This painting holds one of my favorite lines from the prayer beneath the collection: "Help us restore what has been harmed and create a future of harmony and respect."
I painted it as a sunrise, a center of gold opening into rays of red and orange, the first light after a long, dark night.
I wanted to make something in color that remembered that the morning still comes no matter how hard the dark period.
The best way to see a sunrise is through an old growth forest of vibrant trees
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What we compose shows, so do it with care
The original is now ready to find its home.
Inquire on Cohart. People sometimes ask how long a painting like this takes me to compose. The painting itself is a matter of days, but the more complete answer is that it takes much longer. This is because the gold comes in layers that each needs its own time and cannot be hurried.
Gold teaches me patience. It will lift, crack, or refuse if it is rushed. So I stopped counting in days and started counting in layers.
I want to save our world's forests!
A future is built the same way: not in one grand gesture, but in patient layers, small daily choices and acts, the things we plant (sow) and tend (cultivate) and refuse to give up on. What we care for grows. What we show up for shows. Everyone can see what shows from our care in its composition.
As of today, "A Future of Harmony and Respect" is available to view on Cohart, to acquire by inquiry. If someone is standing at the start of something, this is a sunrise for that wall.
It is a one-of-a-kind, watercolor with 24 karat sustainable gold leaf, with a prayer sealed inside that can be accessed through a chip that allows it to be heard aloud. And it arrives with a certificate of authenticity and earth conscious packaging.
And I would love to hear: What part of the living world do you most want to see restored?
(Maybe it's forests, human communities, vegan kitchens, wild grasslands, fish oceans, bird skies, tunnel systems, space belts full of debris... Tell us in the comment section below)
With love,
Ekaterina Sky
P.S. Feeling moved beyond wall art and mural painting? PLANT TREES through a new movement at ourlifeforce.org. Also, see my art on Instagram: @ekaterina.sky.art
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Is this Cro Mag gentleman doing it right? - Uh, no.
The Prince (Italian Il Principe, Latin De Principatibus) is a 16th-century political treatise written by the Italian diplomat, philosopher, and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli in the form of a realistic instruction guide for new princes. Many commentators have viewed that one of the main themes of The Prince is that immoral acts are sometimes necessary to achieve political glory. More
When he spoke this way, the Blessed One said to the Brahmin: "Do you know, Brahmin, who an outcast is and what the conditions are that make one an outcast?"
The Buddha was much respected.
"Actually, no, Venerable Gautama, I do not know who an outcast is nor the conditions that make one an outcast. It would be good if Venerable Gautama were to explain the Dhamma to me so that I might know who an outcast is and what the conditions are that make one an outcast."
[The abusive terms used by the Brahmin and the respectful address that follows need a word of explanation. The Brahmin had just prepared his offering to his God, Great Brahma, when his eyes fell upon the Buddha. To the Brahmin the sight of a wandering ascetic (samana), a shaven-headed recluse, is an unlucky omen. So he burst into angry words. The Buddha, however, was unruffled and spoke to him gently in words with a soft cadence. The Brahmin was apparently ashamed of his unskillful outburst and, repenting of his folly, addressed the Buddha courteously. Commentary: Note the Buddha's emphasis on anger and hatred in his very first stanza.]
"Listen then, Brahmin, and pay attention. I will explain."
"Yes, Venerable Sir," replied the Brahmin.
1. "Whoever is angry, harbors hatred, and is reluctant to speak well of others [discredits the good of others], perverse in views, deceitful — know that person as an outcast.
2. "Whoever in this world kills living beings, once born or twice born,* in whom there is no sympathy for living beings — know that person as an outcast.
[*Dvijam, birds, are "twice-born" in that they are first born as an egg and then are born again out of their shells when they hatch.]
3. "Whoever destroys and besieges villages and hamlets and becomes notorious as an oppressor — know that person as an outcast.
4. "Be it in village or forest, whoever steals what belongs to others, what is not freely given — know that person as an outcast.
5. "Whoever having actually incurred a debt runs away when pressed to pay it, saying, 'I owe no debt to you' — know that person as an outcast.
6. "Whoever, coveting anything, kills a person going along the road, and grabs whatever that person has — know that person as an outcast.
7. "One who for one's own sake or for the sake of another or for the sake of wealth, utters lies when questioned as a witness — know that person as an outcast.
