~ Tree of life ... a gift ~
The tree of life ... awakens to the gifts of this significant dawn after resting in silence from the midst of the dusk. Crystal clear and still recalling the immeasurable memories of life giving experiences of nature a week ago in the midst of a Pine Forest Reserve ~ couldn't be better! Today, I was totally awed with the beauty and the warm gentle rays of the sunrise once again that was just too magnificient for it to pass me by! I reached out for my favourite fine pastel hand painted cuppa. Without missing out the moments that is ticking away, I put my kettle to boil! My homemade vanilla pod jar on my herb and spice rack was calling out for me sending messages to my taste buds .... Vanilla tea ... obviously it's my personal favourite, 'Vanilla Tea' ... it is! Here I come! Certainly that would fill and inspire my day to the brim!
VANILLA MILK TEA
~ Ingredients ~
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups of steam milk
- 1 vanilla bean pod
- 4 teaspoons English breakfast tea leaves or other black tea leaves
~ Directions ~
- Place water in a large saucepan. Split vanilla bean and scrape seeds into water; add bean for added taste.
- Add milk and just bring it to boil.
- Place tea leaves in a teapot. Pour vanilla water over tea leaves; cover and steep for 3 minutes. Strain the tea leaves, discarding leaves and bean.
Cuppa Vanilla Tea makes 4 servings.
Walked out to my terrace and took a breath of the priceless freshness of the morning dew and the breath taking aroma of the blooming flowers! Whilst waiting for a few minutes before I hear the sound of the kettle switch tick ... I knew that would mean ... ready to brew? I took some time and rested on my favourite rustic woven cane mat which actually shares my age! The gentle morning breeze passed me by as I continued watching the handmade chicks sway in the cool early breeze ... with soft and gentle sound in the background ... the ambience of the day was getting more and more peaceful! My garden winged friends were unusually chirpy today. Every spot in the garden was in full bloom and my eyes was drawn to a beautiful graceful looking tree, with a splash of satin red flowers like a magnificient jeweled crown!
It was a scorching ruby red blooming on the young sprigs that had started to reach for the skies, nestled among the luscious emerald green of the fresh burst of leaves! The contrast of the red and the green against the rays of the sunrise from the terrace mesmerized me and the beauty of the 'flame' tree with a back drop of the majestic trees! It was a longer walk, but it promised abundance of shade from the overgrown branches of the tall trees along the path. Looking up, I spotted the first hints of red petals among the entwined branches right from the top. Last night it rained all through. Today morning while I took my usual pathway, I found myself standing on a carpet filled flowered with the flame of the forest, fallen like rain together with the raindrops last night. I couldn’t tether the child in me so I took my tiny paced steps until I reached my favourite spot and by that time I realized both my hands were filled with the 'flame' petals somehow!
I imagined the handiworks of our 'Painter in the Garden' instead ... a tangible manifestation of 'Haven on Earth'! A picture paints a thousand words ... and I knew that there was something awaiting me.
I found my favourite cosy corner and placed my canvas as it rested comfortably on my easel ... I recalled these words that came to mind, a week ago, 'Relishing God's Creation In Silence' and as I add to that ... a heartfelt Three Day Miracle Pathway! Silence of the heart ~ this masterpiece sharing which I was drawn towards almost instantly, the very moment my winged heart rested in this little corner of Haven!
~ SILENCE OF THE HEART ~
Silence usually is understood to be something negative, something empty, an absence of sound, of noises. This misunderstanding is prevalent because few people have ever experienced silence ~ all they have experienced is noiselessness. But silence is totally a different phenomenon. It is utterly positive. It is existential, it is not empty. It overflows with a music that you have never heard before, with a fragrance that is unfamiliar to you, with a light that can only be seen by inner eyes. It is not something fictitious; it is a reality that is already present in everyone ~ we just never look in.
All our senses are extrovert. Our eyes open outside as do our ears; our hands move outside, so too our legs ... all our senses are meant to explore the outside world. But there is a sixth sense which is asleep because we have never used it. And no soceity, culture or education system helps people to make the sixth sense active.
