View allAll Photos Tagged Compassionate
One of the most compassionate,thoughtful people I've met on Flickr is Sandra of www.flickr.com/photos/fleetingglances/
I wish you joy and encouragement,my friend.
What a fellowship;what a joy devine
Leaning on the everlasting arms. (yes,Sandra, I remember,and still sing it !)
I just found out this is a Dog Rose.
Having an eccentric and compassionate executive chef on their side to remind them occasionally that they are on the same team (and not pitting them against each other), three FOH (front of the house) employees do silverware rolls clean menus and do silverware rolls over a shared bottle of Pinot Noir before they open shop
Inspired by my experiences as a seasonal host at a restaurant
Crayola and Prismacolor colored pencils; Crayola art markers, Crayola watercolors, Winsor and Newton Cotman watercolors, Prismacolor Premier illustration marker, drafting pencils, a Sharpie, splashes of lukewarm dark roast coffee, splashes of Cabernet Sauvignon, and splashes of Malbec
Brushed with a Blick 18 bristle brush
Canson mix media pad
7" x 10"
2018
"Jesus replied, ‘A man was once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of brigands; they took all he had, beat him and then made off, leaving him half dead. Now a priest happened to be travelling down the same road, but when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Levite who came to the place saw him, and passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan traveller who came upon him was moved with compassion when he saw him. He went up and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He then lifted him on to his own mount, carried him to the inn and looked after him. Next day, he took out two denarii and handed them to the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said “and on my way back I will make good any extra expense you have.” Which of these three, do you think, proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the brigands‘ hands?’ ‘The one who took pity on him’ he replied. Jesus said to him, ‘Go, and do the same yourself.’"
– Luke 10:30-37, which is part of today's Gospel for the 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time.
My sermon for today can be read here.
Stained glass detail from St Salvators chapel in St Andrews.
At last the camera points my way
Sees with unobstructed Eye
Compassionate Eye
The Eye that sees all that could still be
The Eye that understands
The Eye that looks beyond conditions
The Eye that can see Limitlessness
Sees through the lens of forgiveness:
The miracle of life is here
The shackles of judgments fall
The Truth unfolds
The epic Self finds a Voice
Light
Wings
Imagination
Music
Possibility
Authenticity
Fulfillment
© Ganga Fondan, 2011
*What I love about the camera is that everything seen through the two eyes now is filtered through one view. If this view could be totally free of judgement, we would have pure vision. This artwork and poetry came from a battery of self-criticism upon myself today and my realization of the great trick of the mind to think it knows everything. A great opportunity to remember that we are not the mind:
"To train the mind and think the thoughts we want to think and not the thoughts we don't want to think is the secret to success." - Tulshi Sen
Driving Miss Daisy at Theatre Royal, Sydney, Australia...
This evening was opening night for Driving Miss Daisy at the Theatre Royal in King Street, Sydney.
A timeless American play, which inspired the beloved Academy Award®- winning film, Driving Miss Daisy tells the affecting story of the decades-long relationship between an elderly Southern Jewish woman, Daisy Werthan, and her compassionate African-American chauffeur, Hoke Colburn. Their iconic tale of pride, changing times and the transformative power of friendship has warmed the hearts of millions worldwide.
Promo...
Don't miss 2013's hottest ticket as two of the world's greatest living actors arrive in Australia to perform Alfred Uhry's timeless Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, Driving Miss Daisy.
The stage will light up, with the extraordinary talents of the legendary five-time Tony Award® winner and three-time Academy Award® nominee ANGELA LANSBURY and two-time Tony Award® winner and Honorary Academy Award® recipient JAMES EARL JONES. David Esbjornson's acclaimed, smash-hit production has dazzled audiences and critics alike on Broadway and the West End.
Inspiration for the much-loved Oscar winning movie, Driving Miss Daisy is the charming, poignant and utterly compelling tale of the unlikely, long-lasting friendship that blossoms between a prickly, elderly Southern matriarch and her kind-hearted chauffeur, Hoke. As the wheels turn and the decades roll by against a backdrop of prejudice, inequality and civil unrest, the pair slowly transcend their differences and ultimately grow to rely on each other far more than either of them ever expected.
Sparklingly funny, irresistibly heart-warming and with an unmissable stellar cast, Driving Miss Daisy is the must-see show for 2013.
Don't miss 2013's hottest ticket as two of the world's greatest living actors arrive in Australia to perform Alfred Uhry's timeless Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, Driving Miss Daisy.
Limited season from 1 - 31 March
The Theatre Royal stage will light up with the extraordinary talents of the legendary five-time Tony Award® winner and three-time Academy Award® nominee ANGELA LANSBURY and two-time Tony Award® winner and Honorary Academy Award® recipient JAMES EARL JONES. Also starring four-time Tony Award® winner BOYD GAINES, David Esbjornson's acclaimed, smash-hit production has dazzled audiences and critics alike on Broadway and the West End.
Inspiration for the much-loved Oscar winning movie, Driving Miss Daisy is the charming, poignant and utterly compelling tale of the unlikely, long-lasting friendship that blossoms between a prickly, elderly Southern matriarch and her kind-hearted chauffeur, Hoke. As the wheels turn and the decades roll by against a backdrop of prejudice, inequality and civil unrest, the pair slowly transcend their differences and ultimately grow to rely on each other far more than either of them ever expected.
Sparklingly funny, irresistibly heart-warming and with an unmissable stellar cast, Driving Miss Daisy is the must-see show for 2013.
Reviews...
Stage Whispers - 10/02/13
“...a trilogy of perfection”
Aussie Theatre – 11/02/13
“...a once in a life-time opportunity to see two of the worlds’ greatest theatre legends on stage in Australia”
Theatre People – 11/02/13
“...nothing less than the most superb piece of acting”
“...timeless star quality, attentiveness, awe-inspiring craftsmanship” “...warm, honestly funny, sincere, composed, poised and utterly astounding”
The Australian – 11/02/13
“...every person in the theatre was on their feet, some with tears in their eyes”
Courier Mail – 12/02/13
“This production of Driving Miss Daisy is a theatrical masterpiece that those who are fortunate enough to see will never forget.” “A spine-tingling piece of theatre”
“They take what is already a warm, funny, engaging and compelling piece of theatre and turn it into something truly magnificent.”
Special Guests: The Member for Wentworth and Shadow Minister for Communications and Broadband Malcolm Turnbull (Angela Lansbury’s cousin) with Lucy Turnbull and their daughter Daisy; Bronwyn Bishop MP; ABC TV’s Margaret Pomeranz; Kerri-Anne Kennerley; Channel 7 newsreaders Chris Bath, Mark Ferguson and Anne Sanders; Channel 9 newsreader Deborah Knight; actors Tom Burlinson, Mitchell Butel, Gigi Edgley, David Harris, Amanda Harrison, Nancye Hayes, Erika Heynatz, Jay Laga'aia, Steve Le Marquand, Todd McKenney, Sharon Millerchip, Ben Mingay, Tara Morice, Amanda Muggleton, Lola Nixon, Peter Phelps and Ian Stenlake; choreographer Kelley Abbey; radio announcers Stuart Bocking, Tony Delroy, Rob Duckworth, Brendan “Jonesy” Jones, Dominic Knight, Simon Marnie and Jason Morrison; theatre producer James Thane; along with Driving Miss Daisy playwright Alfred Uhry, Broadway producer Adam Zotovich and Australian producer John Frost, amongst others.
Websites
Driving Miss Daisy - Daisy On Stage (Australia)
Daisy On Broadway
Theatre Royal
Eva Rinaldi Photography
by hannahlula :)
i will follow suit and put my tagged people "in my photo" even though...they arent
1. music is like my blood, i cant live or thrive without it
2. despite my sometimes emo titles for my photos, i am a very happy person :)
3. adam young [aka owl city to all you newcomers] is my inspiration for life itself, his music is incredible and it can make me feel better no matter what mood im in
4. this may sound cliche...but Mitchell Davis was really my inspiration to start photography. im not gonna go on and on about how amazing he is an blah blah blah because too many people do that. but he is definitely my inspiration
5. i only wear skinny jeans. i own no other jean
6. i feel that im a very creative person, but i have to be in the right mood
7. i long to be part of the music/movie/arts industry
8. apple products make me happy :)
9. i love the rain
10. im a very good listener, and a very compassionate person
therr ya go
***EXPLORED December 13 #408?? what thee heckk!
Buddha Vacana Verse 355:
An enlightened person is naturally endowed with a compassionate nature and disposition. He desires to alleviate the suffering that beings suffer, and is even willing to relinquish his own body or life to do so. Until he reaches his goal, he is willing to struggle and strive for a very long time on a course involving great hardship, without fear and without ever becoming disenchanted with all the suffering in the round of existence, all for the sake of the welfare of other beings.
《長阿含》卷四‧〈遊行經〉（大正卷一，25下～26上）
佛告阿難：「汝勿憂也，諸族姓子常有四念，何等四：一曰念佛生處，歡喜欲見、憶念不忘、生戀慕心。二曰念佛初得道處，歡喜欲見、憶念不忘、生戀慕心。三曰念佛轉法輪處，歡喜欲見、憶念不忘、生戀慕心。四曰念佛般泥洹處，歡喜欲見、憶念不忘、生戀慕心。阿難，我般泥洹後，族姓男女念佛生時功德如是；佛得道時神力如是；轉法輪時度人如是；臨滅度時遺法如是、各詣其處遊行禮敬諸塔寺已，死皆生天除得道者。
“Acquire the Spirit of peace and thousands around you will be saved.”
— St. Seraphim of Sarov
It was Father Germann, a monk I met in the Russian city of Vladimir, who first told me about Saint Seraphim of Sarov. He was showing me the local cathedral, still a museum in those days of Soviet rule. The tourists in the church were startled to see a living monk complete with long hair, full black beard and black monk’s cap — they couldn’t stop staring. It wasn’t only his appearance that attracted attention. He possessed a contagious joy and freedom. I mentioned to him that this church must have wonderful acoustics. Immediately he sang an unrestrained, banner-like, “Amen.” The church reverberated in an astonishing way.
I had traveled enough in Russia to be vaguely aware of Saint Seraphim, the icon of whose compassionate face seemed to grace the walls of every parish church and to have a place in many homes, but Father Germann was the first to tell me the saint’s life story.
“Saint Seraphim helped me to become a believer,” he said. Reaching into his pocket, he showed me a fragment of a large rock on which Saint Seraphim prayed for a thousand days. It was a gift from an old nun who knew a nun who knew a nun who had been in the Diveyevo convent near Sarov, a community closely linked with Saint Seraphim. The saint’s few possessions, among them the heavy cross he wore, were kept in the custody of the sisters at Diveyevo.
Father Germann explained that Seraphim was born in 1759, the son of a builder. He was still a baby when his father died. His mother took over the business while raising her children. While still a boy, he had what should have been a fatal fall from scaffolding. Miraculously, he was unharmed, an event which prompted a local “holy fool” to say the boy must surely be “one of God’s elect.”
When Seraphim was ten, he had his first vision of the Mother of God. Nine years later he entered monastic life where he began the regular recitation of the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
Later, following his ordination as priest in 1793, he was led to seek a hermit’s vocation in the forest, or, as he regarded it, his “Holy Land.” Here he lived alone, devoting himself to prayer, study and tending his small garden, with few aware he was alive apart from the wild animals he befriended with gifts of food, among them a bear who sometimes lay at his feet, a scene portrayed in some of the icons of Saint Seraphim.
During this period of social withdrawal, he was nearly beaten to death by robbers who had heard there was a treasure hidden in his cabin. The injuries he suffered made him walk with a bent back for the rest of his life, a stance occasionally shown in icons. After recovering from his injuries, he spent a thousand days and nights in prayer on a large rock in the forest, sometimes standing, other times kneeling, leaving the rock only for brief periods.
After his long apprenticeship in solitude, people began coming to Staretz Seraphim for confession and advice, a few at first, but finally they came in floods. One of the first pilgrims was a rich man, gravely ill, who was healed by Seraphim, so healed that he gave up all his wealth and embraced holy poverty.
During the last eight years of his life, Saint Seraphim spent many hours each day talking with those in need, some of whom had walked for weeks to reach him. Others came by carriage, among them Czar Alexander I, who later gave up the throne and lived a pious life in Siberia — some say under the influence of Saint Seraphim.
Among many remarkable stories left to us about Seraphim’s life, one of the most impressive comes from the diary of Nicholas Motovilov, who as a young man came to Sarov seeking advice. At a certain point in their conversation, Seraphim said to his guest, “Look at me.” Motovilov replied, “I am not able, Father, for there is lightning flashing in your eyes. Your face has grown more radiant than the sun and my eyes cannot bear the pain.” The staretz answered, “Do not be afraid, my dear lover of God, you have also now become as radiant as I. You yourself are now in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise you would not be able to perceive me in the exact same state.” Saint Seraphim asked him how he felt. “I feel a great calm in my soul, a peace which no words can express,” Motovilov replied. “I feel an amazing happiness.”
At the heart of Saint Seraphim’s teaching was use of the Jesus Prayer and continuing inner struggle to “acquire the Holy Spirit, the one treasure which will never pass away.” He reassured those who came to him that there is nothing selfish about seeking to save your soul. “Acquire the Spirit of peace and thousands of souls around you will be saved.”
Without a vital spiritual life, he said, we cannot love. “God is fire that warms and kindles the heart and inward parts. And so, if we feel in our hearts coldness, which is from the devil — for the devil is cold — then let us call upon the Lord and He will come and warm our hearts with perfect love not only for Him but for our neighbor as well.”
He was an apostle of the way of love and kindness. “You cannot be too gentle, too kind. Shun even to appear harsh in your treatment of each other. Joy, radiant joy, streams from the face of him who gives and kindles joy in the heart of him who receives. All condemnation is from the devil. Never condemn each other. We condemn others only because we shun knowing ourselves. When we gaze at our own failings, we see such a swamp that nothing in another can equal it. That is why we turn away, and make much of the faults of others. Instead of condemning others, strive to reach inner peace. Keep silent, refrain from judgment. This will raise you above the deadly arrows of slander, insult and outrage and will shield your glowing hearts against all evil.”
No matter what season of the year it was, he greeted visitors with the paschal salutation, “Christ is risen!” As another paschal gesture, he always wore a white robe.
Before his death, Saint Seraphim said to the sisters: “My joys, come as often as you can to my grave. Come to me as if I’m alive and tell me everything, and I will always help you.”
On January 2, 1833, Saint Seraphim was found dead in his cell, kneeling with hands crossed before an icon of Mary.
