... just a reminder

If you think you are beaten, you are; 
If you think you dare not, you don't. 
If you'd like to win, but think you can't 
It's almost a cinch you won't. 
If you think you'll lose, you've lost. 
For out in the world we find 
Success begins with a fellow's will: 
It's all in his state of mind. 

If you think you're outclassed, you are: 
You've got to think high to rise, 
You've got to be sure of yourself before 
You'll ever win that prize. 
Life's battles don't always go 
To the stronger or faster man, 
But sooner or later the man who wins 
Is the one who thinks he can.

(Walter D. Wintle? Bruce Lee?)

Do you also find some similarity between
milonga
(e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n2vkEbjcy8 ) and
semba
(e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syW2nhW0CTA ), from which many dances (including
kizomba
(e.g. http://youtu.be/fN7p1zi7DpA )) were derived?

Awakening

United in the embrace
breath over breath
we walked all night long.

We visited
People, Rhythms and Countries
climbing ladders of notes.

We set free
a simple movement
from his cage, still faltering.

We played
to skip the music
like rocks on the river of the orchestra.

I remember your scent,
the voice of your body,
our sacred dynamic harmony.

With these feelings
among many I'm looking for
a name and a face and I know that in the embrace

I'll recognise you.

Al Risveglio (by RN)

Uniti nell'abbraccio
Respiro su respiro
tutta la notte abbiamo camminato.

Abbiamo visitato
Genti, Ritmi e Paesi
arrampicando su scale di note.

Abbiamo liberato
un movimento semplice
dalla sua gabbia, incespicava ancora.

Abbiamo, sì, giocato
a saltare la musica
come rocce sul fiume dell'orchestra.

Ricordo il tuo profumo,
la voce del tuo corpo,
la nostra sacra armonia dinamica.

Tra tante sto cercando
con queste sensazioni
un nome e un viso e so che nell'abbraccio

ti riconoscerò.

RN, 21/04/2013

The fourteen precepts of the Order of Interbeing (Thich Nhat Hanh)

1. Do not be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology. All systems of thought are guiding means; they are not absolute thruth. 

2. Do not think that the knowledge you presently possess is changeless, absolute truth. Avoid being narrow-minded and bound to present views. Learn and practice non-attachment from views in order to be open to receive others' viewpoints. Truth is found in life and not merely in conceptual knowledge. Be ready to learn throughout your entire life and to observe reality in yourself and in the world at all times.

3. Do not force others, including children, by any means whatsoever, to adopt your views, whether by authority, threat, money, propaganda, or even education. However, through compassionate dialogue, help others renounce fanaticism and narrowness.

4. Do not avoid contact with suffering or close your eyes before suffering. Do not lose awareness of the existence of suffering in the life of the world. Find ways to be with those who are suffering, by all means, including personal contact and visits, images, and sound. By such means, awaken yourself and others to the reality of suffering in the world. 

5. Do not accumulate wealth while millions are hungry. Do not take as the aim of your life fame, profit, wealth, or sensual pleasure. Live simply and share time, energy, and material resources with those who are in need.

6. Do not maintain anger or hatred. Learn to penetrate and transform them while they are still seeds in your consciousness. As soon as anger or hatred arises, turn your attention to your breathing in order to see and understand the nature of the persons who have caused your anger or hatred. 

7. Do not lose yourself in dispersion and in your surroundings. Practice mindful breathing in order to come back to what is happening in the present moment. Be in touch with what is wondrous, refreshing, and healing, both inside and around yourself. Plant the seeds of joy, peace, and undestanding in yourself in order to facilitate the work of transformation in the depths of your consciousnss. 

8. Do not utter words that can create discord and cause the community to break. Make every effort to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small. 

9. Do not say untruthful things for the sake of personal interest or to impess people. Do not utter words that cause division and hatred. Do not spread news that you do not know to be certain. Do not criticize or condemn things that you are not sure of. Always speak truthfully and constructively. Have the courage to speak out about situations of injustice, even when doing so may threaten your own safety.

10. Do not use the religious community for personal gain or profit, or transform you community into a political party. A religious commuity should, however, take a clear stand against oppression and injustice, and should strive to change the situation without engaging in partisan conflicts.

11. Do not live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and nature. Do not invest in companies that deprive others of their chance to live. Select a vocation that helps realize your ideal of compassion.

12. Do not kill. Do not let others kill. Find whatever means possible to protect life and prevent war. 

13. Possess nothing that should belong to others. Respect the property of others but prevent others from enriching themselves from human suffering or the suffering of other beings.

14. Do not mistreat your body. Learn to handle it with respect. Do not look on your body as only an instrument. Preserve vital energies for the realization of the Way. Sexual expression should not happen without love and commitment. In sexual relationsips, be aware of future suffering that may be caused. To preserve the happines of others, respect the rights and commitments of others. Be fully aware of the responsibility of bringing new lives into the world. Meditate on the world into which you are bringing new beings.

Utilità

"Tutti conoscono l'utilità dell'utile, ma nessuno sa l'utilità dell'inutile".

(Zhuang -zi, IV)

The Secret of Happiness

"The secret of happiness is happiness itself. Wherever we are, any time, we have the capacity to enjoy the sunshine, the presence of each other, the wonder of our breathing. We don't have to travel anywhere else to do so. We can be in touch with these things right now". 

From Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace is every step

Bacon and eggs (Ajahn Brahm)

What is the difference between involvement and commitment?
It's the same as the difference between bacon and eggs: in bacon and eggs, the pig is committed, the chicken is only involved.

Our Life is a Work of Art - Thich Nhat Hanh

[...] When we smile to ourselves, that smile is not diplomacy; it is the proof that we are ourselves, that we have full sovereignty over ourselves. Can we write a poem on stopping, aimlessness, or just being? Can we paint something about it? Everything we do is an act of poetry or a painting if we do it with mindfulness. Growing lettuce is poetry. Walking to the supermarket can be a painting.
When we do not trouble ourselves about whether or not something is a work of art, if we just act in each moment with composure and mindfulness, each minute of our life is a work of art. Even when we are not painting or writing, we are still creating. We are pregnant with beauty, joy, and peace, and we are making life more beautiful for many people. Sometimes it is better not to talk about art by using the word "art". If we just act with awareness and integrity, our art will flower, and we don't have to talk about it at all. When we know how to be peace, we find that art is a wonderful way to share our peacefulness. Artistic expression will take place in one way or another, but the being is essential. So we must go back to ourselves, and when we have joy and peace in ourselves, our creations of art will be quite natural, and they will serve the world in a positive way.

From Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace is every step