ebey’s landing with four teachers.
[mia, sula, zaida, and o sensei]
these bananas taste salty, like the sea, mama. everything is the sea! like, the book, with the chocolate bar and the stars? member, mama? member the book about the how everything is everything?
Daily training in the Art of Peace allows you inner divinity to shine brighter and brighter. Do not concern yourself with the right and wrong of others. Do not be calculating or act unnaturally. Keep your mind set on the Art of Peace, and do not criticize other teachers or traditions. The Art of Peace never restrains, restricts, or shackles anything. It embraces all and purifies everything.
mia! mia! it’s not a race. sula, we’re here to see the orcas! come on, we all win!
Always keep your mind as bright and clear as the vast sky, the great ocean, and the highest peak, empty of all thoughts. Always keep your body filled with light and heat. Fill yourself with the power of wisdom and enlightenment.
Each and every master, regardless of the era or place, heard the call and attained harmony with heaven and earth. There are many paths leading to the top of Mount Fuji, but there is only one summit - love.
DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADADADADADADADADAgheeeeegheeeeegheeee
iz a lotta work builtin’ a dood home, mama, wanna help? you ah good at lifting big tings. lets built it, mama.
Protectors of the world And gaurdians of the Ways Of gods and buddhas,The techniques of Peace Enable us to meet every challenge.
mama, reach out yer hand. open it up. lemme give you a gift. how bout ‘mericano wid cream and 2 raw sugahs?
Now and again, it is necessary to seclude yourself among deep mountains and hidden valleys to restore your link to the source of life. Breathe in and let yourself soar to the ends of the universe; breathe out and bring the cosmos back inside. Next, breathe up all fecundity and vibrancy of the earth. Finally, blend the breath of heaven and the breath of earth with your own, becoming the Breath of Life itself.
Consider the ebb and flow of the tide. When waves come to strike the shore, they crest and fall, creating a sound. your breath should follow the same pattern, absorbing the entire universe in your belly with each inhalation. Know that we all have access to four treasures: the energy of the sun and moon, the breath of heaven, the breath of earth, and the ebb and flow of the tide.
[this morning when i woke up a fire-breathing dragon, i sat down and breathed. i picked up the art of peace. i read. i squeezed a huge load of honey into the mush just to make them smile and give me time to gather our things. i smashed a bunch of stuff into a bag in record time-funny how when things just happen, they just happen- and we drove here. despite the peed car seat, the denied credit card at the mean ladies coffee joint, the lost and then found wallet, the accepted credit card at the nice ladies coffee joint, the cellphone that almost got run over, and the minivan bumper that fell off and dragged, i’d say we had a fantastic day, me and my girls. this is why we moved here. this is why i am alive.]
*all in italics from The Art of Piece.
These pictures just about made my heart explode. I have been having such a rough time this morning… and this helped so much. You are all so very beautiful and wise.
Comment by janehatesdick — September 11, 2008 @ 2:16 pm
Good words. Last weekend we also made a trip to the coast, out of a sense of obligation, with a long miserable drive (we don’t do well on curvy roads,) frigid weather (when the rest of the state, heck, even just a half a mile up the road, was in sunshine,) a terrible motorcar park to camp in, surrounded by people who strangely seem to like that sort of thing, bigoted discourses, unfairly cross words spoken to my sensitive child from someone who should be a trusted friend, anger, anger, anger.
And then I found the sanctuary, a hill of sand and a lake protected from the fog and wind, quiet except for the happy babbling of children, and I sat half in the sun and half in the shade and watched tiny blue dragonflies flit around me. I dug my feet into the sand and marveled at the silvers and shiny golds of the salted driftwood and beach grass and peace returned to me. The kids abandoned themselves to the sand and water, clothes drenched and covered with a crust of sand. In another life I would have cared about the mess and I would have missed the gifts. I like this life better.
Comment by Linda — September 11, 2008 @ 3:31 pm
Beautiful words, children, scenery and life.
Comment by Awake — September 11, 2008 @ 5:21 pm
mmm those words speak so much to me… right now. those words are like the heavy pull of gravity on my chest.
Comment by erin.darcy — September 11, 2008 @ 6:03 pm
I love this, MB. such beautiful, moving pictures. You may have just convinced me to move to WA.
On this day, when many reflect on the horrible tragedy of 7 years ago, this is a great reminder to us of where peace truly begins. love ya.
Comment by janis — September 11, 2008 @ 6:18 pm
this is pure heaven, words and visions.
xo
Comment by sweetsalty kate — September 12, 2008 @ 2:28 am
love this.
despite the drama it all made me laugh out loud…thinking I should really squeeze in next time if only to record the whole beautiful mess…but really to watch all your lovely faces and listen to all those things said, mumured, screamed, and left to wonder.
I love where we live.
