Kept by the Sun and the Rising Star

The Oxford Book of Death

By D.J. Enright

Here are cakes for thy body,

Cool water for thy throat,

Sweet breezes for thy nostrils,

And thou art satisfied.

No longer dost thou stumble

Upon thy chosen path,

From thy mind all evil

And darkness fall away.

Here by the river,

Drink and bath thy limbs,

Or cast thy net, and surely

It shall be filled with fish.

The holy cow of Hapi

Shall give thee of her milk,

The ale of gods triumphant

Shall be thy daily draught.

White linen is thy tunic,

Thy sandals shine with gold;

Victorious thy weapons,

That death come not again.

Now upon the whirlwind

Thou followest thy Prince,

Now thou hast refreshment

Under the leafy tree.

Take wings to climb the zenith,

Or sleep in Fields of Peace;

By day the Sun shall keep thee,

By night the rising Star”(176-177).

The Other World (as cited in Enright)

                     The comforts that Egyptians predicted for the time after death, emphasizes their positive opinion on death and the afterlife. When death occurred the individual was lain to rest with food, drink and perfume to give them comfort during the passage to the afterlife. Their cares and troubles in life dropped away; perhaps when they confessed to the forty-two judges. It is interesting that the river [Nile] is referenced many times within Egyptian mythology in relation to death because the river during that time period was the life giver to the entire land. Perhaps it is referenced because when the Nile is related to life thus also related to the afterlife.    

Passion, Determination and Skill

Success Built to Last

By Jerry Porras, Stwart Emery and Mark Thomson

                    When the text informed me that most successful builders do not possess the confident qualities of a leader but are more introverted, tentative and nervous particularly when being addressed as, or referred to as a leader, it really shocked me. Is it not of the essence to be a very sociable person in order to be successful? Then I thought about it and I believe that the mission of the soul makes the man/women. In the case of Norma Hotaling, It does not matter how she feels about herself, when she working with or talking about her mission, it brings her out of her shell and fills her with the energy and enthusiasm to reach for the “unqualified”(106-107).

                   “ Life takes ‘passion, determination, and skill,’ cautions [Condoleezza] Rice”(117) (as cited in Porras). This is applicable because without one, two or all of these, life threatens to and will eventually run you over and flatten you. Without these elements a person’s success cannot be expected to last(118). The entire concept is like you are trying to built a dam to prevent the tides of life from overwhelming you are you going to use straw, sticks, and feathers or would you rather use stone, morter and steel? 

Ancient times Accepting Death or Rejoicing in Death

The Sacred Art of Dying
by Kenneth Kramer

                 It must be noted that the civilizations dating back to about 30,000 BCE were obsessed with three things in their lives: “birth, food and death (94). As a result, these three factors of ancient life played major roles in this peoples culture both in the practical and supernatural sense. The death ritual of these people im-particular reflected these ancient quandaries. If fact their burial customs consisted of:

1.      “Often the corpse was covered with a red pigment (associated with blood or vitality) which  suggests a hope that vitality would be restored, and a belief in an afterlife.

2.      Food, tools and weapons were found in graves which indicates a belief that they would     be needed in some way in the next world.

3.      The dead were usually buried on their side, legs tightly flexed, hands covering their face, in the fetal position, as if to prepare them for rebirth from the grave/womb of Mother Earth.

4.      Stone or bone ornaments and figurines were placed in the grave; their accentuated sexual features and blank faces suggest that these figurines represent not individual women but the Mother Goddess”(94).

In the text two ancient writings are cited as examples of death rituals of the time period. The first, the Epic of Gilgamesh recounts how Gilgamesh mourns his friend Enkidu who was killed by the gods. The story first recounts that he mourned over the body seven days and seven nights finally commissioned artisans to construct a statue of his friend. When the statue was completed it was placed on a table with a bowl of honey and a bowl of milk. Finally, Gilgamesh offers the site to the god of the sun and departs.

                      The death of his friend drove Gilgamesh to search for everlasting life. Three beings attempt to dissuade him from his quest all of them basically telling him:

“The life thou pursuest thou shalt not find.

When the gods created mankind,

Death for mankind they set aside,

Life in their own hands retaining.

Thou, Gilgamesh, let full be thy belly,

Make thou merry by bay and by night.

Of each day make thou a feast of rejoicing,

Day and night dance thou and play”(97-98).

