Colin Beale, 1933-2006: Continued
I’d like to share the following notes/quotes, some attributed some not, found in a little notebook my lovely father kept, written in his impeccable hand:
"Mindfulness The great spiritual teachers of all religions have themselves practised and taught mindfulness. To be mindful is to live in the present moment, not to be imprisoned in the past nor anticipating a future that may never happen. When we are fully aware of the present, life is transformed and strain and stress disappear. So much of modern life is a feverish anticipation of future activity and excitement. We have to learn to step back from this into the freedom and possibility of the present. " Unattributed
Truth Beauty Health Happiness Light "A sense of wonder so indestructable it lasts a lifetime as an antidote against boredom and disenchantment. " Unattributed
"A mind always hopeful, confident, courageous, and determined on its set purpose, and keeping itself to that purpose, attracts to itself out of the elements things and powers favourable to that purpose. " Ralph Waldo Trine
"People bring to what they see and feel, the inner weather of their souls and complexion of their minds." Han Suyin.
"Stand in awe and sin not: Commune with your own heart, and in your chamber, be still." Psalm 3 v. 4.
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed." Albert Einstein.
"When you change the way you look at a thing, the thing itself changes…By mastering feelings, she had come to understand the meaning of discipline and its reward: freedom and power. " May Sarton.
THE LAKE ISLE OF INNISFREE
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean rows will I have there, a hive for the honeybee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight’s all a-glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet’s wings.
I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear the water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements gray,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.
1892 By William Butler Yeats
When You Are Old
WHEN you are old and gray and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;
By William Butler Yeats
O let me hear thy loving-kindness betimes in the morning, for in thee is my trust : shew thou me the way that I should walk in, for I lift up my soul unto thee. Psalm 143
Cultivate compassion Cultivate loving kindness Protect safety and integrity of others Cultivate loving speech and deep listening Cultivate good physical and mental health Speak truth Veneration and reverential wonder Unattributed
"The most necessary thing is contentment under all circumstances…. Yield not to grief and sorrow, they cause the greatest misery. Jealousy consumes the body and anger burns the liver…Avoid these two as you would a lion." Bahá’u'lláh
"Suffering can be turned into achievement tragedy into triumph. A capacity to be worthy of suffering helps people transcend their own outward fate. People can preserve an independence of mind and spiritual freedom even under terrible conditions. The kind of person you become is the result of an inner decision, not simply the product of an environment. The fleeting nature of life can drive people to take responsible action. Love is the highest goal to which humanity can aspire. Practice a ‘tragic optimism’ that makes the best of any situation, even the most miserable." Unattributed
"I have to remind myself that being alone, the total silence has a great resonance for me…I find other parts of myself that can be nourished…listen to sacred music…get to work on my art…concentrate on my modeling. How I can help the artists…" Colin Beale
"If I have a secret at all its that I do just what I want. I think that stops the ageing process as much as anything." Cary Grant
Father was taken by Tamara de Lempicka. Particularly her still lifes. This one entitled Still Life of Fruits and Silk Drape, 1949, image from here
July 21st, 2007 at 4:34 PM
Thank you for sharing these, they are very inspiring. Your father must hae been a special person to have felt such a depth of Being as expressed in these quotes. It has inspired me to create a similar compilation for my daughter, something enduring to link us beyond physical presence. Thank you both so much for sharing this.
If you are not already familiar, you may find it helpful to look at the work of Ralph Waldo Trine (author of one of your father’s quotes). I feel his wonderful (and true) vision will assist the lightening of your grief.
Blessings and connection across the internet
Cathy