Gaia: Living Metaphysics - Related Philosophies, Books & Authors

Re: Unity Of Faith

http://baba.gaia.com — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 01:06:03 GMT

Deb's wise words remind us that we're all brothers and sisters. It's aptly summarized in the song title "We are family."

Re: I Am A Promise by Jill Guntur

http://jillianne.gaia.com — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 19:30:06 GMT

Deb,

I am so touched by this. I was in Costa Rica for Omega and just returned around midnight. I saw what you'd posted and felt the warmth of the caribbean come back in the sweetness of your words.
I love the connections made in Gaia and am glad I have moments to check back in!

Thank you, wonderful woman.

Jill Guntur

Re: I Am A Promise by Jill Guntur

http://Meenakshi.gaia.com — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:55 GMT

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing this, Deb.

I Am A Promise by Jill Guntur

http://yhd52754.gaia.com — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:36:04 GMT

A little over a week ago, I got a "group" email from an old friend. The Sacred Walk group was one of the first I joined when I came to Zaadz, now known as Gaia. The cultivator, Jill, has ever been this graceful, beautiful, gentle soul and her group has had that same energy. There certainly is a bit of the same motivation in me, that seemed to be Jill's impulse as well in creating her group. Certainly, there were similarities in our efforts. Jill featured Don Miguel Ruiz's - The Four Agreements in her group and being in that discussion with her, got me to re-read that book.

Jill got married not all that long ago and I have discovered in her email of a week ago, another reason she has not been too active here at Gaia and her group has been pretty much inactive as well. Jill was writing a book.

You can purchase “I AM A PROMISE: A practical guide to the soul's journey” by Jill Guntur at this Amazon link.

I've only just started reading her book and it is beautifully done. It is a series of short essays, real life episodes interpreted by a spiritually inclined being. I've read 3 of the 48 essays so far. What I like is that these are very grounded and real and yet somehow, "unexpected". They are individually unique stories that keep me wanting to come back for more. Their spirituality is not in any way preachy.

Jill comes by such credentials with a great deal of credibility. The forward to her book is written by a favorite author of mine - Elizabeth Lesser. She knows Elizabeth personally, as Jill has worked at Omega Institute for 15 years.

From the first essay on Hope, I received this gift - "And somewhere in the depths of my own pain, I made a critical choice. I was willing to hope."

I found commonality of perception in Jill's second essay, Sacred Yes. It is to me as well that "real" messages come to us all the time; but if we try and share our "interpretation" with others, it often fails to translate logically to them. That is because such messages speak to us in the language of our heart, which is not logical. It is our discernment that the message "matters", is indeed intended for our own self, for our own welfare somehow, that gives it meaning. This essay is about amazing synchronicities that could make a believer out of all but the most rigid and physical literalist.

My essay today was The Mighty Fool. As Jill shares her own personal encounters with idiocy and appearing stupid, she encourages me to embrace my own oddities for the freedom and liberation from others expectations that they are, to express more of my authentic self to others fearlessly. If we all could live with such abandon, pretense (as a source of human stress and tension) would totally fall away.

I look forward each day to reading another one of Jill's short, inspirational essays. I hope some of you are encouraged to buy and read her book as well. You will be treated to the privilege of getting to know this beautiful soul, Jill, a bit through her writing. Like these short essays, always some but not all, and there lies the beauty.

Peace & Blessings -
Deb

Re: Between The Worlds by Judith Ivy

http://myzaadzsanctuary.gaia.com — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:55:47 GMT

A quick hello to everyone. I'm at work and just had to find some peace in the Gaiasphere for a brief break . . . sigh. I am my novel's character to the nth degree right now :)
Meenakshi, how wonderful to see you here! I agree with you and OM about the evolving and going forward.

The one thing that came through to me as I wrote, though, is that we can learn from our past. One of the things people tell me, when we discuss the idea of finding ways to create more peace in the world, is that humans have always been fearful, violent prone, and poverty is part of the human condition, so we can't possibly live in peace.

