DREAMS

http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=WX_JfsWI8ds&feature=related

From Daily OM:

Quote:
Small Steps To Big Change
Making Big Change Easier
When we decide that it's time for big changes in our lives, it is wise to ease into them by starting small. Small changes allow us to grow into a new habit and make it a permanent part of our lives, whereas sudden changes may cause a sense of failure that makes it difficult to go on, and we are more likely to revert to our old ways. Even if we have gone that route and find ourselves contemplating the choice to start over again, we can decide to take it slowly this time, and move forward.

Sometimes the goals we set for ourselves are merely indicators of the need for change and are useful in getting us moving in the right direction. But it is possible that once we try out what seemed so ideal, we may find that it doesn't actually suit us, or make us feel the way we had hoped. By embarking on the path slowly, we have the chance to look around and consider other options as we learn and grow. We have time to examine the underlying values of the desire for change and find ways to manifest those feelings, whether it looks exactly like our initial goal or not. Taking small steps forward gives us time to adjust and find secure footing on our new path.

Life doesn't always give us the opportunity to anticipate or prepare for a big change, and we may find ourselves overwhelmed by what is in front of us. By choosing one thing to work on at a time, we focus our attention on something manageable, and eventually we will look up to see that we have accomplished quite a bit. Forcing change is, in essence, a sign that we do not trust the universe's wisdom. Instead, we can listen to our inner guidance and make changes at a pace that is right for us, ensuring that we do so in alignment with the rhythm of the universe.
Unquote

True for me, definitely...

Curiosier and curiosier!

I found an article on Kenko Hoshi in the Spanish Wikipedia, but not in the English one. Guess what, Kenko Hoshi is not his only name!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshida_Kenk%c5%8d

"Hoshi" actually means "monk", or "the one who teaches dharma (the right way)".

Second, there are several versions of the translation of his book's title!
Quote
Although traditionally translated as "Essays in Idleness," a more accurate translation would be "Notes from Leisure Hours" or "Leisure Hour Notes."
Unquote

I don't think you'll be bored looking for his book(s)

Also, if you have the chance, try to get a compilation of different old Japanese authors - including Sei-Shonagon. Very Japanese! I am reading it now (the same "follow-the-brush", zuihitsu, style) and enjoying it very much! Getting all sensitive to the colours of the leaves and the shapes of the moonlit clouds
Wishing you the same

I am sorry

I've found this:
http://booksinternationale.pbwiki.com/Kenko+Hoshi

Some things never change, do they...

Quote:
No man shall enter a house that somebody lives in without any reason. But if a house is uninhabited, any stranger would walk in without giving much thought to it, and creatures like foxes and owls would gladly flock in there and make it theirs. And then demons and ugly monsters of the woods will come and live in that house, too.

Another thing, look at a mirror: it has neither colour nor shape of its own. That's why it reflects anything that appears in front of it. Had it its colour and shape it wouldn't be able to reflect anything. Emptiness easily accomodates different objects within . And when various thoughts freely flow into our soul - could it be because we don't have a soul, I wonder? If the soul were a master of its house, we wouldn't have our chests tight with endless worries...
Unquote

And now, ladies and gentlemen! A video to go with it!
(I know Mira has already posted it, but this quote and this video click so fine that I'll repeat it...)

Osho: A Spiritually Incorrect Guruhttp://es.youtube.com/watch?v=6D7rWLzloOI

Enjoy!

Kanko Hosee starts with:
"Courtier Tikamoto wrote Self-Laudation Notes consisting of seven points. All of them are about horse-riding art and are in fact nothing special. I decided to follow his example and shall write down seven points of self-praise, too".
Then he goes on about... horse-riding the knowledge of calligraphy and Buddhist sutras, etc. Well, I'll follow his example, too

1. Sometimes I say things off-hand, without thinking, and they turn out to be true. In fact, this is the best way to predict.

2. I told Mira to stop nagging herself for not doing things and to enjoy no-doing, and Mira immediately felt better. Didn't you, Mira?

3. During Amma's program in Barcelona they wanted to make a dance to one of the 2007's hits. I was very busy all day and only managed to get to the rehearsal about 11pm. The girl was teaching since midday and was very, very tired. In the end I decided not to join the dancers because I was afraid to faint, so tired I was. But before I left I went to the instructor and said: "Oh, I just want to give you thanks - you were wonderful". She almost grew up and even lit up, in some sense! That was one more happy person Sometimes so little is needed to brighten somebody's day!

4. I can knit lots of various things and thingies.

5. I have a strange capacity to calm people down just by being around. Call me "a psychic vacuum-cleaner"

6. If I am worried all I need to do is to roll my eyes and say "Om" a few times. Actually I don't even need to roll my eyes. Who can beat THAT?

7. I still remember loads of songs and stories that I learnt ages ago, some of them in the childhood. I even remember songs in French that I learnt in the uni although in terms of speaking French I would be hard-pressed to say what my name is.

In the end, Kanko Hosee says: "Truth be told, any child would easily answer these questions, but our ancestors used to take an opportunity of any trifle to lavish praises upon themselves".

