Who Am I?

Dear Reader, my blog is still in construction mode, so please bear with me.  For better hearing, I need to amplify the audio file of my recording.  Also, Marianne's Gong music is played by default when you open up or navigate my blog, so to quiet the music, scroll down on the left column and place the music on pause (by pressing the two vertical lines II on the bottom left corner).  Also, when inputting the audio, the left alignment of the bullets became messed up, and it is unfortunately an unpleasant task to get the text formatting exactly the way you want to in Blogger.  I don't know why but I'll do my best to make it look nice.  Enjoy the audio and/or the writing of the Page "Who Am I"!



Check this out on Chirbit

It is very rare to find someone who might be asking such a question.  The busy lives we lead don’t let us take the time to occupy ourselves with – ourselves.

We identify ourselves instead with our profession and how successful we are, with our income level and material belongings, family status, gender, nationality, perhaps where we were born, the community where we live, in what way we spend our free time (if we have any) or with what groups of similar minded people we meet on occasion.

But do those attributes really do us justice?  Do they speak about us, paint our picture, or tell our story?  Or are they superficial, inessential, and dispensable?  Who is this person, this being, deep down in his mind or in her heart?  What distinguishes him/her from the 6,881,977,789 people on the face of this Earth?  

Note:  This world population number was an estimate on 110202 at 6:23 pm UTC (GMT) when I started writing this Page.  Check how much it has grown since then:  

http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html 

I like Peter Russell’s website because you can watch the numbers run by and increase: 

http://www.peterrussell.com/Odds/WorldClock.php 

Pretty much since I am an adult I have been asking myself these questions of who I am, what I am all about, what my roles are, and I have found some answers which I am expressing below.  I have been exploring personal traits which I possess, things I love, ideas with which to contribute to the world, and my dreams and desires.

I wish to share them here with you, dear reader, perhaps to inspire you – if you wish – to also open up to and delve inside yourself, just for the fun of it.  Take a bold look, do not hold back, and engage in fanciful thinking and dreaming.

So, then, who am I? 

I consider myself to be

·         Caring

·         Cheerful

·         Compassionate

·         Creative

·         Energetic

·         Gentle

·         Humorous

·         Inspiring

·         Intelligent

·         Interested in others and the world

·         Intuitive

·         Joyful

·         Logical

·         Loyal

·         Knowledgeable in certain areas

·         Loving

·         Rational

·         Responsible

·         Sensitive

·         Strong

·         Taking charge

·         Understanding

What are some other aspects that describe who I am? 

I see myself to be a/n

·         Altruist

·         Analyst

·         Concept Designer

·         Creator

·         Explorer

·         Idealist

·         Intellectual

·         Lover of life

·         Metaphysicist

·         Optimizer

·         Perfectionist

·         Planner

·         Researcher

·         Scholar/Student

·         Teacher

·         Visionary

What do I love about this life of mine?

Metaphysics

·         Esoteric Sciences, Mysticism, the Sacred, the Divine, and the Finer Vibrational Worlds

·         The Masters of the eight Wisdom Traditions that are dear to my heart

·         The exploration of the Nature of Reality and of the Ultimate Reality

·         The development of advanced states of consciousness and extra-sensory abilities

Nature

·         I love hiking in nature, gorgeous landscapes and vistas, beautiful flowers and trees, the ocean and tropical beaches, mountains and valleys, rivers and lakes

·         Japanese landscape architecture

·         The Satoyama Initiative

·         Nature revitalization and conservation:  United Nations World Heritage Sites;  methods to reverse desertification and restore wasteland;  initiatives that bring back ‘nature’ to urban living;  reforesting of the Mediterranean coastlands;  eco-tourism;  open spaces and county, state, and national parks;  trusts that buy land for preservation

·         Hiking, camping

Music, Art, and Dance

·         Classical Western:  violin concertos and Bach’s violin solo partitas and sonatas;  Piano concertos;  symphonies

