TBC

you are it

8x10

ink on newsprint

You Are It
We have the habit of always looking outside ourselves, thinking we can get wisdom and compassion from another person or the Buddha or his teachings (Dharma) or our community (Sangha). But you are the Buddha, you are the Dharma, you are the Sangha.
–Thich Nhat Hanh
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we all have within us buddha nature

we must strive to expose it

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Moral convictions based on spiritual enlightenment and rooted in human experience are just as real and certain as mathematical deductions based on physical observations, but on another and higher level.

The Urantia Book, Page 2077 (195:6.12)

From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

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choices

this is tommy

boxer..merchant seaman..story teller.. and friend _

he has been one of the most inspirational people in my whole life

tommy said as he knew he was dying

"this is just part of the deal"

8x10 acrylic on canvas

published in the current issue of birmingham arts journal

Choosing Harmony

As thinking human beings, we can choose not to act and speak in a manner that is demeaning or shameful. Our natural proclivity for righteousness, or the ability to feel shame, can become our guide in behaving harmlessly and in harmony with other beings. Without it we would be untethered and absolutely free to act selfishly and destructively without impunity.


–Ajahn Sumano Bhikkhu
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its all choices..

if we can but keep our mouth shut until our brain catches up to our speech ..

if we can realise that what happens next will be the result of our action now..

then we will benefit greatly for that



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The happy and effective person is motivated, not by fear of wrongdoing, but by love of right doing.



The Urantia Book, Page 1572 (140:4.6)



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From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

wisdom

The Metamorphosis of Wisdom

Wisdom is that which makes a vessel into a teacup when it is filled with tea, a sauce dish when it is filled with sauce, a rice bowl when it is filled with rice, and a medicine pot when it is filled with medicine. There is no set method in the functioning of this wisdom. It is simply that which knows how to utilize things according to the case at hand.

–Kusan Sunim

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wisdom is not so much learned as it is aquired. that is why it is so associated with age. wise people seem to be older people. this though is not necessarily true however and wisdom is not automatically aquired with age. we must open our hearts and minds in order to aquire wisdom.

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the beginner has many options

the expert has none.

idea from i believe 'zen mind beginners mind'

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From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

change your mind

Change yourself, change the world

Trying to change the world without changing our mind is like trying to clean the dirty face we see in the mirror by scrubbing the glass. However vigorously we clean it, our reflection will not improve. Only by washing our own face and combing our own unkempt hair can we alter the image. Similarly, if we want to help create conditions that foster peace and well-being in the world, we first need to reflect these qualities ourselves.

–Lama Shenpen Drolma

From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

essentials of peace

Make Peace with Your Mind
For the spiritual power of peace to touch every person on this earth, it must radiate out from a profound peace within our own mind: across political and religious barriers, and across the barriers of ego and self-righteousness. To this end, we should seek an inner peace so pure and stable that we cannot be moved to anger by violence or to selfish attachment and fear by those who view or confront us with contempt and hatred. We can achieve such stability only by purifying the mind’s poisons—ignorance, anger, attachment, jealousy, and pride; then we can clearly see that war and suffering are but their outer reflections. The essential difference between true peacemakers and those who wage war of any sort is the presence of extraordinary patience and discipline in the minds of the peacemakers as they work with these pervasive poisons. If we truly understand this, we will never allow ourselves to be defeated from within or without. –Lama Shenpen Drolma

we can never have world peace until we are at peace with ourselves..with our neighbors..our community..with everyone....everyone... someone will go first....i will try.

From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

creative living

Religious living is devoted living, and devoted living is creative living, original and spontaneous. The Urantia Book, Page 1097 (100:4.1)

Just Do It

All success, great and small, whether in spiritual or temporal affairs, derives from your stock of merit. So never neglect even the slightest positive deed. Just do it.

–Dudjom Rinpoche

Religious living is devoted living, and devoted living is creative living, original and spontaneous.

The Urantia Book, Page 1097 (100:4.1)

acrylic house paint on pole

From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

rights and responsabilities

remember this tyrant?

'the snicker'

pen and ink on paper

today is voting day in lipscomb to replace district 19 state senator for the remainder of this term.

alas at 10:30 this morning 10 people had voted at the firestation in lipscomb. the rest will unquestionably gripe for the rest of the term. voting is not only our right .. it is our responsability. we have no other way to have any say so at all in how our country is run. we have seen what can happen.

be a part of america and vote..in all elections. your vote counts. hopefully voting will pick up here later in the day.

