Ways To Simplify

I look around and find that most of everything I need in life is already there before me, yet at times I do not see.  Caught in the cycle of “always wanting more”, it is not always easy to see that which is already here.

Upon realizing and seeing the things that are already here, I am reminded that I am ever upon the road of life - I will see beauty, things of beauty, and all of Nature’s majesty if I am only to stop for a moment and truly look.

In a sense, I am a pilgrim on this world, looking for the answers which can easily be found in simply observing a beautiful garden of flowers, watching birds or being in the “now” during a get-together of close friends or family.

What is it that is truly missing? Nothing - Everything is already here.  One needs only to be aware of this to attain peace and tranquility.  The constant clinging for material things makes way for appreciation of what we already have.

It is not certain where the road of life will take us, but it is the journey along the way that is the most memorable.  Yet, on this journey, we should walk rather than run, lest we miss out on the beautiful landscape from alongside the road.

Filed under: Spirituality on June 27th, 2009 | No Comments »

I have gotten back into writing music, and have posted some of my songs online! I hope you enjoy!

www.soundclick.com/IgorPogosyan

Filed under: Music on March 30th, 2009 | No Comments »

This is a photo slide show of my trip to China. The photos that appear here were taken around Beijing. The music is “China Roses” by Enya. The photos that appear here include images of the Badaling section of the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven, and the Forbidden City.

Filed under: Music, Spirituality, Travel on January 30th, 2009 | No Comments »

This is a photo slide show of my trips to Sedona, Arizona.  It is set to the beautiful music of Ah Nee Mah - The song is called Sun Circle and it is on the Ancient Visions CD.

I hope you enjoy the slide show!

Filed under: Spirituality, Travel on January 27th, 2009 | No Comments »

I have two rabbits. They are rabbits who have taught me how to apply the Buddhist concept of non-attachment and to understand what an important role it plays in my life.

When the rabbits first arrived in my apartment, I had a nice big cage for them. But despite how nice I thought the cage was, it was a cage nevertheless - And as far as the rabbits were concerned, it was a prison. They could not bear to be in the cage, and I could not bear to see them this way.

So in a short amount of time, the rabbits became house rabbits – Free to roam the room. They appeared much happier, and I felt happy that they were happy. It was a sense of liberation almost that I somehow contributed to the happiness of some other beings, no matter how minor this may seem to people.

It must be mentioned here that compassion is a very powerful thing.

The next lesson the rabbits taught me was about the intricate interrelation between the concepts of suffering and desire. In Buddhism, the First Noble Truth states that life is
suffering, and according to the Second Noble Truth, the cause of this suffering is desire.

Rabbits are beautiful, cuddly creatures. At first, I was tempted to pick them up and hold their cuddly selves next to me. I noticed, however, that the rabbit was not particularly enjoying this. Further reading on the matter on various Internet sites confirmed that rabbits in fact do not like to be picked up.

Here was suffering and desire at work. My desire to pick up the rabbit and hold him because he was cuddly resulted in the rabbit’s suffering because he was unhappy to be picked up. By letting go of the desire to pick up the rabbit, he was much happier, and I was liberated from that particular desire.

And the most interesting thing of it all was, when I no longer picked up the rabbit and caused him unhappiness, he became more friendly towards me, coming up to me and hanging out with me.

For me, this is yet another example of how Buddhism has benefited me and can benefit others as well. It is not easy to let go of desire.

What helps is the understanding that the rabbits are not pets, but rather animal companions. Too often, we look at animals as if we are meant to have some sort of dominion over them. We aren’t meant to have any such dominion; Animals are free spirits just as we are.

Animals aren’t stupid, mindless creations; The fact that many of them have been here much longer than we have attests to this. Perhaps animals are not able to vocalize in such a way that we may understand, yet nevertheless there is much we can learn from them if we were to treat them with the respect and dignity that they deserve and take the time to really get to know them.

Animals can teach us how to have compassion towards all beings. Each of them has an individual personality that is unique to that particular creature. Each one has a temperament that is different from the other.

By observing these subtle differences and learning to interact with animals from a mindset of compassion and love, we increase the compassion and love within ourselves and benefit ourselves as well.

Filed under: Spirituality on December 13th, 2008 | 3 Comments »

Buddhism has acted as a guiding philosophy for me as to how to change about my view of all living things - To try to regard them with compassion rather than as adversaries.  It is not something that can easily at first be done.  However, studying Buddhism is very much opening up my mind in terms of viewing the world around me in a different light.

Gardening is a means to get in touch with the earth; To literally get in touch with the earth! When people speak of gardening, usually images of a field that needs to be tended to comes to mind.  However, due to my living environment wherein I do not have access to such vast tracts of land, I have taken up micro-gardening - Having a small garden outside on the window sill.  Maybe garden is too lofty a title for it as of yet; So far its some mint and basil growing.   But there is something about growing plants that brings peace of mind and just feels “right”.

