"Rio Iluminado" by Bodhi Smith

Nov 03, 2023

 
rio iluminado
the best teacher
streaming consciousness
time is no matter
cause and purpose
are a flowing cycle 
beginning to end
the present journey 
holds life's meaning
illumination always
comes from the inside
 
 
MY THOUGHTS
Just as the river is enlightened, so too can we be illuminated ― Bodhi, Rio Iluminado
 
The river is illuminated. It's truly an enlightened river, or a "Rio Iluminado"...The river is a powerful metaphor and sets the example of the journey for each of us towards the realization of enlightenment. Life has an inevitable flow just like the river...life leads us to where we need to be...The river is like a stream of consciousness, realizing that time exists only as an illusion to distract us from living our life. The past is essential to our life, but does not determine our future. It is the present, the here and now, that is what's really important. Just as the river finds itself where it is now, so should we...
 
Even to the great Buddha, the river in its essence and simplicity was very symbolic...he discovered the river as his teacher to finding enlightenment within himself. In contemplating the river, Buddha had a revelation: Just as the water of the river flows into the ocean and is returned by rain, all forms of life are interconnected in a cycle without beginning or end. Birth and death are all part of a timeless unity. Life and death, joy and sorrow, good and evil are all parts of the whole and are necessary to understand the meaning of life.
 
We all end in the ocean. We all start in the streams. We're all carried along by the river of dreams ― Billy Joel, River of Dreams.
 
See the river for the wise example it creates for us. Just as the river is enlightened, so too can we be illuminated. The river cuts through the rocks of time, always flowing, always finding its way to where it needs to go, knowing that time really does not matter. The river finds its humble beginnings as raindrops merging together, flows to where it needs to go, and discovers its end by becoming part of something much bigger than itself. It knows its present journey is much more important than where it came from or where it's final destination lies. Over its course, the river enriches everything it touches, with many things counting on it for survival. The river is born of a purpose, and ends its life with a deeper meaning. But somewhere between the beginning and the end, the river finds enlightenment within itself...
 
The true joy of a raindrop is to die in the river, The sheer happiness of the river is to end with the sea ― Bodhi, Rio Iluminada 
 
We too begin humbly as single cells merging, and grow into beings of significance. Each of us is born with a purpose, and big or small, we touch the lives of all whom we meet on our journey through life. Many of those souls count on us for their livelihoods (like our children, pets, lovers, and business partners). Time does not really matter, it is an illusion for us--the past is over, the future does not exist. It's truly the here and now in the present that matters. Be present in the present, make each moment count. Because we never know when will be our end, though we can count on merging back into something much greater than ourselves when that day finally arrives...and the whole cycle will start over anew, just like it is for the river enlightened... 
 
The flow is the river of life, the waters of enlightenment, the path to truth. It's all about getting to that purity, that simplicity, not getting hung up in sorrow and pain, just being and living as you discover your true self ― Bodhi, Rio Iluminado
 
 
This song from more than 30 years ago in 1993 is the perfect piece of music to accompany by impression today...performed by one of the best songwriters of all time, Billy Joel, this tune has a profound meaning to it, it's about questioning the path to illumination and trying to find the answer to discovering enlightenment along the way ... "River of Dreams" by Billy Joel. ... (just click on the blue links to listen to any of the songs)
 
In the middle of the night
I go walking in my sleep
From the mountains of faith
To the river so deep
I must be looking for something
Something sacred I lost
But the river is wide
And it's too hard to cross
Even though I know the river is wide
I walk down every evening and I stand on the shore
I try to cross to the opposite side
So I can finally find out what I've been looking for
In the middle of the night
I go walking in my sleep
Through the valley of fear
To a river so deep
I've been searching for something
Taken out of my soul
Something I'd never lose
Something somebody stole
I don't know why I go walking at night
But now I'm tired and I don't want to walk anymore
I hope it doesn't take the rest of my life
Until I find what it is that I've been looking for
In the middle of the night
I go walking in my sleep
Through the jungle of doubt
To a river so deep
I know I'm searching for something
Something so undefined
That it can only be seen
By the eyes of the blind
In the middle of the night
I'm not sure about a life after this
God knows I've never been a spiritual man
Baptized by the fire, I wade into the river
That runs to the promised land
In the middle of the night
I go walking in my sleep
Through the desert of truth
To the river so deep
We all end in the ocean
We all start in the streams
We're all carried along
By the river of dreams
In the middle of the night
 
 
 
 
SOME MORE RIVER MUSIC
Here's another tune, this one also from the 1990s released in 1995 by the alternative rock band Collective Soul. But it's much more veiled in darkness and meaning as the previous song above, although still very deeply beautiful with a similar message about taking a journey to the river to find yourself. It's about that personal journey, as if it's speaking to some part of the inner self, and saying you're taking your path wherever it leads, and will discover what you're all about along the way. The flow is the river of life, the waters of enlightenment, of path to truth. It's all about getting to that purity, that simplicity, not getting hung up in sorrow and pain, just being and living as you discover your true self ... "Where the River Flows" by Collective Soul. ... (just click on any of the words in the powder blue links to listen to the song)...
 
