Something to Consider and Something Uplifting

This past week has been an eventful one, but we will deal with the matters arising one at a time, rationally, and with thoughtful kindness for all concerned. While one should exercise control over one's life, or destiny, one should also recognize that one does not live in a vacuum, and hence, there are consequences to what one does. As a result, it becomes one's responsibility, or shall we say, one's stamp of maturity, to ensure that the ramifications are contained the best way one could. In this regard, family support becomes especially vital, as a safe refuge, as a feedback on sanity/reality check, and as a seaworthy vessel as one navigates the sometimes turbulent sea of life.

If I sounded like talking in riddles, perhaps I have intended that way. Suffice to say that it is an observation that could apply anywhere, to anybody, regardless of personal circumstances. Perhaps also the best statement, in terms of pithiness, can be summed up in the following words taken from the screen adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's novel, The Painted Veil, starring Edward Norton and Noami Watts which we watched last weekend:

“When love and duty are one, then grace is within you.”

Now on to something uplifting: wify's progress in painting and chinese calligraphy, as exemplified by her latest efforts.

She did this on her own as her teacher has not moved on to this phase of the Arts lesson yet, looking at a picture from a Chinese Buddhism book on Guan Yin (Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara).
She painted this Chrysanthemum flower yesterday, based on the handiwork of, now get this, the teacher's teacher. She reluctantly let me put this up as she was not satisfied. I told her to treat it as a work in progress.

And these are the two Chinese words for the Heart Sutra.