8. "Whoever by force [rape] or with consent [adultery] associates with the spouses of relatives or friends — know that person as an outcast.
Good karma: Treat parents like buddhas.
9. "Whoever having wealth supports not one's own mother and father who have grown old — know that person as an outcast.
10. "Whoever strikes and annoys by [harsh] speech, mother, father, brother, sister, mother-in-law, or father-in-law — know that person as an outcast.
11. "Whoever, when questioned about what is good, says what is detrimental, and talks in an evasive manner — know that person as an outcast.
12. "Whoever, having committed an unskillful deed, wishes that it may not be discovered by others, and commits harm in secret — know that person as an outcast.
13. "Whoever, having gone to another's house and partaken of choice food, does not honor that host by offering food when receiving a visit — know that person as an outcast.
14. "Whoever deceives a Brahmin priest or wandering ascetic or any other mendicant [alms person] by uttering lies — know that person as an outcast.
15. "Whoever when a Brahmin or wandering ascetic appears during mealtime angers that person by harsh speech and does not offer that person [any alms] — know that person as an outcast.
16. "Whoever in this world, shrouded by ignorance, speaks harsh words (asatam) or falsehood [asantamtipi patho (SnA)] expecting to gain something — know that person as an outcast.
17. "Whoever, debased by pride, exalts oneself and belittles others — know that person as an outcast.
18. "Whoever is given to anger, is miserly, has base desires, and is selfish, deceitful, shameless, and fearless [in doing what is unskillful] — know that person as an outcast.
19. "Whoever reviles the Enlightened One [the Buddha], a disciple of the Buddha, a recluse, or a householder — know that person as an outcast.
20. "Whoever not being an enlightened person, a consummate one, pretends to be one, is a thief in the whole universe — the lowest of outcasts.
21. "Not by birth is one an outcast; not by birth is one a Brahmin. By deed one becomes an outcast, and by deed one becomes a Brahmin.
22. "Know by the example now cited [the fact that by birth one is not an outcast]: There was an outcast's son, Sopaka, who became known as Matanga.
23. "This Matanga attained the highest fame difficult to gain. Many were the warriors (kshatriyas) and Brahmins who went to attend on him.
24. "Mounting the celestial chariot [the Noble Eightfold Path, and driving] along the passion-free high road, [Sopaka, now a monk], reached the Brahma realm having given up sense-desires.
25. "His [lowly] birth did not prevent him from being reborn in the Brahma realm. There are Brahmins born in the family of preceptors, kinsmen of [Vedic] hymns.
26. "They are often seen committing unskillful deeds. In this life itself they are despised, in the next they are reborn in an unfortunate state of existence. High birth does not prevent them from falling into a woeful state or from censure [here and now].
27. "Not by birth is one an outcast; not by birth is one a Brahmin. By deed one becomes an outcast, and by deed one becomes an Brahmin."
Honoring the worthy ones is good karma.
When the Buddha had spoken, the Brahmin Aggika Bharadvaja said to him:
"Excellent, O Venerable Gautama, excellent! O Venerable Gautama, it is just as if a person were to set upright what had been overturned, or were to reveal what had been hidden, or were to point the way to one who had gone astray, or were to hold an oil lamp to the dark so that those with eyes might see things, even so in many ways has Venerable Gautama expounded the Dharma, the Doctrine.
"I go for guidance (sarana) to Venerable Gautama, the Dharma, and the [Arya-] Sangha [the community of those disciples along the stages of enlightenment]. May Venerable Gautama accept me as a lay follower who has gone for guidance from this day onwards so long as life lasts."
The Simpsons; Ven. Piyadassi Thera (trans.), Vasala Sutra: "The Discourse on Outcasts" (Sn 1.7, PTS Sn 116-142), 1999, edited by Ashley Wells, Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson, Wisdom Quarterly, orig. published 6/21/20
DJ Trump, JD Vance, FIGHT with Vlad Zelenskyy during contentious Oval Office meeting
Well, uh, whew, that was awkward, eh?
(KTLA 5) Foreboding Friday, Feb. 28, 2025: US President Trump got into a heated exchange with Ukrainian Pres. Vlad Zelenski (aka TV comedian and PR war darling Volodymyr Zelenskyy) during an extraordinary Oval Office match, bout, all out war-of-words, meeting and fighting on Friday in which DJ raised his voice and called the Ukraine's puppet leader “disrespectful.” Story: ktla.com/news/nationworld/trump...
