verb: acknowledge; 3rd person present: acknowledges; past tense: acknowledged; past participle: acknowledged; gerund or present participle: acknowledging
1.
accept or admit the existence or truth of.
“the plight of the refugees was acknowledged by the authorities”
(of a body of opinion) recognize the fact or importance or quality of.
“the art world has begun to acknowledge his genius”
Most Likes in One Day
On Saturday December 14, 2013 you surpassed your previous record of most likes in one day for your posts on It Is What It Is. That’s pretty awesome, well done!
Current Record:54
Old Record:53
Every day, as I sit at my computer, I watch as others come to “It Is What It Is” to read and browse through my postings.
It’s a feeling that is easy and at the same time, difficult to describe. I see it as an acknowledgement from others that they have seen the information I have posted.
I strongly believe that another “button” should be added. Sometimes, the topics are harsh and hard to agree with but the only options are “like” or “dislike”.
Let’s try to get an “acknowledge” button.
What say you?
“LIKE” has many different meanings.
Generally as a verb like refers to a fondness for something or someone. Example:
I like riding my bicycle.
Like can be used to express a feeling of attraction between two people, weaker than love and distinct from it in important ways. It does not necessarily imply a romantic attraction, but, as in the following case, it does. Examples:
Marc likes Denise. Denise likes Marc.
In online communities (social networking or media sharing portals, e.g. on Facebook or YouTube), dedicated visual GUI elements (icons, buttons etc.) provide for users the option to like certain persons, groups, pages, status, posts, comments, published links, videos, photos, etc., thus displaying their personal attraction, acknowledgement or sympathy with the “liked” object, and this “liked” status will be constantly displayed. Some communities apply a “dislike” option (as opposed to “like”), some even make possible to withdraw one’s “like”. This has become especially popular on Facebook, where people may even post giant ‘like’ images publicly as a sign of affection.
The word can also be redoubled (often in a more juvenile sense) to indicate a more romantic interest, often with increased stress on the first ‘like.’ The functional basis for this repetition is a heavy emphasis on the root meaning of ‘like,’ which is ‘to favor.’
After all this, I want to thank those that take the time to scoot on over, stop and read, like and comment. For me, it’s an affirmation …. one that I’m very thankful for!
This “RECORD” – LOL … couldn’t have been reached without your visits!!
Ladies and gentlemen
On behalf of all the people who have assembled here
I would merely like to mention if I may
That our unanimous attitude
Is one of lasting gratitude
For what our friend has done for us today
And therefore I would simply like to say
Thank you very much
Thank you very much
That’s the nicest thing that anyone’s ever done for me
The future looks all right
In fact it looks so bright
I feel as if they’re polishing the sun for me
Mandala (Sanskrit: मण्डल Maṇḍala, ‘circle’) is a spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the Universe.The basic form of most mandalas is a square with four gates containing a circle with a center point. Each gate is in the general shape of a T. Mandalas often exhibit radial balance.
The term is of Hindu origin. It appears in the Rig Veda as the name of the sections of the work, but is also used in other Indian religions, particularly Buddhism.
In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of aspirants and adepts, as a spiritual teaching tool, for establishing a sacred space, and as an aid to meditation and trance induction.
In common use, mandala has become a generic term for any plan, chart or geometric pattern that represents the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically; a microcosm of the universe.
Sand Mandalas
Of all the traditional Tibetan tantric practices, the art of painting with colored sand is one of the most unique and exquisite.
In Tibetan language, this art is called dul-tson-kyil-khor, which literally means “mandala of colored powders.”
Millions of grains of sand are painstakingly laid into place on a flat platform over a period of days or weeks before ultimately being dismantled in order to release and disseminate the deity’s blessings into the world to benefit all sentient beings.
Formed into traditionally prescribed Tibetan iconography that includes geometric shapes and a multitude of historical Buddhist spiritual symbols, the sand-painted mandala is used as a tool for consecrating, or blessing, the earth and its inhabitants, and provides for the practitioner a visual framework for establishing the enlightened mind of the Buddha. Learn more about mandalas.
Sponsoring an Exhibition
Acting as cultural ambassadors from the exiled personal monastery of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India, the monks of Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies have become especially well known for the creation of sand mandala exhibitions in museums and galleries throughout the world.
Namgyal monks creating a sand mandala in a Cleveland, Ohio, museum.
In keeping with His Holiness’s mission to preserve Tibetan culture and its rich history of traditional tantric arts and ritual practices, the resident Namgyal monks are available to create sand mandalas at museums, galleries, universities, cultural centers, and other institutions. Organizations interested in sponsoring a sand mandala exhibition should contact Namgyal Monastery.
More About Mandalas
Pronounced mahn-DAH-la, meaning ‘house’ or ‘palace’, the mandala represents a Buddha’s divine place of residence. There are hundreds of mandalas representing each of the different tantric deities, each with its own unique set of details. To the practitioner, the mandala represents the activities and teachings of the particular deity represented in the mandala, and can be described as the residences of the respective deities and their retinues.
Namgyal monks beginning a sand mandala.
