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#2581 - Monday, September 11, 2006 - Editor: Jerry Katz
This issue begins with a poem by Anna Ruiz in the spirit of the memory of 9/11.
Then there are excerpts from some old books found at http://www.gutenberg.org. There are thousands of classic books available for download or to be read onsite.
Anna Ruiz
Tomorrow will be
9/11 when the USA officially was enjoined at the hip with
the world at large. In the heartbreak and misery of war on
her own bright shores on a large scale. We had no choice but to
wake up, take notice and resolve in some sort of compassion with
the world of suffering—of limb and life’s loss.
Is it a wonder
that a country based on a religion that needs a God-man to
die to be saved and enter the gates of heaven and those who
believe that one must kill and die against the infidels to
reach heaven and its virginal prize, should meet in an act of
terror?
Heaven is right
here and now, nirvana is not so far away unless one ‘saves’
it for a later day. IMHImagination.
I want to be the Christ child today
Wrapped in swaddling, cozy in a manger
Star of Bethlehem rising in the night
Warmed by the love of Mother Mary and
Joseph with his staff, smiling upon me.
I want to be innocent
I want to be selfish
I want to return
To the Purity of a Child.
Please.
I have had enough of heartbreak,
I have seen enough death and destruction
Starvation and calamity to last millions
Of incarnations.
Please.
I have seen too much blood shed, too many
Hearts ripped asunder as the bodies blow apart
Please.
Give me grace, oh Lord.
I pray to the four winds.
I fall on my knees.
I bow, I say Namaste,
I pray with folded hands
I raise my open palms to the level of my shoulders,
I look for a hole in the wall to lay my wailing on.
Please.
Let me laugh again
Please return me the Love
Of A Child.
Peace and Love,
Anna
12/24//05
The author found herself taken captive in a American war. The book is about her trials. The excerpt reveals her profound perspective of the experience, of her life, and of life as it is.
Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson
by Mary White Rowlandson (1635-1710)
I have seen the extreme vanity of this world: One hour I have been in health, and wealthy, wanting nothing. But the next hour in sickness and wounds, and death, having nothing but sorrow and affliction. Before I knew what affliction meant, I was ready sometimes to wish for it. When I lived in prosperity, having the comforts of the world about me, my relations by me, my heart cheerful, and taking little care for anything, and yet seeing many, whom I preferred before myself, under many trials and afflictions, in sickness, weakness, poverty, losses, crosses, and cares of the world, I should be sometimes jealous least I should have my portion in this life, and that Scripture would come to my mind, "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth" (Hebrews 12.6). But now I see the Lord had His time to scourge and chasten me. The portion of some is to have their afflictions by drops, now one drop and then another; but the dregs of the cup, the wine of astonishment, like a sweeping rain that leaveth no food, did the Lord prepare to be my portion. Affliction I wanted, and affliction I had, full measure (I thought), pressed down and running over. Yet I see, when God calls a person to anything, and through never so many difficulties, yet He is fully able to carry them through and make them see, and say they have been gainers thereby. And I hope I can say in some measure, as David did, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted." The Lord hath showed me the vanity of these outward things. That they are the vanity of vanities, and vexation of spirit, that they are but a shadow, a blast, a bubble, and things of no continuance. That we must rely on God Himself, and our whole dependance must be upon Him. If trouble from smaller matters begin to arise in me, I have something at hand to check myself with, and say, why am I troubled? It was but the other day that if I had had the world, I would have given it for my freedom, or to have been a servant to a Christian. I have learned to look beyond present and smaller troubles, and to be quieted under them. As Moses said, "Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord" (Exodus 14.13).
From the following book are a few phrases that sound poetic strung together. They were taken in the order they appear within a section of the book, which consists of 15,000 phrases.
Fifteen Thousand Useful Phrases A Practical Handbook Of Pertinent Expressions, Striking Similes, Literary, Commercial, Conversational, And Oratorical Terms, For The Embellishment Of Speech And Literature, And The Improvement Of The Vocabulary Of Those Persons Who Read, Write, And Speak English
Greenville Kleiser (1868-1953)
A jeweler that glittered like his shop A lady that lean'd on his arm like a queen in a fable of old fairy days A life, a Presence, like the air A life as common and brown and bare as the box of earth in the window there A light wind outside the lattice swayed a branch of roses to and fro, shaking out their perfume as from a swung censer A lightning-phrase, as if shot from the quiver of infallible wisdom A list of our unread books torments some of us like a list of murders A little breeze ran through the corn like a swift serpent A little weed-clogged ship, gray as a ghost A long slit of daylight like a pointing finger A memory like a well-ordered cupboard A mighty wind, like a leviathan, plowed the brine A mind very like a bookcase A mystery, soft, soothing and gentle, like the whisper of a child murmuring its happiness in its sleep
Originally published by the Yoga Publication Society in 1918, the following book is an example of the western nonduality of the early Twentieth Century, which was delivered in terms of achieving goals and success. Nonduality is still presented in the context of success, though now we could probably find a different shade of meaning for success. Also there is an available body of work on pure nonduality.
The book concludes with the following nondual statement:
The Power of Concentration
Theron Q. Dumont
The more we become conscious of the presence of the higher self the more we should try to become a true representative of the human soul in all its wholeness and holiness, instead of wasting our time dwelling on some trifling external quality or defect. We should try to secure a true conception of what we really are so as not to over value the external furnishings. You will then not surrender your dignity or self respect, when others ignorantly make a display of material things to show off. Only the person that realizes that he is a permanent Being knows what the true self is.