In the East, the sixth sense is called " the third eye". It looks inwards. And just as there is a way to looking in, so there is a way of hearing in, and of smelling the fragrance within. Just as there are five senses moving outward, there are five counter senses moving inward. In all, we have 10 senses, but the first sense that starts the inner journey is the third eye, and then other senses start opening up.
Your inner world has its own taste, fragrance and light. It is utterly, immensely, eternally silent. The mind cannot reach there, but you can reach because you are not the mind. The function of the mind is to be a bridge between you and the objective world, and the function of the heart is to be a bridge between you and yourself.
The silence is the silence of the heart. It is a wordless song without sound. Out of this silence flowers of love grow. Here you can find the Garden of Eden. Meditation is the key to open the doors of your own being.
The body knows its own silence ~ that is its own well-being, overflowing health and joy. The mind also knows its silence, when all thoughts disappear and the sky is cloud-free, just pure space. But the silence I am talking about is far deeper. I am talking about the silence of your being.
Other silences can be disturbed. Sickness can disturb the silence of your body, and death is certainly going to disturb it. A single thought can disturb the silence of your mind, the way a small pebble thrown into a silent lake creates thousands of ripples,and the lake is no longer silent. The silences of the body and mind are fragile and superficial, but in themselves they are good. To experience them is helpful, because if indicates that there may be deeper silences of the heart. And the day you experience the silence of the heart, it will be again an arrow of longing, moving you even deeper.
Your centre of being is the centre of a cyclone. Whatever happens around it does not affect it; it is eternal silence. Whatever happens and whenever, the eternal silence of your being remains exactly the same ~ the same soundless music, fragrance of godliness and transcendence from all that is mortal and momentary.
It is not your silence. You are silence.
~ SILENCE OF THE HEART ~
Silence usually is understood to be something negative, something empty, an absence of sound, of noises. This misunderstanding is prevalent because few people have ever experienced silence ~ all they have experienced is noiselessness. But silence is totally a different phenomenon. It is utterly positive. It is existential, it is not empty. It overflows with a music that you have never heard before, with a fragrance that is unfamiliar to you, with a light that can only be seen by inner eyes. It is not something fictitious; it is a reality that is already present in everyone ~ we just never look in.
All our senses are extrovert. Our eyes open outside as do our ears; our hands move outside, so too our legs ... all our senses are meant to explore the outside world. But there is a sixth sense which is asleep because we have never used it. And no soceity, culture or education system helps people to make the sixth sense active.
In the East, the sixth sense is called " the third eye". It looks inwards. And just as there is a way to looking in, so there is a way of hearing in, and of smelling the fragrance within. Just as there are five senses moving outward, there are five counter senses moving inward. In all, we have 10 senses, but the first sense that starts the inner journey is the third eye, and then other senses start opening up.
Your inner world has its own taste, fragrance and light. It is utterly, immensely, eternally silent. The mind cannot reach there, but you can reach because you are not the mind. The function of the mind is to be a bridge between you and the objective world, and the function of the heart is to be a bridge between you and yourself.
The silence is the silence of the heart. It is a wordless song without sound. Out of this silence flowers of love grow. Here you can find the Garden of Eden. Meditation is the key to open the doors of your own being.
The body knows its own silence ~ that is its own well-being, overflowing health and joy. The mind also knows its silence, when all thoughts disappear and the sky is cloud-free, just pure space. But the silence I am talking about is far deeper. I am talking about the silence of your being.
Other silences can be disturbed. Sickness can disturb the silence of your body, and death is certainly going to disturb it. A single thought can disturb the silence of your mind, the way a small pebble thrown into a silent lake creates thousands of ripples,and the lake is no longer silent. The silences of the body and mind are fragile and superficial, but in themselves they are good. To experience them is helpful, because if indicates that there may be deeper silences of the heart. And the day you experience the silence of the heart, it will be again an arrow of longing, moving you even deeper.
Your centre of being is the centre of a cyclone. Whatever happens around it does not affect it; it is eternal silence. Whatever happens and whenever, the eternal silence of your being remains exactly the same ~ the same soundless music, fragrance of godliness and transcendence from all that is mortal and momentary.
