Welcome! I am a contemplative thinker and photographer from Colorado. In this blog, you'll discover photographs that I've taken on my hiking and backpacking trips, mostly in the American West. I've paired these with my favorite inspirational and philosophical quotes - literary passages that emphasize the innate spirituality of the natural world. I hope you enjoy them!

If you'd like to purchase photo-quote greeting cards, please go to www.NaturePhoto-QuoteCards.com .


In the Spirit of Wildness,

Stephen Hatch
Fort Collins, Colorado

P.S. There's a label index at the bottom of the blog.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Hiding in God from the Critical Ego-Self

Isn't  this amazing?  Today I hiked up to my foothills meditation retreat spot, and found this Gaillardia flower (also called Indian Blanketflower) with its companion moth.  Notice that the moth is situated in such a way that the red wings lie on the red part of the flower, while its yellow head lies on the yellow part of the flower.  I have never found this type of moth anywhere but on a Gaillardia flower!

To me, this principle of camouflage speaks of the need we all have to hide ourselves from the self-castigating ego-self - with its incessant critical biases - by blending in and becoming united to the Larger Whole - that is, to the Divine Presence who dwells within us and who is the vast, sky-like presence in whom all things dwell.  Only when we become invisible to the ego-self by discovering a deeper identity will we find true peace and rest!


Photo: Gaillardia flower and moth; Lory State Park, CO; June 18, 2014

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