Balanced on a Pin

A delicate song about the hopeful fragility of human relationships.  If you don't handle them gracefully, they'll evaporate into thin air and be gone.  And it's hard to get them to "land" in the real world.

Meher Baba's Birthday

Today throughout the world, people in the know are celebrating Meher Baba's birthday (b. February 25, 1894; d. January 31, 1969).  Meher Baba, our most avuncular Avatar, was silent for the last 44 years of his life.  However, he was still a master communicator and dictated several important messages and prayers.  This one happened to be written in the 1960's with some inventive and imaginative variations on the attributes of God, those being everyone and every thing in Existence. 

Baba said that one day this prayer would be sung or recited in every household of the world.  I believe him, even though I can't imagine how on earth we're going to get from where we are today to that future.  I believe it; I just can't imagine the path from here to there.  Nonetheless, in the spirit of play and faithfulness, I offer this version of the prayer, "You Alone Exist," in honor of Baba's birthday today.

Give it a listen -- you'll be happily surprised.  Or offended, as the case may be.  Depends upon how open your minds and hearts are.

How To Make A Difference

There are so many things we take for granted here in America.  In reality, we're a very spoiled people who complain too easily and too loudly about insignificant things.  If you want to go beyond that, here is a wonderful opportunity.

This Italian fellow was visiting a town in India and when a woman begging in the street asked him to buy milk for she and her child, he didn't hesitate.  His warm open-heartedness led to a invitation to visit her family and then an introduction to the school which will fund her children's education, so that they can move beyond the begging life.  It turns out the school is also run by an Italian woman named Mara.

In the description box below the video is the web address for the school should you feel moved to contribute in some way.

 

Greasing the Skids

The more tightly you hold onto something, the more easily it will slip from your grasp. It's an illogical conundrum, but it's also the truth. You can't micromanage the Universe.

Some people believe in magic. Some people believe in logic. I don't believe in either. I believe in the intuitive perceptions of the heart.

But it only works if you're honest. If you can't be honest, at least be real.

A Short Tribute to David Crosby

David Crosby passed on January 18th.  He recorded this music less than two years ago.  He had a strong creative burst right at the end of his life.  He may have known somehow that time was short.  

This song is called "I Think I" (found my way).  David does his usual take, which is to say "there's no instructions and no map."  True, and not true.  There are instructions and maps all over the place, if you have your wits about you.  But as with traveling by a map, it's one thing to get a mental picture of a route; it's quite another to actually traverse the terrain.  Life is like that.

David always had an odd infusion of humility in his arrogance.  I found that appealing.  He alienated almost everyone he ever knew, but he owned it.  You have to have balls, metaphorically speaking, to go your own way in life.  Everyone will question your choices; they'll all try to shoot you down.  

Leave them in the dust and keep going.  Go where there's no map.  You may lose your way -- but then you'll find it again and who knows?  You may bust into a vista never before seen.