Monday, December 12, 2011

The Alchemist.

The Alchemist.

The heat lasted until nightfall, and

all that time he had to carry his jacket. But when he thought to complain about the burden of its weight,

he remembered that, because he had the jacket, he had withstood the cold of the dawn.

We have to be prepared for change, he thought, and he was grateful for the jacket's weight and warmth.


We have to take advantage when luck is on our side, and do as much to help it as it's doing to help us. It's called the principle of favorability. Or beginner's luck."


He still had some doubts about the decision he had made. But he was able to understand one thing:

making a decision was only the beginning of things.

One: When someone makes a decision, he is really diving

into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.

One: When someone makes a decision, one is really diving into a strong current, and will be carried to places never dreamed of when the decision was first made.


The closer one gets to realizing one's destiny, the more that destiny becomes one's true reason for being,


"That's the principle that governs all things," he said. "In alchemy, it's called the Soul of the World. When

you want something with all your heart, that's when you are closest to the Soul of the World. It's always a

positive force."


Meanwhile, the boy thought about his treasure. The closer he got to the realization of his dream, the

more difficult things became. It seemed as if what the old king had called "beginner's luck" were no longer

functioning. In his pursuit of the dream, he was being constantly subjected to tests of his persistence and

courage. So he could not be hasty, nor impatient. If he pushed forward impulsively, he would fail to see

the signs and omens left by God along his path.


"It's not what enters men's mouths that's evil," said the alchemist. "It's what comes out of their mouths

that is."

***"There is only one way to learn," the alchemist answered. "It's through action. Everything you need to

know you have learned through your journey. ... "The wise understood that this natural world is only an image and a copy of paradise. The existence

of this world is simply a guarantee that there exists a world that is perfect. God created the world so that,

through its visible objects, one could understand one's spiritual teachings and the marvels of one's wisdom.

That's what I mean by action."


"Treason is a blow that comes unexpectedly. If you know your heart well, it will never be able to do that

to you. Because you'll know its dreams and wishes, and will know how to deal with them.

"You will never be able to escape from your heart. So it's better to listen to what it has to say. That way,

you'll never have to fear an unanticipated blow."


"Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever

suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter

with God and with eternity."


That night, the boy slept deeply, and, when he awoke, his

heart began to tell him things that came from the Soul of the World. It said that all people who are happy

have God within them. And that happiness could be found in a grain of sand from the desert, as the

alchemist had said. Because a grain of sand is a moment of creation, and the universe has taken millions

of years to create it. "Everyone on earth has a treasure that awaits him," his heart said.


***"What you still need to know is this: before a dream is realized, the Soul

of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that

we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we've learned as we've moved toward that

dream. That's the point at which most people give up. It's the point at which, as we say in the language of

the desert, one 'dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon.'


"To show you one of life's simple lessons," the alchemist answered. "When you possess great treasures

within you, and try to tell others of them, seldom are you believed."


With every day that passed, the boy's heart became more and more

silent. It no longer wanted to know about things of the past or future; it was content simply to

contemplate the desert, and to drink with the boy from the Soul of the World. The boy and his heart had

become friends, and neither was capable now of betraying the other.

When his heart spoke to him, it was to provide a stimulus to the boy, and to give him strength, because

the days of silence there in the desert were wearisome. His heart told the boy what his strongest qualities

were:


No one fails to suffer the consequences of everything under the sun."


"Your eyes show the strength of your soul," answered the alchemist.


"And then there were the others, who were interested only in gold. They never found the secret. They

forgot that lead, copper, and iron have their own destinies to fulfill. And anyone who interferes with the destiny of another thing never will discover his own."


"If a person is living out his destiny, he knows everything he needs to know. There is only one thing that

makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure."


"Remember what I told you: the world is only the visible aspect of God. And that what alchemy does is

to bring spiritual perfection into contact with the material plane."


the wind came from no place at all, nor did it go to any place; that's why it

was stronger than the desert. Someone might one day plant trees in the desert, and even raise sheep

there, but never would they harness the wind.


"That's what alchemists do. They show that, when we strive to become better than we are, everything

around us becomes better, too."

My Meditation Experience

I met meditation, as I understand it today, on a cold hard wooden floor—warmed only by my body and the partnering bodies that shared the environment; I was in the “corpse position” as I laid with herbs on my eyes and to my surprise was calmed and clear minded as meditation met me. Since that time I have indulged in the essence of this calmness that has often made me want to stay in it forever. So I delved deeper, my first time approaching this time of “pause” more intentionally was my first semester at Spelman College in my Black Presence in American Dance herstory class with Dr. Veta Goler as we took time to pause before beginning every class. I began to yearn for that moment of clarity midday, midweek. So, I delve further and experienced meditative yoga and sitting meditation the following year with the help of the same professor. Finally, I reached the point of prioritizing a class Dr. Goler offered, focused on personal development in the meditative practice—Contemplative Practices and the Arts—and although feeling a bit pressured, I have grown incredibly in my understanding of contemplative mindfulness.

