Structures - Basking in Colour

Structures- Basking in Colour

Our world is a colourful array of brilliant hues. With a little stretch of the imagination one can see a muted Aurora Borealis dancing, prancing on nature’s tapestry and bathing man-made constructions.

Mother Nature’s genius inspires man to reach the heights of his own excellence. While daytime is graced by the brilliance of the sun’s rays in their multi-coloured prisms, night time is gloriously illuminated by man’s ingenuous luminance. Engulfed by this much inspiration; we truly live in a world of wonder. Therefore I present a sampling of enhanced visions for your mind’s illumination:

The End.

BoSt Galleries Exhibit- Spring Flowers

BoSt Galleries Exhibit – Spring Flowers

Spring in New Hampshire 

“Too green the springing April grass,
Too blue the silver-speckled sky,
For me to linger here, alas,
While happy winds go laughing by,
Wasting the golden hours indoors,
Washing windows and scrubbing floors.

Too wonderful the April night,
Too faintly sweet the first May flowers,
The stars too gloriously bright,
For me to spend the evening hours,
When fields are fresh and streams are leaping,
Wearied, exhausted, dully sleeping.”

By Claude McKay

The Year's at the spring 

“The year's at the spring,
And day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;
The hill-side's dew-pearled;
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn;
God's in his Heaven—
All's right with the world!”

By Robert Browning

Spring Bouquet

“An earthen vase
held a bouquet
simple crocuses
at the street corner
in the downtown
of the city, around
the corner, down the block
on the way to school
a bit of color
shining through
the urban tableau
reminding us of beauty
amidst the clutter
of daily life.”

By Raymond A. Foss

May 20, 2007

The End. 

BoSt Galleries- The Mysterious Way

BoSt Galleries: The Mysterious Way

“We look at it and do not see it;
Its name is the invisible.
We listen to it and do not hear it;
Its name is the inaudible.
We touch it and do not find it;
Its name is the Subtle (formless).
These three cannot be further probed,
and hence merge into one . . .
Infinite and boundless, it cannot be given any name;
It reverts to nothingness.
This is called shape without shape, form without object.
It is the vague and elusive.
Meet it and you will not see its head.
Follow it and you will not see its back.”

Lao Tzu

The Tea-Master and the Assassin

The Tea-Master and the Assassin

The Tea-Master & the Assassin

“Taiko, a warrior who lived in Japan before the Tokugawa era, studied Cha-no-yu, tea etiquette, with Sen no Rikyu, a teacher of that aesthetical expression of calmness and contentment.

Taiko's attendant warrior Kato interpreted his superior's enthusiasm for tea etiquette as negligence of state affairs, so he decided to kill Sen no Rikyu. He pretended to make a social call upon the tea-master and was invited to drink tea.

The master, who was well skilled in his art, saw at a glance the warrior's intention, so he invited Kato to leave his sword outside before entering the room for the ceremony, explaining the Cha-no-yu represents peacefulness itself.

Kato would not listen to this. "I am a warrior," he said. "I always have my sword with me. Cha-no-yu or no Cha-no-yu, I have my sword."

"Very well. Bring your sword in and have some tea," consented Sen no Rikyu.

The kettle was boiling on the charcoal fire. Suddenly Sen no Rikyu tipped it over. Hissing steam arose, filling the room with smoke and ashes. The startled warrior ran outside.

The tea-master apologized. "It was my mistake. Come back in and have some tea. I have your sword here covered with ashes and will clean it and give it to you."

In this predicament the warrior realized he could not very well kill the tea-master, so he gave up the idea.”

Zen Stories.

BoSt Galleries- Impressions Path 2

BoSt Galleries- Impressions Path 2

Zen Story:

The Sound of One Hand

“The master of Kennin temple was Mokurai, Silent Thunder. He had a little protege named Toyo who was only twelve years old. Toyo saw the older disciples visit the master's room each morning and evening to receive instruction in sanzen or personal guidance in which they were given koans to stop their mind from wandering.

Toyo wished to do sanzen also.

"Wait a while," said Mokurai. "You are too young."

But the child insisted, so the teacher finally consented.

In the evening little Toyo went at the proper time to the threshold of Mokurai's sanzen room. He struck the gong to announce his presence, bowed three times outside the door, and went to sit before the master in respectful silence.