Whether made of sand, cloth, or metal, mandalas are used to aid in visualizing these dwellings. Sand mandalas are one of the most magnificent types of mandala construction and are associated with the most profound and elaborate Buddhist ceremonies in Tibet. Every color, dot, and line in the mandala represents an essential part of the deity and Buddhist philosophy. Each component must be placed in exactly the same place every time the mandala is constructed.
Although sand mandalas are made on a flat surface they are, to the devout, a three dimensional palace, representing the mind of the Buddha. The person contemplating the mandala enters into it, as they would a building or an enclosure.
The mandala construction itself is the result of long and disciplined effort, but it is nonetheless a temporary work. When the monks are finished, there is a dissolution ceremony where the deity is released by the dismantling of the mandala. The sand is cast into a body of water to emphasize and highlight the impermanence of all things and the importance of nonattachment. When the sand enters the water, the kindness and compassion of the deity are disseminated into the world to benefit all beings.
Mandalas are immensely complex symbolic structures, with many layers of meaning and beauty. Although very beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, mandalas are meant for religious use, and are not intended as museum works of art. It is only in recent years that the Dalai Lama has permitted mandalas to be made in public, as a means of teaching about Tibetan culture.
The teaching of the mandala is passed through an oral tradition started by Shakyamuni Buddha over 2500 years ago. It has been passed down over the ages and can be traced back through the lineages to the historical Buddha.
A symbol of the deity resides at the center of a sand mandala.
In its most basic form, Tibetan Buddhism can be broken down into two schools of study. First, the study of sutras is perfected; these are the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha. The next phase of study is tantra, which was also taught by the Buddha to advanced practitioners.
Tantra is the study of meditation on a deity, or Buddha, and is considered to be the swift path to enlightenment. Traditionally, a student of Buddhism is required to study the sutras before being allowed to study tantra. This still holds true for traditional monastic scholars in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
In 1988, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism allowed the first construction of a mandala in the west to be open to the public. This mandala was the Kalachakra Mandala and was constructed in sand by the Namgyal Monks from Dharamsala India at the Natural History Museum in New York City.
His Holiness opened up the viewing of the mandala as a cultural offering, and as a means to preserve Tibetan culture. His Holiness felt that it would be a benefit to the world, as it would enhance the lives of all living beings near the construction site.
A mandala is thought to bring peace and harmony to the area where it is being constructed. Simply viewing a mandala is believed by Buddhists to be enough to change one’s mind stream by creating a strong imprint of the beauty of perfection of the Buddha’s mind, as is represented in the mandala itself.
As a result of this imprint, one may be able to find greater compassion, awareness, and a better sense of well-being.
His Holiness also wished to open this practice to the west as there was much confusion and misunderstanding concerning the purpose of the mandala. Since the construction of the first mandala in the west, many mandalas have been created all over the world. Many people are said to feel strong emotions upon viewing a mandala, regardless of the culture or part of the world they are from.
Time Lapse Making of a Mandala: The Crow Collection of Asian Art
Uploaded on Jan 20, 2010
Tibetan Monks painstakingly spend five days to design and place tiny grains of sand to create a beautiful work of temporary art. On day 6 they scoop up the sand and place it in a body of water, releasing the energy of the project back into the community.
We ALL are connected by SPIRIT!
Sand Mandala
Uploaded on Oct 17, 2006
Tibetan sand mandala, Chenrezig the Buddha of compassion Mandala.
When we feel the day has gone wrong. When we only see the bad things in life. When we don’t think it will get any better. When despair and disconnection rear their ugly heads. When we feel we can’t go on …..
There’s always tomorrow ….. a new beginning ……
I strongly believe in this. There are no coincidences. It’s synchronicity!!
Why in the world would people from all the corners of the world meet in this wonderful web that is available for all?
People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
When you figure out which one it is,
you will know what to do for each person.
When someone is in your life for a REASON,
it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty;
to provide you with guidance and support;
to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend, and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.
Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,
this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.
Some people come into your life for a SEASON,
because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.
LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;
things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person,
and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
Slow motion … agonizingly slow!! I remember thinking that night when he celebrated his election …. I hope he will be ok. He seems to be …. but I’m sure it’s taken a toll. The country sure has suffered because of those in the “mob”!!
I’ve watched liberal and right-wing commentators alike blame the president for being lynched. They say “he’s not reaching out enough” or “he’s too cold.” It’s the equivalent of assuming that the black man being beaten by a couple of thug cops must have “done something.”
I am a white privileged well off sixty-one-year-old former Republican religious right-wing activist who changed his mind about religion and politics long ago. The New York Times profiled my change of heart saying that to my former friends I’m considered a “traitorous prince” since my religious right family was once thought of as “evangelical royalty.”
