Alphabe Thursday … U is for Upanishad.
“Verily, this entire [world] is the Absolute (brahman). Tranquil, one should worship it [through contemplation] , for one comes forth from it” Chandogya-Upanishad (3.14.1)
U is for Upanishad; in particular the Chandogya which comes from the words chandas meaning hymn (lit. pleasure) and ga – going referring to the brahmins who sang the hymns of the Sama-Veda during the sacrificial ritual of vedic times.
The Chandogya Upanishad consists of the esoteric teachings of the chandogya; the vedic chanters.
The scripture begins with the elaborate speculations about the sacred syllable Om the most celebrated numinous sound or mantra of Hinduism.
The syllable Om has a long history that dates back to Vedic times (1500 BCE) It was used at the beginning and the end of ritual pronouncements; rather like the Christians use Amen.
The Om is regarded as a divine revelation. The yogis more recently describe how in deep states of meditation they can hear the sound vibrating through the entire cosmos. This compares with the Pythagorean and Neoplatonic thought in the notion of Music of the Spheres, the cosmic harmonic generated by the motion of heavenly bodies.
100 word Challenge for Grown ups – Week#61
The Reading festival was to become the highlight of the pop calendar. Rod Stewart then known as the Faces was the playing. I would move hell and high water to see them play. Unfortunately while I was at college I had a Saturday job; well paid but no time to spend it. It was fun being a teenager; but the art of persuasion was not yet honed. My mum also needed convincing that Reading was not the ‘den of iniquity’ she had heard about.
‘I woke up with another headache’ that’s what it told my boss.
‘This is becoming a habit’ he said knowingly
Wednesday’s Wise Women … Maria Quiteria and Joana Angelica
In my bid to discover some lesser known Wise Women I have discovered various blogs and websites. One such site is Mulher 500 Anos, it is in Portuguese and the translation is poor. Nonetheless it is a list of women of Brazil who have contributed to the building of the democratic and egalitarian society. These women made changes overcoming racism and ethnocentrism; in a man’s world and made history.
During my research I read and learned a little about Princess Isabel the daughter of Pedro II, Brazil’s last emperor. In the absence of her father in 1871 she presided over the enactment of the Law of Free Birth that marked the end of slavery in 1888. For this she earned the name A Redentora (redemptress) I understand that this move did not come from an ethical stand but for economic and practical reasons and pressure from would be importers.
During her forty years as the heir to the Brazilian Empire this was her only claim to fame. Meanwhile she gave birth to three sons who would be the ultimate heirs to the throne. It seems historians agree that although Princess Isabel did participate in the end of slavery her actions were detrimental to the Imperial Regime that was replaced by the republic in 1889.
This explains why Princess Isabel was not mentioned in the Muhler 500 Anos.
Roderick J. Barman is his book Princess Isabel of Brazil does point out that Isabel was among nine women during the 19th century around the world including Queen Victoria who were born to privileged royal families brought up to fulfill the role of wife and mother and assume the role of a ruler of their country.
It was Isabel’s Father Pedro who severed ties with Portugal and bought about Brazil’s independence. Leopoldina (Princess Isabel’s mother) persuaded her husband Pedro to stay and defend Brazil, while his father King Joao VI fled to Lisbon in 1822. In 1825 Great Britain brokered the peace treaty and Portugal recognised Brazil as a separate state.
During the fighting for this cause women became involved but not fully recognised in chronicles of the time.
It is recorded that Maria Quiteria a native of Bahia donned a soldiers uniform to fight for political independence and Sister Joana Angelica a nun was shot down in the doorway of her convent in Salvador da Bahia while resisting the attack of the Portuguese troops.
I am sure many more women took part in the resisting of the Portuguese political regime it is clear to see how difficult it must have been for women to play the autonomous roles.
So Sister Joana and Maria should be honoured and represent the many women who were not recognised.
Empress D Leopoldina of Brazil
Princess Isabel of Brazil ; gender and power in the 19th century by Roderick J. Barman.