·         Asian art:  Living National Treasures of Japan;  Islamic and Japanese secular and religious architecture and fine art;  Chinese and Indonesian art;  lacquer ware, bamboo art, and silk print

·         Gregorian Chanting

·         Japanese Taiko Drumming

·         Indonesian Gamelan and Classical Indonesian Temple Dance

·         New World, e.g. Marianne Green’s Spherical Improvisations, Paul Glover Entertainment, the music of Strunz and Farah, Chantess Lisa Rafel

·         Sufi Music of Adnan Sarhan, founder of the Sufi Foundation of America

·         Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Music and dance

·         Indian Ragas, Hindustani Classical Music by Seemaa Productions

·         Salsa music and dance

·         Tap and ball room dancing by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers

·         Irish step dance

Other Loves

·         Quantum phenomena

·         Our universe with its billions of stars and galaxies

·         Aircraft, flying, and pilots

·         World Regional Geography and Satellite Earth Observation Remote Sensing

·         Engineering and IT

·         Traveling in Asia and Europe

·         New ways of living together:  eco-villages like Findhorn in Scotland and Sekem in Egypt;  revitalization of ghost towns in Mediterranean countries and Japan

·         The cultivation and inspiration of enjoyment and of beauty

·         Being a student/scholar and being an instructor/lecturer/inspirer

·         Contributing mentally and spiritually and bringing value to others and the world

·         Conversations with my wonderful friends and other intelligent people

·         Fitness and a healthy lifestyle:  jogging, weight training, stretching, meditation, juicing

My Professional Life

What have I done in the past?

I used to provide consulting predominantly in the geo-technologies industry for satellite Earth observation remote sensing

·         Performing industry research of foreign markets

·         Devising strategies following the analysis

·         Conducting international business development

·         Identifying partnerships and relationships

·         Forging collaborations and strategic alliances

This is a nice little bio:

In her consulting role for international business development, Nela grew her clients' organizations through analysis – conducting research and developing strategies and concepts in various industries including environmental testing, satellite earth observation, and information technology.  She routinely worked with decision makers of corporations, governments, NGOs, research institutes, and universities.  Nela conducted international industry research projects, is the author of industry analysis reports and surveys, and lectured extensively in the U.S. and Europe including the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome.  She holds a BS in International Business and an MA in Geography.

As the chairperson and founder of the nonprofit organization Colloquium on Quantum Phenomena, Consciousness, and Being, Nela conducted research in the nature of reality from the perspectives of quantum phenomena, wisdom traditions, and the development of advanced states of consciousness and extra-sensory abilities.

What I am currently doing

I have been researching a number of projects for which I was looking to obtain some seed funding or sponsorship funds in order to establish non-profit organizations or professional associations as a foundation for the implementation of my ideas.  I will make some of them available in this Blog’s Page “Projects”:

·         “Fostering a Dynamic Europe ~ Facilitated by Silicon Valley's Unique Spirit”

·         “Sustainable Electrification of Remote, Rural Areas through Renewable Energy Technology” and “Elevator Speech of Proposed Nonprofit Umbrella Organization ‘Global Green Energy’ ”

·         “Green Energy & ITC4D”

·         “The Novel Acumen DRAFT” and “The Novel Acumen Notes”

·         “Green Planet Greening Desert Consortium™”

·         “Adopt a Social Enterprise”

·         “Micro-Philanthropie”

·         “GreenEthics”

I did this work while living back in Germany for some time where I was born and raised.  I returned to provide home care for my mom who was suffering from an advanced state of Alzheimer’s before passing away peacefully.

I remained to assist my elderly dad during the transition to being a widower and to provide him with the care he needs to remain in his house and live an independent life.  Like many elderly people he does not want to relocate to a senior citizen or retirement community.  He prefers to stay in his pleasant surroundings which are familiar to him and which he greatly enjoys.

