Life cycles, trailer racks of earth tracks, just me and my charlie and a surfboard between us and the world, my heart poured out on her sleeve..
It's just me today...getting to Know the city of Cairns better. I like her muggy insistence, her twitching nationalism, country roots and up-and-coming sense of self. She's slowly growing on me and who knows, we may yet become friends.
I created a song yesterday, yes, about love.
You could say it's my first one.
I'm a proud parent of my first, true lyrical expression direct from my soul. Creation, to dig under the nails of thought, scrape the roots of memory and float gracefully in the arms of form.
Speaking of beautiful things..These are five things I'd like to focus on in my life..Buddhist precepts as written by Thich Nhat Hanh:
Reverence For Life
Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I am committed to cultivating the insight of interbeing and compassion and learning ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to support any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, or in my way of life. Seeing that harmful actions arise from anger, fear, greed, and intolerance, which in turn come from dualistic and discriminative thinking, I will cultivate openness, non-discrimination, and non-attachment to views in order to transform violence, fanaticism, and dogmatism in myself and in the world.
True Happiness
Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing, and oppression, I am committed to practicing generosity in my thinking, speaking, and acting. I am determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others; and I will share my time, energy, and material resources with those who are in need. I will practice looking deeply to see that the happiness and suffering of others are not separate from my own happiness and suffering; that true happiness is not possible without understanding and compassion; and that running after wealth, fame, power and sensual pleasures can bring much suffering and despair. I am aware that happiness depends on my mental attitude and not on external conditions, and that I can live happily in the present moment simply by remembering that I already have more than enough conditions to be happy. I am committed to practicing Right Livelihood so that I can help reduce the suffering of living beings on Earth and reverse the process of global warming.
True Love
Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I am committed to cultivating 
responsibility and learning ways to protect the safety and integrity of individuals, couples, families, and society. Knowing that sexual desire is not love, and that sexual activity motivated by craving always harms myself as well as others, I am determined not to engage in sexual relations without true love and a deep, long-term commitment made known to my family and friends. I will do everything in my power to protect children from sexual abuse and to prevent couples and families from being broken by sexual misconduct. Seeing that body and mind are one, I am committed to learning appropriate ways to take care of my sexual energy and cultivating loving kindness, compassion, joy and inclusiveness – which are the four basic elements of true love – for my greater happiness and the greater happiness of others. Practicing true love, we know that we will continue beautifully into the future.
Loving Speech and Deep Listening
Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen to others, I am committed to cultivating loving speech and compassionate listening in order to relieve suffering and to promote reconciliation and peace in myself and among other people, ethnic and religious groups, and nations. Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, I am committed to speaking truthfully using words that inspire confidence, joy, and hope. When anger is manifesting in me, I am determined not to speak. I will practice mindful breathing and walking in order to recognize and to look deeply into my anger. I know that the roots of anger can be found in my wrong perceptions and lack of understanding of the suffering in myself and in the other person. I will speak and listen in a way that can help myself and the other person to transform suffering and see the way out of difficult situations. I am determined not to spread news that I do not know to be certain and not to utter words that can cause division or discord. I will practice Right Diligence to nourish my capacity for understanding, love, joy, and inclusiveness, and gradually transform anger, violence, and fear that lie deep in my consciousness.
Nourishment and Healing
Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I am committed to 
cultivating good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family, and my society by practicing mindful eating, drinking, and consuming. I will practice looking deeply into how I consume the Four Kinds of Nutriments, namely edible foods, sense impressions, volition, and consciousness. I am determined not to gamble, or to use alcohol, drugs, or any other products which contain toxins, such as certain websites, electronic games, TV programs, films, magazines, books, and conversations. I will practice coming back to the present moment to be in touch with the refreshing, healing and nourishing elements in me and around me, not letting regrets and sorrow drag me back into the past nor letting anxieties, fear, or craving pull me out of the present moment. I am determined not to try to cover up loneliness, anxiety, or other suffering by losing myself in consumption. I will contemplate interbeing and consume in a way that preserves peace, joy, and well-being in my body and consciousness, and in the collective body and consciousness of my family, my society and the Earth.