Weekly Photo Challenge … Happy
Happiness is not yours for keeping; it is a fleeting moment easier to measure less easy to save as a picture.
Lovemaking is the ultimate joy; but would be spoiled if one ran to fetch the camera to frame it! The birth of a child is also the most wonderful experience and has been often photographed; but poor mum hardly looks or feels her best.
There are other pinnacles of pleasure to be remember on a plate; such as the receipt of my degree rather later in life and passing my driving test in much earlier in 1969. Then my marriages all well documented but always with a taint of despair when one considers the pain and preparation one takes to ‘be happy’
Then we consider the moment of happiness itself; already discussed lovemaking is beautiful but also the sticky peck from a shy grandson. My daughters are the joy of my life we correspond daily and they are a constant source of happiness and despair. My son on the other hand has no need for the frequent mother contact; so the occasional one-liners with no words of love are highlights I cherish.
So rather than capture a happy snap today that might have been the result of yesterday’s grief or tomorrow’s delete button ; I have chosen a picture taken by my mother of me c1959 and a moment of joy.
It reminds me of childlike happiness that has no baggage or comparison.
Five Sentence Fiction … Tears
The little girl stood in the shop by the counter with her purse tightly grasped in a bid to stave off her welling tears. She knew from previous experience the money in the purse would not cover the cost of the goods on her mother’s shopping list.When all her requirements had been put in her bag; the shopkeeper gave her the bill. The little girl mustered all her strength to ask the lady to put the difference on ‘tick’ knowing there was already a substantial sum outstanding.
Last week I learned that life is routine … rich and damned
I am a routine, life is a routine we are born we die. We have to create routine and patterns to ensure we keep safe and happy during this time. Our work and play is a routine.
I rise each morning at 5 am. What is this a habit, routine or celebration? A routine until I unwrap a new bar of soap; then the celebration of the ablution begins; a joyous step into the day … unless the toothpaste tube is empty. Then damned be the routine!
Lets not forget the the morning cuppa, not for me the routine tea bag dunk. White tea leaves steeped at 80 degrees and sipped from bone china cup! Tell me, when did the regular warmed pot and a spoon of leaves for each cup and one for the pot reach such ceremonious heights?
Question, each regular or routine task; emails for instance, an abysmal chore until up pops a delight from Brazil and another cuppa is poured and all is well with the world; unless of course … then the dastardly tablet is zapped.
Going to the gym and then to work is a pleasant practice providing the previous routines have been fulfilled. The packing of the bags requires minute analytical and strategic skills honed to a fine degree. The workplace ensemble should be colour coordinated; with corresponding underwear and shoes and arrive without a crease. I should mention the towel, shower gel, and makeup and other needs for my workaday apparel are all the result of careful routines. Oh Yes and ‘just in case’ … the further routine that with care will alleviate anxiety; which is the direct result of not having a rigid drill.
For instance, this Thursday I began my Creative Writing class. I had been before so I thought I knew where to go. I ritually prepared myself with a new pen, pad and poem I had composed earlier to read out should the need arise. I was fully routined. I cycled; leaving enough time to lock bike, ‘routine’ the windswept hair and make a timely entrance.
I was happy until I realised that my expectation and the actual venue didn’t agree. By the time I had discovered where I should be and got there, 45 minutes had passed! I should have ‘just in case’ checked the fine details of of the programme; but I hadn’t. However, I do have a comic routine that I use in such a situation; just in case … fortunately it worked and life and its rich routine went on.
Meaningful routine
creates
crystal space
Lively routine
leave room
for just in case.
Silent Sunday … whispered Haiku
Pink blush
hydrangeas outlast
summer sun.
Away winter gloom
will emerge
Hyacinths blue
Saturday good wishes …
Every month or so I send a parcel to my daughter in Brazil. It has become a bit of a tradition and a reason to celebrate. Not always because of the contents; sometimes it contains little more than a few food supplements and some English Tea (should I say Chinese or Indian)
It is more to do with its actual arrival and the time it takes. It should take 5 to 7 days but often it is more like 3 weeks or more. I have not expressed concern until now except when one got lost and another was returned. On on occasion the export duty far exceeded the value of the parcel; that time the postage was more than the contents! So the carrier was not always to blame.