It is not your silence. You are silence.
Fr. Paul Vaz, SJ
Loyola Institute of Spirituality, Ecology & Leadership (LISEL)
Seva Niketan,
Mumbai
Completely refreshed, I reached out for the oil paint tubes and my brushes, allowing myself to go with the flow ... my canvas awaiting for the splashes of colors of life! I recalled the amazing 'dancing of the trees' with the music of the rustling leaves on that glorious new dawn when I looked out for my 'spirit friend' through the gift of nature. The majestic and graceful pine trees came to mind. As I placed the brush towards my first touch of color ... I knew that this artwork is going to paint a thousand words indeed!
The journey with my 'spirit friend' began ... through the colors of life in all shades of nature! Shades of rich mahagony to start off the strong foundation of the tree roots and the impressive solid branch! This was a depiction to reflect the depths of my rooted faith in Abba Father. A reflection of total awareness, existence and His purpose in my life. As I continued with my paint brush, I explored the shades of detailed expression of the skyhigh pine trees ... standing tall with the grace of His enduring strength. This reminded me of the detailed handywork of His hands in my life through the pathway that He had already paved for me. The palette knife came in handy ... I gently carved each stroke to the bark of the tree to remind me that each fine stroke was a reflection of each and every moment He was there with me at every chapter of my life ... the seconds ... the minutes ... the hours ... the days ... the weeks ... the months ... the years ... the moments ... the silence!
I recalled the rustling gentle leaves singing melodious songs each time the breeze swept by from time to time. The 'singing leaves' was a depiction of my inner spirit. I was looking forward to this as I knew that I will be able to explore the wonder of colours as I used the palette knife and brush bringing out an amazing array of magnificient and rich colors of the leaves! The inner spirit ... as Abba Father brings to mind the gift of a joyful spirit of praise and thankgiving each passing day, am I grateful for each new dawn? As the leaves continued to dance with the gentle breeze, it radiated a constant reminder that ... am I open to Abba Father's Door of Faith, to be able to surrender without reservations and doubt ... to believe that all is well and all will be well! As I reflected deeper I understood the true essense to follow the wind of trust in relation to the tree branch which is strongly rooted deep beneath the ground. It can weather any seasons of life ... the storms, rain, drought and winds of change. His presence is constant. I slowly began to see this painting of the 'Tree of Life' gradually taking shape ... the same incredible way that Abba Father has carved each of us in the palm of His hands taking shape too.
My thoughts went back to the dawn again when I embraced the 'silence of the heart' ... I recalled the movements amidst the silent stillness. I'll refrain from saying complete stillness because there was none. There was this ever constant aura of life even if the eyes could not fathom. It reminded me of the moments in my life when Abba Father seemed far away but only to know that He has never once left my sight. I placed the palette knife on the oil paint palette and I started adding more and more new leaves of different shapes and sizes to the art piece. God is ever faithful.
The beautifully shaped pine cones ... each was unique in it's own way! This reminded me of the sprinkles of little gifts each time I walked down the pathway of this endless trail of pine trees! With a joyfilled spirit I placed a few of these unique little beauty with a lovely shade of dual colour of oil paint. I thanked Him for the gift of beauty and life in abundance. Each time I reached out to pick a pine cone, I could not resist but to say ... thank you ... grazie ... thank you ... there is just so much to be thankful for!
Falling leaves ... as I added a few rust coloured leaves to the painting! A depiction of a constant renewal of my inner self. This would allow new shoots and buds to take shape and continue to bloom from within.The gift of letting go and let God allows me to acknowledge my setbacks of the past and opens new doors of forgiving love and embracing forgiveness as a gift from God.
As I continued working with the magical colours, I added more and more pine trees all around to filll up the canvas! A few tree branches reaching out to one another, all closely knit as a community of trees! We draw strength and affirmations from all those around us and at the same time we encounter challenges and differences from one another. We learn, grow and change from these differences. Most importantly, despite all of these winds of change the pine trees continues to dance with His enduring graces and in all circumstances. These brought to mind to never lose faith ... never give up and no turning back. The seasons come and go and the beauty of nature continues to bring joy with a touch of newness from each rising of the sun. The morning dew in each leaf is a depiction of God's tears of joy to know that He has so much to give to each of us ~ His beloved children! My painting is almost complete and I realized ... it spoke more than I could ever imagine!
