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This article is about the Korean Buddhist master. For people with the given name Seongcheol, see Seongcheol (name).
Seongcheol (April 6, 1912 – November 4, 1993) is the dharma name of a Korean Seon (Zen) Master. He was a key figure in modern Korean Buddhism, being responsible for significant changes to it from the 1950s to 1990s.
Seongcheol was widely recognized in Korea as having been a living Buddha, due to his extremely ascetic lifestyle, the duration and manner of his meditation training, his central role in reforming Korean Buddhism in the post-World War II era, and the quality of his oral and written teachings.
Born on April 10, 1912 in Korea under the name of Yi Yeongju(이영주), Seongcheol was the first of seven children of a Confucian scholar in Gyeongsang province. He was rumored to have been an exceptionally bright child who read constantly, having learned to read at the age of three, and being proficient enough to read such Chinese classics as Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Journey to the West by age ten. His enthusiasm for reading was such that he once traded a sack of rice for Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason as a teenager.
Having read numerous books on philosophy and religion, both Western and Eastern, he reportedly felt dissatisfied, being convinced that these could not lead him to truth. One day, a Seon monk gave Seongcheol a copy of The Song of Attainment of the Tao (Hangul: 증도가, Hanja: 證道歌), a Seon text written by Yeongga Hyeon-gak (永嘉玄覺) in the Tang dynasty. Seongcheol felt as if "a bright light had suddenly been lit in complete darkness," and that he had finally found the way to the ultimate truth.
Immediately, he started meditating on the "Mu" gong-an (Japanese: koan) and started ignoring all his responsibilities at home. Deciding that his parents' house had too many distractions, he promptly packed his bags and went to Daewonsa (Daewon temple). After obtaining permission to stay in the temple, the young Seongcheol started to meditate intensively. Later in life, he would say that he attained the state of Dongjeong Ilyeo (see Teachings below, Hangul: 동정일여, Hanja: 動靜一如) at this early point in his life in only forty-two days.
"There is a way. No one will reveal the secret. You must enter the door yourself. But there is no door. In the end, there is not even a way."
Smiling once and turning around, the blue mountain stands amongst the white clouds as before.
Having attained enlightenment, Seongcheol began pilgrimages to various temples in order to validate his experience and to examine other monks and their levels of attainment. But he was frequently disappointed, noticing that inka (validation of a monk's attainment by a master) was given too carelessly, thereby falsely recognizing many monks as having fully attained enlightenment. During his retreat at Songgwangsa, he was also dismayed at Jinul's theory of Dono Jeomsu (sudden enlightenment, gradual training), and how it was the widespread theory during the time. Later during the 1980s and 1990s, his contribution to the revival of Hui Neng's traditional theory of Dono Donsu (sudden enlightenment, sudden training) would have a significant effect on the practice of Seon in Korea, China, Japan, and other countries where Seon/Zen is practiced.
Seongcheol's reputation soon began to spread. Numerous factors contributed to his growing recognition.
One of the more famous anecdotes is Seongcheol's Jangjwa Bulwa (Hangul: 장좌불와, Hanja: 長坐不臥). Literally translated as 'long sitting, no lying,' it is a meditation technique that some monks employ to intensify their practice. Sitting meditation is equivalent to most other practices, except that the practitioner does not lie down to sleep, but stays in the lotus position even during sleep, with the intention of minimizing sleep through the position. Seongcheol was known to have practiced this for eight years after his enlightenment. He reportedly never once lied down and denied sleeping at all.
Another anecdote recounts how while Seongcheol was staying in Mangwolsa in Dobong mountain, an old monk by the name of Chunseong refused to believe this. He wanted to catch Seongcheol dozing off to sleep, so spied on him secretly throughout one night. But having witnessed the truth of the rumor, Chunseong was struck with amazement and himself started employing the technique. It is said that the stress of the practice and the old age at which he started the technique caused all of his teeth to fall out later in life.
Seongcheol's reputation for intensive practice was not limited only to his meditation per se. He was also known to be completely indifferent to the outside world, focused intently only on meditation and guiding fellow monks to enlightenment. His indifference was so thorough that he even refused to see his mother when she visited him at Mahayunsa in Kumgangsan mountain. "No need to see her" was reportedly his reply to her visit, to which his fellow monks burst out in anger, stating that although they were monks devoted to asceticism and meditation, refusing to see his own mother was too extreme an action. Afterwards, Seongcheol accompanied his mother, showing her the sites of Kumgangsan mountain.
To follow the Vinaya and practice the teachings of the patriarchs in order to attain the great enlightenment.
With the exception of the Buddhist teachings, no personal opinions or philosophies will be tolerated.
The necessary items for daily living should be obtained on his own, without dependence on lay people, including daily chores of field work, firewood, etc.
Absolutely no assistance from the lay people in terms of cooking, clothing, alms, or gifts.
To eat only gruel in the morning, and to not eat at all after noon.
The monks' sitting order follows the dates of ordination.
To only meditate and be silent in the rooms.
The reformation movement started around a small group of monks centered on Seongcheol, but quickly grew by reputation, attracting monks all over the country who were also intent on bringing back the Korean tradition of intense meditation, strict celibacy, and study of sutras. Among these younger generations were Weolsan (월산), Ubong (우봉), Bomun (보문), Seongsu (성수), Dou (도우), Hyeam (혜암), Beopjeon (법전), etc. Not only did this group become the future leaders of Korean Buddhism, but produced two Supreme Patriarchs (Hyeam, Beopjeon) and three chief administrators of the Jogye order.
Unfortunately, the Bong Am Sa experiment ended prematurely in 1950 when the Korean War broke out on the peninsula. With constant bombing raids and the presence of soldiers of both sides around the temple, it was impossible to continue the strict monastic life of Bong-amsa.
After the war, the reformation gained momentum and significant changes were set in motion, although it would be years until they were solidified. Central to the reformation was the issue of celibacy. While all the Buddhist canons emphasized the celibacy of monks, Japanese Buddhism had undergone significant changes during the Meiji Restoration, most notably the end of monastic celibacy. During the Japanese occupation, Korean Buddhism was severely oppressed and the Japanese style was advocated, thereby converting most Korean monks into little more than monastic residents officiating over ceremonies, married, with a business and income. Seongcheol and the new leaders were very critical of the Japanese style of Buddhism, maintaining that the tradition of celibacy, hermitage, poverty, and intense meditation were not only central to Korean Buddhism but to the true spirit of Buddhism as a whole. Korean post-war sentiments towards Japan could not have been worse at this time, and with the help of the populace and president Syngman Rhee, the traditional Korean style began to take hold and became the dominant form of Buddhism by the 1970s.
Seongcheol insisted on giving away all monastic assets to the public and reverting to the original Buddhist way of wandering and begging for alms while investing all energy into meditation. He contended this was the only surefire way for true reforms to take place, warning that otherwise, full-scale conflict could ensue between bikkhus and married monks fighting over temples. The leaders of the reformation refused to follow, stating that his assertions were too extreme. Seongcheol's predictions, though, did come true and Korean Buddhism has had numerous conflicts between monks over temple jurisdiction ever since then up to the present day, many of them escalating to violent measures by both sides (e.g. paying gangsters to physically harm opponents). Many ordination restrictions were loosened by the bikkhus in order to increase their numbers in their efforts to assume control over temples such that men of questionable social standing (e.g. former convicts and criminals) were ordained as bikkhus, leading to more violent fights amongst monks. A particularly embarrassing chapter in Korean Buddhism was in the late 1990s when monks fought over Jogyesa, the main administrative temple in Seoul, by not only employing gangsters but joining the fight themselves using weapons, including Molotov cocktails, to violently subdue each other.
In 1955, Seongcheol was appointed as the patriarch of Haeinsa, but disappointed by the direction that the reformation was taking, Seongcheol declined, removing himself from the forefront and moved to a hermitage near Pagyesa in the Palgong mountains near Daegu to deepen the meditative and enlightened stage that he had attained. The hermitage was named Seongjeonam and it was here that Seongcheol began to build the scholarly foundations that would later support his spiritual teachings. Seongcheol surrounded the hermitage with barbed wire so as to keep outsiders out (except for a few assistants) and himself within its boundaries. Never leaving the boundaries of the small hermitage for an incredible ten years, he deepened his meditation and studied the ancient Buddhist canons, Zen texts, sutras, modern mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and even taught himself English so as to keep current on international affairs. This decade of self-education would affect his future teachings significantly.
Seongcheol finally opened the doors of Seong Juhn Am hermitage in 1965. The temple he visited was Gimyongsa, where he gave his first dharma talk in a decade. In 1967, with the insisting of Jawoon, Seongcheol became the patriarch of Haeinsa temple. That winter, he started his daily two-hour dharma talks to monks and the lay people, thereby beginning his famous Hundred-Day Talk (Hangul: 백일법문, Hanja: 百日法門.) Applying his decade of scholarly studies, he began to break the stereotype of the "boring and stuffy" dharma talks and transformed them into an electrifying hybrid of Buddhism, spiritualism, quantum mechanics, general relativity, and current affairs, ushering in a new kind of dharma talk aimed at reaching the modern audience living in an age of globalization and intellectual diversity.
Ushering in a revival of the Seon tradition of intense meditation and strict monastic lifestyle, Seongcheol spearheaded the reformation of modern Korean Buddhism from the rubbles of Japanese colonialism into an epicenter of meditation training. During his tenure as patriarch of Haeinsa, the temple transformed into a training ground for meditation, sutra studies, and Vinaya studies, attracting monks from all over the country. The meditation center averaged approximately 500 monks per biannual retreat, which was unheard of since the days of Hui Neng and Ma Tzu.
Mountain is mountain, water is water.
원각이 보조하니 적과 멸이 둘이 아니라.
보이는 만물은 관음이요 들리는 소리는 묘음이라.
Declining all formal ceremonies as Supreme Patriarch from inauguration to his death, Seongcheol never left the mountains, stating that a monk's true place was in the temple. There was initially a huge protest against his semi-hermetic policy, but this was eventually replaced by sense of respect that had been lacking since the Joseon period, and helped to vastly improve the image and treatment of monks in Korea.
During his years as patriarch of Haeinsa and as Supreme Patriarch of the Jogye order, Seongcheol's reputation kept growing. Amongst monks, he was famous for being a very strict teacher, being called the tiger of Kaya mountain. When monks would nod off to sleep during meditation, he would beat them with wooden sticks while yelling, "Thief, pay for your rice!" (referring to the donations of the lay, and the monks' debts to society and therefore his duty to practice to the utmost of his abilities).
He was also known for his unique three thousand prostrations. After the Korean war, Seongcheol built a small cave-hermitage near Anjungsa temple and named it Cheonjegul. Around this time, many people came to pay their respects to him, and to further guide the pilgrims in their practice, Seongcheol first started using his famous 3000 prostrations. Nobody could visit with him unless the person completed 3000 prostrations in front of the statue of the Buddha in the main hall. Later, some lay people would accuse Seongcheol of arrogance, but he maintained that this practice was used to help guide practitioners in their own practice by helping them destroy their ego and more easily attain one-mindedness (N.B.: the 3000 full prostrations are actually a mainstay of the Korean Buddhist training regimen, performed at most temples in Korea on a monthly basis. It would take approximately eight to twelve hours, depending on the experience of the practitioner, and the technique is used frequently to "clear the mind," instill a sense of humility, and increase the awareness and focusing power of the practitioner). As his fame and reputation grew, the prostrations became more necessary as more and more people asked to meet with him. What was unique was that this requirement was uniform, i.e., he would never make any exceptions regardless of the person's wealth, fame, or power. A famous anecdote serves to illustrate the daunting task of the 3000 prostrations and Seongcheol's strict adherence to his own rules. When Park Chung-hee, the president of Korea, was opening up the new highway between Seoul and Pusan, he happened to visit Haeinsa. Hearing that the president was visiting, the head administrative monk quickly sent word to Seongcheol to come down from his hermitage to greet the president. But true to form, Seongcheol demanded the president go to the main Buddha hall and perform the 3000 prostrations before meeting with him. Park refused and the two never met.
During the latter years of his life, Seongcheol presided over many publications, including eleven books of his lectures and 37 books that translated many Zen classics not well known to the general public (see official website). The former included the full transcriptions of the Hundred-Day Talk, lectures on Huineng's sutra, Shin Sim Myung (Hangul: 신심명, Hanja: 信心銘), Jeung Do Ga (Hangul: 증도가, Hanja: 證道歌), Illumination of Sudden Enlightenment (Hangul: 돈오입도요문론, Hanja: 頓悟入道要門論), and his dharma talks. The latter was called Seon Lim Go Gyung Chong Suh (Hangul: 선림고경총서, Hanja: 禪林古鏡叢書) and was a collection of Chinese and Korean Zen classics that until publication was known mostly only to monks. These publications helped to spread his teachings to the general public and raise the general awareness and knowledge of Buddhism.
English translations of Great Master Seongcheol's work include "Echoes from Mt. Kaya", Changgyonggak Publishing, Seoul, 1988 (currently out of print), and "Opening the Eye", Gimmyeong International Co., Seoul, 2002. Both are translations from Korean by Brian Barry.
Deceiving people all my life, my sins outweigh Mount Sumeru.
Falling into hell alive, my grief divides into ten thousand pieces.
It hangs on the blue mountain.
I've lived my entire life as a practitioner, and people have always asked me for something. Everyone is already a Buddha, but they do not try to realize that fact and only look towards me. So, in a way, you could say I've deceived people all my life. I've failed to get this message across to everyone so I'm suffering in a kind of hell.
His death was followed by the largest funeral ever seen in Korean history for a monk, with over 100,000 people attending. His cremation took over thirty hours and his sarira numbered over a hundred.
Citing Taego Bou (太古普愚: 1301-1382) as the true successor of the Linji Yixuan (臨済義玄) line of patriarchs rather than Jinul (知訥: 1158-1210), he advocated Hui Neng's original stance of 'sudden enlightenment, sudden cultivation' (Hangul: 돈오돈수, Hanja: 頓悟頓修) as opposed to Jinul's stance of 'sudden enlightenment, gradual cultivation' (Hangul: 돈오점수, Hanja: 頓悟漸修). Whereas Jinul had initially asserted that with enlightenment comes the need to further one's practice by gradually destroying the karmic vestiges attained through millions of rebirths, Huineng and Seongcheol maintained that with perfect enlightenment, all karmic remnants disappear and one becomes a Buddha immediately.
He also expounded on the true definition of the Middle Way (Hangul: 중도, Hanja: 中道), stating that it was not limited to avoiding the two extremes of sensual indulgence and self-mortification as many understood, but that it was also an explanation of the state of nirvana where all dualities fuse and cease to exist as separate entities, where good and bad, self and non-self become meaningless. He compared this to the common misconception that had ruled pre-Einsteinian physics, that energy and mass were two separate entities, but which Einstein had elucidated as interchangeable dual forms with the relationship described by E=mc², thereby proving the equivalence of one to the other. He also compared this to the fusion of space and time into spacetime, and also formed the analogy of ice and water. The Middle Way is not the 'middle' or 'average' of ice and water, but the true form of each, H2O, and maintained that the state of nirvana was also like this, a state where the true form of all dualities is revealed as equivalent.
A monk once asked Dongsan Chan Master,"What is Buddha?" Dongsan replied, "Three pounds of flax" (Hangul: 마삼근, Hanja: 麻三斤).
In the waking state, one mind (Hangul: 동정일여, Hanja: 動靜一如): the state where the practitioner can meditate on a gong'an continuously throughout the day without interruption, even through talking and thinking.
In the dreaming state, one mind (Hangul: 몽중일여, Hanja: 夢中一如): the state where the practitioner can meditate on a gong'an continuously in the dreaming state.
In deep sleep, one mind (Hangul: 숙면일여, Hanja: 熟眠一如): the state described above, where the practitioner can meditate on a gong'an continuously through even the deepest sleep.
In death, attain life (Hangul: 사중득활, Hanja: 死中得活): from the previous state where all thoughts are overtaken by the gong'an (therefore, the practitioner is considered mentally "dead"), the moment of attaining enlightenment, that is, "life."
Great, round, mirror-like wisdom (Hangul: 대원경지, Hanja: 大圓鏡智): the state of perfect enlightenment, using the analogy of the bright mirror for the great internal wisdom that comes forth during enlightenment. The final state where the practitioner loses the sense of self, is liberated from his karma, and therefore, all future rebirths.
Seongcheol was very critical of the Japanese style of Zen meditation. The Japanese style favors a gradual study of many gong'ans, similar to a curriculum where the practitioner would improve from an easier gong'an to a more difficult one as he mastered each one over time. Seongcheol, and many other masters, stated that this would achieve nothing since the whole point of meditation was to rid one's mind of all divergent thoughts, which was the cause of karmic rebirths and its concomitant suffering, by focusing the mind deeply on only one gong'an until it destroyed all other thoughts. By studying gong'ans like a curriculum, one was only exercising the mind even more, which was diametrically opposed to the original goal of extinguishing the mind. Thus, this gradual style of meditation was not only similar to Jinul's gradual cultivation, it was a complete waste of time to the practitioner in that Zen became nothing more than an exercise in sophistry, with higher positions being given to those who could solve more riddles. Gong'ans can never be solved with such rational, or even intuitive methods, and only the final, perfect enlightenment could give the solution to the gong'an, and simultaneously all gong'ans. Therefore, Seongcheol repeatedly made clear that the study of many gong'ans was antithetical to true meditation. He stated that attaining perfect enlightenment was equal to becoming a Buddha, and this was also equal to definitively solving the gong'an, remarking that this was not his unique teaching, but that of numerous masters including Huineng, Ma Tzu, all the way down to current masters. Being able to solve multiple gong'ans was pure delusion believed by many practitioners, and Seongcheol devoted much of his teachings to elucidating this point.
It's the scientific age, so let's talk in the language of science. Einstein's general relativity proves that energy and mass, previously thought as separate, are actually one and the same. Energy is mass, and mass is energy. Energy and mass are one.
The fact that energy and mass are equivalent means that nothing is truly created or destroyed. This is what the Buddha was talking about when he relinquished both creation and destruction. It is like water and ice. Water converting into ice and vice versa does not mean that either of them gets destroyed. It is just the change in the form of H2O, which itself never changes, just like energy and mass. If we compare mass to 'form' and energy to 'formlessness,' the Heart sutra says the same thing as general relativity. Form is formlessness and formlessness is form. Not only in words, not only in the realm of philosophy, but in truth, in nature, measurable by scientific methods. This is the Middle Way!
The three poisons that prevent us from realizing our true selves are desire, anger, and ignorance. Among those, desire is the basis for the latter two, and desire comes from 'I'. The attachment to the 'I,' the ego, and the indifference to others, these are the basis of all suffering. Once you realize that there really is no you or me, self or non-self, you will understand that all things are inter-related, therefore helping others is helping oneself, and hurting others is hurting oneself. This is the way of the universe, the Middle Way, dependent origination, and karma.
Removing the clouds that are blocking our pure light of wisdom, we can become liberated from the chains of karma, thereby becoming truly free. But how do you do this? There are many methods, but the fastest is meditation and the fastest of those is the hwadu, or gong-an. By going beyond the level of being able to meditate in deep sleep, you will reach a place of perfect serenity, your original, bright, shining mirror devoid of all dust that had sat on it. You will see your original face, your true nature, the nature of the entire universe, and realize that you had always and originally been a Buddha. This is nirvana.
No one can help you with this endeavor. No books, no teachers, not even the Buddha. You must walk this road yourself.
Do not sleep more than four hours.
Do not talk more than necessary.
Do not wander or travel frequently.
Many practitioners believe that they have attained enlightenment. Some say they have attained it multiple times. This is a big delusion. There is only one true enlightenment, such that the attained state never disappears and then reappears, but is constantly present even through the deepest sleep. As Ma Tzu said, 'attained once, attained forever.' Any enlightenment that comes and goes or has gradations is nothing more than delusion.
Seongcheol played a key role in revitalizing Korean Buddhism which had been in deep disarray from the Japanese occupation. He was one of the leaders in the reformation, bringing back celibacy, strict practice, monasticism, and mendicancy back to Korean Buddhism. Later in his life, with his growing recognition, he helped to rectify Buddhism's discredited reputation amongst the general public, from a group of nominal monks who would get married, own businesses, and frequently collude with the Japanese occupiers, to that of serious practitioners, who never got married, and owned no possessions. Seongcheol also contributed significantly to bringing back Huineng's 'sudden enlightenment, sudden cultivation,' and clarified the notions of gong'an practice, meditation, monasticism, and enlightenment. More than a decade after his death, his books are still widely read and respected, and pilgrimages to Haeinsa are a mainstay for Buddhists.
Dharma talk: On "Dharmas are neither produced nor extinguished"
This article includes content from Seongcheol on Wikipedia (view authors). License under CC BY-SA 3.0.