I've come to believe, and I know this is a disputable issue, that humanity was able to live in relative peace and prosperity long before human history was recorded, but circumstances changed all that, and what we live with today is seen as the norm. Riane Eisler's work was the pivotal work that opened my eyes to that, but writing the book gave me a visceral knowing of that. It may not matter one way or the other anyhow, but for me it gives me hope.

helen, I'm so glad to hear your hubby is mending. Ugh, the paperwork -- don't even get me started!!! :)
Well, speaking of paperwork, I gotta get back to it . . .
Be well, and hugs to all of you.

Re: Between The Worlds by Judith Ivy

http://joy-within.gaia.com — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:20:44 GMT

I got side-tracked (that happens to me ALOT) and I'm still reading (and loving) your novel Judi. It is SO good!

Paul is doing well with his physical therapy and walking now without even the aid of a cane! It's been exactly three weeks since his knee replacement surgery...it's amazing! Today as the home health nurse was filling out the Medicare paperwork for his "discharge", (a completely unnecessary trip medically) I was so mindful of Diana in the novel. It seems ludicrous that fraud is rampant (especially in Florida) and the answer has been to fill out more paperwork. Clearly paperwork isn't the answer. Sorry for the rant...but this isn't my first experience with CYA paperwork that doesn't serve any real purpose.

Deb, a diagnosis isn't inevitable...but, it's certainly a wake-up call for your parents...maybe their own spiritual 2x4. You helped me so much when my mom was so sick by bringing up the possibility that she needed cancer as a vehicle to leave the planet...and I think you were right. My loving thoughts are embracing you, your mom, dad and sister.

Re: Between The Worlds by Judith Ivy

http://Meenakshi.gaia.com — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:07:30 GMT

And OM, I'm completely with you on this one:

I'm more of the “finally” than the “go back to” alternatives you mentioned. I think we are transcending all of the old, keeping only what is optimal for Gaia's thriving and flourishing, but keeping it in a transmuted form, not the old form. Paradise is not “lost,” it is “evolving,” in my view.

Re: Between The Worlds by Judith Ivy

http://Meenakshi.gaia.com — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:04:38 GMT

I can't believe I missed this fantastic thread.
i can't believe that your book seems to have overtones to what came through and cajoled me to write for nanowrimo, Judi!
I can't believe [sorry, getting carried away by my own rhetoric;p] that I was telling my husband the other day that the internet has helped feminine spiritual leaders to emerge [as I've seen also in non-Gaia groups that I belong to] with their gift of giving and communicating while handling their homes and lives
and I can't believe that I didn't ask you about your husband, Helen. I'm glad Judi did, though.
Deb, I am so sorry about your parents; they're so young to be having Alzheimer's! What you must be going through. I too would love to read your book, Judi; and am waiting to see how and when I can. Thank you so much Deb, for your review.

Re: Between The Worlds by Judith Ivy

http://myzaadzsanctuary.gaia.com — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:48:22 GMT

Dear Om, I already feel so uplifted from your comments. Thanks for checking in and sharing your thoughts.

Deb, your comments on my novel from the very beginning, and exceptional ability to capture the essence of what you read and write a review is a real gift to me. I'm sure you already understand from working on the Nanowrimo project and your plan to write your own book that when something magical comes out of it you have a desire to share that with others -- and yet it's a little intimidating!!!
I'm so excited for you in this writing thing -- it's definitely a journey worth taking. Maybe with the kind of guidance you can get here at Gaia it won't take you ten years! LOL
My heart aches for the news of your parents. My sweet Mom had dementia from small strokes over time, and though I came to the place where I could cope with what she went through, I would not wish it on anyone. I wish you grace and comfort as you help your parents deal. It does cause one to think on their own journey ahead, and to find a way to deal with it.

helen, I'm so excited that you're reading my novel and enjoying it. I hope it continues to be so. I'm glad that having Deb's words and mine enhances the experience. I'm glad your husband is doing better. Is he walking comfrotably yet? Is he doing physical therapy?

Re: Between The Worlds by Judith Ivy

http://joy-within.gaia.com — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:30:27 GMT

I'm reading it now and I'm loving it. Reading Deb's review and Judi's sharing about the book's evolution add to the magical way the book is touching distant dreams (or maybe distant memories.)

Re: Between The Worlds by Judith Ivy

http://yhd52754.gaia.com — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:24:11 GMT

Thank you, Judi.

