angry or something, right?

Well what actually happened was one of those little flashes of insight that I really enjoy.

Interested? Heh heh heh, you will have to turn the page, or what ever happens when you click 'Read More!' hahahaha!

Read more...

Philosophical musing #33

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I read this is a book. Would you like to comment on it?
Quote:
A snide remark gains you nothing, yet costs you much. A selfish act
brings no lasting value, yet attracts the enduring resentment of others.
A kind word, on the other hand, costs you nothing. And it can bring
about a lifetime of value.

What if, just once each day, you were to stop yourself before making a
cruel remark and replace it with a sincere word of encouragement? Such a
thing would cost you absolutely nothing, and yet it would bring real,
positive value to your life and your world.

Cruelty is a waste of precious time and energy. Kindness is an
investment which pays endless dividends.

If you desire a life of value, then do the things which bring true value,
as often as you can. Fill your moments with kindness, and fill your world
with value.



Read more...

Philosophical musing #32

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So I read this little quote:

Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me: Anything can happen, child. Anything can be...`

by Shel Silverstein, in "Where The Sidewalk Ends"

And I thought about it... ==>

Read more...

My Sweet Heaven

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What would your personal Heaven be like? :D

Interesting question! :sherlock:

First, set the environment to a natural green and colorful place with a mild range of temperatures and weather, surrounded be various interesting and challenging environments with exciting and dangerous aspects.

Inhabit the location with people and wildlife that are peaceful, varied and interesting. Inhabit nearby locations with other kinds of interesting and possibly dangerous people and wildlife.

Provide activities involving both mental and physical effort. Include various animal and vegetable lifeforms which are edible and nutritious. Perhaps some effort would be needed to obtain these and prepare them in gourmet styles.

Enable 'Out of Body' travel to any time or place that can be imagined with the possibility to temporarily inhabit the mind and body of the human beings who reside there, or enable the creation of a new body to inhabit if that is the norm for a particular environment.

Provide others people with whom close loving relationships can exist. Link the 'Out of Body' flight paths so that these 'soul mates' can visit interesting places together and enjoy challenging and emotional experiences together.

Provide 'Out of Body Flight Manuals and Brochures' before and during 'OoB' adventures that give some clues about how to behave in the chosen environments. These could be found be looking for media upon arrival with names such as 'Bible,' 'Koran.' 'Pearl of Great Price,' 'Book of Mormon,' 'Talmud,' 'Tales of Solomon,' or for the more adventurous 'OoB' traveler, 'Star Wars,' 'The Roman Empire,' 'History of the Ages,' 'A Clockwork Orange,' 'The Time Machine,' or 'War of the Worlds,' etc. etc.

Enable internal 'Self Homing' abilities which will help to focus the 'OoB' back to the true meaning of life, if the 'OoB' traveler gets too involved with the adventure and forgets who, what, and where he really is. Use common names such as 'Prayer,' 'Meditation,' and 'Wisdom,' so that the stresses inherent in any adventure can be relieved when necessary.

Provide a warm and loving return lounge which is very brightly lit so that it can easily be found by returning 'OoB' travelers. Include announcements for all friends and family of the return of an 'OoB' traveler so that they may go to meet them upon arrival. This will reduce the shock of transitioning back to the true reality after experiencing whatever adventure they have been through. Place some reminders of this 'Return Lounge' in several areas of each adventure locality with names such as 'The Light at the End of the Tunnel,' or simply 'The Bright Light.'

Allow the creation of 'Special Interest Groups' for those who are interested in developing skills in particular areas such as music, mathematics, communications and languages, transportation systems, education, scientific invention, or the like so that personal interests and abilities can be shared both in Heaven, and when group members wish to engage in a group outing via 'Group Out of Body Fairs.'

Enable 'Eternal Life' but provide the ability to change the outward appearance of each person so that they can try on sexual and physical attributes before venturing out on an 'OoB' adventure.

;-D Obviously this has nothing to do with the real Heaven and any similarities to the real Heaven are purely coincidental. No infringement of copyright should be presumed by the copyright owner should He happen to read this! :yikes: The End?



Don't be Afraid

I came upon a great quote today, and thought I would share it. I have been too busy lately, and have not been to my blog, so I hope someone reads this!

The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible,
but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for
remaining ashore.
-- Vincent Van Gogh


What do you think of it?

A meditative life

There are two paths that you should follow to reach understanding and self control, and reduce your heartache.