These words portray the Mesopotamian view on death; live life to the fullest while they still can. While conversing with an immortal Gilgamesh discovers the location of a of a plant called “The Old Man Becomes Young Again”(99). He retrieved the plant only to have it absconded from him and he finally returns to his own city of Uruk. When Gilgamesh finally passes on, his people mourn him and give offerings to the gods of the dead, but they have no hope for Gilgamesh will not rise again. The text even presents us with lessons we can garner from this epic:

1.      “The to find answers to questions raised by death one has to search life with a single-minded passion.

2.      That the only valid answers to death’s mystery come from one’s own experience, not from someone else’s attempt to provide answers.

3.      That there is no personal immortality for humans, only for the gods, that human fate is in the hands of the gods and that only the gods know when a person will die.

4.      That even though the key to rejuvenation is possible to grasp momentarily, it cannot be kept.

5.      That society (the polis)outlasts the individual and is the only immortality humans can achieve, that is, to live on in the memory of living, indeed in the memory of this story itself”(100).

                       The text continues to relate another tale from the same time period, however this story comes from the south in the land of ancient Egypt. This civilization was also obsessed with death, but it viewed it in a profoundly positive sense. This optimism in the face of death can be observed in artifacts such as the Egyptian Book of the Dead, funerary writings, mummies, tombs, pyramids, and mortuary tools. The numerous cities within Egypt were known to each have a god which garnered the majority of worshiping. Egyptian mythology is complex and extensive, however, the text narrows the view for us and focuses on the story of Isis and Osiris, which deals largely with the cult of the dead.

                       The records tell us that Osiris was a king and his land was fertile and full of vegetation; there was no death in the land. He ruled the land with his wise sister/wife yet despite his admirable rule he had many enemies including his brother Seth who killed him. Osiris was the first man to die. Kenneth Kramer’s book, The Ancient Art of Dying, tells of Osiris’ resurrection, second death and final resurrection during which he becomes the god of the dead, ruler of the Nether World.  

                    A fact which I find fascinating about Egyptian mythology is the judgment and weighing of souls. When an individual crosses over they must confess in the presents of forty-two judges, and then the individuals soul is weight against an ostrich feather. If the weight of the soul and the weight of the feather is equal then the soul is allowed the pleasures of paradise. There is no indication in the Book of the Dead that any soul has not passed the test of the weighing of souls(104).

                   The preservation of the body was of extreme importance to the Egyptians because it was believed that a person’s ka or spiritual personality would need to reoccupy the body in the after-life. Having completed extensive research of the process of mummification, I am able to share that knowledge with you.

         The Egyptian art of mummification was developed over a period of approximately 100 years. What prompted the development of mummification was the fact, that previously the Egyptians had arranged their dead in coffins and then buried them in sand pits out in the desert; before coffins were adopted, however, the Egyptians simply placed the unprotected bodies in the pits; there, the Egyptian heat and sand would dry the body out. Just placing the bodies in pits, unfortunately, created targets for carnivorous desert animals, so coffins found their employment in Egypt. Coffins, however, kept away the preserving elements of sand and heat and the bodies promptly rotted, leading the afterlife- believing Egyptians to dedicate substantial time and aspiration into the art of preservation.

         The process of mummification was performed in two parts: first the embalming later to be followed by the wrapping. To begin the embalming stage, the body was quartered in a special tent called the ‘Ibu’ or place of purification. There, the body was bathed in richly scented palm wine and rinsed with water from the Nile. This completed, an embalmer would then slice open the left side of the thoracic cavity and the stomach, liver, intestines and lungs were extracted, cleaned and packed with natrons --- a drying material. The heart was not removed, however of the Egyptian belief that it was the center of intelligence and feeling; the brain, on the other hand, was shown no mercy; it was smashed up and drawn out the nose with a specially designed hook. This completed, the entire body was stuffed and wrapped entirely with natron and left to dry for forty days. After which, the body was rewashed with Nile water and massaged with sweet scented oils to maintain integumentary elasticity. Finally, the dehydrated organs would be placed back in the body and wrapped in linen, along with a manifold of dried material to endow the body with a natural look.

