Light's Sanctum by Bodhi Smith

"light's sanctum" a new impression from bodhi smith
 
"like a simple little lighthouse, my true ideal is to just be...having no trace of seeking, desiring, imitating, or striving, only light and peace"  ― bodhinku, true light
 
“if light is in your heart, you will find your way home" ― jalaluddin rumi, the essential rumi
 
“the dream is the small hidden door in the deepest and most intimate sanctum of the soul, which opens to that primeval cosmic light that was soul long before there was conscious ego and will be soul far beyond what a conscious ego could ever reach.” ― carl jung, memories, dreams, reflections
 
“god built lighthouses to see people through storms. then he built storms to remind people to find lighthouses” ― shannon adler
 
"the silence of the thick clouds gave the darkness and the shadows such power, and simultaneously created a sanctum for the breaking light to glow and be free" ― bodhinku, light's sanctum  
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MEANING
as my newest photographic impression, this image was taken in bandon, oregon, in the early evening on an overcast day in front of the coquille river lighthouse...and like this simple little lighthouse, my true ideal is to just be...having no trace of seeking, desiring, imitating, or striving, only light and peace...so this diminutive lighthouse is easily an enormous favorite of mine on the pacific coast of the united states, it is like a little church of the light, right at the sea's edge...and if light could find a safe haven on a cloudy day, this would be the place...
 
"“i am a little church(no great cathedral)
far from the splendor and squalor of hurrying cities
--i do not worry if briefer days grow briefest,
i am not sorry when sun and rain make april
 
around me surges a miracle of unceasing
birth and glory and death and resurrection:
over my sleeping self float flaming symbols
of hope,and i wake to a perfect patience of mountains

i am a little church(far from the frantic
world with its rapture and anguish)at peace with nature
--i do not worry if longer nights grow longest;
i am not sorry when silence becomes singing

winter by spring,i lift my diminutive spire to
merciful him whose only now is forever:
standing erect in the deathless truth of his presence
(welcoming humbly his light and proudly his darkness)” ― 
e.e. cummings

 
and on this evening of this impression, i just loved the way the glass around the light in the tower was intermittently glowing from sunbeams shining through breaks in the clouds, backlighting and creating brighter reflections off the glass, almost bringing the lighthouse back to life for brief moments, as light just gleamed out amidst all the contrasting blue gray clouds, further enhanced by the length of time of the long exposure permitting for multiple occasions of the light being gathered and harnessed, all together creating this strong glowing sensation...and also the name of the image as the glass in the tower became a beautiful haven, a sanctum for the light...
 
"just remember that no matter what, there's always a light somewhere behind the clouds, waiting and ready to show itself" ― bodhinku, light waiting
 
as most often what i do, i used both a 3-stop gnd filter in combination with a 10-stop nd filter for this composition...the nd filter was needed to soften the waves and water flow and slow down time in order to permit for this 222 second ultra-long exposure, and to also help oversaturate the colors and enhance the deep blues and reds in the image, plus i used the gnd filter to help balance the composition in-camera...and truly this impression would not be possible without the use of my trusty dolica tripod in combination with the progreyusa filters which i use...for this image i chose the new 10-stop 3.0nd progrey antarctica filter (if you have not tried this filter, you must put it on your list!) and the 3-stop 0.9gnd progrey genesis filter to help balance down the brighter sky/clouds with the darker rocks and water in the middle ground and foreground...
 

“be the sanctum of light unto the world, and hurt it not. seek to build not destroy. lead as a shining example you know you are. seek only rightfulness. speak only in truthfulness. act only in love. live the law of love now and forever more. give everything, require nothing. avoid the mundane. do not accept the unacceptable. teach all who seek to learn of the light. make every moment of your life an outpouring of love, of light. use every moment to think the highest thought, say the highest word, do the highest deed. bring peace into the darkness by bringing peace to all those whose lives you touch. be peace. feel and express in every moment your divine connection with the light, and with every person, place, and thing. embrace every circumstance, own every fault, share every joy, contemplate every mystery, walk in every man’s shoes, forgive every offense, including your own, and heal your heart in the sanctum of the light." ― neale donald walsch, conversations: an uncommon dialogue

 
"love can sometimes achieve the impossible, just like light can sometimes shine through a rainstorm of clouds" ― bodhinku, love and light
 
“you must find your own light, just like the light does" ― bodhinku, your own light
 