“Saint Seraphim is a unique saint,” Father Germann told me. “In him and his character, in his spirituality, we find the principal Christian characteristics — love for all people without exception, and a readiness to sacrifice. That’s why people love him so much.”
“We live in a time that pays special homage to advanced education and intellectual brilliance,” Father Germann added. “But faith isn’t just for the clever. Seraphim didn’t graduate either from university or seminary. All his ideals were gifts from God revealed through prayer and deeds. And so through Saint Seraphim many different people are drawn to belief — the intellectuals, the simple, and now not only people in the Russian Orthodox Church but other churches.”
“Saint Seraphim is the face of the Church,” said Father Germann.
Living in a period in which iconography had been influenced by western art, old icons of Saint Seraphim often resemble portraits while more recently made icons are usually in the simpler, more symbolic Byzantine style. The one reproduced here, showing Saint Seraphim praying on the rock, was made in 1992 by the iconographer Philip Zimmerman closely following an icon made earlier in the century in France by the monk Gregory Kroug. In all icons of Saint Seraphim, there is a prayer rope in his hands, a reminder of his devotion to the Jesus Prayer.
(extract from Praying With Icons by Jim Forest -- Orbis Books)
Beacon of Hope
Valiya Vilakku Festival, Kalikulangara Temple, Nanthiattukunnam, North Paravur, Ernakulam, Kerala, India
Additional Info :
Kalikulangara temple is a very ancient and renowned temple is the abode of Kalikulangara ‘MUTHI’ who is extremely compassionate as well as too generous in bestowing boons to her true devotees.It is a branch of Sivagiri Mutt governed by Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham Trust, Varkala. Irrespective of caste or religion anyone can visit the temple .It is an ideal place where all dwell as brethren.Only fireworks and elephants are prohibited here, Traditionally followed programs are performed within the temple compound.
Ancestors say that Sree Narayana Guru came, saw and conquered here. According to legends, when Sree Narayana Guru came here for the very first time and spent a night here the local people chased him away by throwing stones and sand. This was narrated by the Guru Himself later on like this……”I slept here one night. They called me a lunatic. When a second visit was made, I was able to stop animal and fowl sacrifice. We could own the temple during the third…..”
During the invasion period of Tippu Sultan, the king of Kochi once sent his people to cut the sandalwood tree in the temple compound, but surprisingly, it was transformed into a ‘Kaanjiram’. It is told that the King himself sought forgiveness after making a visit to the temple.
In the beginning, the Poojas were performed by the women folk. After the renovations of the temple, Virtuous rituals are followed in Poojas. The origin or the root spot of Kalikulangara Muthi is the holy water gathering, the temple pond.
Valiya Vilakku Festival is held on Kumbham 12 at the Braahmamuhurtha after 41 days of the holy flag hoisting on Makara Sankranthi.Wooden pieces are wrapped with thick plantain films and formed in the shape of a seven storyed ‘Pagoda’ which is fixed on a wooden frame. One main flame and thousand other flames are lit on it. The whole construction is done by Viswakarma Acharees.
After the poojas the flame is lit and hundreds of devotees carry it on their shoulders from the East Nada to the North Nada. After seven rotations the wicks of the ValiyaVilakku are supposed to bring prosperity and have medicinal qualities will be taken away by votaries with staunch devotion.
© 2016 Biju Thomas PhotoWorks. All Rights Reserved.
You may be able to tell by the stack of books what I used to do in a prior life. Before becoming a very caring, compassionate but sort of squeamish vet tech, I studied the behavior and genetics of wild baboons. Although I no longer have formal connections to the research project I still do some part time work and go back out to the field when they need someone. I'm leaving in mid September for six weeks to study the baboons in Amboseli, Kenya. I'm not sure what this means about Flickr. When I first went to the baboon research camp in Amboseli 15 years ago, I had to drive 45 minutes each way to get to a tourist lodge where I could make a phone call home. That was our only connection to the outside world. When I was last there two years ago everyone in camp had cell phones, computers and TVs in their tents. I ordered a shirt from J Crew on-line from the computer in my tent just before I left. So who knows, I may be able to upload pictures of baboons and elephants and Kilimanjaro. It's not Jimmy, Mack, or Ella but still ...
This picture was completely unstaged. I went to Princeton campus yesterday morning to do some prep work and took notes by hand. I don't think I've used an eraser since the last time I was in Kenya. This is also not meant to be a commercial for Starbucks but when it's 6:00 am on a summer Sunday morning and you're the only one out and about, you deserve a treat. A caramel frappuccino is mine.
This is best seen on black, and please notice the book at the top of the stack. It's very near and dear to my heart.
Explored August 26, 2012 (for about 5 minutes! LOL)
I suspect that I might have to prove it, even. There's an 'impossible dream', my favourite type of dream, as it would happen. Move over Don Quixote, there's a hapless pretender in Infrathin.
Thalia: For some reason, yesterday I was looking at Andres Serrano, never having done so with intent before.
"You think you're doing something entirely your own, and a year later you look at it and you see actually the roots of where your art comes from without your knowing it at all."_Marcel Duchamp
Ruin: He was one of the people, Serrano, who formed a committee to promote my first show. He was gracious.
That quote from Duchamp sounds true.
Perhaps strangely, I think of Duchamp as a type of post-Hiroshima Goya, a compassionate humanist describing how we destroy ourselves, making ourselves impotent, unwittingly, as part of the process.
That we are even driven in that direction, incapable of controlling it, fulfilling something that is beyond our ability to understand, even.
Talking of "vague".
Thalia: In other recent reading, John Gray (Silence of the Animals) agrees with Freud that human beings have something profoundly wrong with them. Giving weight to the idea that maybe the only course of 'action' is to stand back and let it happen, only observing and (optionally) recording, but in any case marvelling.
Negating even the daoist philosophical practice of Wuwei
Ruin: It's all wonderfully enthralling, spellbinding, even. Yes, to marvel would appear to be a way. I will continue later.
As one does.
Happy Birthday, Your Holiness ~*~
Born on the 6th of July, 1935, in Takster, Amdo, Tibet
❤
In Tibetan, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama is known as:
Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso - Holy Lord, Gentle Glory, Compassionate, Defender of the Faith, Ocean of Wisdom.
❤
In honor of His Holiness's 73rd Birth*Day today, here are some lines from Shantideva's The Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life (Bodhicaryavatara) ~ a reminder to us all that we, too, can be and are Bodhisattvas:
The Bodhisattva Path
May I be the doctor and the medicine,
And may I be the nurse
For all sick beings in the world
Until everyone is healed.
May a rain of food and drink descend
To clear away the pain of thirst and hunger,
And during the eon of famine
May I myself change into food and drink.
May I become an inexhaustible treasure
For those who are poor and destitute.
May I turn into all things they could need,
And may these be placed close beside them.
Without any sense of loss or attachment,
I shall give up my body and enjoyments
As well as all my virtues of the three times
For the sake of benefiting all.
By giving up all, sorrow is transcended,
And my mind will realize the sorrowless state.
It is best that I now give everything to all beings
In the same way as I shall at death.
* May I be a protector for those without one,
A guide for all travelers on the way.
May I be a bridge, a boat, a ship
For all who wish to cross the water *
May I be an island for those who seek refuge
And a lamp for those desiring light.
May I be a bed for all who wish to rest
And a slave for all who want a slave.
May I be a wishing jewel, a magic vase,
Powerful mantras and great medicine.
May I become a wish-fulfilling tree
And a cow of plenty for the world.
Just like space
And the great elements such as earth,
May I always support life
Of all the boundless creatures.
And until they pass away from pain,
May I always be the source of life
For all the realms of varied beings
That reach unto the ends of space.
❤
His Holiness is the embodiment of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, known as Chenrezig in Tibetan, and as Quan Yin, the Goddess of Compassion (Kanzeon, Kannon, Quan The Am) in the female manifestation.
After being discovered at age 3 as the reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama, His Holiness moved to Lhasa, to the Potala, home to all the previous Dalai Lamas. There, he was raised to Love all beings, just love them. This, more than anything, captures my imagination completely. What if all of us were raised to Love all beings and if all of us knew without a doubt that we were precious ~and that all beings were precious~ beyond measure. We would learn to Love even those who have harmed us and who harm us... just as the Dalai Lama does, for example, in regards to the Chinese government's continued aggression towards the Tibetan people and towards Tibet the land. We can all do this ~ we can all Love without measure and know without a doubt that we and our earth and all beings are precious ones.
❤
the cards on the bottom of the photo are ones i carry in my wallet. the hand print is a copy of His Holiness's handprint and the sepia colored one is the Dalai Lama at age 4. Above, HH is blessing a young tulku and being blessed (that one graces my freezer door ~ melts the ice that sometimes forms:)
❤
Knowing that we are here to Love all beings still captures my imagination every day. Even though i may fail, i continue to try over and over again. Loving each other and learning to be kind and in harmony with our earth and with all beings is why (i believe) we are here.
❤
i am celebrating His Holiness's Birth*Day with gratitude for his glowing example. Please keep coming back again and again and again. We need you.
New #YVR mayor seeks to solve city problems investing in police, which NEVER solves social or 💰 issues
Vancouver must instead compassionately invest in people, housing, #BasicIncome & #MentalHealth
Existing over-investment in Vancouver policing merely criminalizes more citizens ...leaving no positive effects on social ills nor crime levels.
Drug dealing exists openly; my daughter & I were offered all drug types as we walked the #DTES
________ ________ ________ ________
"The Downtown Eastside (DTES) is one of Vancouver's oldest neighbourhoods, and the historic heart of the city.
The DTES has many assets, especially for its low-income residents... the Downtown Eastside has struggled with many complex challenges including drug use, crime, homelessness, housing issues, unemployment, and loss of businesses in the community." (City of Vancouver)
"Around the beginning of the 20th century, the DTES was the political, cultural and retail centre of Vancouver. Over several decades, the city centre gradually shifted westwards and the DTES became a poor,[1] although relatively stable, neighbourhood. In the 1980s, the area began a rapid decline due to several factors including an influx of hard drugs, policies that pushed sex work and drug-related activity out of nearby areas, and the cessation of federal funding for social housing. By 1997, an epidemic of HIV infection and drug overdoses in the DTES led to the declaration of a public health emergency. As of 2018, critical issues include opioid overdoses, especially those involving the drug fentanyl; decrepit and squalid housing; a shortage of low-cost rental housing; and mental illness, which often co-occurs with addiction."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_Eastside
Founded in 1978, the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre is one of the few safe spaces within the Downtown Eastside exclusively for self-identified women and their children. High levels of violence, homelessness, addictions and poverty characterize the Downtown Eastside community. Women and children are particularly vulnerable to exploitation, injustice and injury." dewc.ca/about
Quan Yin... the Goddess of Compassion and Mercy
Quan Yin is one of the most universally beloved of deities in the Buddhist tradition. Also known as Kuan Yin, Quan'Am (Vietnam), Kannon (Japan), and Kanin (Bali), She is the embodiment of compassionate loving kindness. As the Bodhisattva of Compassion, She hears the cries of all beings. Quan Yin enjoys a strong resonance with the Christian Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and the Tibetan goddess Tara.
In many images she is shown carrying the pearls of illumination. Often Quan Yin is shown pouring a stream of healing water, the "Water of Life," from a small vase. With this water devotees and all living things are blessed with physical and spiritual peace. She holds a sheaf of ripe rice or a bowl of rice seed as a metaphor for fertility and sustenance. The dragon, an ancient symbol for high spirituality, wisdom, strength, and divine powers of transformation, is a common motif found in combination with the Goddess of Mercy.
Sometimes Kuan Yin is represented as a many armed figure, with each hand either containing a different cosmic symbol or expressing a specific ritual position, or mudra. This characterizes the Goddess as the source and sustenance of all things. Her cupped hands often form the Yoni Mudra, symbolizing the womb as the door for entry to this world through the universal female principle.
Quan Yin, as a true Enlightened One, or Bodhisattva, vowed to remain in the earthly realms and not enter the heavenly worlds until all other living things have completed their own enlightenment and thus become liberated from the pain-filled cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.
There are numerous legends that recount the miracles which Quan Yin performs to help those who call on Her. Like Artemis, She is a virgin Goddess who protects women, offers them a religious life as an alternative to marriage, and grants children to those who desire them.
The Goddess of Mercy is unique among the heavenly hierarchy in that She is so utterly free from pride or vengefulness that She remains reluctant to punish even those to whom a severe lesson might be appropriate. Individuals who could be sentenced to dreadful penance in other systems can attain rebirth and renewal by simply calling upon Her graces with utter and absolute sincerity. It is said that, even for one kneeling beneath the executioner's sword already raised to strike, a single heartfelt cry to Bodhisattva Quan Yin will cause the blade to fall shattered to the ground.
The many stories and anecdotes featuring this Goddess serve to convey the idea of an enlightened being who embodies the attributes of an all pervasive, all consuming, unwavering loving compassion and who is accessible to everyone. Quan Yin counsels us by Her actions to cultivate within ourselves those particular refined qualities that all beings are said to naturally possess in some vestigial form.
Contemplating the Goddess of Mercy involves little dogma or ritual. The simplicity of this gentle being and Her standards tends to lead Her devotees towards becoming more compassionate and loving themselves. A deep sense of service to all fellow beings naturally follows any devotion to the Goddess.
Guanyin (Chinese: 觀音; pinyin: Guānyīn; Wade-Giles: kuan-yin, Japanese: Kannon, Korean: Gwan-eum, Vietnamese: Quan Âm) is the bodhisattva associated with compassion as venerated by East Asian Buddhists, usually as a female. The name Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin (觀世音, pinyin: Guānshìyīn, Wade-Giles: kuan-shih yin) which means (hola estudiantes de la oxford)buddha god of mercy (not the game) "Observing the Sounds (or Cries) of the World". Source: Bethleen Cole
It is generally accepted (in the Chinese community) that Guanyin originated as the Sanskrit Avalokiteśvara (अवलोकितेश्वर), which is her male form. Commonly known in English as the Goddess of Mercy. Guanyin is also revered by Chinese Daoists (Taoists) as an Immortal.
More in my sets... Buddhas and Gods and Living in a Jungle.
They say that when humankind has forgotten Buddha and his teachings, then the Maitreya Buddha will appear. He will be the 8th Buddha of this age.
A whole lot of societies and religions hark to this promise of a future Buddha full of friendship and compassion.
There have been claimants of the title of the Maitreya Buddha from various regions and religions. The hard core Buddhists discard all such claims as we have still not given up on the teachings of Buddha.