         This completed, the outer wrapping begins. First the head was bound, followed by the individual fingers and toes. Next, the arms and legs would be fettered separately, with amulets placed within the individual layers of the linen. All throughout the swathing process, spells and prays were chanted from the Book of the Dead --- to ensure that evil spirits are kept at bay during the journey to the afterlife. The next step was to bind the hands and legs together and place the Book of the Dead between the hands. The deceased was then shrouded with more layers of linen; each painted with resin to help them hold together. Finally, an image of Osiris, god of the dead, was painted on the body, which was then placed in the first coffin, which, in turn, was then placed in a second, more elaborate coffin or sarcophagi, and carried to its final resting place; the surviving family would be attending and grieving behind

The Aura of the Place

Rock Ridge Cemetery Project

             The layout of this historical cemetery is such that the oldest section is mostly bordering Mountain St and as the markers indicate years that are progressively more recent the sites follow in a “time-line” like manner along East St. From the beginning of the oldest section of the cemetery the terrain consists of rolling hills right up until the years 1920-1970 begin to appear, at that point the terrain becomes completely level. Considering the sizable hills leading up to the new section, this terrain alteration is rather odd.

             The entire site of the Rock Ridge Cemetery ---both old and new sections--- gave off a peaceful, for-filled, and contemplative aura; that is until I entered an area of the old section at the peak of a rise where there were numerous family monuments. I neglected to record the names on the tombs within that specific area, so I will have to return to the site, but upon entering a specific area of about twenty feet in length, the peacefulness of the setting was nearly over run with heavy tones of anxiety and malevolence. It was like walking into a room an realizing, “Oh, shoot someone is really not happy!”  The unpleasant feeling persisted for the approximate twenty feet than began to ease with reluctance and dragging tendrils. At first I believed that the feeling was just me imagining it, however, when I returned to the cemetery the next day, the same thing occurred.

History, Stones and Maples

Rock Ridge Cemetery Project

                 While tinkering with this cemetery project I had quite a lot of fun. Selecting a cemetery to be my subject took some time. I wanted to visit and report on a cemetery that had unique history. My first choice was a small, rather old cemetery in Vermont near located near some property my family owns. It stood out because the man who originally settled the land is buried there. Then I recalled another cemetery a bit further north in Vermont that would be very cool because Calvin Coolidge, the thirtieth president of the United Stated, is buried. That fact is interesting because he is not buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Finally, while I was explaining the project to my dad, he mentioned a cemetery right in Sharon that has a lot of local Civil War history, including the final resting place of Debra Sampson Gannet. Thus I decided on the cemetery I would visit. J

              The Rock Ridge Cemetery is located at 107 East St. Sharon Ma, 02048. I drove to the cemetery on a warm clear day getting there via Beach St in Sharon and had to take a detour around because one end of East St is closed for repairs. When I pulled into the cemetery I decided to look at the old section first and left my car there. The cemetery is medium to small in size surrounded on two sides by wooded wetlands that I later found out were called the Devil’s Brook wetlands. The remaining two sides ran along East St and Mountain St. The entire boarder of the Rock Ridge is surrounded by stone walls, the older style, made by taking rocks found the field and stacking them up to make a fence. I was unable to figure out for sure who runs the cemetery however; I believe that it is run by the township. The group in charge of placement seems to be the Sharon American Revolution Bicentennial Committee.

            The Landscape of the cemetery is amazing and gorgeous! Scattered throughout the area are maple trees that, with the season, all have bright red and yellow leaves. Many thousands of leaves have already fallen creating twelve inch high “leaf banks” which I observe a caretaker blowing to the side. Despite the humungous amounts of fallen leaves the trees stilled appeared full. The grass was well kept and the area around each marker was well manicured.

           Unfortunately, I have to stop blogging for now; however, I will try diligently to post more in a few hours. I have so much more to share plus I have lots of pictures to display. More to come! J   

Neither Created Nor Destroyed

The Oxford Book of Death

by

D. J. Enright

"It is indeed impossible to imagine our own death; and when we attempt to do so we can perceive that we are in fact still present as spectators. Hence the psycho-analytic school could venture on the assertion that at bottom no one believes in his own death, or, to put the same thing another way, that in the unconscious every one of us is convinced of his own immortality(153-154)(Freud as cited by Enright).

This theory is interesting because it brings into light the question of do we actually experience ultimate death with our mind or are we simple observing the death of our flesh while the mind is set apart. Class discussion, textual material and my own near death experience have me leaning towards the second possibility. If that is true and the mind is separate from the body and continues to exist, in theory, after the body dies, it could indicate that that conscious beings do not actually die, and their mind at least is immortal. There are a lot of directions that this could take, for example, matter can neither be created nor destroyed so is it possible that the mind is matter? Or is it something else entirely. 

