Can I be in the past? Should, could and would have been
distract me from seeing
the things that are being. “The past has no power over the present moment.”
― Eckhart Tolle
Will it?
Can I act in the future? I shall, will or won’t,
distract me from doing
what I have in front. “You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do.”
― Attributed to Carl Gustav Jung
Will it? — artwork from “It is about time”
distract me from doing
what I have in front. “You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do.”
― Attributed to Carl Gustav Jung
In-sight
What, at this moment, is lacking? Briefly without thoughts.
Mind calm and body at ease.
Can thoughts stop at will? “When you find your place where you are, practice occurs.”
― Dōgen
In-sight — artwork from “It is about time”
Mind calm and body at ease.
Can thoughts stop at will? “When you find your place where you are, practice occurs.”
― Dōgen
As it is
Can I stop thoughts with very smart arguments? Moment to moment,
accepting what is.
Attention sustained,
thought patterns lose strength.
Flow of sensation,
peaceful mind awakes. “No thought, no reflection, no analysis, no cultivation, no intention; let it settle itself.”
― Tilopa
As it is — artwork from “It is about time”
accepting what is.
Attention sustained,
thought patterns lose strength.
Flow of sensation,
peaceful mind awakes. “No thought, no reflection, no analysis, no cultivation, no intention; let it settle itself.”
― Tilopa
Now or never
Do I do, or does doing do me? I act or react.
Reaction is unconscious.
Action is conscious. “Life is just action and reaction, rationalizations are added later on”
― Ibn-e-Safi
Now or never — artwork from “It is about time”
Reaction is unconscious.
Action is conscious. “Life is just action and reaction, rationalizations are added later on”
― Ibn-e-Safi
Around the clock
If time is money, how much time do I make a month? Doing what brings peace.
Shared with people I love.
The time that is worth. “Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.”
― Theophrastus
Around the clock — artwork from “It is about time”
Shared with people I love.
The time that is worth. “Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.”
― Theophrastus
Climbing the ladder
How much time spent contending with me through them? Flowers in spring.
The warmth of the summer sun.
Two-week holiday.
Leaves in autumn.
The clear white snow in winter.
A year-end bonus. “Never mistake activity for achievement.”
― John Wooden
Climbing the ladder — artwork from “It is about time”
The warmth of the summer sun.
Two-week holiday.
Leaves in autumn.
The clear white snow in winter.
A year-end bonus. “Never mistake activity for achievement.”
― John Wooden
Distractedly or Attentively
When are my deeds most effective? I made a mistake.
The mind had wandered away.
No blame. Try again. “If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?”
― John Wooden
Distractedly or Attentively — artwork from “It is about time”
The mind had wandered away.
No blame. Try again. “If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?”
― John Wooden
Updated
Is simple getting simpler? Not being where you are,
while your mind is somewhere else,
being what you aren’t. “Life is really simple but we insist on making it complicated.”
― Attributed to Confucius
Updated — artwork from “It is about time”
while your mind is somewhere else,
being what you aren’t. “Life is really simple but we insist on making it complicated.”
― Attributed to Confucius
Social fast food
Do I post my life or do I live to post? Path covered in snow,
as wild fox stares, I think:
I need to post this.
My feet on wet shore,
sun bathes in a hundred colours:
High engagement rate. “The camera makes everyone a tourist in other people’s reality, and eventually in one’s own.”
― Susan Sontag
Social fast food — artwork from “It is about time”
as wild fox stares, I think:
I need to post this.
My feet on wet shore,
sun bathes in a hundred colours:
High engagement rate. “The camera makes everyone a tourist in other people’s reality, and eventually in one’s own.”
― Susan Sontag
Product life cycle
A tool? Or a tool of the tool? Birth, growth and decay.
Pick wild berries and mushrooms.
Cherry blossom day.
Product release date.
Sleep in line outside a shop.
The Black Friday sale. “As you think, so shall you become.”
― Bruce Lee
Product life cycle — artwork from “It is about time”
Pick wild berries and mushrooms.
Cherry blossom day.
Product release date.
Sleep in line outside a shop.
The Black Friday sale. “As you think, so shall you become.”
― Bruce Lee
What next?
Will the present ever be enough? In not having enough,
and craving for more,
the life of some goes. “Contentment is the greatest wealth.”
― Dhammapada
What next? — artwork from “It is about time”
and craving for more,
the life of some goes. “Contentment is the greatest wealth.”
― Dhammapada
The more system
What approaches faster, the faster we go? I do it in half the time.
They get used to it.
They ask twice as much. “There is more to life than increasing its speed.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
The more system — artwork from “It is about time”
They get used to it.
They ask twice as much. “There is more to life than increasing its speed.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
Let go of the future
How often was I right foreseeing my future in the past? A few days from now:
Weather forecast said sunny.
But it is raining.
Some years from now:
Weather forecast said rainy.
But it is sunny. “Do not reject the present moment to pursue what time will bring. Reject what time will bring to pursue the present moment.”
― Buddhist proverb
Let go of the future — artwork from “It is about time”
Weather forecast said sunny.
But it is raining.
Some years from now:
Weather forecast said rainy.
But it is sunny. “Do not reject the present moment to pursue what time will bring. Reject what time will bring to pursue the present moment.”
― Buddhist proverb
Now o’clock
What time is it? Day, night, dusk or dawn.
Not too late nor too early.
It’s always right now. “There is no beginning and there is no end to time. There is only your perception of time.”
― Zen proverb
Now o’clock — artwork from “It is about time”
Not too late nor too early.
