Here I would like to share with you stories, poems...mine, others that have been inspiring/cathartic for me at different stages in my life, as well as movies...:
Please post yours (or send them to me via email if it does not work here :-)!
Moving Beyond Fear:
Our deepest fear
Is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are
powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness,
that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves,
Who am I to be brilliant,
Successful, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you NOT to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking
So that other people
Won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest
The glory that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us;
it’s in EVERYONE!
And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people
Permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others!
Quoted by Nelson Mandela (presidency speech in 1989 in South Africa); Written by Marianne Williamson
Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die.
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die.
Mary Elizabeth Frye (1905-2004), but of disputed origin.
English romantism (only with Wordworth!)
Wiliams Wordsworth's: Lines Written in Early Spring
I heard a thousand blended notes,
While in a grove I sate reclined,
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind
To her fair works did Nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.
Through primrose tufts, in that green bower,
The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;
And 'tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes.
The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;
And 'tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes.
The birds around me hopped and played,
Their thoughts I cannot measure
But the least motion which they made
It seemed a thrill of pleasure.
Their thoughts I cannot measure
But the least motion which they made
It seemed a thrill of pleasure.
The budding twigs spread out their fan,
To catch the breezy air;
And I must think, do all I can,
That there was pleasure there.
To catch the breezy air;
And I must think, do all I can,
That there was pleasure there.
If this belief from heaven be sent,
If such be Nature's holy plan,
Have I not reason to lament
What man has made of man?
If such be Nature's holy plan,
Have I not reason to lament
What man has made of man?
Plus romantique en francais!
Paul Verlaine:
Mon rêve familier
" Mon rêve familier " 'est le 6ème poème de la section initiale Melancholia des Poèmes saturniens.
" Mon rêve familier " 'est le 6ème poème de la section initiale Melancholia des Poèmes saturniens.
| Je fais souvent ce rêve étrange et pénétrant D'une femme inconnue, et que j'aime, et qui m'aime Et qui n'est, chaque fois, ni tout à fait la même Ni tout à fait une autre, et m'aime et me comprend. |
| Car elle me comprend, et mon cœur, transparent Pour elle seule, hélas ! cesse d'être un problème Pour elle seule, et les moiteurs de mon front blême, Elle seule les sait rafraîchir, en pleurant. |
| Est-elle brune, blonde ou rousse ? - je l'ignore. Son nom? je me souviens qu'il est doux et sonore Comme ceux des aimés que la Vie exila. |
| Son regard est pareil au regard des statues, Et, pour sa voix, lointaine, et calme, et grave, elle a L'inflexion des voix chères qui se sont tues. |
My favorite 15 movies:
-1- The Gods Must Be Crazy, by Jamie Uis
-2- Nuovo cinema Paradiso, by Giuseppe Tornatore.
-3- L'Île, de Pavel Lounguine (2006)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2278871/?ref_=nv_sr_1
-4- La meglio gioventù; di Marco Tullio Giordana.
-5- La Vie d'Adele, Chap 1 et 2
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2278871/?ref_=nv_sr_1-6- The Endless Summer 1 and 2; by Bruce Brown
-7- Riding giants, by Stacy Peralta
-8- The Mission (1986 film), by Roland Joffe
-9- Lucía y el sexo, de Julio Médem
-10- Good Will Hunting, by Gus Van Sant
-11- La Fille du puisatier, de Marcel Pagnol
-12- The Motorcycle Diaries, by Walter Salles
-13- Y tu mamá también, Alfonso Cuarón
-14- A Beautiful Mind, by Ron Howard
-15- People Will Talk, by Joseph L. Mankiewicz
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People_Will_Talk
-16- The Sand Pebbles, by Robert Wise
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sand_Pebbles_(film)
My favourite books, Quelques uns de mes livres préférés:
Le Reve D'emile Zola
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Rêve_(roman)
Le jeux de perles de verre, Herman Hesse
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_jeu_des_perles_de_verre
Soie, Allessandro Barrico
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soie_(roman)
Inspiring people:
A social entrepreneur and fighter for peace:
Soiya Gecaga for the work she does and the engagement she took in her home country... the pledge she took (after big riots in her country Kenya, in 2009) on fighting for most needing people, the BoP, kids... education...
