"The Middle" By Bodhi Smith

Oct 21, 2022

"the middle" is re-release of beautiful autumn image of mine (originally from six years ago in october 2016) with a brand new updated blog...
 
"for me, the middle path is my way of life i choose to walk, the way that connects me personally to both heaven and earth--between the celestial and the terrestrial--embracing changes and enjoying my days as i fill them with things i love" ― bodhi, the middle
 
"equanimity is the hallmark of spirituality. it is neither chasing nor avoiding but just being in the middle" ― amit ray, meditation
 
"half your life is spent in thinking of the past and the other half in thinking about the future. the journey never begins. either you roam around the byways of your memory, which is a dead dream, or you wander in your imagination which is a dream of the future, which is still to come. you are divided in these two. the present is in the middle, and that is where life is–but you miss it!" ― osho, bliss: living beyond happiness and misery
 
"i wandered beneath the sun-dappled shade from the trees, surrounded by the warm fragrances of the forest, thinking that i was in the middle of my life. not life as an age, not halfway along life’s path, but in the middle of my existence. my heart trembled" ― karl ove knausgard, a man in love
 
"inhale autumn, long for spring" ― jalaluddin rumi, the essential rumi
 
"we have to find a middle path, where there is neither joy nor suffering, only profound peace" ― paulo coelho, adultery
 
"life is a jungle, and we may not always have a map for it. sometimes, it is for the best to get lost and make a house of hope in the middle of nowhere and let the sky and the stars lead you wherever your soul desires. hope itself is light enough to illuminate the dark paths" ― mona soorma, soul food & instant karma
 
"follow each day
the middle way
seen between 
darkness and the light
day and night
wrong and right
fight or flight
being blind or having sight
hold loose or hug tight
feet to heartbeat
celestial to terrestrial" 
 
"do what you love; love those you care about; give service to others; and know that you’re on the right path. there’s a new path waiting for you, too. all you have to do is look for it—then take that first step. if you show up and stay present, that step will eventually become a gigantic leap forward. and then you’ll show us who you really are" ― rich roll, finding ultra: rejecting middle age
 
this first song, which also has the same title as my impression here, was released over twenty years ago at the start of the emo era of alternative music in 2001. it's a wonderful tune with apropos lyrics that fit right in and go along with my blog's deeper meaning today. this inspirational song cries out not to worry about other people so much, things work out if you believe in yourself. your life is all about you and you're in the middle of your life's path, and you need to follow your heart and everything will be okay as it was meant to be... the middle" by jimmy eat world ... (just click on any of the words in the powder blue links to listen to the tune and watch the video) ...
 
"hey, don't write yourself off yet. it's only in your head, you feel left out, or looked down on. just try your best. try everything you can, and don't you worry what they tell themselves when you're away. it just takes some time. little girl, you're in the middle of the ride. everything, everything'll be just fine, everything, everything'll be alright, alright...hey, you know they're all the same. you know you're doing better on your own (on your own), so don't buy in. live right now. yeah, just be yourself. it doesn't matter if it's good enough (good enough) for someone else. it just takes some time. little girl, you're in the middle of the ride. everything, everything'll be just fine, everything, everything'll be alright, alright. it just takes some time. little girl, you're in the middle of the ride. everything, everything'll be just fine, everything, everything'll be alright, alright. whoo! hey, don't write yourself off yet. it's only in your head, you feel left out (feel left out). or looked down on. just do your best (just do your best). do everything you can (do everything you can), and don't you worry what their bitter hearts (bitter hearts) are gonna say. it just takes some time. little girl, you're in the middle of the ride. everything, everything'll be just fine. everything, everything'll be alright, alright. it just takes some time. little girl, you're in the middle of the ride. everything, everything'll be just fine, everything, everything'll be alright" ― jimmy eat world, the middle
 
"where i'm headed, i do not know. i only know it's somewhere in the middle and with certainty it's where i absolutely need to go" ― bodhi, the middle
----------------------
 
MEANING
"being middle aged, i'm in the middle of my life. existing in the middle class, i live in the middle. i'm taking life right down the middle of the road. i follow my chosen middle path towards enlightenment and nirvana. i am in the middle of me" ― bodhi, the middle
 
