Art By Tali Landsman

There is a lot of talk these days about the year 2012, and the fact that the ancient Mayan calendar, stops abruptly at the year 2012. At first, the messengers of doom and gloom among us, were all too happy to announce the end of time, and that our planet is at the end of its living cycle. After all...the ancient wise Mayan people said so.... A lot of evangelist preachers who believe in the wrath of God and in judgement day and the end of time, were all too happy to jump on the wagon and to call people to repent, and to "accept" Jesus before the day of reckoning comes. Even New age thinkers and spiritual people who believe that life is much more gentle than this, and that this is not the end, still concluded that it is a "spiritual end" and a beginning of a "new era" that will come on Dec 21 2012 I have been keeping quiet about this subject for a long time... But now I can hold my breath no longer and I will speak my peace. What amazes me first, is that peo

I would like to tell you two stories that I recently heard. The two stories are very similar... And yet they are very different. One story, I saw late at night on TV. It was a featured story on the financial news, which I watched while lying in bed at our hotel in Tokyo. The second story was on National Public Radio, and I listened to it in the car, upon our return back home to Colorado. Both stories take place in China. But first, let me take you back in time a bit... The cultural revolution in China, led by Mao Zedong, clearly looked down on the Western world, and believed that capitalism was the root of all social evil. After Mao's death, the country was left in complete disarray. 30 Million people had died during the extreme measures of the cultural revolution, and major changes needed to be made, to recover the heart of China, and to restore the spirit of the people. With the years' passing, the communist regime in China became somewhat more relaxed, and gave way to a new

I have this crazy theory. It is not a correct theory, since there are many holes in it... For one, it is a theory that is based on the concept of time, and time, as we understand it, simply does not exist. But this theory is something that I observed through traveling around the world, and please forgive me if it sounds a bit clumsy and not fully formed..... It is the way many art projects works.... There is something there...... Some basic truth... Some bones....But not all the flesh and skin.... Not all the words are right..... My theory starts with the assumption that the countries around the world do not actually occupy the same time frame. Some countries live in the past, while some countries live in the present and some in the future. It is a relative theory, and it means that some countries are experiencing NOW, what will be the FUTURE for other countries. We tend to think of time as absolute, and that it is progressing and moving across the globe in a unified manner. We tend

It is 4 o'clock in the morning, and I cannot sleep any more. My jet leg is officially on day one... I have had jet leg periods lasting as much as ten days, where my body would just take its time to adjust to the difference in time zones, climate and altitude. It is funny... But in the last 48 hours we have flown from Tokyo back to New Zealand, only to turn immediately around and fly back to Colorado. We went from two months of warm summer weather in NZ, to Tokyo, where it was cold and snowy, back to summer where the sun does not set until 9 in the evening, and again to winter in Colorado, where it is already pitch black by 5:30 PM. I decided to take a hot bath, instead of turning on the lights to read, or tossing around bed and waking up Jules, who is sleeping next to me in the Saint Julian hotel in Boulder Colorado. I filled the big bathtub with hot water and bath salts, and sank my body into the inviting waters... I felt content. Calm and quiet, I remembered how tasty was last ni

As you emerge out of the Shibuya subway station in Tokyo, you will find yourself on the edge of the busiest crossing intersection in the world. Famously known as the "Shibuya Crossing," eight different street corners allow passengers to cross diagonally across the long and wide roads. The visual effect of almost a thousand people crossing the streets simultaneously every few minutes, was amazing. I think my experience was somewhat enhanced by the fact that almost everybody was also carrying a colorful umbrella. While Jules was taking pictures, I stood there and admired the funky clothing and playful accessories that people wore. Shibuya is the shopping Mecca for teenage girls and boys who dress in one of the many popular styles that have flooded the Japanese culture in the past decade. We entered the famous building of "Shibuya 109," which is a multi fashion complex, all geared towards teenage or young women's fashion trends. The complex was filled with busy bou

The first snow of the year in Tokyo fell over the trees outside our windows. We were sitting in front of big glass windows having breakfast, and the snow was blowing as if in slow motion. It melted almost immediately. There was no snow accumulation on the ground. We debated what to do with our day. It seemed like the best way to spend a wet rainy and snowy day in the city was to visit a good museum. In a funny twist of faith, a few of the museums that I wanted to visit were closed for renovations or were closed because they were installing new exhibitions. We decided to go to the MOT, the Museum of Contemporary Art. Situated in a small neighborhood, the museum is said to host a good collection of contemporary art, as well as changing exhibitions. The concierge at our hotel printed for us the directions via the subway- the fastest and easiest way to move around Tokyo. We took the subway to the museum, but just as we arrived and braced ourselves for the twenty minute walk in the cold, Ju

In the morning, we walked the short way to the subway station from our hotel, and enjoyed the beautiful Shinto shrines that were unassumingly tucked between the lovely homes. I love the Shinto tradition. The two major religions in Japan are Buddhism and Shinto. Many Buddhist Japanese people still offer prayers at Shinto shrines, as Shinto is the oldest tradition, and often is associated in people's hearts with their beloved grandparents. Shinto was the original tradition practiced in Japan, and Buddhism arrived later in the sixth century. Shinto originated in prehistoric times, and it revolved around offering respect for nature and for particular sacred sites. These sites may have originally been used to worship the sun, rock formations, trees, the wind, the elements and even sounds. Each of these was associated with a deity, or "Kami," and a complex polytheistic religion developed. Shinto worship of Kami is performed at shrines. There is a ritual act of purification befo

