Sem tempo para amar a si mesmo ele acabou perdendo a si mesmo.
Pensou que aqueles objetos — valiosos metais no mercado — fossem peças para construir o poder que ele queria, pensando que isso daria vida à sua perfeição.
Equivocado e perdido — lamentou, gritando sua dor disfarçada em palavras de ordem.
Fraco e cansado — mal sabia: a perfeição tinha morada nele (assim como em você) eternamente.
Chegou um dia de primavera. Ele já não podia ser seu próprio ditador para se tornar um outro indivíduo, e viajou de volta para casa, onde vida e Natureza são Um.
Aphrodite/Venus crouched or bathing Unknown artist Museu Nacional de Belas Artes, Rio de Janeiro
Did you look at yourself in the mirror today? I suppose you did. Perhaps you woke up, washed your face and saw yourself in the mirrored medicine cabinet. Perhaps you checked out wrinkles or found out some brand new white hair. Have you analyzed the colors and how they match after you got dressed? Or maybe tried to figure out whether to tuck in your shirt? You might have combed your hair and tried to tie it up in a different way or just made a ponytail because you didn’t have time to wash, dry, etc., etc.
When you looked at yourself, did you see yourself? Could you actually see your self? Did you observe? To observe is to go further past the virtual layer we create; it is to dissolve the unreal identity which meets expectations ego creates—ours and the others’—for the sheer purpose of… Fitting in a specific social space.
The way you identify yourself while watching your self is your identity. We are not ID numbers nor are we statistics. In reality, each one of us is the inside; we are whatever is beyond the image, beyond records.
“Everything is said by an observer,” wrote Chilean scientist Humberto Maturana.
The human being is a living complex system, which means humans are not mechanisms or systems with fixed structures. Moreover, we are dynamic and, therefore, in our interactions we constantly change—behavior and structure are mutable. Consequently, it is impossible to determine an adequate, permanent conduct for living systems in every possible context, because we cannot predict variations.
And thus interactions between living beings are endless learning processes as we must see individuals in their own environment, in their own time, by respecting their structural changes. Which is a great challenge for those who, clung to norms—socially constructed beliefs—do not connect with what life is: dynamic happenings.
Connecting with life does not mean to speak for diversity, but rather to act detached, understanding there is diversity within diversity itself, and that individual identities are not exactly what you name. Identity is that which you can touch and understand, once you go past the surface, diving deep into the I.
However, if one fears one’s truth, one most certainly will not surrender oneself to learning the others’ truths—diving is an act of courage—and, therefore, will not experience Love. While lacking Love, one denies history and builds existences by settling identities from one’s own prejudice, establishing one’s own comfort and pleasure within stagnation and apathy.
We are historical: our ancestors’ continuum. But we are history now—individual, reedited, updated, and expanded lives. Only by really observing can an observer speak about individuals, for it takes connection and learning the oneness, and yet peculiarity, of existences.
Although this is all very important mainly because we live in community, most of all, one must be one’s own observer.
Watch yourself mindfully and you shall be able to answer the question: Who are you? Then you might be able to truly connect with other beings.
Life is no competition nor trial. Life is experience.
Shrī-Yantra Symbol of Life (universal and individual) as incessant interaction of cooperating opposites
The Absolute contains in itself eternity, passive energy, and dynamism of Time, active energy. Heaven and Earth. Antagonists, yet cooperative, such energies are spheres of being, both within existence. Unfolded into duality It originated the Universe and creatures. The world, therefore, personifies life polarities into distinctions of elements, individual reminiscences of The Absolute broken to smithereens.
As male humans personify passive energy, the roots, female humans are activating energy, the womb. But in essence they are one. While we are temporal and spatial development, we transcend time and space as manifestations of antagonistic aspects of existence, The Absolute.
Resting in the core of our being, in the vessels which our bodies are, is the Highest Essence from which we continuously expand. Although ineffable and inconceivable in human materialism, Divine energy — wholeness — is in all of us; It is experienced as Life within the being and Life of the Cosmos. Life is Love.
From Life’s longing for itself Life comes through—Nirvana is two mirrors staring at each other. It is only by achieving consciousness—being awake—that we experience Oneness, the All in all of us, comprehending the twofold process of creation (and dissolution), and understanding the true: The Absolute is not to be split, dissolved, disintegrated.