And the teachings of Siddhārtha Gautama and Psilocybe cubensis are worth listening to ..
from Chris
Charlie B and me clankered all day and night to reach the land of the Hobbits, just a smidgen south of Coffs Harbor. An area of well watered pastures and contented brown cattle grazing on the open plains. As we drove, pastures evaporated and forest began encroaching the edges of the road.
It narrowed, the air became cooler and tiny houses appeared here and there nestled in the hillsides, tucked away in green valleys, or screened by forest and enclosed in old wooden fences. A few minutes on this winding track we arrived at Rand J's. The letterbox was weighed under a frenzy of vines and honey suckle, and a tiny wooden house with windows of colored glass sat happily surrounded by towering hoop pines.
The gardens were overflowing with vegetables planted in neat terraces, paths blocked by bicycles, timber, old carpet, pots, tubs, buckets full of miscellaneous green slime. The open shed home was full of instruments, jars full of seeds and grains covered the shelves, tools, bottles, furniture, materials hanging from the walls, sewing machines on tables and a tiny cot covered with a purple mosquito net. An old copper still bubbled away with its concoction on a red cedar bench.
R came out and suggested we go to the river for a swim. In the sunlight four shining souls wandered down a grassy slope at the bottom of the garden, with ancient trees watching from above, they disappeared into a small valley. The rockpool was crystal clear and the forest breathed all around. The frigid water flowing down in small waterfalls and around the thick fallen trunks of moss covered trees.
Many things to do around the house, a kitchen garden to create for example, camphor laurel roots to infuse and make 'smells', a native grain to harvest and dry for experimental cooking later, more smells and concoctions to look at. J flashed Charlie and excited grin and ran to the truck for a second. He came back with a wide grin holding a bottle full of brown liquid. On the side of the bottle was scrawled 'Danger - madness'. The paste was thick and had a pungent odor, the mixture was a number of psychedelics, things for taste and probably a bit of actual madness added for good measure.
Later in the warmth afternoon, pizza making maddness took its own course. 
Small families and groups friends showed up from the hills most born in this area, organic beers and music appeared, the flour grinder came out and a massive mix of millet, quinoa, spelt, buckwheat, amaranth and more ground where turned slowly into dust.
In the sunshine, on the hill under the trees, Baggins took out his washtub bass and plucked a beat, Sam Wise whistled and Sam Luce banged his knees, Tabitha sang a melody and although there were no Gamgee's or Took's they all had barefeet and laughed.
Until the cool of evening when the woodfire oven was kindled and on the table lay vegetables cut into pieces on trays, a banana carrot slice, raw snacks like balls of ground whole wheat, honey, nuts and definitely no meat, dates and goodness rolled in coconut juices..hang on, it's too tempting to get into a Dr Suess tirade here because the imagery in my brain is making me a little dizzy from the memory of the sight of that good food and all those funny hobbit names.
Anyway, we ate magical pizza under the light of the moon, jammed, and shared stories of life in this amazing forest and within me
..I felt the pull and tug of nature and her way to BE, simply.
Finally, I'm back on the blog. What can I say, I've been working, travelling and living in Brisbane and life is sweet..although...
In a month where water has swallowed entire Australian cities and rivers breached the streets of the grey CBD's, Charlie B and me had a 6th story view of brown tumult carrying boats, bridges and pontoons downstream. And felt the emotional pressure and anxiety as towns and cities realised enmasse about loss..and that things we hold dear can be removed in an instant by the sheer power of mother nature.
..and of course we are all thankful that the news programmes add sad piano backing music to montages of flooding and people losing their livelihoods, so we know exactly how to feel.
The oozing, stinking mud now caking the streets of inner city suburbs leaving those whose houses are left with a massive clean up. But funnily enough, the most noticable change in the city wasn't police barricades, bare supermarket shelves or sandbagged restaurants..the change I saw most obviously was a wholehearted outpouring of genorosity and love..clear honest kindness to your neighbour.
This feeling borne out of tragedy was palpable on the streets of Brisbane. Neighbours, strangers, colleagues tied by a cause making conversation, eye contact and offering help to those they might normally ignore.
Nice one Australia. Let's have a little more of that type of attitude... minus the devastation next
time.
Life cycles, trailer racks of earth tracks, just me and my charlie and a surfboard between us and the world, my heart poured out on her sleeve..