The Sun and Moon

The Sacred Art of Dying

By Kenneth Kramer

                The Chinese attitude towards death pays particular attention to the correlation between creation and death. Basically, the principle is that before there is even creation death is a part of it. This quote sums it up well:

                  “…contained within the beginning is the not-yet-beginning-to-be-a-beginning

         nature of creation, to say nothing of not-yet-beginning-to-be-non-being, In this

         sense, true beginning is beginningless, and birth already contains its opposite, death(81).

The founder of these beliefs, Lao Tzu called these ideas Tao or the way. Tao is described as being formed yet formless, absent of sound and void yet it is still referred to as the mother of all. It should be observed that Tao is merely a name for something that is devoid of a name(82).

This attitude is also where we find the concept of Yin and Yang. According to text Yin and Yang are opposites of each other yet they are intermingled. Not only are they intermingled, however, they are thought to reflect the “anatomy” of the soul.

            Yin                                  Yang

 is thought to be the moon                            is thought to be the           

 it represents:                                                Sun it represents:                                                                

“1. Negative charge                                                          “1. Positive charge

2. Earth (matter, mother)                                                    2. Heaven (aspiration)

3. Night                                                                             3. Day

4. Female                                                                          4. Male

5. Receptive, yield                                                             5. Active, aggressive

6. Soft (the river)                                                               6. Hard (the river bank)

7. Cold (moist)                                                                  7. Hot (dry)

8. Immediacy                                                                     8. Transcendence

9. Spontaneity, flow                                                           9. Discipline, order

10. Death"(84)                                                                 10. Life"(84)

The Last Day With My Sister

       My older sister, Marcie is always in, what could be, her last day. She has been since the day she was born. She is twenty now. Despite the uncertainty of her life my sister still lives life as best as she can. In the last decade or so my sisters eyes have slowly degenerated and her beautiful blues jewels have slowly closed to her. The lack of a visual window to her world has not held her back; rather she widened her other abilities, namely, her ears, her voice and her exploring fingers.

          Marcie cannot speak in a way that most could understand, never the less she does talk, sing and whisper to those around her. If it were possible to know exactly what day would be Marcie’s last, I would rise early. Extremely early, as Marcie’s internal clock can be skewed sometimes. I would help her dress and give her breakfast--- Marcie eats formula through a G-tube--- and afterward I would help her into her wheelchair---- Marcie cannot walk. I would then take her to a church--- it does not matter what denomination all that matters is that it has amazing acoustics. If possible I would then play the piano for her because she loves hearing my siblings practice. Did I mention that Marcie’s immediate family would be there with us? Our dad would play his acoustic guitar, our little sister would sing and play the piano with me, our younger brother would practice A Cappella while our mom would coach. Meanwhile, our older brother would blow up a few bicycle tires--- a noise that Marcie finds hilarious. Then very quietly, Marcie would periodically emit a little noise--- testing the acoustics--- then she would get louder and would begin singing along with the music and noise around her. And that is how we would spend Marcie’s last day; intermittent with reading aloud from fantasy books.

          Also there would have to be some animals ---- our pets---- for her to hold and feel; our goat Budderfinger (yes that is how it is spelled); our sheep, Trillium; our two dogs, Edgar and Chipper; our guinea pig, Izzie, and a few of our chickens.     

              

Over Seas, Alone, a small Child

The Oxford Book of Death

By D.J. Enright

“At the hour shaped for him Scyld departed,

The many-strengthed moved into his Master’s keeping.

They carried him out to the current sea,

His sworn arms-fellows, as he himself had asked
while he wielded by his words, Ward of the Scyldings,

Beloved folk-founder; long had he ruled.

A boat with a ringed neck in the haven,

Icy,out-eager, the aetheling’s vessel,

And there they laid out their lord and master,

Dealer of wound gold, in the waist of the ship,

In majesty by the mast.

A mound of treasures

From far countries was fetched aboard her,

With the weapons of a warrior, war accoutrement,

Bills and byrnies; on his breast were set

Treasures and trappings to travel with him

On his far faring into the flood’s sway.

This hoard was not less great than the gifts he had

From those who sent him, on the sill of life,

Over seas, alone, a small child.

High over head they hoisted and fixed

A gold signum; gave him to the flood,

Let the seas take him, with sour hearts

And mourning moods. Men have not the knowledge

To say with any truth--- however tall beneath the heavens,

However much listen to--- who unloaded that boat (131-132)

~Beowulf (c.720) (as cited in Enright)

               Examining this text truly drags into view how changed our death rituals have changed; and unfortunately, it does not appear to have changed for the better. In the time of Beowulf, the entire village would hike to the water’s edge to say goodbye to someone they knew and loved. Everyone was able to say their goodbyes to the one who left them behind and the grieving process was allowed to proceed with its natural course, for the most part. When we flip forward to our own time, when soul departs, a minimal tribute as possible is paid to the departed. The grieving process it nearly elimimated and mourners have little or no opportunity to reach closure, to say goodbye. We do our best to terminate all aspects of death from our lives--- with very negative results. What changed? Why did death become a shame?