Therefore, through our bodies The Divine expresses itself. And once we wake up from the sleep of partition we are able to experience—share and receive—All in its totality. We are both universal life and individual life, a continuous interaction of cooperative opposites in creation process. Light flashes through us.
Aum Shanti May all beings exist in Peach, Love and Life Bhuvi ♥︎
From Life’s longing for itself Life comes through. Creation is Love, Light flashing through us.
Vida é a energia divina que ocupa nosso corpo; é puro Amor e Natureza. Vida é a existência pacífica dos seres sencientes.
É isso? Ou deveria ser assim?
O que é vida, afinal? É o que recebemos ou é o que fazemos com o que recebemos? Quem é dono da vida?
Decidi sair para uma caminhada em meditação e sentir a vida. Depois de algum tempo me abri para o mundo ao meu redor, e isto é o que eu recebi:
“Pessoas não são descartáveis”, dizia o grafite no muro atrás do homem que dormia em cobertores imundos, em uma rua chamada Voluntários da Pátria, onde fileiras de prédios, em ambos os lados, esticavam-se até o céu: pedaços particulares do paraíso, hostis àquele cidadão e aos outros encolhidos na calçada, em frente a cada um dos bancos e a cada uma das igrejas.
“Who cares?” Ou, quem se importa? — era a estampa da camisa de um pedestre.
Mentalmente repeti a pergunta e alguns quarteirões depois recebi a resposta.
Um homem pedia dinheiro; mostrava três moedas na mão e falava que o café da manhã é a refeição mais importante, porque dá impulso para começar o dia. Ele sorriu com a boca vazia e os dois cachorros dele abanaram o rabo, enquanto eu lhe entregava algum dinheiro.
— Querem brincar!
— São bonitos os cachorros. Qual é o nome deles?
— Vida e Beethoven. A Vida fugiu de mim uma vez. Mas eu encontrei ela de volta, com ajuda dos vizinhos por aqui. Ela é durona. Mas se você não ficar bem atento a ela, ela pode simplesmente escapar de você. Ela é doida. Eu amo a Vida! Mas você não pode contar que é garantido que ela está ali. Toda manhã, assim que eu abro os olhos eu vejo se a Vida está comigo. Sabe? A gente precisa mesmo é saber o que realmente importa. Você precisa olhar na direção dela. Olhar dentro dos olhos dela. Olha! Sério! O que você vê? Cuida disso. O que você vê nos olhos da Vida é tesouro. E… Sabe? Quando eu pensei que tinha perdido ela, algumas pessoas me ajudaram, mas eu é que tenho que cuidar. Entende? Sou responsável pelo que acontece com a Vida; ela é minha responsabilidade desde o dia que eu recebi ela. Fé. Tenho fé… Na Vida. Mas aí tem gente que trata mal a Vida. Minha Vida, sabe? Eu posso até estar nessas condições aí, mas minha Vida não pertence a eles. Não. Eles podem ter dinheiro; eu tenho Amor. Eu tenho a Vida.
— Te entendo! — eu tinha lágrimas nos olhos.
— Agora olha como os dois são felizes juntos! Eu não acho que a Vida seria feliz sem Beethoven! Ele é quieto, relaxado, assim… Eu amo ele também. Bem… A Vida é especial. A Vida é um presente que me deram. E quando você recebe um presente, você toma conta dele. Se ele acabar sendo difícil, você simplesmente tem que fazer o seu melhor para conseguir. Porque… Sério! Quando você age, só o fato de você agir já é um sucesso. Ah! E obrigado pelo sorriso. Não tem muita gente que faz isso por aqui.
Enquanto Elson e eu apertamos as mãos, Vida e Beethoven pularam em mim e a pergunta, em minha mente: Quem se importa?
Elson e os vizinhos se importam; Vida e Beethoven, também.
Pessoas não são descartáveis; cada um de nós conta. Seja presidindo um país ou dormindo debaixo de marquises, não importa a cor, etnia, sexualidade ou sexo, o valor de uma pessoa está no próprio fato de essa pessoa existir. Todas as vidas importam. Todas as vidas são vivíveis, e todas as vidas são passíveis de luto.