even if the budget of her NGO is merely the budget of her family travels in 1st class...
even if the budget of her NGO is merely the budget of her family travels in 1st class...
check her work:
A south african painter, friend of mine met almost 20 years ago in Durban, then Massif Central with my sister.... Lynn, Jan Joordan
links to Jan Work:
and also see http://www.facebook.com/artforhumanity
He teaches printmaking and direct art for humanity at Durban University, South Africa
An indian painter, good friend of mine, source of inspiration, from Trivandrum, Kerala, amazing artist, poet, inspiration:
One of her poems:
BUBBLES
Yesterday words became colours
and spread across my canvas.
Flesh, marrow, brain,
everything came up in spasms
from the inner core of my being
and burst as bubbles of gold.
They filled the canvas
as hues and lines and stanzas.
Bubbles, rainbow-hued,
dancing in the breeze.
Even touch is forbidden here
and the speed kept in check
so that they don’t swell
to become storms.
Ready to burst at a finger’s touch,
choking with colours,
within the short-lived beauty
of this little universe.
Yesterday words became colours
and spread across my canvas.
Flesh, marrow, brain,
everything came up in spasms
from the inner core of my being
and burst as bubbles of gold.
They filled the canvas
as hues and lines and stanzas.
Bubbles, rainbow-hued,
dancing in the breeze.
Even touch is forbidden here
and the speed kept in check
so that they don’t swell
to become storms.
Ready to burst at a finger’s touch,
choking with colours,
within the short-lived beauty
of this little universe.
My friend Stacey Antine who started Health Barn in Upsate NY ack in 2005 (way before Michelle Obama started her project on tackling obesity in the US):
My good friend Rishi, Taavi Kassila, ex famous film director in Finland, big brother, here at the ashram, quite an amazing creative soul, very focussed on anything he embarks on, be it enlightenment path, be it directing movies, writing books, discussing the Vedas... blessed to be called his friend (whatever media hype! is harrasing him now)...
Date of Birth:
Son of Matti Kassila and Aino Mantsas.
Director:
- Autovaras (1991) (TV)
- The Doublecross (1988)
... aka "Petos" - Finland (original title) - The Archer (1982)
... aka "Jousiampuja" - Finland (original title) - The Village of Simpletons (1981)
... aka "Pölhölä" - Finland (original title)
His other movies:
At the Footsteps of the Holy Mother (Tv-movies about Amma) 1994,
Dalai-Lama - Saint as a Statesman,1995, Meetings with Indian Masters,
1995,and Divine Cave, (Himalayas) 1995.
Plus ten books, last one: Bhagavad Gita- Divine Song (translation and commentaries in Finnish)
One of his daily poems:
Jumala loi maailman,
ihminen synnytti harhan
takertuessaan väliaikaisiin aistihedelmiin,
sillä se mikä on tänään,
on huomenna unenkaltainen muisto vain
ja kuolemasi hetkellä
kaikki valuu sormiesi lävitse hiekan lailla,
yksin puhdas tietoisuus
on ja pysyy,
kaikki muu on tietoisuuden valkokankaalle... heijastettua unikuvaa;
oi etsijä,
luovu kangastuksen tavoittelusta,
se lahjoittaa sinulle vain pettymyksen,
ryhdy etsimään sydämessäsi
asustavaa jumalallista tietoisuutta,
yksin se voi lahjoittaa sinulle
ikuisen autuuden hedelmän!
and in non-viking language!:
God created the world,
man created the illusion,
by becoming dependened on
the ephemeral fruits of the senses,
since that which is today,
is tomorrow only a dream of the memory
and at the time of death
everything will run
through your fingers like the sand
and only the pure awareness
... is and will stay with you,
everyhting else is a dream picture
projected on the canvas of the pure awareness;
o seeker,
abandon reaching out for a mirage,
it will give you only dissapointment,
start searching for the Divine Awareness
which lives in your heart,
only that will give you
the fruit of Eternal Bliss!
everyhting else is a dream picture
projected on the canvas of the pure awareness;
o seeker,
abandon reaching out for a mirage,
it will give you only dissapointment,
start searching for the Divine Awareness
which lives in your heart,
only that will give you
the fruit of Eternal Bliss!
