DAILY MUSINGS from SACRED GROUND

Humor as a Defining Feature of Humanity. On Not Taking Ourselves Too Seriously. Meditation as Spaciousness; The Tibetan Buddhist teacher Sogyal Rinpoche says Genuine Humor Creates A Space where there is None. Family Stories & Storytelling. Playfulness & Facing Death. Valuing Humor; A Ministry of Lightness. (Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Your Dying Heart.” )

Ocean Waves, the Sunrise, Starry Constellations, Light Years - Valuing the Vastness (the Magnificence) in Which We Dwell. H. A. Rey's book The Stars: A New Way to See Them. Family Childhood Memories - Experiencing the Ocean as a Child & Teen at Wildwood, New Jersey. The Natural World, Mother Earth - Jolting Our Perspectives on Our Problems. Darkness, the Night Sky, Nature as Sacred, Spiritual Teachers; Eco-Spirituality, Eco-Theology. (Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Your Dying Heart.” )

Lifelong Friendships, Youngstown Ohio stories, Family Storytelling. Michael's Dad - William J. Malley - and his buddy Tom. Male Bonding, Youngstown Sheet & Tube Steel Mill. Divisions, Breaks, Death & Dying, Healing & Forgiveness in Men's Friendships. Loss & Regret, Memories & Unresolved Relationships. (Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Your Dying Heart.” )

Thich Nhat Hanh's book Understanding Our Mind: Fifty Verses on the Nature of Consciousness (formerly titled Transformation at the Base). The Formation of our Individual & Collective Consciousness. Artists, Poets, Novelists, Actors, Philosophers. Old Children's Literature. Choices, Agency, Power: Reverberations & Continuations - Bringing Books, Films, Art, & Stories - from the Past, into the Present, for the Future. Our Inter-Being Natures, Our Fierce Interdependence. (Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Your Dying Heart.” )

The Value of Every Human Life. Tibetan Buddhism. Sogyal Rinpoche's The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Mystery, Wonder, Awe, Respect. Wisdom in Folktales, Sacred Storytelling. Perspective, The View. The Buddha & Jesus Christ. How We See Each Other. (Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Your Dying Heart.” )

Irish-American Identity, Ethnic Heritage. Travels in Europe & South Korea, Visiting Ireland for the First Time. Grandma Agnes Malley, Prayer, Connecting with Ancestors & Elders. Thich Nhat Hanh - The Blood, Spirit, & Land Ancestors. Who We Are - Immigrants, Emigrants, Native Peoples, Friendship Circles, Places Where We Dwell, Birth Families, Adoptive Families. Value of Roots, Rootedness -- Like Trees & Plants - Our Sources of Nourishment. (Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Your Dying Heart.” )

Determinism, Free Will - Philosophy, Philosophical Arguments. Choice, Agency, Power. Ocean Undertow, Nature, Natural World Metaphors. Values, What We Value. Mindfulness, Wakefulness, Awareness;. Dualism, Dualisms, Dichotomies, Dichotomous Thinking. EcoSpirituality, Eco-Theology. (Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Your Dying Heart.” )

Interbeing, Our Inter-Being Natures, Non-Separateness, Our Fierce Interdependence. Buddhist Mindfulness Retreats with Thich Nhat Hanh. Michael the Storyteller & Educator, Storytelling with Children, Michael R. Kasony-O'Malley. CLICK HERE to LEARN MORE about Michael's Storytelling. Margaret Read MacDonald, Mikku & the Trees - An Estonian Folktale. CLICK HERE to LISTEN TO Michael Tell the Story of Mikku. Three Storytelling Mentors who are not separate (our inter-being natures, our fierce interdependence) from Michael in his Storytelling Work: Donald Davis, Jay O'Callahan, Kathryn Windham. (Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Your Dying Heart.” )

Legends & Stories of Saint Patrick, 5th Century Christian Mystic. Bible Dream Stories: Jacob & the Ladder, Joseph & His Brothers, Joseph & Mary. Jesus, Christianity, Pagan Ireland, Hibernia, Irish Chieftains. Irish Lore, Christian Mysticism, Prayer, Dream Visions, Sacred Voices. Responding to Spiritual Calling. (Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Your Dying Heart.” )