I honor of this week’s chapter “Graveyards and Funerals” in the Oxford Book of Death, and the fact that All Hallows Eve is in a matter of days, I have a cool link that I found containing some curious articles of famous grave sites in New England.

http://www.boston.com/travel/explorene/specials/halloween/galleries/famous_new_england_gravesites/

   

Dye With Peace; Dye With Beauty

The Sacred Art of Dying

By Kenneth Kramer

            The concept of Tibetan attitudes towards death left me with a clearer picture than did Zen. As stated in the book, death in the eyes of Tibetan Buddhism, “It is the reverse of the process of birth” (76). When an individual is at the moment of death, the individual must dwell with proper thoughts as it is believed that mental condition of a person at death (angry, stressed, happy, cheerful, etc.)has a great probability of being retained after death. At the moment of death, according to the Book of the Dead, the individual must practice the “ ‘Ejection of Consciousness’ in which the dying person: (a)keeps a pure mind, clear of earth-bound distractions, (b) visualizes a seated Buddha over her or his head, surrounded by a rainbow arch, (c) feel the self in the presence of an enlightened being, (d) visualizes consciousness as a ball of fire in the abdomen which then rises up the spine until it leaves the top of the head, and (e) experiences self-consciousness mixing with the mind of the enlightened being like water mixing with water(75-77). This process of dying surrounds the moment of death with peace and beauty, discouraging a negative outlook of the passing of a life.

Your Soul is Screaming; Shut-Up and Listen

Success build to Last

By

Jerry Porras, Stewart Emery, and  Mark Thompson

“Successful people told us that they’ve been given far fewer reasons to follow their dreams than reasons they should abandon them”(87).

                  There is always a reason not to succeed; those motivations are always much easier aluring than the alternative, dedicating one’s self to the trials and tribulations that crop up when attempting to earning true success. The tactic to withstanding the difficulties leading to success is a matter of finding the one or two reasons why that goal means so much to you and never leaving sight of those reasons. It is also a matter of holding on for dear life! Working towards your own personal form of success is additionally challenging because there are always other people who do not want you to succeed for one reason or another, reasonable or not. In order to achieve your own goals sometimes you have to put what you want before what others want whether it be for you or for themselves.

             In Porras’ Success Built to Last, they present four deviously ensnaring traps that can prevent you from following and/or achieving your goal(s). They are as follows:

·         “Trap #1: It’s Not Considered a Worthy Career”---- Society today is all about success (the five minute of fame kind) and it makes it very difficult to pursue certain goals, especially if they do not have overnight “success” in the very for-seeable future. In this trap you can also be your own worst enemy; it is an excuse which shields your worries about your own abilities (89).

·         “Trap #2: Bright Shiny Objects for Our Driveways, Resumes, and Ring Fingers”---- Much to my chagrin these things are what matter in the world. It really disturbs me that these “Bling” items and their obtain-ability or lack thereof is obsession for so many. There are only so many times you can fix a car. The more on your resume appears great, however, did you actually do those things for the right reasons, and with the deserved dedication? Is all that holds your relationship together your significant others salary? Should not the motivations that get you up in the morning drive a little deeper in to your heart (90)?

·         “Trap #3: The Seduction of Competence”---- We all want to please others; however, this can stifle our dreams and we end up living the dreams of other people. Some individuals might tell you that your idea is a bad one and propose one that they think is better. It may or may not be so, however, if you end up rejecting your dream for their approval then a part of you will eventually die. The text sums it up well, “Do you care more about being loved than being what you love?” Sometimes you just have to do something that only makes since to you. (94-95)

·         “Trap #4: The ‘Tyranny of the OR’”---- Either this or that; those are the only options which the majority of people believe they can consider. The general populous generally choose to proceed and only serve others. True, society would be in a bad way is this did not occur, but, why the OR? Why can we not say AND? Truth is we can. If you really follow your dreams they will typically, in some way, serve others while they cater to your personal needs; your souls silent scream. (101) 

What was Here, Now is Not

Oxford Book of Death

by D. J. Enright

“No different, I said, from rat’s or chicken’s,

That ten-week protoplasmic blob. But you

Cried as if you knew all that was nonsense

And knew that I did, too.