"You can hear the sound of two hands when they clap together," said Mokurai. "Now show me the sound of one hand."

Toyo bowed and went to his room to consider this problem. From his window he could hear the music of the geishas. "Ah, I have it!" he proclaimed.

The next evening, when his teacher asked him to illustrate the sound of one hand, Toyo began to play the music of the geishas.

"No, no," said Mokurai. "That will never do. That is not the sound of one hand. You've not got it at all."

Thinking that such music might interrupt his meditation, Toyo moved his bedding to a quiet place. He meditated again. "What can the sound of one hand be?" He happened to hear some water dripping. "I have it," imagined Toyo.

When he next appeared before his teacher, Toyo imitated dripping water.

"What is that?" asked Mokurai. "That is the sound of dripping water, but not the sound of one hand. Try again."

In vain Toyo meditated to hear the sound of one hand. He heard the sighing of the wind. But the sound was rejected.

He heard the cry of an owl. This also was refused.

The sound of one hand was not the locusts.

For more than ten times Toyo visited Mokurai with different sounds. All were wrong. For almost a year he pondered what the sound of one hand might be.

At last little Toyo entered true meditation and transcended all sounds. "I could collect no more," he explained later, "so I reached the soundless sound."

Toyo had realized the sound of one hand.”

The End.

Feng Shui Office and Desk

Feng Shui Office and Desk

Choose the placement of your desk in your office carefully. Your energy, health and concentration may suffer if your desk or office is at the end of a long hallway or a corridor.  There you will absorb much sha energy created by the straight line.  If this cannot be avoided place a potted plant on your desk, preferably in a mirrored container.  Another good thing would be to place a faceted crystal or glass candy dish or vase on your desk in line with the hall.

Placing an amethyst crystal on your desk or somewhere else in your office will activate knowledge as well as prosperity. Typically it is good to have a heavy object such as a statue, decorative geode, natural citrine, amethyst, or ametrine crystal on the corner of your desk nearest to the entrance of your office.  This will anchor your wealth.

 The numbers three, six and nine are a powerful combination in Chinese culture and in Feng Shui.  Do put three Chinese or silver coins in a lucky red envelope and tape it under your computer, business phone, fax machine or cash register to stimulate money luck. Placing a large, white quartz crystal geode next to your computer or telephone will also increase phone calls to your home or business.  Meanwhile avoid having dried or dead plants in your office or their yin energy will adversely affect your business prospects.

A set of the twelve Chinese zodiac animals is always good to have in your office for that additional protection. And remember to always keep your desk and office tidy to facilitate clean chi flow.

Having your office in the basement of a building or a house symbolizes stunted growth, especially if there is a lack of an abundant natural sunlight illuminating the space. Another thing to avoid is working under heavy light fixtures, air-conditioning ducts, pipes or beams as they will give you a feeling of energy pressing down on you and cause you difficulties and headaches at work.  

If there is a window behind your desk, do put a stone figure or crystal on the sill to simulate a mountain for support. Select also art depicting mountains, rather than water for the wall behind your desk.  And remember always that the time of a new moon or a full moon is a good time to conduct an energy cleansing in your office. 

 Good luck to you all. 

Feng Shui Kitchen

Feng Shui Kitchen

A kitchen is a place where our daily food is prepared and shared. It is a cosy gathering place for the family members and fulfills that intrinsic need for nourishment.

Here are some helpful Feng Shui hints to consider:

• When remodeling a kitchen, add more cooking appliances to increase prosperity. 
• Clean the stove top and burners in your kitchen frequently. During normal usage avoid getting your stove dirty or encrusted with spill-over food from the cooking. A clean and properly working stove invites an abundance of food and prosperity into your household.
• If your stove is on an island or peninsula and lacks a wall behind it, place a glazed ceramic vase or a pitcher on the counter behind it.
• It is important to keep the kitchen garbage can out of sight.
• Make sure you store all the cleaning supplies out of sight as well, so that they don’t “clean out” your beneficial energy of prosperity and abundance.
• Don’t place a dragon figurine in your kitchen.  Traditionally, Dragon figures at the base of the plate represented due restraint. It’s supposed to warn you against over indulgence of food.
• Don’t place a fish tank in the kitchen, as the pumping water symbolizes the departure of wealth from the family.
• Don’t store kitchen knives in plain sight, in a holder or a wall-mount magnetic strip, however convenient;   to do so it cuts prosperity and severs the harmony of the family unit. It would be better, when they are not in use, to place them in a kitchen drawer or a cabinet.
• Finally, tuck a red envelope with three Chinese coins under the bottom of the rice, flour or pasta container and potato bin. This brings abundance and wealth.