Life is the divine energy populating bodies; it is pure Love and Nature. Life is the peaceful existence of sentient beings.
Is it? Or should it be?
What is Life, after all? Is it what we get or is it what we do of what we get? Who owns life?
I have decided to go out for walking meditation and feel life. After a while I opened myself to the world surrounding me, and this is what I received:
“People are not disposable,” read a graffiti on the wall behind a man sleeping in filthy blankets, on a street named “Homeland Volunteers,” where lines of buildings on both sides stretched up to the sky like private pieces of heaven, hostile to that citizen and others curled up on the sidewalk, in front of every single bank and church.
“Who cares?”—was printed on a passerby’s t-shirt.
I mentally repeated the question and some blocks later was given an answer.
A man begged for money, showing three coins in his hand and talking about how breakfast is the most important meal because it kickstarts the day. He smiled with his empty mouth, and his two dogs wagged their tales while I handed him some money.
“They want to play!”
“Beautiful dogs. What are their names?”
“Life and Beethoven. Life ran away from me once. But I found her back, with the help of neighbors around here. She’s tough. But if you don’t watch her carefully, she might just slip away. She’s crazy. I love Life! But you cannot take her for granted. Every morning, as soon as my eyes are open I check and make sure Life is with me. You know, it’s all about knowing what really matters. You have got to look in her direction. Look into her eyes. I mean, look! Really! What do you see? Take care of that. What you see in the eyes of Life is treasure. And… You know? When I thought I have lost her, some people helped but it’s really on me. You get it? I’m accountable for whatever happens to Life; she’s my responsibility since the day I got her. Faith. I have faith… In Life. But then there are people who treat Life bad. My Life, you see? I might be in this condition but my Life does not belong to them. No it doesn’t. They might have money; I have Love. I have Life.”
“I hear ya!”—I had tears in my eyes.
“Now, check out both happy together! I don’t think Life would be happy without Beethoven! He’s quiet, relaxed, I mean, I love him too. Well, you know, Life is special. I was given Life as a gift. And when you are given a gift you take care of it. If it turns out to be hard, just do your best and you will succeed. Because… Seriously! When you take action, just the very fact of taking action is success. And, by the way, thanks for the smile. Not many people do that.”
As Elson and I shook hands Life and Beethoven jumped on me, and that question popped into my mind again: Who cares?
Elson and the neighbors do, Life and Beethoven, too.
People are not disposable; each one of us count. Whether presiding a country or sleeping under marquees, whatever color, ethnicity, sexuality or sex, one’s value is in the very fact that one exists. Every life matters. All lives are livable; all lives are grievable.
“Living evolution is allowing the dance of creation, the dance of destruction, and the dance of liberation.”
The system transforms people into gears to make up a machine which exchanges lives for money; it establishes patterns to oppress individual natures. While wheels are turning, oppressors and victims are dehumanized. At the end of the day, the feeling is of losing one self and being defeated.
While feeling thwarted and urged to compete, individuals are motivated to act with violence against the “Other” who became mere enemy created by a powerful supremacy to maintain people under control. Because ultimately friendly connections—loving relationships—are threatening for their strength and refusal to submit.
Thus, breaking bonds with other human beings is to fall into the power game set by those heading the system, holding the key to run the machine which transforms us into objects lacking human essence. In this game, use of violence (physical and psychological), ruling the body of others, and dehumanization are norms, consequently human beings are segregated—separated into groups and labeled by sex, gender, race, religion, weight, health condition, ideas…—divided by supremacy of fake perfection or absolute power to those who consider themselves models. And thus are born patriarchs, fascists, egocentric people, who make use of authoritarianism and intolerance to control and subjugate disregarded people.
We know who wins such game: People are socialized not to show affection, and to accept social roles, judge, and discriminate; and even oppressed they perpetuate oppression. However, “Absolute power for patriarchs is not freeing. The nature of fascism is such that it controls, limits, and restricts leaders as well as the people fascists oppress.” (bell hooks, 1981)
To resist is, therefore, to accept human beings as one. In each individual dwells every sentient being; we are a communion of lives. While denying one’s life you deny everyone’s life, including yours. In community, when you point out and say “the Others” it is like you are pronouncing the words facing a mirror. Your resistance begins within, letting go of inherited concepts and knowledge; expressly, destructing the old, retrograde, and harmful to construct the new. That is actual salvation. There is no resurrection without death; no creation without destruction.
