You are viewing ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=88.8){kind=small}
whisper_hope's journal
You are viewing whisper_hope's journal
|
|||||||
 |
|
|
|||||
|
Les Chuchotements d'Espoir  There’s a river of hope There’s a mountain of peace There’s an ocean of joy Waiting somewhere for me If I trust in my god Not what I see but what I know I will always find A river of hope Have you ever seen the sky so beautiful, colorful, wide and wonderful Have you ever felt the sun shine so brilliantly, raining down oh the unity Have you ever wanted more? You've got to keep your mind wide open all the possibilities You've got to live with your eyes open believe in what you see Think of all the days you've wasted worrying, wondering, hopelessly hoping Think of all the time ahead, don't hesitate, contemplate, no it's not too late Have you ever wanted more? Don't you know there's so much more? You've got to keep your mind wide open all the possibilities You've got to live with your eyes open believe in what you see Tomorrows horizons Full of surprises Don't let them chase your dreams away You've got to keep your mind wide open all the possibilities You've got to live with your eyes open believe in what you see ~Keep Your Mind Wide Open "Angels live in gardens. Close your eyes and breathe deep. That's the breath of angels. The stirrings you hear in the leaves are their wings brushing past." "When I was four, I believed her. When I was seven, I knew better. But now that I was fourteen, I again believed that angels lived there." p. 11-12 "It's all right to let go of some things - even the things we love. Sometimes, it's even best." p. 215 "Each generation stamps itself into the next one. The impression is indelible. Like the flowers in my mother's gardens that come and go with the changing of the seasons, life re-creates itself. And the best of life must be nurtured if it is to thrive... Families endure. No matter what." p. 261-262 ~Lurlene McDaniel's Garden of Angels This past Saturday night, we were outside chasing fireflies at my grandma's farm behind her barn in her fields. I've never seen fireflies and that night we saw thousands out dancing in the fields. They looked like fairies. So amazing!! We caught them and then let them go. I don't know if I'll ever get that chance again, but it's something I'll never forget. “What does it feel like when you grow up?" “I don’t know. Perhaps it’s different for everyone.” “I think I know how it is to be grown up. It’s when you feel how someone feels who isn’t you.” ~FairyTale: A True Story "He closed his eyes and sank into the warm dusk that separates consciousness and sleep, where reality bends and sways to the wind of thought, and where creativity blossoms in its freedom from boundaries and all things are possible" (p. 146). "...the goal matters not, only the journey to it" (p. 313). "Live in the present, remember the past, and fear not the future, for it doesn't exist and never shall. There is only now" (p. 361). "This is a personal decision. I won't force my choice upon anyone" (p. 444). "... [Eragon asked,} 'What do elves believe?' A long sigh was Oromis's first answer. Then: 'We believe that the world behaves according to certain inviolable rules and that, by persistent effort, we can discover those rules and use them to predict events when circumstances repeat.' Eragon blinked. That did not tell him what he wanted to know. 'But who, or what, do you worship?' 'Nothing.' 'You worship the concept of nothing?' 'No, Eragon. We do not worship at all.' The thought was so alien, it took Eragon several moments to grasp what Oromis meant. The villagers of Carvahall lacked a single overriding doctrine, but they did share a collection of superstitions and rituals, most of which concerned warding off bad luck. During the course of his training, it had dawned upon Eragon that many of the phenomena that the villagers attributed to supernatural sources were in fact natural processes, such as when he learned in his meditations that maggots hatched from fly eggs instead of spontaneously arising from the dirt, as he had thought before. Nor did it make sense for him to put out an offering of food to keep sprites from turning the milk sour when he knew that sour milk was actually caused by a proliferation of tiny organisms in the liquid. Still, Eragon remained convinced that otherworldly forces influenced the world in mysterious ways, a belief that his exposure to the dwarves' religion had bolstered. He said, 'Where do you think the world came from, then, if it wasn't created by the gods?' 'Which gods, Eragon?' 'Your gods, the dwarf gods, our gods...someone must have created it.' Oromis raised an eyebrow. 'I would not necessarily agree with you. But be as that may, I cannot prove that gods do not exist. Nor can I prove that the world and everything in it was not created by an entity or entities in the distant past. But I can tell you that in the millennia we elves have studied nature, we have never witnessed an instance where the rules that govern the world have been broken. That is, we have never seen a miracle. Many events have defied our ability to explain, but we are convinced that we failed because we are still woefully ignorant about the universe and not because a deity altered the workings of nature.' 