Seeing "What Is" (in Both Life and Art!)

Photo via hfboards.com.

 It's that time again...time for a "moment with Pema," or a segment that I should start calling"The Wisdom Corner"...basically, a chance for me to share another amazing reading from the all-knowing Pema Chodron. Does it seem like I quote her a lot? Oh wait, that's because I do. But really, how is she so wise? As a yoga teacher I should know better than to put a teacher on a pedestal, but I can't help to do so with her! So here goes, Pema on "seeing what is:"

Holding on to beliefs limits our experience of life. That doesn’t mean that beliefs or opinions or ideas are a problem. It’s the stubborn attitude of having to have things be a particular way, grasping on to our beliefs and opinions, that cause the problems. Using your belief system this way creates a situation in which you choose to be blind instead of being able to see, to be deaf instead of being able to hear, to be dead rather than alive, asleep rather than awake.

As people who want to live a good, full, restricted, adventurous, real kind of life, there is concrete instruction we can follow: see what is. When you catch yourself grasping at beliefs or thoughts, just see what is. Without calling your belief right or wrong, acknowledge it. See it clearly without judgment and let it go. Come back to the present moment. From now until the moment of your death, you could do this.
-From Comfortable with Uncertainty by Pema Chodron (p. 122)

Now that should give us all something to think about today...just see what is. Easy, right? ;)

And now, for my latest favorite artistic marvel that plays with this idea of "seeing what is" in a very different way...

The following artist, Guido Daniele, paints hands (and bodies) to look like animals...and um, he is amazing. Take a look at some of his work below:

To view the artist's personal site with some of his advertising work (also amazing!), click here.

Happy Tuesday and namaste!
Mary Catherine