- Rishi Taavi Kassila
from my spiritual Master Math Amritanandamayi, Amma:
Divers/others:
* La plupart des habitants de la planète vivent continuellement avec l’espoir qu’un beau jour leur vie s’arrangera et qu’ils seront ensuite heureux pour toujours : ils cherchent le pot rempli d’or au pied de l’arc-en-ciel. Ou bien, ils se contentent d’être mécontents. Après avoir admis que la vie est une alternance de hauts et de bas, ils considèrent que les souffrances sont la contrepartie des joies.
Presque tout le monde accepte de vivre quatre-vingt-dix pour cent de souffrance en échange de dix pour cent de joie.
C’est étonnant car personne n’accepterait jamais un tel pourcentage d’inefficacité dans aucun domaine.
Garderiez-vous une voiture qui ne marcherait qu’un jour sur dix ? Mais les gens n’ont pas vraiment le choix car ils ne voient pas d’alternative. C’est cela leur drame.
Les maîtres spirituels comme Amma ont justement pour mission de nous faire savoir qu’il existe une autre possibilité : la connaissance du Soi, la réalisation de notre nature propre. Ils nous apprennent que, seule, la découverte de notre nature réelle peut nous procurer le bonheur auquel nous aspirons. Car le bonheur éphémère, la joie et le plaisir que nous procure la satisfaction de nos désirs, jaillit, en fait, d’une source intérieure. Quand nous réussirons à nous identifier à cette source, nous ne connaîtrons plus une seule seconde de chagrin.
(La voie éternelle de swami Ramakrishna)
* Proverbe Bengali : " C'est en s'appuyant sur le sol même sur lequel on est tombé qu'on peut se relever "
And this beautiful poem I discovered in a language I had forgotten could rime so well:
Man muss den Dingen
Man muss den Dingen
die eigene, stille
ungestörte Entwicklung lassen,
die tief von innen kommt
und durch nichts gedrängt
oder beschleunigt werden kann,
alles ist austragen – und
dann gebären...
die eigene, stille
ungestörte Entwicklung lassen,
die tief von innen kommt
und durch nichts gedrängt
oder beschleunigt werden kann,
alles ist austragen – und
dann gebären...
Reifen wie der Baum,
der seine Säfte nicht drängt
und getrost in den Stürmen
des Frühlings steht,
ohne Angst,
dass dahinter kein Sommer
kommen könnte.
der seine Säfte nicht drängt
und getrost in den Stürmen
des Frühlings steht,
ohne Angst,
dass dahinter kein Sommer
kommen könnte.
Er kommt doch!
Aber er kommt nur
zu den Geduldigen,
die da sind, als ob die Ewigkeit
vor ihnen läge,
so sorglos, still und weit...
zu den Geduldigen,
die da sind, als ob die Ewigkeit
vor ihnen läge,
so sorglos, still und weit...
Man muss Geduld haben
Mit dem Ungelösten im Herzen,
und versuchen, die Fragen
selber lieb zu haben,
wie verschlossene Stuben,
und wie Bücher, die in einer
sehr fremden Sprache
geschrieben sind.
und versuchen, die Fragen
selber lieb zu haben,
wie verschlossene Stuben,
und wie Bücher, die in einer
sehr fremden Sprache
geschrieben sind.
Es handelt sich darum, alles zu leben.
Wenn man die Fragen lebt,
lebt man vielleicht allmählich,
ohne es zu merken,
eines fremden Tages
in die Antworten hinein.
Wenn man die Fragen lebt,
lebt man vielleicht allmählich,
ohne es zu merken,
eines fremden Tages
in die Antworten hinein.
von Rainer Maria Rilke
This one discovered by the woman that once brought colours into my life and:
Light
Is
Is
Light is the breaking of dawn
Light is the load when you are just born
Light is a place without any fear
Light is when your lover is near
Light is a heart that's open and free
Light is a place where truth you can see
Light is a feeling that's good
Light is when everything's clear, understood
Light is the absence of dark
Light is a summer picnic in a beautiful park
Light is just simply walking on air
Light is what makes the shine in her hair
Light is what warms and what feeds
Light is not having any more needs
Light is a magical feeling inside
Light is the side of the street to reside
Light is always and always will be
Light is what joins us, him, you and me
Light Is.