My Dreams and Desires

·         I wish to write for publication

This Blog is supposed to be the beginning, giving me a first opportunity and outlet for my thoughts.  So far, the response I received from the few friends to whom I conveyed the URL was very encouraging.  Luckily, my IT tutoring pal Sal from the beautiful Monterey area in sunny California (working in Big Sur - if someone has to live the hard life, let it be him) has tirelessly been helping me with the various and partly tricky tasks of researching and identifying a list of wonderful Internet “freebies” (free software programs to download and use which I will summarize soon);  creating accounts;  setting up, formatting, and designing the blog;  navigating Blogger (not always super user-friendly or logical);  and adding nice gadgets to make the blog a feast for the eyes and ears for you, dear reader. 

In the past I have done a lot of writing.  The texts have been sitting on my disk drive and have been happily backed-up many times over the years.  But it doesn’t benefit anyone nor myself if they remain sitting there.  So I thought to dust them off, give them a good polish and put them up for inspection or – hopefully – for some introspection.

I have always loved to read the thoughts of others, their impressions, their musings, their biographies, to probe into their world of ideas and emotions.  Now I want to explore my own and share my findings with others.  For me it is about the fertilization of thoughts and feelings among people, nowadays among the large and growing Internet audience.  It is about the enrichment we provide to one another and the personal growth that takes place as a reward for making the effort to write and to read.

·         I want to establish “Cultivating Enjoyment” groups and sessions

This has been a desire which I held since I lectured about the Nature of Reality.  In 1995 my former partner had introduced me to quantum phenomena.  Looking back I am certain now that before entering this incarnation we had agreed that we would meet for the purpose of him teaching me.  Once his mission was accomplished he stepped out of my life.

Studying the significance of the quantum phenomena I noted the similarities between them and the principles of the wisdom traditions dear to me heart.  I wanted to set up a 501(c)3 nonprofit research organization to explore this topic further.  At that time my parents gifted my brother and me with an early inheritance and due to their generosity I could fulfill my goal to found the organization with the following mission: 

“The Colloquium on Quantum Phenomena, Consciousness, and Being, a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to exploring the Nature of Reality or the Mysteries of Existence from the perspectives of quantum phenomena, wisdom traditions, and the development and experiences of advanced states of consciousness including extra-sensory perception and abilities.  Its mission is to increase human happiness and appreciation of life.”

I presented the preliminary research findings during two lecture tours in the Colorado Front Range in 2004 and in the California Bay Area in 2005.  Those were the days.  How much did I enjoy my public speaking!  Especially the Q&A at the end for which I could not prepare in advance.  It thrilled me to hear myself speak and answer questions extemporaneously.  I wondered from where it was coming.  It was exhilarating to experience how my intuition took over, how something from deep inside took the lead and performed without hesitation.  I looked into the eyes of my audience and saw their radiance and the joy I felt T the end of an evening is something I will remember and cherish forever.

But I felt a loss when I had to leave the audience after the lecture, barely having gotten to know them and the community to which they belonged.  I longed for giving them more, for bringing them together, for capturing the spirit of the moment and for make it last… indefinitely.

If the establishment of my blog took three years from its conception, the establishment of the first “Cultivating Enjoyment” groups took six.  But who’s counting.  Their mission is simply:  Those who wish come together for an hour or so on a regular basis, perhaps once a month, ideally twice, to exchange their joyful experiences or pleasant events or anything noteworthy or of interest that was enjoyable that happened to them or that they heard about.  Remembering lovely moments from the past, appreciating what works well in our life currently, or dreaming about an improved situation in the future – all of that we do in the now.  And it is the creation in the present of this vibration of joy, of this passion for life that is inspiring, energizing, and exhilarating.  And the cultivation of that is what I’m after.

