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Vincent van Gogh on the Essence of True Love, Clarity, and Doing Good Work

May 12, 2022 by Gavril Leave a Comment

Book coverRarely are we invited as intimately into the creation of spellbinding art as we are through Van Gogh’s Letters. It’s because of their accessibility that Vincent van Gogh (March 30, 1853–July 29, 1890), among all the fathers of modern painting, has become the most universally loved.

That his range of ideas is not seen as dated more than a hundred years after his death is in part due to the fact that he cultivated his inner universe, confidently seeking the eternal in the temporal. And nowhere does this manifest as strongly as in his reflections on the essence of true love.

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Vincent van Gogh.

Van Gogh writes:

It may well seem to you that the sun is shining more brightly and that everything has taken on a new charm. That, at any rate, is the inevitable consequence of true love, I believe, and it is a wonderful thing. And I also believe that those who hold that no one thinks clearly when in love are wrong, for it is at just that time that one thinks very clearly indeed and is more energetic than one was before.

And then he adds:

And love is something eternal, it may change in aspect but not in essence. And there is the same difference between someone who is in love and what he was like before as there is between a lamp that is lit and one that is not. The lamp was there all the time and it was a good lamp, but now it is giving light as well and that is its true function. And one has more peace of mind about many things and so is more likely to do better work.

The Letters of Vincent van Gogh are essential and necessary.

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Since I started this website 4 years ago my only aim was and still remains helping all of my readers to discover the path to inner calm through spiritual growth and cultivation of wisdom. I spend all of my free time and resources working on this project and your support plays a vital role in helping me to improve and make this website an invaluable resource for you. If my little virtual home uplifted your spirit or made your day a little bit better, please consider donating to support its further growth.

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Filed Under: Spirituality

The Magic of Handwriting: The Correa do Lago Collection

May 6, 2022 by Gavril Leave a Comment

Book coverWriting is living! We, as writers, experience everything twice. Once in reality and once in that mirror which reflects our life back to us and those who read our work. But with advancing technology, pen and paper — the most visceral means by which we leave track of our existence — slowly becomes obsolete. This is what The Magic of Handwriting: The Correa do Lago Collection sets out to reverse through letters, manuscripts, inscribed photographs, and drawings.

The 140 extraordinary selections gathered in The Magic of Handwriting include letters by Lucrezia Borgia, Vincent van Gogh, Emily Dickinson, annotated sketches by Michelangelo, Jean Cocteau, and Charlie Chaplin, and manuscripts by Giacomo Puccini, Jorge Luis Borges, and Marcel Proust.

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Complement The Magic of Handwriting with Christina Baldwin on the art of spiritual journaling.

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Since I started this website 4 years ago my only aim was and still remains helping all of my readers to discover the path to inner calm through spiritual growth and cultivation of wisdom. I spend all of my free time and resources working on this project and your support plays a vital role in helping me to improve and make this website an invaluable resource for you. If my little virtual home uplifted your spirit or made your day a little bit better, please consider donating to support its further growth.

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Filed Under: Spirituality

Listen to One of the Greatest Buddhist Songs of All Time

April 29, 2022 by Gavril Leave a Comment

Book coverThis classic hit may be considered the greatest Buddhist song of all time, but in my music collection the accolade belongs to “Dust in the Wind.” Because to contemplate its meaning is to realize the impermanent nature of things, to see life through the lens of death and by doing so approach the condition of gratitude for the gift of our existence.

Presented here in the form of a lyric video so you can sing along and remember how sad it was – but then, how it was sweet.

DUST IN THE WIND
by Kansas

I close my eyes
Only for a moment, and the moment’s gone
All my dreams
Pass before my eyes, a curiosity

Dust in the wind
All they are is dust in the wind

Same old song
Just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do
Crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see

Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind

Now don’t hang on
Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away
And all your money won’t another minute buy

Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind

Dust in the wind
Everything is dust in the wind

For a stream of related metaphors, listen to this poem-turned-song by One Voice Children’s Choir and then revisit ancient teachings on skillful action and right livelihood titled “No Attachment to Dust.”

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Since I started this website 4 years ago my only aim was and still remains helping all of my readers to discover the path to inner calm through spiritual growth and cultivation of wisdom. I spend all of my free time and resources working on this project and your support plays a vital role in helping me to improve and make this website an invaluable resource for you. If my little virtual home uplifted your spirit or made your day a little bit better, please consider donating to support its further growth.

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Filed Under: Buddhism

The Dalai Lama’s Moving Letter of Condolence on Thich Nhat Hanh’s Passing

April 22, 2022 by Gavril Leave a Comment

Book coverThe great Zen master and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh (October 11, 1926 – January 22, 2022) has been a constant source of inspiration for my mindfulness practice, and not a day goes by that I don’t think about him, his teachings, and his Lifetime of Peace. He lived an extraordinary life by helping millions of people around the world find peace of mind. To honor his legacy, I would like to share with you a moving letter of condolence His Holiness the Dalai Lama sent to the Plum Village on January 22, 2022.

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Thich Nhat Hanh and the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama writes:

I am saddened to learn that my friend and spiritual brother Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh has died. I offer my condolences to his followers in Vietnam and around the world.

In his peaceful opposition to the Vietnam war, his support for Martin Luther King and most of all his dedication to sharing with others not only how mindfulness and compassion contribute to inner peace, but also how individuals cultivating peace of mind contribute to genuine world peace, the Venerable lived a truly meaningful life.

I have no doubt the best way we can pay tribute to him is to continue his work to promote peace in the world.

Complement this touching letter about Thich Nhat Hanh’s Lifetime of Peace with his reflections on how to see the world anew.

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Since I started this website 4 years ago my only aim was and still remains helping all of my readers to discover the path to inner calm through spiritual growth and cultivation of wisdom. I spend all of my free time and resources working on this project and your support plays a vital role in helping me to improve and make this website an invaluable resource for you. If my little virtual home uplifted your spirit or made your day a little bit better, please consider donating to support its further growth.

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Mindful Spot has a free weekly newsletter where I share my findings across Buddhism, philosophy, literature, art, and other sources that allow us to expand our inner world and feel greater connection to each other. Subscribe below:
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Filed Under: Buddhism

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Donate & Support

Since I started this website 4 years ago my only aim was and still remains helping all of my readers to discover the path to inner calm through spiritual growth and cultivation of wisdom. I spend all of my free time and resources working on this project and your support plays a vital role in helping me to improve and make this website an invaluable resource for you. If my little virtual home uplifted your spirit or made your day a little bit better, please consider donating to support its further growth.

Your Support Donation

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Donation Total: $7.00

Subscribe

Mindful Spot has a free weekly newsletter where I share my findings across Buddhism, philosophy, literature, art, and other sources that allow us to expand our inner world and feel greater connection to each other. Subscribe below:

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