Unbearable, this song of lightThat ends the day before soft nightA gradient of blue to goldA harmony, exquisite foldsWill live its life in seconds toldContent to live and die, this
Category: mindfulness
A Union of Opposites (2)A Union of Opposites (2)
In Part One, we looked at the subtle meaning of the word ‘elements’, and how spiritual paths like Yoga and the Western Mystery Tradition (WMT) view them as essential components
A Union of OppositesA Union of Opposites
Anyone having a basic knowledge of the history of philosophical thought will be familiar with the ‘quaint notion’ that the world is made of a mixture of four ‘elements’ –
Intention chooses Heaven (2)Intention chooses Heaven (2)
In Part One, we looked at the personal development of equanimity as an important step in attaining an inner state that allows room for new, and deeper, aspects of consciousness.
Intention chooses HeavenIntention chooses Heaven
The words stopped my reading… I mean I read them and had to go back to them, immediately – not even finishing the sentence before returning. Intention has long fascinated.
Crouching Tiger…Crouching Tiger…
Images and Text from the Silent Eye Workshop: Whispers in the West… Or maybe… * Not quite… * So hidden?
St David’s Head…St David’s Head…
Images and Text from the Silent Eye Workshop: Whispers in the West… Above it all… * Aries in Ochre… * Seal-Calf Grazing… * Provocatively Pensive Environs… * Plundered and Strewn?…
A Preponderance of Stone: Carreg Coetan Arthur…A Preponderance of Stone: Carreg Coetan Arthur…
Images and Text from the Silent Eye Workshop: Whispers in the West… God’s own Garden… * Two Tone Support… * Mottled Mother Lode… * Earth’s Tail End… * Immovable Object
Forget-me-notForget-me-not
As I pulled the book from the shelf and opened it, a flower fell from between its pages. Its colour gone, its petals so fragile they cracked and crumbled as
Deportment for the soulDeportment for the soul
He passed me the disc, about the size of a small dinner plate and quite heavy. My hands were full of things needing to go through to the kitchen. There
InterpretationsInterpretations
“ … the standard translation of one of the chief scriptures of China refers to the venerable Lao Tse as “the Old Boy”. This sounds comical to European ears, yet
ChaliceChalice
“Empty your mind… empty yourself…you are nothing and nowhere… just floating in the embrace of the universe…” It is a nice idea and one I have heard at the start
Work in progressWork in progress
“Every Warrior of the Light has felt afraid of going into battle. Every Warrior of the Light has, at some time in the past, lied or betrayed someone. Every Warrior
HealingHealing
“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” That has to be one of the most popular quotes from the work of the thirteenth-century Persian poet, Rumi. You
PersonalPersonal
It is undoubtedly an incredible piece of craftsmanship. It is unbelievably impressive, designed specifically to be awe-inspiring, streaming light and colour into the great cavern of Bath Abbey. It is
The heartbeat of eternityThe heartbeat of eternity
Peering at the faded remains of a dark ‘instant’ photo from the seventies, I felt both close to and distant from the young woman silhouetted against the fence. Her future
Fear and Love in the High Peak – part oneFear and Love in the High Peak – part one
It’s not the best of photo resolutions, but the above image says it all. Briony saluting the Derbyshire landscape in her own way at the end of three days of
The Cycle of LifeThe Cycle of Life
The approach of the autumn always makes me reflect on the nature of life; in particular the way the mysterious essence of life takes form and shape, ‘living’ for a
Half-seeingHalf-seeing
Image: ©️Stephen Tanham The spiritual teacher and philosopher Krishnamurti once wrote: ‘Recognition dulls the mind’. When I first read it, years ago, I disagreed with his proposition. Surely, I reasoned,
Land of the HeartLand of the Heart
This is a self-help exercise I developed recently. I call it ‘Land of the Heart’ It’s an exercise that involves the surrender of the small self that feels so much
Vexed by the Tribe 2 – the fabrication of complexityVexed by the Tribe 2 – the fabrication of complexity
We’re visiting relatives. It’s friendly. We have a light meal and some cake to follow. But then someone mentions Brexit and a cold frost descends on the room… My wife
Vexed by the TribeVexed by the Tribe
I am vexed… It’s a word you don’t hear much, now. Old English, I believe. It describes an agitated state of mind – and possibly body – when something nagging
Primal ScreenPrimal Screen
Somewhere in the frontal cortex of our brains there’s a very special junction – a place where we learned to do something truly different with our minds… Let’s call it
Only a Horse and a SwordOnly a Horse and a Sword
We become habitual in our thinking. It’s a good idea (and fun) to play little games with our mind to help us look at things differently. One of these is
Death and the SalesmanDeath and the Salesman
In a few short weeks it will be September. We (the Silent Eye) have been invited to speak at the Unitarian Society of Psychical Studies annual conference at the Nightingale