Afterward

 Sunrise on my terrace and reflections on SCOTUS

I'm here for some distance to be with my thoughts and memories when I think about the two cities I love.  Two very important cities that also have an important relationship with each other, going all the way back to our young democracies. Inside each city of course are important relationships one to another.  It is in cities that our humanity is most keenly tested, as we live large in cities in big broad strokes.  It is in cities that our humanity resides, wherein we work on it because we are up against each other, every day.  We live on top of one another, we see each other's foibles, we are each other's foibles. Urban is loud, noisy, messy, honest.

Being detached from reality, sweeping things under the rug is not only bad policy, it's bad government. it's inhumane and it's dangerous.  SCOTUS took away a basic human right, autonomy over our own body, a woman's right to choose the right life for herself.  The majority of the justices demonstrated their complete disconnect to well, so much.

First Humanity.  

Perhaps this should be inscribed in the hallowed halls of the Supreme Court.  Call it Humanity 2.0

"May all beings everywhere be enabled to carry out their lives in peace and happiness."

Second the Individual

C.S. Lewis says that, in the middle you don't see the center, because it's all center.   Each individual is the heart of the universe."

Out on this little island the feeling is expansive, back home in my big city I feel the center.  It's all center.  Everything is together, everything is one and that is where the work begins.  

This week showed us in rarefied isolated chambers is not where the gritty messy difficult work, connecting to our humanity, is accomplished.  Of course there are justices now and past who could couple keen intellect with a compassionate and open heart, however extremists who put themselves in isolation because that is where they feel comfortable have no right to impose laws over our autonomy because it makes them feel better and their lives less messy.

Third

I will never stop engaging for progress and a future that is just and fair.  Justices take off your medieval robes, your medieval mores, get out of your chambers and closets and jump into this big, gorgeous messy world.  See and then know; how and also where humanity resides.  It clearly is not your place to have done what you did.  In 2000, or today.

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.

C. S. Lewis

International Yoga Day, June 21, 2022

 What does Yoga mean to you?

" an irrepressible hankering after the realization of Truth."  Swami Ramakrishna

"The mind is a wonderous power and our destiny in life is determined by what we do with that power."

Ramana Maharshi

You are what your deep driving desire is.

As your desire is, so is your will.

As your will is, so is your deed.

As your deed is, so is your destiny.

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad  The Forest of Wisdom

Reach for your highest.  Your real dharma is to know the truth of your inner self.  Sitting in meditation every day with the intention of touching your true self.

"Truth alone prevails, not unreality.  The world rests upon the bedrock of satya or truth.  Asatya-untruth also means non-existent, and satya means that which is.  If untruth does  not so much as exist, its victory is out of the question.  And truth being that which is can never be destroyed."    Gandhi

Mandaka Upanishad   Modes of Knowing

v.9  When it (love) is seen within us and without, it sets right all doubts and dispels the pain of wrong action committed in the past.

One becomes like that which is in one's mind- this is the everlasting secret, the courage to discover in ourselves a higher image of the human being.

Maitri Upanishad

Happy Yoga Day!

Practice well for your body!

Practice well for your breath and spirit.

Practice for you innermost being, and

Be Happy.

Michelle

United Nations World Ocean Day

 Milos, Adamas Beach

I started the day as I usually do, picking up the bits of plastic in the sand along with the big pieces, the sea tosses over to us asking us to please not throw it all back.  I swam the whole length of the beach today, and rescued a sea star, it was dangerously close to washing ashore.  I moved it to deep water.  I snorkeled and happily saw only one plastic bag on the sea floor.  The Aegean is pristine blue and shockingly warm in such a short period of time.  We had a big thunderstorm 2 nights ago and since then the water warmed.

The boats still run on diesel of course, we need to get them electric very soon.  There is so much we need to do and can do.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk0k_-EB3X8

An example, I love how the 5000 fulltime inhabitants, Melians, grow their own food.