"middle" is defined by merriam-webster as:
1. intermediate between extremes; center
2. the point or position at an equal distance from the sides, ends, or limits of something in space or in time
 
the concept of middle path is a means of thinking and is the foundation idea within buddhism, but can be applied to really anything not as a religion, but as a philosophy.the central idea of the middle way is that we understand conditions in the world or in ourselves better by relying on experience, but our learning from experience is often blocked by fixed beliefs...
 
these fixed beliefs are known as metaphysical beliefs, which the middle path suggests that we should avoid. in its most simple terms, the middle path is a balance between opposites in our lives, between self indulgence and self-denial in some views, or between materialism and spirituality in other views...
 
the idea is for a person to find their own balance that best meets where they need to be and want to go, taking care of oneself and enjoying life, but not getting too carried away by excessive pleasurable distractions or spiritual deprivations that can take you away from the middle path...
 
as you embark on your adventure of life through the days that are before you, passing into moments and making each one count, you must decide what path you will choose, and find a balance, find the middle path that you need to venture for yourself...and embrace the journey of changes that lay in front of you...
 
"right now i find myself smack dab in the middle between where i once was and where i need to go" ― bodhi, the middle
 
for me, my heart is in the middle of my body, keeping me both alive and balanced. following my heart keeps me out of my head, keeps me from thinking too much. it guides me to the middle path that's my way of life i choose to walk...
 
my middle path is what connects me personally to both heaven and earth--between the celestial and the terrestrial--embracing changes and enjoying my days as i fill them with things i love...i love trees, i love the stars. i love to hope, i love color, i love magic, i love beauty, i love romance, i love hidden meaning...with the trees and leaves pictured here almost six years ago to the date in all their fall foliage, this image has all of that and more...i hope you find your middle path as well...
 
and i know it's in the middle that i will finally find her one day...and when i look into her eyes, i'll be reunited with the one i've known so deeply in my dreams but have yet to meet in this world...this song released in 2021 by an american punk-rock band alternatively speaks of just that sort of feeling and goes along swimmingly with my impression and blog today ..."middle of a dream" by rise against ... (just click on any of the words in the powder blue links to listen to the tune and watch the video) ...

"i still chase your ghost. i still walk these streets and feel your hand inside my own. why do we have to run away to feel at home? we spent lifetimes waiting, still waiting on the day when home is the only way we tolerate the pain. and i woke up in the middle of a dream chasing someone, or something. a hidden face i've never seen. where were you when i woke up? to a world without your voice. to sing me back to sleep. don't let it go, are you letting go?...i steady myself at the altar. spell your name inside my mind. we're all someone else, when the sun sets, and every time we close our eyes. but there's a world as complicated, somehow we buried it alive and it flows like a river in the dead of winter deep underneath the ice...and i woke up in the middle of a dream chasing someone, or something. a hidden face i've never seen. where were you when i woke up? to a world without your voice, to sing me back to sleep. don't let it go, are you letting go?...two worlds that i am caught between. which one is real, which one is just pretend? because you're a door i cannot close. a static voice that comes and goes. a fatal crash and i can't look away...and i woke up in the middle of a dream chasing someone, or something. a hidden face i've never seen. where were you when i woke up? to a world without your voice, to sing me back to sleep. don't let it go, are you letting go? still i am wandering in search of anything that brings you back to me, that brings you back to me" ― rise against, middle of a dream
 
"and i know it's in the middle that i will finally find her one day...and when i look into her eyes, i'll be reunited with the one i've known so deeply in my dreams but have yet to meet in this world" ― bodhi, the middle
----------------------
 
STORY BEHIND THIS IMPRESSION
"just as a leaf know it is time, in the autumn, it embraces change, as it fearlessly lets go of the safety of the tree, falls and dances to where it needs to be...such a beautiful metaphor for all of us... just let go, dance, and fall in love with life's changes" ― bodhi, the middle
 
today we find ourselves about 1/3 of the way through autumn 2022, so i've decided to re-release a series of a few of my favorite photos of colorful trees in the fall, all taken at the old boardman tree farm in northeastern oregon...with this impression here, i love the tunnel effect with its beautiful progressive rhythm with a pathway to the door of light, a leading line to take you into the image which is reminiscent of many of my pier images, only this time it is with trees...  
 
what you see pictured here is the old boardman tree farm on an overcast, calm, and windless morning...the type of trees that were grown here were pacific albus, a hybrid of 4 or 5 different poplar trees...boardman, oregon is about 2.5 hours east of portland on interstate 84 near the junction with interstate 82. it's a great drive that mostly follows the south bank of the columbia river, and it's beautiful any time of the year...
 