This Maitreya Buddha is about 15 meters tall and was completed in 1970 to commemorate the visit of the Dalai Lama. Made of clay and covered with gold paint, the statue is stuffed inside with volumes of Buddhist canonical texts.
Maitreya means Compassion and this is the vision of the Buddhists of the Future Buddha who will be the Compassionate One.
This resides at the Thiksey Monastery that belongs to the Gelugpa sect.
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If You Call What We Did a Crime,We Demand to Serve Our Time
“If You Call What We Did a Crime, We Demand to Serve Our Time.”
- Sea Shepherd Land Team Leader Rosie Kunneke of South Africa.
What does a compassionate person do when convicted of a “crime” of compassion? What does a kind person do when convicted of a “crime” of kindness? What does a person of courage who defends the lives of innocents do, when convicted of the “crimes” of courage and saving lives?
The five Sea Shepherd volunteers convicted today for attempting to stop the horrific massacre of 253 Pilot whales are demonstrating exactly what should be done in the face of an unjust and prejudiced Danish court system.
Marianna Baldo of Italy, Christophe Bondue of Belgium, Xavier Figarella of Corsica/France and Kevin Schiltz of Luxembourg are all European Union citizens and the Grindadrap (the murder of whales) is illegal under the laws of the European Union and that means it is illegal under the laws of Denmark.
So how is it that a Danish Prosecutor can bring charges against European Union citizens in a Danish Court before a Danish Judge for attempting to oppose what is recognized as an illegal activity by the laws of the Danish Kingdom.
Kevin Schiltz was charged with being on the beach where the Grind was taking place. There were hundreds of people on that beach so why was Kevin charged and no one else? Because Kevin was wearing a Sea Shepherd shirt and because he told the police that he could see that the whales were not being killed quickly. He could see the suffering, the blood being splashed from the thrashing of the tails and he could hear their screams. He did not disrupt the killing but he was a witness to an atrocity the police did not wish him to see. Yet of all the hundreds of people on the beach including non-Faroese tourists only Kevin was charged and for that conviction the sentence is 5,000 Danish kroner (670€) or 8 days in Jail.
Kevin has no intention of paying the 5,000 kroner. He told them he wishes to serve the time.
Marianne Baldo and Xavier Figarella were in a small boat over a mile away from the slaughter on Vagur Island. Their intention was to film what they could from a distance. They were intercepted by the Danish naval Frigate TRITON and arrested by the Danish Navy.
They have been fined 30,000 Kroner each (4000€) or 14 days in jail. Their small boat, the tender for the BRIGITTE BARDOT was ordered confiscated. Despite the fact that the law states that property exceeding the value of the fine may not be confiscated. But in the Faroes, the law is merely a tool of harassment, it is not an implement of justice. Marianne and Xavier have no intention of paying this fine. They told the court they wish to serve the time in jail.
Christophe Bondue of Belgium proudly admits to attempting to save the whales from the vicious knives of the Faroese killers. He was tackled by the Danish police, thrown to the ground and charged with disrupting the obscenity the Faroese call the Grind.
Christophe despite being on the beach, despite actually trying to disrupt the slaughter was fined less than Xavier and Marianne who were a mile away from the whales. His fine is 25,000 Kroner (3,350€) or 14 days in jail. He told the court he has no intention of paying the fine and wishes to serve the 14 days in jail.
Rosie Kunneke is from South Africa and she also was charged with attempting to disrupt the slaughter of the dolphins. She also was thrown to the ground by three policemen and charged with disrupting the slaughter. Her fine is the highest at $35,000 Kroner (4,690€) or 14 days in jail.
Rosie is demanding her right to serve her 14 days in jail. She said, ““If you call what we did a crime, we demand to serve our time.”
But the wrath of the Danish court did not stop there. They decided that some entity had to be responsible for the actions of the volunteers. Without any reason for doing so they decided that entity would be Sea Shepherd Global. Sea Shepherd Global has not employed any of the people arrested nor does it own the ships. In fact no representatives from Sea Shepherd Global were even summoned to appear. Despite being denied the right of legal defense, Sea Shepherd Global was fined 75,000 Kroner (10,000 Euros.) Sea Shepherd Global has no intention of paying this ludicrous fine.
The defendants demanded the right to serve the whales in a Faroese jail. The Danish prosecutor, the overly zealous Linda Hesselberg is now trying to deny them the honor of serving time for the whales. She is demanding immediate deportation.
This of course has its up side, because none of the fines will be paid, but it also reveals the entire verdict as a sham of justice. What’s the point of a conviction and a sentence if there is no intention of allowing the convicted to serve their justly rewarded sentences?
You see, all five defendants are proud of what they did. They are proud of their actions and they are proud of the verdicts. They want the right to demonstrate their commitment to those 253 whales that died, by having the honor of serving time on their behalf.
And they resent this pro-whale killing Danish prosecutor’s attempt to deprive them of that honor.
The deaths of these whales should be marked by the sacrifice of those who are there to protect them. It is a mark of their commitment, a salute to those who died, a tribute to our respect for the family units that were so viciously and so thoughtlessly exterminated.
What kind of a legal system denies the right of a convicted person to serve their sentence?
But all this is being legally challenged by Sea Shepherd’s lawyer. An appeal is being prepared against the sentences and against the possibility of deportation.
How does Denmark a member of the European Union deport four citizens of the European Union for trying to uphold EU regulations.
There is a rotten stench from the kangaroo court that can be smelt all the way to Copenhagen. This verdict was about Denmark sending a message to the whale killers that the Grind is 100% supported by the Kingdom of Denmark. The Danes can say whatever they wish but Danish complicity in this crime has been effectively demonstrated.
What the court has achieved is to enable Sea Shepherd to send a message around the world that our resolve to end this cruel and needless slaughter has been strengthened. Our people desire to serve their time because they want to demonstrate that they are immensely proud to stand in the defense of such wondrous and beautiful sentient beings threatened by the barbaric harbingers of cruel and senseless death.
If this verdict was meant to discourage opposition to the killings, it will have the opposite effect. Saving the lives of these gentle, self aware intelligent sociable sentient beings is worth the risks that we have undertaken and when someone is willing to risk their life to defend life, a few days in jail is hardly a sacrifice.
Perhaps what is needed is for the Faroese jails to be filled with people of conscience. The whales need people willing to accept the honor of imprisonment for taking a stand in defense of life.
Eco-tourism seems to be popular these days but perhaps we need to exercise eco-tourism activism. Come to the Faroe Islands, save the whales and experience the hospitality of the Faroese jails.
The new eco-tourism can be seen in the international volunteers now on the beaches of Costa Rica, Honduras and Florida defending the nests of sea turtles. It can be seen in the waters off the shore of Southern France where volunteer divers are removing the destructive ghost nets. It can be seen at the Cove in Taiji, Japan with the Cove Guardians and in the Sea of Cortez with people volunteering to save the endangered Vaquita and if need be it can be seen in a cell in the Faroe Islands where a person may peacefully contemplate their acts of compassion.
Tell Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen that the cruel and unnecessary slaughter of pilot whales in the Faroe Islands must end, immediately.
Email here: www.standup250.org/take-action/
Captain Paul Watson
Photo : Sea Shepherd
Barry was a good friend - a wonderful writer and story teller, a deeply compassionate guy who always championed the underdog, and the funniest person I have ever known. He wrote great letters - remember the days when people picked up pens or scrolled a sheet of clean white paper into their typewriters? - and receiving one of his epistles was always the highlight of the day. His letters were so good that after his death in 1986, at the age of 44, from non-Hodgkins lymphoma, his friends collected and edited and published them in book form.
"Speaking of death, I sure hope that my friends make sure that I am cremated and left on the coast before they can ship me back and stick me in that prairie, beard shorn, wearing a suit, with a handkerchief in my breast pocket stuck to my car keys..."
- Barry Macleod
(2018 note from Page: done!)
I made this shot of Macleod at Long Beach, in Pacific Rim National Park, Vancouver Island, BC, many years ago. It's a vertical crop from the horizontal, given the antique treatment in processing, and doesn't look bad considering its age, the slow film I was using, hand held on a rainy day.
For his last eight years Barry lived in a cabin at Tugwell Creek, on southern Vancouver Island, 40 feet from the lapping (sometimes pounding) waves of Juan de Fuca Strait. I visited him regularly through those years. Warm summer days and grey drizzling winter vistas of distant mountains and low clouds and grey water punctuated by ducks and loons and seals, and occasionally killer whales. Lots of laughs. Plenty of serious talk about anything and everything. A lot of chess games, and Cosmic Football, too, which is a whole other story.
"We sat and drank whiskey and beer in the fading afternoon light and talked talked talked and the talk turned to music and words and poetry and life. We got higher than kites on each other and nothing existed but that moment when all the pain was turned into magic. And that is what life is all about. The rest of it is just the booby prize."
- Barry Macleod
Scanned from the original Kodachrome 25 slide. Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 1975 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
"Compassionate Gaze”
11×14″ charcoal/graphite portrait of a super sweet Pit Bull mix named Percy.
Affordable fine art prints of this drawing are available here: www.redbubble.com/people/earth2sd/works/14336171-compassi...
Reference courtesy of Justin Grivich photography.
Please contact me on Flickr or by email if you would like a special portrait of your furry or non-furry family members. My commission fee is reasonably priced and negotiable. My email: sd.2010.photography@gmail.com
Much of what we know of St. Cuthbert of Lindisfarne appears to be legendary, but every legend must start with a grain of truth. If the stories are any indicator, he must have been a devout man who inspired those around him deeply, despite (and possibly also because) of his love of solitude. Today, a modern statue of St. Cuthbert stands as a green-grey sentinel of the local priory ruins. His lips are pursed beneath his aquiline nose, his hands folded in contemplation, and his unseeing eyes watch over the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, which he once called home. It isn’t difficult to imagine why Cuthbert’s predecessors, Saint Aidan and his fellow monks, were apt to set up a monastery here. Beyond the practicalities of a fresh water source and green pasture, the isolation of the tides that make Lindisfarne an island twice a day and the sound of breaking waves, and spectacular sunsets all speak to the divinity of the Creator. And standing where Cuthbert stood, it isn’t so difficult to imagine him either – no longer just a figment of stone, but a living, breathing being separated from us only by time.
Shepherd, Soldier, Prior, Saint
Saint Cuthbert, the shepherd
Cuthbert, like many saints, is a man of legend, and the details of his birth are no exception. While historical record, or lack thereof, accounts for the discrepancy in dates (634 or 635), it is most likely legend which gives us the story of a royal heritage (Cuthbert is often rumoured to be the son of an Irish king). Just like the biblical King David, Cuthbert helped keep sheep when he was a boy. This task no doubt suited young Cuthbert well, for he was a compassionate soul, showing kindness to humans and animals alike. A foreshadowing of things to come, whenever Cuthbert would tear his gaze away from his sheep, the Melrose monastery was there on the horizon. Like King David, Cuthbert was set apart to accomplish great things. The sign came, not through an anointing of oil, but supposedly, through a dazzling vision in the night. The vision took place in August of 651. The significance of the date may be lost on us now, but it was a bustling time for the Scottish Borders and Northern England – pagan hostilities, the storming of a castle, the murder of a king, and the death of a beloved missionary monk. The monk’s name was Aidan. He was also the founder of the monastery in Lindisfarne and credited with restoring Christianity to Northumbria. His death was a reflection of his life: he passed away in the night leaning on the wall of the local church. It was news of this monk, even more than rumours of war, that would shake Cuthbert to his core. Back in Melrose, Cuthbert was keeping watch over his flock by night – the same night of Aidan’s death. Then suddenly, as recorded by the venerable Bede, a long stream of light illuminated the night, interrupting Cuthbert’s diligent prayers and startling the sheep. Cuthbert watched intently as a heavenly host appeared, descending to the earth to gather up another spirit into their midst. This spirit – whoever it was – was remarkably bright, and the angels escorted them to their heavenly home, leaving behind only the light of the winking stars. Needless to say, Cuthbert was flabbergasted. However, the matter became clear to him the next morning when he learned of Aidan’s death; he believed he had watched Aidan’s soul being taken to heaven. It was at that moment he knew the monastery was no longer to be a shadow on the horizon but his home.
Saint Cuthbert, the soldier
Unfortunately, the rumours of war became reality, sweeping Cuthbert away from his calling for a time as he served in the military. His precise actions in the Northumbrian army are unknown, but it is believed he took part in its battles against Mercia, Northumbria’s pagan enemy and bitter rival. Surviving even a single battle of the era was a feat in and of itself. The warfare was constant and fraught with bloodshed, frantic with swinging swords and frightening in its utter brutality. For the shepherd boy who preferred offering prayers up to God, it must have been a grim prospect to offer up pagan souls upon a sword’s edge instead. Perhaps even more disturbing to Cuthbert would have been the numerous reports of slaughtered monks, the people he so desperately wished to join. It is little wonder the Bede said of him that “he preferred the monastery to the world.”
Saint Cuthbert the monk
After the war, Cuthbert was finally able to join the monastic life he felt called to, and he journeyed several days to reach Melrose. It was winter, and one can imagine flakes of snow sticking to his cloak, snuggly wrapped about his shoulders. He was riding down a long stretch of road with no inhabitants; he and his horse were the only living things wandering the cold land that day. He had no more food with him, and there was no house where he could beg for shelter. Cuthbert looked to the distance and saw a dilapidated shepherd’s hut. As Cuthbert sheltered there for the night, one must wonder if he thought back to his own shepherding days, which must have seemed a lifetime ago, an impossible peace, after the experience of war. As Cuthbert settled in for some much-needed rest, he said his prayers, then took a handful of straw from the thatched roof to feed his horse, his own belly empty and grumbling. Legend states that out of the straw a cloth bundle fell to his feet containing freshly baked bread and meat. Cuthbert gave thanks to the Lord for His miraculous provision, then he is said to have split the loaf of bread with his horse, rather than feeding it stale straw. Bellies full and hearts warmed, Cuthbert and his horse braved the wintery weather once more and reached their destination: Melrose monastery. As Cuthbert rode up to the monastery, it is said a monk at the door cried, “Behold! A servant of the Lord!” He spoke truly, for Cuthbert went above and beyond the duties that were laid out before him – in prayer, study, and labour. You can almost hear Bede chuckle when he says of Cuthbert, “he fairly outdid them all!” For Cuthbert there was no contest though; he was not trying to outdo anyone, he was just being himself. He has been described as affable, pleasant, and incredibly meek when prompted into divulging his miraculous experiences.
