piercing eyes

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photo by Donald Kinney

May I be struck down by a thunderbolt of shame for even attempting an explanation, but I suppose what the ancient sculptor was going for here was capturing the piercing eyes of the Buddha.


Buddha speaks:   All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.


Buddha speaks:   All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.


Buddha speaks:   Ambition is like love, impatient both of delays and rivals.


Buddha speaks:   Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.


Buddha speaks:   Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.


Buddha speaks:   Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence.


Buddha speaks:   Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.


Buddha speaks:   Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely.


Buddha speaks:   Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.


Buddha speaks:   Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.


Buddha speaks:   He is able who thinks he is able.

source




click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

One of the good things about progress -- and probably about the only good thing -- is pulling down a building and finding something long forgotten.

In the old days telephones had a rotary dial that you needed to spin with your finger.   And way back then they sometimes put several homes on one phone line -- they called it a Party Line -- it was hard not to listen in to conversations of neighbors.

The photo above is from the fifth page of my Amazing Discovery set on what I call my "big" site.



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photo by Donald Kinney

I was about 14 when I first visited the San Francisco Art Institute.   The place was a mind expanding experience.   Beatnik types were sitting around the courtyard fountain sketching, talking philosophically, and maybe someone was strumming a guitar.

In the tall studio someone was painting a canvas that was mostly shades of black.   I wandered around but was pretty much ignored.   I had definitely fallen off the turnip truck -- and I knew precious little about art.

And here it is, um-teen years later and it's still a mind expanding experience visiting SFAI.   It was several months ago now, but I wandered in on a Saturday morning and asked the security guard if it would be o.k. for me to spook around, and he said yes.

There is a fine view of Coit Tower and most of Northbeach from the SFAI patio.

EXTRA   Check out the SFAI Diego Rivera frescoes on page five of the "big" site's San Francisco Museums set.



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

It's amazing what you can discover when you get-up-with-the-chickens...   Stuff like beautiful sunrises...   And eggs...


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Your comments are invited and welcome.