It’s always right now. “There is no beginning and there is no end to time. There is only your perception of time.”
― Zen proverb
Slow up
Is my life better the faster things go? Slow down world’s speed.
To choose to go slower.
That real change is. “There is a secret bond between slowness and memory,
between speed and forgetting.”
― Milan Kundera
Slow up — artwork from “It is about time”
To choose to go slower.
That real change is. “There is a secret bond between slowness and memory,
between speed and forgetting.”
― Milan Kundera
The tyranny of speed
Am I free to slow down? “We used to dial; now we speed dial.
We used to read; now we speed read.
We used to walk; now we speed walk.
We used to date, and now we speed date.
Even things that are by their very nature slow
we try and speed them up, too.”
― Carl Honore
The tyranny of speed — artwork from “It is about time”
We used to read; now we speed read.
We used to walk; now we speed walk.
We used to date, and now we speed date.
Even things that are by their very nature slow
we try and speed them up, too.”
― Carl Honore
Inside outsider
Can I give what I do not have? From mind it all grows.
Deeds from words, words from thoughts.
Bring peace to the source. “You can do more good by being good than any other way.”
― John Wooden
Inside outsider — artwork from “It is about time”
Deeds from words, words from thoughts.
Bring peace to the source. “You can do more good by being good than any other way.”
― John Wooden
Clockwise?
Do I master the clock or am I mastered by it? The moon and the sun.
The harvest and the seasons.
The nine and the five. “Be master of mind rather than mastered by mind.”
― Zen proverb
Clockwise? — artwork from “It is about time”
The harvest and the seasons.
The nine and the five. “Be master of mind rather than mastered by mind.”
― Zen proverb
Here…now
Where and when do all things end and begin? If you are depressed, you are living in the past.
If you are anxious, you are living in the future.
If you are at peace, you are living in the present.
Here…now — artwork from “It is about time”
If you are anxious, you are living in the future.
If you are at peace, you are living in the present.
Flow
Does a healthy mind harm its own body? Breathe in, breathe out.
Awareness of the body.
Breathe in, breathe out. “What we call ‘I’ is just a swinging door which moves when we inhale and when we exhale.”
― Shunryu Suzuki
Flow — artwork from “It is about time”
Awareness of the body.
Breathe in, breathe out. “What we call ‘I’ is just a swinging door which moves when we inhale and when we exhale.”
― Shunryu Suzuki
Moment to moment
Where does peace begin? “Your insights become your thoughts,
your thoughts become your words,
your words become your actions,
your actions become your habits,
your habits become your values,
your values become your destiny.”
― Attributed to Mahatma Gandhi
Moment to moment — artwork from “It is about time”
your thoughts become your words,
your words become your actions,
your actions become your habits,
your habits become your values,
your values become your destiny.”
― Attributed to Mahatma Gandhi
Take your time
When do we find balance? With attention.
Without competition.
In the centre. “Just take your time - wave comes.
Let the other guys go, catch another one.”
― Duke Kahanamoku
Take your time — artwork from “It is about time”
Without competition.
In the centre. “Just take your time - wave comes.
Let the other guys go, catch another one.”
― Duke Kahanamoku
Right speed
Are we going faster than nature? Too fast.
In sync.
Too slow. “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”
― Tao Te Ching
Right speed — artwork from “It is about time”
In sync.
Too slow. “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”
― Tao Te Ching
Sharing time
Where does a child’s mind spend most of the time? I give it to him.
The child gives it back.
Then we both smile. “Zen is to have the heart and soul of a little child.”
― Takuan Sōhō
Sharing time — artwork from “It is about time”
The child gives it back.
Then we both smile. “Zen is to have the heart and soul of a little child.”
― Takuan Sōhō
It is never too early
What am I waiting for? Perfect conditions,
right timing and proper plan:
Excuses of the mind. “If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.”
― Bruce Lee
It is never too early — artwork from “It is about time”
right timing and proper plan:
Excuses of the mind. “If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.”
― Bruce Lee
For the rest of right now
What is forever made of? If now we are fine,
and now we are still fine,
now we will be fine. “Forever is composed of nows.”
― Emily Dickinson
For the rest of right now — artwork from “It is about time”
and now we are still fine,
now we will be fine. “Forever is composed of nows.”
― Emily Dickinson
Being together
Who would I rather spend my time with? Important to you?
Then you will find the time.
An excuse otherwise. “It is the time you have wasted for your rose
that makes your rose so important.”
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Being together — artwork from “It is about time”
Then you will find the time.
An excuse otherwise. “It is the time you have wasted for your rose
that makes your rose so important.”
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Our present to you
What is the most precious thing we can give? To find calm in mind,
one can always come back to:
A teaching for life. “The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they bloom like flowers.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh
Our present to you — artwork from “It is about time”
one can always come back to:
A teaching for life. “The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they bloom like flowers.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh
The practice
Empty of all thoughts.
Flow of present sensations.
Awakes peaceful mind. “Meditation is to get insight, to get understanding and compassion, and when you have them, you are compelled to act.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh
The practice — artwork from “It is about time”
Flow of present sensations.
Awakes peaceful mind. “Meditation is to get insight, to get understanding and compassion, and when you have them, you are compelled to act.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh
Was it?
Mind being where it was,
distracts attention of what is,
where you really are.
“”Just take your time - wave comes.
Let the other guys go; catch another one.Duke Kahanamoku
distracts attention of what is,
where you really are.
“”Just take your time - wave comes.
Let the other guys go; catch another one.Duke Kahanamoku
