Another year passing...

By Vichara


I am partially weighted by the fact that I will turn 51 later this week and yet buoyant as well. Weighed down by the experiences and responsibility (but all ends up good) and buoyant with the abilities that age brings to me with discerning the importance of individual things. Being more decisive when the economy of time dictates it and resting in the moments when it is necessary to gain a new perspective. Yes in reality 51 is not old. My Mum just turned 80 and I have had friends and family members depart from this world at years before my current number, my sister was 43. What I hope and ask for this year is to gain even more levels of awareness and understanding and find more creative ways, not only in my personal life, but also down avenues where we could develop unified causes that cross all barriers of race and religion.

tribulation • \trib-yuh-LAY-shun\ • noun
: distress or suffering resulting from oppression or persecution; also : a trying experience

Example Sentence:
Over the past year, Sara and Brian have experienced all the trials and tribulations that come with owning one’s first home.

Did you know?
The writer and Christian scholar Thomas More, in his 1534 work "A dialoge of comforte against tribulation," defined the title word as "euery such thing as troubleth and greueth [grieveth] a man either in bodye or mynde." These days, however, the word "tribulation" is typically used as a plural count noun, paired with its alliterative partner "trial," and relates less to oppression and more to any kind of uphill struggle. "Tribulation" derives via Middle English and Old French from the Latin verb "tribulare" (to oppress or afflict), related to "tribulum," a noun meaning "threshing board."

Change is happening, right now...

By Vichara


The body regenerates 50 trillion cells everyday. Your body therefore in this process has changed into virtually a new person everyday. Given this fact we have an opportunity to use this process to shed those things unimportant and trivial, just as our bodies shed the unnecessary cells in it’s natural process of change. Change is happening as you read this, join the club.

jackleg • \JACK-leg\ • adjective
1 a : characterized by unscrupulousness, dishonesty, or lack of professional standards * b : lacking skill or training : amateur
2 : designed as a temporary expedient : makeshift

Example Sentence:
"Ted Dawson was a pretty good jackleg carpenter." (Stephen King, It)
Did you know?
Don't call someone "jackleg" unless you're prepared for that person to get angry with you. Throughout its more than 150-year-old history in English, "jackleg" has most often been used as a term of contempt and deprecation, particularly in reference to lawyers and preachers. Its form echoes that of the similar "blackleg," an older term for a cheating gambler or a worker opposed to union policies. Etymologists know that "blackleg" appeared over a hundred years before "jackleg," but they don't have any verifiable theories about the origin of either term.

Rescue mission...

By Vichara


Rescue the heart, rescue the mind and rescue the spirit. Rescue them all from being hijacked by delusionary aspects that they are being subjected to on a daily basis. Take the time each day either as you start your day or at the end, to remind yourself the true values that sustain and fortify us. Love, to further build a union between us all. Patience, to develop the space to see things clearly. And Compassion, in order to cultivate true empathy.

con amore • \kahn-uh-MOR-ee\ • adverb
1 : with love, devotion, or zest
2 : in a tender manner -- used as a direction in music

Example Sentence:
I'm not usually one to cry at weddings, but I found myself dabbing my eyes with a tissue as bride and groom recited their vows, con amore.

Did you know?
"No matter what the object is, whether business, pleasures, or the fine arts; whoever pursues them to any purpose must do so con amore." Wise words -- and the 18th-century Englishman who wrote them under the pseudonym Sir Thomas Fitzosborne may have been drawing on his own experience. At the time those words were written (around 1740), the author, whose real name was William Melmoth, had recently abandoned the practice of law to pursue his interest in writing and classical scholarship, which were apparently his true loves. In any case, by making use of "con amore," a term borrowed from Italian, Melmoth gave us the first known use of the word in English prose.

To gain wings...