lowercased:
this article is about the korean buddhist master. for people with the given name seongcheol, see seongcheol (name).
seongcheol (april 6, 1912 – november 4, 1993) is the dharma name of a korean seon (zen) master. he was a key figure in modern korean buddhism, being responsible for significant changes to it from the 1950s to 1990s.
seongcheol was widely recognized in korea as having been a living buddha, due to his extremely ascetic lifestyle, the duration and manner of his meditation training, his central role in reforming korean buddhism in the post-world war ii era, and the quality of his oral and written teachings.
born on april 10, 1912 in korea under the name of yi yeongju(이영주), seongcheol was the first of seven children of a confucian scholar in gyeongsang province. he was rumored to have been an exceptionally bright child who read constantly, having learned to read at the age of three, and being proficient enough to read such chinese classics as romance of the three kingdoms and journey to the west by age ten. his enthusiasm for reading was such that he once traded a sack of rice for immanuel kant's critique of pure reason as a teenager.
having read numerous books on philosophy and religion, both western and eastern, he reportedly felt dissatisfied, being convinced that these could not lead him to truth. one day, a seon monk gave seongcheol a copy of the song of attainment of the tao (hangul: 증도가, hanja: 證道歌), a seon text written by yeongga hyeon-gak (永嘉玄覺) in the tang dynasty. seongcheol felt as if "a bright light had suddenly been lit in complete darkness," and that he had finally found the way to the ultimate truth.
immediately, he started meditating on the "mu" gong-an (japanese: koan) and started ignoring all his responsibilities at home. deciding that his parents' house had too many distractions, he promptly packed his bags and went to daewonsa (daewon temple). after obtaining permission to stay in the temple, the young seongcheol started to meditate intensively. later in life, he would say that he attained the state of dongjeong ilyeo (see teachings below, hangul: 동정일여, hanja: 動靜一如) at this early point in his life in only forty-two days.
"there is a way. no one will reveal the secret. you must enter the door yourself. but there is no door. in the end, there is not even a way."
smiling once and turning around, the blue mountain stands amongst the white clouds as before.
having attained enlightenment, seongcheol began pilgrimages to various temples in order to validate his experience and to examine other monks and their levels of attainment. but he was frequently disappointed, noticing that inka (validation of a monk's attainment by a master) was given too carelessly, thereby falsely recognizing many monks as having fully attained enlightenment. during his retreat at songgwangsa, he was also dismayed at jinul's theory of dono jeomsu (sudden enlightenment, gradual training), and how it was the widespread theory during the time. later during the 1980s and 1990s, his contribution to the revival of hui neng's traditional theory of dono donsu (sudden enlightenment, sudden training) would have a significant effect on the practice of seon in korea, china, japan, and other countries where seon/zen is practiced.
seongcheol's reputation soon began to spread. numerous factors contributed to his growing recognition.
one of the more famous anecdotes is seongcheol's jangjwa bulwa (hangul: 장좌불와, hanja: 長坐不臥). literally translated as 'long sitting, no lying,' it is a meditation technique that some monks employ to intensify their practice. sitting meditation is equivalent to most other practices, except that the practitioner does not lie down to sleep, but stays in the lotus position even during sleep, with the intention of minimizing sleep through the position. seongcheol was known to have practiced this for eight years after his enlightenment. he reportedly never once lied down and denied sleeping at all.
another anecdote recounts how while seongcheol was staying in mangwolsa in dobong mountain, an old monk by the name of chunseong refused to believe this. he wanted to catch seongcheol dozing off to sleep, so spied on him secretly throughout one night. but having witnessed the truth of the rumor, chunseong was struck with amazement and himself started employing the technique. it is said that the stress of the practice and the old age at which he started the technique caused all of his teeth to fall out later in life.
seongcheol's reputation for intensive practice was not limited only to his meditation per se. he was also known to be completely indifferent to the outside world, focused intently only on meditation and guiding fellow monks to enlightenment. his indifference was so thorough that he even refused to see his mother when she visited him at mahayunsa in kumgangsan mountain. "no need to see her" was reportedly his reply to her visit, to which his fellow monks burst out in anger, stating that although they were monks devoted to asceticism and meditation, refusing to see his own mother was too extreme an action. afterwards, seongcheol accompanied his mother, showing her the sites of kumgangsan mountain.
to follow the vinaya and practice the teachings of the patriarchs in order to attain the great enlightenment.
with the exception of the buddhist teachings, no personal opinions or philosophies will be tolerated.
the necessary items for daily living should be obtained on his own, without dependence on lay people, including daily chores of field work, firewood, etc.
absolutely no assistance from the lay people in terms of cooking, clothing, alms, or gifts.
to eat only gruel in the morning, and to not eat at all after noon.
the monks' sitting order follows the dates of ordination.
to only meditate and be silent in the rooms.
the reformation movement started around a small group of monks centered on seongcheol, but quickly grew by reputation, attracting monks all over the country who were also intent on bringing back the korean tradition of intense meditation, strict celibacy, and study of sutras. among these younger generations were weolsan (월산), ubong (우봉), bomun (보문), seongsu (성수), dou (도우), hyeam (혜암), beopjeon (법전), etc. not only did this group become the future leaders of korean buddhism, but produced two supreme patriarchs (hyeam, beopjeon) and three chief administrators of the jogye order.
unfortunately, the bong am sa experiment ended prematurely in 1950 when the korean war broke out on the peninsula. with constant bombing raids and the presence of soldiers of both sides around the temple, it was impossible to continue the strict monastic life of bong-amsa.
after the war, the reformation gained momentum and significant changes were set in motion, although it would be years until they were solidified. central to the reformation was the issue of celibacy. while all the buddhist canons emphasized the celibacy of monks, japanese buddhism had undergone significant changes during the meiji restoration, most notably the end of monastic celibacy. during the japanese occupation, korean buddhism was severely oppressed and the japanese style was advocated, thereby converting most korean monks into little more than monastic residents officiating over ceremonies, married, with a business and income. seongcheol and the new leaders were very critical of the japanese style of buddhism, maintaining that the tradition of celibacy, hermitage, poverty, and intense meditation were not only central to korean buddhism but to the true spirit of buddhism as a whole. korean post-war sentiments towards japan could not have been worse at this time, and with the help of the populace and president syngman rhee, the traditional korean style began to take hold and became the dominant form of buddhism by the 1970s.
seongcheol insisted on giving away all monastic assets to the public and reverting to the original buddhist way of wandering and begging for alms while investing all energy into meditation. he contended this was the only surefire way for true reforms to take place, warning that otherwise, full-scale conflict could ensue between bikkhus and married monks fighting over temples. the leaders of the reformation refused to follow, stating that his assertions were too extreme. seongcheol's predictions, though, did come true and korean buddhism has had numerous conflicts between monks over temple jurisdiction ever since then up to the present day, many of them escalating to violent measures by both sides (e.g. paying gangsters to physically harm opponents). many ordination restrictions were loosened by the bikkhus in order to increase their numbers in their efforts to assume control over temples such that men of questionable social standing (e.g. former convicts and criminals) were ordained as bikkhus, leading to more violent fights amongst monks. a particularly embarrassing chapter in korean buddhism was in the late 1990s when monks fought over jogyesa, the main administrative temple in seoul, by not only employing gangsters but joining the fight themselves using weapons, including molotov cocktails, to violently subdue each other.
in 1955, seongcheol was appointed as the patriarch of haeinsa, but disappointed by the direction that the reformation was taking, seongcheol declined, removing himself from the forefront and moved to a hermitage near pagyesa in the palgong mountains near daegu to deepen the meditative and enlightened stage that he had attained. the hermitage was named seongjeonam and it was here that seongcheol began to build the scholarly foundations that would later support his spiritual teachings. seongcheol surrounded the hermitage with barbed wire so as to keep outsiders out (except for a few assistants) and himself within its boundaries. never leaving the boundaries of the small hermitage for an incredible ten years, he deepened his meditation and studied the ancient buddhist canons, zen texts, sutras, modern mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and even taught himself english so as to keep current on international affairs. this decade of self-education would affect his future teachings significantly.
seongcheol finally opened the doors of seong juhn am hermitage in 1965. the temple he visited was gimyongsa, where he gave his first dharma talk in a decade. in 1967, with the insisting of jawoon, seongcheol became the patriarch of haeinsa temple. that winter, he started his daily two-hour dharma talks to monks and the lay people, thereby beginning his famous hundred-day talk (hangul: 백일법문, hanja: 百日法門.) applying his decade of scholarly studies, he began to break the stereotype of the "boring and stuffy" dharma talks and transformed them into an electrifying hybrid of buddhism, spiritualism, quantum mechanics, general relativity, and current affairs, ushering in a new kind of dharma talk aimed at reaching the modern audience living in an age of globalization and intellectual diversity.
ushering in a revival of the seon tradition of intense meditation and strict monastic lifestyle, seongcheol spearheaded the reformation of modern korean buddhism from the rubbles of japanese colonialism into an epicenter of meditation training. during his tenure as patriarch of haeinsa, the temple transformed into a training ground for meditation, sutra studies, and vinaya studies, attracting monks from all over the country. the meditation center averaged approximately 500 monks per biannual retreat, which was unheard of since the days of hui neng and ma tzu.
mountain is mountain, water is water.
원각이 보조하니 적과 멸이 둘이 아니라.
보이는 만물은 관음이요 들리는 소리는 묘음이라.
declining all formal ceremonies as supreme patriarch from inauguration to his death, seongcheol never left the mountains, stating that a monk's true place was in the temple. there was initially a huge protest against his semi-hermetic policy, but this was eventually replaced by sense of respect that had been lacking since the joseon period, and helped to vastly improve the image and treatment of monks in korea.
during his years as patriarch of haeinsa and as supreme patriarch of the jogye order, seongcheol's reputation kept growing. amongst monks, he was famous for being a very strict teacher, being called the tiger of kaya mountain. when monks would nod off to sleep during meditation, he would beat them with wooden sticks while yelling, "thief, pay for your rice!" (referring to the donations of the lay, and the monks' debts to society and therefore his duty to practice to the utmost of his abilities).
he was also known for his unique three thousand prostrations. after the korean war, seongcheol built a small cave-hermitage near anjungsa temple and named it cheonjegul. around this time, many people came to pay their respects to him, and to further guide the pilgrims in their practice, seongcheol first started using his famous 3000 prostrations. nobody could visit with him unless the person completed 3000 prostrations in front of the statue of the buddha in the main hall. later, some lay people would accuse seongcheol of arrogance, but he maintained that this practice was used to help guide practitioners in their own practice by helping them destroy their ego and more easily attain one-mindedness (n.b.: the 3000 full prostrations are actually a mainstay of the korean buddhist training regimen, performed at most temples in korea on a monthly basis. it would take approximately eight to twelve hours, depending on the experience of the practitioner, and the technique is used frequently to "clear the mind," instill a sense of humility, and increase the awareness and focusing power of the practitioner). as his fame and reputation grew, the prostrations became more necessary as more and more people asked to meet with him. what was unique was that this requirement was uniform, i.e., he would never make any exceptions regardless of the person's wealth, fame, or power. a famous anecdote serves to illustrate the daunting task of the 3000 prostrations and seongcheol's strict adherence to his own rules. when park chung-hee, the president of korea, was opening up the new highway between seoul and pusan, he happened to visit haeinsa. hearing that the president was visiting, the head administrative monk quickly sent word to seongcheol to come down from his hermitage to greet the president. but true to form, seongcheol demanded the president go to the main buddha hall and perform the 3000 prostrations before meeting with him. park refused and the two never met.
during the latter years of his life, seongcheol presided over many publications, including eleven books of his lectures and 37 books that translated many zen classics not well known to the general public (see official website). the former included the full transcriptions of the hundred-day talk, lectures on huineng's sutra, shin sim myung (hangul: 신심명, hanja: 信心銘), jeung do ga (hangul: 증도가, hanja: 證道歌), illumination of sudden enlightenment (hangul: 돈오입도요문론, hanja: 頓悟入道要門論), and his dharma talks. the latter was called seon lim go gyung chong suh (hangul: 선림고경총서, hanja: 禪林古鏡叢書) and was a collection of chinese and korean zen classics that until publication was known mostly only to monks. these publications helped to spread his teachings to the general public and raise the general awareness and knowledge of buddhism.
english translations of great master seongcheol's work include "echoes from mt. kaya", changgyonggak publishing, seoul, 1988 (currently out of print), and "opening the eye", gimmyeong international co., seoul, 2002. both are translations from korean by brian barry.
deceiving people all my life, my sins outweigh mount sumeru.
falling into hell alive, my grief divides into ten thousand pieces.
it hangs on the blue mountain.
i've lived my entire life as a practitioner, and people have always asked me for something. everyone is already a buddha, but they do not try to realize that fact and only look towards me. so, in a way, you could say i've deceived people all my life. i've failed to get this message across to everyone so i'm suffering in a kind of hell.
his death was followed by the largest funeral ever seen in korean history for a monk, with over 100,000 people attending. his cremation took over thirty hours and his sarira numbered over a hundred.
citing taego bou (太古普愚: 1301-1382) as the true successor of the linji yixuan (臨済義玄) line of patriarchs rather than jinul (知訥: 1158-1210), he advocated hui neng's original stance of 'sudden enlightenment, sudden cultivation' (hangul: 돈오돈수, hanja: 頓悟頓修) as opposed to jinul's stance of 'sudden enlightenment, gradual cultivation' (hangul: 돈오점수, hanja: 頓悟漸修). whereas jinul had initially asserted that with enlightenment comes the need to further one's practice by gradually destroying the karmic vestiges attained through millions of rebirths, huineng and seongcheol maintained that with perfect enlightenment, all karmic remnants disappear and one becomes a buddha immediately.
he also expounded on the true definition of the middle way (hangul: 중도, hanja: 中道), stating that it was not limited to avoiding the two extremes of sensual indulgence and self-mortification as many understood, but that it was also an explanation of the state of nirvana where all dualities fuse and cease to exist as separate entities, where good and bad, self and non-self become meaningless. he compared this to the common misconception that had ruled pre-einsteinian physics, that energy and mass were two separate entities, but which einstein had elucidated as interchangeable dual forms with the relationship described by e=mc², thereby proving the equivalence of one to the other. he also compared this to the fusion of space and time into spacetime, and also formed the analogy of ice and water. the middle way is not the 'middle' or 'average' of ice and water, but the true form of each, h2o, and maintained that the state of nirvana was also like this, a state where the true form of all dualities is revealed as equivalent.
a monk once asked dongsan chan master,"what is buddha?" dongsan replied, "three pounds of flax" (hangul: 마삼근, hanja: 麻三斤).
in the waking state, one mind (hangul: 동정일여, hanja: 動靜一如): the state where the practitioner can meditate on a gong'an continuously throughout the day without interruption, even through talking and thinking.
in the dreaming state, one mind (hangul: 몽중일여, hanja: 夢中一如): the state where the practitioner can meditate on a gong'an continuously in the dreaming state.
in deep sleep, one mind (hangul: 숙면일여, hanja: 熟眠一如): the state described above, where the practitioner can meditate on a gong'an continuously through even the deepest sleep.
in death, attain life (hangul: 사중득활, hanja: 死中得活): from the previous state where all thoughts are overtaken by the gong'an (therefore, the practitioner is considered mentally "dead"), the moment of attaining enlightenment, that is, "life."
great, round, mirror-like wisdom (hangul: 대원경지, hanja: 大圓鏡智): the state of perfect enlightenment, using the analogy of the bright mirror for the great internal wisdom that comes forth during enlightenment. the final state where the practitioner loses the sense of self, is liberated from his karma, and therefore, all future rebirths.
seongcheol was very critical of the japanese style of zen meditation. the japanese style favors a gradual study of many gong'ans, similar to a curriculum where the practitioner would improve from an easier gong'an to a more difficult one as he mastered each one over time. seongcheol, and many other masters, stated that this would achieve nothing since the whole point of meditation was to rid one's mind of all divergent thoughts, which was the cause of karmic rebirths and its concomitant suffering, by focusing the mind deeply on only one gong'an until it destroyed all other thoughts. by studying gong'ans like a curriculum, one was only exercising the mind even more, which was diametrically opposed to the original goal of extinguishing the mind. thus, this gradual style of meditation was not only similar to jinul's gradual cultivation, it was a complete waste of time to the practitioner in that zen became nothing more than an exercise in sophistry, with higher positions being given to those who could solve more riddles. gong'ans can never be solved with such rational, or even intuitive methods, and only the final, perfect enlightenment could give the solution to the gong'an, and simultaneously all gong'ans. therefore, seongcheol repeatedly made clear that the study of many gong'ans was antithetical to true meditation. he stated that attaining perfect enlightenment was equal to becoming a buddha, and this was also equal to definitively solving the gong'an, remarking that this was not his unique teaching, but that of numerous masters including huineng, ma tzu, all the way down to current masters. being able to solve multiple gong'ans was pure delusion believed by many practitioners, and seongcheol devoted much of his teachings to elucidating this point.
it's the scientific age, so let's talk in the language of science. einstein's general relativity proves that energy and mass, previously thought as separate, are actually one and the same. energy is mass, and mass is energy. energy and mass are one.
the fact that energy and mass are equivalent means that nothing is truly created or destroyed. this is what the buddha was talking about when he relinquished both creation and destruction. it is like water and ice. water converting into ice and vice versa does not mean that either of them gets destroyed. it is just the change in the form of h2o, which itself never changes, just like energy and mass. if we compare mass to 'form' and energy to 'formlessness,' the heart sutra says the same thing as general relativity. form is formlessness and formlessness is form. not only in words, not only in the realm of philosophy, but in truth, in nature, measurable by scientific methods. this is the middle way!
the three poisons that prevent us from realizing our true selves are desire, anger, and ignorance. among those, desire is the basis for the latter two, and desire comes from 'i'. the attachment to the 'i,' the ego, and the indifference to others, these are the basis of all suffering. once you realize that there really is no you or me, self or non-self, you will understand that all things are inter-related, therefore helping others is helping oneself, and hurting others is hurting oneself. this is the way of the universe, the middle way, dependent origination, and karma.
removing the clouds that are blocking our pure light of wisdom, we can become liberated from the chains of karma, thereby becoming truly free. but how do you do this? there are many methods, but the fastest is meditation and the fastest of those is the hwadu, or gong-an. by going beyond the level of being able to meditate in deep sleep, you will reach a place of perfect serenity, your original, bright, shining mirror devoid of all dust that had sat on it. you will see your original face, your true nature, the nature of the entire universe, and realize that you had always and originally been a buddha. this is nirvana.
no one can help you with this endeavor. no books, no teachers, not even the buddha. you must walk this road yourself.
do not sleep more than four hours.
do not talk more than necessary.
do not wander or travel frequently.
many practitioners believe that they have attained enlightenment. some say they have attained it multiple times. this is a big delusion. there is only one true enlightenment, such that the attained state never disappears and then reappears, but is constantly present even through the deepest sleep. as ma tzu said, 'attained once, attained forever.' any enlightenment that comes and goes or has gradations is nothing more than delusion.
seongcheol played a key role in revitalizing korean buddhism which had been in deep disarray from the japanese occupation. he was one of the leaders in the reformation, bringing back celibacy, strict practice, monasticism, and mendicancy back to korean buddhism. later in his life, with his growing recognition, he helped to rectify buddhism's discredited reputation amongst the general public, from a group of nominal monks who would get married, own businesses, and frequently collude with the japanese occupiers, to that of serious practitioners, who never got married, and owned no possessions. seongcheol also contributed significantly to bringing back huineng's 'sudden enlightenment, sudden cultivation,' and clarified the notions of gong'an practice, meditation, monasticism, and enlightenment. more than a decade after his death, his books are still widely read and respected, and pilgrimages to haeinsa are a mainstay for buddhists.
dharma talk: on "dharmas are neither produced nor extinguished"
this article includes content from seongcheol on wikipedia (view authors). license under cc by-sa 3.0.