Living evolution is allowing the dance of creation, the dance of destruction, and the dance of liberation. Being aware so to experience life and not simply accept oppressions, patterns, and perpetuate bigotry. It is vital that you know how to give yourself completely to humanity without focusing on the task of feeding your ego. Therefore, it is paramount to learn the issues, be conscious, and act; act daily, linking discourse and action.
Those dances take place within us; they are happening now. Listen inside.
Conventional knowledge is death to our souls, and it is not really ours.
Vivi a vida partido pelo medo que me ensinaram a ter. Sentia que era diferente, errado, um tolo. Aprendi que devemos temer os estranhos.
Isso foi o que me fizeram acreditar; esse foi o jogo no qual fui pego.
“Não sorria para estranhos.” “Não fale com estranhos.” “Não aceite balas de estranhos.” “Não seja assim tão bobo!”
Até o dia em que me dei conta de que, tão preocupado com os outros, eu era estranho para mim mesmo.
Ensinam de tudo para nós, exceto como amar ou até mesmo o que significa Amor. Mostram-nos de tudo, exceto a verdade. Quando você é uma criança, ninguém conversa sobre como se tornar seu próprio amigo. E então, para ser verdadeiro você precisa ter coragem, porque mentir e se adaptar a padrões é a norma.
Não deixe de apreciar o valor da vida de ninguém; nunca deixe de apreciar sua própria vida. Seja compreensivo. A diferença não perturba a ordem, os padrões, sim. Eles perturbam o coração, a peculiaridade e a paz da alma.
Categorias perturbam o Amor, que é o que deve prevalecer.
Você recebe o nascimento. Você recebe a morte. O que está no meio disso, você deve construir.
Siga o caminho da Liberdade.
Escolha a ferramenta Amor; escolha o caminho Liberdade. Liberte-se da prisão que é o medo. O verdadeiro “eu” não é tolo, não é errado, mas sim, é a corda que mantém o ser inteiro. E a verdade está no coração.
Você pode rir, sorrir, conversar. Não é necessário temer. Não é necessário ter coragem. Você só precisa fluir com sua essência: o divino que habita em você.
Entre nascimento e morte, ame. Isso cria uma jornada extasiante da luz, através da luz, para a luz.
“Ame teu próximo”, não julgue, não categorize, não trate com pena, apenas ame. E jamais se esqueça de amar a pessoa que está mais próxima de você: você mesmo.
I have lived my life shattered by the fear I was taught. I have felt I was different, wrong, a fool. I have learned strangers are to be feared.
That was what they made me believe; that was the game in which I was caught.
“Don’t smile at strangers.” “Don’t talk to strangers.” “Don’t take candies from strangers.” “Oh, don’t be such a fool!”
Until the day I realized, so worried about the others I was being a stranger to myself
We are taught so many things except how to love or even what love means. We are shown everything except the truth. When you are a kid, no one talks to you about making friends with yourself. Then to be truthful you must be courageous, because lying and adapting yourself to patterns is the norm.
Never take any one’s life for granted; never take your own life for granted. Be understanding. Difference does not disturb the order, patterns do; they disturb the heart, uniqueness and Peace of the soul.
Categories disturb Love; Love must be the order.
You are given birth. You are given death. The in between is for you to build.
Walk the path of Freedom.
Pick the tool Love; pick the path Freedom. Get rid of the prison which is fear. The real “I” is not foolish, it is not wrong, but rather, it is the cord holding the being together. And truth is in your heart.
You can laugh, smile, talk. No fear is needed. No courage is needed. You only need to flow with your essence: the divine dwelling in you.
Between birth and death, love. That makes an ecstatic journey from light, through light, to light.
“Love thy neighbor,” don’t judge, don’t categorize, don’t patronize, simply love. And never forget to love the one who is the closest to you: yourself.
When you find yourself judging someone, turn it around and ask yourself whether that is, in fact, intended to you. Is your vision clear or clouded by your expectations and desires? Are you projecting?
The Book of Bhuvi 