This time I decided to carefully track the parcel and complain when it got overdue.
This preamble has a point to which I will return.
As you know I am an advocate of Good Wishes and all that entails; sitting on a cushion with legs crossed might help but it is not always necessary! It is like a prayer only a prayer I believe is to a nice man with a white beard sitting on a cloud answering all sorts of requests only if you and all concerned have been good; in his opinion.
My wishes come from a thankful place of good intentions; sometimes from despair not just for me but for all beings whether we are good or not. For instance when I am in that desperate state I wish for the happiness of all women and the safety of their far off offspring.
I have been advised also to be careful what one wishes for. It is likely that the wish will come true. For example; to wish that one ‘need not go to work tomorrow’ might mean that one wakes up to find an unfortunate reason why one cannot go to work and more serious implications.
It is not a case of one size fits all; the wish should be mindfully activated with good intentions.
So back to my story
And; Oh yes! another prerequisite it is imperative to share your life (and its wishes) with others who commit themselves to this simple culture. As luck and good wishes should have it, I find myself on Twitter with a bunch (this is a well defined epithet as one twitterer sends me flowers regularly) of good wishers and virtual huggers of love.
So due to the tardiness of my recent parcel this week I decided utilise the power of Twitter and politely wish that @parcelforce hurry up my parcel and those of all others of course.
After one or two more tweets, DM and emails the parcel has arrived at it is destination; for which I am truly grateful.
However, I firmly believe that as I had not shared any information regarding the parcel until yesterday afternoon; Parceforce had not yet put the pressure on the carriers at Sao Paulo.
It was my good wishes and those on Twitter that moved my parcel from Sao Paulo to Rio de Janeiro in 24 hours … a journey I know from previous tracking experience usually takes another 7 days!
Case proven
Saturday centus
This little true story is linked to week 127 of Saturday Centus. The six word prompt is in Sometimes you bend sometimes you break …
Sometimes you bend; sometimes you break was not an option for my Dad. He was a master boat builder of fine repute. This little life boat conversion was rebuilt using recycled materials from other salvaged boats; a work in progress and his pride and joy. Each timber was steamed and bent carefully and meaningfully placed using copper rivets. Any breakage due to his neglect or poor quality would have a marked effect on his costing. It was his plan to take his growing family sailing around the Solent and the English Channel after several years steaming, bending of timbers and sewing sails; we did.
Friday’s snapshot … Waiting for Sailor.
I am always on the lookout for good books for my grandchildren. As I work in a library I am watchful of books coming to the Teaching Practice Collection.
I come from a generation who were plied with books that were not even pertaining to the 20th century; most were racist, sexist, repressive and oh so jolly!!
It was not until I took my ‘O’ levels in 1965 that my reading material became more enlightened and fulfilling.
So with this in mind I am careful that the books I buy are well illustrated and the subject matter reflects life in the 21st century; its diversity, inequality, unfairness and possible opportunity for change … readable and fun!
I came across this book last week and it ticked all the boxes and more … with love and commitment!!
I first noticed the nautical theme; as you know I grew by the sea and sailed as child. I have also written about flags and their signals. I wondered about the message these on the cover told?
I noted the title; I was not comfortable with that as it had ‘barrack room’ humour connotations for me. Also reminiscent of the radio comedy show of the 1950s called the Navy Lark.
I understand that the book is a translation from the Dutch first edition entitled Wachten op Matroos (Waiting for Sailor) which I prefer.
It is a love story about two men that doesn’t focus on their sexuality; it is more to do with their commitment to one another; an example of a meaningful relationship whether gay or straight.
My grandsons of nine, seven and five years will enjoy the illustrations similar to their nearby Essex coastline and the tender tale.
There are gaps in the story that will raise questions and healthy discussion.
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Coat Hanger Doll's House 