text:
GenTite RRS is specifically designed for flat and low slope (aka: pitch) roof conditions.
Low slope, by definition, is a roof with a pitch less than 4:12. While shingles can be installed on roof with a slope from 2:12 to 4:12, a continuous self-adhered layer of ice and water guard must be installed to prevent wind driven water from entering the structure. It is highly recommended that roofs from 0:12(flat) to 2:12 be covered with a continuous membrane system. The GenTite RRS system offers two commercial grade solutions for this application.
Our Black Rubber Roofing (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer—EPDM) system is available in both 40 and 60 mil thicknesses. We recommend our 60 mil whenever anything more than light foot traffic or structure (decks) may occur. Our 60 mil membrane is also available in white if heat reflectance is a consideration.
Our TPO (Thermoplastic Polyolefin) Roofing system is offered in a fully adhered (glue down) version, in 45 mil. Our White Rubber Roofing system is also available in 60 mil.
If you live in an area of the country where your heating cost is greater than your cooling cost, you should select a black rubber roofing (EPDM) membrane system. On the other hand, if your objective is to reflect heat off your roof (thereby reducing your cooling cost), you probably want a white membrane system. In either case, you get the same single-ply membrane systems that have been successfully installed on more than half of the commercial buildings in North America.
Both systems are designed and tested for weatherability, durability, and compatibility for flat or low-slope roof condition.
By following the simple step-by-step GenTite RRS application (prime-tape-caulk) details, our systems can be installed and maintained for a lifetime* of performance!