Bon Appetit!

Feng Shui Bedroom

Feng Shui Bedroom

When you are moving into a new home, apartment or condo, position the master bed during the most yang hours of the day- which is 11 A.M. to 1 P.M. 

Sleeping is a yin activity so choose yin designs elements: soft textures, curving shapes, and mellow lighting for your bedroom.  In the evening draw your curtains, blinds, or drapes to create a more yin environment for resting and sleeping. Here are few helpful Feng Shui tips to keep in mind when decorating the bedroom:

• Look up at a room’s ceiling before positioning a bed. Putting a bed under exposed beams can press down on a sleeper’s vital chi energy, causing health problems.  It’s best to cover exposed ceiling beams in a bedroom with draped fabric or dry wall to create a flat ceiling.
• A rafter that runs in the same direction as a couple’s bed below is believed to cause a division between them.
• Best to have a headboard on your bed as it provides support to your crown chakra. 
• Don’t place the bed with its foot facing the door of the room, as this makes for a very bad luck.
• Avoid having any electrical outlet on the wall close behind you or next to your pillow.
• It is not good to face a mirror or T.V. when you are sleeping otherwise your vital life energy (Chi) will be siphoned as you sleep.  If this cannot be avoided, simply cover any mirror or TV screen with a cloth or better still have them located in a large cabinet that can be closed.
• Avoid sleeping in a bed that is located under a skylight, as it will draw healthy chi away from you.  
• The bed should not be positioned against the short wall of the room with a sloping ceiling.
• It’s best to sleep in bedrooms that are above the ground rather than in a basement as healthful yang energy is abundant in the light and air.  If you are sleeping in a bedroom above a garage however, place a red cloth between the mattress and box spring for your protection.
• A Phoenix figure in a bedroom will add sparks to an existing relationship that has stagnated; however, don’t use a phoenix to activate romance in your life if you already have an emotionally happy and physically satisfying relationship with someone special. To do so may cause infidelity.
• Remove all dead or dried flowers and plants from your bedroom (and garden), as they are believed to kill your love and sex life.  
• Don’t keep an aquarium in a bedroom, especially the master bedroom, as it symbolizes money luck being pumped out of the owner’s possession.
• Do place a symbol of wealth in your bedroom so that you see it on waking. This could be a figurine of a carp, an ox sitting on Chinese coins, or a turtle.
• And finally, do open your drapes and curtains first thing in the morning. This allows the light to infuse its yang energy into you for the day’s activities. 

  If we do not have a general air-condition and are using ceiling fans to cool us while we sleep in these hot summer nights, keep in mind to install your ceiling fans beyond the foot of the bed in a bedroom. They will cool the room without harming the health of the occupants.

Good luck and good night to you all.

Feng Shui Rooms- The Dining Room

Feng Shui Dining Room

Without the valleys we cannot appreciate the peaks.  Feng shui parallels life: Light and dark, active and passive, hard and soft, straight and crooked… all are complimentary and interdependent sides of a holistic philosophy that centers and empowers us.

The dining room is a place where ideally the entire family eats relaxes and is entertained but more importantly it is where pertinent family discussions are held.

It is not unusual to see some families utilizing this space as the study or a work place as well. The table allows the books or papers to be spread out onto a large surface.  To facilitate concentration the room should be a relatively quiet place away from traffic noises and bustling activity.  When using the dining areas as a study select a seat with a wall behind it. This will allow you added protection especially when from your seated position you can observe the comings and goings of others.

Here are some other helpful hints:

• If there are doors leading and out of the dining area keep them closed, particularly when eating, in that way there is no disturbance of the peace or feelings of vulnerability.
• If the position of the dining table is close to patio doors or large bay windows with their large glass panels, the person seated at the table may be subjected to too much yin, caused by elements such as cold or damp, light or heat seeping into the room.  Partially closed curtains or blinds can correct these negative effects.
• Decorate your dining room wall with a painting or picture of abundant food, fruit, and wine.
• Maintain a balance of space when you accessorize your walls.
• There should be adequate overall lighting in the room.
• A clear path between the kitchen and the dining room is essential, so as to allow hot plates and bowls to be safely carried in.
• Cleaning supplies should never be left in the dining room.  This symbolizes your income, good health and prosperity being removed or cleaned out like dust and dirt.
• After you entertain in your home cleanse the energy as soon as possible.

