Jeprocksdworld

I haven’t snapped out of my gardening mode…

“Pleasure for an hour, a bottle of wine; pleasure for a year, marriage; pleasure for a lifetime, a garden.”
— Chinese saying

Got this from Dailyom, for all you new age garden enthusiast there, this is interesting.

—————-

Co-Creating with Nature
Conscious Gardening

Gardens offer us a perfect opportunity to reconnect to our true selves and remember our place in the natural world. Rather than approach our gardens as mere investments of energy, we can look at the entire process of gardening, from planting seeds to harvesting food, as a way of deepening our conscious relationship with the creative force of the universe. If we are willing to shift our intention from dominating, or at least directing nature, to co-creating with nature instead, we may discover a deep peace and renewed sense of wonder.

To co-create we must first begin with a foundation of mutual respect. As you create your garden in partnership with nature, you can respect the earth, water, insects and animals by using organic seeds, soil and fertilizers. You can also communicate with the plants, insects and elements involved in your garden, and create a regular practice of stillness to listen for any messages they may have for you. When it comes time for harvesting fresh vegetables or picking beautiful blooms, you might even ask permission first. If you ask with an open heart, you will always receive an answer.

Imagine what it would be like to surrender certain aspects of your human world to the precision and surety of the natural environment. You might decide, for example, to forego your calendar and plant in rhythm with the cycles of the moon. Or, you might choose to ignore clock time and water your garden when the sun hits a certain position in the sky. By opening your garden experience to more of nature’s input, you can become available to witness a whole universe of miracles, while engendering a greater sense of honor between the two worlds.

When we recognize ourselves as allies, co-creators, with the earth and the natural world, our relationship to our environment begins to change. We no longer feel the need to control the circumstances around us and can relish in the perfection of all that is.

I always say to my friends that coffee is one of life’s simple pleasures.  Enter my mom… “Ano na naman yang binili mo? walang mga katorya torya!” (What did you buy again? useless crap!).

I bought a 2 cup melitta manual portable drip brewer yesterday at Handyman, Robinsons Midtown.  Of course, this is not included in my usual budget… but for the price of 350 bucks, on sale (the original price is around P500), I succumb to my impulse… Go buy!

After that, I bought a bag of ground beans at the supermarket and picked a viennese blend.

Now, I am in my happy place.

So, how was the coffee???

… black as night, sweet as sin.

the saga continues…

Huli ka!

Madaming ganitong pulis sa maynila, dapat magkabit na rin ng ganyang billboard dito.

Akala ko si Randy Santiago lang ang pwede… hmm…

In the late 1980’s in Shanghai, a notorious, cunning man named Lee San lived by thieving.  He was a superb and highly skilled thief who had never been caught and boasted that he could steal whatever he wanted.

One day he was wandering in the street, searching for target.  Wang Wu, a friend, called out to him: “Lee, guess what? I have great news.  A certain family has just received a few thousand dollars.  They are an old couple and I know where their house is.”

“Aha!” Lee San laughed.  “I’ll take this on tonight.”

“But they have a big and ferocious wolf dog, so you may have a problem.”

Lee San replied, “So what? It’s just a stupid dog.  Don’t underestimate my skill!”

It was a pitch-dark night, and the wind was howling.  Lee San took his tools and headed straight for the street where the old couple lived.  When he arrived, he saw a big lantern hung high at the gate of the house.  He began moving in, softly and quietly, when suddenly, a dog began barking.  Lee San saw a huge dog behind the gate and quickly threw it a piece of poisonous meat.  A few seconds later the dog fell on the ground.  Lee San stealthily opened the gate.  He went up to the door, opened it, and made his way quickly to the bedroom where he found the money under the pillow.  “This was so easy,” Lee San thought.  “They have so much money yet they don’t have a vault to secure it.  Are they stingy?”

The he heard voices in the next room.  The old woman and her husband were talking.  Lee stayed where he was and listened carefully to make sure they hadn’t heard him.

“Old fellow, should we spend some money to hire a maid to take care of us? Both of us are blind and old, so how will we survive as time passes?”  It was the weary voice of an old woman.

Lee San was surprised.  If they were blind, why had they put up a big lantern in front of their gate?

“Oh yes, my dear, you are right.  But where can we find the money to hire a maid? replied an old man.

“Didn’t we just get a few thousand dollars for the loss of our son in that accident? Why don’t we use that money?”

“Are you crazy, wife? Don’t you remember that we decided to donate that money to build an orphange? Did you forget?”

Listening, Lee San grew uneasy.

“Oh, oh, yes.  See how bad my memory is! I had forgotten.  I’m getting old and useless.  Still, we could save money by not buying oil for the lamp, and we could sell our dog Ding Ding.”

“But we must light the way for other people on the street.  The street has no light and people who travel in the evening can’t see their way in the dark.  And if Ding Ding is here, then people no longer have to fear bandits or thieves when they come down the street.”

“You’re right,” said the old woman, “It’s too bad we didn’t have another son when we were still young.”  The old woman sighed.  “But never mind.  Let’s get back to work.  We still have stacks of paper boxes to be pasted together.”

Lee San sneaked quietly outside.  Then, sitting down in front of the gate, he began to sob.  He himself was an orphan who had been adopted and later escaped from his violent stepfather and uncaring family.

The following morning, two things were left at the door of the old couple’s house-the money and an exquisite vault.

After that, no one ever saw Lee San again.  He disappeared like a small cloud.  Someone said that he entered a monastery and others that he became a Buddhist.  Still others said that he became a philanthropist.  In any case, a few years later, several orphanages and homes for the elderly were built in the name of Lee San.

From Once upon a Time in Asia, Stories of Harmony and Peace
Co-published by Claretian Publications and Jesuit Communications