Ironically, two groups were established on the same day 110130:  one in Germany and one in Boulder, CO.  Although I’d like to have a little Lear to zigzag around the world to facilitate the groups, no such luck at this time.  But there is Skype – another freebie we all so much take for granted.  And there are webcams and external loudspeakers for voice amplifications, and - another freebie discovered by SalPal:  “PrettyMay Call Recorder for Skype (Basic)”.  It permits me to play audio files through Skype which can be heard by the other party thousands of miles away.  This is so helpful because I want to intersperse on occasion some excerpts of particular topics from the teachings of my most favorite wisdom traditions.

So far, I have selected the following themes that serve in the recognition, appreciation, and expression of enjoyable thoughts, feelings, moments, occurrences, circumstances, dream and desires, etc.:

·         Celebrating MySelf

·         Nurturing Loving Relationships

·         Developing Professional Passions       

·         Rejuvenating through Fitness and Healthy, Gourmet Food

·         Recognizing and Appreciating Abundance

·         Finding Fulfillment in Nature

·         Enjoying Culture, Science, and Travel

·         Creating a Gracious Living Environment

·         Contributing to and Apprecting the World 

If you want to know more about these sessions, please refer to the future Page “CultivatingEnjoyment Groups and Sessions”.  And if you’d like to set up a group in your community among your family members, friends, or coworkers please contact me at CultivatingEnjoyment_at_gmail_dot_com and I will get you started.  Initially I will provide stewardship to the groups and hopefully visit with many of them personally in the future, but at a later time I plan to train facilitators who will be conducting the sessions on their own.

·         I’d love to study quantum physics

Ever since I was introduced to quantum phenomena way back in 1995 by my former partner Paul I have been so fascinated by this field that I can hardly contain myself.  When I think of them, look through my books, or talk to physicists it feels to me instantly as if I were catapulted up and away – it is thrilling.  I had put together a long list of books written by physicists who were doing their best to put into the word equivalent what it all meant.  Just as experiences of deep meditation and the finer vibrational worlds cannot be put into words because we humans haven’t created them, yet, for the expression of our experiences or cognitions, quantum phenomena can hardly be expressed in our current verbal language.  May those who try be blessed.  Especially those who attempt the near impossible:  To address the  non-physicist or lay audience.

Paul taught me that language of physics is math, so to really understand you have to learn math, first.  So, then, I am looking for a math tutors who would accompany my Physics 101 class which I undoubtedly would have to take.  Do they offer them online?  Can you get a degree in physics through the Internet or would that be a lot of BS?  I remember my physics teacher way back in school saying that I was a good physics student.  Would that not get me some credit?  The Chinese have a wonderful saying:  “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”  I love that saying.  It picks you up wherever you are even deep down in the basement.  Hey, reckon this:  From that vantage point you can only advance. 

·         Japan

My lifelong, strong attraction for Japan started at the age of ten when I was appointed to a “bench mate” in my new school (the “Gymnasium” German pupils needed to attend at that time if they wished to graduate with the “Abitur” and go on to university).  This wonderful bench mate of mine was no other than an initially very shy Japanese girl.  We became the best of friends, she taught me some Japanese, invited me to her home, and showed me to eat with chop sticks which I frequently did from then on.  A much more pleasant experience than eating with silverware I find, unless the ware is truly silver.  I started reading Japanese poetry, haiku and tanka poems by Basho and other masters and tremendously enjoyed the romance which they felt and skillfully expressed for nature, landscapes, the seasons, the weather, a little beetle in the grass or a leaf tossed about by the wind, a murmuring brook, the first chrysanthemum in early spring, the sky, the clouds, the wind, the stars at night and – the ubiquitous moon.    These sentiments, this intense, tender, touching love of nature made a deep impression on me.  I immersed myself in these worlds and have been longing to follow Basho’s footsteps to relive a bit of his glorious legacy.  Many set out to do it just that and maybe I will be so lucky one day.