I found this fascinating. As a budding author, beginning to flower, I was told in my Life Visioning work that I should expect 5-15 years for this phase of my personal "plan". That is, for the writing of my own book.

In learning over the Thanksgiving holiday, that both of my parents now have symptoms of Alzheimer's (and realizing they are only 16 and 18 years older than me), I had a moment of panic before I settled back down. Perhaps, I have had the benefit of knowing their health vulnerabilities and taking certain preventive steps that may at least delay, if not eliminate the threat. Anyway, I want it to be good work. A gift to my children (at the least) and I know you understand that motivation yourself, from your own similar view of your work shared in the introductory section.

Your sharing was the "reality" check I needed for full acceptance of my inner guidance. And the timing, as is usually the case with the Divine, was perfect.

I would like to return to some portions of the book, that I particularly benefited from, but do not want to spoil it, for at least the 2 dear friends here who indicate that they plan to read it. I doubt I could "ruin" it for anyone else but OM has been so kind in her assessment of my reviewing capability, that I delay to say more (for at least a while longer).

I still do intend to think of how I might craft a useful "review" for Amazon's purposes. I will attend to it soon.

Thank you, from my heart, for all you shared here about your own journey; for it adds greater depth and meaning to your actual book, and I had suspected as much regarding it, it shines through that way in my own response to it.

Appreciating your storytelling skills -
Deb

Re: Between The Worlds by Judith Ivy

http://ADLIAC.gaia.com — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:16:22 GMT

Oh, Judi, what a wondrous sharing of the unfolding of the story and what it means to you, and what you'd like to see it do for others. I am deeply resonating!!!!!!!!! Thank you for taking the time to share this, and thank you for your dedication over ten years to bring the book to completion, to fruition. Wow.

I wish you the very very best with it. I cannot promise to read it soon, but I definitely intend to sometime in the near future.

I hope you get lots of satisfying feedback and interactions about the book.

Hugs, OM Bastet

Re: Between The Worlds by Judith Ivy

http://myzaadzsanctuary.gaia.com — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:57:45 GMT

I spent a little time thinking about what to share about this novel, and find It's hard to know where to begin. I almost feel I could write another book about the process and what it all meant as I wrote it and what it means to me today!

I didn't set out to write a novel. For several years I'd been stopping in at a cafe every morning before work and journaling or writing little essays on odd topics. One morning I started to write a short essay, but then it took on a life of its own. Before I knew it, I was following the main character around and just trying to capture, as fast as I could write, what the characters were saying and doing. The minute I followed Diana into that "other world" I knew how the story ended and why, but had absolutely no details. I guess you could say I knew the plot, but it was more than that -- it was like I'd received a memory of my own life from another time and place, and the characters were revealing it to me little by little.

It took a couple of years to capture all of it, and the writing was, well (see me blushing?) pretty bad. It didn't capture the sights, smells, tastes, textures, emotions, personalities, etc. that a novel would, so I knew I had to wewrite it.

I took a class for writers to critique each other's work and got some valuable ideas. I also knew I needed to start the story in a different way, so I was writing first chapters over and over. That's when I wrote about the book shop at the coast, and Diana finding the journal, which gave me the vehicle for telling Anna's story.

Once I had the first chapter, things really started to unfold. Amazingly, things that I wrote in the first writing and wondered why (I told myself I could delete anything that didn't seem to really be part of the story in the final writing) actually had value for tying the story togetheer -- like Diana buying the Merganot essential oil in the book shop.

I incorporated a lot from the first writing, but wrote many new chapters that I didn't know existed, and I ended up changing the order of the story in a few places because there was so much more being revealed. Things ot so complicated at one point, I finally sat down and made a time line for the different elements in the story -- Diana's world, Anna's world, and the story within the story's time line. At one point, I didn't even know what age Anna was in her story -- had to go back and figure it out!

In the first writing, I just captured what I could, and didn't think about whether anything was trie or not, but as got into the revision, I wondered if I should research about what I was writing. I finally decided that this story would be told as it came to me, and I would just allow this to be seen as a fantasy (even though there was and still is for me a deep sense of reality captured in the story).