Saint Cuthbert, the prior
In 662 Cuthbert was made prior at Melrose after a bout of plague had killed the previous prior. It must have been a bittersweet experience for Cuthbert; he would have been hurting with grief from the death of a friend, yet taking a flock under his wing and getting to call them his very own. During this time of hardship, Cuthbert, too, became sick. Just like surviving a battle, surviving plague could very well be counted a miracle, as 80 percent who contracted it would die within eight days. As soon as Cuthbert recovered, he went out into the countryside, helping other plague victims. The elevation in rank from monk to prior had increased not his pride but his servant’s spirit. Cuthbert continuously followed Christ’s command to go and preach to the world. For years he travelled from village to village, serving the people and preaching God’s Word; he even travelled into the destitute, mountain villages which could easily have been neglected. Not only did Cuthbert travel to such places, but he would live among the people for weeks, even a month at a time, demonstrating the love of Christ through his actions, just as much as he did through his words. That Cuthbert did not discriminate between rich or poor when giving aid or guidance further endeared him to those who knew him. While Cuthbert was at Melrose, however, there was strife in the larger church community. For as long as anyone could remember, Northumbria had followed the practices of the Celtic Church, but then the king married a woman of the Roman Church. The two churches appeared to be compatible, but ended up having some key differences. The Celtic Church favoured autonomy, had a different dating of Easter, and different liturgies; these things were seen as especially problematic by the Roman Church. A council was formed to sort the matter out, and ultimately the Roman Church won out. Cuthbert, previously a Celtic, must have agreed with the change, because he was asked to introduce the new practices at Lindisfarne. He was seen as a good fit for the task because of his strong leadership, lovingly showing the way by word and example. Cuthbert accepted the task, and became the prior at Lindisfarne monastery in 670. Interestingly, the soul Cuthbert had seen ascend into heaven was intertwined with this next step in his journey as well, because Aidan had been the first bishop of Lindisfarne, perhaps starting his tenure there around the very time Cuthbert was born. This fact could not have been lost on Cuthbert, and might have eased him in his decision to leave his beloved Melrose. Perhaps he felt it was a renewal of that dazzling sign he had received years previously when he was a mere shepherd boy. At Lindisfarne, Cuthbert was pitted against his most difficult challenge yet. He sought to teach the monks there the Roman customs, but was taunted in return. The ancient customs were not to given up that easily. However, Cuthbert was a patient man, and according to Bede, never lost his temper with his querulous monks. Through perseverance, he managed to convert them to the newly popular doctrines and practices. Like at Melrose, Cuthbert did not confine himself to the walls of Lindisfarne monastery, but went on evangelizing, continuing his sacred mission work. It was reported that Cuthbert also performed miracles like the Apostles of old, including healings, exorcisms, and averting disasters through prayer. He became known as the “Wonder Worker of Britain.” Cuthbert kept himself so busy he rarely slept, rest only coming in the form of irregular naps. Even this he loathed to do, and he encouraged his monks to wake him so he could then “do or think of something useful!”
Saint Cuthbert, the hermit
However, six years of nonstop work took their toll on Cuthbert (as they would on any man), and he began to desire a life of solitude and peaceful contemplation. Perhaps he found himself longing for those halcyon days where he prayed surrounded not by walls but by nature, with silent sheep rather than student-monks for company. He accomplished this dream by moving to Inner Farne, a remote and deserted island not too far from Lindisfarne. Although he planned on a life of solitude, the hospitable Cuthbert could not help but build both a home for himself, as well as a second, larger home for any guests that may venture out to his island. (And venture they did). The stones Cuthbert used for his structures were too large for any one man to lift, so it has been recorded as another miracle – he must have been helped by angels in the construction. Though some traversed the sea to commune with Cuthbert, and were never turned away by him, the waves kept many at bay. Thus, his main company, once again, was of the animal variety but also of miraculous nature. Bede records the repentance of a crow who stole straw from the thatched roof of Cuthbert’s guesthouse. Once Cuthbert had rebuked the black bird in the name of the Lord, the crow bowed its head, flew off, and returned with a piece of pig’s lard which Cuthbert and his guests could use to shine their shoes. One particularly sweet legend asserts that sea otters would come sit upon Cuthbert’s feet, keeping the man of God warm in freezing weather. Cuthbert not only received help from wildlife, but also offered protection to wildlife himself. He gathered a flock, not of sheep or of monks, but of eider ducks, giving them sanctuary on his little island and making him the first wildlife conservationist! It is a pleasant picture, to imagine Cuthbert surrounded by his animal friends during his prayers and praises to their Creator. Today the eider duck, with its yellow beak, black and white plumage, and expressive eyes is affectionately called “Cuddy’s duck” in recognition of its protector. (The population today is vast and far from the “endangered” spectrum!) Cuthbert must have felt at home and at peace on his island, engaged in prayer and in stewardship of God’s creation. However, after a decade of this retirement, he was called upon to be the bishop of Lindisfarne. Cuthbert was reluctant but after much persuasion agreed – though it is said he made the agreement whilst shedding tears. As he had done all of his life, Cuthbert undertook the new calling with fervour, preaching and travelling extensively. Though he was a bishop, he continued to live as a monk in dress and diet. Like his elevation from monk to prior, his elevation to bishop did nothing to damage his humble heart. He gave food to the hungry and poor, and cared for those who were oppressed, always preaching repentance and forgiveness. He remained bishop for only two years before being granted permission to return to his retirement, where he was likely the happiest he had ever been with nature and God. Sadly, within months of his return to Inner Farne, Cuthbert became ill and knew he was dying. A priest friend stayed with Cuthbert, and said he spent his last day “in the expectation of future happiness,” and later that evening went home to be with his Lord and Saviour.Saint Cuthbert's Body Discovered
Sainthood
After his death on 20 March 687, Cuthbert was buried at Lindisfarne monastery. His monks, who had before been so problematic, were now overjoyed to have his bones there, for it comforted them to think that, in a way, Cuthbert was still with them. His legacy of piety and miracles lived on, and he was eventually venerated as a saint. Today he is often considered to be the favourite saint of England. Inspired by Cuthbert, the famous Lindisfarne Gospels were copied. They are beautifully and intricately illuminated copies of the Four Gospels made by the bishop of Lindisfarne “for God and St. Cuthbert.” Cuthbert’s body, exhumed eleven years after his death, was discovered to be undecayed, encouraging many pilgrimages to be made to see the body, in the hope of receiving healing and forgiveness. During Viking raids, the body of Cuthbert was taken to Durham Cathedral for safekeeping, which is the place where his remains lie peacefully interred today, beneath a humble gravestone that would have been to Cuthbert’s liking. It reads only: Cuthbertus.
Lindisfarne, also called Holy Island, is a tidal island off the northeast coast of England, which constitutes the civil parish of Holy Island in Northumberland. Holy Island has a recorded history from the 6th century AD; it was an important centre of Celtic Christianity under Saints Aidan of Lindisfarne, Cuthbert, Eadfrith of Lindisfarne and Eadberht of Lindisfarne. After the Viking invasions and the Norman conquest of England, a priory was re-established. A small castle was built on the island in 1550.
The north-east of England was largely not settled by Roman civilians apart from the Tyne valley and Hadrian's Wall. The area had been little affected during the centuries of nominal Roman occupation. The countryside had been subject to raids from both Scots and Picts and was "not one to attract early Germanic settlement". The Anglian King Ida (reigned from 547) started the sea-borne settlement of the coast, establishing an urbis regia (meaning "royal settlement") at Bamburgh across the bay from Lindisfarne. The conquest was not straightforward, however. The Historia Brittonum recounts how, in the 6th century, Urien, prince of Rheged, with a coalition of North Brittonic kingdoms, besieged Angles led by Theodric of Bernicia on the island for three days and nights, until internal power struggles led to the Britons' defeat.
The monastery of Lindisfarne was founded around 634 by Irish monk Saint Aidan, who had been sent from Iona off the west coast of Scotland to Northumbria at the request of King Oswald. The priory was founded before the end of 634 and Aidan remained there until his death in 651. The priory remained the only seat of a bishopric in Northumbria for nearly thirty years. Finan (bishop 651–661) built a timber church "suitable for a bishop's seat". St Bede, however, was critical of the fact that the church was not built of stone but only of hewn oak thatched with reeds. A later bishop, Eadbert, removed the thatch and covered both walls and roof in lead. An abbot, who could be the bishop, was elected by the brethren and led the community. Bede comments on this:
And let no one be surprised that, though we have said above that in this island of Lindisfarne, small as it is, there is found the seat of a bishop, now we say also that it is the home of an abbot and monks; for it actually is so. For one and the same dwelling-place of the servants of God holds both; and indeed all are monks. Aidan, who was the first bishop of this place, was a monk and always lived according to monastic rule together with all his followers. Hence all the bishops of that place up to the present time exercise their episcopal functions in such a way that the abbot, who they themselves have chosen by the advice of the brethren, rules the monastery; and all the priests, deacons, singers and readers and other ecclesiastical grades, together with the bishop himself, keep the monastic rule in all things.
Lindisfarne became the base for Christian evangelism in the North of England, and also sent a successful mission to Mercia. Monks from the Irish community of Iona settled on the island. Northumbria's patron saint, Saint Cuthbert, was a monk and later abbot of the monastery, and his miracles and life are recorded by the Venerable Bede. Cuthbert later became Bishop of Lindisfarne. An anonymous life of Cuthbert written at Lindisfarne is the oldest extant piece of English historical writing. From its reference to "Aldfrith, who now reigns peacefully", it is considered to date to between 685 and 704. Cuthbert was buried here, his remains later translated to Durham Cathedral (along with the relics of Saint Eadfrith of Lindisfarne). Eadberht of Lindisfarne, the next bishop (and later saint), was buried in the place from which Cuthbert's body was exhumed earlier the same year.
Cuthbert's body was carried with the monks, eventually settling in Chester-le-Street before a final move to Durham. The saint's shrine was the major pilgrimage centre for much of the region until its despoliation by Henry VIII's commissioners in 1539 or 1540. The grave was preserved, however, and when opened in 1827 yielded a number of artefacts dating back to Lindisfarne. The innermost of three coffins was of incised wood, the only decorated wood to survive from the period. It shows Jesus surrounded by the Four Evangelists. Within the coffin was a pectoral cross measuring 6.4 centimetres (2.5 in) across, made of gold and mounted with garnets and intricate designs; a comb, made of elephant ivory, was also found, an item that would have been exceedingly rare and expensive in Northern England, as well as an embossed, silver-covered travelling altar, all of which were contemporary with the original burial on the island. The most impressive find within the coffins was a gospel (known as the St Cuthbert Gospel or Stonyhurst Gospel from its association with Stonyhurst College): the manuscript, a relatively early and likely original one, was bound with embossed leather. When the body was placed in the shrine in 1104, other items were removed: a paten, scissors and a chalice of gold and onyx.
Following Finian's death, Colman became Bishop of Lindisfarne. Up to this point the Northumbrian (and latterly Mercian) churches had looked to Lindisfarne as the mother church. There were significant liturgical and theological differences with the fledgling Roman party based at Canterbury. According to Stenton: "There is no trace of any intercourse between these bishops [the Mercians] and the see of Canterbury". The Synod of Whitby in 663 changed this, as allegiance switched southwards to Canterbury and then to Rome. Colman departed his see for Iona, and Lindisfarne no longer held its previous importance.
In 735, the northern ecclesiastical province of England was established, with the archbishopric at York. There were only three bishops under York: Hexham, Lindisfarne and Whithorn, whereas Canterbury had the 12 envisaged by St Augustine. The Diocese of York roughly encompassed the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire. Hexham covered County Durham and the southern part of Northumberland up to the River Coquet, and eastwards into the Pennines. Whithorn covered most of Dumfries and Galloway region west of Dumfries itself. The remainder, Cumbria, northern Northumbria, Lothian and much of the Kingdom of Strathclyde formed the diocese of Lindisfarne.
In 737, Saint Ceolwulf of Northumbria abdicated as King of Northumbria and entered the priory at Lindisfarne. He died in 764 and was buried alongside Cuthbert. In 830, his body was moved to Norham-upon-Tweed, and later his head was translated to Durham Cathedral.
Lindisfarne Gospels
Main article: Lindisfarne Gospels
At some point in the early 8th century the illuminated manuscript known as the Lindisfarne Gospels, an illustrated Latin copy of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, was made, probably at Lindisfarne. The artist was possibly Eadfrith, who later became Bishop of Lindisfarne. It is also speculated that a team of illuminators and calligraphers (monks of Lindisfarne Priory) worked on the text, but if so, their identities are unknown. Some time in the second half of the 10th century, a monk named Aldred added an Anglo-Saxon (Old English) gloss to the Latin text, producing the earliest surviving Old English copies of the Gospels. Aldred attributed the original to Eadfrith (bishop 698–721). The Gospels were written with a good hand, but it is the illustrations, done in an insular style containing a fusion of Celtic, Germanic and Roman elements, that are considered to be of the most value. According to Aldred, Eadfrith's successor Æthelwald was responsible for pressing and binding the book, before it was covered with a fine metal case made by a hermit known as Billfrith. The Lindisfarne Gospels now reside in the British Library in London, a location which has caused some controversy amongst some Northumbrians. In 1971, professor Suzanne Kaufman of Rockford, Illinois presented a facsimile copy of the Gospels to the clergy of the island.
In 793, a Viking raid on Lindisfarne caused much consternation throughout the Christian west, and is now often taken as the beginning of the Viking Age. There had been some other Viking raids, but according to English Heritage this one was particularly significant, because "it attacked the sacred heart of the Northumbrian kingdom, desecrating 'the very place where the Christian religion began in our nation'". The D and E versions of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle record:
Her wæron reðe forebecna cumene ofer Norðhymbra land, ⁊ þæt folc earmlic bregdon, þæt wæron ormete þodenas ⁊ ligrescas, ⁊ fyrenne dracan wæron gesewene on þam lifte fleogende. Þam tacnum sona fyligde mycel hunger, ⁊ litel æfter þam, þæs ilcan geares on .vi. Idus Ianuarii, earmlice hæþenra manna hergunc adilegode Godes cyrican in Lindisfarnaee þurh hreaflac ⁊ mansliht.
("In this year fierce, foreboding omens came over the land of the Northumbrians, and the wretched people shook; there were excessive whirlwinds, lightning, and fiery dragons were seen flying in the sky. These signs were followed by great famine, and a little after those, that same year on 6th ides of January, the ravaging of wretched heathen men destroyed God's church at Lindisfarne.")