Well, in fact, I was feeling a bit uncomfortable praising myself, too, but... but yeah, why not!

Anyone else wants to praise oneself? But there've got to be seven points (at least), no cheating!

Wonderful! Finally, I got one of my favourites - The Japanese Prose of XI-XIV centuries - here with me (thank you, parents!).

I opened it at random and got this:

"One day Meoon-dzasoo met a physiognomist and asked him this:
- Could it happen that I suffer from a weapon?
- Indeed, - the physiognomist said, - there are signs of it.
- What signs are those?
- A person of your position shouldn't be worried about being wounded. However, you have still thought of it, although only for a moment, and have asked me. This, as such, is already an omen of such danger.

It turned true: he died stricken by an arrow".

http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=A9XbcyaJlTo

This is the continuation of "Psychic Defence"

I mentioned I got a good translation order hardly had I put Ganesh + citrine in the money corner. Right?
Well the job was a business meeting in a factory in Tarragona, about two hours away, and the clients would start early from Barcelona city. I live about 30 km from Barcelona so I agreed with a friend to spend the night in her house in order to be there on time.

I got there in the afternoon to find out where their hotel was, did it, and then we went for a walk. We saw a gem shop and decided to have a peek.

The shop was small and packed with all sorts of stones, the air was almost crackling - I'd say it was a bit too much! I saw a shelf with citrine of all shades and sizes and picked one of them up - and then I immediately thought: "Hm, I wonder who had touched this stone before me and what state was this person in!" So I put it back.
The second we walked out of the shop I had a cough attack that lasted a good few minutes! Really impressive, I just couldn't stop, finally my friend said: "It looks like something has stuck to you in the shop!" I managed to squeeze out "I bet", did an emergency energy cleaning, and was shaking and rubbing my hands all the way to her house. The sensation was almost of disgust combined with an urge to wash my hands as soon as possible.

At last, thanks God, we got to her flat, I finally washed them and did the cleaning exercise again.

The next day went more or less smoothly apart from a couple of technical hiccups but fortunately for me I am not shy - if I don't understand something I just ask for clarifications. Oh yes, on the way back we got lost in Barcelona... my bus (the last one for the day!) was leaving in half-an-hour and we were not sure where we actually were. But nothing happened, I managed to get on that bus, although it did cost me some nerves!

When I got home first thing I did was to check the energy levels. The previous day I took a "good luck in business" stone with me, having checked its energy before that - it was 18. When I checked it again, after this adventure - it was 7, i.e. down more than by half! I washed it - and it got up to 18 again. The aura was damaged, too, although only slightly. A few mantras and frankincense aromatic sticks did the recuperation job

The epimyth: don't grab things (especially the things of power) as soon as you glance at them - at the very least, check what they make you feel before touching them!
(Don Juan, I take my hat off, yet again... you used to say it, didn't you?)

I had a really nice Sunday. Went to Barcelona to see a friend (while my husband is away on a business trip ) and it was one of those days when everything turns out well. Flowing.

We were walking down La Rambla and saw an Indian shop, strangely, open on Sunday. I am a magpie woman, I like glittery thingies, so I had a look and got myself a little Ganesha. There was a tiny figure of a mouse on the statuette and according to the shop-assistant, "Ganesha eat - mouse also eat. People give food to Ganesha, not give to mouse. Ganesha has too much, give little to mouse". I thought that it was sweet and sounded good - generosity coming from abundance. My line, definitely

Then we walked around a book fair and saw a stall with gems. Just a couple of days ago I had a look in a book about their properties - and there is was, a citrine, a gem that attracts abundance, too. Off it went into my bag.

Then we had a lunch and a really nice chat. Everything was going smoothly - no queue in the caffee (it started forming when we reached the cashier ), bus coming as soon I got to the stop, generally, green light everywhere. Nice day!

When I got home I put the two money attractors and benefactors in the wealth corner (according to fen-shui) - and they looked there just fine - I'd say they make a good team! I felt really good, literally, I was about to jump around like a rabbit. In fact I felt so good that I wanted to share it with somebody. So I went to the comp.

And boom! there it came. A really low vibe email. And I physically felt my energy levels going down right thru the floor, even the room suddenly seemed darker. It wasn't an intended psychic attack, the person was just complaining but doing a very, very impressive job of it.

I thought: "Stop". I closed my eyes, recalled the state of joy I was in just seconds ago, returned there, pulled a protective aura on... made sure it stayed... and started reading again. And the mail's vibes didn't affect me anymore! At all! I even answered in a very positive key, and the later reaction was something like "You always know how to calm me down". Oh, cheers, mate...

I am posting this because I think that people might find it useful. If you want to read more about psychic defence, I recommend You and Your Aura by Joseph Ostrom and The Psychic Energy Workbook by R. Michael Miller and Josephine M. Harper. There are lots of books about energy protection in the world, I am sure, but these two are the ones I've read and am using.

Oh yeah! Another e-mail that I got was a translation job offer - a rather good one, too. I thought: "Wow, this was quick..."
Ganesha certainly rocks!