From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

we are at the art feast in avondale park

birmingham alabama

see yesterday for 'today'

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From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

today

wasteland

16x20

mixed media

can be seen at art feast in avondale park tomorrow

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Everything that Happens Will Happen Today

david byrne

i dont care for the song at all but the statement is true

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yesterday is dead and gone

tomorrow's out of sight

kris kristofferson

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'plan as if you will live foreverlive as if you will die today'

james dean

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From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

Lasting Happiness

Being sensitive and responsive to human need creates genuine and lasting happiness, while such kindly attitudes safeguard the soul from the destructive influences of anger, hate, and suspicion. The Urantia Book, Page 1575 (140:5.16)

mother teresa
9x12 block print
available



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The Path to True Happiness
Everything in life changes. The path to true happiness is one of integrating and fully accepting all aspects of our experience. This integration is represented in the Taoist symbol of yin/yang, a circle which is half dark and half light. In the midst of the dark area is a spot of light, and in the midst of the light area is a spot of darkness. Even in the depths of darkness, the light is implicit. Even in the heart of light, the dark is understood, acknowledged, and absorbed.
–Sharon Salzberg

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Henry James once said to his young nephew,

"There are only three things important in human life:

be kind, be kind, be kind."

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***

From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

It's Hard Work Being a Control Freak
We don’t need to control the world. We don’t need to defend ourselves against it. We don’t need to preserve anything. We only need to be here—totally, completely, freely—responding to the actual occasion.

–Steve Hagen, from Buddhism: It’s Not What You Think

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we will again be today at the baa space at magic city art fest..

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From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

art

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i will be at the birmingham art association booth at the magic city art festival at linn park today.....space 349

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From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

No use fretting over gold, beauty, or fame;Nurturing these, how can we calm our Fluttering heart? Non-attachment brings deep truth, And a truthful nature brings immortality. Empty your heart. Sit quietly on a mat. In meditation we become one with All; Tao billows like the vapors in a mountain valley, And its supernatural power wafts into our soul.

- Loy Ching-yuen 1879-1960’s)
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hopefully i will be able to again update this blog somewhat regularly. we have/have had guests. i am trying to set up our [birmingham art association] space this weekend at magic city art festival in linn park.
of course always if it isnt one thing its another.....my mother said that often.

we [birmingham art association] will be at the magic city art festival this weekend at space 349 in the cultural district
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From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama
Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock
Flow freely
And the train whistle blows

sunrise

easter sunrise service

9x12

watercolor

my oldest daughter carrie at sunrise service

on the bayou in tarpon springs fl

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Be Gentle
"Be gentle; love even your enemies; be tolerant."

Jesus, To John: The Urantia Book

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Not Just Wishing
I cannot help but observe that we often are content

with merely wishing and praying for the happiness of others,

whereas for our own purposes we do everything we can for our betterment,

not just wishing!
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama, from Becoming Enlightened

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From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

Transforming Misery
The difference between misery and happiness depends on what we do with our attention. Do we, in the midst of water, look for something elsewhere to drink? Transformation comes from looking deeply within, to a state that exists before fear and isolation arise, the state in which we are inviolably whole just as we are.
–Sharon Salzberg, from Loving-Kindness

From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

Where Fear Ends
Fear is finding fault with the future. If only we could keep in mind how uncertain our future is, then we would never try to predict what could go wrong. Fear ends right there.
–Ajahn Brahm from Opening the Door of Your Heart

From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

awake

awake

for morning in the bowl of night

has loosed the arrow

that puts the stars to flight........

Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

it neednt be complicated


WAKING FROM A DEEP SLEEP
If somebody is waking for the first time from a deep sleep, she might see the midnight stars. But if she waits long enough without going back to sleep, she will begin to see not only stars but the dawn, then the sunrise, and then the whole landscape being lit by a brilliant light coming from the sky. She will begin to see her hands, her palms, her toes, and she will also begin to see her tables, her chairs, and the world around her. And if she is clever enough to look at a mirror, she will also see herself. Similarly, the truth of the cessation of suffering is a personal discovery. It is not mystical and it does not have any connotations of religion or psychology. It is simply your experience.

