Day 15-16 Inner Landscape

“Our bodies are mere outlines of a vast and complex interior world, a landscape of contradiction and immense mystery.”~ Krista Tippett

Recently, a friend shared John Cage's mesmerizing piano piece ''In a landscape''. It reminded me of John O'Donohue’s interview with Krista Tippett in which he, “explored themes of self-exile and hardship, and the Celtic way of welcoming paradox and finding precious light in the darkest valleys of our inner terrain.” (Tipett).

O’ Donohue began, “Instead of fearing the contradictions of the outer world, the Celtic people welcomed them. They developed special blessings for times of suffering in the belief that hardship leads to a special insight or gift of the spirit. When you learn the Celtic “secret of equilibrium”—how to see every difficulty as a threshold of possibility—you renew your life with unending possibilities.”

As you watch the beautiful images float across the screen may you be swept away by the music into the inner landscape of your being. I hope you enjoy it.

Mandala by~liz

Cage’s music is played by Beata Pincetic from a live concert, and the video by pianomusickris contains Chinese paintings (thanks to Xudong for making them available).

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Categories: Reflections, Holidays, Spirituality

Tags: Beata Pincetic, Blaise Pascal, Erie Chapman Foundation, John Cage, John O’Donohue, Journal of Sacred Work, Krista Tippett, Liz sorensen Wessel

7 responses to “Day 15-16 Inner Landscape”

erie chapman

January 15, 2011 at 10:09 am

Liz – Your quotes from Tippett and Pascal as well as O’Donohue are a great launching place for your own, beautifully realized mandala. I played the Cage music while experiencing this piece and then re-played it as I was looking at other email and our new Facebook page for the Journal. Thank you for offering to all of our readers this multi-media experience. You have helped us sense the power of Pascal’s quote: “Always Keep Something Beautiful in your mind!” Thank you, Liz.

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Lisa Ernst

January 15, 2011 at 12:26 pm

Thank you for sending me here to experience the beautiful music and images, creating a quiet respite on a busy morning. I also enjoyed learning about the Celtic belief that hardship leads to insight. Very true in my experience as well.

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Maria Doglio

January 15, 2011 at 12:29 pm

Krista Tippet’s quote made me reflect about how our inner emotional, spiritual life reflects itself in our outer bodies as well as all the parts that make up that body; of how our emotional life, if not addressed and healed, finds it way into a corresponding body part and manifests into disease. Our state of being is interrelated to the whole of us: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Symptoms of embalance manifest on different levels. When we seek equilibrium in life, sometimes we are required to stand still and go within to assess our whole person in this way.
I was out this morning, walking with the dog and my older self, realizing that inner assessment for myself has been neglected for a while and is showing in my outer body!
I was also thinking about the Celtic philosopy presented here with respect to changes within my own little world as well as globally. So many much that is hidden is coming to light and just for that reason–so we can move to the light individually and as a global human family. Change always brings difficulty and resistance, but if we look at the whole with Celtic insight, we can fearlessly see the equilibrium that hardship of change will bring.

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Maureen McDermott

January 16, 2011 at 4:40 pm

Liz, your mandala is exquisite – thank you. The reflection was timely and such a good reminder as both in the States, Brazil and here in Australia we come to terms with recent disasters. The outpouring of love and practical compassion for the people of Queensland shows in reality how true the Celtic experience is.

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~liz Wessel

January 16, 2011 at 5:24 pm

Sometimes I fall into a shadow of self-doubt and fear but then I remember that I am willing to see differently. Thank you, dear friends for sharing something beautiful from your mind, which I will always carry with me.

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Marily

January 17, 2011 at 12:05 am

“Always keep something beautiful in your mind”… being positive is something beautiful, anything that builds up, anything we experience, may it be bitter or sweet how we receive it and learn from it can be. Thank you for the beauty from the inner landscape of your mind Liz.

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Victoria Facey

January 17, 2011 at 12:40 pm

Liz, thank you for the lovely mandala and the landscape musical piece. I can play this in the background while I work!

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