lowercased:
gentite rrs is specifically designed for flat and low slope (aka: pitch) roof conditions.
low slope, by definition, is a roof with a pitch less than 4:12. while shingles can be installed on roof with a slope from 2:12 to 4:12, a continuous self-adhered layer of ice and water guard must be installed to prevent wind driven water from entering the structure. it is highly recommended that roofs from 0:12(flat) to 2:12 be covered with a continuous membrane system. the gentite rrs system offers two commercial grade solutions for this application.
our black rubber roofing (ethylene propylene diene monomer—epdm) system is available in both 40 and 60 mil thicknesses. we recommend our 60 mil whenever anything more than light foot traffic or structure (decks) may occur. our 60 mil membrane is also available in white if heat reflectance is a consideration.
our tpo (thermoplastic polyolefin) roofing system is offered in a fully adhered (glue down) version, in 45 mil. our white rubber roofing system is also available in 60 mil.
if you live in an area of the country where your heating cost is greater than your cooling cost, you should select a black rubber roofing (epdm) membrane system. on the other hand, if your objective is to reflect heat off your roof (thereby reducing your cooling cost), you probably want a white membrane system. in either case, you get the same single-ply membrane systems that have been successfully installed on more than half of the commercial buildings in north america.
both systems are designed and tested for weatherability, durability, and compatibility for flat or low-slope roof condition.
by following the simple step-by-step gentite rrs application (prime-tape-caulk) details, our systems can be installed and maintained for a lifetime* of performance!