I wrote from my personal worldview, which had been formed primarily by my experiences over the last 50 years, but also by a multitude of books whose authors I respect. The main character, quite frankly, looks at the world the way I do. At first, she was me, but then I realized I wanted her to be her own person and so really listened for her voice and allowed her to have her own experiences. Nevertheless, those who know me well tell me they see shadows of me in the character.

That's how this story came about and how (to make a very long story short) it was written. It took ten years to write, rewrite, and edit with the help of friends and family, and to get it self published. Couldn't stand to participate in the process of finding a publisher -- and it seems not in keeping with the story's essence.

What it means to me is almost beyond my ability to share. I know now that I lived a very long time ago in the region where this story is set (the area south of the Caucasus Mountains somewhere between the Black and Caspian seas.) I literally break down and sob when I think too deeply about visiting that region -- as if somehow I know how powerful it would be to feel the spirits of the past reach out to touch me. "Scuse me while I wipe my eyes and regain my composure . . .

While I was the one to write the story, and though it's told from my personal perspective, there is something about it that isn't mine -- like it belongs to all of humanity. It feels as if it's our collective memory welling up from somewhere. I think it will resonate strongly for some people, a little less fo for others, and not at all for many, yet it still feels that it's our past that's trying to -- not take us back to any particular time or way of living -- but back to ourselves. To remind us of who we are so that we can move forward from the destructive path we are on.

One of the many books that triggered so much change in my worldview was Riane Eisler's The Chalic And The Blade. It's not only that she provided a way of looking at the past through the lens of the feminine, giving a whole new perspective on the dominator behavior and mindset, but she triggered a question for me about why the dominator mindset came into being in the first placce. The understanding that welled up out of reading her book was that it hasn't always been this way -- humanity hasn't always lived with pervasive fear, violence, and impoverishment. It's not that humanity lived in a utopian world either, but humans did know how to live in balance with the natural world and in harmony with each other. Out of that new perspective, this story emerged.

The story has colored who I am and how I live in this world. I've never fit in, but now I really don't fit in because I don't see things the same way most of my friends do. But I feel a strong connetion to everyone and everything. I'm constantly pulled between all my human conditioning that keeps me stuck in old patters of living and thinking, and and innate sense of awareness of my life unfolding in the present moment. I experience that amazing stillness from time to time, but easily return to looking to or waiting for the future to arrive!

The story, for me, isn't about the past even though it's set in the past. It's more about each one of us connecting with our source -- becoming the source. It's a way for us to be reminded of who we really are.

I would love to know what come out of the story for others. Whether it's just an interesting read or if it has some deeper message. I can see it meaning many different things to different people -- or not having any meaning at all! :)

If you've read it, let me know what you think? Or ask questions. I'd be happy to answer and discuss.

Blessings
Judi

Re: Between The Worlds by Judith Ivy

http://joy-within.gaia.com — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:47:36 GMT

I saved this book to read while my husband, Paul was recovering from his knee surgery two weeks ago...but then I was too fragmented to read.

Paul's doing great and I'm excited that I'll get to dive in this holiday weekend. yay!

Re: Between The Worlds by Judith Ivy

http://myzaadzsanctuary.gaia.com — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:51:35 GMT

Hello debyemm and OM,
I'm looking forward to getting back here during my Thanksgiving days off and sharing some thoughts about this novel.

deb -- I'm so glad there were things that resonated with you -- and thank you so much for the wonderful review.
The whole process of writing this story was very moving and life changing for me. More later . . . I hope you have restful and enjoyable holidays this week.
Judi

Re: Between The Worlds by Judith Ivy

http://ADLIAC.gaia.com — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:35:32 GMT

This sounds marvelous, and thank you for the wonderful review, Deb. A perfect balance of revealing and inviting !!!!!

I resonate with so much here. And although I do believe that there are aspects of the ancient world which are more helpful for humanity than our current world, I don't think we should romanticize it too much. (Some people do; this book probably doesn't.) There was a lot of brutality back then, and even female-dominated cultures did human sacrifices. Most of them, if the research is correct.

I'm more of the "finally" than the "go back to" alternatives you mentioned. I think we are transcending all of the old, keeping only what is optimal for Gaia's thriving and flourishing, but keeping it in a transmuted form, not the old form. Paradise is not "lost," it is "evolving," in my view.

