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Shinsei’s Friendship Pebbles
 

My given name is Shinsei meaning Born of Truth.  Contrary to popular belief, truth is not fixed.  It is dependent upon many factors including personal perception.  What may be truth for one person may not be for another, yet the realization of all truths lie within the grasp of each one of us.  Two of the most important truths are the truth of constancy and loyalty in friendship and unconditional love, and the truth we find in nature all around us.  The two symbols depicted on your pebble are representative of these two fundamental truths and were chosen because they can be instantly recognized anywhere in the world, even by children.  A third symbol is the pebble itself, which represents stability; durability; reliability; immortality; the eternal; cohesion; and the indestructibility of the Supreme Truth.  Together the three symbols signify creative power and as a single unity represent the cosmos in its entirety.

 
Two people holding hands: Pure unity or oneness is the supreme principle of all existence.  Whatever we do to others we do to ourselves because there is really only one Self in all.  This is the ancient ethic of non-violence and compassion, treating others not like our self but as our Self.  The mind is part of a labyrinth that is connected not only to every other mind that exists or has existed, but also to every atom, organism, and region in the vastness of space and time itself.  The bond of universal friendship is the state of our spiritual interconnectedness and attachment to each other and our ability to understand, empathize with, support and care for every other human being.  Holding hands is the symbol of friendship, union; and allegiance.  It is a token of love and obligation, giving, binding and assurance, truth and faithfulness.  The right hand is representative of yang and strength and the left hand is representative of yin and honor, the two coming together in perfect harmony.
 
Trees: Trees represent the whole of manifestation; the synthesis of heaven, earth and water; dynamic life as opposed to the static life of the stone upon which they are represented.  The tree also symbolizes the feminine yin principle, the nourishing, sheltering, protecting, supporting aspect of the Great Mother, the matrix and the power of the inexhaustible and fertilizing waters she controls.  Every living thing is unique and different to any other.  Therefore, whoever harms a single living thing harms all.  He, who loves and cares for a single life, saves the entire world. 
 

Yin Yang: Yin is the feminine principle and Yang, the masculine; together they symbolize all complementary opposites its the dualistic universe, in powers, qualities, human, animal and plant life.  These two qualities depict perfect balance; each has within it the embryo of the other power, implying that there is no exclusively masculine or feminine nature, but that each contains the germ of the other and there is perpetual alternation.  The two powers are contained within the circle of cyclic revolution and dynamism, of the totality.  The whole forms the Cosmic Egg, the primordial Androgyne, the perfection of balance and harmony, the pure essence which is neither yet both.  The two forces are held together in tension, but not in antagonism, as mutually interdependent partners; one in essence but two in manifestation.
 

The Pebble: I inscribe each Friendship Pebble personally, to act as a reminder that we are part of one another.  I give a pebble when I meet someone with whom I feel a connection, who needs reminding that someone cares, or who enriches my life in some way.  For me, the most enriching acts are a spontaneous smile or thoughtful word.
 

Friendship Pebbles are made of Limestone that is formed by the consolidation of seashells.  Please note that because of its sedimentary nature, the surface of limestone may begin to crumble if immersed in an acidic liquid.

 

In memory of my dear friend Kim Kathryn Bower (1959-2002) of Wareham Massachusetts, who gave me so much and changed my perceptions of the world around me forever.
 

Roger Sheldon (Shinsei)