The generally accepted date for the Viking raid on Lindisfarne is 8 June; Michael Swanton writes: "vi id Ianr, presumably [is] an error for vi id Iun (8 June) which is the date given by the Annals of Lindisfarne (p. 505), when better sailing weather would favour coastal raids."
Alcuin, a Northumbrian scholar in Charlemagne's court at the time, wrote: "Never before has such terror appeared in Britain as we have now suffered from a pagan race ... The heathens poured out the blood of saints around the altar, and trampled on the bodies of saints in the temple of God, like dung in the streets."
During the attack many of the monks were killed, or captured and enslaved. As the English population became more settled, they seemed to have turned their back on the sea. Many monasteries were established on islands, peninsulas, river mouths and cliffs, as isolated communities were less susceptible to interference and the politics of the heartland. These preliminary raids, despite their brutal nature, were not followed up. The main body of the raiders passed north around Scotland. The 9th century invasions came not from Norway, but from the Danes from around the entrance to the Baltic. The first Danish raids into England were in the Isle of Sheppey, Kent during 835 and from there their influence spread north. During this period religious art continued to flourish on Lindisfarne, and the Liber Vitae of Durham began in the priory. By 866, the Danes were in York, and in 873 the army was moving into Northumberland. With the collapse of the Northumbrian kingdom, the monks of Lindisfarne fled the island in 875 taking with them St Cuthbert's bones (which are now buried at the cathedral in Durham), who during his life had been prior and bishop of Lindisfarne; his body was buried on the island in the year 698.
Prior to the 9th century, Lindisfarne Priory had, in common with other such establishments, held large tracts of land which were managed directly or leased to farmers with a life interest only. Following the Danish occupation, land was increasingly owned by individuals, and could be bought, sold and inherited. Following the Battle of Corbridge in 914 Ragnald seized the land giving some to his followers Scula and Onlafbal.
William of St Calais, the first Norman Bishop of Durham, endowed his new Benedictine monastery at Durham with land and property in Northumberland, including Holy Island and much of the surrounding mainland. Durham Priory re-established a monastic house on the island in 1093, as a cell of Durham, administered from Norham. The standing remains date from this time (whereas the site of the original priory is now occupied by the parish church).
Monastic records from the 14th to the 16th century provide evidence of an already well-established fishing economy on the island. Both line fishing and net fishing were practised, inshore in shallow waters and in the deep water offshore, using a variety of vessels: contemporary accounts differentiate between small 'cobles' and larger 'boats', as well as singling out certain specialised vessels (such as a 'herynger', sold for £2 in 1404). As well as supplying food for the monastic community, the island's fisheries (together with those of nearby Farne) provided the mother house at Durham with fish, on a regular (sometimes weekly) basis. Fish caught included cod, haddock, herring, salmon, porpoise and mullet, among others. Shellfish of various types were also fished for, with lobster nets and oyster dredges being mentioned in the accounts. Fish surplus to the needs of the monastery was traded, but subject to a tithe. There is also evidence that the monks operated a lime kiln on the island.
In 1462, during the Wars of the Roses, Margaret of Anjou made an abortive attempt to seize the Northumbrian castles. Following a storm at sea 400 troops had to seek shelter on Holy Island, where they surrendered to the Yorkists.
The Benedictine monastery continued until its suppression in 1536 under Henry VIII, after which the buildings surrounding the church were used as a naval storehouse. In 1613 ownership of the island (and other land in the area formerly pertaining to Durham Priory) was transferred to the Crown.
An early scholarly description of the priory was compiled by Dr Henry George Charles Clarke (presumed son of Admiral Sir Erasmus Gower) in 1838 during his term as president of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club. Dr Clarke surmised that this Norman priory was unique in that the centre aisle had a vault of stone. Of the six arches, Dr Clarke stated "as if the architect had not previously calculated the space to be occupied by his arcade. The effect here has been to produce a horse-shoe instead of a semicircular arch, from its being of the same height, but lesser span, than the others. This arch is very rare, even in Norman buildings". The Lindisfarne Priory (ruin) is a grade I listed building, List Entry Number 1042304. Other parts of the priory are a Scheduled ancient monument, List Entry Number 1011650. The latter are described as "the site of the pre-Conquest monastery of Lindisfarne and the Benedictine cell of Durham Cathedral that succeeded it in the 11th century".
Recent work by archeologists was continuing in 2019, for the fourth year. Artifacts recovered included a rare board game piece, copper-alloy rings and Anglo-Saxon coins from both Northumbria and Wessex. The discovery of a cemetery led to finding commemorative markers "unique to the 8th and 9th centuries". The group also found evidence of an early medieval building, "which seems to have been constructed on top of an even earlier industrial oven" which was used to make copper or glass.
Northumberland is a ceremonial county in North East England, bordering Scotland. It is bordered by the Scottish Borders to the north, the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, and Cumbria to the west. The town of Blyth is the largest settlement.
The county has an area of 5,013 km2 (1,936 sq mi) and a population of 320,274, making it the least-densely populated county in England. The south-east contains the largest towns: Blyth (37,339), Cramlington (27,683), Ashington (27,670), and Morpeth (14,304), which is the administrative centre. The remainder of the county is rural, and the largest towns are Berwick-upon-Tweed (12,043) in the far north and Hexham (13,097) in the west. For local government purposes the county is a unitary authority area. The county historically included the parts of Tyne and Wear north of the River Tyne.
The west of Northumberland contains part of the Cheviot Hills and North Pennines, while to the east the land becomes flatter before reaching the coast. The Cheviot (815 m (2,674 ft)), after which the range of hills is named, is the county's highest point. The county contains the source of the River North Tyne and much of the South Tyne; near Hexham they combine to form the Tyne, which exits into Tyne and Wear shortly downstream. The other major rivers in Northumberland are, from south to north, the Blyth, Coquet, Aln, Wansbeck and Tweed, the last of which forms part of the Scottish border. The county contains Northumberland National Park and two national landscapes: the Northumberland Coast and part of the North Pennines.
Much of the county's history has been defined by its position on a border. In the Roman era most of the county lay north of Hadrian's Wall, and the region was contested between England and Scotland into the Early Modern era, leading to the construction of many castles, peel towers and bastle houses, and the early modern fortifications at Berwick-upon-Tweed. Northumberland is also associated with Celtic Christianity, particularly the tidal island of Lindisfarne. During the Industrial Revolution the area had significant coal mining, shipbuilding, and armaments industries.
Northumberland, England's northernmost county, is a land where Roman occupiers once guarded a walled frontier, Anglian invaders fought with Celtic natives, and Norman lords built castles to suppress rebellion and defend a contested border with Scotland. The present-day county is a vestige of an independent kingdom that once stretched from Edinburgh to the Humber, hence its name, meaning literally 'north of the Humber'. Reflecting its tumultuous past, Northumberland has more castles than any other county in England, and the greatest number of recognised battle sites. Once an economically important region that supplied much of the coal that powered the industrial revolution, Northumberland is now a primarily rural county with a small and gradually shrinking population.
As attested by many instances of rock art, the Northumberland region has a rich prehistory. Archeologists have studied a Mesolithic structure at Howick, which dates to 7500 BC and was identified as Britain's oldest house until it lost this title in 2010 when the discovery of the even older Star Carr house in North Yorkshire was announced, which dates to 8770 BC. They have also found tools, ornaments, building structures and cairns dating to the bronze and iron ages, when the area was occupied by Brythonic Celtic peoples who had migrated from continental Europe, most likely the Votadini whose territory stretched from Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth to Northumberland. It is not clear where the boundary between the Votadini and the other large tribe, the Brigantes, was, although it probably frequently shifted as a result of wars and as smaller tribes and communities changed allegiances. Unlike neighbouring tribes, Votadini farms were surrounded by large walls, banks and ditches and the people made offerings of fine metal objects, but never wore massive armlets. There are also at least three very large hillforts in their territory (Yeavering Bell, Eildon Hill and Traprain Law, the latter two now in Scotland), each was located on the top of a prominent hill or mountain. The hillforts may have been used for over a thousand years by this time as places of refuge and as places for meetings for political and religious ceremonies. Duddo Five Stones in North Northumberland and the Goatstones near Hadrian's Wall are stone circles dating from the Bronze Age.
When Gnaeus Julius Agricola was appointed Roman governor of Britain in 78 AD, most of northern Britain was still controlled by native British tribes. During his governorship Agricola extended Roman control north of Eboracum (York) and into what is now Scotland. Roman settlements, garrisons and roads were established throughout the Northumberland region.
The northern frontier of the Roman occupation fluctuated between Pons Aelius (now Newcastle) and the Forth. Hadrian's Wall was completed by about 130 AD, to define and defend the northern boundary of Roman Britain. By 142, the Romans had completed the Antonine Wall, a more northerly defensive border lying between the Forth and Clyde. However, by 164 they abandoned the Antonine Wall to consolidate defences at Hadrian's Wall.
Two important Roman roads in the region were the Stanegate and Dere Street, the latter extending through the Cheviot Hills to locations well north of the Tweed. Located at the intersection of these two roads, Coria (Corbridge), a Roman supply-base, was the most northerly large town in the Roman Empire. The Roman forts of Vercovicium (Housesteads) on Hadrian's Wall, and Vindolanda (Chesterholm) built to guard the Stanegate, had extensive civil settlements surrounding them.
The Celtic peoples living in the region between the Tyne and the Forth were known to the Romans as the Votadini. When not under direct Roman rule, they functioned as a friendly client kingdom, a somewhat porous buffer against the more warlike Picts to the north.
The gradual Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 5th century led to a poorly documented age of conflict and chaos as different peoples contested territories in northern Britain.
Nearly 2000-year-old Roman boxing gloves were uncovered at Vindolanda in 2017 by the Vidolanda Trust experts led by Dr Andrew Birley. According to the Guardian, being similar in style and function to the full-hand modern boxing gloves, these two gloves found at Vindolanda look like leather bands date back to 120 AD. It is suggested that based on their difference from gladiator gloves warriors using this type of gloves had no purpose to kill each other. These gloves were probably used in a sport for promoting fighting skills. The gloves are currently displayed at Vindolanda's museum.
Conquests by Anglian invaders led to the establishment of the kingdoms of Deira and Bernicia. The first Anglian settlement was effected in 547 by Ida, who, accompanied by his six sons, pushed through the narrow strip of territory between the Cheviots and the sea, and set up a fortress at Bamburgh, which became the royal seat of the Bernician kings. About the end of the 6th century Bernicia was first united with the rival kingdom of Deira under the rule of Æthelfrith of Northumbria, and the district between the Humber and the Forth became known as the kingdom of Northumbria.
After Æthelfrith was killed in battle around 616, Edwin of Deira became king of Northumbria. Æthelfrith's son Oswald fled northwest to the Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata where he was converted to Christianity by the monks of Iona. Meanwhile, Paulinus, the first bishop of York, converted King Edwin to Roman Christianity and began an extensive program of conversion and baptism. By his time the kingdom must have reached the west coast, as Edwin is said to have conquered the islands of Anglesey and Man. Under Edwin the Northumbrian kingdom became the chief power in Britain. However, when Cadwallon ap Cadfan defeated Edwin at Hatfield Chase in 633, Northumbria was divided into the former kingdoms of Bernicia and Deira and Christianity suffered a temporary decline.
In 634, Oswald defeated Cadwallon ap Cadfan at the Battle of Heavenfield, resulting in the re-unification of Northumbria. Oswald re-established Christianity in the kingdom and assigned a bishopric at Hexham, where Wilfrid erected a famous early English church. Reunification was followed by a period of Northumbrian expansion into Pictish territory and growing dominance over the Celtic kingdoms of Dál Riata and Strathclyde to the west. Northumbrian encroachments were abruptly curtailed in 685, when Ecgfrith suffered complete defeat by a Pictish force at the Battle of Nechtansmere.
When Saint Aidan came at the request of Oswald to preach to the Northumbrians he chose the island of Lindisfarne as the site of his church and monastery, and made it the head of the diocese which he founded in 635. For some years the see continued in peace, numbering among its bishops Saint Cuthbert, but in 793 Vikings landed on the island and burnt the settlement, killing many of the monks. The survivors, however, rebuilt the church and continued to live there until 883, when, through fear of a second invasion of the Danes, they fled inland, taking with them the body of Cuthbert and other holy relics.
Against this background, the monasteries of Northumbria developed some remarkably influential cultural products. Cædmon, a monk at Whitby Abbey, authored one of the earliest surviving examples of Old English poetry some time before 680. The Lindisfarne Gospels, an early example of insular art, is attributed to Eadfrith, the bishop of Lindisfarne from 698 to 721. Stenton (1971, p. 191) describes the book as follows.
In mere script it is no more than an admirable example of a noble style, and the figure drawing of its illustrations, though probably based on classical models, has more than a touch of naïveté. Its unique importance is due to the beauty and astonishing intricacy of its decoration. The nature of its ornament connects it very closely with a group of Irish manuscripts of which the Book of Kells is the most famous.
Bede's writing, at the Northumbrian monasteries at Wearmouth and Jarrow, gained him a reputation as the most learned scholar of his age. His work is notable for both its breadth (encompassing history, theology, science and literature) and quality, exemplified by the rigorous use of citation. Bede's most famous work is Ecclesiastical History of the English People, which is regarded as a highly influential early model of historical scholarship.
The kingdom of Northumbria ceased to exist in 927, when it was incorporated into England as an earldom by Athelstan, the first king of a united England[citation needed].. In 937, Athelstan's victory over a combined Norse-Celtic force in the battle of Brunanburh secured England's control of its northern territory.
The Scottish king Indulf captured Edinburgh in 954, which thenceforth remained in possession of the Scots. His successors made repeated attempts to extend their territory southwards. Malcolm II was finally successful, when, in 1018, he annihilated the Northumbrian army at Carham on the Tweed, and Eadulf the earl of Northumbria ceded all his territory to the north of that river as the price of peace. Henceforth Lothian, consisting of the former region of Northumbria between the Forth and the Tweed, remained in possession of the Scottish kings.
The term Northumberland was first recorded in its contracted modern sense in 1065 in an entry in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle relating to a rebellion against Tostig Godwinson.
The vigorous resistance of Northumbria to William the Conqueror was punished by ruthless harrying, mostly south of the River Tees. As recounted by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle:
A.D. 1068. This year King William gave Earl Robert the earldom over Northumberland; but the landsmen attacked him in the town of Durham, and slew him, and nine hundred men with him. Soon afterwards Edgar Etheling came with all the Northumbrians to York; and the townsmen made a treaty with him: but King William came from the South unawares on them with a large army, and put them to flight, and slew on the spot those who could not escape; which were many hundred men; and plundered the town. St. Peter's minster he made a profanation, and all other places also he despoiled and trampled upon; and the ethelling went back again to Scotland.