Then there is music.  I have written music as a hobby for many, many years but only recently began to appreciate the idea of writing music for the sake of music, and not just something to sell or market.  There is a sense of liberation now that I can write the type of music that I like, rather than what should be a certain way to fit a certain mold.

These three areas of study are helping me to get back in touch with the nature of reality.  As I progress in them, I will write more about them.

Filed under: Gardening, Music, Spirituality on November 26th, 2008 | No Comments »

Remember that famous quotation: One man’s trash is another man’s treasure? Well, if Atlanta-based Geoplasma has anything to say about the matter, soon everyone’s trash will become everyone’s treasure! How? This company (And others I am sure) are developing ways to turn trash that would normally go into landfills into energy using plasma physics. Plasma is produced when matter is heated to very high temperatures; Basically it is a very high temperature gas which can be used to move turbines.

An excerpt from the article describing this latest breakthrough states: When trash is dropped into a chamber and heated to 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, its organic components—food, fluids, paper—vaporize into a hot, pressurized gas, which turns a turbine to generate electricity.

Isn’t that just amazing? This is exactly what this planet and our society needs! Imagine how many thousands of tons of trash just get dumped back into the earth. What do you suppose happens to this trash? Well, not much for a long time. Worst than that, this garbage often contains toxic substances that make their way into the surrounding environment and potentially create an environmental nightmare for years to come.

There is a concept in science that all matter is energy, and a similar concept in Eastern thought. There is energy all around us. It is time we stopped burying this potential energy and started harnessing the power it instead.

It simply does not make sense to take a resource from the earth, use it once, then throw it away. These resources can be converted back into energy and reused! I salute forward-thinking companies like Geoplasma that are bringing about a revolution in the Renewable Energy Industry and providing something essential for our planet.

Soon, all of our trash will become our collective treasure, thanks to companies like Geoplasma!

Filed under: Renewable Energy on November 11th, 2008 | No Comments »

Ever wonder why you work? No, really. I mean, do you ever really stop and wonder, “What am I doing at this job? Why am I here?”. Well the quick answer, of course, would be because you need the money: Money to buy the latest fashion, electronic gadget, home improvement, coffee at the local coffee shop, etc.

So, then it would appear money equates to freedom and working at a 9 to 5 job, 40 hours a week, is required to purchase a slice of that freedom. So, let me get this straight; I subject myself to a 40 hour a week work week to serve a company, just so I can earn the freedom of being able to buy the latest, greatest new high tech gadget?

Now I know it isn’t as simple as that; We have families to support, etc. But the point I am trying to make is - Just how much of what we work for is frivolous expenditure rather than real necessity? Just how much of the time we waste at a company sacrificed just so we can have the latest, coolest new “in” thing?

Imagine, for a moment, if we could be content with getting by with what we have - Happy to appreciate that which we already own? Perhaps there would no longer be the need to work 12 hour days, climbing the corporate ladder, striving for that six figure income?

I recently observed some animals in nature. Do they seem stressed out to you? Well, yes, probably when they are being chased by a predator, they might be very stressed. But aside from that, do you see them stressed about achieving some make-believe title in the pursuit of some higher pay or recognition? They are content to simply live. They appear to take pleasure in the simple things in life that has already been provided to them by Nature.

So then why must we be any different?

Now let me clarify. I am not suggesting we should sell all our material possessions and go live in a treehouse, although that wouldn’t be a bad idea. But, is there really a need to operate at a high stress, breakneck pace just to earn a few bucks? In the end, does it really matter? Are you going to remember that extra dollar you made, or how much happiness.. or lack thereof.. was in your life?

Filed under: Frugality on October 28th, 2008 | No Comments »

So you’ve gotten the latest, greatest PC and your old one is heading off to the recycling station. You feel you are doing good by recycling the PC. But before you do, take a look at what really happens when a computer goes to get recycled.

There is a better alternative. Ever heard of Ubuntu? It’s a version of Linux that you can use to pretty much do anything you can on Windows. And best of all, it is free.

Local charities and those who cannot afford a computer would benefit greatly from an older PC coupled with Ubuntu. So, go ahead and download a copy of Ubuntu, install it on your old PC, then give it to someone who could use it. What better way to simplify life than to get more use out of something?

To learn more about Ubuntu, take a look at this page.

Filed under: Frugality on October 27th, 2008 | No Comments »

A recent article posted on TimesOnline sites 5 activities you can do to stay sane, according to scientists. What is most fascinating is that these activities relate directly to Simple Living and a Frugal Lifestyle.

Now more than ever, the need to just simplify and go with the flow is greater than ever. In light of recent events regarding the economy, the concept that simplifying one’s life will bring a greater peace becomes all the more important.

What is most interesting is that this article shows how steps towards simple living, as quantified by scientists, actually affect one’s mental health. This article is definitely worth reading - Check it out!

Filed under: Frugality on October 22nd, 2008 | No Comments »