"in photography and as in life, it is the strong contrasts between dualities that make things interesting and beautiful...particularly speaking, darkness has to exist and be present in order for light to glow, and have meaning and purpose" ― bodhinku, darkness and the light
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HISTORY 
the coquille river lighthouse was first lit over 123 years ago, in early 1896. at that time, it was called bandon light. it was operational until 1936 when a fire ravaged through most of what was bandon. the fire destroyed much of the area, and this was the beginning of the end for the functioning lighthouse. then the town would end up going bankrupt, forcing the closure of the bandon light three years later in 1939. at that time, it was decided that an automated light out on the far end of the south jetty would replace the lighthouse permanently.

the coquille river lighthouse is built on a concrete and rock jetty, while constructed of brick and stucco. it sits at about 40 feet tall and originally had a fourth order fresnel lens, but after the u.s. coast guard decommissioning the lighthouse in 1939, it was removed...then in 1991, a much dimmer solar lens was installed in the light (mostly for aesthetic and posterity purposes). for those lighthouse lovers, it’s characteristics are 28 seconds on while 2 seconds off, though it can only be seen from bandon and not 12 miles out to sea as the much much brighter original fresnel light could be seen...
 
"like light--in light, lit through by light, transformed into light. like the lens which disappears in the light it focuses. like light." ― dag hammarskjold, markings 
 
“embrace your shadow self...shadows give depth and dimension to life. believe in embracing your duality, in learning to let darkness and light, peacefully co-exist, as illumination” ― jaeda dewalt, shades of the soul

"they were happy there, because it was theirs and no one else's; bare of pretences and expectations, this place became a haven of solace and a sanctum for peace” ― c.m. stunich, tasting never
 
“in everyone’s heart, there’s an inner sanctum, a special place deep in the center where only a handful of people, living or dead, reside. they’re the people you not only love, but with whom you resonate on some mysterious level that makes them precious and indispensable, a reason to have lived” ― jeanne wimner, the furthest city light

“feeling at peace, however fragilely, made it easy to slip into the visionary end of the dark-light. the rose shadows said that they loved the bright sun, but that they also loved the dark, where their roots grew through the lightless mystery of the earth. the roses said: you do not have to choose.” ― robin mckinley, sunshine
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AND LOTS OF LOTS OF MORE QUOTES   
“top 15 things money can’t buy: time. happiness. inner sanctum. enlightenment. integrity. love. character. manners. health. respect. morals. trust. patience. common sense. dignity.” ― roy t. bennett, the light in the heart
 
“in the heartfelt mercy of our god, the dawn from on high will visit us, to shine on those sitting in darkness, in the shadow of the light, to guide our feet to the way of peace” ― anonymous, king james bible
 
"when despair for the world grows in me
and i wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life may be,
i go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
i come into the sanctum of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. i come into the presence of still water.
and i feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. for a time
i rest in the grace of the world, and am free.” ― 
wendell berry, the selected poems
 
“what does it mean when nightmares dream of peace? when shadows wish for light?” ― melissa marr, ink exchange
 
“only the person who has experienced light and darkness, chaos and sanctum, rise and fall, only that person has truly experienced life.” ― stefan zweig, the world of yesterday  
 
“in me there is darkness,
but with you there is light;
i am lonely, but you do not leave me;
i am feeble in heart, but with you there is help;
i am restless, but with you there is peace.
in me there is bitterness, but with you there is patience;
i do not understand your ways,
but i know you are the way for me.”― 
dietrich bonhoeffer, letters and papers
 
“beautify your inner dialogue. beautify your inner sanctum with love light and compassion. life will be beautiful.” ― amit ray, the transforming power

“as the night keeps hidden in its gloom the petition for light, even thus in the depth of my unconsciousness rings the cry: i want thee, only thee...as the storm still seeks its end in peace, when it strikes against peace with all its might, even thus my rebellion strikes against thy love and still its cry is: i want thee, only thee” ― 
rabindranath tagore, stray birds
 
“light, my light, the world-filling light, the eye-kissing light, heart-sweetening light! ah, the light dances, my darling, at the centre of my life; the light strikes, my darling, the chords of my love; the sky opens, the wind runs wild, laughter passes over the earth...the butterflies spread their sails on the sea of light. lilies and jasmines surge up on the crest of the waves of light...the light is shattered into gold on every cloud, my darling, and it scatters gems in profusion...mirth spreads from leaf to leaf, my darling, and gladness without measure. the heaven's river has drowned its banks and the flood of joyous light is abroad.” ― rabindranath tagore, gitanjali: song offerings  
 