Well, I had to say something. And there

Seemed so little anyone could say.

That life had been in women’s wombs before

And gone away?

This was our life. And yet, when the dead

Are mourned a little, then become unreal,

How should the never born be long remembered?

So this in time will heal

Though now I cannot comfort. As I go

The doctor reassures: ‘Straightforward case.

You’ll find of course, it leaves her rather low.’

Something is gone from your face.

~David Sutton (1944) (as cited in Enright 109)

             When does life begin? A frequently asked question to be sure; however, it is particular that when a child is lost before, during, or after birth, we attempt to soften the blow by saying that they never truly lived. In our hearts, though, we all know that it is not true, and the attempt does little to sooth, and ends up sounding shallow and petty. Also, the comment by the doctor is an understatement; “rather low” does not even begin to touch the depth of the pain experienced by a mother who lost her child. When a child dies it takes with it immeasurable amounts of hope, love, happiness, and dreams. 

Lost and Left Behind

The Oxford Book of Death

By D.J. Enright

“Dark house, by which once more I stand

Here in the unlovely street,

Doors, where my heart was used to beat

So quickly, waiting for a hand,

A hand that can be clasp’d no more—

Behold me, for I cannot sleep,

And like a guilty thing I creep

At earliest morning to the door.

He is not here; but far away

The noise of life begins again,

And ghastly thro’ the drizzling rain

On the bald street breaks the blank day

~Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-92) (105) (as cited in Enright).

               When a person you care for passed from life and you are left behind, the night can be a terrible place. Activities have slowed down so memories from the past have an easier time fighting to the brink of conscious thought. Also memories that were created at night can be more vivid because there are fewer elements, such as noise, light, crowds etc, to blur them. Thus, night can be one of the most painful times for one who is in mourning. The shadows rule that time, and not just the shadows of light and dark, but the shadows of the past which found a temporary canvass upon which to project themselves; the canvass being the time when there are the fewest elements to take away from their full power. The depth of this poem achieves great lengths in portraying the pain that is experienced by those left behind, and truly captures the essence of the mourning period. 

I am by no means finished posting what I would like to tonight, however, I it necessary to pause my fingers until the morrow as tonight I will be celebrating a birth. See you in the sun. 

 ()()

='-'=

(")(")

Enso: free form circle

The Sacred Art of Dying

By Kenneth Kramer

“…four different faces of Zen: the sect within Buddhism, the heart of all Buddhism, the true center of all the world’s spiritualities, and the Zen beyond Zen, the no-Zen Zen” (58).

              To be quite honest I formally believed that Zen was a form of martial arts that focused (more than others) on finding one’s inner balance. I learn via visual and auditory, however, I also absorb much information by asking questions and or participating/observing activities. Because I have never been exposed to the Zen practices I am woefully ignorant in my understanding in that area. While reading the text I found it necessary to reread some sections in order to better (though not fully) understand the concepts of Zen.

“I come from the No Organizational Temple, and I bow to every Buddha” (58).

              I am not exactly why I do this, but I have a habit of comparing different world religions with each other. I do not mean comparing them with the religion I practice but with all other religions that I have a vague understanding with. A major similarity I observe in many religions is that they have different levels of devotion and worship. Also, following with the concept of the Zen monk belonging to the “No Organizational Temple”(58), numerous religions have followers who refer to themselves as nondenominational. 

Shall We Hurry and Meet Death?

The Oxford Book of Death

by

D. J. Enright

     "Then both ourselves and seed at once to free

From what we fear both, let us make short,

Let us seek Death, or he not found, supply

With our own hands his office on ourselves;

Why stand we longer shivering under fears

That show no end but death, and have the power,

Of many ways to die the shortest choosing,

Destruction with destruction to destroy?" (86-86)

~ Milton (as cited in Enright)

              Would it not be easier than going through the suffering that life has in store for us, to nip it in the bud and deny life its cruel pleasures? What is the point of living if we have to suffer? Its is quite ponderous, this topic. There is not real ultimate answer that will satisfy everyone; however, I will comment with my own opinion on the reasons why we must endure life. To me, we all are given this thing called life, because we have a purpose to forfill that will affect perhaps just one or thousands of individuals. We may never discover what our true purpose is. It could be to smile at a person on the street, or it could be to save the life of a trauma victim. These two tasks are no less important than the other; for example, smiling at the stranger in the street might encourage them to write the book that they have been thinking about--- and only decades after that smile, will that book be complete and impact the entire world. Or perhaps your purpose could be completely different; you yourself are to be the orchestrator of major changes within a region--- but you only carried it out because someone smiled at you in the street.