Perhaps influenced by Basho’s intimate human-nature connection, for me Japan is a country of ultimate romance.  Granted mucho romance can also be found on Bali, in Hawaii, in the South Seas, and even in Boca – however, Japan to me represents applied or active romance, if that makes any sense.  These other heavenly planes are just that – heavenly.  Who would ever actually wanna do anything there other than lounge around at the beach all day long sipping colorful nectars of the gods and letting the sun’s rays, ocean spray, and the gentle breezes softly caress your body and soul.

Japan is an island, and when you love the ocean, by default you will love islands as well.  There is Hokkaido in the north with its mountains and volcanic plateaus, coastal plains, and rugged remote beauty.  From one end to the other, Honshu possesses a backbone of secluded mountain regions where time is standing still and the Japan of old shines forth some of its alluring hues.  Mount Fuji’s exceptionally symmetrical cone, the lovely symbol of Japan, portrays Japan’s volcanic geography.  Shikoku features mountains and alluvial areas but was denied a volcano.  Kyushu is mountainous and home to Mount Aso, Japan’s most active volcano, and well-known, desirable areas of hot springs are other signs of tectonic activities.  The Japanese Archipelago continues to the Ryukyu Islands, including Okinawa, and the island chain enjoys a subtropical climate with rainy and dry seasons and typhoons.  When living in Boca, South Florida, I use to adore this type climate, it is in fact my most favorite one, although we all could have done nicely without the occasional hurricanes.  Thank you very much, indeed.

What has fascinated me about Japan with my background in one of my loves, world regional geography, is that as a nation with almost no natural resources and very little farm land it managed to develop a strategy early on to actively and constructively learn from others (rather than either reinventing the wheel or blatantly copying the innovations of others as one big country known to all of us all has been doing unashamed), ignore the undesirable, adopt the advantageous, mold it to fit one’s mentality, and greatly improve on it - only to return it to a world market eager to purchase the coveted results.  How Japan could have risen to a 'numero dos' economic world power is still a formidable feast solely made possible through the Japanese male psyche.  The nation’s resources were almost all mental ingenuity which goes to show the rest of us, especially the Europeans among us:  “Yes, we can”.

I love the way the Japanese honor their cultural heritage.  The Japanese constitution contains a law for the “Protection of Cultural Properties” and the government set up “Living National Treasures” and certifies individuals as “Preservers of Important Intangible Cultural Properties”.  Pray tell which other nation has a similar vision?  Granted, the United Nationals World Heritage Sites exist, which is a most wonderful imitative of cultural and natural preservation and appreciation, but the UN is not a country.  These Living Treasures are separated into A)  Performing Arts:  Gagaku, Noh, Bunraku, Kabuki, Kumi Odori, Music, Dance, and Drama and  B)  Crafts:  Ceramics, Textiles, Lacquerware, Metalworking, Dollmaking, Woodworking, and Papermaking, and Miscellaneous Crafts.

I must point out here that what the Japanese consider crafts represents art to the rest of us.  I once saw a ravishingly gorgeous intricately woven “craft” basket in Boulder, CO.  Its price tag was $10.000.  I can tell you that had I had the money, I wouldn’t have hesitated a split second to snatch up this lovely piece on the spot.  Although coming to think of it maybe I should have reconsidered and purchased instead the golden-laced kimono in Los Gatos, CA, which I saw at Iwasawa Oriental Art.  The price tag was the same.  Well, wishful dreaming anyhow.  But I once did manage to enjoy a Living National Treasures:  I had the great honor of hearing the custodian of the Shakuhachi bamboo flute perform at the Boettcher Concert in Denver, CO.  He recently passed away and a new one was duly appointed.