I hope lots and lots of people read and resonate with, and get uplifted by, Judith Ivy's book. Thank you from my heart Judi for the energy you put into creating this !!!!!

Blessings, OM Bastet

Between The Worlds by Judith Ivy

http://yhd52754.gaia.com — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:08:44 GMT

I recently finished reading Judith Ivy's book Between The Worlds. I enjoyed it very much. I like good spiritual "fiction", though if it is any good, the fiction is a label that hides the realities behind the work, as in CGs Sacred Vow - which we have reviewed here. I hope that Judi (a new member of this group) while share with us something personal about this work.

I like the consensual, cooperative lifestyle depicted as being the way it was somewhere "4,000 years ago". The way the children learn there is so much like the way my own children are being schooled. I resonated with the deeply meaningful and sacred rituals, with the herbal and organic practices, and with the open channel to the Divine, in this case the Divine Mother. I could the potential benefits of the story's wholesome approach to sex (and it is no less pleasurable ;-} ). I appreciated the "it takes a village" approach to child rearing and elder care - including care as death approaches.

The story seeks to deliver a contrasting explanation of humanity's decent into darkness, violence, aggressive and domineering behaviors and a chronic disassociation from harmony with more life enhancing ways of living. The story illustrates the way our modern life continues to damage our Spirits; as they seek to overcome that darkness, by finding a new way of relating to one another and a new context for our earthly lives.

The book hints at multi-dimensional aspects of Being and places past-life experiences into a uniquely new perspective. It is part of the mystery of the story and I found it very intriguing and it resonated with something within my own self.

Immediately, I was struck by the relevance of this book to the emergence of the Divine Feminine in our world and to the 9:09 Gaia Minute practice outlined here and elsewhere (there is an indepth discussion of the 9:09 Gaia Minute occuring in the Gaia Networking thread featuring Hummingbird / Anna & Gien.

Early in my reading of Judi's book, Between The Worlds, I came across this on Pg 53 and had to write Judi privately, about how I felt this was resonating with the Gaia Minute. Much of what comes below, comes from my email to her, modified for this group -

“there are those who have never learned of the Great Mother's love.”

What the 9:09 Gaia Minute attempts to do is reconnect us more intimately with Gaia, another name for our Mother Earth, the planet that provides our very physicality and sustains us. We should be grateful for having such a home, we should wish to take the same care towards Gaia that we would take of our earthly Mother (from a place of respect, not so much "duty", which may be devoid of emotion, or at least the more positive emotions, such as love) and more importantly, the kind of care we should take of ourselves (and the same point as above applies - see the "Self-Acceptance" thread posted today).

“They have learned to hear only the voice of fear and to follow the ways of their vengeful god”

Long has it been so. I have heard - it may not have always been and, that there was a time when the feminine was much more dominant, as in the Native American tribes who had women in their own wisdom councils.

The FEAR is increasing now. The media is fueling it, in far more intense ways, than has previously happened. Go to a video rental store and try not to be concerned about what people are feeding their minds. The extreme is depicted viscerally.

“They will cling to their fears - fear of being alone and hurt, of suffering and even of death”

“the Great Lie” … '”That you are each separate beings. Separate from the universe, the earth, and each other. All of humanity, in time, will come to believe they are alone, and vulnerable - that their survival is threatened. They will become fearful and begin to mistrust one another. Soon their beliefs will lead to envy, hate, and greed. They will even kill one another to ensure their own survival.”

This is already so; but with the 9:09 Gaia Minute, by the vibration we seek to embody and, the belief that it will harmonize humanity with our Mother Earth, with Gaia, somehow, once again or finally - however, one wishes to perceive that. We are seeking to counter what the media and the mass of humanity is putting into the planetary vibrational field but we do not do so by seeing that duality. We do so by seeing that it already is, as we would dream wish it to be in its perfection. That is what living and practicing metaphysics is all about. Seeing clearly the perfection that is.

What we are learning again, within the scope of our sharing about the practice, is our inter-connection. The Gaia community is helping us each to rediscover this and see it is true, we ARE interconnected and interrelated and what we think and do matters. Women are the most represented gender in the Gaian membership.