"Just as a landlord who has not received his rent pulls down the doors,

removes the rafters, and fills up the well, so I seem to be driven out

of this little body, when nature, which has let it to me, take away

one by one, eyes and ears, hands and feet. I will not therefore delay

longer, but will cheerfully depart as from a banquet (88).

~Gaius Rufus Musonius (as cited in Enright)

           Life has the potential to try us to our very souls. In some cases, it places individuals in a situation where there truly seems to be, no hope and a it is only the attention of others, even strangers that can liberate them, as was the case of David Pelzer in the book A Child Called "It" by David Pelzer. In other cases, the individual builds their own trap and lures themselves into it, as can be witnessed in some extreme compulsive gambling cases. Personally, there are only one way to proceed; the individual must not lose hope, and the must employ every positive, none destructive method available to them to better the situation they are in. I know I am phrasing this poorly, but if you could see into my head you would understand it perfectly, where I stand with this topic. Hope is the key to surviving Life's tortures.

What Drives Your Life? Please Do Not Tell Me the Taxi Driver

Success Built to Last

by

Jerry Porras, Stewart, and Mark Thompson

                 "It's just a fantasy that satisfies our compulsive need for a single magic pill for the happily ever after. But that kind of thinking is also the source of enormous frustration if you deny yourself everything else you've got going for you in life" (53) (as cited in Porras).

                This entire concept of a one quick fix, I find to be completely misleading and I worry about those who believe it. There is nothing in this world that really matters the does not involve several steps; from the creation of a red blood cell, to the treatment on a disorder, to repair of a car, to the writing of this blog. You cannot hope to achieve an ultimate goal that is meaningful with out preforming numerous tasks (yes some steps will be extremely difficult). A person cannot take a pill or have an operation and expect to feel completely better, rather the pill/operation is only one step. the individual may find necessary in order to regain and maintain their health. These steps can include: changing a diet, participating in therapy, altering a lifestyle and countless other assertive actions. 

            

A Parallel Universe,

Book Review:

         When I first heard about Karen Hancock’s novel Arena, it was because of a reading contest in my sophomore year of high-school. Upon reading the description what appealed to me most was the fact that it was a fantasy and it had, what seemed to be a more original sci-fi-ish story-line. Wow, did I underestimate this book.

        The novel by Karen Hancock beautifully tells the story of how a young woman, Callie Hays becomes trapped in an alien world where she has limited resources and there are dangers everywhere. Of the traps is the alien world, the other humans trapped with her provide one of the most dangerous snares in Callie’s effort to survive.

         As the tale progresses, Callie discovers that she has been brought to the alien world along with the other humans to be witnesses to goodness and love of the Lord ruler alien, Elhanu. There is also a tempter in this story whose name is Prince Cephelus. This antagonist is a fallen prince who seeks to lure the human’s love and loyalty away from Elhanu and through his deception many humans find temporary pleasure and happiness, however, it is a trap and some humans who fully embrace these temptations are turned into trogs who are evil creatures that seek to harm individuals who maintain their humanity.

          Does this sound familiar yet? It took me two times reading this book to fully understand that this book reflects the Bible and brilliantly portrays the truth of Jesus and his love for all individuals.         

           The true identity of Elhanu is identified in chapter 25:

                   “Elhanu grinned---…’And you were wondering why in the world I play this little

           game, aren’t you?’

                     They glanced at one another uncertainly.

                     The Aggillon leader sobered. ‘It’s not a game. You need to trust me. This’ ---he

           Gestured at himself--- ‘seems to help.’

                     Again his words met silence. Then Whit shook his head. ‘But that isn’t really

            you, is it sir? I mean, you look like somebody’s father, when you’re anything but.’

                     ‘Here, I am your father,’ Elhanu said quietly. ‘In more ways than you know. And   

           there is nothing false in this image I present to you.’

                     ‘Except that it isn’t real.’

                      Elhanu smiled. ‘It may not be all that I am, but it is very real. And certainly it is

           the most comfortable for you right now.’

           ‘Will we ever see you as you really are, sir?’ Callie asked.

           ‘Eventually’” (302-303)

           This quote is so important to the purpose of the book, it is amazing. Elhanu is revealing to the humans, who have made it to a certain point in their pilgrimage, that he is their father. In a beautiful way Karen Hancock has paralleled Elhanu, the ruler to the alien race, Aggillon, to Jesus, who is my savior.