The Normans rebuilt the Anglian monasteries of Lindisfarne, Hexham and Tynemouth, and founded Norman abbeys at Newminster (1139), Alnwick (1147), Brinkburn (1180), Hulne, and Blanchland. Castles were built at Newcastle (1080), Alnwick (1096), Bamburgh (1131), Harbottle (1157), Prudhoe (1172), Warkworth (1205), Chillingham, Ford (1287), Dunstanburgh (1313), Morpeth, Langley (1350), Wark on Tweed and Norham (1121), the latter an enclave of the palatine bishops of Durham.
Northumberland county is not mentioned in the Domesday Survey, but the account of the issues of the county, as rendered by Odard the sheriff, is entered in the Great Roll of the Exchequer for 1131.
In 1237, Scotland renounced claims to Northumberland county in the Treaty of York.
During the reign of Edward I (1272–1307), the county of Northumberland was the district between the Tees and the Tweed, and had within it several scattered liberties subject to other powers: Durham, Sadberge, Bedlingtonshire, and Norhamshire belonging to the bishop of Durham; Hexhamshire to the archbishop of York; Tynedale to the king of Scotland; Emildon to the earl of Lancaster; and Redesdale to Gilbert de Umfraville, Earl of Angus. These franchises were exempt from the ordinary jurisdiction of the shire. Over time, some were incorporated within the county: Tynedale in 1495; Hexhamshire in 1572; and Norhamshire, Islandshire and Bedlingtonshire by the Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844.
The county court for Northumberland was held at different times at Newcastle, Alnwick and Morpeth, until by statute of 1549 it was ordered that the court should thenceforth be held in the town and castle of Alnwick. Under the same statute the sheriffs of Northumberland, who had been in the habit of appropriating the issues of the county to their private use, were required thereafter to deliver in their accounts to the Exchequer in the same manner as the sheriffs of other counties.
From the Norman Conquest until the union of England and Scotland under James I and VI, Northumberland was the scene of perpetual inroads and devastations by the Scots. Norham, Alnwick and Wark were captured by David I of Scotland in the wars of Stephen's reign. In 1174, during his invasion of Northumbria, William I of Scotland, also known as William the Lion, was captured by a party of about four hundred mounted knights, led by Ranulf de Glanvill. This incident became known as the Battle of Alnwick. In 1295, Robert de Ros and the earls of Athol and Menteith ravaged Redesdale, Coquetdale and Tynedale. In 1314 the county was ravaged by king Robert Bruce. And so dire was the Scottish threat in 1382, that by special enactment the earl of Northumberland was ordered to remain on his estates to protect the border. In 1388, Henry Percy was taken prisoner and 1500 of his men slain at the battle of Otterburn, immortalised in the ballad of Chevy Chase.
Alnwick, Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh were garrisoned for the Lancastrian cause in 1462, but after the Yorkist victories of Hexham and Hedgley Moor in 1464, Alnwick and Dunstanburgh surrendered, and Bamburgh was taken by storm.
In September 1513, King James IV of Scotland was killed at the Battle of Flodden on Branxton Moor.
Roman Catholic support in Northumberland for Mary, Queen of Scots, led to the Rising of the North in 1569.
After uniting the English and Scottish thrones, James VI and I sharply curbed the lawlessness of the border reivers and brought relative peace to the region. There were Church of Scotland congregations in Northumberland in the 17th and 18th centuries.
During the Civil War of the 17th century, Newcastle was garrisoned for the king by the earl of Newcastle, but in 1644 it was captured by the Scots under the earl of Leven, and in 1646 Charles I was led there a captive under the charge of David Leslie.
Many of the chief Northumberland families were ruined in the Jacobite rebellion of 1715.
The mineral resources of the area appear to have been exploited to some extent from remote times. It is certain that coal was used by the Romans in Northumberland, and some coal ornaments found at Angerton have been attributed to the 7th century. In a 13th-century grant to Newminster Abbey a road for the conveyance of sea coal from the shore about Blyth is mentioned, and the Blyth coal field was worked throughout the 14th and 15th centuries. The coal trade on the Tyne did not exist to any extent before the 13th century, but from that period it developed rapidly, and Newcastle acquired the monopoly of the river shipping and coal trade. Lead was exported from Newcastle in the 12th century, probably from Hexhamshire, the lead mines of which were very prosperous throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. In a charter from Richard I to Hugh de Puiset creating him earl of Northumberland, mines of silver and iron are mentioned. A salt pan is mentioned at Warkworth in the 12th century; in the 13th century the salt industry flourished at the mouth of the river Blyth, and in the 15th century formed the principal occupation of the inhabitants of North and South Shields. In the reign of Elizabeth I, glass factories were set up at Newcastle by foreign refugees, and the industry spread rapidly along the Tyne. Tanning, both of leather and of nets, was largely practised in the 13th century, and the salmon fisheries in the Tyne were famous in the reign of Henry I.
John Smeaton designed the Coldstream Bridge and a bridge at Hexham.
Stephenson's Rocket
Invention of the steam turbine by Charles Algernon Parsons
Northumberland is a ceremonial county in North East England, bordering Scotland. It is bordered by the Scottish Borders to the north, the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, and Cumbria to the west. The town of Blyth is the largest settlement.
The county has an area of 5,013 km2 (1,936 sq mi) and a population of 320,274, making it the least-densely populated county in England. The south-east contains the largest towns: Blyth (37,339), Cramlington (27,683), Ashington (27,670), and Morpeth (14,304), which is the administrative centre. The remainder of the county is rural, and the largest towns are Berwick-upon-Tweed (12,043) in the far north and Hexham (13,097) in the west. For local government purposes the county is a unitary authority area. The county historically included the parts of Tyne and Wear north of the River Tyne.
The west of Northumberland contains part of the Cheviot Hills and North Pennines, while to the east the land becomes flatter before reaching the coast. The Cheviot (815 m (2,674 ft)), after which the range of hills is named, is the county's highest point. The county contains the source of the River North Tyne and much of the South Tyne; near Hexham they combine to form the Tyne, which exits into Tyne and Wear shortly downstream. The other major rivers in Northumberland are, from south to north, the Blyth, Coquet, Aln, Wansbeck and Tweed, the last of which forms part of the Scottish border. The county contains Northumberland National Park and two national landscapes: the Northumberland Coast and part of the North Pennines.
Much of the county's history has been defined by its position on a border. In the Roman era most of the county lay north of Hadrian's Wall, and the region was contested between England and Scotland into the Early Modern era, leading to the construction of many castles, peel towers and bastle houses, and the early modern fortifications at Berwick-upon-Tweed. Northumberland is also associated with Celtic Christianity, particularly the tidal island of Lindisfarne. During the Industrial Revolution the area had significant coal mining, shipbuilding, and armaments industries.
Northumberland, England's northernmost county, is a land where Roman occupiers once guarded a walled frontier, Anglian invaders fought with Celtic natives, and Norman lords built castles to suppress rebellion and defend a contested border with Scotland. The present-day county is a vestige of an independent kingdom that once stretched from Edinburgh to the Humber, hence its name, meaning literally 'north of the Humber'. Reflecting its tumultuous past, Northumberland has more castles than any other county in England, and the greatest number of recognised battle sites. Once an economically important region that supplied much of the coal that powered the industrial revolution, Northumberland is now a primarily rural county with a small and gradually shrinking population.
As attested by many instances of rock art, the Northumberland region has a rich prehistory. Archeologists have studied a Mesolithic structure at Howick, which dates to 7500 BC and was identified as Britain's oldest house until it lost this title in 2010 when the discovery of the even older Star Carr house in North Yorkshire was announced, which dates to 8770 BC. They have also found tools, ornaments, building structures and cairns dating to the bronze and iron ages, when the area was occupied by Brythonic Celtic peoples who had migrated from continental Europe, most likely the Votadini whose territory stretched from Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth to Northumberland. It is not clear where the boundary between the Votadini and the other large tribe, the Brigantes, was, although it probably frequently shifted as a result of wars and as smaller tribes and communities changed allegiances. Unlike neighbouring tribes, Votadini farms were surrounded by large walls, banks and ditches and the people made offerings of fine metal objects, but never wore massive armlets. There are also at least three very large hillforts in their territory (Yeavering Bell, Eildon Hill and Traprain Law, the latter two now in Scotland), each was located on the top of a prominent hill or mountain. The hillforts may have been used for over a thousand years by this time as places of refuge and as places for meetings for political and religious ceremonies. Duddo Five Stones in North Northumberland and the Goatstones near Hadrian's Wall are stone circles dating from the Bronze Age.
When Gnaeus Julius Agricola was appointed Roman governor of Britain in 78 AD, most of northern Britain was still controlled by native British tribes. During his governorship Agricola extended Roman control north of Eboracum (York) and into what is now Scotland. Roman settlements, garrisons and roads were established throughout the Northumberland region.
The northern frontier of the Roman occupation fluctuated between Pons Aelius (now Newcastle) and the Forth. Hadrian's Wall was completed by about 130 AD, to define and defend the northern boundary of Roman Britain. By 142, the Romans had completed the Antonine Wall, a more northerly defensive border lying between the Forth and Clyde. However, by 164 they abandoned the Antonine Wall to consolidate defences at Hadrian's Wall.
Two important Roman roads in the region were the Stanegate and Dere Street, the latter extending through the Cheviot Hills to locations well north of the Tweed. Located at the intersection of these two roads, Coria (Corbridge), a Roman supply-base, was the most northerly large town in the Roman Empire. The Roman forts of Vercovicium (Housesteads) on Hadrian's Wall, and Vindolanda (Chesterholm) built to guard the Stanegate, had extensive civil settlements surrounding them.
The Celtic peoples living in the region between the Tyne and the Forth were known to the Romans as the Votadini. When not under direct Roman rule, they functioned as a friendly client kingdom, a somewhat porous buffer against the more warlike Picts to the north.
The gradual Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 5th century led to a poorly documented age of conflict and chaos as different peoples contested territories in northern Britain.
Nearly 2000-year-old Roman boxing gloves were uncovered at Vindolanda in 2017 by the Vidolanda Trust experts led by Dr Andrew Birley. According to the Guardian, being similar in style and function to the full-hand modern boxing gloves, these two gloves found at Vindolanda look like leather bands date back to 120 AD. It is suggested that based on their difference from gladiator gloves warriors using this type of gloves had no purpose to kill each other. These gloves were probably used in a sport for promoting fighting skills. The gloves are currently displayed at Vindolanda's museum.
Conquests by Anglian invaders led to the establishment of the kingdoms of Deira and Bernicia. The first Anglian settlement was effected in 547 by Ida, who, accompanied by his six sons, pushed through the narrow strip of territory between the Cheviots and the sea, and set up a fortress at Bamburgh, which became the royal seat of the Bernician kings. About the end of the 6th century Bernicia was first united with the rival kingdom of Deira under the rule of Æthelfrith of Northumbria, and the district between the Humber and the Forth became known as the kingdom of Northumbria.
After Æthelfrith was killed in battle around 616, Edwin of Deira became king of Northumbria. Æthelfrith's son Oswald fled northwest to the Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata where he was converted to Christianity by the monks of Iona. Meanwhile, Paulinus, the first bishop of York, converted King Edwin to Roman Christianity and began an extensive program of conversion and baptism. By his time the kingdom must have reached the west coast, as Edwin is said to have conquered the islands of Anglesey and Man. Under Edwin the Northumbrian kingdom became the chief power in Britain. However, when Cadwallon ap Cadfan defeated Edwin at Hatfield Chase in 633, Northumbria was divided into the former kingdoms of Bernicia and Deira and Christianity suffered a temporary decline.
In 634, Oswald defeated Cadwallon ap Cadfan at the Battle of Heavenfield, resulting in the re-unification of Northumbria. Oswald re-established Christianity in the kingdom and assigned a bishopric at Hexham, where Wilfrid erected a famous early English church. Reunification was followed by a period of Northumbrian expansion into Pictish territory and growing dominance over the Celtic kingdoms of Dál Riata and Strathclyde to the west. Northumbrian encroachments were abruptly curtailed in 685, when Ecgfrith suffered complete defeat by a Pictish force at the Battle of Nechtansmere.
When Saint Aidan came at the request of Oswald to preach to the Northumbrians he chose the island of Lindisfarne as the site of his church and monastery, and made it the head of the diocese which he founded in 635. For some years the see continued in peace, numbering among its bishops Saint Cuthbert, but in 793 Vikings landed on the island and burnt the settlement, killing many of the monks. The survivors, however, rebuilt the church and continued to live there until 883, when, through fear of a second invasion of the Danes, they fled inland, taking with them the body of Cuthbert and other holy relics.
Against this background, the monasteries of Northumbria developed some remarkably influential cultural products. Cædmon, a monk at Whitby Abbey, authored one of the earliest surviving examples of Old English poetry some time before 680. The Lindisfarne Gospels, an early example of insular art, is attributed to Eadfrith, the bishop of Lindisfarne from 698 to 721. Stenton (1971, p. 191) describes the book as follows.
In mere script it is no more than an admirable example of a noble style, and the figure drawing of its illustrations, though probably based on classical models, has more than a touch of naïveté. Its unique importance is due to the beauty and astonishing intricacy of its decoration. The nature of its ornament connects it very closely with a group of Irish manuscripts of which the Book of Kells is the most famous.
Bede's writing, at the Northumbrian monasteries at Wearmouth and Jarrow, gained him a reputation as the most learned scholar of his age. His work is notable for both its breadth (encompassing history, theology, science and literature) and quality, exemplified by the rigorous use of citation. Bede's most famous work is Ecclesiastical History of the English People, which is regarded as a highly influential early model of historical scholarship.
The kingdom of Northumbria ceased to exist in 927, when it was incorporated into England as an earldom by Athelstan, the first king of a united England[citation needed].. In 937, Athelstan's victory over a combined Norse-Celtic force in the battle of Brunanburh secured England's control of its northern territory.
The Scottish king Indulf captured Edinburgh in 954, which thenceforth remained in possession of the Scots. His successors made repeated attempts to extend their territory southwards. Malcolm II was finally successful, when, in 1018, he annihilated the Northumbrian army at Carham on the Tweed, and Eadulf the earl of Northumbria ceded all his territory to the north of that river as the price of peace. Henceforth Lothian, consisting of the former region of Northumbria between the Forth and the Tweed, remained in possession of the Scottish kings.