I’ve just spent the last 7 years writing over 200,000 words in blogs and articles in support…
Peter O’Toole dead at 81, Ryan urges Republican senators to back budget deal, and more
1. Peter O’Toole dead at 81
Actor Peter O’Toole died over the weekend, his agent said on Sunday. He was 81. O’Toole, the son of an Irish bookmaker, received eight Academy Award nominations over his career, but was best-known for his starring role in the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia. The epic movie tells the story of T.E. Lawrence, a British soldier who led an Arab rebellion in the Middle East against the ruling Turks during World War I. [Los Angeles Times, New York Times]
………………………………………………………………………………
2. Ryan urges Republican senators to back budget deal House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan on Sunday defended the two-year budget deal passed by the House, as the rare compromise headed for a what could be a tight vote this week in the…
Just came back from the Orlando Gay Choir concert. One of the beautiful songs that were performed was “Believe” from the Polar Express animated Christmas movie.
The message contained in these lyrics perfectly fit the spirit of the season.
I must confess I haven’t seen the movie. It will be one that I will definitely watch during these holidays!!
Running time100 minutes CountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishBudget$165 million Box office$306,845,028
On Christmas Eve of the late 1950s, a young boy living in Grand Rapids, Michigan, questions his belief in Santa Claus. While sleeping, he magically discovers a steam-powered passenger train named “The Polar Express”. The conductor (Tom Hanks) tells him that the train is headed to the North Pole. At first the boy refuses, he boards the train while it leaves.
Once aboard, the boy encounters other children, including a young girl (Nona Gaye) and a know-it-all (Eddie Deezen). The train stops again at another house; 11344 Edbrooke Ave., for a young boy named Billy (Peter Scolari). Billy at first refuses to get on, but as the train starts to leave he attempts to board, but is unsuccessful. The boy applies the emergency brake so Billy can board the train.
When the children are given hot chocolate the girl hides and saves a cup for Billy who is riding in the observation car. The conductor helps her deliver it. The boy discovers that she left her ticket on the seat. He attempts to bring it to her but loses it in the wind while passing between carriages. The girl returns to find her ticket missing and the boy tells the conductor that he lost it.
The conductor takes the girl up to the train’s roof. The protagonist finds that the ticket has flown back into the train, grabs it and climbs onto the train’s roof to give the ticket to the girl but arrives to see the light of the conductor’s lantern vanish in the darkness. He crosses along the train’s roof until he meets a hobo, who claims to be the owner of The Polar Express and king of the North Pole.
The hobo gives the boy some coffee, who expresses doubt that Santa exists. With that, the hobo replies that if he is seen, the boy actually believes in Santa. He then helps him follow the conductor and girl. They ski down the train roof as it approaches Flat Top Tunnel. The hobo claims that the tunnel’s clearance is low.
The boy hops in the engine as the hobo magically vanishes in the air.
Once having arrived at the North Pole, the boy and the girl find Billy alone in the observation car. The boy accidentally uncouples it, causing it to speed backwards. The three make their way back to the city square and travel from section to section throughout the North Pole. While Santa’s sleigh is being readied, a bell falls off a harness. The boy picks it up and shakes it after remembering that the girl and Billy could hear a bell earlier when he could not. The boy then says he believes in the spirit of Christmas and finally hears the bell. Santa selects the boy to receive “The First Gift of Christmas”, and the boy chooses the bell.
As the children prepare to head home, the conductor takes their tickets and punches an individual message for each of them. Once aboard, the boy discovers that the bell has fallen through a hole in his pocket. When Billy is dropped off home, the boy finds out that Santa had already visited his house. The boy arrives home and the conductor wishes him a Merry Christmas as well as the others on board waving goodbye.
On Christmas morning, the boy’s sister Sarah finds a small present hidden behind the Christmas tree. The boy opens the present and discovers that it is the bell, which Santa found. When the boy rings the bell, both he and Sarah marvel at its beautiful sound. However, their parents neither believe in Santa Claus nor the spirit of Christmas and do not hear it and remark it to be broken. In the film’s last line, the boy, narrating decades later, recites the book‘s final line:
“At one time, most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound.
Though I’ve grown old, the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly Believe.”
The Polar Express – “Believe”
Children, sleeping.
Snow is softly falling.
Dreams are calling,
Like bells in the distance.
We were dreamers,
Not so long ago.
But one by one, we
All had to grow up.
When it seems the magic slipped away…
We find it all again on Christmas Day.
Believe in what your heart is saying,
Hear the melody that’s playing.
There’s no time to waste,
There so much to celebrate.
Believe in what you feel inside,
Give your dreams the wings to fly.
You have everything you need, if you just believe.
Trains move quickly
To their journey’s end.
Destinations…
Are where we begin again.
Ships go sailing,
Far across the sea.
Trusting starlight,
To get where they need to be.
When it seems that we have lost our way…
We find ourselves again on Christmas Day.
Believe in what your heart is saying,
Hear the melody that’s playing
There’s no time to waste,
There so much to celebrate.
Believe in what you feel inside,
And give your dreams the wings to fly.
You have everything you need, if you just Believe.
“Sei vorsichtig mit dem, was Du weisst. Damit beginnen Deine Probleme” 🍀 “Be careful of what you know. That’s where your troubles begin”
🌷
Wade in The 3 Body Problem
It Is What It Is 