By Vichara


To have wings like the hummingbirds circling outside my window this morning and to gain an element of freedom not known to us. To at least transcend the gravitational pull and rise up to a new perspective. Obviously we physically do not have these appendages to achieve this ability but we can develop these abilities spiritually and morally. The delusional aspects that bind us to a perspective of hopelessness and futile actions can be, in degrees, lifted and elevate us at least metaphysically to a new vista by recognizing the “attachments” that tie us to this plane. While temporarily satisfying some aspects of our lives, these attachments of material things and misguided thoughts will never sustain us. It is in the unified communion of love, compassion and patience with each other that will give us all wings.

mohair • \MOH-hair\ • noun
: a fabric or yarn made wholly or in part of the long silky hair of the Angora goat; also : this hair
Example Sentence:
This year's product line includes coats and sweaters made from mohair produced in Texas.
Did you know?
"Mohair" entered the English language in the 16th century, spelled variously as "mocayare," "mockaire," "mokayre," and "moochary." It was borrowed from Italian "mocaiarro," a word which itself was borrowed from Arabic "mukhayyar." The adjective "mukhayyar" meant "select" or "choice." How this Arabic adjective came to be the English noun "mohair" is a bit of a mystery. It is possible that "mukhayyar" was used as a colloquial noun in the sense of "wool of prime quality" (that is, "choice wool"). In English, the shift from "mocayare" and similar spellings to "mohair" was likely influenced by the more familiar English word "hair."

Koan #5...

By Vichara


Hey boys & girls it’s Koan Monday. Pull up your cushions, get comfy, here it comes…”Immersed in water, you stretch out your hands for a drink”. No matter what part of the world you are reading this I believe that you are surroundsed by all that we could ever wish for either physically or spiritually (sometimes without knowing it). The greatest of these is just being alive. There are some belief systems that will say that reaching ahuman life has taken many lifetimes in other forms. This is the pinnacle. But as usual we humans desire so much more when we have so much and this causes so much suffering. The message here today of course is to develop a little more appreciation for what we have. It’s all relative but to others we would be considered very rich but I believe the greatest wealth we posess is the ability to love with a compassionate heart.

quaff • \KWAHF\ • verb
: to drink deeply
Example Sentence:
"'Respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore! Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!' / Quoth the raven, 'Nevermore.'" (Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven)
Did you know?
Nowadays, "quaff" has an old-fashioned, literary sound to it. For more contemporary words that suggest drinking a lot of something, especially in big gulps and in large quantity, you might try "drain," "pound," or "slug." If you are a daintier drinker, you might say that you prefer to "sip," "imbibe" or "partake in" the beverage of your choice. "Quaff" is by no means the oldest of these terms -- earliest evidence of it in use is from the early 1500s, whereas "sip" dates to the 14th century -- but it is the only one with the mysterious "origin unknown" etymology.

A shift of vision...

By Vichara


Gandhi once said, “An eye for an eye, makes the whole world blind”. Let’s say now, today, as we wake up and meet the world, “A heart for a heart makes the whole world see”. By engaging in one simple act of kindness rooted in a compassionate heart, we can make a difference. One simple act will inspire another to another to another until it becomes a force and not a tiny voice, as some perceive it to be. By bucking the system of negativity we can take control of a world with a vision of love, patience and compassion.

lanuginous • \luh-NOO-juh-nus\ • adjective
: covered with down or fine soft hair : downy
Example Sentence:
"The Leaves of the young Branches are like those of the Quince, green without, and white and lanuginous underneath, and serve for Food for the Elephants." (Monfieur Pomet, "Figs," History of Druggs, 1709)
Did you know?
You're likely to come across "lanuginous" in only a few contexts, botany and spelling bees being the best candidates. In other contexts, the more common term is "downy." "Lanuginous" has an unsurprising pedigree. It's from the Latin word "lanuginosus," which is in turn from "lanugo," the Latin word for "down." ("Lanugo" is also an English word used especially to refer to the soft woolly hair that covers the fetus of some mammals.) "Lanugo" itself is from "lana," meaning "wool," a root also at work in "lanolin," the term for wool grease that's refined for use in ointments and cosmetics.

A shift...

