Biking to a Place Inside and Out / 01
Resting at the end of the Laurel Creek Trail, Madison County, NC
There is something about biking on a trail or on the road that leaves one breathless—sometimes literally breathless. The energy consumed, the movement imposed, and the feeling of space and time standing still. In all of this there is the sense of traveling without moving, yet always a feeling of perpetual flight.
I love biking, then and now…
Reaching the summit at Tsali Recreational Park, Graham County, NC
Transcending the Mundane
Finding the path to Liberation and the end of cyclic existence
Our daily lives at times are filled with what seems like perpetual forms of the mundane. This is when the life around us appears to slow down and things appear to stand still. The thinking mind is no longer centered, but restless—searching for something to attach itself to. It is moments like this that we long for distraction. We may at this time unknowingly appear to be succumbing to this longing, but it has been there all along. It is the ego and it is at the foundation of our cyclic existence: (samsara): uncontrollably being reborn under the influence of disturbing attitudes and karmic imprints.
Today, I am experiencing such disillusionment or distraction. I am not at all centered. I want to think of something to do or find a profound gesture to give my life greater meaning. I say to my-self “you can create some art, or write a post for the blog or rehash thoughts about what I want out of life.” Now that (rehashing thoughts) is certainly a great way to keep one-self distracted—to be out of the present moment. The quickest way to address these moments of being “lost” in our thinking is to sit quietly and just observe the thoughts through our practice of meditation. Let the thoughts, like the waves of the ocean, rise and fall. We can say to ourselves, “I am thinking.” This is the beginning of Liberation: freedom from cyclic existence and Nirvana: the cessation of unsatisfactory conditions and their causes.
So today, I see the mundane for what it really is: a distraction from what is: We may call it mundane, but it is life itself in this present moment, and we can learn to embrace it.
And when we see it for what it truly is, we are free from any misconceptions that may arise.
We are on the path to Liberation and the end of Samsara.
The Spark that Ignites Our Dream of Love Soon Fades Away
A 2011 remix for Life and Stolen Innocence with poem
four point two million sympathy cards hallmark dissipating blue-clear skies to purple gray skies vertical sky-cam a gun in hand aisle four
the sound of a distant airplane voices behind closed doors clear skies, green grass, eternity hand-held sony super 8 interviewing clips from serial mom and fourth of july picnics
christmas morning echoed screams polaroids father knows best sleep in pain, wake to fear, live without love family sitcoms circa: 1960’s
The Narrow Way: Choosing a Path
- When we find a path that leads back to ourselves, we discover things anew
In 2002 I moved from Philadelphia to South Carolina. It was a time for a deliberate and conscious change. The beautiful natural landscapes of the Carolinas, Tennessee and Georgia all provided a sharp contrast to the harsh urban decay of what was becoming, in some parts, the City of Philadelphia. It was a very positive move for me, and I immediately embarked on a journey to rediscover some important sustaining elements of my life i.e. Mind, Body, Creativity and Spirit. I call them my Four Jewels. The very first thing I did when I arrived was go up into the mountains. I hiked, explored and found beauty, space and peace. Hiking as an adventure has a wonderful aspect to it, that is physical, emotional and exploratory. Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina is home of the Mile High Swinging Bridge and various trails. It is one of the highest peaks east of the Mississippi. While walking along the bridge, above the beautiful gorge below, one can begin the journey of self discovery. And in doing so, find a subtle, yet profound emergence of the meaning of man and nature as one.
The Narrow Way / The Bridge to Knowing
- The Narrow Way / The Bridge to knowing begins with your daily meditation practice
We often try to understand who we are through the process of knowing. In doing so, we come face to face with a peculiar dialectic. That peculiarity is how to bridge the awareness of being the knower and the known. To do this, one must understand that everything in awareness is known because of you. Our perception of the things around us is derived from an ever changing inherent existence. Things can never exist upon their own power, nor can the awareness of things be from the thinking mind alone. We exist in that place in between the two — You are Knowing. It is the state of Knowing that frees us from the misconceptions, the untruths of the object / known relationship and the subject / knower relationship. We begin the journey with our daily practice in meditation, and move forward when we let go of ourselves and the world around us and just Be That which Is.