And there is more.  Recently, the Japanese government launched a project called “The Satoyama Initiative” to promote the preservation of satoyama landscapes in Japan and around the world as part of the COP10 conference on biodiversity in Nagoya in November of 2010.  Alan Zulch, whose beautiful photos of Kyoto you can enjoy as a slide show on the left column has dedicated an entire Blog to this endeavor:  “The Satoyama Spirit”.  He wrote to me:  “Satoyama can be loosely translated as "mountain village" (or, more precisely, village mountain).  I wrote a description on my "About" page which can help:  Satoyama can be described as a place where people and nature harmoniously exist, where biodiversity flourishes, and where the human spirit and creativity thrive.  There is a seaside corollary to satoyama, and that is called "satoumi" or ocean village ("umi" means ocean, "yama" means mountain).  I have a blog post you might enjoy about a satoumi village in which the sacred feminine is celebrated and which has been essentially matrilineal governance.”

Alan’s last blog entry discusses his recent thoughts about (quoting him) “ ‘Japan as Number One, Again?’ in which I argue (as I have in previous posts) why I believe that Japan is poised to once again become a world leader, not in conventional economic terms of course, but in something more elusive and subtle, but ultimately more important.”

Alan continues his thoughts in this way:  “Not so long ago, Japan’s economic power and drive for success gave rise to a famous book called “Japan as Number One,” a promise the country came close to but never quite succeeded in fulfilling. Now, however, Japan once again has what it takes to lead the developed world, this time by setting the example of how a developed country can return to sustainability. This time, Japan can be number one not by old paradigm standards of power and money but by the new paradigm’s demands to live in harmony with nature and each other, for there is in fact no difference. Indigenous wisdom knows that we are nature, and we are all connected as one integral whole. Japan lost sight of this truth for a dozen decades or so as they adopted an outside perspective, but down deep, they never entirely forgot it.”

Alan goes on to quote a French economist who, in turn, quotes the intellectual Naoki Inose, who is also Tokyo’s vice governor:  “Japan is now ready to reconnect with its own tradition of social harmony and zero growth.”  Calling Japan’s future the New Edo era, Mr. Inose muses: “A smaller population will enjoy the sufficient wealth that has been accumulated, and, from now on, it will invest its creativity in refining the culture (italics mine).”  Here it is again – the emphasis on what makes a nation great:  its culture.  US, listen up.

Alan mentions the perspectives of Roger Pulver, a long-time Japan resident, in his Japan Times article “Color me upbeat despite the pessimism now sweeping the land.”  Pulver contends:  “Where do I get this optimism from? The answer lies in two qualities of Japanese life that, I believe, will see the country through the present morass. One is austerity. Japanese are not averse to austerity, and indeed it is considered a virtue - practically a goal in itself. Despite the gross excesses of Japanese consumerism seen in the 1980s - on balance, a very short span of time for an outburst of national greed - Japanese people remain as they have traditionally been, quite at home with less. Paucity itself and the stark absence of adornment have always been at the heart of this culture, from the less-is-more nature of the tea ceremony and the ceramic arts to the sleek minimalism of much contemporary architecture and design. Being satisfied with little is a core feature of the Japanese lifestyle.  There has been, for instance, a marked and well-documented decline in interest in cars, particularly among the young. They are just not buying them like they used to, and for them this is a deprivation of choice. Japanese people don’t mind giving up things. Maybe at some date in the future they will feel able to afford these things, maybe not. The deprivation doesn’t faze or frighten them. There is no inalienable right of consumption. Another feature of Japanese life that remains intact despite the emergence into the public consciousness of a kakusa shakai (class-structured or economically inequitable society) is people’s basic civility.”

…

Roger Pulver continues:  “As Japanese in their teens and early 20s go out into the world of the second decade of the century, I see no impediment to optimism if they energize, as entrepreneurship, their native ethos of austerity in the direction of resource conservation, and if they apply their shared civility to foster universal welfare and tolerance for the rights of others. In the coming years, both China and the United States may face implosive socio-economic problems on a grand scale, and both countries may turn inward to concentrate on putting their own houses in order. Both countries, too, could profit greatly from adopting Japanese social civility and economic austerity - not as obligations imposed by force of law from above, but as virtues firmly grounded in the soil from which all else grows (italics mine).” 

