Thursday, December 18, 2008

The Importance Of Love...

Fortunate enough to hear one of the last speeches of Justice Michael Kirby, Australia's (retiring Feb 2009), High Court Judge...he spoke not of law, the economy, but love.

Here in some edited reprint from: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/the-truth-about-life-20081216-6zro.html?page=-1

The Truth about Life:
17/12/08
(by Michael Kirby).

"THERE is nothing like the prospect of a radical life change to concentrate the mind on the things that really matter.
I want to identify, if I can, the most important thing that I have discovered.

I refer to love.

Love for one another.
Love for our community.
Love for others everywhere in the world.
Love transcends even scholarship, cleverness and university degrees.
It is greater than pride and wealth.
It endures when worldly vanities fade.

Love exists at different levels.

Last week, in Australia and the world, we celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
It was brought into effect by an Australian, Dr H. V. Evatt (a past justice of the High Court of Australia) and president of the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948 when the declaration was adopted.

Over the ensuing six decades, it became the foundation for the worldwide movement to express the fundamental freedoms that inhere in all human beings, simply because they are human.

Of course, there are people and interests with unchecked power who hate such notions. These are ideas to put limits on their power. To uphold the dignity of the powerless. To put a brake on the hegemony of the rich and influential.

The essential underpinning of fundamental human rights is love.
Love for one another.
Empathy for fellow human beings.
Feeling pain for the refugee; for the victim of war; for the prisoner deprived of the vote; for the child dying of cholera in Zimbabwe.

We can imagine what it must be like to be a victim because, as human beings, we too feel, and yearn for, life, freedom and justice.

Australians must be voices for the voiceless and protectors of the weak and vulnerable. With our privileges and gifts go duties and obligations.
Australian democracy is not merely a rule of majorities. Don't believe it when public figures say otherwise or when sections of the media, revelling in their power, say that everything can be safely left to parliament, which will quickly fix things up. Majorities can certainly err. They have done so in the past. They will do so again.

Basic human rights afford the means to remind majorities of the love they owe to all human beings, both at home and abroad.

We need to love our communities.
In Australia, we did not always love our indigenous people. Some still don't. In law, we rejected their land rights. We consigned them to the outskirts of our civilisation. Many are still there.

So too with Asian people in the decades of White Australia. We did not love them either. We feared their numbers and their different ways.

So also for women and for gays. Here, too, there was an absence of love and empathy. Now we Australians are getting better.

I believe that this is because of knowledge, acquaintance and love."

........and

"When we take time to think about what our lives actually mean, we surely know how lucky we are if we still enjoy consciousness, rationality and love.

But the greatest of these is love."

------------------------------------------------------------

Yes, indeed Justice Michael Kirby-yes.










"Love is not a thing to understand.
Love is not a thing to feel.
Love is not a thing to give and receive.
Love is a thing only to become And eternally be. "

- Sri Chinmoy


Kiss The Earth
~
Walk and touch peace every moment.
Walk and touch happiness every moment.
Each step brings a fresh breeze.
Each step makes a flower bloom.
Kiss the Earth with your feet.
Bring the Earth your love and happiness.
The Earth will be safewhen we feel safe in ourselves.

- Thich Nhat Hanh





Some see Your form as red like the sun,
with rays that are redder still than the red of minium or red lac;
Others, as beautiful intense blue like a powder of splintered fragments on the precious stone, sapphire;
Others again as shining like gold, or dazzling white, surpassing the milk when the Ocean of Milk is churned.
It is a universal form, varied like crystal, since it changes according to circumstance.

- Sarvajnamitra


Don't look at your form, however ugly or beautiful.
Look at love and at the aim of your quest. ...
O you whose lips are parched, keep looking for water.
Those parched lips are proof that eventually you will reach the source.

by: Rumi

Thanks so much to Thannhausen for the link to www.writespirit.net much appreciated.

I hope to get and visit everyone this week, that will be me ratting around, trying to be quiet, catching up....if not have a wonderful xmas time. 2008 was very interesting, some good, some beautiful, some just plain wacky and some a little sad..but heck, let's do it again.



28 comments:

jmb said...

Lovely post Pam and wonderful images as usual. I just love those birds and they are one of the things I miss most, can you believe?

Have a wonderful Christmas and I wish you a wonderful 2009 with lots of rain.

the walking man said...

Love is the transferable form of God from one being to another.

Barbara Martin said...

Pam, a great post with wise words we all need to reflect upon. Love the photos of the birds in their gay colours.

I've done a couple of posts on rare creatures from Australia and Tasmania. Have you seen any, or know of any who have?

Have a Merry Christmas with plenty of holiday cheer, and may Australia have a good rain year.

My mother, raised on a ranch in central Alberta, told me for crops to do well they needed a three day rain in the spring.

