Theos-Talk Archives (November 2006 Message tt00083)

Dear Gary,

Fair winds and following seas, my  friend.  My best wishes for your 
continued success.

Drop in from time to time and I think you will see that here on 
theos-talk, there will be an unmistakable "sameness" a decade from now 
as there was a decade ago.  The arguments, debates, and discussions rush 
to and fro, lo here and lo there like a river surging blindly through a 
beautiful and bountiful countryside.  We are swept along by the 
currents, ever clinging to Hope as as if it were a life raft that we 
must hold fast to or die. 

Congratulations on slipping the surly bonds and Godspeed on your journey.

--bill

            High Flight

Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds...and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of...wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up, the long, delirious burning blue
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, nor even eagle flew.
And while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space...
...put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

---John Gillespie Magee, Jr.
http://home.earthlink.net/~eilonwy/highflight/poem.htm


Gary Barnhart wrote:
> Friends and fellow students,
>
> My energy is being directed toward the establishing a Theosophical 
> study group in the Austin, Texas, USA area. The group will begin 
> meeting in January,2007. There are already a few interested persons 
> and a meeting place. If you know of someone in that area who may be 
> interested please have them contact me through my tel. (512) 619-4747 
> for further information. No prior, present , or future society or 
> lodge or other group affiliation is required or requested.
>
> As I am unsubscribing to this discussion site, I will share with you 
> my most favorite of all aphorisms that can be used at any time and 
> which I ask myself every morning to reinforce my way in life 
> regardless of whether I agree or disagree with another's opinions or 
> views. This is taken from the small but powerful book "The Way To 
> Freedom" by His Holiness The Dalai Lama.
>
> "Our state of mind is so important that whenever the Indian master 
> Atisha met someone, the first question he would ask was, "DO YOU HAVE 
> A KIND HEART TODAY ?" I trust and believe that simple question is the 
> key to all humanizing, altruistic, compassionate, and harmonizing 
> conversation and action, thus many times during a day I ask myself 
> that question as a reminder. This is not my possession, it is the 
> question that may be used by all humankind to release ourselves from 
> bondage of selfishness, fear and delusion, and keeps one in the key 
> priorities of mindfulness and introspection which are the soil for the 
> foundation stones of virtues upon which our temple of the heart and 
> brotherhood is built.
>
> Wishing you a happy life and a kind heart,
> Gary Barnhart
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>