in the rawness

mjd - be still/rawness - 2015

in the stillness,

hone your mind. 

know it,

understand how it works.

then immerse yourself 

in the rawness 

that is life. 

let the love that fills you

spill out

and 

over.

let it quench

parched hearts.

let it bring life

to seeds
that are dormant
from neglect.

mjd - be still/rawness - 2015

surrender

mjd - 2015 - plant skeletons

open to the stillness

between winter and spring,

though the earth 

beneath your feet 

is charged with eager life.

bear witness

to the skeletal remains

of those 

who have burst forth,

lived

weathered storms

and died.

bear witness 

to a seemingly

fragile nature

that is belied 

by great strength 

and 

great tenacity. 

this story

is like your own.

you stand.

between heaven

and earth

you are rooted

and soaring - 

in that balance

in that exquisite place

may you thrive. 

-------------

lovely rustic holding vessels by the ever talented
marsha neal.

-------------

a giveaway in the name of gratitude

be still necklace - mjd 2014

porcelain jiz0 - matt leavitt

the universe exists in a drop of water.

the universe exists in a fluttering green leaf.

the universe exists in you.

be still 

and know.

in appreciation for the support and care that comes from this community, i offer a giveaway of this necklace (made by me) and this beautiful jizo (made by matt leavitt). i will choose a name on april 15th, not for tax day but for the spectacular lunar eclipse that will occur that night. you don't have to post in other places, nor do you have to visit my fb or instagram pages. just leave a message here on this post. 

in thanks, 

mary jane

capturing stillness

fragile strength talisman/be still - mjd 2014

at first

we seem to catch moments 

of stillness

the way we did 

fireflies

as children.

seeing their flashing light,

we would run carefully

up to them

trying to catch them 

ever so gently 

in cupped hands.

exciting and unique moments,

we feel like 

it must have been the place

or time

that brought it into being

for us.

and so we return 

to that place or time

to find it again. 

fragile strength talisman/be still - mjd 2014

awareness

trickles in 

as we contemplate

how to return to to this place

of tranquility.

we begin to notice 

that stillness 

is not about

external circumstances

or

perfect states of being,

nor 

are they required to be 

present first for 

stillness to exist.

as our moments accumulate,

they grow closer and closer

together.

in the gathering awareness,

we come to realize

that moments of quietude

are always within our grasp.

fragile strength talisman/be still - mjd 2014

we hold the key 

to make them manifest.

and with that knowledge, 

we walk in light. 

in stillness

woven leaf - mjd 2013

slow down,

stop what you are doing

and take a breath.

'sit down and be quiet.

you are drunk 

and this is the edge of the roof.'

 - rumi

the situation is dire

for those unwilling 

to do the work 

of practicing awareness.

distraction lurks 

in every corner

and sits in the middle 

of every room.

but is there really any other option?

'not seeking,

not expecting,

she is present,

and can welcome all things.'

- lao tzu

tell me...

do you ever feel more clear-minded
when you gaze upon a rising moon
as it moves through the clouds, glowing?

do you sense a connection to something bigger?

whether suffering or joyful,
lonely or hopeful - 

standing there,
we know that others
experience these same emotions.

your urge may be to pull back,
but stay with it.

and know it is your connection
to humanity.

the bedrock i stand upon is peace and stillness.
from that place, i can open-mindedly assess whatever comes my way.

while it is oh-so-easy to get pulled off center,

you can always find your way back

by practicing that which you desire to be - 

and so we dance, round and round with ourselves
learning all the while...

finding peace - over and over and over

i had an image of a ring that i wanted to make - it started in the winter, developing slowly... i only wanted to make that ring - and i knew i would be directed... and so on sunday, i did it... i made my first ring ... it is meant to evoke a zen garden -with a small pool of water where a flower blossom floats gently on the surface... stillness, peace... 


it seemed to come together with the acquisition of techniques and a series of events... 

when we saw the burton exhibit in april, we passed this billboard ... i didn't realize the dalai lama was coming to the city to speak... a couple of weeks ago, em was asked by a friend if she wanted to go to see him... i said 'of course'... it was her first time into manhattan alone with friends, but she was going with a group including some boys that i trust completely... it also felt like the perfect event to launch her into that 'first'... she and i had seen him at rutgers a few years ago and it was an incredible experience... 


last week in philly while walking through the children's hospital, we came upon these:

they are inspired by prayer flags...

the hopes, the dreams, the thoughts upon them were deeply moving... 

it was a 13 hr. day - and one that required us to be away from all wifi, but we were allowed to leave the premises... too rainy for the zoo, we headed to the museum... and em asked if we could find the temple... 

there is beauty in every day, there are opportunities to find peace... even if in closing your eyes and breathing deeply... it is in the notice we take, the choices we make that guide us through our moments... 

'as human beings we all want to be happy and free from misery...

we have learned that the key to happiness is inner peace.

the greatest obstacles to inner peace 

are disturbing emotions such as anger, attachment,

fear and suspicion,

while love and compassion and a sense

of universal responsibility are the sources of peace

and happiness.'

~ the dalai lama