Book of Mercy #46-50

[Diane]

Morning all. Cheers Mary B - my own contributions have been minimal but I too have been a happy follower.

I'm not sure either Lizzy! Could be I first heard him say it in a video when he was talking about Ten New Songs.

Honest and un-egocentric listening/communicating can do that kind of thing. And for them and others who experience this kind of rare extended process, there can also be a discovery or sense that we're all really not that different in some ways that are more vital and substantive than our perceptions, beliefs and cognitions.

Steven I really like what you said there.

As far as the final verse is concerned, I love its simplicity and feel of acceptance - you are here, you have always been here. I especially like the poetic expression of the essence of zen in the final sentence. Blessed is the one who waits in the traveller’s heart for his turning. This also echoes the Jewish Prayer Book you say, Doron. To the end, Leonard is speaking from more than one place.

The final verse in Gitanjali, Rabindranath Tagore's wonderful volume of numbered verses about his own spiritual quest, has the same theme of unification of disparate inclinations, and surrender to god:


In one salutation to thee, my God, let
all my senses spread out and touch this
world at thy feet.

Like a rain-cloud of July hung low
with its burden of unshed showers let
all my mind bend down at thy door in
one salutation to thee.

Let all my songs gather together
their diverse strains into a single current
and flow to a sea of silence in one
salutation to thee.

Like a flock of homesick cranes flying
night and day back to their mountain
nests let all my life take its voyage
to its eternal home in one salutation to thee.

-------------

[Steven]

Hi,

My contributions, too, have been minimal, Diane.

Lizzy, I think that Leonard's pebbles comment may have been made on an NPR interview. Perhaps he may also have
made the same analogy elsewhere.

Diane, I very much like your citing of that verse from "Gitanjali." It hits the mark very well here.
"diverse" and "one" coexist well in it. "silence," says much about acceptance -- a state of unity.

[mat james]

Yes...
It takes me back to an old favorite, Diane

"...and the steps that I heard in my playroom. are the same that are echoing from star to star. ..."


Signet of Eternity

The day was when I did not keep myself in readiness for thee;
and entering my heart unbidden even as one of the common crowd,
unknown to me, my king, thou didst press the signet of eternity upon
many a fleeting moment of my life.

And today when by chance I light upon them and see thy signature,
I find they have lain scattered in the dust mixed with the memory of
joys and sorrows of my trivial days forgotten.

Thou didst not turn in contempt from my childish play among dust,
and the steps that I heard in my playroom
are the same that are echoing from star to star.

Rabindranath Tagore.


It is very Leonard....or Leonard is very Rab.

MatbbgJ

[Cate]

Cheers Mary B - my own contributions have been minimal but I too have been a happy follower.