My final touch is here ~ added the amazing beauty of the sun rays peeping through the well spread pine trees ... what a splendour! God's gentle and warm healing presence in our lives! It's complete now!
The world is so vast ... filled with immeasurable beauty ...
I recalled the rustling gentle leaves singing melodious songs each time the breeze swept by from time to time. The 'singing leaves' was a depiction of my inner spirit. I was looking forward to this as I knew that I will be able to explore the wonder of colours as I used the palette knife and brush bringing out an amazing array of magnificient and rich colors of the leaves! The inner spirit ... as Abba Father brings to mind the gift of a joyful spirit of praise and thankgiving each passing day, am I grateful for each new dawn? As the leaves continued to dance with the gentle breeze, it radiated a constant reminder that ... am I open to Abba Father's Door of Faith, to be able to surrender without reservations and doubt ... to believe that all is well and all will be well! As I reflected deeper I understood the true essense to follow the wind of trust in relation to the tree branch which is strongly rooted deep beneath the ground. It can weather any seasons of life ... the storms, rain, drought and winds of change. His presence is constant. I slowly began to see this painting of the 'Tree of Life' gradually taking shape ... the same incredible way that Abba Father has carved each of us in the palm of His hands taking shape too.
My thoughts went back to the dawn again when I embraced the 'silence of the heart' ... I recalled the movements amidst the silent stillness. I'll refrain from saying complete stillness because there was none. There was this ever constant aura of life even if the eyes could not fathom. It reminded me of the moments in my life when Abba Father seemed far away but only to know that He has never once left my sight. I placed the palette knife on the oil paint palette and I started adding more and more new leaves of different shapes and sizes to the art piece. God is ever faithful.
The beautifully shaped pine cones ... each was unique in it's own way! This reminded me of the sprinkles of little gifts each time I walked down the pathway of this endless trail of pine trees! With a joyfilled spirit I placed a few of these unique little beauty with a lovely shade of dual colour of oil paint. I thanked Him for the gift of beauty and life in abundance. Each time I reached out to pick a pine cone, I could not resist but to say ... thank you ... grazie ... thank you ... there is just so much to be thankful for!
Falling leaves ... as I added a few rust coloured leaves to the painting! A depiction of a constant renewal of my inner self. This would allow new shoots and buds to take shape and continue to bloom from within.The gift of letting go and let God allows me to acknowledge my setbacks of the past and opens new doors of forgiving love and embracing forgiveness as a gift from God.
As I continued working with the magical colours, I added more and more pine trees all around to filll up the canvas! A few tree branches reaching out to one another, all closely knit as a community of trees! We draw strength and affirmations from all those around us and at the same time we encounter challenges and differences from one another. We learn, grow and change from these differences. Most importantly, despite all of these winds of change the pine trees continues to dance with His enduring graces and in all circumstances. These brought to mind to never lose faith ... never give up and no turning back. The seasons come and go and the beauty of nature continues to bring joy with a touch of newness from each rising of the sun. The morning dew in each leaf is a depiction of God's tears of joy to know that He has so much to give to each of us ~ His beloved children! My painting is almost complete and I realized ... it spoke more than I could ever imagine!
My final touch is here ~ added the amazing beauty of the sun rays peeping through the well spread pine trees ... what a splendour! God's gentle and warm healing presence in our lives! It's complete now!
The world is so vast ... filled with immeasurable beauty ...
hold on to what is good, even if it's a handful of earth.
Hold on to what you believe, even if it's a tree that stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do, even if it's a long way from here.
Hold on to your life, even if it's easier to let go!
"I saw a tree in the middle of the world; it was very tall. The tree grew taller and stronger, until it's top reached the sky and it could be seen, from the very ends of the earth. It's foliage was beautiful, it's fruit abundant, in it was fruit for all. For the wild animals it provided shade, the birds of heaven nested in it's branches, all living creatures found their food on it."
Daniel 4 : 7 ~ 9