text:
Bold, pink and orange-red strands of geometric patterning accent this transitional small rectangular indoor-outdoor area rug.
Add intrigue to a favorite retreat with this stunning Brisa collection transitional rectangular indoor-outdoor area rug by Kaleen. Elegantly hand-made from 100 percent polyester, this reversible flat-weave rug features a sumptuously soft and inviting texture and striking pink and paprika geometric patterning. Easy to clean, this charming rug is perfect for use in-home or on a stylish patio deck.
Pink and paprika color tone.

lowercased:
bold, pink and orange-red strands of geometric patterning accent this transitional small rectangular indoor-outdoor area rug.
add intrigue to a favorite retreat with this stunning brisa collection transitional rectangular indoor-outdoor area rug by kaleen. elegantly hand-made from 100 percent polyester, this reversible flat-weave rug features a sumptuously soft and inviting texture and striking pink and paprika geometric patterning. easy to clean, this charming rug is perfect for use in-home or on a stylish patio deck.
pink and paprika color tone.


+ * and then automatically destroy the stream with osmo_stream_srv_destroy().
+ * disables reception of new messages on the connection.
- * select loop and de-allocates associated memory.
+ * and then de-allocates associated memory.


text:
The parade is happening your line up number is W-20.
Here is the map of the parade route. Please be at the staging area by 11:30am to line up for the parade. The START location is Main Street and 104th Avenue NE. Get EXCITED!!
I’m Tee and I’ll be the Bothell leader, see you all there!!
Parade Paks are still available. It is $120 for a parade pak and worth every penny. MAAM is picking up 50% that is why the cost is so low. For $120 you get a banner, buttons, flyers and stickers to hand out to kids. Even if it was just the flyers it would be worth it. If you get 25 people and everyone chipped in $10 toward the parade pak you would have more than enough to pay for it and expidited shipping. In Port Orchard (small town) we had 5 adults and 5 kids show up and we had an awesome reception and got a lot of great conversations started. Many, many people didn’t know we will be voting on this in the fall.
We need to drum up more support for this parade. Please call your friends, the PCC, fellow church members, local sustainable gardening groups… think who would like to get involved in this parade.
I’ll get it changed asap. Working on a lot of fronts right now. If someone could be the leader here I’d appreciate it.

lowercased:
the parade is happening your line up number is w-20.
here is the map of the parade route. please be at the staging area by 11:30am to line up for the parade. the start location is main street and 104th avenue ne. get excited!!
i’m tee and i’ll be the bothell leader, see you all there!!
parade paks are still available. it is $120 for a parade pak and worth every penny. maam is picking up 50% that is why the cost is so low. for $120 you get a banner, buttons, flyers and stickers to hand out to kids. even if it was just the flyers it would be worth it. if you get 25 people and everyone chipped in $10 toward the parade pak you would have more than enough to pay for it and expidited shipping. in port orchard (small town) we had 5 adults and 5 kids show up and we had an awesome reception and got a lot of great conversations started. many, many people didn’t know we will be voting on this in the fall.
we need to drum up more support for this parade. please call your friends, the pcc, fellow church members, local sustainable gardening groups… think who would like to get involved in this parade.
i’ll get it changed asap. working on a lot of fronts right now. if someone could be the leader here i’d appreciate it.


