Found Notes Around Town
Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.
Similar Posts
Negation, Affirmation (and a new yard sign)
I went to a delightful brunch yesterday hosted by friend and neighbor K, who lives on the other side of the Hill. A number of the guests turned out to live within a couple of blocks of me on the Northeast side. In describing my house to those who lived farther from the Capitol than I (knowing my block was part of their usual walking path), I said, “mine is the one with the ‘War is not the answer‘” yard sign. “Oh yes, I know which one it is,” was the uniform response.
K said she did not have the yard sign because she did not want a negative message in her front yard. It served its purpose for a time, she claimed, but she wanted a more positive message. I replied that if the sign said “peace is the answer” it would not have the same p0litical meaning. People would just think, “yes, peace is nice, but whatever,” and keep walking. We all agreed that was likely, but I left still thinking about the conversation.
One of the reasons K gave for wishing to turn the sign on its head, was she did not want something renunciatory, and she referenced the principle of “negation” in Buddhism. I knew what she meant. Advaita vedanta has a phrase, “neti, neti” or “not this, not this” which means extinguishment of the individual self and a life of the senses and mind to unite with the ultimate Spirit. The Buddhist “nirvana” literally means “void.” I did not engage the conversation in such a way as to bring it to tantra lest I go too far in the direction of yoga geekiness, but the conversation certainly led me to think in that direction. Tantra seeks to do exactly what K was seeking: to turn the phrase, “not this, not this” into an embrace that will reveal truth and light by means of affirmation rather than negation.
Interestingly, though, I think a possible inspiration for K’s yard sign dilemma could come from from Buddhism: metta meditation (note: I have been offered this meditation in various settings and have practiced it many times, but it is not my regular meditation practice, so I hope I am not misinterpreting or mischaracterizing it here). The theory behind metta meditation is to distance one from anger to cultivate calm. In this creation of calm comes a general demeanor of loving kindness and compassion. I personally become calmer by embracing and aligning with all my emotions, including grief and anger, but still find the languaging of the metta practice beautifully inspiring.
In that spirit, I suggest as a possible rewording of the yard sign that still serves the political message, the call to serve: “may all beings be free from war.”
Or maybe FCNL should make a sign with the query: “what do I do in my life to remove the causes of war?” Is that still a negative, if we are calling for positive actions to remove causes?
- Asana, Pranayama, and Yoga Practice | Community and Family | Food for the Mind (Yoga Philosophy, etc) | Gardening | Meditation | Photos
Signs Around Town (Excerpt)
Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.
Gifts of Onions (and Eternal Truth)
A couple of weeks ago, a good friend gave me a box of perfect vidalia onions. She had been given two boxes. She said, “These onions were so good; I wanted to give them to someone who would truly appreciate them. I first thought of you.” I was delighted, “yes, I’d love some vidalias.” They are exquisite. I’ve been making delicate sautes, grilling them, dicing them into salads, and marveling at their sweetness. I passed a few on to others that both would fully appreciate the onions as a culinary matter and also know my friend, who is a former co-worker.
Last night I went to take class at Willow Street and was talking a little with the work study students at the desk after class before heading home. “Would you like some onions?” asked one of the work study students, who does great work with the Fresh Farm Markets around town. “Oh, how lovely, no, no thank you,” I replied, “A friend just gave me a box of vidalia onions and I have shallots, baby leeks, spring onions, and garlic chives in my garden.” “I think you have enough in the allium family already,” she agreed, “would you like a cucumber?” “A cucumber? Yes, that would be great. I’ve only gotten one ripe one so far; they aren’t liking the cool wet.” She gave me a cucumber and a zucchini from a farm visit she had done that morning, which made my evening (I am so easily pleased).
This morning I wondered about these offers of onions. It is not as though it is a regular thing for me twice in a space of a couple of weeks to be given bounteous offers of exquisite onions. Did it mean something?
Onion comes from the same latin root as “union.” Unlike garlic, in whose family onions belong, onions grow a single, undivided bulb, which is the likely reason for the development of the word onion. From sketchy researching on the internet, I find onions are also the symbol of “good” and fullness — hence the onion domes in architecture. The ancient Egyptions thought the onion a symbol of eternity (layer upon layer of being) and truth. Yes, I like thinking these onions (those I took home and those that were gifted instead, no doubt, to some other appreciative soul) were meant to bring me to think of good, of union, of the eternal truth in gifts and shared pleasure in sharing delicious, healing, fresh food with friends.
