Ripples of Light

 

Ripples of Light, Lanikai Beach, HI, May 2020, iPhone 11 Pro © Steven Crisp

Take a moment to watch the video above, it’s less than 2 minutes long

This video gives you a glimpse
of how the Earth and its Oceans and Islands are made
Indeed, how the Cosmos itself was formed
And what makes up the some-body each of us think we are

And what do you see?
Ripples of Light - on the surface
Vibrations of Waves - on the ocean
Undulations of Quanta - on the sandy bottom

It also gives you a glimpse, and a metaphor, if you will
for the interplay of the Cosmos and of Life itself
The manifest dynamic pattern is an unfathomable Wholeness
And no part can be isolated for ease of analysis or exploitation

This is the Wisdom we need at this time — Right Now
To recognize and explicitly value our dependance on this One Earth
And to see our neighbor, and even our so-called enemy, as ourself
Made of the same stuff, we are kith and kin; we're all in this together

There is more, of course, once you begin to see these Ripples of Light
You start noticing them everywhere ... Seeing the shadow dances
Feeling your subtle body sensations as they come and go, 
Watch them simply arise and then pass; this is the Life process itself

All of this is impermanent, is transitory, except, perhaps, 
the awareness that is aware of these “sense”-sations
Science has yet to find the ultimate building blocks of Nature
But many before us have lit candles in this darkness

The common instruction of this exploration is to look within
Hold that candle of awareness, and look deeply into all
that you might think “you” are, and see, that you are not that
No unchanging “self” can be found; nothing fixed anywhere

It may seem unsettling at first, but actually it is such a relief
To be able to drop one’s opinions and beliefs, and replace them 
with curiosity and awe and not-knowing — it’s so liberating
to simply live Life, as it Unfolds, in this Moment, Here and Now

Painted Water

Painted Water, Xanten, Germany, June 2012, Nikon D5000 with DX 18-200mm VR lens, 
300mm, 1/200 sec @ f5.6, ISO 200, 0.7 EV, no flash © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

I love how this photograph looks (to me) like an oil painting.

I was out for an evening run on a business trip and just loved how the light was hitting this small harbor of sailboats.  These are the colorful masts reflecting on the rippling water.

Just below the surface

Just below the surface, Souhegan River, Milford, NH, September 2006, HP Photosmart R817, Exposure 1/60 sec @ f2.8, ISO 50, with flash © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Can you hear the gentle rippling of the shallows? You can see by the convergence of diminutive waves and crests? This is the where the current reflects off objects in the stream, and creates the dance of light and sound.

And there, just below the surface, a fallen leaf waits patiently, taking a little respite from its journey down stream. Soon enough, the water will shift again, and an upward current will likely bring it back to the surface. Soon enough — but until then - it is art. We call it art, nay, together, we make it art.

But of course, first we must notice ...

"The moment one gives close attention to any thing, even a blade of grass it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself." -- Henry Miller

And what of it? Well, listen closely. Can you hear the notes ... the melody? I can. So soothing, so moving. As you lean back and soak up the afternoon sun, smell the pine bows, feel the damp soil with your hands, and smile. Something connects. Nothing else to do. Nowhere else to be. This is where you belong, right here, right now.

What of it, indeed ...

It’s waiting for you, just below the surface of our work-a-day world. There, just below the surface, where you are protected from the current that is trying to sweep you along, to jostle for your attention, to whisk your day away, in the never ending lists, and the stuff that must be done.

Listen again, more closely. Isn’t that your song? Don’t you recognize it? It is in us all, somewhere deep within ...

"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not, rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common--this is my symphony." -- William Henry Channing