I promised Vlad all the killing power he wants!
The upshot? Trump bombs Vlad Z back, posting an attack on Truth Social, and Zelenski volleys a series of brownnosing tweets, a massive Johnny-come-lately set of "thanks" to everyone he can think of on X (Twitter), hoping to curry favor with a future Vance Administration. But it's a dealbreaker for the rare earth mineral deal worth 500 billion (a tradeoff that Trump demanded from Zelenski in return for continuing to supply Ukraine more and more arms, including then Pres. Biden's illegal transfer of Vietnam-era cluster munitions (carpet bombs with bomblets that sit and wait to kill children later) for Ukraine to continue conducting our US proxy War on Russia).
Archaeological finds that turned history upside down
(BRIGHT SIDE) Nov. 13, 2023: Scientists have long believed that the Native American Taíno people were the first inhabitants of the Greater Antilles, but it turns out there were archaic people living here long before, and they were really advanced. Sometimes archaeologists manage to discover whole cities. This is exactly what Eleni Korka, an archaeologist from Greece did. The Rosetta Stone, a linguistic game-changer, unlocked the secrets of Egyptian hieroglyphs and opened up a treasure trove of knowledge. In Egypt, the discovery of the Valley of the Kings transformed our perception of ancient burial practices. These finds are like history's plot twists, keeping archaeologists and history buffs on the edge of their seats! 🏛️🔍📜 #brightside
[Thou shalt obey the Gatekeepers nor dare question us] The dangers of pseudo-archaeology
(History with Kayleigh) Premiered Nov. 19, 2023: RICHAT STRUCTURE. Kayleigh explains the difference between [mainstream consensus] archaeology and pseudo-archaeology and what the dangers of pseudo-archaeology are to our history.
Pseudo-archaeology is known by other names as well, such as alternative archaeology, fake archaeology, fringe archaeology, cult archaeology, fantastic archaeology, and even spooky archaeology.
Thanks to Professor John Hoopes, Associate Professor Bill Farley, archaeologist Jens Notroff, historian David Miano, and Stefan Milo for their contributions to this video. She is grateful to all for letting the public know personal opinions on pseudo-archaeology and how it affects [real, authentic, obedient] work. [Please let me in the club; I won't rock the boat.]
"Truth matters." Is it social contagion that so many millennials and others are suddenly all about going gay, switching sexes, or playing dress up and demanding new pronouns?
A beautiful transgender man, a long time EMT in New Mexico, stands up to [jerk] Matt Walsh with all his logic, rationality, and lawyer-like debate style and, sadly, goes down in flames -- in a civil discourse in front of [conservative] college students on campus.
Matt Walsh debates transgender EMT who ends up speechless
(Young America's Foundation) Views: 1,199,496, posted April 7, 2023: The Daily Wire's Matt Walsh got into a debate with a transgendered woman who was a self-proclaimed EMT who immediately gets stumped by one simple biological scenario. "Intersex is a genetic anomaly," according to Walshe not a "third sex" as we are being led to believe, particularly by the new documentary Every Body:
INTERSEX: non-binary, non-hermaphrodite, abnormal, atypical congenital (from birth) medical condition, leading to gender assignment by biased doctors at birth (in 1 in a 1,000 births?) Ancient Indian texts (Brahminical, Vedic, Buddhist, Jain) would label such individuals pandakas.
(Inside Edition) Aug. 11, 2023: It's a big party across the airwaves as America celebrates the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. Yankee Stadium in New York is holding a concert with some of the biggest names in hip-hop performing for the big anniversary. The lead-up to today's celebrations was building all year long, including performances from Run DMC and LL Cool J at the Grammys. Mc Lyte, one of the pioneers of female rap, sat down with Inside Edition's Les Trent.
Poor Kool Herc's sister threw a Bronx party where he used two turntables
(Associated Press) The Bronx looks back at 50 years of hip-hop Aug. 9, 2023: Hip-hop was born in the Bronx, the poorest section of New York, rising from the ashes of a borough ablaze with [Black segregation, street drugs,] poverty, urban decay, and gang violence. Fifty years later, hip-hop is a multi-billion-dollar global industry, but the Bronx has yet to benefit. (Aug. 9) (AP Video/Noreen Nasir) More: apnews.com. AP Archive: aparchive.com/metadata/you...#bronx#hiphop#music
It's tricky to rock a rhyme that's right on time, Penn & Teller
H*ll no! Kool Herc didn't invent hip-hop
Kool Herc did NOT start Hip-Hop!