The term Northumberland was first recorded in its contracted modern sense in 1065 in an entry in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle relating to a rebellion against Tostig Godwinson.
The vigorous resistance of Northumbria to William the Conqueror was punished by ruthless harrying, mostly south of the River Tees. As recounted by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle:
A.D. 1068. This year King William gave Earl Robert the earldom over Northumberland; but the landsmen attacked him in the town of Durham, and slew him, and nine hundred men with him. Soon afterwards Edgar Etheling came with all the Northumbrians to York; and the townsmen made a treaty with him: but King William came from the South unawares on them with a large army, and put them to flight, and slew on the spot those who could not escape; which were many hundred men; and plundered the town. St. Peter's minster he made a profanation, and all other places also he despoiled and trampled upon; and the ethelling went back again to Scotland.
The Normans rebuilt the Anglian monasteries of Lindisfarne, Hexham and Tynemouth, and founded Norman abbeys at Newminster (1139), Alnwick (1147), Brinkburn (1180), Hulne, and Blanchland. Castles were built at Newcastle (1080), Alnwick (1096), Bamburgh (1131), Harbottle (1157), Prudhoe (1172), Warkworth (1205), Chillingham, Ford (1287), Dunstanburgh (1313), Morpeth, Langley (1350), Wark on Tweed and Norham (1121), the latter an enclave of the palatine bishops of Durham.
Northumberland county is not mentioned in the Domesday Survey, but the account of the issues of the county, as rendered by Odard the sheriff, is entered in the Great Roll of the Exchequer for 1131.
In 1237, Scotland renounced claims to Northumberland county in the Treaty of York.
During the reign of Edward I (1272–1307), the county of Northumberland was the district between the Tees and the Tweed, and had within it several scattered liberties subject to other powers: Durham, Sadberge, Bedlingtonshire, and Norhamshire belonging to the bishop of Durham; Hexhamshire to the archbishop of York; Tynedale to the king of Scotland; Emildon to the earl of Lancaster; and Redesdale to Gilbert de Umfraville, Earl of Angus. These franchises were exempt from the ordinary jurisdiction of the shire. Over time, some were incorporated within the county: Tynedale in 1495; Hexhamshire in 1572; and Norhamshire, Islandshire and Bedlingtonshire by the Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844.
The county court for Northumberland was held at different times at Newcastle, Alnwick and Morpeth, until by statute of 1549 it was ordered that the court should thenceforth be held in the town and castle of Alnwick. Under the same statute the sheriffs of Northumberland, who had been in the habit of appropriating the issues of the county to their private use, were required thereafter to deliver in their accounts to the Exchequer in the same manner as the sheriffs of other counties.
From the Norman Conquest until the union of England and Scotland under James I and VI, Northumberland was the scene of perpetual inroads and devastations by the Scots. Norham, Alnwick and Wark were captured by David I of Scotland in the wars of Stephen's reign. In 1174, during his invasion of Northumbria, William I of Scotland, also known as William the Lion, was captured by a party of about four hundred mounted knights, led by Ranulf de Glanvill. This incident became known as the Battle of Alnwick. In 1295, Robert de Ros and the earls of Athol and Menteith ravaged Redesdale, Coquetdale and Tynedale. In 1314 the county was ravaged by king Robert Bruce. And so dire was the Scottish threat in 1382, that by special enactment the earl of Northumberland was ordered to remain on his estates to protect the border. In 1388, Henry Percy was taken prisoner and 1500 of his men slain at the battle of Otterburn, immortalised in the ballad of Chevy Chase.
Alnwick, Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh were garrisoned for the Lancastrian cause in 1462, but after the Yorkist victories of Hexham and Hedgley Moor in 1464, Alnwick and Dunstanburgh surrendered, and Bamburgh was taken by storm.
In September 1513, King James IV of Scotland was killed at the Battle of Flodden on Branxton Moor.
Roman Catholic support in Northumberland for Mary, Queen of Scots, led to the Rising of the North in 1569.
After uniting the English and Scottish thrones, James VI and I sharply curbed the lawlessness of the border reivers and brought relative peace to the region. There were Church of Scotland congregations in Northumberland in the 17th and 18th centuries.
During the Civil War of the 17th century, Newcastle was garrisoned for the king by the earl of Newcastle, but in 1644 it was captured by the Scots under the earl of Leven, and in 1646 Charles I was led there a captive under the charge of David Leslie.
Many of the chief Northumberland families were ruined in the Jacobite rebellion of 1715.
The mineral resources of the area appear to have been exploited to some extent from remote times. It is certain that coal was used by the Romans in Northumberland, and some coal ornaments found at Angerton have been attributed to the 7th century. In a 13th-century grant to Newminster Abbey a road for the conveyance of sea coal from the shore about Blyth is mentioned, and the Blyth coal field was worked throughout the 14th and 15th centuries. The coal trade on the Tyne did not exist to any extent before the 13th century, but from that period it developed rapidly, and Newcastle acquired the monopoly of the river shipping and coal trade. Lead was exported from Newcastle in the 12th century, probably from Hexhamshire, the lead mines of which were very prosperous throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. In a charter from Richard I to Hugh de Puiset creating him earl of Northumberland, mines of silver and iron are mentioned. A salt pan is mentioned at Warkworth in the 12th century; in the 13th century the salt industry flourished at the mouth of the river Blyth, and in the 15th century formed the principal occupation of the inhabitants of North and South Shields. In the reign of Elizabeth I, glass factories were set up at Newcastle by foreign refugees, and the industry
When I am with you, lady, your compassionate and sweet help scatters from my heart through my extremities the spirits of life; and so my soul, prevented from its natural activity by sudden joy, departs from me. Then, at your harsh parting, the scattered spirits return to my heart in such excess that the aid they bring threatens to be fatal. If I see your returning to me, I feel them once more departing from my heart, and so I see that both help and hurt are equally fatal torment: to have each half the time is, for one who loves too much, to live always in the worst state possible.
Madrigal, written by Michelangelo for Vittoria Colonna, 1544
♫ - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, his Op. 41, composed in 1878
for Flickriver - Sophie Shapiro
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Beginning with the 2nd century B.C., and continuing into the 6th century A.D., the paintings and sculptures in the caves of Ajanta and Ellora, inspired by Buddhism and its compassionate ethos, unleashed a surge of artistic excellence unmatched in human history. These Buddhist and Jain caves are ornately carved, yet seem quiet and meditative and exude a divine energy and power.
About 107 km from the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra, are the rock-out caves of Ajanta nestled in a panoramic gorge, in the form of a gigantic horseshoe. A set of 29 caves, Ajanta is among the finest examples of some of the earliest Buddhist architecture, cave paintings and sculptures. These caves comprise Chaitya halls or shrines, dedicated to Lord Buddha and Viharas or monasteries, used by Buddhist monks for meditation and the study of Buddhist teachings. The paintings that adorn the walls and ceilings of the caves depict incidents from the life of lord Buddha and various Buddhist divinities. Among the most interesting paintings are the Jataka tales, illustrating diverse stories relating to the previous incarnations of the Buddha as Bodhisattava, a saintly being who is destined to become the Buddha. These elaborate sculptures and paintings stand in impressive grandeur in spite of withstanding the ravages of time. Amid the beautiful images and paintings are sculptures of Buddha, calm and serene in contemplation.
The cave temples and monasteries at Ellora, excavated out of the vertical face of an escarpment, are 26 km north of Aurangabad. Sculptors, inspired by Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism, created elaborate rock carvings. Extending in a linear arrangement, the 34 caves contain Buddhist Chaityas or halls of worship, Viharas or monasteries and Hindu and Jain temples. Spanning a period of about 600 years between the 5th and 11th century A.D., the earliest excavation here is of the Dhumar Lena (Cave 29). The most imposing excavation is, without doubt, that of the magnificent Kailasa Temple (Cave 16) which is the largest monolithic structure in the world. Known as Verul in ancient times, it has continuously attracted pilgrims through the centuries to the present day.
Declared as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO since 1983, the paintings and sculptures of Ajanta and Ellora, considered masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, have had a great influence in the development of art in India. The creative use of colour and freedom of expression used in depicting human and animal forms makes the cave paintings at Ajanta one of the high watermarks of artistic creativity. The Ellora preserved as an artistic legacy that will continue to inspire and enrich the lives of generations to come. Not only is this cave complex a unique artistic creation and an excellent example of technological exploit but also, with its sanctuaries devoted to Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism, it illustrates the spirit of tolerance that was characteristic of ancient India.
Driving Miss Daisy at Theatre Royal, Sydney, Australia...
This evening was opening night for Driving Miss Daisy at the Theatre Royal in King Street, Sydney.
A timeless American play, which inspired the beloved Academy Award®- winning film, Driving Miss Daisy tells the affecting story of the decades-long relationship between an elderly Southern Jewish woman, Daisy Werthan, and her compassionate African-American chauffeur, Hoke Colburn. Their iconic tale of pride, changing times and the transformative power of friendship has warmed the hearts of millions worldwide.
Promo...
Don't miss 2013's hottest ticket as two of the world's greatest living actors arrive in Australia to perform Alfred Uhry's timeless Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, Driving Miss Daisy.
The stage will light up, with the extraordinary talents of the legendary five-time Tony Award® winner and three-time Academy Award® nominee ANGELA LANSBURY and two-time Tony Award® winner and Honorary Academy Award® recipient JAMES EARL JONES. David Esbjornson's acclaimed, smash-hit production has dazzled audiences and critics alike on Broadway and the West End.
Inspiration for the much-loved Oscar winning movie, Driving Miss Daisy is the charming, poignant and utterly compelling tale of the unlikely, long-lasting friendship that blossoms between a prickly, elderly Southern matriarch and her kind-hearted chauffeur, Hoke. As the wheels turn and the decades roll by against a backdrop of prejudice, inequality and civil unrest, the pair slowly transcend their differences and ultimately grow to rely on each other far more than either of them ever expected.
Sparklingly funny, irresistibly heart-warming and with an unmissable stellar cast, Driving Miss Daisy is the must-see show for 2013.
Don't miss 2013's hottest ticket as two of the world's greatest living actors arrive in Australia to perform Alfred Uhry's timeless Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, Driving Miss Daisy.
Limited season from 1 - 31 March
The Theatre Royal stage will light up with the extraordinary talents of the legendary five-time Tony Award® winner and three-time Academy Award® nominee ANGELA LANSBURY and two-time Tony Award® winner and Honorary Academy Award® recipient JAMES EARL JONES. Also starring four-time Tony Award® winner BOYD GAINES, David Esbjornson's acclaimed, smash-hit production has dazzled audiences and critics alike on Broadway and the West End.
Inspiration for the much-loved Oscar winning movie, Driving Miss Daisy is the charming, poignant and utterly compelling tale of the unlikely, long-lasting friendship that blossoms between a prickly, elderly Southern matriarch and her kind-hearted chauffeur, Hoke. As the wheels turn and the decades roll by against a backdrop of prejudice, inequality and civil unrest, the pair slowly transcend their differences and ultimately grow to rely on each other far more than either of them ever expected.
Sparklingly funny, irresistibly heart-warming and with an unmissable stellar cast, Driving Miss Daisy is the must-see show for 2013.
Reviews...
Stage Whispers - 10/02/13
“...a trilogy of perfection”
Aussie Theatre – 11/02/13
“...a once in a life-time opportunity to see two of the worlds’ greatest theatre legends on stage in Australia”
Theatre People – 11/02/13
“...nothing less than the most superb piece of acting”
“...timeless star quality, attentiveness, awe-inspiring craftsmanship” “...warm, honestly funny, sincere, composed, poised and utterly astounding”
The Australian – 11/02/13
“...every person in the theatre was on their feet, some with tears in their eyes”
Courier Mail – 12/02/13
“This production of Driving Miss Daisy is a theatrical masterpiece that those who are fortunate enough to see will never forget.” “A spine-tingling piece of theatre”
“They take what is already a warm, funny, engaging and compelling piece of theatre and turn it into something truly magnificent.”
Special Guests: The Member for Wentworth and Shadow Minister for Communications and Broadband Malcolm Turnbull (Angela Lansbury’s cousin) with Lucy Turnbull and their daughter Daisy; Bronwyn Bishop MP; ABC TV’s Margaret Pomeranz; Kerri-Anne Kennerley; Channel 7 newsreaders Chris Bath, Mark Ferguson and Anne Sanders; Channel 9 newsreader Deborah Knight; actors Tom Burlinson, Mitchell Butel, Gigi Edgley, David Harris, Amanda Harrison, Nancye Hayes, Erika Heynatz, Jay Laga'aia, Steve Le Marquand, Todd McKenney, Sharon Millerchip, Ben Mingay, Tara Morice, Amanda Muggleton, Lola Nixon, Peter Phelps and Ian Stenlake; choreographer Kelley Abbey; radio announcers Stuart Bocking, Tony Delroy, Rob Duckworth, Brendan “Jonesy” Jones, Dominic Knight, Simon Marnie and Jason Morrison; theatre producer James Thane; along with Driving Miss Daisy playwright Alfred Uhry, Broadway producer Adam Zotovich and Australian producer John Frost, amongst others.
Websites
Driving Miss Daisy - Daisy On Stage (Australia)
Daisy On Broadway
Theatre Royal
THE DAFFODIL
Your very name means new beginning
You are affectionate
Peace loving
Good sense of humor
creative, and outgoing
Loving peace, hate conflict
Kind and compassionate
MY DAFFODIL CHILD
Someone said, just called the baby, “joy'
For joy is what they bring
Born to smile and make other's smile
Bringing peace and laughter into the world
As they face and solve each new trial
Looking into the face of peace
Laughter and sunshine is what they bring
Continually loving and O so kind
To lay one's life down for a friend
Would actually come to mind
Happy Birthday my Daffodil child
born to be meek and born to be mild
Happy Birthday sweet child of mine
I love you beyond measure
or until the end of time
Happy Birthday George Jr., Kathy Lou and Chastity Carol
I LOVE YOU
Beginning with the 2nd century B.C., and continuing into the 6th century A.D., the paintings and sculptures in the caves of Ajanta and Ellora, inspired by Buddhism and its compassionate ethos, unleashed a surge of artistic excellence unmatched in human history. These Buddhist and Jain caves are ornately carved, yet seem quiet and meditative and exude a divine energy and power.