We had a Japanese breakfast at Miyuki, The restaurant overlooking the Japanese garden Of the Four Seasons hotel we are staying in. It was a romantic choice... You see...We stayed here years ago Two years after we got married. My breakfast had 11 small and tasty colorful dishes on it. It was all arranged like an elaborate art piece, I like eating art... We visited a small museum in Harajuku, That was dedicated to historical paintings on bamboo fans. We saw all the different styles, Covering hundreds of years Each influenced by the different schools of art that were popular in those times. We had to change our shoes to slippers When we entered the museum. I walked by those delicate fans, Encased in glass, And admired the beauty of the original paintings on them. In the back of my mind, A voice was whispering.... That even in olden times, Artists needed to find practical and commercial ways Of selling their art... By painting on fabrics that people used, By painting on ceramics, By painti

I am sitting in the Koru lounge, at the Auckland airport. Our flight to Narita airport Tokyo, takes off in thirty minutes. I thought to share a bunch of useless information: Did you know that Chloroform was first used in the 1900's to ease pain in women giving birth. It was widely opposed by many people, saying that it goes against God's will. The majority argued that God INTENDED for women to give birth in great pains, as quoted in the bible. Did you know that Queen Victoria was prescribed cannabis every month for her menstrual pain... Cannabis was a commonly used medicine in those days for a variety of symptoms, as was arsenic, mercury, lead, and many other elements that we know now to be poisonous. Did you know that in vIctorian times England, they treated gastrointestinal disorders with a "purple pill." It was made of poisonous metals. When a person swallowed it, he would be so sick that he would vomit, develop diarrhea, and the purple pill would be fished out of

I believe that forgiveness is essential to our happiness. The unforgiving mind becomes a dark place that harbors resentments and discontent. I believe that on a regular basis, we should examine each situation that has brought us pain, each person and each interaction we have ever had that still carries any charge in us, and then we need to do the inner healing necessary to release all the blocked energy in us. I regularly search my mind for anything that might indicate that there is still some resentment or un-forgiveness in me, towards anyone or anything. For the most part, I find that I am successful at releasing the situation that caused me pain, and seeing the person who supposedly "caused" it in a forgiving light. That person did not know better, and I was just as wrong as they were. Over the years, I have developed many ways of releasing energy that has been blocked due to past situations. I reason with myself, explain to myself the situation from a higher point of vi

This world we seem to live in is based on a belief that bodies are real. It is a world that was born on the idea of separation. The underlying belief is that we are separated from other bodies, separated from God, separated from Divine Love, separated from real power, that we have limited strength, and that eternity does not exist. In the world we believe we live in, everything is temporary and has a starting point and an end. In this world, we believe that our bodies are fragile, vulnerable to the cruel hands of time, susceptible to disease that can affect us at random, that our bodies can get infected from bacteria or viruses, that we could die or meet misfortune at every corner. Luckily, this world we SEEM to live in is nothing but an illusion. In fact, it stands in EXACT OPPOSITION to the Truth and to the real world. All of the basic beliefs that are held dear by the world, and that are considered "common knowledge", are in exact opposition to what is True and Real. The w

Since we arrived at our home in rural New Zealand more than a month ago, we have worked almost daily to bring the property into good shape. We have cleaned spider webs, stained the parts of the house that needed it the most, cleaned the interiors, weeded the garden, trimmed dead tree limbs, mowed the banks and worked ceaselessly. The property has looked much better with each passing day. Yesterday I walked around the exterior of the house, and examined some of the areas that we have attended to, and that looked good just a few weeks ago. I felt disheartened to see that most of the places we cleaned so well, need our care and attention again. I felt a sense of dread, and later in the day I felt sick and started coughing. I knew that I had dropped my energies and allowed bad and dispirited thinking into my mind, and that this is why I was feeling ill. I also knew that if I did not wish to get sick, I needed to examine why I was feeling so dispirited. I reflected on this subject all day

I know that this subject is not an easy one to contemplate. People associate with death so much pain and sadness, that they would rather not think about nor deal with it at all. But to the student of Truth, exploring all aspects of reality, understanding the nature of death and illusions and being willing to examine all origins and theories, is essential. Most spiritual writing accepts the concept of death as natural and as an unavoidable part of life. This contradiction actually points to the fact that most spiritual writing, is lacking in understanding and does not reflect a full comprehension of the truth. Let us have a look at how the concept of death has gotten established in our understanding. We look around us and we see things being born, having a life duration, and then the process of decay sets in, and finally death. When we look at nature, we can examine the process of a deciduous tree as it is growing up. We can see the green flexible leaves changing colors until they becom

Each one of us has a wonderful path to walk in life that is in full harmony with our true heart's desire and happiness. All events in our lives and all the people we ever met, no matter how casual the encounter may seem, came into our lives for a reason. If we examine events in our lives through the eyes of trust and gratitude, we will be able to see the beauty of our path and how it all transpired for our highest joy. When Vision comes to us, we will be able to see how the choices we made seemingly "mindlessly," or those that felt like they were "forced" on us, and even those "accidental ones", all gently lead us on our path. Daily life does not always feel magical and wonderful, and if we get caught up in the details, we may lose sight of the bigger picture and not appreciate the many small miraculous elements that have led us on our path. I could give you dozens of illustrations from my own life, but because I also want to tell you about this wonder