text:
As you review the track feeders on this blog, please keep in mind that not all ideas will work for all horses. First and foremost, be sure what ever you try is safe for your horses and your facility. Some horses might eat the nets, some might want to destroy them etc. Be sure to check that they can't get tangled up or that the design is not hazardous to the horse.
Even small lots can be made into a paddock track.
The track is setup on a 1/2 acre around their existing stalls and what used to be grassy area is now an obstacle arena. I park my horse trailer on the dirt driveway in a way that extends their walking path around the truck and trailer, around the round pen and back into their stalls. Harley and Lady are out 24x7. The seem to have their routine and pick various places around the track to spend their day when they are taking a break from constant nibbling from the track feeders.
Some have asked about the 'dead end' on the right side of the track. I close the track at that end so the horses don't take a shortcut back to the water. They have to walk all the way around the track and over the pea gravel to get to their water.
This works from my two horses because they get along well together. It may not be a good idea for horses who don't get along. The width of the track is only about 10 to 12 feet around the arena.
Here's the latest from the Browne Horses track system. We've setup feeding stations around the track using three different feeders. The BusyHorse Grande bags (2" holes), small mesh hay nets (1 1/2" holes), and home made feeders from my neighbor's tennis court net (1 7/8" holes) they put out for bulk trash pickup.
After all the money spent on feed bags and nets, the ones that are working the best are the home made tennis court net feeders. I put a full day's worth of hay out along the track in the feeders you will see in the video. The horses are usually just finishing the hay the next morning. They take naps when they want and 'graze' from the feeders when they want. They are out 24/7.
11/15/08 Update: The feeders you see made from the old used tennis nets started to break down from the constant 'nibbling'. I suppose these nets served their time in the AZ sun. I just turned it over and the net is still holding up well. I found another newer net and it is lasting much longer.
Here's the virtual tour as Harley sees it.
Here is a photo and short video of the mesh hay net secured to either eye bolts or pipe bolts (I think the eye bolts work better, but hey I used parts I already had :) I have carabiners and double ended snaps to secure the nets.
Close ups of the tennis court net feeders. We tried putting pea gravel under it, but it just got mixed up in the the dirt. If I want to spend more money, I can put a rubber mat under it.
Here's another idea for the mesh hay nets. I will probably use these when it's raining and I don't feed on the track. These are their original feed barrels inside their stalls under a shade. Nets are secured to eye bolts with carabiners and double ended snaps.
Update: I've dismantled the flat rubber mat with the Grande bag at the end of the video. I didn't like the pipe bolts sticking up for them to step on.
We took advantage of the inner part of the track system and made a trail obstacle course. Most of the obstacle ideas came from various trail trials and NATRC rides. Here's a slide show of the obstacles from different angles and one of Harley and I working the rope gate.
After building the fence line for the mini track system, we put in 10 tons of pea gravel. The horses have to walk over the pea gravel to get to their hay and back again to get to their water. The pea gravel helps stimulate and support the back of their feet. I've seen it also help them naturally exfoliate the dead sole material when it's ready to come off. As as you can see from the video, Harley loves to roll in it.
We just put up the hot wire fencing Wednesday, May 7. The horse's love it. We scatter hay around the track and they move around more now. It is such a small area, but more movement is better than none :) They have to walk out of the track and to the farthest corner stall now for water. Next phase will be to put some pea gravel in east section along the Pyracanthas.
I caught Harley on video cantering around the track to get to his share of the hay. Lady was blocking him coming from the other direction, so he turned around and entered on the east side and cantered to his food :) More movement. Video and more photos below.
My animals are my kids. Harley and Lady (my two Missouri Fox Trotter horses), Kauli my Border Collie and Sassy my English Springer Spaniel. Other Interests: distance riding, barefoot trimming, yoga, sailing, and listening to music.

lowercased:
as you review the track feeders on this blog, please keep in mind that not all ideas will work for all horses. first and foremost, be sure what ever you try is safe for your horses and your facility. some horses might eat the nets, some might want to destroy them etc. be sure to check that they can't get tangled up or that the design is not hazardous to the horse.
even small lots can be made into a paddock track.
the track is setup on a 1/2 acre around their existing stalls and what used to be grassy area is now an obstacle arena. i park my horse trailer on the dirt driveway in a way that extends their walking path around the truck and trailer, around the round pen and back into their stalls. harley and lady are out 24x7. the seem to have their routine and pick various places around the track to spend their day when they are taking a break from constant nibbling from the track feeders.
some have asked about the 'dead end' on the right side of the track. i close the track at that end so the horses don't take a shortcut back to the water. they have to walk all the way around the track and over the pea gravel to get to their water.
this works from my two horses because they get along well together. it may not be a good idea for horses who don't get along. the width of the track is only about 10 to 12 feet around the arena.
here's the latest from the browne horses track system. we've setup feeding stations around the track using three different feeders. the busyhorse grande bags (2" holes), small mesh hay nets (1 1/2" holes), and home made feeders from my neighbor's tennis court net (1 7/8" holes) they put out for bulk trash pickup.
after all the money spent on feed bags and nets, the ones that are working the best are the home made tennis court net feeders. i put a full day's worth of hay out along the track in the feeders you will see in the video. the horses are usually just finishing the hay the next morning. they take naps when they want and 'graze' from the feeders when they want. they are out 24/7.
11/15/08 update: the feeders you see made from the old used tennis nets started to break down from the constant 'nibbling'. i suppose these nets served their time in the az sun. i just turned it over and the net is still holding up well. i found another newer net and it is lasting much longer.
here's the virtual tour as harley sees it.
here is a photo and short video of the mesh hay net secured to either eye bolts or pipe bolts (i think the eye bolts work better, but hey i used parts i already had :) i have carabiners and double ended snaps to secure the nets.
close ups of the tennis court net feeders. we tried putting pea gravel under it, but it just got mixed up in the the dirt. if i want to spend more money, i can put a rubber mat under it.
here's another idea for the mesh hay nets. i will probably use these when it's raining and i don't feed on the track. these are their original feed barrels inside their stalls under a shade. nets are secured to eye bolts with carabiners and double ended snaps.
update: i've dismantled the flat rubber mat with the grande bag at the end of the video. i didn't like the pipe bolts sticking up for them to step on.
we took advantage of the inner part of the track system and made a trail obstacle course. most of the obstacle ideas came from various trail trials and natrc rides. here's a slide show of the obstacles from different angles and one of harley and i working the rope gate.
after building the fence line for the mini track system, we put in 10 tons of pea gravel. the horses have to walk over the pea gravel to get to their hay and back again to get to their water. the pea gravel helps stimulate and support the back of their feet. i've seen it also help them naturally exfoliate the dead sole material when it's ready to come off. as as you can see from the video, harley loves to roll in it.
we just put up the hot wire fencing wednesday, may 7. the horse's love it. we scatter hay around the track and they move around more now. it is such a small area, but more movement is better than none :) they have to walk out of the track and to the farthest corner stall now for water. next phase will be to put some pea gravel in east section along the pyracanthas.
i caught harley on video cantering around the track to get to his share of the hay. lady was blocking him coming from the other direction, so he turned around and entered on the east side and cantered to his food :) more movement. video and more photos below.
my animals are my kids. harley and lady (my two missouri fox trotter horses), kauli my border collie and sassy my english springer spaniel. other interests: distance riding, barefoot trimming, yoga, sailing, and listening to music.


text:
In 1905, Ericsson took over a concession for telephone operations in Mexico City and the immediate vicinity. The concession was originally acquired by José Sitzenstatter. Initially, the operations were run as a consortium of various financial interests. In 1909, the operations began to be run within the newly formed Mexikanska Telefonaktiebolaget Ericsson company, which in Spanish was called Empresa de Teléfonos Ericsson SA. Here, we will refer to the company as Mexeric.
When Ericsson began its operations in Mexico, another company had been in operation since the 1880s - the Mexican Telephone and Telegraph Company, or Compania Telefónica y Telegrafica Mexicana SA. For simplicity's sake, we will call it Mexicana.
The companies soon entered a situation with the most intense competition possible. Of the two, Mexeric grew fastest. After ten years of operation, it had a larger number of subscribers than its competitor. This can partly be explained by the fact that the American company, unlike Mexeric, was confiscated by the state during the troublesome decade experienced by Mexico after 1910. Mexicana was in state hands until 1925, when the American International Telegraph & Telephone Corporation (ITT) took control of the company. This was the starting shot for the return of intensifying competition between Mexeric and Mexicana.
In Ericsson's archives, there are a number of reports that were sent from the Mexican subsidiary to the head office of the parent company. Most of these reports contain the heading "Mexicana". Not only is it possible to read about the actions of the competitor, but also the methods adopted by both sides to win the battle for subscribers. In 1929, engineer Hugo Lindqvist, Mexeric's President, sent a report in which he wrote that all the lines on the Local District line had been cut down on two occasions, a telegraph pole had been knocked down leading to a breakdown in service and that another pole had been uprooted and dragged 200 meters. As a result, Hugo Lindqvist had contacted the Minister for Communications and had placed advertisements in the newspapers. He hoped that if Mexicana's unfair methods were revealed, the company would appear in a bad light.
Mexeric had, at least periodically, the support of the authorities. Hugo Lindqvist reported to Karl Fredrik Wincrantz, Ericsson's president, about a meeting he had with the head of the labor ministry in December 1929. The minister had provided valuable information on that occasion, including the fact that after Mexicana had introduced an automatic system, the company had been forced to dismiss a number of employees and had lost a large number of subscribers - as much as 20 percent. According to the Minister, the general public preferred the manual system that was still largely being used by Mexeric. Mexicana's employees had also pointed out to subscribers during the installation of the automatic system that the service would be extremely poor.
Lindqvist received this information "partly because he (the Minister) regarded it as his duty to counter North American influence and partly because he wanted to help me personally". Lindqvist took the information with a generous pinch of salt. In order to really find out what people thought about the automatic system, he decided to dispatch "Secret Svensson's henchmen" on reconnaissance. One wonders who these henchmen really were.
Among its employees, Mexeric had an English-Spanish secretary, Mrs Bardet. She had met a senior manager from Mexicana at a party and he had offered her a large sum of money to provide some information about Mexeric. Mrs Bardet told Lindqvist the entire story. The two of them agreed that Mrs Bardet should arrange a meeting with the Mexicana manager at Mexeric's office the same evening.
Of course, Lindqvist was at the office to take care of the "guest". He was interested to know the visitor's business. As could be expected, he received no satisfactory reply to the question. Finally, the Mexicana employee said something about being interested in general data regarding the company, which would later be published. Lindqvist promised him these details, but pointed out that he would also be writing to the head of Mexicana to say that a public request should be made for the information. A copy of the letter was sent to Mexico's Minister for Communications.
Of the two companies, Mexicana appears to have been the provocateur. For its part, Mexeric seems to have been quick to tell tales to the state authorities.