“give me love. give me love. give me peace on earth. give me light. give me life. keep me free from birth...give me hope. help me cope, with this heavy load. trying to, touch and reach you with, heart and soul” ― george harrison, the beatles
 
“here inside the lighted window is my love, my hope, my life. peace is my companion on the pathway winding to the threshold. inside this portal dwells new strength in the security, serenity, and radiance of those i love above life itself.” ― abraham lincoln
 
“she walks in beauty, like the night
of cloudless climes and starry skies;
and all that’s best of dark and bright
meet in her aspect and her eyes:
thus mellow’d to that tender light
which heaven to gaudy day denies"  ― 
lord gordon byron, she walks in beauty
 
“when you have come to the edge of all the light, and step into the darkness of the unknown, believe that one of the two will happen to you: either you'll find something solid to stand on or you'll be taught how to fly” ― richard bach, jonathan livingston seagull
 
“darkness is used to teach us the necessity of light. solitude is used to teach us how to live with other people. rage is used to show us the infinite value of peace. boredom is used to underline the importance of adventure & spontaneity. silence is used to teach us to use words responsibly. tiredness is used so that we can understand the value of waking up. illness is used to underline the blessing of good health. fire is used to teach us about water. earth is used so that we can understand the value of air. death is used to show us the importance of life.” ― paulo coelho, warrior of the light
 
“green was the silence, wet was the light, the month of may trembled like a butterfly” ― pablo neruda, 100 love sonnets
 
“i got lost in the night, without the light
of your eyelids, and when the night surrounded me
i was born again: i was the owner of my own darkness” ― pablo neruda, 100 love sonnets
 
“he who tries to shine, dims his own light. he who defines himself, can't know who he really is” ― lao tzu, tao te ching
 

"the more you know, the less you understand...for, the enlightened arrives without leaving, sees the light without looking, and achieves without doing a thing” ― lao tzu, tao te ching

 

"the enlightened doesn't display himself, people can see his light...because he has nothing to prove, people can trust his words...because he doesn't know who he is, people recognize themselves in him...because he has no goal in mind, everything he does succeeds” ― lao tzu, tao te ching

 

"seeing into darkness is clarity. use your own light and return to the source of light. this is called practicing eternity" ― lao tzu, tao te ching
 
“yin and yang, male and female, strong and weak, rigid and tender, heaven and earth, light and darkness, thunder and lightning, cold and warmth, good and evil…the interplay of opposite principles constitutes the universe” ― confucius
 
“better to light a candle than curse the darkness” ― confucius
 
"light is shallow; darkness is infinitely deep. light is always bounded, it has boundaries. darkness has no boundaries, it is unbounded. light comes and goes; darkness always is. when there is light you cannot see it. when light is not there you can see it. but it is always there; you cannot cause it. light has a cause. you burn the fire, you put on wood. when the wood is finished the light will be gone. it is caused, hence it is an effect. but darkness is not caused by anything, it is not an effect. it is uncaused eternity.” ― osho, unleashing the forces within
 

“go inwards. find your inner sanctum, and suddenly, you will find an explosion of light, of beauty, of ecstasy...as if suddenly thousands of roses have blossomed within you and you are full of their fragrance” ― osho, unleashing the forces within

 

“be a light unto yourself; betake yourself to no external refuge. hold fast to the truth. look not for refuge to anyone besides yourself" ― siddhartha gautama buddha, the dhammapada 
 
“the world is on fire!
and are you laughing?
you are deep in the dark.
will you not ask for light?" ― siddhartha gautama buddha, hakyamuni
 
“following the middle way is like entering a dark room with a light in the hand; the darkness will all be cleared away, and the room will be filled with light” ― siddhartha gautama buddha, the dhammapada
 
“when the light returns to its source, it takes nothing of what it has illuminated” ― jalaluddin rumi, a year with rumi  
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"she held him. he held her. all the noise inside and out ceased. the moon shined in through the window, but they glowed as one in their own light. there could be nothing else so special as this moment, no matter how long it lasted, it did not matter because nothing else matters, in this sanctum so pure" ― bodhinku, sanctum
 
"contemplate without thinking. stop the world. slow down everything. shut off the noise. relax. seize this moment. reconnect. feel and sense what surrounds you. listen to all the colors of light that envelope you. see the melody and harmony that floats about unnoticed. taste the solitude of all this wonderment. smell the beautiful silence within your peaceful serenity. then, reach out and touch your faith. this is my world. awaken." ― bodhinku, my world
 
above all else as always, i hope this message and image find you well.

namaste,
bodhi
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