The Discontented Little Turtle

The Discontented Little Turtle

All of Earth’s creatures would be contented with what they have, however little, until another comes along to upstage them.

It is in the nature of all creatures to boast and to outshine the other.  It is the enigmatic engine of truth and knowledge mired in contention and competition that inevitably robs all living beings of a peaceful heart.  So they hurtle at top speed towards that unwarranted need for a profusion of worldly goods. More is preferable, more is better, more is best, or is it?

Once upon a time there was a nice turtle family living happily in a modest pond inside a greenhouse. Their other turtle neighbors and the fish coexisted with them in perfect harmony sharing the bounty of the pond, never lacking for food, always sheltered from the harsh elements and happy to have all the space they needed to swim freely or wander about.  

During the summer months the diligent groundskeepers, for variety's sake would transfer some of these inhabitants to the outside pond. On such a happy excursion, the baby turtle found himself in the outside pond. With the eagerness of youth he spent many a good day exploring his new surroundings. He loved every new experience, every new blade of grass, every lotus flower, rocks and so forth. When it rained the droplets and the rushing wind delighted the baby turtle’s senses.  

Then there were the other interesting creatures in the air that captivated his imagination; some were small but others were incredibly huge.

With a contented air the baby turtle was sunning on his favorite rock one day, when quite absently he heaved a sigh and exclaimed, “Can things be any better than this? I have everything I need right here. This pond is the biggest and best place ever!”

“It’s adequate, yes, but certainly not the best or the biggest.”  The nearby seagull wryly grunted, startling the baby turtle.

“What you mean?” The baby turtle demanded an explanation, quickly overcoming his surprise.

The seagull could not miss this chance to amaze this little thing and boast of the places he’d seen and the existence of a vast lake not too far away. “The lake is so expansive that you cannot fly over it from one end to the next. It’s limitless.  It is so deep that no amount of drought affects the levels very much or ever can drain it.”

By the time he was through listing  the scope and grandeur of the vast open waters he had invoked in the baby turtle such curiosity and yearning that all joy and contentment had left the poor little thing. No longer was this baby turtle happy, imagining far better places he could never be.

Long after the seagull was gone the baby turtle was still unhappy and for days on end just moped about. His parents were greatly concerned about his well being and eventually, after much prying, learned the source of his troubles.  They were wise enough not to scold him for his naivete,  ingratitude or greed. Instead, his father had simply shaken his head, and then said, “To be upset over what you don’t have is to waste what you do have.”

The little turtle nodded, and went back to the happy way he was.

The End.

Beluga Sense- Attaining a More Powerful You

First and foremost identify your goals and then detail them in writing.  Focus on key points and what it is about the goal that attracts you.  List your expectations, the results that you want to gain when you attain that goal. If you are so inclined discreetly confide in a trusted person to get an unbiased view.

Next you must honestly explore all the possible reasons, inhibitions and stumbling blocks that prevent you from attaining your goal.  Address and rebuke that negative inner voice and affirm that you will take full responsibility for your actions even when faced with variable outcomes because in the interim unimagined and unforeseen possibilities may manifest which will also pave the way to certain success.

To prepare for this list three possible alternative routes that can lead you to the same destination.

Survey the requirements needed to implement each of these alternatives then pursue the most applicable of these options.

Keep your focus on your final goal as you progress towards it, one step at a time.

Discretion is warranted when dealing with unsupportive individuals. If they persist in bringing up negative arguments counter to your aspirations, say, “I would have rather preferred your support on this matter; however, since we have such different opinions, let us agree to disagree.” and change the subject. Then surround yourself with supportive friends.

The End

Nature's Abstract Art-4

Nature's Abstract Art-4

“Only because nature in its myriad forms corresponds with the myriad impulses of the Creative can it make these impulses real. Nature's richness lies in its power to nourish all living things; its greatness lies in its power to give then beauty and splendor. Thus it prospers all that lives. It is the Creative that begets things, but they are brought to birth by the Receptive.” I Ching

 

“The course of the Creative alters and shapes beings until each attains its true, specific nature, then it keeps them in conformity with the Great Harmony. Thus Does it show itself to further through perseverance." I Ching.

