Summertime and the livin' is easy...

 

Cherry Blossom 2025

Vancouver YVR Airport

 

Wabi-sabi (侘寂), Japanese (n.) a concept, an aesthetic, and a worldview that focuses on finding beauty within the imperfections of life and accepting peacefully the cycle of growth and decay.

Toronto · 2024

 

Toronto · 2024

 

give me back · 還給我

give me back the difference

between sun and rain

my vast solitude

give me back the sky

the hours the years 

a tree…

還給我陽光與雨水的差別

還給我浩瀚的孤獨

還給我天空

還給我時光

還給我歲月

還給我一棵樹

人生的意義 — 殷海光

我這人可以說是無甚家教, 父母經過戰亂, 他們的學業和理想, 也被戰爭中斷了, 和平後從零開始, 成家立業, 忙於工作, 那裏來時間管教孩子, 僥倖還有個祖母, “見長輩要恭敬稱呼”, “夾餸只夾前面”, “行路不能一搖三擺”等等… 其他人生道理就要靠自己了。

我愛讀書, 十三、四歲不知那裏弄來一本殷海光的小册子, 標題是 「人生的意義」, 有下列句子: 

第一: 我們萬不可在自己的生存並未受威脅時, 為了換取現實利益而犧牲道德原則。

第二: 在我們的生活勉強可過時, 萬不可因要得到較佳報酬而犧牲他人。

第三: 當我們因生活困難, 而被迫不得不放棄若干作人的原則時, 我們必須盡可能作「道德的抗戰」, 把道德的領土放棄的愈少愈好; 而且要存心待機「收復道德的失地」。

復次, 我們有我們的好惡。如果經濟貧困了, 我們的好惡是否就要放棄? 是否就不能講? 還有尊嚴問題, 如人的經濟不能滿足, 尊嚴是否可以不顧呢? 諸如此類的問題, 作為一個人, 真值得想一想。

……………

開卷有益, 這些教訓, 也夠我一生受用了。

————————

殷海光 1919-1969, 湖北黃岡人, 西南聯大哲學系、清華大學哲學研究所畢業, 台灣大學哲學系教授。

Auguries of Innocence

Auguries of Innocence —William Blake 1757-1827

To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour….

I behave as if I am because I sometimes forget that the Universe is there, right next to me, within me, outside of me, all around, doing its thing, making sure everything comes true, and right, the way it's meant to. 

Believe in the universe, I tell everyone, and its power to open doors for you; it will conspire to help you, but then I see my head down, focused on my painting, my feet, the floor. And then, yesterday, I went out for a walk and turned to a field that I was never there before, and the wild poppies, buttercups were spreading out as far as I could see, the bees were all there, and it was a moment of magic. There are signs everywhere.