Suzanne McDermott, Mockingbird, watercolor + pencil, 5"x8", 2014
When I came across my watercolor Mockingbird today, it struck me as a good image with which to launch the new year. The colors remind me of New Year's Day. Pale, cool, clean.
Mockingbirds symbolize different things to various groups of people but in general are associated with protection, guidance, skills, intelligence, language, innocence, parenting, and good fortune. I have at least a couple of these who live by my house and two of them are wonderful singers with impressive repertoires. I always stop what I am doing to listen to them sing. Their cover tunes make me happy.
I am starting the new year with Pema Chödrön's How We Live is How We Die. I highly recommend it. It's a book about death and dying but really, it's about life and living. Reading a good book makes me happy.
Any reminder of how precious life is makes me happy.
May All Beings Enjoy Happiness and the root of all happiness.
That's the first of the four limitless ones, or immeasurables.
Once upon a time, I arrived at the conclusion that the root, or the cause of all happiness is wishing that all beings enjoy happiness. Maybe I read it somewhere but it's stuck with me.
I share with you the four immeasurables to wish you well in 2024!
May all beings enjoy happiness and the cause of happiness.
May they be free of suffering and the cause of suffering.
May they never be disassociated from the supreme happiness which is without suffering.
May they dwell in the great equanimity, free from both attachment to close ones and rejection of others.
That's a prayer and it's worth repeating.
Mockingbirds symbolize different things to various groups of people but in general are associated with protection, guidance, skills, intelligence, language, innocence, parenting, and good fortune. I have at least a couple of these who live by my house and two of them are wonderful singers with impressive repertoires. I always stop what I am doing to listen to them sing. Their cover tunes make me happy.
I am starting the new year with Pema Chödrön's How We Live is How We Die. I highly recommend it. It's a book about death and dying but really, it's about life and living. Reading a good book makes me happy.
Any reminder of how precious life is makes me happy.
May All Beings Enjoy Happiness and the root of all happiness.
That's the first of the four limitless ones, or immeasurables.
Once upon a time, I arrived at the conclusion that the root, or the cause of all happiness is wishing that all beings enjoy happiness. Maybe I read it somewhere but it's stuck with me.
I share with you the four immeasurables to wish you well in 2024!
May all beings enjoy happiness and the cause of happiness.
May they be free of suffering and the cause of suffering.
May they never be disassociated from the supreme happiness which is without suffering.
May they dwell in the great equanimity, free from both attachment to close ones and rejection of others.
That's a prayer and it's worth repeating.
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