By Vichara


There is so much manipulation that happens even in the smallest of communities. If in the larger corporate world if you find a chink in the armor of those you deal with it is seen as virtuous by some. On a small scale a child see the lack of ability in another and will make fun of that person. Either one is a reflection of their own inabilities to take a perceived deficiency and twist it to their own gain and amusement. Of course this type of activity goes on everyday and has been, without good merit, accepted human behavior. But what if we could change that paradigm, starting just each one of us and like a small stone tossed into a puddle ripple out to others changing manipulation to understanding and compassion.

skosh • \SKOHSH\ • noun
: a small amount : bit, smidgen
Example Sentence:
The barista sprinkled a skosh of fresh ginger onto the milky surface of the latte.
Did you know?
The word "skosh" comes from the Japanese word "sukoshi," which is pronounced "skoh shee" and means "a tiny bit" or "a small amount." The Japanese word was shortened by U.S. servicemen stationed in Japan after World War II. Later, in the Korean War, a small soldier was often nicknamed "Skosh." In civilian-speak, "skosh" can be used as a noun (as in our example sentence) or adverbially (as in "I'm a skosh tired").

Escapism...

By Vichara


Escapism is subjective. One man’s heaven can be another man’s hell. By various means we try to alleviate the turmoil that can sometimes spin out of control around us. For every person there is a means and a way. Drugs, booze, sex, spending, sports, gambling, etc. These are but a few means at our disposal. For every degree of turmoil there is perceived to be a degree of escapism that can soothe or temper what is invading our lives. There is no invasion, there is no personal attack, there is no vindictive cause, it is just “life” unfolding in all it’s colorful majesty. It is no escapism that will change things; it is equanimity in your acceptance of these events that will quell the storm clouds. Not a resigned acceptance, but one of pragmatism and resolve to see things as they are and accept the answers and solutions, no matter what they are.

pachydermatous • \pack-ih-DER-muh-tuss\ • adjective
1 : of or relating to the pachyderms
2 *a : thick, thickened b : callous, insensitive

Example Sentence:
With 18 eventful years in office behind him, the senator has developed a pachydermatous layer of self-protection that the latest media attacks cannot penetrate.

Did you know?
Elephants, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses -- it was a French zoologist named Georges Cuvier who in the late 1700s first called these and other thick-skinned, hoofed mammals "Pachydermata." The word, from Greek roots, means "thick-skinned" in New Latin (the Latin used in scientific description and classification). In the 19th century, we began calling such animals "pachyderms," and we also began using the adjective "pachydermatous" to refer, both literally and figuratively, to the characteristics and qualities of pachyderms -- especially their thick skin. American poet James Russell Lowell first employed "pachydermatous" with the figurative "thick-skinned" sense in the mid-1800s: "A man cannot have a sensuous nature and be pachydermatous at the same time."

The same, but different...

By Vichara


There is an old Zen proverb that says “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water”. No matter how far we have gone or great things we have learned we still needs to attend to the same tasks as before. That’s not to say not to be happy and enjoy our accomplishments. We need to keep in perspective that life and time moves forward and we all must attend to those activities that are necessary. One thing however you may find with some deeper understanding (or enlightenment) that sometimes even the basic actvities take on a new light and could tranform themselves from menial to actual enjoyment. Who knows you may even enjoy cutting wood and hauling water, heaving the fish nets, setting the trap lines, tilling the soil and shoveling the cow dung…ok, those are old school. How about just going to work then.

nyctalopia • \nik-tuh-LOH-pee-uh\ • noun
: reduced visual capacity in faint light (as at night) : night blindness
Example Sentence:
Bernard suffers from progressive nyctalopia; as a result, he can no longer drive at night.
Did you know?
"Nyctalopia" comes to us from the Latin word "nyctalops," which means "suffering from night blindness." It is ultimately derived from the Greek word "nyktalops," which was formed by combining the word for "night" ("nyx") with the words for "blind" and "eye" ("alaos" and "ōps," respectively). English speakers have been using "nyctalopia" to refer to reduced vision in faint light or at night since the 17th century. We added the somewhat more pedestrian "night blindness" to the lexicon in the 18th century.

Koan #4...