me as well, my contributions have been small but I've enjoyed watching the book open up for me in new and exciting ways as I've read so many various perspectives on my screen. I've learned about and been introduced to so many new to me things in these threads (I like that they're called threads seems appropriate) and I thank Doron and Mat for their consistent presence and enlightening/entertaining input throughout as well as all of those who have shared their thoughts and ideas (really there has been so many over these years). I'm sorry, as you've already mentioned before Diane, that Greg wasn't able to be here at the end - I would have love to see his overall take on the book.


~~~~
I like how in this last prayer everything comes together... the phrase "and the heart is a rage of directions" particularly stands out

The book preceding the Book of Mercy is Death of a Ladies man. Even though there’s 6 years apart in the books there seems to be somewhat of a continuance of the last though in that book.

This is the last poem entry
I am almost 90
Everyone I know has died off
except Leonard
He can still be seen
hobbling with his love


I have examined his death. Although it is unstable, I doubt that we shall find the old goat nibbling again at the lacy hem of the various salivations. I am more vulgar than he was, but I never pretended to a spiritual exercise. Furthermore, his death is sexless and cannot be used in politics. There is a cheap sweet smell in the air for which he bears some responsibility. I swear to the police that I have appeared, and do appear, as one of his voices. I see in the insignificance of these pages a shadow of the coming modesty. His death belongs to the future. I am well read. I am well served. I am satisfied and I give in. Long live the marriage of men and women. Long live the one heart.

and then the picture beside it is from The Rosary of the Philosophers - http://www.alchemywebsite.com/virtual_m ... _room.html

RS11.jpg (90.4 KiB) Viewed 6111 times

image 11 which seems to represent more of a spiritual union - note that the he and she stuff is seems to have gotten intermingled - her hair is now short and his long.

if interested a little more detail – scroll down to get a general explanation of the series pictures. http://www.istanbul-yes-istanbul.co.uk/ ... mfinal.htm

[Diane]

Mat, yes, Rabindranath T is quite Leonard, although RT doesn't start from such a dark place. They finish in the same place though. The piece you copied says, very beautifully and echoing Leonard - when I was not looking out for you, that's when you were there; you have always been here. Wow. It takes you to silence doesn't it.

The book preceding the Book of Mercy is Death of a Ladies man. Even though there’s 6 years apart in the books there seems to be somewhat of a continuance of the last though in that book.

This is the last poem entry
I am almost 90
Everyone I know has died off
except Leonard
He can still be seen
hobbling with his love


I have examined his death. Although it is unstable, I doubt that we shall find the old goat nibbling again at the lacy hem of the various salivations. I am more vulgar than he was, but I never pretended to a spiritual exercise. Furthermore, his death is sexless and cannot be used in politics. There is a cheap sweet smell in the air for which he bears some responsibility. I swear to the police that I have appeared, and do appear, as one of his voices. I see in the insignificance of these pages a shadow of the coming modesty. His death belongs to the future. I am well read. I am well served. I am satisfied and I give in. Long live the marriage of men and women. Long live the one heart.

Cate, In that piece re. Death of a Ladies Man, I notice a touch of cynicism and anger about it; it holds short of complete honesty. And BoM was next was it - that's interesting; Sturgess66 posted an interview in the news section yesterday where Leonard says that when he wrote the Book of Mercy, he couldn't speak at all, and 'couldn't address anything but the source of all things'.

ps I miss Greg too. Were you there when we were all dancing and analysing the wrong verse, and Greg said it was like Monty Python?

[mat james]

Wow. It takes you to silence doesn't it.

[DBCohen]

Diane, Cate, Steven, Mat,

I really enjoyed reading all your postings on this page.

Your are also invited to read and comment on the new thread I’ve started, “The Book of Mercy Discussion - Look back in pleasure.”

Many thanks,

Doron

[mat james]

You know, I feel that all the Book of Mercy (threads)should be brought together on one thread, now.
It would keep things simple.

[Cate]

Diane - I'm sorry I didn't respond before ... I must have switched to the new thread or got caught up in something else - I missed Greg's Montey Python bit but I bet it was funny.

Mat - maybe you or Doreen could start a new thread with links to each of the other threads (kinda like chapters) and ask that people leave new comments in that thread just to keep it above the others.

[DBCohen]

Hi Mat and Cate,

First let me suggest you’d use my short summary of the discussion, which can serve as a kind of index:

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=21497

Second, I know of a person who has been working on condensing the discussion and putting the essentials into one file; I hope this work will be successfully concluded and put on the Forum.

Doron

[mat james]

I'm not too sure what you mean by "condensing", Doron.
If you mean that my words will be altered in some way; I am not for it.
I would like each of my postings to retain their original integrity; (including my name attached).
I prefer the idea of a BOM thread in its original entirety.

Simply a compilation of all BOM threads into one, first; accessible to all readers, as it was.
Any alterations, "condensations", should be put to the participants for approval as a matter of correct protocol, good manners.

Regards, Mat.

[DBCohen]

Mat,

The person doing the “condensing” is not changing anything, simply putting everything into a Word file which will make it easier to read.

It is interesting that you want to put it all back together; as you remember, people were complaining that it was too difficult to find anything in such a long thread, and that’s why we cut it down to pieces… We’ll have to consult Jarkko or Tom about the possibilities.

[mat james]

O.K. Doron.
Word file sounds good.
It would be good to have it all in a file; like a book; chapter after chapter.
Regards, Mat.

[Gullivor]

Perhaps we could start over from the beginning?

[Diane]

Mat I saw your poem and it took me back to re-read everyone's posts over the last couple of pages here. Love the many converging threads:-) (threads of thought, threads on the forum...)

I awaken into You;

and without You

...does not exist..