Comment by crystine — September 12, 2008 @ 6:12 am
your posts have a way of making me feel not alone. whether it be in the madness, mundaneness, wildness or beauty. these pictures helped me to take many deep, wonderful breaths and reminded me of my need to connect more consciously and frequently with raw nature. they also reminded me of precious time spent on the lost coast in california many years ago. thanks. tekeal
Comment by tekeal — September 12, 2008 @ 12:29 pm
and that book was promptly placed into my Amazon shopping cart, LOL. This post is an exact reminder to me of how to let my own Inner Fire Breathing Dragon go. I so did not do that today and should have. It is just amazing to me how the hard days can unravel me. even when I know it’s happening, it’s like i’m too far in…we should talk; you probably know something about homeopathics, and i am search of much info. I have researched the Internet dry. i’ll start with a dose of this book, too. great, great post, MB and wise words - lovely photos. That one of your girl in her bikini is priceless and beautiful, her wee self. the fort - so necessary. sigh XO
Comment by Jo — September 13, 2008 @ 2:00 am
I want the water and a day like that almost as much as I want you near me. Your girls are beautiful…every time I see a picture of the three of them I have a achy heart squeezing moment..not just because they are your girls and I love them, but because I always imagined I would have three little girlies in my life as well…and as much as I couldn’td possibly handle it (even if it were physically possible) I wonder if my girls have another sister soul out there in the universe who was supposed to come to us one day.
Comment by Jeanette — September 13, 2008 @ 4:07 pm
You glow. Your children are radiant. Thanks for sharing a little of that light.
Comment by Mrs. Smoochy — September 13, 2008 @ 7:20 pm
Yes, I love it when those days, those organic excursions, just happen.
Comment by jessica — September 14, 2008 @ 5:03 am
thank you for reminding me to breathe too.
i know you wonder about how your girls will remember you in all your post-partum/mama glory. but to see these photos and read your words how can you not know that they will remember THIS? The love, the adventure, the bliss.
You are perfect in all of your ways.
This is why I am lucky to have YOU as one of my teachers.
Love,
Me
Comment by Leigh — September 14, 2008 @ 3:52 pm
YAHOO! These words and pictures fill me with longing - to live large, to spread out, to run with my girls. Thank you for bringing us along.
Comment by Jena — September 15, 2008 @ 1:58 am
i think that you have just inspired me to (among many beautiful other things) load up the loves and go for an adventure come morning.
the sea is actually MOVING in these pictures…i can see the waves crashing and i can seriously smell the salt. i kid you not. i really can.
i know you somehow held me in this writing because it reached depths within me that needed to be carressed.
thank you so much for your beauty.
Comment by jessamyn — September 15, 2008 @ 11:43 pm
wow, does zaida ever look like mama!
looks like you and the wee ones had a beautiful day! (can you tell i’m in scotland right now? lol)
Comment by amber — September 16, 2008 @ 11:51 am
Thank you for sharing these beautiful images and words. You and your girls are so beautiful … I feel the energy pouring through my screen, as if I were right there.
Comment by gearhead mama — September 16, 2008 @ 1:10 pm
I like the bit at the end about how hard it was really and then how you focused on the good. I don’t always do that. I almost never do that. It’s hard. The kids have got it better than almost everyone, nonetheless.
I did want to ask - are you using Firefox? Because things look all funky. I see misplaced html at the end of photos and the right column is getting over-ridden by the pictures…
Comment by anna kiss — September 16, 2008 @ 7:50 pm
thanks for the comment on my NOLA post.
and ya i’m really in scotland. check it out:
http://onegirlintheworld.blogspot.com/
Comment by amber — September 17, 2008 @ 1:12 pm
I’m not sure how this works…but you’re name popped into my head in the middle of the night a few weeks ago. Thinking how odd that was, I sat up and googled you - and this blog came up. You and I were not friends growing up, in fact you probably don’t know me. However I’ve been glued to your incredible talent to write and express yourself ever since that night. I’ve read most of your posts and I’m flored! The journey that you’ve been on must have been truly amazing to become the person you are. What a gift to read about some of it! Thanks for sharing so much of yourself with such raw honesty and truly talented creativity - from pictures to words. I am truly inspired.
K
Comment by Kristy — September 18, 2008 @ 4:01 am
lovely flow of words and photos, much like life itself. i am always drawn to read you, because i learn something about myself in the process.
Comment by jouette — September 19, 2008 @ 6:01 pm
I see oh how I see.
Comment by Karen Maezen Miller — September 20, 2008 @ 4:48 am
I love these photos! For me, they show much about who Sula is.
Comment by Aina — September 21, 2008 @ 1:47 am
hmm, faces, words, wisdom… ocean, mama, light… love, stones, stories…
What a lovely introduction to you. (I just found your blog.)
with gratitude and blessings,
Stacy
Comment by Stacy (mama-om) — September 25, 2008 @ 2:18 am