Feng Shui Rooms in House- Living Room

Feng Shui Living-Room

In feng shui, remember the acronym CANES:  Colour, Animal symbols, Number, Elements, and the Seasons as guidelines for your accessories, interior and architectural designs.

The living room, sitting room or you may call it a family room- this particularly important living space in your home is where family members and friends often gather to be entertained, pass the time, and share a variety of feelings and experiences.  It has to be conducive to feelings of welcome and comfort.

Here are some helpful hints:

• An unobstructed movement of cosmic energy, called chi, is one of the attributes of good feng shui and traditional Chinese medicine. To facilitate maximum chi flow and your good health, keep the design and décor of your living room functional and simple by using additional colour, lights, plants, reflective objects, blinds, screens and furniture arrangements.  Plus remove the clutter in your home in general to facilitate this flow throughout.
• Ideally the front door should not lead straight into the living room. If the living room leads directly onto the street or if several doors lead into the room, it can leave you feeling vulnerable. If the house or apartment is small, but if the living room is large, block the force of the incoming ch’i with a screen, bookcase, wall or some other such partition. In contrast a dark, confined living space creates oppressive conditions.
• Arrange your furniture to provide protection from the rush of energy that can enter through a doorway or large window and do not face them towards sharp corners or angular objects which cut through beneficial energy.
• Do not place the sofa directly opposite any door; you will be inundated with the rush of oftentimes negative ch’i each time that door opens. This will leave you feeling drained and vulnerable.  
• Nor should you place the back of the sofa directly in line with any door. This will leave you vulnerable and unprotected as well.  If this is unavoidable, at least placing wind chimes over the door will alert you when someone is entering the room.
• Do not position the sofa or chairs under a beam: this could cause financial ruin or ill health.
• Ideally the sofa, a key item of furniture that is used most frequently, should have the support of a wall or another piece of furniture such as low bookcase, shelving unit or screen behind it.  The same principle applies for armchairs.  This position allows you a certain security and control, as you are able to see the individuals entering the room.
• The height of a ceiling plays an important role in the living room. For instance, if the ceiling is too high in proportion to the size of the room, chi rises and disperses, and if the ceiling is too low, chi is condensed and cramped.
• If the room is full of alcoves and corners energy may be caught and trapped, so do not clutter these areas.
• I repeat, do not crowd the room with ornaments, sharp objects and angular furniture. Beneficial ch’i moves more freely around curved edges and symmetrical arrangements.
• Cramped passageways between furniture are to be avoided as they limit the circulation of beneficial ch’i and at the same time funnel negative ch’i. 
• Organize lights in a way to establish an easy, relaxing ambiance. Avoid using bright fluorescent tubes or bulbs directly above your head as this may cause headaches and vertigo.
• If an open concept dominates the floor plan, and the kitchen and living room are in plain view of each other, screen off the kitchen area to prevent smells and steam filling the area where you sit and relax watching T.V.  Clear away left-over food and empty the kitchen waste bins frequently.
• If the living room is L- shaped, do not crowd the narrower part of the room with furniture and ornaments. Instead, place lamps in these dark corners.
• Large windows or patio doors allows too much ch’i to escape the room, particularly if they are juxtaposed. (Opposite to each other). In this case, make good use of curtains or blinds to restrict the loss of energy.
• If the back door and front door face each other, it means that your wealth will fly away.
• You should not have a lavatory door opening directly into the living room.
• Keep your walls balanced with an equal amount of covered and uncovered space. Have the proper balance of male and female images in the artworks displayed.
•  Avoid displaying images of predatory animals and their fallen prey. Images of death and violence emanate negative energy.  Instead, decorate the room with uplifting art and images that inspire and calm you during your day. 
• Position the spines of the books so that they are all flush with the edges of the open (or closed) bookcase shelves.
• Keep lots of healthy green plants in your family room. They will keep the peace when everyone assembles there. 

 The End

Nature's Abstract Art - 7

An integral being knows without going, sees without looking, and accomplishes without doing.

LAO-TSU

The End