Saturday, August 2, 2014

Lose your mind, come to your senses


Nothing can cure the soul but the senses,
 just as nothing can cure the senses 
but the soul.
*
For the senses wander, 
and when one lets the mind follow them, 
it carries 
wisdom away 
like a windblown ship 
on the waters.


Friday, August 1, 2014

Tree of 40 Fruits


The tree that carries 40 different kinds of fruit and 40 shades of blossoms!

Most of the year, it looks pretty ordinary, but in the spring it becomes quite a sight - the tree blossoms display various tones of pink, crimson, and white. 
Then, from July through October, it bears 40 different types of stone fruit, including almonds, apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches, and plums.
 So far, 16 of these trees have been grown, each taking about five years. 
Primarily composed of native and antique varieties the Tree of 40 Fruit are a form of conservation, preserving heirloom stone fruit varieties that are not commercially produced or available.

Project by  Sam van Aken

Feeling really "Einstein" today

Among many others who have walked before us,
I have always admired Albert Einstein
Not only for his contribution to science but even more so for his character and world views. His most famous theorem is often chosen to symbolize the whole concept of modern education. But it seems to me, we tend to forget that even Einstein himself believed that knowing the "facts" and equations isn't everything. There are other things far more important in a person's neverending path of self-eduaction. 

"The intuitive mind is a sacred Gift 
and the rational mind is a faithful Servant.
 We have created a society 
that honors the Servant and
 has forgotten the Gift."

Our understanding of our existence and surroundings is relative, thus, in a way, there is no such thing as facts. Reality as we know it is a limitless system of changeable products of the processes of our mind.
Over the years it has intrigued and puzzled me
how he seems to have found the perfect balance
between two polarities of existence - the rational and irrational.
On one hand he represents the strict world of provable equations, 
on the other he questioned the whole concept of reality and our perception of it altogether. 
"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."
He was definitely a genius, and kind of crazy. But then again - the line between those two often is very thin. As he said:
 "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, 
and still expecting different results."
So who is the insane one, truly?

Creativity IS a treat of EVERY true genius. Being genius also means being chaotic, spontaneous, discovering new perspectives, breaking down imaginary walls.
A true genius looks beyond what we percieve to be real and what are considered to be facts.
Facts often tend to be everchanging constants in time, under the influence of our own limited perception and capability to comprehend.
 "If the facts don't fit in the theory, maybe we should change the facts?"
 Life should not be taken too seriously.
 "Creativity is intelligence having fun.
Imagination is more important than knowledge. 
Knowledge is limited;
 imagination encircles the world."
So learn to think for yourself and you will go far; learn to dream, and you can conquer the world.
 "Two things are infinite - the universe and human stupidity... and I'm not so sure about the universe.
There is nothing like the capability of a mind freed from boundries. There is nothing like the freedom of creating your own reality.
If great minds find the courage to stay true to who they are, they are destined to stand out and inevitably set the course of the collective mindset for those that come after them.
"Try not to become a man of success; rather try to become a man of value."
Who does a lot, achieves a lot. The only one that never fails, is the one that never even tried.
It took me years to realize that it's perfectly ok to prefer to live in my own reality, to find joy from the company of my thoughts and imagination, rather then to push myself to seek the company of other people; to admire above all creativity in process and the mind of a true genius as it pushes down montains and questions our whole existance as we know it. 
It took me years to find out that there even is a name for people like me - introverts. Einstein was one:
"I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity."
And finally, the twist to the plot:
But you know what - it doesn't even really matter. In the end, all histroy is sports for the brains, never the truth but only a "translation" of it; at best a tool for becoming more aware of what we are and why we are. We all have our own lessons to learn and our own fights to fight.. 
take what you get and make the most of it.