“Fountain” –|– Anthony Satori
“They both listened silently to the water, which to them was not just water, but the voice of life, the voice of Being, the voice of perpetual Becoming.”
— Hermann Hesse
The Voice of Life
life
The Contented Goat
“The Contented Goat” | Anthony Satori
[a parable]
Once there was a farmer who had a goat that he loved very much. The goat was good-natured and worked hard on the farm. It helped carry things, didn’t make noise or cause trouble, and was a pleasant companion to him and his children. The farmer marveled at how good the goat was, considering how little food and care it needed.
One day, the farmer accidentally fed the goat only half of its normal daily meal. At first the farmer was worried, but the next morning he found that the goat seemed fine, despite having only eaten the smaller amount of food. Amazed at his discovery, the farmer continued to feed the goat the new smaller amount every day, and the goat continued to do well, regardless.
With time, the farmer began to experiment with giving the goat less and less food each day, waiting to see at what point the goat would begin to cry and complain. He was amazed, however, to find that the goat continued to be productive and good-natured no matter how often he reduced the goat’s meal, and that it never complained. The farmer was delighted, because he could give the extra food to the other farm animals, who would moan loudly at even the slightest diminishment or delay in their allotment; but the goat never complained, seeming always to be content with however little it received.
One day, the farmer awoke to discover that the goat had starved to death during the night. The farmer could not believe his misfortune, having lost this most special animal. He also couldn’t imagine how it had happened, since the goat had always seemed to be content with so little.
[the moral]
If you have a valued project, person, or relationship in your life that seems to be content with very little, instead of imagining how you can give it less and less without worry, imagine how much better things could be if you gave it more.
Lightning Strikes
“Lightning Strikes” | Anthony Satori
Early in his adult life, the great 20th century thinker and inventor R. Buckminster Fuller felt like none of his efforts were coming to any useful fruition. Broke and despondent, he took a late-night walk along a bridge, and even considered ending his life. As he stood at the edge of the bridge, a glowing sphere of white light appeared from nowhere, surrounded him, and lifted him several feet off the ground. A voice spoke these words:
“From now on you need never await temporal attestation to your thought. You think the truth. You do not have the right to eliminate yourself. You do not belong to you. You belong to the Universe. Your significance will remain forever obscure to you, but you may assume that you are fulfilling your role if you apply yourself to converting your experiences to the highest advantage of others.”
The sphere of light then gently placed him back onto his feet on the bridge, and disappeared. From that moment forward, Fuller’s entire outlook changed. He dedicated the rest of his life to the enthusiastic creation and invention of things that made people’s lives better, more efficient, and more productive — no longer worrying about the “success” or “failure” of his inventions — and he went on to become one of the most admired, prolific, and successful inventors of the 20th century.
On the bridge that night, the mystical Voice spoke directly to Fuller. But there is a lesson here for all of us. Even though we may never know the impact we will have on the world around us, if we dedicate our thoughts and efforts to benefiting others and to making the world a more beautiful, meaningful place, we will be fulfilling our highest destiny. As for everything else, it is out of our hands. We must simply leave the rest to fate.
This week marks five years that I have been producing this blog, sharing my photographic artworks, writings, and philosophical ponderings with you, once a week, every week, for the duration. Thank you for taking this journey with me, so far. May we have many more wonders to come.
Eternal
“Eternal” | Anthony Satori
“I existed from all eternity and, behold, I am here; and I shall exist till the end of time, for my being has no end.”
— Khalil Gibran
Upon the Horizon’s Verge
“Bluegreen Hummingbird” | Anthony Satori
“Between two worlds life hovers like a star, twixt night and morn, upon the horizon’s verge.”
— Lord Byron
Lemonade
“Lemonade” | Anthony Satori
“If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I’ll bet they’d live a lot differently.”
— Bill Watterson
Higher Dimensions of Consciousness
“Tree” | Anthony Satori
“The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness.”
— Lao Tzu
Light and Guidance
“Flow” | Anthony Satori
“To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue.”
— Buddha
How To Fly
“How to Fly” | Anthony Satori
“When you get to the end of all the light you know and it’s time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: either you will be given something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly.”
— Edward Teller
The Purpose of Light
“Lantern” | Anthony Satori
“No one lights a lamp in order to hide it behind a door: the purpose of light is to create more light, to open people’s eyes, to reveal the marvels around.”
— Paulo Coelho
Satori Circle | Art & Culture 