however, i must report that it's sad and discouraging to know this beauty has totally vanished, to where only pictures like this will remain of what once was...because now unfortunately, the massive old boardman tree farm was sold to mega-dairy farm corporations a few years ago. the trees have now been clear cut to accommodate for the giant dairy pastures that supply the tillamook dairy processing plant in boardman with all the supplies of milk it needs to make its products...all the beautiful trees are just a memory, now there's no trees left, all cut down, all permanently gone...
 
six years ago when i took this picture, i was able to walk on the property (with permission from the owners)...the boardman tree farm was massive at about 40 square miles (25,000 acres). numerous public paved and dirt roads cut across the groves, so you could explore and access much of the expanse fairly easily. many breathtaking images could be found from the road's edge with no need to walk on the property...but now, it's all gone. everything has disappeared. there's no trees left, just massive dairy farms with adjacent farmland providing the feed for all the head of cows so we can have more cheese and yogurt on our grocery shelves...
 
here is another meaningful tune about the complications between being just friends with a spark vs being lovers in a committed relationship ..."stuck in the middle" by tai verdes ... (just click on any of the words in the powder blue links to listen to the tune and watch the video) ...

"you know what she said to me? she said, "you're a player aren't you? and i bet you got hoes" i said, "you don't know me like that, i just go with the flow" she said, "you can't fool me like that, you're gonna leave me on read" i said, "why don't you try me on out? i know you wanna be friends"...but friends turn into sleepovers. and sleepovers turn into love. love turns into jealousy. and now we both fucked up. 'cause we're stuck in the middle of lovers and friends. and we're losing every part of the benefits...you hurt me more than i ever knew. but it's shitty 'cause i'm doing the same to you. she said, "are we exclusive or not?" i said, "what do you wanna do? seems like you love me a lot" she said, "can we stop the joking and take me seriously?" i said, "i'll try my very best, but we'll have to wait and see"...'cause talks turn into sleepless nights. and sleepless nights turn into love (turn into love). love turns into impatience. and now we both fucked up. 'cause we're stuck in the middle of lovers and friends (lovers and friends). and we're losing every part of the benefits (losing benefits). you hurt me more than I ever knew (than i ever knew). but it's shitty 'cause i'm doing the same to you. 'cause fights turn into making up. and making up turns into love (turns into love). love turns into forever (forever). and that scares both of us (hey, hey). 'cause we're stuck in the middle of lovers and friends (lovers and friends). and we're losing every part of the benefits (hey, hey, losing benefits). you hurt me more than i ever knew, but it's shitty 'cause i'm doing the same to you" ― tai verdes, stuck in the middle
 
"if i were the trees, i would have my leaves transform to yellow and let them light up the sky with golden shade at sunset, and then they would circle about your head as they float down, falling in piles at your feet, so that you might know this wonder of falling in love" ― bodhi, falling in love 
----------------------
 
MORE QUOTES FOR EXTRA MEANING
"as the leaves in the fall let go of their resistance to the changing seasons, to their branches, to their pasts and fly into the fall air, so do we all in the autumn and this one is especially so with a vibrant changing tapestry during this time which has the power to bring about an entirely new landscape into our lives....the energy of the autumn mirrors this inward journey as we shift our attention from the external world and begin to make our descent into the darkness once more. this is not a time to mourn the end of summer, but to embrace the changing of the tides; the death and rebirth in the seasons, and of the self in a colorful and vibrant way. autumn leaves tumble to the earth below and show no fear in the dance from branch to ground. they know the time has come, they feel it deep within; the time to evolve with the changing season is here. in the coming twilight, we open to the transformation that flows and surrender to this time of celebrating what was, grieving what has ended and opening to all that has yet to be. So they let go of the branch and fly into the unknown embracing the icy winds and uncertain horizons. the time to surrender to the fall has come once more. i wish you much love and light upon your colorful journey" ― c. ara campbell
      
