Mindful Happiness

Anthony Quintiliani, Ph.D, LADC

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The Tao of Nature: Two Stories about Robins

 

The Tao of Nature

I have two interesting stories about nesting robins.  These stories tell of the bonds of birds and their young, and how intelligent these birds can be. The first story happened to me abut 15 years ago. The second story happened today, July 27, 2017.

Story 1

I was working in my yard when a large robin flew by my head.  I paid little attention to this at that time.  Then I noticed that the robin continued to dive-bomb towards my head but never making direct contact.  It seemed to be trying to move me away from the spot I was working in. I have no idea if this was a mother robin or a father robin, since both tend their nests and feed their young. This strange behavior continued for some time, until the robin had forced me to move within two feet of of our above-ground pool. The robin persisted by flying closer and closer to my head, to “push” me closer and closer to the pool until I reached its frame. Then I saw it. Then I realized how this intelligent bird figured out a way to get me to see its chick now having great difficulty staying afloat in the pool water. I knew I could not touch the chick, but I had to save it. So in the pool I went and netted it in an old bird nest sitting on the deck. I placed the “saved” chick in the nest on the deck just high enough to protect it from cats and allow its parents to come to its rescue.  Soon they were feeding it. In a few days the chick was gone and so were the parents. I assume it flew correctly without landing in what must have seemed to be a gigantic ocean to the very small chick. I experienced very strong feelings of gratitude at that time. Gratitude for my actions, for the chick, and for its parents. Gratitude for the beautiful and mysterious Tao of nature surrounding me in life.

Story 2

I looked out my dinning room window to see a large robin chick dangling on the edge of its nest.  This was the second time this Summer that robins had hatched chicks in the same nest on a porch rafter. It looked like the chick caught itself in some plastic string used in building the nest.  The poor bird was just dangling, struggling helplessly, hopelessly. I had to do something.  When I went out to investigate the chick began to screech out of fear, and several large robins flew by my on the porch.  I think they were simply warning me, flying very close to me simply trying to save their third chick.  I had seen three small heads pop up each time an adult delivered food to the nest. So what to do? I did not want to leave the chick to its fate, and I did not want robins pecking at my head in defense of their own.  I grabbed a flat piece of wood and a scissors; I went out to the porch, quickly cut the plastic string and caught the chick in its fall on the board. The chick landed eventually on the porch floor. It was breathing heavy, and I think its leg had been injured in the tangle. By that time several robins were harassing me; they meant business. My good deed done, I left the chick on the floor and observed several robins flying on to the porch.  When I looked out a few minutes later, the chick was gone and no adult birds were anywhere to be seen. Worried that the injured chick had fallen off the floor onto the ground below, I went out to investigate. I was unable to find the chick. Soon, however, two robins came to the porch making all kinds of noise – probably trying to communicate with the chick.  Then I noticed the adult birds very cautiously  (after quite some time of just hanging out) flying to the ground where I had been searching for the chick. I watched one robin go into the brush nearby, entering with an insect in its mouth and leaving empty-beaked.  I guess they found their chick, and were continuing to nurse it back to health. Because I cannot disturb it, I will never know if that chick made it or not.  One thing is certain, the parents were in no mood to give up; they continued to cautiously land on the ground with food.  I think it is a happy ending just like story 1.

So now I have a renewed respect for robins, one of my most favorite birds.

Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, VermontChiYinYang_EleanorRLiebmanCenter

Author of Mindful Happiness  

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New Edition of Mindful Happiness in Production…Coming soon!

 

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The Principles of Nature and Natural Healing

The Principles of Nature and Natural Healing

This is an advanced post on Eastern views of healing. From ancient shamanic traditions all the way to today’s AMA approved procedures in energy medicine, healers have been trying to discover and integrate the foundations of nature into healing. This reality exists from shamanic rituals all the way to atomic and cellular manipulations in modern medicine. Perhaps a more specific view on this topic comes from The East (China, Tibet and Japan).  The traditional medicine
practices of these cultures reveal a long and thorough history of integrating the forces of nature into healing practices. Likewise, some new physics applications in Western medicine sometimes end up with similar outcomes. Michio Kushi, in his book about Natural Healing introduces us to the foundations of the Eastern View of this area. If you are not familiar with the meanings related to Yin and Yang, please look them up. Although I will provide a basic review, more advanced definitions are not included here.