Carver said...

This is a fantastic post! Great photographs and the words were excellent. I'm not blogging until after the new year but thought I'd pop over and tell you that so far we've been spared the winter storms. I hadn't heard about the snow in L.A. until you mentioned it. That's wild. We haven't had a big snow here in a while although we've had some little ones last month so I guess I'll wait and see. Hope you have a happy, healthy and peaceful Christmas!

Jo said...

Pam! I was so glad to see you on my blog. I lost your link, but ta-da here you are again! Yay!

This is a beautiful post. I love Mark's comment here. So true.

Gorgeous photos as well.

I hope you and your family have a wonderful, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Oh, and when you're finished with the sun, would you please send it back up to us? Thank you. :-)

Cheers!
Josie

Maithri said...

Another Beautiful post dear friend,

I want to wish you and yours a safe and blessed Christmas, and abundant joy in the new year...

You are a shining light and I am so proud to live in the same Australia as you....;)

Soft wings of peace, Maithri

Billie Greenwood said...

Your blog is a treasure-trove of beauty and inspiration! I look forward to getting to know you. Blessings be yours as we transition to a new season.

Donnetta said...

Great thoughts, Pam. And such wonderful pictures, as usual. I know you are there in Australia, holding your hand out to me! D

Donnetta said...

MERRY CHRISTMAS, PAM!!

Pear tree cottage! said...

Pam hello to you...........You capture the colours of our beautiful country well, n ot only in pitures but in words as well, well done to you and happy holidays.

Lee-ann

Ponita in Real Life said...

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours, PamOz!

Warmest wishes from Canada, where it is finally not so horribly cold!

heartinsanfrancisco said...

What a magnificent speech! Your people in high places are better than our people in high places, but we are expecting big changes right around the corner.

Your photos as always are wonderful too, Pam.

I wish you and your family the happiest of New Years with new joys every day.

Romeo Morningwood said...

You are so awesome!
Be a Dear & send me you email when you get a chance.
(mine is on my blog)

Happy NEW Year!

Ponita in Real Life said...

Hey, PamOz, I have switched to a new location. Please visit me here: Ponita in Real Life

Romeo Morningwood said...

Where you at girl?

heartinsanfrancisco said...

You always have the best quotes and the best photographs. Coming here is like an exotic journey to the meaning of life with a good friend, and I always leave refreshed.

Thank you, Pam.

Carver said...

Hi Pam,

I was just reading about the fires in Australia and thought I'd pop over and let you know that I'm sending out good vibes for everyone affected and for my Australian blogging friends. I hope you are well away from it. I of course realize that Australia is a very large country so I'm hoping you aren't in the areas being hit and feel so sad for those who are. Take care, Carver

Carver said...

Hi Pam,

Thank you so much for letting me know that you were doing o.k. I know you have a slow connection and I really appreciated your popping in. Take care, Carver

Barbara Martin said...

Pam, is your family and farm safe from the wildfires. I've been concerned since hearing about the tragedies. Please make a brief post if you are able. My thoughts are with you.

Barbara Martin said...

Pam, thanks for the comment on my blog. It was a relief to read your words. My thoughts are with you, your family and your animals.

heartinsanfrancisco said...

Pam, are you anywhere near the fires?

You and your household are in my thoughts and prayers every day.

Please be well.

ivan said...

Writing this in March. I hope last week's rain dampened some of the horrible fires in Victoria.

heartinsanfrancisco said...

I hope you're well, and all your family, too, both the two and four-leggeds.

You are greatly missed, Pam.

Ponita in Real Life said...

Hellooooo????

Pam, are you safe? Are things okay? It's been months! Talk to us, please! Let us know you are okay.

Inside our hands, outside our hearts said...

Oh Pam, how I needed to read your post. I fear so mujch that with the distance we all have that we forget each other and to feel for one another. I know I sound sappy, but love is something I have had a hard time finding.

Thank you and soft love,
T

Romeo Morningwood said...

hellllloooooooo

anybody home?

:)

heartinsanfrancisco said...

It's May now. I do so hope you are well. You are terribly missed.

xoxo

Maithri said...

My dear Friend,

I am writing to your from Swaziland.

I just visited Dr. Joyce Mareverwa the paediatrician who was working at the Good Shepherd hospital who now is the medical director at the Baylor paediatric clinic in the capital city of swaziland.

Each day she sees hundreds of little children, the majority of whom are infected with HIV and are suffering terribly.

She told me of a care package that came to her... full of soft toys... australian animals...

She told me of the childrens smiles and laughter when they received those gifts of love..

I wanted you to know that your love matters. That there are children on the other side of the world who are holding on to the love which you have given,

Sending you love and light from Africa,

M