"at that moment it seemed to him that time stood still and the soul of the world surged within him. when he looked into her dark eyes and saw that her lips were poised between a laugh and silence, he learned the most important part of the language that all the world spoke. the language that everyone on earth was capable of understanding in their heart. it was love. something older than humanity, more ancient than the desert. something that exerted the same force whenever two pairs of eyes met, as had theirs here at the well. she smiled, and that was certainly an omen. the omen he had been awaiting without even knowing he was for all his life. the omen he sought to find in his sheep and in his books. in the crystals and in the silence of the desert...it was the pure language of the world. it required no explanation, just as the universe needs none as it travels through endless time. what the boy felt at that moment was that he was in the presence of the only woman in his life. and that, with no need for words she recognized the same thing. he was more certain of it, than of anything in the world. he had been told by his parents and grandparents that he must fall in love and really know a person before becoming committed. but maybe people who felt that way never learned the universal language. because when you know that language, its easy to understand that someone in the world awaits you. whether its in the middle of the desert or in some great city. and when two such people encounter each other, and their eyes meet, the past and the future become unimportant. there is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written by one hand only. it is the hand that evokes love and makes a twin soul for every person in the world. without such love, one's dreams would have no meaning" ― paulo coelho, the alchemist
 
"we need to be looking for the seed of life in another person, and letting the presence or the absence of it determine whom we step closer towards and whom we back away from. the seed of life. you can feel it in the middle of your chest, connecting to the middle of their chest, it tells you there is life for you waiting on the path with them. and when it's not there, there is no path of life for you together, let go of them and turn elsewhere" ― c. joybell c.  
 
here's one more tune about wanting to be with that person you know you belong with, but for some reason they just keep staying at an arms-length away ... "middle of the night" by elley duhe  ... (just click on any of the words in the powder blue links to listen to the tune and watch the video) ...

"i summoned you, please come to me. don't bury thoughts that you really want. i fill you up, drink from my cup. within me lies what you really want. come, lay me down because you know this sound in the middle of the night. in the middle of the night, just call my name, i'm yours to tame. in the middle of the night, in the middle of the night, i'm wide awake, i crave your taste all night long until morning comes. i'm getting what is mine, you gonna get yours in the middle of the night. in the middle of the night, these burning flames, these crashing waves wash over me like a hurricane. i'll captivate, you're hypnotized. feel powerful, but it's me again. come, lay me down because i know this, because i know this sound in the middle of the night. in the middle of the night, just call my name, i'm yours to tame. in the middle of the night, in the middle of the night, i'm wide awake, i crave your taste all night long. until morning comes, i'm getting what is mine, you gonna get yours in the middle of the night, in the middle of the night. oh and just call on me, ah, just call my name like you mean it in the middle of the night, in the middle of the night, just call my name, i'm yours to tame in the middle of the night. in the middle of the night i'm wide awake, i crave your taste all night long until morning comes i'm getting what is mine, you gonna get yours in the middle of the night, in the middle of the night..." ― elley duhe, middle of the night
 
"we are each in the middle of our own path. we do not know what will be at the end of our story" ― susan w. tanner, modesty and makeovers
 
"the sage sees things as they are, and takes the middle path, away from the extremes" ― ali binazir, the tao of dating
 
"first of all, buddhism is neither pessimistic nor optimistic. if anything at all, it is realistic, for it takes a realistic view of life and the world. it looks at things objectively. it does not falsely lull you into living in a fool's paradise, nor does it frighten and agonize you with all kinds of imaginary fears and sins. it tells you exactly and objectively what you are and what the world around you is, and shows you the way to perfect freedom, peace, tranquility and happiness" ― walpola rahula, what the buddha taught
 
"instead of turning our heads from pain, we merge with it, neither holding on to it nor pushing it away, becoming instead an instrument of transformation. recently, on my early morning drive to a health club, i saw a deer in the middle lane, trying to get up, but obviously crippled. her eyes looked confused and frightened. as i drove by, i breathed in her pain and breathed out a blessing. i could feel a dark cloud swirling inside of me, but i also had an image of a deer running freely in the woods. i can never know if it helped her, but something loosened inside of me...instead of turning away from her pain, i joined her...when you feel hurt, confused, lonely, or sad, breathe into your pain, feel it, be with it, then breathe out an image of clarity, light, and a blessing. this alone will start to change your life" ― charlotte kasi, if the buddha dated
 
"what is the name of your dream? a lovely wooden cottage in the middle of a forest? or walking in an endless autumn path? what is the name of your dream? don’t give a name, always give a list! fill yourself with dreams because a dream is the path to reality!" ― mehmet murat ildan
 
