Now Playing: The Grotto
At the very edge of a forest, a stream runs into the sea. In a shaded and private corner of this stream, a little waterfall tumbles over some ancient rocks. This is where I come to find the solitude and quiet my spirit craves. I light my candle and and put my miniature Buddha at the edge of the waterfall. And now I sit and breathe. Soon all of the stress of the day is melting away, and my breath relaxes me, energises me, and cleanses me. Only a few minutes of this simple meditation is enough to make an enormous difference in my day. I am healthier, stronger, more focused and more effective in my work and my play because I have taken this time to become grounded and centered and open to the essential laws of success.
Air - Water - Earth - Fire
What you are seeing above is a live streaming video of the continuous interaction of the four basic elements of all creation: Air, Water, Earth, and Fire. Welcome to my little ecocosm. The Most Serene Republic of Mikie. Nuclear-free zone. Epicenter of Good Vibes. The Center of My Universe.
The Air is the fresh cool breeze flowing from the west onto the Southern California coastline. Air so pure that it was last breathed by Polynesian maidens, the nearest humans for thousands of miles. There are no insects who could have made such a journey, so this air has even escaped being passed through a windowscreen. This is air at its purest. From time to time you will the gentle ocean breezes moving the plantlife. Ocassionally, the air will be sweetened with incense, or essential oils or herbs.
The Water is fresh from a spring high in the mountains to the east, and it comes down the valleys to fall over these rocks in Del Mar. The flow is fed from a continuously running electrical mini pump with ultra-low power consumption. Additional fresh water is added daily to compensate for evaporation. Records of daily evaporation variables such as temperature and humidity graphs are available at my online weather station. An auto-refiller is being added to make the system completely automatic and extend the periods between scheduled maintenance events. Backup spares of this mini pump are kept in stock to reduce downtime due to the eventual unexpected failure. Swap out time is less than 15 minutes.
The Earth is from under my feet, where I live, in Del Mar California. The plants, and the animals growing in and on this earth are alive and thriving while you watch, live, through the magic of the Internet.
The Fire is Life, and I create it when I come to this private grotto of Air, and Water and Earth. With a gesture, I give Life in the form of a spark; and fire is created. You will notice the flame gently swaying in the currents of air. The candle was manufactured by The Kerry Collection, supplier of religious articles at remarkable values. Currently over 25,000 churches in the USA, and many thousands more throughout the world, are using these extraordinary liquid candles which have completely eliminated the many disadvantages of wax candles. The choice of this candle has the many advantages of extremely economical operation (much less than wax), and trouble-free operation for long periods of time. There is none of the mess of wax candles, and the candle never burns down or becomes deformed. It is smokeless, dripless, odor free, and there is no waste whatsoever. The liquid is so safe that it can be shipped by ordinary mail.
The Sound is a continuously repeating .wav file from http://www.grsites.com/sounds/misc005.shtml
Enjoy!