Maybe Tomorrow a Better Dream a Better Life
2011 remix of Life and Stolen Innocence, Recovery and The Spark that Ignites Our Dream of Love Soon Fades Away
Millions of children, throughout the world, are abused in one form on another. It is heartbreaking that they must live with the sharp pain of an unkind word, neglect, shame, or physical torment. It shatters their hopes and dreams. As a society we cannot lose sight of what a young girl or boy experiences when their trust in those who should protect them is betrayed. We as a community, a village, must extend love and compassion, hope and inspiration that tomorrow’s dreams and life itself can and will be beautiful, safe and fulfilling. There is a lot of space in the hearts of all children to find that warm embrace, the story that leaves a smile, and a relationship that is love.
Hopes, Dreams and Stolen Innocence
- A 2011 remix of the 1993 exhibit Life in Stolen Innocence
Lately, I have been thinking about the human condition. How we must see ourselves as the protectors of the young and the innocence throughout the world. How our society prevails, or should prevail in a time of moral entropy. How we must find the courage to uphold the moral reason for love and compassion. In this post entitled “Hopes, Dreams and Stolen Innocence” and the related post, “Maybe Tomorrow a Better Dream a Better Life”, I look back at works, from the past that I have created in the attempt to address these issues. In 1993, at Atlantic Community College, I exhibited my photo / text piece entitled “Life and Stolen Innocence” i.e. the fictional depiction of two young girls growing up simultaneously—one child living in a loving and sustaining home, and the other child in an abusive home environment. And in 2002 I revisited this examination with the digital collage “The Spark that Ignites Our Dream of Love Soon Fades Away”. Both works were an attempt to focus on the idealism of youth, in the shadow of dreams and hopes lost.
Life in Every Breath
Love and Compassion in the service of others for the post Life in Every Breath
Today I had the Honor of being of service to an individual, who over the years, I have come to love dearly. He has some special needs, and a heart to be filled with love. It is a beautiful thing what we discover in ourselves when we help others. I felt a great sense of well-being–finding its source in the expression of love through active compassion. In Buddhism, we learn that compassion is the wish for all sentient beings to be free from suffering and its causes, and that love is the wish for all sentient beings to have happiness and its causes. Let’s find a way together to build our hearts as one instrument in the service of others.
A horoscope perspective for a Gemini the twin / 1/13/2011
To see ourselves in multiple views, is to know ourselves as one
Astrologer Hunter Reynolds says that when you are at your best, you Geminis specialize in “enlightened impatience.” You don’t get trapped expressing polite deference in situations that drain your energy. You don’t tolerate boring experiences just because they’re supposed to be good for you. You’d rather “err on the side of learning-through-too-much-movement” than get bogged down in “principled sluggishness.” But while that’s how you are when you’re at your peak, you can also be susceptible to the dark side of this talent. Sometimes you abort a potential breakthrough by prematurely fleeing a useful but difficult scene. I suspect you may be prone to that kind of behavior right now. My advice: Be skeptical of your escape reflex.
Friends who move intrepidly through themselves are invaluable
Self portrait with dreadlocks circa: 1994
Hi Leslee,
What a remarkable blog you are contributing to us all. I am profoundly amazed at the way you have examined and expressed what we all go through i.e. the fears, the attachments, the expectations. The spiritual, artistic and philosophical understanding you possess is a joy to know and your sharing is transforming the way, we who know you, see ourselves. The fact that you are utilizing your intuitive knowledge and your years as a Buddhist Nun in moving forward, are a tribute to the recollection of the Higher Self.