Basics of Yin and Yang:
  1. Yin and Yang forces appear as opposites but are actually complementary and interdependent in nature.  As Wikipedia reminds us, these forces can be seen in light and dark, soft and hard, expand and contract, etc.
  2. Yin and Yang forces are represented in various Eastern cultures, most notably in China. The forces are represented in traditional Chinese medicine, martial arts, exercise (tai chi, qi gong), in the I Ching, in Taoism, and Confucian ethics.
  3. A key understanding is that the forces each contain aspects of each other in a constant dance of universal change in our universe.
  4. Yin consciousness is said to contain lunar, feminine, passive, intuitive, submissive, right-brain and compassionate characteristics.
  5. Yang consciousness is aid to contain solar, masculine, active, analytic, dominant, left-brain, and aggressive characteristics.
  6. Together, both these forces make up the world inside and outside of our heads and hearts – literally the entire universe of knowns and unknowns.

We begin with the core principles of nature:

  1. Everything that exists and/or is experienced as a phenomenon represent a great differentiation of one infinite reality. This may be related to higher consciousness of one unitary reality. Possibly a hologram of everything that exists.
  2. Impermanence exists; everything is alway changing according to causes and effects and variable timelines. Everything manifests via dependent origination – depending on other causes and effects. Nothing manifests of itself alone.
  3. All opposing antagonisms are in a higher reality complementary in nature. In the East views about Yin and Yang best represent this view.
  4. In the realm of everything that exists, in spite of some central unifying force making it part of a larger whole, there is nothing that is 100% identical. All “things” show specific differences.
  5. Along with complementarity of all things, what presents a front also has a back, and what presents a back also has a front. Sometimes we need to search very hard for these truths.
  6. Where there is a beginning, there is also an end. Where there is an end, there is also a beginning.

Laws of change according to Eastern views:

  1. Anything presenting as one infinity contains within itself both complementary and antagonistic forces. Again, think Yin and Yang.
  2. Yin and Yang energies manifest from one infinite universe of all realities. Perhaps, again, the gigantic hologram of infinity.
  3. Yin is centrifugal, and Yang is centripetal; from these realities all energy is produced. From such energies, all phenomena are created.
  4. Yin and Yang energies attract each other, and oppose and repulse themselves.
  5. Yin and Yang in their attractions and repulsions eventually “cause” the existence of all phenomena.
  6. Since EVERYTHING is impermanent, CHANGE is a constant factor in the infinite universe. Yin can become Yang energy, and Yang can become Yin energy.
  7. Everything that exists somehow combines unique concentrations of Yin and Yang. There is nothing with total neutrality here.
  8. Larger forces of Yin attract smaller forces of Yin, and Larger forces of Yang attract smaller forces of Yang. Perhaps, this is part of the central unknowing of absolute gravity in the universe. In extreme cases of energetic Yin and Yang, they change into their opposites: Yin into Yang, and Yang into Yin.
  9. All physical manifestation of energetic realities show Yang centers and Yin surfaces.

For more information see Kushi, M. (1979). Natural Healing…

Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, VermontChiYinYang_EleanorRLiebmanCenter

Author of Mindful Happiness  

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New Edition of Mindful Happiness in Production…Coming soon!

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Haiku-Like Poem on Nature Anthony R. Quintiliani, Ph.D., LADC

 Poem on Nature    – Haiku-Like

As I sat peacefully by the westward window of my sunroom at my retreat center, I noticed!  I noticed the restless, natural movement of a tormented sky trying to calm itself.   Here is my poem.

“The Sky, the Lake and the Mountains”

darksky_vermont-haiku-mindfulhappinessSitting at our home, alone – Watching the clouds darken, more – Over the lake and the mountains

Sitting here – out there – Seeing the sky shift and dive – Late afternoon – dark

The Universe of – Air moving up, down and in – A feast for the eyes

So wide the expanse – Darker and darker out there – How puny we are

One side darker, there – The other trying to hold – Onto faded light

Wisps, floating far from – My seat, where I watch in awe – At Nature’s wonder

Darkness, treetops seen – Then the lake, a silver sheen – Mountains rise high

But mostly black sky – with shades of white still there – Moves fast, I sit!

Hope you enjoy this Haiku-Like poem.  Go out into nature and write for yourself!

By Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, VermontChiYinYang_EleanorRLiebmanCenter

Author of Mindful Happiness  

Mindful Happiness cover designs.indd

New Edition of Mindful Happiness in Production…Coming soon!