"emptiness is not just the dependent arising of suffering and pain. it is the dependent arising of all that is, of the passing beauty and the painful history of all of our lives. the middle path, then, is the practice of holding the two—negative emptiness and positive dependent arising—in healthy and dynamic tension" ― john p. keenan, grounding our faith in a pluralist world
 
"don't be too hard on yourself. also, don't be too easy on yourself. take that middle path" ― todd perelmuter
 
"liberation comes when we embrace the middle path and stop grasping for pleasure and pushing away pain" ― robert ohotto, transforming fate
 
"the root of pain and pleasure are the same. it is the same sensation with two names depending on the person receiving it. both pleasure and pain are from the mind. the mind always moves from one extreme to the other. it rarely falls into the middle path. from pleasure you move to pain, from pain you move to pleasure" ― bhagavan sri paramashivam
 
"you are not just for the right or left,
but for what is right over the wrong.
you are not just rich or poor,
but always wealthy in the mind and heart.
you are not perfect, but flawed.
you are flawed, but you are just.
you may just be conscious human,
but you are also a magnificent
reflection of god"
 
"how long
can i lament
with this depressed
heart and soul

how long
can i remain
a sad autumn
ever since my grief
has shed my leaves

the entire space
of my soul
is burning in agony

how long can i
hide the flames
wanting to rise
out of this fire

with a broken heart
how much more
can i take the message
from body to soul

i believe in love
i swear by love
believe me my love

how long
like a prisoner of grief
can i beg for mercy

you know i'm not
a piece of rock or steel
but hearing my story
even water will become
as tense as a stone

if i can only recount
the story of my life
right out of my body
right out of the middle
flames will grow"
 
"the middle path is the way to wisdom" ― jalaluddin rumi, the essential rumi
----------------------
 
ABOUT THIS IMPRESSION
"as you embark on your adventure of life, passing into moments and making each one count, you must decide what path you will choose, and find a balance, find the middle way that you need to venture for yourself" ― bodhi, the middle
 
this impression was captured on the old boardman tree farm in northeastern oregon six autumns ago on a windless morning about 10 mins after sunrise at 7:11am on october 3rd, 2016...this composition is comprised of one single long exposure of the rows of trees as the morning sun is breaking through the leaves (f/11@33mm for 11 secs, iso-64)... 
 
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...
 
to get the effects and balance i was looking for in this composition (f/11@33mm for 11 secs, iso-64), i used three progreyusa filters along with the progrey g-120z antarctic magnetic holder to secure these filters to my nikon d810 with a nikon nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 lens ...
 
first, a 1.8nd progrey genesis filter to bring the light in the image down 6 stops and permit for the long 11 second exposure which naturally saturates all the red, orange, and yellow colors in the image (i would not have been able to use this long exposure and filter if the wind was blowing, because the leaves in the image would be blurred severely)...
 
combined with two progreyusa filters additionally...a 0.6 gnd progrey aurora filter and an inverted 0.3 gnd progrey aurora filter to help balance in-camera overall the image the way i envisioned it...in this case, to stop down the much brighter light in the tops of the trees as the sun way trying to shine through, an extra three stops and help permit details in the shadows of trees deeper in the composition, and to darken to lower foreground a bit... 
 
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...
 
"you were blessed with 84,600 seconds today, have you used one of them to say thank you?" ― bodhi, blessed 
 
"if nothing else...if i open my eyes, if i hope, if i cry, if i think, if i sigh, if i giggle, if i dance, if i love, if i breathe, then i have lived a full days worth of life...nothing is wasted, nothing" ― bodhi, if 
 
"i do not want you to just be into my photography, instead, i'd much rather you take a journey into my pictures, and feel the impression i have created, feel it with all your senses" ― bodhi, into my photo
 
"my photography is my way of keeping a diary " ― bodhi, my diary
 
"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
 
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
-------------------------------------------------

please visit me at:

http://www.bodhismith.com
http://www.facebook.com/Bodhi.Impressions

#autumn #colors #fall #leaves #boardman #oregon #progreyusa #benro #dolica #nikon #d810 #lowepro #orange #dawn #sunbeams #sunburst #poplar #trees #inspiration #believe #faith #hope #calm #middle #way #namaste #impressionist #expressionist #buddha #vangogh #rumi #coelho #bodhi