lowercased:
in 1905, ericsson took over a concession for telephone operations in mexico city and the immediate vicinity. the concession was originally acquired by josé sitzenstatter. initially, the operations were run as a consortium of various financial interests. in 1909, the operations began to be run within the newly formed mexikanska telefonaktiebolaget ericsson company, which in spanish was called empresa de teléfonos ericsson sa. here, we will refer to the company as mexeric.
when ericsson began its operations in mexico, another company had been in operation since the 1880s - the mexican telephone and telegraph company, or compania telefónica y telegrafica mexicana sa. for simplicity's sake, we will call it mexicana.
the companies soon entered a situation with the most intense competition possible. of the two, mexeric grew fastest. after ten years of operation, it had a larger number of subscribers than its competitor. this can partly be explained by the fact that the american company, unlike mexeric, was confiscated by the state during the troublesome decade experienced by mexico after 1910. mexicana was in state hands until 1925, when the american international telegraph & telephone corporation (itt) took control of the company. this was the starting shot for the return of intensifying competition between mexeric and mexicana.
in ericsson's archives, there are a number of reports that were sent from the mexican subsidiary to the head office of the parent company. most of these reports contain the heading "mexicana". not only is it possible to read about the actions of the competitor, but also the methods adopted by both sides to win the battle for subscribers. in 1929, engineer hugo lindqvist, mexeric's president, sent a report in which he wrote that all the lines on the local district line had been cut down on two occasions, a telegraph pole had been knocked down leading to a breakdown in service and that another pole had been uprooted and dragged 200 meters. as a result, hugo lindqvist had contacted the minister for communications and had placed advertisements in the newspapers. he hoped that if mexicana's unfair methods were revealed, the company would appear in a bad light.
mexeric had, at least periodically, the support of the authorities. hugo lindqvist reported to karl fredrik wincrantz, ericsson's president, about a meeting he had with the head of the labor ministry in december 1929. the minister had provided valuable information on that occasion, including the fact that after mexicana had introduced an automatic system, the company had been forced to dismiss a number of employees and had lost a large number of subscribers - as much as 20 percent. according to the minister, the general public preferred the manual system that was still largely being used by mexeric. mexicana's employees had also pointed out to subscribers during the installation of the automatic system that the service would be extremely poor.
lindqvist received this information "partly because he (the minister) regarded it as his duty to counter north american influence and partly because he wanted to help me personally". lindqvist took the information with a generous pinch of salt. in order to really find out what people thought about the automatic system, he decided to dispatch "secret svensson's henchmen" on reconnaissance. one wonders who these henchmen really were.
among its employees, mexeric had an english-spanish secretary, mrs bardet. she had met a senior manager from mexicana at a party and he had offered her a large sum of money to provide some information about mexeric. mrs bardet told lindqvist the entire story. the two of them agreed that mrs bardet should arrange a meeting with the mexicana manager at mexeric's office the same evening.
of course, lindqvist was at the office to take care of the "guest". he was interested to know the visitor's business. as could be expected, he received no satisfactory reply to the question. finally, the mexicana employee said something about being interested in general data regarding the company, which would later be published. lindqvist promised him these details, but pointed out that he would also be writing to the head of mexicana to say that a public request should be made for the information. a copy of the letter was sent to mexico's minister for communications.
of the two companies, mexicana appears to have been the provocateur. for its part, mexeric seems to have been quick to tell tales to the state authorities.


text:
God’s Word actually tells us to not do as pagans do. Sure, this holiday has changed since then, but it still has pagan origins.
Deuteronomy 12:29-32 // When Yahweh your God cuts off the nations from before you, where you go in to dispossess them, and you dispossess them, and dwell in their land; be careful that you are not ensnared to follow them, after that they are destroyed from before you; and that you not inquire after their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise.” You shall not do so to Yahweh your God; for every abomination to Yahweh, which he hates, have they done to their gods; for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. Whatever thing I command you, that you shall observe to do. You shall not add to it, nor take away from it.
This holiday also celebrates darkness and things that are not of God. God calls His children to be children of the light, so why should we take part in a holiday that celebrates darkness? Darkness and light CANNOT coexist. Even if you celebrate the “happy” or seemingly “good” parts of Halloween, you are still taking part in a day of darkness.
1 John 1:5-7 has a similar theme to the passage from Ephesians. It says: This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and don’t tell the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
We are called to walk in the light as God is in the light, not walking in darkness. We aren’t even supposed to have any fellowship with the deeds of darkness, for it is shameful to even speak of those things. We lie if we say we have fellowship with God and then walk in the darkness.
Halloween is not something that is right when we look at God’s Word. He tells us to be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:16) He tells us to walk in the light as He is in the light (1 John 1:5-7). He calls us to honor Him in all we do (1 Samuel 2:30, 1 Corinthians 10:31). He calls us to be different than this world (Romans 12:1-2). We can’t do this and celebrate Halloween at the same time.
Even if we say we aren’t celebrating like others do and have the right heart or mindset, we are still taking part in a dark holiday. Our hearts are sinful, so we shouldn’t listen to them. We should listen to God’s Word. He calls us to be holy and set-apart, and I believe that because of what He says in His Word, we, as Christians, should take no part in Halloween.
Great post!!! I love how you shared the history and talked about how light and dark can’t be mixed. I don’t celebrate Halloween either. Rather in our family we celebrate Reformation Night. Which October 31 is also the date Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses to the door. What a great day of remembering that we are saved by grace!!!
Yes, so true. I used to celebrate Halloween because I thought it meant nothing, but after reading the origins of Halloween and what God has to say about it, Halloween really isn’t that same to me after doing research on it. Even how the Jack-o-Lantern came to be, it’s plain to see that this holiday is not good to celebrate.
Yes, exactly. It truly sheds a new light on it when you really look into it. I totally agree! Thank you so much for reading and sharing your thoughts Kaitlyn!
Of course girl, thank you so much for reading!!!
well, i don’t consider halloween a sin. of course it has iffy origins, but so do a lot of other holidays, like st. patrick’s day. it all depends on mindset. in all honesty i just like dressing up and getting free candy 😂 i respect your opinion though, cailtlin.
i will, dear 😊 thanks for responding cordially and everything, that’s really sweet of you!
Can I reblog this post on my blog?
Yeah, totally, as long as you give me credit. 😉 Thanks so much girl!
Hey guys! Caitlyn from Salt and Light wrote this amazing post on why she and her family don’t celebrate Halloween. I was going to write a post like this one, but Caitlyn beat me to it!
Aww thanks so much for the repost, I really appreciate it!
That’s super awesome! Thanks so much for reading Maddy, God bless!
Great post!!! I don’t celebrate Halloween either. Infact I wrote a few posts on it. Just couldn’t stop writing!!! Where I live, me and my family are the only ones, that we know, who don’t celebrate Halloween. But that just means that we can be the light in the dark!!!!
Thank you so much! That’s awesome you’re standing up for truth. 🙌 I don’t really know too many people in my area who don’t celebrate either! Amen to that! Do you guys celebrate Christmas or Easter? I’ve personally chosen to not really celebrate due to pagan origins and such, and was curious if y’all do!
We use to. But recently we have come to know the truth and have made it known to all we know, that we will NOT be celebrating pagan holidays like Christmas and Easter this year, or any year after.
That’s super cool!! I’m so glad to hear your family decided not to, praise the Lord. We have a little bit, but I hope to more in this upcoming year. They’re really awesome to celebrate I’m sure and have such deep meaning, it’s awesome. Haha I’m not Jewish either.
Yeah, me, and my family never celebrate Halloween. We just lock ourselves in the house.

lowercased:
god’s word actually tells us to not do as pagans do. sure, this holiday has changed since then, but it still has pagan origins.
deuteronomy 12:29-32 // when yahweh your god cuts off the nations from before you, where you go in to dispossess them, and you dispossess them, and dwell in their land; be careful that you are not ensnared to follow them, after that they are destroyed from before you; and that you not inquire after their gods, saying, “how do these nations serve their gods? i will do likewise.” you shall not do so to yahweh your god; for every abomination to yahweh, which he hates, have they done to their gods; for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. whatever thing i command you, that you shall observe to do. you shall not add to it, nor take away from it.
this holiday also celebrates darkness and things that are not of god. god calls his children to be children of the light, so why should we take part in a holiday that celebrates darkness? darkness and light cannot coexist. even if you celebrate the “happy” or seemingly “good” parts of halloween, you are still taking part in a day of darkness.
1 john 1:5-7 has a similar theme to the passage from ephesians. it says: this is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that god is light, and in him is no darkness at all. if we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and don’t tell the truth. but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of jesus christ, his son, cleanses us from all sin.
we are called to walk in the light as god is in the light, not walking in darkness. we aren’t even supposed to have any fellowship with the deeds of darkness, for it is shameful to even speak of those things. we lie if we say we have fellowship with god and then walk in the darkness.
halloween is not something that is right when we look at god’s word. he tells us to be holy as he is holy (1 peter 1:16) he tells us to walk in the light as he is in the light (1 john 1:5-7). he calls us to honor him in all we do (1 samuel 2:30, 1 corinthians 10:31). he calls us to be different than this world (romans 12:1-2). we can’t do this and celebrate halloween at the same time.
even if we say we aren’t celebrating like others do and have the right heart or mindset, we are still taking part in a dark holiday. our hearts are sinful, so we shouldn’t listen to them. we should listen to god’s word. he calls us to be holy and set-apart, and i believe that because of what he says in his word, we, as christians, should take no part in halloween.
great post!!! i love how you shared the history and talked about how light and dark can’t be mixed. i don’t celebrate halloween either. rather in our family we celebrate reformation night. which october 31 is also the date martin luther nailed the 95 theses to the door. what a great day of remembering that we are saved by grace!!!
yes, so true. i used to celebrate halloween because i thought it meant nothing, but after reading the origins of halloween and what god has to say about it, halloween really isn’t that same to me after doing research on it. even how the jack-o-lantern came to be, it’s plain to see that this holiday is not good to celebrate.
yes, exactly. it truly sheds a new light on it when you really look into it. i totally agree! thank you so much for reading and sharing your thoughts kaitlyn!
of course girl, thank you so much for reading!!!
well, i don’t consider halloween a sin. of course it has iffy origins, but so do a lot of other holidays, like st. patrick’s day. it all depends on mindset. in all honesty i just like dressing up and getting free candy 😂 i respect your opinion though, cailtlin.
i will, dear 😊 thanks for responding cordially and everything, that’s really sweet of you!
can i reblog this post on my blog?
yeah, totally, as long as you give me credit. 😉 thanks so much girl!
hey guys! caitlyn from salt and light wrote this amazing post on why she and her family don’t celebrate halloween. i was going to write a post like this one, but caitlyn beat me to it!
aww thanks so much for the repost, i really appreciate it!
that’s super awesome! thanks so much for reading maddy, god bless!
great post!!! i don’t celebrate halloween either. infact i wrote a few posts on it. just couldn’t stop writing!!! where i live, me and my family are the only ones, that we know, who don’t celebrate halloween. but that just means that we can be the light in the dark!!!!
thank you so much! that’s awesome you’re standing up for truth. 🙌 i don’t really know too many people in my area who don’t celebrate either! amen to that! do you guys celebrate christmas or easter? i’ve personally chosen to not really celebrate due to pagan origins and such, and was curious if y’all do!
we use to. but recently we have come to know the truth and have made it known to all we know, that we will not be celebrating pagan holidays like christmas and easter this year, or any year after.
that’s super cool!! i’m so glad to hear your family decided not to, praise the lord. we have a little bit, but i hope to more in this upcoming year. they’re really awesome to celebrate i’m sure and have such deep meaning, it’s awesome. haha i’m not jewish either.
yeah, me, and my family never celebrate halloween. we just lock ourselves in the house.