         With the help of some symbolism, this book also could be interpreted as an allegory for John Bunyan’s Pilgrims Progress. Callie, who portrays Christian, has a friend with her in the beginning, who decides, when troubles arise, that she would be better off going a different way. When Callie is teleported into the alien arena, she is instructed to stay on the white road and she will be able to make it out of the arena safely. Only when she diverges from the white road on to a ‘suckers path’ does she end up in trouble. “’Look back the way you’ve come.’ He gestured over his shoulder. ‘It isn’t white, it’s pink. You’re on a sucker path’” (39). It is only much later that Callie, like Christian, realizes her mistake and returns to the path. Another parallel with Pilgrims Progress is that when Callie finds herself in the arena, she has been given a few supplies and among them, is that is referred to as the Manual throughout the book. The Manual is a book that has pretty much all the information that Callie needs to make it through the arena. The Manual is quite obviously a parallel of the Bible, which aids a Christian through the trials of his faith.   

          Karen Hancock’s novel Arena, helps me understand some of the massages the Bible presents. The setting of the book is in modern times and use many phrases that I am familiar with, thus I was able to relate more closely to the story. The text put into perspective, for me, the journey experienced by Christians and brought the challenges and difficulties closer to home for me.

         Every time I read this novel I notice new messages or new subtleties that I did not notice in the previous times I read it. One part of this book that I find somewhat challenging is picturing in my mind some of the descriptions of the scenery, creatures and actions moments. Particularly, the action scenes were a bit difficult to follow, though I could follow the results easily enough, however, it was a bit trying to comprehend what was happening during, say, a very violent battle scene.

         Especially, when Callie is defending her new faith to her best friend, I find that, as a Christian, I can relate to the difficulty and pain sometimes created by defending what I believe in. Also, I understand the amazing feeling when I stick to my principles and beliefs, and not back down.   

         This text means a lot to me because of the understanding that it helps me gain and the hope that it gives me. You should definitely read this novel.

Citation:

Hancock, Karen. Arena. Bloomington: Bethany House Publishers, 2002

Fear, Anticipation, Mystery, Finality: The Hour of Death

The Oxford Book of Death

by

D.J. Enright

"Death does not leave us body enough to occupy any space, and only the tombs there preserve some shape;..."

~ Bossuet (1670) (as cited in Enright 44)

           When we die, death strips us of everything. Our body is still there, however it is reduced to merely anatomy. Someone could look at the body; they will find a cardiovascular system, a nervous system, a muscle system, a reproductive system, and a digestive system, but the "thing." the part of the organism that makes us different, that makes us truly unique, the essence of the individual is gone. Personally, I can take the word tombs, in this case, to define two different things. The first definition is the the tomb is the body and even in death, the body maintains some semblance of the individual who formally resided within it. Tomb could also literally mean tomb or grave where the remaining semblance of a person is preserved. 

"Because I could not stop for Death--

He kindly stopped for me--

The Carriage held but just Ourselves--

And Immortality.

We slowly drove-- He knew no haste

And I had put away

My labour and my leisure too,

For his civility--

We passed the School, where Children strove

At Recess-- in the Ring--

We passed Fields of Gazing Grain--

We passed the Setting Sun--

Or rather-- He passed Us--

The Dews drew quivering and chill--

For only Gossamer, my Gown--

My Tippet-- only Tulle--

We pauses before a House that seemed

A Swelling of the Ground--

The Roof was scarcely visible--

The Cornice--in the Ground--

Since then--'tis Centuries-- and yet

Feels shorter than the Day

I first surmised the Horses' Heads 

Were towards Eternity--"

~Emily Dickinson (1830-86) (as cited in Enright 50-51).

               Without getting extremely personal, it is imposable to convey how much and why this poem means so much to me, however, I will say that Emily is one of my favorite poets largely due to this poem. These words encourage me to ponder on my own brush with death and not only that it helps me cope with the memories.

"I have come to the boarder of sleep,

The unfathomable deep

Forest, where all must lose

Their way, however straight

Or winding, soon or late;

They can not choose"

~Edward Thomas (1878-1917) (as cited in Enright).

               I positively love the forest. My whole family does. I grew up going camping, hiking and exploring within the shadows of tall trees, crunching leaves, identifying flowers and plants and generally inhaling joy from the life growing around me. When this poem refers to Death as a forest, it soothes me, and comforts me because, after all I have been there before.