Celebrating the Sacred Circle of Seasons, Non-Linear Theology. Vegetable Seeds, Planting, Gardening as Celebration. Enjoying Winter & Spring. Eco-Spirituality, Eco-Theology. Mother Earth Spirituality, Sacred Earth. Wonder, Awe, Mystery. Vegetable Seeds as Alive, Living Beings. Nature, Natural World as Spiritual Teacher. (Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Your Dying Heart.” )

Personal Aspirations, Possibilities - Easter, Lenten Holy Week or any week. Father Edward Hays' book A PILGRIM'S ALMANAC. The Power & Teachings in Our Misreadings Micro-Steps on the Spiritual Path. Health & Healing. Behaving “As If” - Who Do We Want & Hope To Be. Questions to reflect the Quest-i-on, the Quest that I Am On. (Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Your Dying Heart.” )

Our Inter-Being Natures & Fierce Interdependence. Remembering & Honoring Elders & Ancestors. Poetry, Michael's 1994 Poem about his dad William J. Malley. Youngstown & Struthers Ohio, Childhood & Teen Memories. Fathers & Sons. Love, Family Relationships, Humor, Connectedness. (Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Your Dying Heart.” )

Each of Us, the Thin Waist of the Hour Glass through which the Past & the Future are Passing. Power of Words as Writer, Wordsmith, Storyteller, Parson. Death & Dying. Ancestors, Elders, Descendants - Sacred Circles, Continuations from the Past to the Future. Family Memories - Grandparents, Parents, Children, Grandchildren. Connections across the Centuries. Each of Us, the Thin Waist of the Hour Glass through which the Past & the Future are Passing. (Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Your Dying Heart.” )

Holy Week, Easter Week, Coloring Eggs, Continuing Holiday Traditions, Christian Customs. NonDualism between the Secular & Religious, All as Sacred. Family Stories, Youngstown Childhood Memories, Gratitude, Aunt Eleanor Malley. Inter-Being, Fierce Interdependence, Continuations, Sacred Circles. (Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Your Dying Heart.” )

Holy Week, Easter, Maundy Thursday, Jesus Washing Feet, John 13:1-20. Daily Questions reveal the "Quest I On" (from Laurence Boldt). Humility, Being Humbled. Buddhist Christian Spiritual Practices. Growth in Selflessness, Understanding, Compassion, Agape Love, Caring Beyond Oneself. (Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Your Dying Heart.” )

Mother Earth Spirituality, Hebrew Bible, Psalms. Judeo-Christian Tradition, Eco-Theology, EcoTheology, Eco-Spirituality, EcoSpirituality. Psalm 148: The Sun, Moon, Stars, Nature, Animals, Insects, Plants, & the Natural Elements - Fire, Snow, Wind, etc. - ALL IN PRAYER. Earth-centered Spirituality & G-d, the Great Sacred, the Great Mystery. Podcast Series: FRESH GREEN BLESSINGS: Reading the Judeo-Christian Bible through a Buddhist Lens with Mother Earth Eyes. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN. A Theology of Vastness. (Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Your Dying Heart.” )

Western Education - To Discern & Discriminate, One of These Things is Not Like the Others. Michael the Teacher, Educator, Storyteller. CLICK HERE to Learn More about Michael's STORYTELLING Buddhism invites us into a Deeper Reality - Recognizing Our Inter-Being Natures, Our Fierce Interdependence. Free of Concepts, NonDualism, No Dichotomies, NonDichotomous Thinking - The View. (Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Your Dying Heart.” )

Presence in this Moment, Holy Now, Mindfulness, Genuineness. Ministry of Lightness & Joy. Awareness of Nature, Friends, & Family. The Question as Quest-i-on, the "Quest I On" - Laurence Boldt. Buddhism, Thich Nhat Hanh, Conditions for Happiness. Direct Experience of Sacredness. (Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Your Dying Heart.” )

