Meditation: conscientiousness 3, expand into it

We expand our exploration of conscientiousness through a prayer related to expansions of consciousness and beneficent activity.

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Meditation: conscientiousness 2

Conscientiousness and respect are entwined, a union.

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Meditation: conscientiousness 1

What is conscientiousness? What does this word mean to you? Is being conscientious a forefront factor for you through the day?

This word is not being brought forward because of Epst. files or friends, neighbors, and children being viciously dragged into “detention centers” where treatment in a zoo is more humane, or any specific other malevolence that abject dismissal of conscientiousness will give rise to in the human psyche and, thus, consequent behavior (and historically always has). Rather, the word conscientiousness will be our meditative focus for reasons of what results as a human being lives as a conscientious being; and this goes back to “recognize your own state” and having confidence in one’s capacity for self-aware Awareness.

If focusing on conscientiousness for a week or so brings benefit in any way, micro and macro, then self-awareness is why. How marvelous! We pray and invoke that all beings recognize self-awareness. Benevolence is one immediate result.

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Play with your food 6: throw it together

As she was leaving for a trip, my neighbor brought over a few odds and ends from her fridge. “Can you do something with them?” she asked. “Sure,” I responded.

This morning the body felt that it could stand for long enough, so … what was to be thrown together? From the neighbor:

  • 1/2 small cabbage
  • about 2 T of tomato paste
  • a few stalks of celery

What did I have?

  • 1/3 uncooked sweet potato
  • less than 1/2 of a rotisserie chicken
  • spinach
  • spices including Thai peanut sauce
  • coconut cream

This was the end result. A big yum! About 5 servings. A full meal unto itself; and it could be served over rice, as well.

Method (play on the fly!)

  • Coarsely cube the sweet potato and set cooking in a small pot.
  • Place large saute pan on the stove, ready to receive items as they are chopped.
  • Put a tablespoon or so of coconut oil in the pan (which has no heat yet).
  • Chop 3-4 stalks of celery – put in the pan.
  • Chop 1/3 head of cabbage, removing the thick round center pieces as you chop. Add the cabbage to the pan. (I say 1/3 here because most cabbages are larger than what was given to me. I used all of the 1/2 small head.)
  • Chop up leftover chicken. Skin is fine to add. No bones. A white or light colored bean would be a vegetarian alternative. In the pan it goes.
  • Turn on the heat to medium. After about 2 minutes, add 1/4 C of the cooking water from the sweet potatoes to help the cabbage stem. Mix it all around, turn the heat to simmer, and cover.
  • Loosely chop some spinach or similar green. Add it.
  • At the same time add:
    • 1 T or so of Thai Peanut Sauce, the tomato paste or sauce
    • and these dried spices: 1.5 t Thai Spice, 1T basil, 2t garlic powder, 1T cilantro leaves
    • the juice of 1/2 lime or 1 T of frozen limeade concentrate
    • 1/4 – 1/3 Can of Coconut Cream (not coconut milk or beverage)

Stir all this in. Cover for 5 minutes. Then, add the sweet potatoes, and taste for adjusting any spice or if more coconut cream is needed.

It took me 20 minutes total, with a handicapped body. You can do this! I had it for brunch in a bowl. YUM!

 

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Meditation: today, a peaceful day

Peace is born from within. Peace will not occur in relationships or in our minds, let alone between nations, if we have not discovered peace within. And, it is present; in all of us.

The monks walking for peace demonstrated much to the world and each of us. So gentle, so present, so simple. Let’s all discover peace within by inviting it: “Today will be my peaceful day.”

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