Catching up on the weekend: It is lovely to have Matilda round we have both decided on Xmas presents, I want a wooden shawl brooch, and she will get fingerless gloves (and her ration of Xmas money if you are reading this Matilda). We had a raclette for our meal on Sunday which she wanted and went out to 'Honest John' restaurant yesterday in Tod. Honest John Fielden (1784 to 1849.) He was a member of parliament and his family were good people (might even say they were socialists ;) in his employment of local people .
The restaurant was originally a bank, though to be honest it could also have had an earlier life as a chapel. But it has a a good menu, and I had the halloumi salad.
Afterwards we went to the organic shop that is just down the road. Firstly I wanted to buy vegetarian pate, been eating a meat one, which though nice I shouldn't buy though Mollie the cat likes it. Then a wooden nail brush, because not only is it good for nails but scrubbing dirty potatoes as well.
Nutritional Yeast was also bought, not for me but my daughter. She had heard it tasted like cheese (it doesn't) and is a poor substitute. I bought myself an extra 'rainbow mug' because I am always leaving the first one around the house.
Go to the organic shop and the prices are expensive. Though I can agree that organic raising of crops can be expensive, their prices go through an awful amount of stuff we can buy and I often wonder if it is justified.
I mentioned to someone yesterday that Paul had gone to Japan after art school at the invitation of a rich American woman called Ruth Fuller-Sasaki. He had arrived, no money and no where to stay, at Tokyo rail station at midnight and did not know what to do. Luckily the station master called the police who took him to a hostel. The start of Paul's 20 year stay in Japan.
But that first year was spent at a temple as a monk before he moved on to a university and a job in conservation. He had this odd little book called the 'Wooden Fish' which had 'four vows'. The first one rings strongly with me, the second one is more difficult and the last two too religious to be undertaken.
I had been fascinated with Leonard Cohen's spiritual journey so I thought your story about your brother was amazing. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHels Paul was my partner not brother. Your words on Leonard Cohen's were very interesting. He could write 'words' beautifully but his singing voice, in fact I don't think he had much of a voice it was just the drama of the words as a poet that struck people so deeply.
DeleteI have nothing but compliments to vegetarians, but humans have been eating meat for a very long time.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Paul arrived at Ueno Station, as we did, and as we did, sought the help of the lovely policemen nearby. We had no idea of the hugeness of the station or the multiple exits.
Yes Andrew, and animals eat other animals, so it is a moral question. So probably less animal eating is good and more healthy probably. I would not know which station, only that their fast trains are always crammed through.
ReplyDeletePaul sure had an unusual life, Thelma. I wonder about his childhood and what made him decide to leave his early life behind. I don't understand the "vows" at all.
ReplyDeleteIt was the 60s Ellen, people left home far more easily to try other things, his father did send him some money now and then. I suppose the vows are something you learn, have you not seen the Tibetan monks, how they pour over the old books, a religious experience that takes years to understand. I would go on, but it is like the Koan of 'clapping with one hand'
ReplyDeleteI have just begun the Tao te Ching, hungering for serenity. I think when the future is too huge to comprehend, there is a great comfort to be found in ancient words.
ReplyDeleteI have reservations about religion bringing peace and quiet, it also comes wrapped up in ideology. But do agree absolutely that words can have a calming effect. There is a story in one of my blogs, which has the first vow in mind, about saving sentient beings. The story goes thus, one day a man was out walking and looked down the side of a cliff. He saw a very hungry lion trying to feed her cubs. So he threw his clothes to one side and leapt over the cliff to be eaten by the lioness. Such stories are good for making us stop and think.
DeleteI cannot consider myself an expert on this, having only just delved into it. Religion, I think tends to turn our attention to a deity, something outside of ourselves, where as philosophy centers us, bring our attention to that which is in ourselves. I guess to make it simplistic, we all want a peaceful world. I just feel as if I cannot give to the world what I don't have within myself. I am not sure that this makes any sense at all.
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