'A god wouldn't have to alter nature to accomplish his will,' asserted Eragon. 'He could do it within the system that already exists. ... He could use magic to affect events.' Oromis smiled. 'Very true. But ask yourself this, Eragon: If gods exist, have they been good custodians of Alagaesia? Death, sickness, poverty, tyranny, and countless other miseries stalk the land. If this is the handiwork of divine beings, then they are to be rebelled against and overthrown, not given obeisance, obedience, and reverence.' 'The dwarves believe - ' 'Exactly! The dwarves believe. When it comes to certain matters, they rely upon faith rather than reason. They have even been known to ignore proven facts that contradict their dogma.' 'Like what?' demanded Eragon. 'Dwarf priests use coral as proof that stone is alive and can grow, which also corroborates their story that Helzvog formed the race of dwarves out of granite. But we elves discovered that it is actually an exoskeleton secreted by minuscule animals that live inside it. Any magician can sense the animals if he opens his mind. We explained this to the dwarves, but they refused to listen, saying that the life we felt resides in every kind of stone, although their priests are the only ones who are supposed to be able to detect the life in landlocked stones.' For a long time, Eragon stared out the window turning Oromis's words over in his mind. 'You don't believe in an afterlife, then.' 'From what Glaedr said, you already knew that.' 'And you don't put stock in gods.' 'We give credence only to that which we can prove exists. Since we cannot find evidence that gods, miracles, and other supernatural things are real, we do not trouble ourselves about them. If that were to change, if Helzvog were to reveal himself to us, then we would accept the new information and revise our position.' 'It seems a cold world without something...more.' 'On the contrary,' said Oromis, 'it is a better world. A place where we are responsible for our own actions, where we can be kind to one another because we want to and because it is the right thing to do instead of being frightened into behaving by the threat of divine punishment. I won't tell you what to believe, Eragon. It is far better to be taught to think critically and then be allowed to make your own decisions than to have someone else's notions thrust upon you. You asked after our religion, and I have answered you true. Make of it what you will'" (p. 541-544). "It takes courage to admit you were wrong." "Only if you are afraid of looking foolish, and I would have looked far more foolish if I persisted with an erroneous belief" (p. 620). Quotes from Eldest by Christopher Paolini. Why do we play with fire? Why do we run our finger through the flame? Why do we leave our hand on the stove- Although we know we're in for some pain? Oh, why do we refuse to hang a light When the streets are dangerous? **Why does it take an accident Before the truth gets through to us?** Cages or wings? Which do you prefer? Ask the birds. Fear or love, baby? Don't say the answer Actions speak louder than words. Why should we try to be our best When we can just get by and still gain? Why do we nod our heads Although we know The boss is wrong as rain? **Why should we blaze a trail When the well worn path seems safe and So inviting?** How-as we travel, can we See the dismay- And keep from fighting? Cages or wings? Which do you prefer? Ask the birds Fear or love, baby? Don't say the answer Actions speak louder than words What does it take To wake up a generation? How can you make someone Take off and fly? If we don't wake up And shake up the nation We'll eat the dust of the world Wondering why Why do we stay with lovers Who we know, down deep Just aren't right? Why would we rather Put ourselves through hell Than sleep alone at night? Why do we follow leaders who never lead? Why does it take catastrophe to start a revolution? If we're so free, tell me why? Someone tell me why So many people bleed? Cages or wings? Which do you prefer? Ask the birds. Fear or love, baby? Don't say the answer. Cages or wings? Which do you prefer? Actions speak louder than words. ~Louder than Words: Tick, Tick Boom! "I'm trying to get rid of the duality that everyone lives in. That happiness/sadness, good/bad, judgment. All that. I feel I am coming along, and I am grateful for that." (p. 172) "True religion is to serve all and love all.... We're all children of the same God. If we believe in God, God is our father and mother. So therefore we are all children, all the same religion." (p. 186) "...whe people are 'running from pillar to post,' dabbling in various religious practices at the same time, they will only find frustration. As he put it, 'What you're trying to do, in other words, is