 The End

Feng Shui- The Qilin and The Three Killings

Feng Shui- The Qilin and The Three Killings

It is part of Feng Shui practice to ascertain the direction of the Three Killings each year. This direction, also known as the Saam Saat, always occupies one of the four cardinal sectors-North, South, East or West and the affliction that covers 90 degrees of the compass. In this year, The Year of the Water Dragon, the Three Killings are located in the South.  It is imperative that you do not carry out any noisy activity, renovation, or construction, conduct maintenance work or digging with noisy equipment inside or outside your property in this direction.  Once disturbed, this affliction will bring about three types of misfortunes: financial loss, sickness and arguments. If this is unavoidable you should place a six hollow metal rod wind chime between the work being carried out and the building for your protection. Another important thing to remember this year is that, when seated in your office or at home you must avoid having the South behind you. Confronting the Three Killings will not hurt you but having them behind you will. The South also is a Li trigram which can affect the head and lungs. If your bedroom happens to be in the South of the house you can hang a brass Wu-Lou (gourd) or a heavy round object close to your bed for protection. Round metal objects are also good to have in the South this year. Be sure to incorporate the colours of black gray or charcoal in your décor and avoid any fire colours such as red, pink, purple burgundy or orange; furthermore, no candles.

Finally, if you can, place three Qilins (Chi Lings) in the quadrant of the Three Killings, all three facing South. This will effectively restrain and prevent the killing Chi from harming you.

 In case you are unfamiliar with Qilin (Chi Ling, Kirin), here is some added information:

Qilin is a mystical hoofed chimerical creature, often depicted with what looks like fire all over its body. It has the head of Dragon and the body of horse. It represents protection, prosperity, success, longevity and illustrious offspring.  It is a good omen that brings ruì (roughly translated as "serenity" or "prosperity"). The Qulin (sometimes misleadingly called the "Chinese unicorn" due to Western influence) is believed to manifest upon the occasion of an imminent person’s arrival, or when a wise sage or an illustrious ruler has departed.

The earliest references to the Qilin were in the 5^th century BC, in the book of Zuo Zhuan. In its historical account we are told that after Zheng He’s voyage to the East Africa around the area of modern day Kenya he had brought back two giraffes to the Emperor in Nanjing. The giraffes were thereafter referred to as Qilins.  The Qilin and the giraffe was both vegetarian and shared a quiet nature on top of their reputed ability to "walk on grass without disturbing it”. Furthermore, the Qilin were described as having antlers like a deer and scales like a dragon or fish whereas the giraffe had horn-like "ossicones" on its head and a tessellated coat pattern that looked like scales. Even today the giraffe is still called girin by Koreans and kirin by the Japanese.

Back then the Emperor had proclaimed the giraffe as a magical creature, whose capture signified the greatness of his power. By the time of the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) the original Qilins were long gone. In the subsequent legends their appearance took on a more stylized representation of the giraffe, becoming mixed with some attributes of the tiger, dragon and other animals. The Ming artisans represented the Qilin as an oxen-hoofed animal with a dragon-like head surmounted by a pair of horns with flame-like head ornaments and a scaled body.  Sometimes the creature is depicted with a single horn on its forehead, a multicolored back, and hooves of a horse, body of a deer and the tail of an ox.

During the Manchu Qing dynasty (1644–1911) the Qilin was depicted as having the head of a dragon, the antlers of a deer, the skin and scales of a fish, the hooves of an ox and tail of a lion.

 The Qilin’s attributes are:

Though fearsome, the Qilin only punishes the wicked. Its manifestation bespeaks of a wise and benevolent leader in a country or even a household. Being such a peaceful creature when it walks on grass or vegetation it takes care not to trample a single blade or step on any living thing. A Qilin is said to be able to walk on water. If a pure person is threatened by an obvious culprit the Qilin transforms into a fierce creature, spouting flames from its mouth and displays other fearsome aspects.  

Legends have accounted for Qilin’s being manifest in the garden of the famed Huangdi and in the capital of Emperor Yao. The birth of the great sage Confucius had also been presaged by the appearance of a Qilin.

Note: Before the Qin Dynasty, during the Zhou dynasty, Qilin ranked higher than the Dragon or Phoenix. Qilin was first, the Phoenix ranked second and the Dragon third. In the Post-Qin Chinese hierarchy of mythical animals however, in some fables where the Qilin was depicted as the sacred pet of the deities, Qilin ranked the third after the dragon and phoenix. In Japan (Qilin) Kirin are portrayed as a dragon shaped like a deer with an ox’s tail, and they preserved their importance, with the Phoenix placed second and the Dragon third.

The End