My art studies and progress on my comic are taking a positive trajectory so far. I can't show off too much yet, but here is a portrait I have drawn as a part of practicing last night!

I look forward to seeing how my art shapes up by the end of the month.

#practice #portrait #artist #study #mastoArt #fediart

What is trust?

I’m aware that yesterday’s post perhaps raised more questions that it answered. That’s not a bad thing in itself, perhaps, but it’s not always kind to one’s readers. Richard Rohr reminds us,

Unfortunately, the notion of faith that emerged in the West was much more a rational assent to the truth of certain mental beliefs, rather than a calm and hopeful trust that God is inherent in all things, and that this whole thing is going somewhere good. Predictably, we soon separated intellectual belief (which tends to differentiate and limit) from love and hope (which unite and thus eternalize). As Paul says in his great hymn to love, “There are only three things that last, faith, hope and love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). All else passes. Faith, hope, and love are the very nature of God, and thus the nature of all Being. Such goodness cannot die. (Which is what we mean when we say “heaven.”) … Christ is a good and simple metaphor for absolute wholeness, complete incarnation, and the integrity of creation.

The Universal Christ, p.22

Now I know that using the word “Christ” in this context may bring some readers up short, but bear with me here: there is more to New Testament Christology than often meets the eye. The apostle Paul says of Christ (Colossians 1:16-17 NIV):  “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (This of course is the source of the concept of coinherence so beloved of Charles Williams.)

Using the word Christ in this context is far closer to Meister Eckhart’s Istigkeit, Spinoza’s Deus sive Natura, the Original Ground of Dzogchen, or the Ground of Being in Paul Tillich’s writings, than it is to the “Jesus’ surname” usage common to some thoughtless conventional Christian preaching.

One difficulty we often run into on the far side of deconstruction, it seems to me, is finding words adequate to just this deeply experiential aspect of the contemplative life. It is all very well scraping terminology from neuroscience (or astrophysics, or academic philosophy) and often this can serve us well if we are trying to conceptualise spiritual realities. But our practice, and our awakened lives, ask more of us than conceptualising spiritual experience. Perhaps it is worth taking the risk, with Rohr and Williams and Tillich, of using the language of direct contemplative experience within our own culture. The contemplative life is a life of the heart, after all, and much of our practice depends upon casting a cold eye on the chatter of discursive thought! We cannot trust a bare idea as we can the direct faith that all things rest in Christ, in presence, in the open ground of isness itself – waves of the one ocean, if you will – and to that presence they will return.

All are allegories, all are invitations to enter the inner temple...

https://notesandsilence.com/2026/01/07/the-temple-gate/
#zen #silence #prayer #meditation #practice #consciousness

The talking starts around 1:30 😂

https://makertube.net/w/p6e2xq6qfGB1bsgoUREUZn

Painted Color from Monochrome

I tried this before and it ended up creepy, so this time I went with standard colors. The monochrome is the reference. How did I do?

#art #digitalart #painting #colorized #portrait #practice #study

A 2-Minute Reset For Overwhelm

I frequently discuss the mental and physical toll that our current way of life takes on us. Our bodies and minds do not down-regulate; we are trapped in an evolutionary cycle, unable to keep pace with the rapid speed of modern life. The relentless pace of technological advancement and constant connectivity heightens this burden, creating an unending barrage of information and demands for our attention. There is too much stimulation and too much instant gratification, which leads to an overwhelming psychological toll; it feels as if we are constantly being pulled in multiple directions.

Finding Anchors

But how do we break this cycle? We need to cultivate patience, which is perhaps the biggest challenge of all. In a world that prioritizes instant gratification, our patience has diminished, and seeking immediate relief has become our primary goal. However, we must learn to embrace slowness and steadiness, relying on the anchors of our existence. These anchors are your breath and your heartbeat—constants that are unchanging and unwavering, with you at all times.

Resilience

By developing practices of calmness and mindfulness, we empower ourselves to tap into these anchors. This enables us to rise above the chaos during stressful moments, restoring our sense of grounded empathy and fostering deeper connections with ourselves and others. Embracing this journey is essential; not only does it enhance our resilience, but it also deepens our understanding of what it truly means to live a fulfilled life in harmony with our natural rhythms.

Remember to start small and be gentle with yourself. Take a moment to connect with your breath and feel your heartbeat. As you learn to recognize your patterns, you can discover simple practices that help you return to your true self. Try this new, quick grounding reset during stressful moments; it can be a comforting anchor in the chaos.

This brief, two-minute practice helps your body shift out of tension and into ease with slow breathing and simple cues to soften the body. You’ll gently down-regulate your nervous system without effort. It’s a quick grounding reset for moments of stress, overwhelm, or emotional heaviness-a small pause that helps you return to yourself.

Namaste.

Non-self is a direction.

https://notesandsilence.com/2026/01/03/anatta/
#zen #silence #prayer #consciousness #practice #spirituality