Neither did Jamaicans or Puerto Ricans! (Doggie Diamonds TV) Streamed live on Sept. 13, 2022: Keep it real, mofos! Tell it like it is. Straight up. Word! Speak truth to power and all these bougie n's at the AP. Man, funk that! I'm just keepin' it real, my n. No disrespect to nobody. I wasn't there, and neither was these n's. Who is the homey Minnesota? Doggie Diamonds No Filter Podcast Videos
The Birth of Hip Hop
(Black History in Two Minutes or so) 11/6/20: In 1973, DJ Kool Herc set up his turntables and introduced a technique at a South Bronx house party that would change music as many people knew it. His ability to switch from record to record — as well as isolate and repeat music breaks — led to the discovery of the hip hop genre. From school yards to gatherings, boomboxes housed the exhilarating sound that people couldn’t get enough of. Soon, freestyling over the beat became popular, and we’d have one of the most noted songs of the genre released in 1979, entitled “Rapper’s Delight.” As the genre evolved, artists used their platform to speak on social issues near and far. These lyrics became the melody that told the narrative of the artist’s world to a beat.
Hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr., with additional commentary from author Joan Morgan, Jelani Cobb of Columbia University, rapper Nas, and filmmaker Ava Duvernay, we celebrate an underground cultural movement that has unified people and has become the most streamed genre of present day.
Black History in Two Minutes (or so) is a two time Webby Award-winning series. Haven't heard it already? Please review on Apple Podcasts! It's a helpful way to for new listeners to discover what's going on here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
INDIGENOUS DHARMA: Native American and Buddhist Voices
by John Travis, Eduardo Duran, Fred Wahpepah, Lorain Fox Davis, Tsultrim Allione, Susan Murphy.
Susan Murphy is an Australian Zen teacher in the lineages of Robert Aitken and John Tarrant. She teaches at Zen Open Circle in Sydney, the Melbourne Zen Group, and at her rural retreat center, Cloud Mountain.
The Dalai Lama meets and greets familiar Native elders in the United States.
Elder Buddhist nun in Zanskar teaches a younger nun the mudras (Olivier Adam).
The roots of Native tradition are relationships with fellow living being and the Earth itse4lf.
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Inquiring Mind asked her to write the introduction to a series of essays and interviews on "Indigenous Dharma."
"When you know the place where you are, practice begins.”
- Zen Master Dogen
The Buddha's Earth-witnessing gesture or mudra called upon Mother Earth, who responded
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One could say that every stage of Buddhist practice, including realization [enlightenment] itself, forms and deepens a covenant with the Earth.
We bear witness to the Earth by learning to really be here, and when reality breaks through and shakes us to the core, it is the Earth reciprocating that intimate gesture of custodianship.
It is one elemental act of kindness being met by another. The testimonies that follow from Native American and Buddhist teachers bring to light some of the affinities of Buddhist practice with the old, native Earth-based traditions and their protocols for creating and tending good relations with the Earth, the source of life [on this planet].
In my [Susan Murphy] own practice as a Zen teacher in Australia, it has felt increasingly important to me to begin consciously to walk the song lines of the Way, to seek out Aboriginal Law holders.
I actively explore the affinities and resonance between Aboriginal and Zen spiritualities as they meet in the place where I am.
Can Westerners adopt Eastern traditions? (Bree Van Z)
It will not be the first time that Buddhism has been received, enlarged, and refined by the more ancient Earth-based spirituality that awaits it in a particular place.
The Dharma is wanting to learn to stand up here in olive-gray saltbush and red earth, gray kangaroos, and satin bowerbirds. It is never complete, and it is the Earth that constantly completes it.
Our human conversation with the Earth has a chance to resume when we grow quiet and still and do some listening, some asking and a bit of thanking.
Meditation itself is a ritual action of respect, literally, “looking again,” with patience and forbearance.
Respect structures the spiritual authority through which both Native American and Buddhist teachings are offered and transmitted, and respect — a kind of nameless gratitude — marks every mindful gesture and breath, gradually maturing into a conscious minding of the universe. More
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With love,
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