Art By Tali Landsman

The Subtle Power Games We All  Play... From the dawn of time, people have been playing power games with one another. Granted, most of us are unaware that we do it, but it does not change the fact that these power games are depleting our powers, and are the cause of many human disagreements, messy entanglements and suffering. Once, a friend told me that he doesn’t like to visit his girlfriend's daughter and her family too often. When I asked why, he said that he cannot stand their constant fighting. This surprised me, since I knew the couple and they seemed to be very mellow, young and very loving. They had two young and very sweet children, and both of them were avid cyclists and lovers of the outdoors. “It is not that they yell or fight out loud,” my friend said, “It's all the competitive power games that they play with one another that is utterly exhausting to be around.“  People play subtle power games with one another and most of the time, they do so completely ...

Sunrise over the Hokianga NZ John Lowe, a 95 years young ballet dancer  Phyllis Sues – A 93 years young yogi Phyllis Sues – A 93 years young yogi Phyllis Sues – A 93 years young yogi There is a saying among people who have walked long pilgrimages that "the size of your bag is proportionate to the size of your fears." You carry all your fears with you, in the form of items that you put into your backpack. You have to take rain gear because you fear getting wet, cold and uncomfortable. You take bandages, in case you develop blisters. You take a book, in case you find yourself needing inspiration. The fear of pain might encourage you to pack some pain killer pills. The fear of the sun and of getting sunburned might prompt you to pack suntan lotion. The fear of looking raggedy and unkempt would prompt you to take extra clothes and grooming supplies. The fear of injury would prompt you to take a first aid kit, etc. Before you know it, you are carrying a huge load, with e...

The Wheel Of Life It has taken me more than a year, but I have finally finished the painting that I've been working on in my studio in Colorado. I call it "The Wheel Of Life," and to be honest, I did not work on it the whole year. We traveled for many months, and I also did not paint every day that we were at home, but often went skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer. But I did spend a lot of time planning and working on this painting, and I enjoyed interpreting the traditional image of the Buddhist Wheel Of Life, to reflect my own understanding and views. The Wheel of Life is called in Sanskrit Bhavacakra. In Tibetan སྲིད་པའི་འཁོར་ལོ་ it is Sipé Khorlo. It is a traditional painting representing the cycles of Samsara- the cycles of birth, death and rebirth, to which beings in the physical world are bound. Some believe that the diagram was designed by Buddha himself. It is a popular painting that you can see in front of almost every Buddhist monastery aro...