Weaving the Past, Present, & Future Together. Harmful & Beneficial Seeds, Leaving Behind that which is Hurtful, Bringing Forward that which is Helpful & Worthy. NonDualism, Dichotomous, Dualistic Thinking. Culture Wars, Political Divides. Learning from History. Era-Centrism, Eracentrism, Era-Centric, Eracentric Worldviews. Point of View, Perspective, Allowing for Complexity. (Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Your Dying Heart.” )

Multi-dimensional Meanings of an Irish Folktale, a Family Story, Sacred Texts, or any Tale - Multiple Meanings & Interpretations; MICHAEL'S STORYTELLING Website. The MINDFUL STORYTELLER Podcast Series. MICHAEL THE STORYTELLER TELLS TALES Podcast Series.  Fr. William J. Bausch's book STORYTELLING, IMAGINATION, & FAITH, Quote of Fr. Jake Empereur, “The purpose of storytelling...is to break the imperialism of the one-dimensional meaning.” Cheryl Sodeman, Dream Visions, Spirits, Dreaming of those who have Died. The Value of Stories, Dreams, & Our Connections with Loved Ones who have Passed On. (Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Your Dying Heart.” )

Sacredness, Sacrality of the Body. Appreciation of the Senses - Taste, Touch, Smell, Sight, Hearing - Being in our Bodies. Mindfulness, Bodily Awareness of Sweat, Pain, Being, Physicality. Father Nathan D. Mitchell's book Meeting Mystery: Liturgy, Worship, Sacraments. Mother Earth Spirituality, Buddhism, Christianity - Sacred Ground Community Church & Sangha. Eco-Theology, EcoTheology, Eco-Spirituality, EcoSpirituality. Embodied Theology, Embodied Spirituality. Gratitude for our Earthiness, our Earthy-ness. (Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Your Dying Heart.” )

Spiritual Practices, Sacred Moments, Childhood & Adolescent Memories. Elders - Dad William J. Malley, Uncle Dudley Mackin - Family Relationships. More Blood, Spirit, & Land Ancestors - Laurel & Hardy, Red Skelton, Jackie Gleason, Johnny Carson. Youngstown, Struthers, Ohio, Ministry of Lightness & Playfulness, Blue-Collar Buddhism. Questions, "Quest I On," - from Laurence Boldt's book Zen & the Art of Making a Living. Presence of G-d, God's Presence, Re-Sacralizing our Lives. (Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Your Dying Heart.” )

Children's Literature, Ruth Sawyer's book Old Con and Patrick, Reading Aloud with Children. Connecting Across Space & Time through Books, the Power of Reading. Storytelling & Story Reading, Ruth Sawyer's book The Way of the Storyteller, Sacred Stories. Michael's STORYTELLING WEBSITE. Podcast Series THE MINDFUL STORYTELLER. Podcast Series MICHAEL THE STORYTELLER TELLS TALES. Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, Interbeing, Inter-being, Fierce Interdependence. Elders, Ancestors, NonSeparateness. Connections, Deathlessness, Connecting Across the Chasms of Life & Death. (Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Your Dying Heart.” )

EcoSpirituality, Eco-Spirituality, EcoTheology, Eco-Theology, Mother Earth Spirituality, Earth-centered Spirituality. Mindfulness, Awareness, & Presence in the Natural World, Nature as Teacher. Questions as the “Quest I On” from Laurence Boldt's book Zen & the Art of Making a Living. The Value of Recognizing the Sacred - To Sacralize or Re-Sacralize, To ReSacralize. Spiritual Practices with Family, Friends, Loved Ones & Individual, Personal Spiritual Practices. Nurturing Curiosity, Mystery, Wonder, & Awe. (Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Your Dying Heart.” )

Growth, Development, Education. Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, Thay. Learning requires Change, "Letting Go of Previous Rungs on a Ladder" Metaphor. Dualisms, Dichotomous Thinking: Liberal-Conservative Divisions, Political & Cultural Gaps, Divides. Letting Go, NonGrasping, Free of Concepts, Freedom from PreConceived Notions. (Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Your Dying Heart.” )