By Vichara


Koan Monday once again friends. “Great understanding comes with great love.” Wisdom and compassion are inseparable. To be wise is to love and to love is to be wise. In this journey of cultivating a “good” and “honorable” life you begin to see that love is the quality of heart that unites us withy others and all of life. This essential ingredient is not something that should be parsed out but should be imbedded in each and every act that we do everyday. Fused not separate. The more bonded with all of our actions, the greater our understanding of the world increases. And as it increases the more the mind stills the thoughts that divide us and brings us to a greater unification through…love.

adust • \uh-DUST\ • adjective
: scorched, burned
Example Sentence:
The adust landscape of volcanic rock and sand can be particularly beautiful at sunset.
Did you know?
"Adust" comes from Latin "adustus," the past participle of "adurere" ("to set fire to"), a verb formed from the Latin prefix "ad-" and the verb "urere" ("to burn"). It entered the English language in the early 15th century as a medical term related to the four bodily humors -- black bile, blood, phlegm, and yellow bile -- which were believed at the time to determine a person's health and temperament. "Adust" was used to describe a condition of the humors in which they supposedly became heated or combusted. Adust black bile in particular was believed to be a source of melancholy. The association with melancholy gave rise to an adjectival sense of "adust" meaning "of a gloomy appearance or disposition," but that sense is now considered archaic.

Compassion hearts...

By Vichara


We reach out in an effort to get behind this “veil” that could perhaps give us the answers we seek, help we need and direction that is required. The trouble is finding that deliniation mark where it might be and even if there is one. Perhaps all our energies projected outwardly are merly the means to ignite dormat area within that will unite others in an effort to balance the negative and positive energies. Can all our prayers, blessings and mindful efforts help? That is a question that has been asked many times. The answer; I am not sure for everyone but I have seen the results when there is an unified positive effort in daily things and I do believe change and healing can be achieved with compassionate hearts.

omnibus • \AHM-nih-bus\ • adjective
1 : of, relating to, or providing for many things at once
2 : containing or including many items

Example Sentence:
At the beginning of the school year, teachers held an omnibus meeting to tie up many of the loose ends that were left unaddressed over the summer.

Did you know?
The adjective "omnibus" may not have much to do with public transportation, but the noun "omnibus" certainly does -- it not only means "bus,"but it's also the word English speakers shortened to form "bus." The noun "omnibus" originated in the 1820s as a French word for long, horse-drawn vehicles that transported people along the main thoroughfares of Paris. Shortly thereafter, omnibuses -- and the noun "omnibus" -- arrived in New York. But in Latin, "omnibus" simply means "for all." Our adjective "omnibus," which arrived in the mid-1800s, seems to hark back to that Latin "omnibus," though it may also have been at least partially influenced by the English noun. An "omnibus bill" containing numerous provisions, for example, could be likened to a bus loaded with people.

Just do it...

By Vichara


We are all given many tasks that will sometimes call upon a greater sense of urgency and need. We don’t need to be heroic; we just need to perform them to the best of our ability with compassion. There might not be immediate rewards or satisfaction, you will need to instill in your heart that what you do, if performed altruistically, will reap it’s own merits and in it’s own time. Having faith will be a difficult task but that has it’s own special reward.

Special note: On a personal note. I have just returned from a week of helping my mother who has cancer in her bowels. She had a by-pass surgery last night and is resting as best as her body can. I always feel that combined energies will help and if you could all direct just some of this to her to assist her in her recovery and in the effort to making her stronger and healthy I would and she would appreciate it very much. Thank you.

etiquette • \ET-ih-kut\ • noun
: the conduct or procedure required by good breeding or prescribed by authority to be observed in social or official life

Example Sentence:
According to Miss Manners, it is a myth that newlyweds have up to a year to write thank-you notes for wedding gifts; rather, etiquette dictates that the notes should be sent as soon as possible.

Did you know?
One definition of the French word "étiquette" is "ticket" or "label attached to something for identification." In 16th-century Spain, the French word was borrowed (and altered to "etiqueta") to refer to the written protocols describing orders of precedence and behavior demanded of those who appeared in court. Eventually, "etiqueta" came to be applied to the court ceremonies themselves as well as the documents which outlined the requirements for them. Interestingly, this then led to French speakers of the time attributing the second sense of "proper behavior" to their "étiquette," and in the middle of the 18th century English speakers finally adopted both the word and the second meaning from the French.

test, test

By Vichara

Koan #3...