I can relate to the experience of your “going to the salon,” in order to find yourself through change. In 1997 after eight years of having dreadlocks, I remember the decision to cut them. Wow, what a defining and prolific moment that was. I was sitting there watching years of love and care, of spirit and dedication fall to the floor. It had occurred to me as well, that this was a moment where my life was changing. Moments in life are a continuum of change. Transformation is a fact.
Art has always been a vehicle and tool for change, for transforming our misunderstanding into awareness. I appreciate so well your connected sense of being to your art as it mirrors my own. To have a friend who moves intrepidly through herself is invaluable.
Thanks for the great post and namaste.
Walter
The Mirrored Mind in Meditation
A view of ourselves through the reflection of relationship
Over the weekend, a spiritual mentor that I highly respect sent me an email. It was a very thought-provoking and beautifully written letter. I found myself musing over its content. Particularly the heart-felt examination of how our relationships are there as “sort of mirrors.” So we can “see” ourselves. Lately, in conversations with others, I am beginning to find that this as a defining aspect of a relationship is taking hold. It has profound meaning. Is it why we share ourselves with others? Is it the longing to know ourselves through relationship? What do we learn? We may never quite know how to maintain a relationship, nor how to uphold companionship, but we certainly and sometimes unwillingly do see ourselves in the mirror of that relationship.
In continuing the theme of the stillness of mind and in it, the revealing of self-awareness, I am posting this piece entitled “The Mirrored Mind in Meditation.”
Art and Place an Antidote for Violence
Lilies on the Lake 2011 Remix for the post Art and Place an Antidote for Violence
On Saturday January 8th 2011 an act of violence erupted that may well change the political landscape and its discourse. I am of course talking about the shooting, killing and wounding of numerous individuals as they participated in a town hall meeting with Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. The congresswoman, a centrist Democrat, was also critically injured in this senseless attack. A very sad day for America and my condolences go out to the families and friends. What does this act say about our society as we must press forward, while enveloped in a sphere of indifference, ignorance and hatred? What should a nation as a collective and a nation of individuals do? How do we respond? And will we demand that our politicians (the right in particular) stop putting their heads in the sand as they minimize and discredit the obvious i.e. that the shootings were politically motivated while fueled by an incoherent and troubled mind.
My suggestion today (and there should be many from all of us) is the focusing of the mind, seeing things as they really are, taking time to find ART and PLACE, and finding in the quiet centered mind, the antidote for violence. “Lilies on the Lake” and “The Lake in Quiet Meditation” are two pieces I created with the purpose of finding the quiet centered mind in the beauty of ART and the ambient sense of PLACE. There is stillness in nature and in the nature of the mind. We must actively pursue this solitude to increase our awareness of ourselves and the world around us. And in doing we step one moment closer to enhancing our world, creating love, not hate, and finding peace through compassion.
The Lake in Quiet Meditation, 2005 for the post Art and Place an Antidote for Violence
19 Amerikaanse Kunstenaars / 19 American Artists / Bergkerk, Deventer 1990
Jessie Lyle, Constance kocs, kimberly Hunter, Pat Sprott, Joanna Hartell, Mary Clark, Robert Phillips, Roni Chernin, Mark Stolte
19 Amerikaanse Kunstenaars / 19 American Artists in Bergkerk Deventer the Netherlands. Tentoostelling Van Hedendeaagse Belldendekunst / Exhibition of Contemporary Art. 1 Juli T/M 22 Juli 1990.
What a fantastic photograph of some of the members that exhibited in Holland. Thanks Joanna for the photograph. I slightly altered the image to bring out the color and bring it up to date for my 2011 remix series featuring Highwire Artists. This post, and the blog in part, is dedicated to the artists of Highwire. Over the years, the collaborative sense of Highwire has always been the driving force of its creativity and its strength. Let’s stay connected, so please subscribe to this post, and you will get an email when new posts are created and posted. I feel very motivated to pursue this project on the blog, and its success will be in part because of your contributions. So leave comments, send me photographs (via Facebook or email) and bring back memories for us all.
n e w d i g i t a l s c a p e s 