Give me a moment
Got to get this weight up off my chest
Don't feed me sorrow
Pain is a poison I digest
Find yourself another soul to hold
(You think, you thought, I know)
Off upon my journey I must go
(To where the river flows, to where the river flows)
I'll give you answers
To the questions you have yet to ask
Silence is beauty
Words, they only complicate the task
Find yourself another soul to hold
(You think, you thought, I know)
Off upon my journey I must go
(To where the river flows, to where the river flows)
Make no more wishes
All of my patience has been spent
Gods of the season
Lead me to my next incident
Find yourself another soul to hold
(You think, you thought, I know)
Off upon my journey I must go
(To where the river flows)
Find yourself another soul to hold
(You think, you thought, I know)
Off upon my journey I must go
(To where the river flows, to where the river flows, to where the river flows)
 
 
Here is another tune, this one from more recently in 2016 by an indie alternative singer-songwriter from England with a powerful soulful voice, Bishop Briggs (Sarah Grace McLaughlin). "River " by Bishop Briggs. Like most songs, this one also has a universal meaning that can be subject to interpretation by individual listeners. However, one thing that is clear is that it conveys a feeling of overcoming inner struggles and limitations. The song opens with the lines, “Like a river, like a river, like a river, we’ll run,” suggesting that the protagonist is willing to let go and be swept away by the river. This can be seen as a metaphor for being taken by something greater than oneself, such as love, passion, or motivation. Then with the chorus, “I wanna go, I wanna go, I wanna go, I wanna go, like a river,” echoes the desire to be carried away without resistance, indicating that she’s already surrendered to the flow of life’s journey. This tune is Briggs' best seller (peaking at #3 on the Alt Rock Charts) and has become an anthem for those who are struggling to overcome inner demons or obstacles. Its powerful message resonates with listeners of all ages and backgrounds, and the song has been covered by countless artists in a variety of styles. The song’s music video has amassed over 120 million views on YouTube, and it continues to inspire and encourage people worldwide. "River " by Bishop Briggs. ... (just click on any of the words in the blue links to listen to the song)...
 
Like a river, like a river, sh-
Like a river, like a river, sh-
Like a river, like a river
Shut your mouth and run me like a river
How do you fall in love?
Harder than a bullet could hit you
How do we fall apart?
Faster than a hairpin trigger
Don't you say, don't you say it
Don't say, don't you say it
One breath, it'll just break it
So shut your mouth and run me like a river
Shut your mouth, baby, stand and deliver
Holy hands, will they make me a sinner?
Like a river, like a river
Shut your mouth and run me like a river
Choke this love 'til the veins start to shiver
One last breath 'til the tears start to wither
Like a river, like a river
Shut your mouth and run me like a river
Tales of an endless heart
Cursed is the fool who's willing
Can't change the way we are
One kiss away from killing
Don't you say, don't you say it
Don't say, don't you say it
One breath, it'll just break it
So shut your mouth and run me like a river
Shut your mouth, baby, stand and deliver
Holy hands, will they make me a sinner?
Like a river, like a river
Shut your mouth and run me like a river
Choke this love 'til the veins start to shiver
One last breath 'til the tears start to wither
Like a river, like a river
Shut your mouth and run me like a river
Like a river, like a river, sh-
Like a river, like a river, sh-
Like a river, like a river
Shut your mouth and run me like a river
Hey! Oh, oh-oh-oh, oh!
Hey! Oh, oh-oh-oh, oh! (like a river)
Hey! Oh, oh-oh-oh, oh, oh!
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh! (like a river)
Like a river
Shut your mouth, baby, stand and deliver (like a river, like a river)
Holy hands, will they make me a sinner? (like a river, like a river)
Like a river, like a river
Shut your mouth and run me like a river
Choke this love 'til the veins start to shiver (like a river, like a river)
One last breath 'til the tears start to wither (like a river, like a river)
Like a river, like a river
Shut your mouth and run me like a river
 
 
 