to experience somebody else's bliss. That's all. If you apply yourself, stay with one tradition for some time, you begin to tap that inner spring. Once you begin to tap that, nothing will dry it out.'" (p. 188) "...much of what draws committed devotees is not access to the extraordinary but to that which is reassuring and familiar." (p. 191) "Although devotees initially find themselves at the temple for a host of reasons, the key to its lasting appeal for many is the sense of home it evokes." (p. 203) "I felt that the Devi had put one thousand arms around me and just held me in Her arms. I felt completely that I had found my home. She had just taken all of my longings and my desires and all my burdens, all the weight off my shoulders, and she just took it into her lap. She just removed all of that. Like a painful longing where you're just seeking and seeking and seeking and trying so hard to find your home and find your place in the world and find the meaning of life - all of that. She just lifted that right off my shoulders and said, 'This is your home.' And it was just this incredible feeling of relief and release. I felt like, 'This is my home!'" (p. 205) "My interpretation is that this is not a temple. This is your heart. When you go to other temples, you know you're going to the temple. Every time I come here, it's not that I'm coming to a temple. That's not the feeling I get. It's like it's my house. This is where I belong. It's a party.... This is our house, our home." (p. 205) "...a longing for peace and comfort of God is only natural." (p. 207) "...while professors tend to get lost in their analyses of religious events, the 'village idiot' meanwhile finds his way to God." (p. 210) And we're done with the book The Goddess Lives in Upstate New York by Corinne Dempsey (from where the above quotes are). Home and Nature in The Goddess Lives in Upstate New York by Corinne Dempsey: "...'home' - a place that, in a sense, grounds them and helps make sense of life's various ruptures. Although the process of 'making home' is not typically easy or pain-free, it can offer a means to engage the generous stores of individual, communal, and divine adaptability and creativity of those who partake." (p. 149) "As we walked and lit candles, I found myself astounded that, although our task was meant to benefit the deities, no one was chanting. Instead, the darkness was filled with joking and laughter and giddy comments about lurking snakes. At one point we all stopped in our tracks to appreciate the new sliver of a moon, the sound of chirping crickets filling our momentary silence.... As we contentedly returned to the temple, Aiya happily remarked to me that young people like it at the temple because it feels like a village.... [I did not understand what he meant by this.] One the one hand, he may have been referring to the village of deities who dot the rural landscape with their shrine homes, enhancing the temple terrain with their warmth and blessings. He may also have been referring to a village in the sense of a close-knit human community who feel at home with one another and share an appreciation for ordinary things in life. Or maybe it was both. Setting out into the night, bound by the simple purpose of giving a little light to the hillside shrines, it seemed the small band of devotees honored their affiliation with the land, its deities, and one another with their laughter and camaraderie. In this case, the simplest and homeliest of acts - absent of elaborate rituals, ancient associations, or cross-country networks - sanctified a chain of connections between the temple, its community, and its terrain." (p. 161-162) "As they blessed the barn temple and its grounds, these traveling deities helped link and sanctify terrain and traditions old and new, far and near. As such, they tempered apparently insurmountable divides and barriers - not least, the perceived abyss between divinity and humanity. Rush stories and experiences of sacred travel and transport thus demonstrate that quests for holiness and home are, at times, indistinguishable." (p.168) It's always nice to hear that it's the community and not necessarily the rituals that give a place a religious or spiritual sense, since that's what I struggle with a lot of the time. My new goal is to read the entire Bible (along with the Bhagavad Gita, the Tao Te Ching, the Tibetan Book of the Dead, the Qur'an (maybe), and any other religious Holy Book I find). I'm half-way through the Bhagavad Gita and the Tao Te Ching, so hopefully I can finish those by the end of the semester. My short-term goal with the Bible is to read the 4 gospels by the end of the semester, and more if I can. I read all of Matthew today, so the other three shouldn't be too hard since they're shorter. Then the rest of the NT will hopefully be read this summer. And I have no idea when I'll get to the OT, but eventually it might happen. My dad has read the entire Bible once or twice, so I have to keep up :-P |
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