text:
I am a recently graduated medical doctor with a thirst for knowledge, a need for a creative outlet, a passion for cooking and a great desire to be healthy, happy and whole. I am a great believer that “you are what you eat” therefore I am constantly looking for ways to stay healthy and eat accordingly. My dream is to become a Family Physician and help my future patients through education and primary prevention. I would love to have an impact on their lifestyles and help cut out those nasty habits that are becoming a heavy burden for our healthcare system. Obesity, Hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus are almost becoming a constant triad in Americans over 60 years old. But what most people don’t know it’s that there are lots of accessible things and small changes you can do to prevent that. And it all begins with your diet and lifestyle. I am 80% vegetarian; I say this because I looove seafood, this accounts for the other 20% of my food intake. Plus there is the occasional special occasion where you can’t stay away from something topped with pancetta or bacon. I try to make those days the exception and not the rule.
The World Health Association defines health as a state of “complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Most people err in thinking otherwise. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a daily task; you must work at it every day, feed it and nourish it. Health is not achieved with a pill, fluids or injections. Although these measures are sometimes necessary to treat an illness. Health is a lifestyle. Health is having peace of mind. Health is finding the perfect balance between what you want to do and what you must do.
Besides working at being healthy, studying like crazy and putting everything I got into those hospital rounds… I love baking, doing craft projects around the house, painting, and entertaining. Find an occasion and I’ll throw you a party. Nevertheless I don’t always find the time to do all of those things due to my busy schedule so exercising, and doing yoga in particularly has become a great outlet for me. It also helps that I married a certified yoga instructor. I think that together we achieve the perfect balance. He is my sous chef and avid food taster. He is also interested in Dermatology, nutritional biochemistry, autoimmune diseases, and anti-aging; topics you will find discussed in our blog!
Hope you find some inspiration in our posts. If you have any questions regarding our recipes or articles feel free to comment!! And remember… “there is no greater fear that fear itself.” Never become too afraid of taking that first step towards a healthier you! Cooking is a creative experiment filled with trial and error processes. Bend the rules once in a while. Sometimes you will become disappointed, but do not get discouraged!! Sometimes this path also leads to an amazing result. Although some ingredients might scare you, you will never know if you like or dislike something unless you try!
Being healthy is a constant but very rewarding challenge. Seize the day, take control of your life and start making small, positive changes towards an enhanced version of yourself!
Created by: CRIH & OWNP.
PS – If you were wondering…these wonderful pictures were taken where we live! (In a wonderful paradise called Puerto Rico).
I don’t know what I enjoy more, your photos, recipes or overall mindset. Anyhow I enjoy your blog and nominated you for the Liebster Blog Award. For more details go to: http://fortheintolerants.com/2013/02/04/intolerants-rant-liebster-award/.
Thank you so much! Hopefully you enjoy both! I am very flattered for your kind words..an award nomination!! Will be posting soon about that!

lowercased:
i am a recently graduated medical doctor with a thirst for knowledge, a need for a creative outlet, a passion for cooking and a great desire to be healthy, happy and whole. i am a great believer that “you are what you eat” therefore i am constantly looking for ways to stay healthy and eat accordingly. my dream is to become a family physician and help my future patients through education and primary prevention. i would love to have an impact on their lifestyles and help cut out those nasty habits that are becoming a heavy burden for our healthcare system. obesity, hypertension and diabetes mellitus are almost becoming a constant triad in americans over 60 years old. but what most people don’t know it’s that there are lots of accessible things and small changes you can do to prevent that. and it all begins with your diet and lifestyle. i am 80% vegetarian; i say this because i looove seafood, this accounts for the other 20% of my food intake. plus there is the occasional special occasion where you can’t stay away from something topped with pancetta or bacon. i try to make those days the exception and not the rule.
the world health association defines health as a state of “complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” most people err in thinking otherwise. maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a daily task; you must work at it every day, feed it and nourish it. health is not achieved with a pill, fluids or injections. although these measures are sometimes necessary to treat an illness. health is a lifestyle. health is having peace of mind. health is finding the perfect balance between what you want to do and what you must do.
besides working at being healthy, studying like crazy and putting everything i got into those hospital rounds… i love baking, doing craft projects around the house, painting, and entertaining. find an occasion and i’ll throw you a party. nevertheless i don’t always find the time to do all of those things due to my busy schedule so exercising, and doing yoga in particularly has become a great outlet for me. it also helps that i married a certified yoga instructor. i think that together we achieve the perfect balance. he is my sous chef and avid food taster. he is also interested in dermatology, nutritional biochemistry, autoimmune diseases, and anti-aging; topics you will find discussed in our blog!
hope you find some inspiration in our posts. if you have any questions regarding our recipes or articles feel free to comment!! and remember… “there is no greater fear that fear itself.” never become too afraid of taking that first step towards a healthier you! cooking is a creative experiment filled with trial and error processes. bend the rules once in a while. sometimes you will become disappointed, but do not get discouraged!! sometimes this path also leads to an amazing result. although some ingredients might scare you, you will never know if you like or dislike something unless you try!
being healthy is a constant but very rewarding challenge. seize the day, take control of your life and start making small, positive changes towards an enhanced version of yourself!
created by: crih & ownp.
ps – if you were wondering…these wonderful pictures were taken where we live! (in a wonderful paradise called puerto rico).
i don’t know what i enjoy more, your photos, recipes or overall mindset. anyhow i enjoy your blog and nominated you for the liebster blog award. for more details go to: http://fortheintolerants.com/2013/02/04/intolerants-rant-liebster-award/.
thank you so much! hopefully you enjoy both! i am very flattered for your kind words..an award nomination!! will be posting soon about that!


text:
For Lady Gaga, kindness has been the key to finding peace in her own life.
"I've been searching for ways to help myself. And I found that kindness is the best way," she told TODAY recently while on a visit to Harlem's Ali Forney Center, a shelter for homeless LGBT youth, to surprise the teens living there.
She’s a superstar singer and passionate activist, but when Lady Gaga meets a trauma survivor, she’s just one of them.
Gaga invited TODAY to join her on the visit, which aired Monday, as part of the #ShareKindness campaign, TODAY and NBC Universal’s celebration of kind acts both big and small.
According to the Ali Forney Center, 80 percent of the youth there are kicked out of their homes because of their sexuality. The rest run away because of neglect, abuse, rejection, or a combination of those.
“How's it going? I'm Lady Gaga; it's nice to see you,” she said to the shocked crowd. Needless to say, the introduction was not necessary.
The goal of the #ShareKindness campaign is to inspire one million acts of kindness by the end of the year.
Gaga’s involvement goes beyond her visit to the center. TODAY partnered with Gaga's Born This Way Foundation, which she co-founded with her mom, Cynthia Germanotta, for the Share Kindness Experience, located at 30 Rock in NYC, where visitors can commit kind acts, from writing a kind letter or decorating a lunch bag for a child in need.
For those not visiting New York City in December, using the hashtag #ShareKindness on Twitter and Instagram, and sharing or commenting on a kind story from TODAY’s Facebook will also contribute to the goal.
Hoping to inspire, Gaga wrote a note to each and every teen living in the center.

lowercased:
for lady gaga, kindness has been the key to finding peace in her own life.
"i've been searching for ways to help myself. and i found that kindness is the best way," she told today recently while on a visit to harlem's ali forney center, a shelter for homeless lgbt youth, to surprise the teens living there.
she’s a superstar singer and passionate activist, but when lady gaga meets a trauma survivor, she’s just one of them.
gaga invited today to join her on the visit, which aired monday, as part of the #sharekindness campaign, today and nbc universal’s celebration of kind acts both big and small.
according to the ali forney center, 80 percent of the youth there are kicked out of their homes because of their sexuality. the rest run away because of neglect, abuse, rejection, or a combination of those.
“how's it going? i'm lady gaga; it's nice to see you,” she said to the shocked crowd. needless to say, the introduction was not necessary.
the goal of the #sharekindness campaign is to inspire one million acts of kindness by the end of the year.
gaga’s involvement goes beyond her visit to the center. today partnered with gaga's born this way foundation, which she co-founded with her mom, cynthia germanotta, for the share kindness experience, located at 30 rock in nyc, where visitors can commit kind acts, from writing a kind letter or decorating a lunch bag for a child in need.
for those not visiting new york city in december, using the hashtag #sharekindness on twitter and instagram, and sharing or commenting on a kind story from today’s facebook will also contribute to the goal.
hoping to inspire, gaga wrote a note to each and every teen living in the center.