SOME MORE APROPOS QUOTES
Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters ― Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It
 
Haven't you also learned that secret from the river; that there is no such thing as time? That the river is everywhere at the same time, at the source and at the mouth, at the waterfall, at the ferry, at the current, in the ocean and in the mountains, everywhere and that the present only exists for it, not the shadow of the past nor the shadow of the future ― Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha
 
Life is a river always flowing, do not hold on to things ― Siddhartha Gautama Buddha
 
The river can not go back. Nobody can go back. To go back is impossible in existence. The river needs to take the risk of entering the ocean because only then will fear disappear, because that’s where the river will know: it’s not about disappearing into the ocean, but of becoming the ocean ― Osho, Beyond Enlightenment
 
Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day ― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
 
A Woman in harmony with her spirit is like a river flowing. She goes where she will without pretense and arrives at her destination prepared to be herself, and only herself― Maya Angelou
 
The river is one of my favorite metaphors, the symbol of the great flow of Life Itself. The river begins at Source, and returns to Source, unerringly. This happens every single time, without exception. We are no different ― Jeffrey R. Anderson, The Nature of Things
 
The River is a metaphor. It is about the progress of life, from its fragile beginnings through its joys and turbulence and on to its end, its magnificent end ― Gerald Elias, Death and Transfiguration
 
A River starts by longing for the ocean― Will Advise
 
Love is a river, drink from it ― Jalaluddin Rumi, In the Arms of the Beloved
 
Those who don't feel this love pulling them like a river, let them sleep ― Jalaluddin Rumi, Hush Don't Say Anything To God 
 
The shape of your love is a mystery. The shape of your love is falling rain. You move through the dark, you're a holy wind. But the cracks of my broken heart will breathe you in. There's a river running through my deepest sorrow. There's a river running through my deepest pain. There's a river running through every dream that never came true. It made me a canyon, but there's a river running through ― Ellie Holcomb, Canyon.
 
 
 
SPECIFICS ABOUT THIS PHOTO
The river sets a wise example for us to follow...it finds its humble beginnings as single raindrops merging together, flows to where it needs to go, and discovers its end by becoming part of something much bigger than itself ― Bodhi, Rio Iluminado
 
pictured here is a colorful apricot sunset over the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in central Colorado...this single-frame image was captured about 10 minutes before sunset on July 17th, 2022 at 8:20pm MST...
 
In my photography, I always use filters to create longer exposure effects, saturate colors naturally, and balance the light in my composition in-camera...I often use as many as four filters at time, and I always use at least one filter in my completed impressions...
 
And to get the effects and balance I was looking for in this composition, I used two ProgreyUSA Filters. along with the ProgreyUSA G-120Z Antarctic Magnetic Holder. to secure this filter to my Nikon D850 with a Nikon Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 lens. ... 
 
Camera Settings: 
ISO-64, 22mm at f/11 for 11 seconds using a ProgreyUSA 0.9GND Aurora Filter. to bring down the sky 3 stops and help darken the bright pre-sunset glowing clouds and light, creating a better in-camera balance in the overall image with the shadows in the canyon below in the foreground, along with a ProgreyUSA 3.0ND Antarctic Magnetic Filter. to stop down the image 10 stops and permit for the longer 11 second exposure which helps to soften the clouds in the sky, plus smooth out the water in the river, while at the same time helping to naturally saturate all of the RGBs in the picture--red, green, and blue hues...
 
I wish to openly thank my sponsors who have always supported me through both the good and bad times...for truly this long exposure impression would not be possible without the use of my Induro PHQ3 Series 5-way Panhead with an Induro (now Benro) Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod. in combination with the ProgreyUSA Filters. which I use with every photo I take...
 
contemplate without thinking. be certain only in your uncertainty, content to be completely incomplete. stop the rush. slow down time. breathe and notice. slow down everything. let it all be. shut off the noise. hush. relax. seize this higher moment. reconnect. feel and sense what surrounds you. listen to all the colours of light whisper as they envelope you. see the melody and harmony that float about unnoticed. taste the solitude of all this wonderment. smell the beautiful silence. now discover your peaceful serenity. then, reach out and touch your faith with all your senses. this is my world. awaken! ― bodhi, my world
 
you were blessed with 84,600 seconds today, have you used one of them to say thank you? ― bodhi, blessed
 
I leave you today wishing that bright joy 
and spiritual peace fill your life...
imploring you to make every moment count, 
no matter what, always and forever, 
for that is the only thing that truly matters... 
 
And above all else,
I hope this message and impression find you well.
 
Namaste,
Bodhi
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