“Lucidity from Stillness” | Anthony Satori
“If water derives lucidity from stillness, how much more the faculties of the mind! The mind of the sage, being in repose, becomes the mirror of the universe, the revealer of all creation. To the mind that is still, the entire universe surrenders.”
— Chuang Tzu
“Desert Stone” | Anthony Satori
“You must fashion your life one action at a time, and if each attains its own end as far as it can, be satisfied with that.” — Marcus Aurelius
Life is made up of moments. Just as light and shadow continually move across a landscape, so the texture of any given moment is a living, breathing thing, continually flowing and creating a new vision before your eyes. Engage with it. Take the energy that you might otherwise expend worrying about the past or the future, and instead apply that energy toward engaging fully in the present moment. If you do this, not only will the quality of your immediate experience rise to its highest potential, but a cumulative sense of self-awareness, perspective and overall contentedness will also gradually accrue. You have the opportunity to be a co-creator in your life. The quality of attention that you invest in each moment will determine the quality of positive mindful influence that you can infuse into its content and flow.
“Blur” | Anthony Satori
Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity tells us that the velocity of a given observer directly and substantively affects the relative velocity of that which is being observed.
Put into a philosophical context: If you race through life too quickly, the effect will be the same as life passing you by too fast. If, however, you make a conscious effort to slow down and appreciate every moment, the Universe will respond by revealing nearly limitless opportunities for you to awaken and breathe.
“I sometimes think people don’t know what grass is, or flowers, because they never see them slowly. If you showed someone a green blur, Oh yes! They’d say, that’s grass! A pink blur! That’s a rose garden! White blurs are houses. Brown blurs are cows… Isn’t that funny, and sad, too?” — Ray Bradbury
Slow down. Savor the moment. Life was not meant to be experienced as a blur.
“Prometheus’ Gift” | Anthony Satori
According to Greek mythology, Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to humans for our use and benefit. It surely must have seemed like nothing less than supernatural forces at play when our ancient ancestors observed lightning crashing down from the heavens and scorching the earth in ways nothing else came even close to doing. Remarkably, opportunistic uses of Prometheus’ gift probably date back more than a million years, and evidence seems to suggest that the habitual, controlled use of fire probably became part of the human suite of behaviors even as far back as 300,000 to 500,000 years ago, still firmly within the parameters of the Stone Age. It is truly astounding to fathom that this fundamental element of human experience dates back so amazingly far, and that it still remains part of our lives to this day. There are very few similarly consistent through-lines in the human experience.
This begins to inform why, even after all of these millennia, sitting around a fire remains nothing less than mesmerizing — watching the movement of the flames, feeling the warming effect of its heat, basking in the soft glow of its light. And, as anyone who has gone camping or sat around a fireplace will tell you, it is especially pleasurable to share this experience with friends and family. Whether you are talking, singing, or just listening to the crackle of the fire, this activity feels comforting and natural in a very deep way. We have been doing this, as a species, for nearly half a million years. It is surely one of the earliest social rituals of human life.
There are also other reasons this experience still resonates so deeply with us, even in our modern world of mass media, smart phones and stimulus overload. All the way back to the earliest era, this activity would have most commonly taken place at the end of the day, so the main work and/or dangers of the day would have been passed. All of the members of the tribe who had gone out of sight during the daylight hours would be back at the village, now, and accounted for, so there would be a feeling of togetherness and closure. Also, the fire-side ritual would have happened after dark, which is a mystical time, and a part of the day which would not have been dependably habitable prior to the light and heat provided by the controlled use of fire. Throughout the night, a fire would have kept predators away from the camp, and so the mere sight of contained flames would have quickly become associated with feelings of security and peace. The evening fire-side ritual would also almost surely have been accompanied by the smell and flavor of cooked meat, which provided nourishment and a feeling of contentment, a partaking of the spoils of the day. In addition to all of these things, sitting around the fire would have been the most natural time and place to share and re-live the events of the day through conversation, stories, shared contemplation and even, eventually, song, developing our language skills and strengthening intra-community bonds.
And so we can see how this simple act of gathering around the fire — this ritual, this experience — is layered with hundreds of thousands of years of human memories of pleasure, security, community and nourishment. The next time you are sitting around a fire with friends or family, then, take a silent moment to feel just how deeply ingrained this human experience is within your being. And then kick back, relax, put a steak on the grill, and tell a story from your day. In this moment, you are truly human.
“Transcendent Light” | Anthony Satori
“Like the wind, like clouds, like thunder and lightning, which rise from space without physical shape and reach the transcendent light in their own form, those who rise above body-consciousness ascend to the transcendent light in their real form, the Self. In that state, free from attachment, they move at will, laughing, playing and rejoicing. They know that the Self is not the body, but only tied to it for a time… Whenever one sees, smells, speaks, hears or thinks, they know that it is the Self that sees, smells, speaks, hears and thinks; the senses are merely the Self’s instruments.” (The Chandogya Upanishad)
“Waking Dream” | Anthony Satori
“Trust in dreams, for in them is the hidden gate to eternity.” — Khalil Gibran
“Passionate Zen” | Anthony Satori
Live your life fully, every day. Be in the moment. Smile, laugh, dance and dream. Slow down and take a breath. Pay attention. Soak it all in. Cherish where you are, who you love, and everything good about this moment. Don’t wait. Cherish it all now, feel it all now, love it all now. And as you go, remember to be kind to yourself and to each other. Because kindness, gratitude and love are the fuels that make the Karmic engine thrive.
“Dark Horse” | Anthony Satori
“Every day we should hear at least one pleasant song, read one good poem, see one exquisite picture, and, if possible, speak a few sensible words.” – Goethe
“Limitless” | Anthony Satori
“Out of my pocket I drew a little edition of Dante — my travelling companion. I lit a pipe, leaned against the wall and made myself comfortable. I hesitated for a moment. Into which verses should I dip? Into the burning pitch of the Inferno, or the cleansing flames of Purgatory? Or should I make straight for the most elevated plane of human hope? I had the choice. Holding my pocket Dante in my hand, I rejoiced in my freedom. The verses I was going to choose so early in the morning would impart their rhythm to the whole of the day.” – Nikos Kazantzakis (Zorba the Greek)
“Spring Moon” | Anthony Satori
Some nights, when everything is quiet and the air is warm, I go outside and simply experience how the world feels around me. I allow myself to become fully aware of the stillness, the silence, the way every object becomes transformed from its daylight appearance when it is differently lit by the moon and the stars. I breathe deeply of the air and allow the moonlight to wash over my eyes. The expansiveness of the heavens, the soft glow of the objects in my view, the light chill of the night air on my skin, it all feels peaceful and calming to my spirit. I focus on the beauty and depth of the soft, bluish moonlight, knowing that it is a gentle reflection of the Sun’s rays reaching from behind the shadow of the Earth, traveling millions of miles, bouncing off the surface of the moon, and then arriving, softened but not diminished, exactly where I stand. It is like a whisper, a quiet reminder that the Sun is still there, still shining, even though I cannot see it, in this moment. I breathe deeply. The mystical quality of the moonlight connects me with the still, silent, infinite space within my soul. I feel the deep echo of millions of years of human ancestry experiencing the same awe and wonder while standing beneath the same night sky, and I become more deeply connected to my humanity. I feel a deep inner resonance with the Creative Consciousness of the Universe, the Source of all good things, and I become more profoundly connected to my spirituality. I allow myself to just be, in this moment. A sense of inner calm and clarity gradually expands from within me, permeating my conscious mind, putting me in touch with my more subtle faculties, and heightening my ability to better perceive the beauty and goodness in everything around me.
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