From "Awakening and Blossoming," in THE TRUTH OF SUFFERING: and the Path of Liberation. Forthcoming from Shambhala Publications.



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From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama

Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock

Flow freely

And the train whistle blows

fewer mistakes

How to Make Fewer Mistakes

We all make mistakes from time to time. Life is about learning to make our mistakes less often. To realize this goal, we have a policy in our monastery that monks are allowed to make mistakes. When the monks are not afraid to make mistakes, they don’t make so many.
–Ajahn Brahm, from Opening the Door of Your Heart

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"Defeat is the true mirror in which you may honestly view your real self."

Jesus, The Urantia Book, Page 1740 (156:5.17)

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From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama
Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock
Flow freely
And the train whistle blows

dogwood
6"x12"
acrylic on canvas




painted from a tree outside my studio door







Unawakened, we continually encounter unseen difficulties, and compounding our problems, when we encounter such difficulties we curse and blame all those things on others.
When we awaken nothing really changes
This life becomes a good life when we realize that it is a good life, that we are given all that we need and that we are never abandoned by great compassion and wisdom.
Discovering that this life is a good life means waking up to the truth that both our difficulties and our gifts are opportunities, that even our deep karmic limitations are great teachers for understanding reality and experiencing the joy of liberation.
jeff wilson





From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama
Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock
Flow freely
And the train whistle blows

collards are planted

garden caretaker
acrylic on fencepost

he doesnt do any planting..just oversees it
he also calms any angry spirits and maintains harmony.

let us dig our gardens and not be elsewhere: Let us take long walks in the open air... Let us bathe in the rivers and lakes... Let us indulge in games... Let us be more simple: simple and true in our minds above all. Let us be ourselves. —Robert Linssen

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yesterday i planted collards . they are planted to the left where you see the green rows. the green is rye which i grew there in the winter. rye adds nitrogen to the soil. what you see directly behind the post is all clay..i tilled it up but it will have to have some soil conditioners and manure and such added to it. lots of it is also shaded quite a bit by a pecan tree out of the picture to the right. directly behind the post is a row of onions. lots of pole beans grew in that row last year.
the flags you see further back are prayer flags. they have prayers for peace and compassion and well being printed on them. when the wind blows the prayers are blown out to everyone. i love to see them blowing.

***************from the promise land in lipscomb alabama; where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock flow freely....and the train whistle blows***************

the image is adam kadmon [jewish mysticism] .. primal man..the essence of man..before the garden..'everyman'

linoleum blockprint 9x12

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"This world is only a bridge; you may pass over it, but you should not think to build a dwelling place upon it."

Jesus, The Urantia Book, Page 1735 (156:2.1)

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we dont exist as separate beings but as 'everyman' .. like a piece of a hologram ..we have always/never been .. we will always/never be..we are .. now..this moment

we will do well to recognize what we all have in common rather than focus on our differences
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When a traveler arrives at a hotel, he negotiates a price for a room and informs the staff of how long he will be staying. But as he gets comfortable there, he may begin to feel like the hotel is his home, and after a while he forgets about moving on. When the management tells him that he must give up the room, he refuses to leave. “This is where I live! Why should I leave?” There is some misunderstanding, and it leads to strife.
When we start to identify with our bodies and minds and think of this life as ours, then we are similar to the traveler who doesn’t want to leave the hotel. We have a wrong idea about this temporary stopping place, and we find ourselves always in struggle and conflict.

Ajahn Chah, from Being Dharma

from the promise land in lipscomb alabama; where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock flow freely....
and the train whistle blows

scratching my head again

this is so incredible that a few lines of it are enough
i have no paintings to illustrate this
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this is yesterdays news but has me so baffled that i must print it. im sure most have seen it in the paper.

the jefferson county commisioners have approved a recommendation to purchase 6 garbage cans ['chase park' litter receptacles] for the new bessemer county box...er courthouse .. at a cost of $8341 [$1439 each]....when in the same breath they say 'the county doesnt have the money to staff the courthouse'..never mind everything else they cant afford.
these are adult .. educated..men and women that we ...i sadly say... elected..and that we pay to make decisions for us.
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i dont generally write too much about politics but.......

i welcome comments and suggestions


From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama
Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock
Flow freely
And the train whistle blows