By Vichara


It’s Koan Monday…”The old pond, A jumping frog – plop!” Here is a wonderfully simple Koan and Haiku poem at the same time illustrating being in the moment. With the flurry of future thoughts and past experiences rolling in our heads we tend to forget the moment we are in right now…no matter where we are. By bringing ourselves back to the moment we are you may see something, even common, like you have never seen it before. The rusty truck, the flower vendor – Honk! Write one yourself through your travels in a day to refocus your attention to being present in this moment. You cannot change the past and the future is an out of focus concept, but being and enjoying the moment right now is attainable. Plop!

scilicet • \SKEE-lih-ket\ • adverb
: to wit, namely

Example Sentence:
"All appointments must be approved by the United States of America, scilicet, the President of the United States," stated the bill concerning the restructuring of the island's government.

Did you know?
"Scilicet" is a rare word that most often occurs in legal proceedings and instruments. It is from Latin "scire" ("to know") and "licet" ("it is permitted"), which is also a root of "videlicet" -- a synonym of "scilicet." Licet," in turn, descends from the Latin verb "licēre," which means "to be permitted" and is the ultimate source of the English words "leisure" and "license." "Scire" has also made other contributions to English, giving us such words as "conscience," "conscious," and "science."

Desires...

By Vichara


There are times that we can feel like one of those greyhound dogs racing around a track trying to catch that elusive artificial rabbit. In the mind of the greyhound the rabbit is real, the object of desire and fulfillment. But because of the short-term memory and repetitive nature of these attempts of fulfillment, the greyhound forgets that the rabbit is not real in much the same way we humans fall prey to the smoke and mirrors of desire. We see the glitter and perceived charm of something desirable that has been dangled in front of us but once acquired it holds little emotional value. The attachment to things keeps us prisoners of our own desire. Like the old adage, all that glitters is not gold, holds true as those things that have great value are those things that can’t be acquired by monetary means, but by the heart.

abject • \AB-jekt\ • adjective
1 : sunk to or existing in a low state or condition
2 : very low in spirit or hope : wretched
3 : expressing or offered in a humble and often ingratiating spirit

Example Sentence:
Morris was in an abject and lonely state after Olivia left him -- but then he met Penny and his world brightened again.

Did you know?
"Abject" comes from "abjectus," the past participle of the Latin verb "abicere," meaning "to cast off." Its original meaning in English was "cast off" or "rejected," but it is now used to refer more broadly to things in a low state or condition. "Abject" shares with "mean," "ignoble," and "sordid" the sense of being below the normal standards of human decency and dignity. "Abject" may imply degradation, debasement, or servility ("abject poverty"). "Mean" suggests having such repellent characteristics as small-mindedness, ill temper, or cupidity ("mean and petty satire"). "Ignoble" suggests a loss or lack of some essential high quality of mind or spirit ("an ignoble scramble after material possessions"). "Sordid" is stronger than all of these in stressing physical or spiritual degradation and lowness ("a sordid story of murder and revenge").

The marathon...

By Vichara


We are all given stewardship of many and important things in our lifetime, our thoughts, the environment, love, wisdom, the tangible and the intangible. And like a marathon runner with this “baton”, we must safeguard that which has been given to us and safely pass it off to the next generation / runner. If we inadvertently drop the baton we need to find the strength and resources to pick it up and rise to the occasion until our segment of this race is done. Realize and be cognizant that you are not alone. There are many other runners, some in front, some behind and some right next to you. Cheer and encourage all that are around you for this is not a race to be won, but to survive.

periphrasis • \puh-RIFF-ruh-sis\ • noun
1 : use of a longer phrasing in place of a possible shorter form of expression
2 : an instance of periphrasis

Example Sentence:
The college English teacher warned her students against padding their essays with periphrases solely to reach the required length.

Did you know?
It's easy enough to point out the origins of "periphrasis": the word was borrowed into English in the early 16th century via Latin from Greek "periphrazein," which in turn comes from the prefix "peri-," meaning "all around," and the verb "phrazein," "to point out." Two common descendants of "phrazein" in English are "phrase" and "paraphrase," the latter of which combines "phrazein" with the prefix "para-," meaning "closely resembling." Another "phrazein" descendant is the less familiar word "holophrasis," meaning "the expression of a complex of ideas in a single word or in a fixed phrase." (The prefix "holo-" can mean "completely.")