prairie dog sandhya

[Guest guest]

The picture that goes with this is quite amazing, but since

will strip attachments, i'm posting it to my art site:

http://www.maxdashu.net/prairiedog.html

 

" I watched prairie dogs every day, rise before the sun, stand with

their paws pressed together facing the rising sun in total stillness

for up to 30 minutes, " says Williams. " And then I watched them at

the end of the day take that same gesture 30 minutes before the sun

goes down they would press their palms together in perfect

stillness. I don't mean to anthropomorphize, but when you look at a

creature that has survived over the millennium begin and end each

day in that kind of stance, it causes one to think about one's own

life and speed and rapidity in which we live. "

 

From Finding Beauty In A Broken World by Terry Tempest Williams

 

--

Max Dashu

Suppressed Histories Archives

http://www.suppressedhistories.net

 

New: Women's Power DVD

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[Guest guest]

Thanks. I agree quite amazing.

 

--- On Fri, 19/12/08, Max Dashu <maxdashu wrote:

Max Dashu <maxdashu

prairie dog sandhya

 

Friday, 19 December, 2008, 9:46 AM

 

The picture that goes with this is quite amazing, but since

will strip attachments, i'm posting it to my art site:

http://www.maxdashu .net/prairiedog. html

 

" I watched prairie dogs every day, rise before the sun, stand with

their paws pressed together facing the rising sun in total stillness

for up to 30 minutes, " says Williams. " And then I watched them at

the end of the day take that same gesture 30 minutes before the sun

goes down they would press their palms together in perfect

stillness. I don't mean to anthropomorphize, but when you look at a

creature that has survived over the millennium begin and end each

day in that kind of stance, it causes one to think about one's own

life and speed and rapidity in which we live. "

 

From Finding Beauty In A Broken World by Terry Tempest Williams

 

--

Max Dashu

Suppressed Histories Archives

http://www.suppress edhistories. net

 

New: Women's Power DVD

http://www.suppress edhistories. net/womenspowerd vd.html

 

[Guest guest]

Terry Tempest Williams has an awesome ability to see Spirit in the natural

world, and express it in her writings. I first met her some years ago when I

joined a group hiking with her in Courthouse Wash in Arches National Park. She

encouraged us to hike in silence as a walking meditation, just observing, and

periodically we stopped and shared what we each experienced. Then deep in the

canyon she read one of her short stories, one inspired by that same canyon. She

is an amazing writer. Thanks for sharing this piece.

 

Tibetans actually see woodchucks in a similar manner, as they tend to sit in

meditative postures, except the Tibetans think the woodchucks are just going

through the motions. In fact they think woodchucks are the reincarnations of

people who in their human lives went through the outer motions of spiritual

practice without inner understanding. Tibetan Buddhism regards the animal realm

as manifesting ignorance, as the hell realms embody anger or hatred, and the

hungry ghosts attachment.

 

My Native American teachers on the other hand look at it differently: they say

that we humans are the only living beings who have forgotten our " original

instructions " from the Creator. Prairie dogs and others have not. So we should

watch other creatures to remember how to live properly in balance. No doubt they

would see the prairie dogs as exemplifying part of the natural pattern of life

-- stopping and honoring the sun as it rises and sets. A part of the natural

pattern of life which we had best emulate lest we continue a life of imbalance

and chaos such as the modern world all too well exemplifies, to our eventual

peril.

 

I'd say there are lessons to be had from both perspectives.

 

I once encountered a marmot while hiking above tree line near Mt. Ranier in

Washington. The marmot was sitting on a boulder as if in perfect samadhi. I

paused in front of him and bowed, saying " om mani padme hum. " His eyes shot wide

as open as they could become and he looked at me in astonishment as if he

thought he was having a vision!

 

-

Max Dashu

 

The picture that goes with this is quite amazing, but since

will strip attachments, i'm posting it to my art site:

http://www.maxdashu.net/prairiedog.html

 

" I watched prairie dogs every day, rise before the sun, stand with

their paws pressed together facing the rising sun in total stillness

for up to 30 minutes, " says Williams. " And then I watched them at

the end of the day take that same gesture 30 minutes before the sun

goes down they would press their palms together in perfect

stillness. I don't mean to anthropomorphize, but when you look at a

creature that has survived over the millennium begin and end each

day in that kind of stance, it causes one to think about one's own

life and speed and rapidity in which we live. "

 

From Finding Beauty In A Broken World by Terry Tempest Williams

 

--