First - Life Choices
The most important is to learn to sit quietly and relax into a state of meditation. Meditation is more that thinking hard. It is emptying yourself into the universe, and accepting yourself as part of the universe. Learn the feeling of love that is within you and that reaches out to color the universe with your special tone. Understand that your main path in life is long and beautiful. The main choices in your life are between love and fear. The path of love - unselfish love of every living thing - will lead you to the greatest happiness. Fear will guide you to unhappiness. Meditate on your choices and try to see which possibilities are down the path chosen by your fears, and which are up the path to a loving reality. Always try to follow the path marked by unselfish love.

Second - Understanding Human Relationships
The best psychology for you is the one called Transactional Analysis. Learn about it and practice it. Study it with others who are having problems getting along with friends and family. It will give you insights into why people do what they do. It will explain why you do what you do and you can learn how to change your behavior so that you will not do the things that cause you to have heartaches. It will help you see the mistakes you and others are making when in a relationship with others.

Putting these two philosophies into personal practice will change your life in wonderful ways. Accept the power of love and reject the pain of fear. Accept the frailty of human life and accept yourself as a good person who deserves respect and friendship. Accept others as they are and don't try to pull their strings to get what you want. Let friendship grow from true relationships, not from imaginary ones.

;-D The path is long, and the end is not in sight. Fear not. When you reach the unknown place, the path will appear.

Links:
http://claudesteinersbrain.blogspot.com/
http://johnideas.blogspot.com/
http://graffiti99.blogspirit.com/

The 20th Floor

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I grew up in a family of builders, and became a musician, But then of course the builders were musicians as well. My mother could play very complicated classical pieces, and the house was usually filled with her playing. such a different world now, where the mother is working every day and the kids grow up with MTV, Sex, and drugs. I had never smelled marijuana until I was in my late teens. I wan not even sure what it was, but me and my pals figured it out. None of us used drugs.

I always lived in a single family house, until my university days, when my dad hired me to be the caretaker for some townhouses he had built.

Out on my own I played the real estate game well, buying low and selling high. that game has continued in my absence, and, having not played for 8 years, I can no longer afford to play the game in America. So, I play it in China... maybe. At least I bought while the prices were low and they have gone up, but I don't want to sell. Now, I live on the 20th floor in a flat of my own design. It looks larger than it is. I like to stand on one of the patios and take a look at the country around, noting the changes wrought by light and clouds, by construction and weather. I don't feel the need to move onward and upward. This feels like my home. It is a little island of Western Way, surrounded by an infinity of Eastern Way.

One strange little thought... I grew up Christian, and I enjoy talking to my friends and students about philosophy. I think I am growing my own beliefs about what is, and isn't. I feel closer to creation and miracles than I ever felt before. I don't think it is because I live on the 20 floor.







Netizenship

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We - the people of the internet - need to construct a new paradigm of modern life. Many of us are living in new ways because of technology, but don't understand the long term implications within the reality.

It is so difficult to understand the modern world's complexity.

One of the reasons is the scientific method itself. The SM is a set of procedures that is very useful in answering questions. It forces the scientist to focus and test - using repeatable testing methods. It limits the research to a few clearly defined variables.

The narrowness of the method enables precision. But the problems of the modern world are linked in innumerable ways. Innumerable means just that. It can't be counted. This means that science has great difficulty connecting all the factors that are interrelated in an answerable question.

Fundamentalists, of all kinds, throw up their hand in surrender and say 'God is omnipotent! He will show us the way!' Maybe. But I think we have known the way for a long time, and we have refused to go that way. Few people live according to their religious beliefs. We must unite in a new way: Netizenship.

How does this work? The Internet can provide a look at reality that we can not get from static media. One of the best places - for example - is this site: TED Talks

Please take the time to look at the video of Hans Rosling

Hans Rosling is a public health expert, director of Sweden's world-renowned Karolinska Institute, and founder of Gapminder, a non-profit that brings vital global data to life. (Recorded February, 2006 in Monterey, CA.)

This talk is amazing, both for the informaiton presented, which will be very educational for you, and for the way in which it is done, with humor and animation. It is awesome!

Love, Honor, or Freedom

Which is most important: Love, Honor, or Freedom?

These are all important tones in the harmony of life. What is the fundament tone? I think it must be love. It is true that they are inter-related, but in the flow of reality, some things are roots, and some things are fruits. Other things come in between. All the parts are living proof of the connectedness and the cycle of life.

But what powers it all? Love
What gives value to each part? Honor
What allows us to experience it all? Freedom

A beautiful harmony, with the most important being love.

Don't be afraid. I bring to you the glory of love.