The men are all unique and very, very special, to even want to be here in this community. The men are each precious because they are illustrating where the leading edge, of what being a man can also be about. Though, there are probably a few men who are here, just because there as so many women ;-}. I would think that an example of the wisdom of the survival instinct, to go where the possibilities exist. I'm just having fun. Don't get all serious on me now about these remarks. I think Gaian men ARE very special.

“unless humans overcome their fear and find me again.” … “I can only try to reach the buried spirits of each individual through the voices of the natural world. If I can touch their hearts and minds, they will come to understand and trust my power of life once more.”

Much of this segment of the book (all of the quotes in BOLD above) feels like “channeled” wisdom to me … there is much more like it throughout the book.

Highly recommended reading -
Deb

Re: Steve Hagen - Buddhism Plain & Simple

http://niecy.gaia.com — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:35:15 GMT

Hello Ken,

There are over a 140 reviews on this book on Amazon.
I'm quoting one that I like that included the aspects of the eightfold path:

By David S. Heier (Columbus, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME) The best little book on Buddhism that is available. Masterfully written. This book needs to be studied, not just read. It is worthwhile to read again and again. If you only read one book on Buddhism, then this is the one to read. The author is an American Zen teacher whose clarity of explanation will appeal to the American Zen student. Steve Hagen prefers to call Buddhism "the buddha-dharma." He states that "It's a process, an awareness, an openness, a spirit of inquiry -- not a belief system, or even (as we normally understand it) a religion. It is more accurate to call it 'the teaching of the awakened,' or the buddha-dharma."
We start by learning the four truths: (1) life involves suffering; (2) this suffering arises within us; (3) we can end the most profound and existential forms of suffering; and (4) the way we end this suffering is by following the eightfold path. The existential angst we experience from the unanswered question of what life is about is at the heart of our suffering. The buddha-dharma is like a journey. By following the middle way we can reach enlightenment and nirvana.
There are three kinds of suffering, or duhkha: (1) pain, both physical and mental; (2) change; and (3) being. Our goal is to just see. We must awaken from our confusion. We need to see reality for what it is.
The eightfold path is a concrete way for us to practice bringing about the cessation of duhkha. The eight aspects of this path are right view, right intention, right speech, right action , right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right meditation.
Nothing in this book is offered as something you are to believe. Somehow through his life of contemplation the Buddha was able to formulate these notions. They are simply a guide. The Buddha can only point the way. It is left for each one of us to find the way for ourselves.

Re: Steve Hagen - Buddhism Plain & Simple

http://baba.gaia.com — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:19:08 GMT

Flowerchild,

What are the other seven aspects of the eightfold path? Life is beautiful once awareness is awakened.

Ken

Steve Hagen - Buddhism Plain & Simple

http://niecy.gaia.com — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:55:50 GMT

Are you HERE?

Most of the time, most of the people we meet are at best only partially engaged in the moment. And often we find people (or ourselves) lost in thought or reverie - barely here at all.

It was a spring morning. I was on one of my daily walks around a nearby lake. The light was luscious; the flowers were beginning to bloom; the smells were heady. Suddenly I heard a loud squawking of geese.

I looked up to see a flock of twenty or more birds, flying in formation almost at eye level, coming right at me. They came in fast, like the edge of a blanket being pulled over my head. As they passed over me, I could hear the rush of air over their wings.

At the same moment, also coming toward me, was a jogger with earphones. Still squawking loudly, the geese passed right over the jogger's head - some canting a bit to avoid hitting her.

What I found more astounding than the geese was the fact that she kept jogging. She didn't notice the geese at all. I wanted to share this remarkable event with her, even if only through a glance or a smile. But she wasn't present.

How often we miss the moment simply because we're not here. We tune out much of the world - and much of our selves as well -just as that jogger did. And generally we don't even realize how removed we are from what is going on.

The Buddha constantly pointed out the seriousness of this condition. If fact, to the awakened, its consequences are total. "Those who are aware," he said, "do not die. Those who are ignorant are as if dead already." life is only lived in this moment, which is fleeting, changing constantly. We can't grasp it. If only we'd stop embalming life, freezing it into a view, we'd experience life as it is, and at its fullest. The importance of right mindfulness, the seventh aspect of the eightfold path, is that it weaves together all seven other aspects of the path, and brings us back to Reality, here and now.

~p. 100