Beauty in things Unforeseen

Beauty in things Unforeseen
A busy road becomes... well it just be...comes as people come and go.

Viewing a Play... Contemplatively...

The Miss Evers’ Boys production was one of great passion in creativity while delivering imperative information. The most serious scientific experimentation, in terms of ethical injustice, is explained through the vibrant, melodious, living breathing human beings to embody the numbers we are so used to being informed upon. To put a face, a story, a life, “aspirations” lol to just four of those brothers affected by this unfortunate happening is amazing, auspicious and breathtaking. Contemplative practices were evident throughout the theatre production. As I reflect upon the beautiful emotions present, varying from tearful sadness and compassion to tear-wrenching laughter and passionate joy, I was made aware of the contemplative messages sent consciously throughout the production.

Creativity in Contemplation

This creative project has revealed much to me. I allowed myself to be moved in a direction towards a song spoke depth to me and would express the awareness I have received from meditation and, mindfulness, contemplative practices and the arts. The song Pearls, that I first heard sung by Sade, most dynamically affected me when I heard it on India.Arie’s new album. I immediately jumped with excitement on the familiarity to a song that so deeply brings awareness to materialism, globalism and the oneness we must possess to care of how our brothers and sisters are affected. It made me realize the importance and history of this known concept of Pearls and the beauty of the song. I grew in my exploration and contemplation upon the song; I found a more global version by Angelique Kidjo featuring Josh Groban And Carlos Santana that I appreciated, yet stuck with the India Arie piece to build my creativity with, as it most purposely spoke measures to me.
I meditated and contemplated on the design of my body’s movements to immolate the message of this great story. I appreciated how my body could move and the work in progress aspect of how it would grow in its ability to express the pearls’ story. This practice has revealed how the body’s authentic movement can move you dearly. I allowed myself to be led in every movement, I extracted from myself and asked myself to give voice to my own truth, world awareness and artistic beauty.
Finally, I decided to name the project, Our Pearls, in that it describes where and how our world’s pearls come from those who hurt as well as how we ourselves are the true pearls. The sense that We are pearls was revealed to me from the fact that we are more valuable than any material thing or force that causes others to be exploited—we are better than that—we are the pearls. This concept of lifting our personal selves up as the invaluable pearls was further displayed to me by the last India Arie song that has touched me greatly as I’ve blossomed in this experience…Beautiful Flower.
For this I have offered the lyrics of Pearls and a Flower to every student so that they may be mindful of it and blossom in their own right by the Pearl experience and write of it when they are moved. I hope to share my art and inspire new art in this manner as we blossom in our understanding of our pearls.


Pearls lyricsThere is a woman in SomaliaScraping for pearls by the roadsideThere is a force stronger than natureKeeps her will aliveThat is how she lives her lifeShe is dying to surviveI don't know what she's made ofI would like to be that braveShe cries to the heavens aboveThere's a stone in my heartShe lives a life she didn't chooseAnd it hurts like brand new shoesYes, it hurts like brand new shoesAnd it hurts like brand new shoesThere is a woman in RwandaThe sun shows her no mercyThe same sky we lay underBurns her to the boneLong as afternoon shadowsIt's gonna take her to get homeEach grain carefully wrapped upPearls for her little girlHallelujah, HallelujahShe cries to the heavens aboveThere's a stone in my heartShe lives a life she didn't chooseAnd it hurts like brand new shoesYes, it hurts like brand new shoesAnd it hurts like brand new shoesThere is a woman in SomaliaThere is a woman in RwandaThere is a woman in SudanThere is a woman in the CongoAnd she hurts like brand new shoesHallelujah, HallelujahOhhhHallelujah, Hallelujah(African words sung)Hallelujah, HallelujahHallelujah, HallelujahHallelujah, Hallelujah



Artist: India ArieSong: Beautiful Flower
This is a song for every girl who's Ever been through something she thought she couldn't make it throughI sing these words because I was that girl tooWanting something better than thisBut who do I turn to
Now we're moving from the darkness into the lightThis is the defining moment of our lives
'Cause you're beautiful like a flowerMore valuable than a diamondYou are powerful like a fireYou can heal the world with your mind
There is nothing in the world that you cannot doWhen you believe in you, who are beautifulYeah, you, who are brilliantYeah, you, who are powerfulYeah, you, who are resilient

She looks to The Skies Above

She looks to The Skies Above
There is a stone in my heart, and it hurts

Brand New Shoes

Brand New Shoes
And it hurts like Brand new shoes...when the feeling of shoes is so new to you... to one.