Light is the load when you are just born
Light is a place without any fear
Light is when your lover is near
Light is a heart that's open and free
Light is a place where truth you can see
Light is a feeling that's good
Light is when everything's clear, understood
Light is the absence of dark
Light is a summer picnic in a beautiful park
Light is just simply walking on air
Light is what makes the shine in her hair
Light is what warms and what feeds
Light is not having any more needs
Light is a magical feeling inside
Light is the side of the street to reside
Light is always and always will be
Light is what joins us, him, you and me
Light Is.
David Taylor
And that beautiful poem, by Harindranath Chattopadhyaya, a devotee of Ramana Maharshi
Shaper Shaped
In days gone by I used to be
A potter who would feel
His fingers mould the yielding clay
To patterns on his wheel;
But now, through wisdom lately won,
That pride has died away,
I have ceased to be the potter
And have learned to be the clay.
In other days I used to be
A poet through whose pen
Innumerable songs would come
To win the hearts of men;
But now; through new-got knowledge
Which I hadn't had so long,
I have ceased to be the poet
And have learned to be the song.
I was a fashioner of swords,
In days that now are gone,
Which on a hundred battle-fields
Glittered and gleamed and shone;
But now that I am brimming with
The silence of the Lord
I have ceased to be a sword-maker
And learned to be the sword.
In by-gone days I used to be
A dreamer who would hurl
On every side an insolence
Of emerald and pearl.
But now that I am kneeling
At the feet of the Supreme
I have ceased to be the dreamer
And have learned to be the dream.
another funny one:
Then let us pray that come it may
(As come it will for a' that),
That Sense and Worth o'er a' the earth,
Shall bear the gree an a' that.
For a' that, an a' that,
It's coming yet for a' that,
That man to man, the world, o'er
Shall brithers be for a' that.
- Burns
(As come it will for a' that),
That Sense and Worth o'er a' the earth,
Shall bear the gree an a' that.
For a' that, an a' that,
It's coming yet for a' that,
That man to man, the world, o'er
Shall brithers be for a' that.
- Burns
et deux proverbes qui me touchent:
Celui qui surpasse les autres est fort
Celui qui se surpasse lui-même est encore plus puissant.
Un homme n'est jamais aussi grand que quand
il se met à genou pour aider un enfant
PYTHAGORE
And when hate is a compulsory state of grievance, just a passage, and a song to get it out of my cells!
Love like … a sign, un signe...
I tried to hate you,
To forget you, get you out of my body, my soul,
Only to discover,
That love does not fade away… like this!
Coz it stays inside,
Just like a sign,
Inside of me,
Since it is mine,
… not yours!
I discovered such a coward in you, who needed to lie, needed
to fly…
To disappear
I hated you once more for escaping in work, in sex,
I thought I only could... die; lost, burned by those revolving lies,
Hoping for final cause to avoid the utter pain in my chest
Coz it stays inside,
Just like a sign,
Inside of me,
Since it is mine,
… not yours!
But all this was in vain
You always face what you need to face
With or without faith,
A Light shining on your path…showing the way too
the one you need to take, not always the one you want to
Coz it stays inside,
Just like a sign,
Inside of me,
Since it is mine,
… not yours!
un cygne...noir (black swan, 'svan' in Swedish)
And coming back to a beautiful lusitanic phase in my life almost 12 years back, inspired by sea conversations with a mermaid near Trindade... dont even know if it was true...
Poema de Canção sobre a Esperança (Fragmento)
And coming back to a beautiful lusitanic phase in my life almost 12 years back, inspired by sea conversations with a mermaid near Trindade... dont even know if it was true...
Poema de Canção sobre a Esperança (Fragmento)
Álvaro Campos (Fernando Pessoa)
Dá-me lírios, lírios
E rosas também.
Mas se não tens lírios
Nem rosas a dar-me,
Tem vontade ao menos
De me dar os lírios
E também as rosas.
Basta-me a vontade,
Que tens, se a tiveres,
De me dar os lírios
E as rosas também,
E terei os lírios -
Os melhores lírios -
E as melhores rosas
Sem receber nada,
A não ser a prenda
Da tua vontade
De me dares lírios
E rosas também.