Could Japan, indeed, be taking on such a role in the future?  American capitalism and consumerism always tell us that growth is inevitable.  I agree that growth is inevitable.  The wisdom traditions confirm this paradigm, and we experience it on a daily basis.  We are somehow more in the evening than we were in the morning.  We have lived another day, we have gained additional experiences, we have increased our potential, and therefore we have become richer.  But I strongly disagree with the traditional economic mindset that the only growth worth mentioning is the growth derived from outer worldly possessions, such as material objects of any kind and their associated services, measured in production, consumption, and export, and captured in GDP or GNP.

At any rate, I was thrilled when I read Alan’s blog.  Lately I had thought I would want to see an increase in values instead of in money.  Inner contentment rather than outer accolades.  I thought that if a nation could respect its gain in attributes other than those measured by the economists we would accomplish a quantum leap in societal eminence and greatly advance the mentality and culture of our civilization.  How about growing as a people by adopting the traits of modesty and frugality?  By growing in joy that comes from developing new skills, from having done well one’s tasks, from appreciating one’s talents, from honoring one’s knowledge and insights and from taking pride in one’s accomplishments.  Does little Bhutan have to teach the rest of the world what GNH - gross national happiness – means and how we can all develop it?

Why do I love Japan?  Because people take off their dirty shoes when entering a home rather than smearing around the filth from the streets on their carpets and floors of all rooms as is customary in the rest of the world (thinking in Europe ‘don’t worry about the dirt, the housewife or maid will take care of it’ and in the US ‘don’t worry about the dirt, cheer-up’.)  I love Japan because there are people, for instance, like my Japanese friend, an English teacher, who has been foregoing getting married to her boyfriend because she was living with and caring for her sick and elderly parents until they passed away and because he, in turn, has been giving his adolescent daughter the attention and consideration he thinks she needs before committing to a marriage with my friend. 

To our Western mind and particularly to Americans this personal sacrifice had no meaning and it doesn’t even make sense, why sacrifice one’s life?  Europeans and Americans alike could learn a lot from the Japanese thoughtfulness and sensitivity.  Granted, Japan also displays other traits – but other countries do as well.  And to a much greater extent I would argue.  I think that it is the deep concern for others behind these actions that speaks for itself.  To be considerate to others, to forego one’s own desires and benefit for ethics with which one has been raised, to find pleasure and pride in that duty, to submit to a higher cause to which one pays homage - the underlying loyalty to high moral standards is what is deeply touching my heart. 

I love Japan because you are not considered a fool when you go out to admire a flower, bush, or tree, or the moon at night.  Cherry blossom viewing is a cultural event, although rumor has it that is it also an occasion to nurse one’s love of Sake.  So be it, then.  When several years ago the news featured a meteor shower that was supposed to be visible with the naked eye, Japan was the only nation to turn off all over the country all but its emergency lights for a short period of time so that its citizens could fully enjoy nature’s lovely display.  And I love Japan because when they had to issue RoHS (Restrictions of Hazardous Substances) directives in the US and Europe, the Japanese government did not.  Why?  Because it was sufficient to make it known that only products be purchased whose packaging sport the RoHS label.  The Japanese consumer is disciplined enough to abide by such notifications demonstrating their support and understanding of and willingness to comply with a rule beneficial to the environment.

When I first visited Japan in the 80s I fell in love at once with the landscapes, vistas, flora, its people, ancient monuments, and of course its arts, crafts, and music.   I will never forget that I had some of my most profound spiritual experiences sitting right smack in the middle of the megalopolis Tokyo in front of a stone lantern at a Shinto shrine.  Once you have tasted such unforgettable sweetness you long to return and, perhaps, if the Shinto deities are benevolent, get to stay.  J

Copyright © 2011 Cultivating Enjoyment.  All Rights Reserved.