About 107 km from the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra, are the rock-out caves of Ajanta nestled in a panoramic gorge, in the form of a gigantic horseshoe. A set of 29 caves, Ajanta is among the finest examples of some of the earliest Buddhist architecture, cave paintings and sculptures. These caves comprise Chaitya halls or shrines, dedicated to Lord Buddha and Viharas or monasteries, used by Buddhist monks for meditation and the study of Buddhist teachings. The paintings that adorn the walls and ceilings of the caves depict incidents from the life of lord Buddha and various Buddhist divinities. Among the most interesting paintings are the Jataka tales, illustrating diverse stories relating to the previous incarnations of the Buddha as Bodhisattava, a saintly being who is destined to become the Buddha. These elaborate sculptures and paintings stand in impressive grandeur in spite of withstanding the ravages of time. Amid the beautiful images and paintings are sculptures of Buddha, calm and serene in contemplation.
The cave temples and monasteries at Ellora, excavated out of the vertical face of an escarpment, are 26 km north of Aurangabad. Sculptors, inspired by Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism, created elaborate rock carvings. Extending in a linear arrangement, the 34 caves contain Buddhist Chaityas or halls of worship, Viharas or monasteries and Hindu and Jain temples. Spanning a period of about 600 years between the 5th and 11th century A.D., the earliest excavation here is of the Dhumar Lena (Cave 29). The most imposing excavation is, without doubt, that of the magnificent Kailasa Temple (Cave 16) which is the largest monolithic structure in the world. Known as Verul in ancient times, it has continuously attracted pilgrims through the centuries to the present day.
Declared as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO since 1983, the paintings and sculptures of Ajanta and Ellora, considered masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, have had a great influence in the development of art in India. The creative use of colour and freedom of expression used in depicting human and animal forms makes the cave paintings at Ajanta one of the high watermarks of artistic creativity. The Ellora preserved as an artistic legacy that will continue to inspire and enrich the lives of generations to come. Not only is this cave complex a unique artistic creation and an excellent example of technological exploit but also, with its sanctuaries devoted to Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism, it illustrates the spirit of tolerance that was characteristic of ancient India.
Quan Yin... the Goddess of Compassion and Mercy
Quan Yin is one of the most universally beloved of deities in the Buddhist tradition. Also known as Kuan Yin, Quan'Am (Vietnam), Kannon (Japan), and Kanin (Bali), She is the embodiment of compassionate loving kindness. As the Bodhisattva of Compassion, She hears the cries of all beings. Quan Yin enjoys a strong resonance with the Christian Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and the Tibetan goddess Tara.
In many images she is shown carrying the pearls of illumination. Often Quan Yin is shown pouring a stream of healing water, the "Water of Life," from a small vase. With this water devotees and all living things are blessed with physical and spiritual peace. She holds a sheaf of ripe rice or a bowl of rice seed as a metaphor for fertility and sustenance. The dragon, an ancient symbol for high spirituality, wisdom, strength, and divine powers of transformation, is a common motif found in combination with the Goddess of Mercy.
Sometimes Kuan Yin is represented as a many armed figure, with each hand either containing a different cosmic symbol or expressing a specific ritual position, or mudra. This characterizes the Goddess as the source and sustenance of all things. Her cupped hands often form the Yoni Mudra, symbolizing the womb as the door for entry to this world through the universal female principle.
Quan Yin, as a true Enlightened One, or Bodhisattva, vowed to remain in the earthly realms and not enter the heavenly worlds until all other living things have completed their own enlightenment and thus become liberated from the pain-filled cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.
There are numerous legends that recount the miracles which Quan Yin performs to help those who call on Her. Like Artemis, She is a virgin Goddess who protects women, offers them a religious life as an alternative to marriage, and grants children to those who desire them.
The Goddess of Mercy is unique among the heavenly hierarchy in that She is so utterly free from pride or vengefulness that She remains reluctant to punish even those to whom a severe lesson might be appropriate. Individuals who could be sentenced to dreadful penance in other systems can attain rebirth and renewal by simply calling upon Her graces with utter and absolute sincerity. It is said that, even for one kneeling beneath the executioner's sword already raised to strike, a single heartfelt cry to Bodhisattva Quan Yin will cause the blade to fall shattered to the ground.
The many stories and anecdotes featuring this Goddess serve to convey the idea of an enlightened being who embodies the attributes of an all pervasive, all consuming, unwavering loving compassion and who is accessible to everyone. Quan Yin counsels us by Her actions to cultivate within ourselves those particular refined qualities that all beings are said to naturally possess in some vestigial form.
Contemplating the Goddess of Mercy involves little dogma or ritual. The simplicity of this gentle being and Her standards tends to lead Her devotees towards becoming more compassionate and loving themselves. A deep sense of service to all fellow beings naturally follows any devotion to the Goddess.
Guanyin (Chinese: 觀音; pinyin: Guānyīn; Wade-Giles: kuan-yin, Japanese: Kannon, Korean: Gwan-eum, Vietnamese: Quan Âm) is the bodhisattva associated with compassion as venerated by East Asian Buddhists, usually as a female. The name Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin (觀世音, pinyin: Guānshìyīn, Wade-Giles: kuan-shih yin) which means (hola estudiantes de la oxford)buddha god of mercy (not the game) "Observing the Sounds (or Cries) of the World". Source: Bethleen Cole
It is generally accepted (in the Chinese community) that Guanyin originated as the Sanskrit Avalokiteśvara (अवलोकितेश्वर), which is her male form. Commonly known in English as the Goddess of Mercy. Guanyin is also revered by Chinese Daoists (Taoists) as an Immortal.
More in my sets... Buddhas and Gods and Living in a Jungle.
Lindsi is one of the most compassionate and non-judmental women I know. She works with developmentally challenged children and helps them navigate a school system that isn't uniquely designed for them. Similarly, Lindsi is making her own way through the complicated shelter and re-homing system. Simply within the past year and a half she has navigated through a new Bipolar Syndrome diagnosis, finding a new career, and dutifully managing and recovering from a substance abuse issue. She's one of the most remarkable people I know. And this is only the beginning for her! #pinktigerproject #picoftheweek
To See More of the Project:
Showcasing the strength and beauty of women living in homelessness.
I feel most nourished when I am feeling safe, loved, at peace and surrounded by the magic of everyday life.
The story I am seeking when I pick up the camera is that of my true, authentic, vibrant and geeky self.
Double-exposure of chandeliers in a shop window and selfie.
Vivienne is correct - this exercise is incredibly powerful - when I look out each day for beauty, love and magic, why am I not included in that search?!?
For me there is something not quite right, just or compassionate displayed by this image. The ant on top of the dead body of the dragonfly seems almost triumphant in his victory.
For me the temptation was to rescue the dragonfly, even though it was dead, life was gone, and what lied before me was just a body and ants were doing what ants do - clean the environment.
Compassion can sometimes be misplaced. Compassion and sympathy are linked together. too much of either will led to rescuing people or in this case a dead body.
Too much compassion and sympathy causes one to give a man a fish, rather than teaching him how to fish. There is a time for both, though only one will last a lifetime.
This caused me to reflect on the Cross of Christ. What if God the Father showed compassion and sympathy on His Son, Jesus Christ., and rescued Him from the cross. Where would mankind be.
Back to me - I walked away after documenting the scene, with tinges of guilt about not rescuing the dragonfly. What of the ants, they completed their mission.
Today was all about taking care of myself ... and that included not going out for a walk. I'm so glad that today's selfie prompt fit perfectly into that plan! I replaced my walk with painting my toenails, and took this photo on my favourite sheepskin.
Quan Yin... the Goddess of Compassion and Mercy
Quan Yin is one of the most universally beloved of deities in the Buddhist tradition. Also known as Kuan Yin, Quan'Am (Vietnam), Kannon (Japan), and Kanin (Bali), She is the embodiment of compassionate loving kindness. As the Bodhisattva of Compassion, She hears the cries of all beings. Quan Yin enjoys a strong resonance with the Christian Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and the Tibetan goddess Tara.
In many images she is shown carrying the pearls of illumination. Often Quan Yin is shown pouring a stream of healing water, the "Water of Life," from a small vase. With this water devotees and all living things are blessed with physical and spiritual peace. She holds a sheaf of ripe rice or a bowl of rice seed as a metaphor for fertility and sustenance. The dragon, an ancient symbol for high spirituality, wisdom, strength, and divine powers of transformation, is a common motif found in combination with the Goddess of Mercy.
Sometimes Kuan Yin is represented as a many armed figure, with each hand either containing a different cosmic symbol or expressing a specific ritual position, or mudra. This characterizes the Goddess as the source and sustenance of all things. Her cupped hands often form the Yoni Mudra, symbolizing the womb as the door for entry to this world through the universal female principle.
Quan Yin, as a true Enlightened One, or Bodhisattva, vowed to remain in the earthly realms and not enter the heavenly worlds until all other living things have completed their own enlightenment and thus become liberated from the pain-filled cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.
Contemplating the Goddess of Mercy involves little dogma or ritual. The simplicity of this gentle being and Her standards tends to lead Her devotees towards becoming more compassionate and loving themselves. A deep sense of service to all fellow beings naturally follows any devotion to the Goddess.
Guanyin (Chinese: 觀音; pinyin: Guānyīn; Wade-Giles: kuan-yin, Japanese: Kannon, Korean: Gwan-eum, Vietnamese: Quan Âm) is the bodhisattva associated with compassion as venerated by East Asian Buddhists, usually as a female. The name Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin (觀世音, pinyin: Guānshìyīn, Wade-Giles: kuan-shih yin) which means (hola estudiantes de la oxford)buddha god of mercy (not the game) "Observing the Sounds (or Cries) of the World". Source: Bethleen Cole
It is generally accepted (in the Chinese community) that Guanyin originated as the Sanskrit Avalokiteśvara (अवलोकितेश्वर), which is her male form. Commonly known in English as the Goddess of Mercy. Guanyin is also revered by Chinese Daoists (Taoists) as an Immortal.
More in my sets... Buddhas and Gods and Living in a Jungle.
HFF! Taken at the St. Anthony's Chapel and School, Fort Edmonton Park, Alberta which is a "Heritage park with recreated architecture from 1885, 1905 & 1920 Edmonton, plus a fort & streetcars."
"original structure, this tiny church was built in 1894 at 105 Street and 84 Avenue. The chapel was also used as a school until 1901 when the new school addition was added to the church."
Enjoy your day, thanks for visiting.
I am posting this pic I created and information in the hopes if someone is out there dealing with this as well they know they are not alone and help is there. I have been blessed to have these Angels come into my Mom's life.
My Mom has been very ill for a long time with no hope of recovery. The past year has been hard but nothing compared to the last 2 to 4 months. When the doctor contacted me last Friday suggesting Hospice I was under the impression as many others Hospice is brought in only for the last few days. I agreed and was contacted later that day by Compassionate care, a division of Hospice. We met shortly after and spent most of the day going over all. They informed me even though may be a day, a week or longer, they will come in and improve the quality of life and not just if days left. These are amazing angels as is anyone who works for Hospice, but the team I now have for my Mom are true blessings. They are the ones who take over and are caring about every single detail. You have no idea the pressure that has been released knowing I have several other eyes, ears and hearts in every facet of improving what time is left for my Mom. Giving me a bit of Peace so needed. If she is needing anything no matter what time, they now will be called and will stay with her continual around the clock until resting again. Calling me only if I need to get there. That alone is an amazing blessing as have been called many nights and sat overnight at bedside. I am still in constant touch and visit but now have the relief to know when not there she has loving hearts with her. She has her own nurse visiting every day and a aide that comes in for several hours a day just to be with her and do what ever she can to comfort, talk, listen, etc. along with others for spiritual and other facets.
I will post the link to their website below. Please know there is help out there and you don't have to go through this alone, get the help. If not in your area call Hospice or ask the doctors there are so many similiar programs that Hospice offers.
If not for you and you know someone dealing with this please please pass information along. :)
Dorothea Lange (1895-1965), often called the "compassionate recorder", used her photographic skills to draw America's attention to the poor and forgotten during the dark days of the "Great Depression". Her stirring images of migrant farmers and the unemployed, while working for the Farm Security Administration, have become universally recognized symbols of the Depression-era. Later photographs documenting the internment of Japanese Americans and her travels throughout the world extended her body of work. Lange was an influential photographer and photojournalist who profoundly influenced the development of documentary photography.
This photograph of an Oklahoma sharecropper and his family entering California and stalled on the desert road near Indio, California was taken by Dorothea Lange in 1937. The shot of the original Lange photograph is displayed, in the exhibit entitled "Collected", at 'Pier 24 Photography' on the Embarcadero in San Francisco, California. Pier 24 Photography is a gigantic photography space set in a former warehouse situated right below the Bay Bridge. At 28,000 square feet, it’s one of the largest galleries in the world devoted exclusively to photography and video.
Saint Pantaleon (Greek: Παντελεήμων, romanized: Panteleḗmōn, lit. 'All-compassionate'), counted in Western Christianity as among the Fourteen Holy Helpers of the Late Middle Ages, and in Eastern Christianity as one of the Holy Unmercenary Healers, was a martyr of Nicomedia in Bithynia during the Diocletianic Persecution of 305 AD.
Though there is evidence to suggest that a martyr named Pantaleon existed, some consider the stories of his life and death to be purely legendary.
The Eastern tradition concerning Pantaleon follows more or less the medieval Western hagiography, but lacks any mention of a visible apparition of Christ.[dubious – discuss] It states instead that Hermolaus was still alive while Pantaleon's torture was under way, but was martyred himself only shortly before Pantaleon's beheading along with two companions, Hermippas and Thermocrates.
Pantaleon's relics, venerated at Nicomedia, were transferred to Constantinople. Numerous churches, shrines, and monasteries have been named for him; in the West most often as St. Pantaleon and in the East as St. Panteleimon; to him is consecrated the St. Panteleimon Monastery at Mount Athos, Agios Panteleimon Monastery in Crete, St Panteleimon monastery in Myrtou, Cyprus, and the 12th-century Church of St. Panteleimon in Gorno Nerezi, North Macedonia.
According to Movses Kaghankatvatsi, his relics were brought to church built in the town of Tsri (then Caucasian Albania, near modern Barda, Azerbaijan) by St. Grigoris. Catholicos Lazar of Albania built Church of St. Pantaleon in his honor in Beghame'j (near modern Ağcabədi, Azerbaijan). King Vachagan III of Albania rediscovered his remains and interred them in the Amaras Monastery, located in modern Nagorno Karabakh and named his firstborn son after the saint.
Driving Miss Daisy at Theatre Royal, Sydney, Australia...
This evening was opening night for Driving Miss Daisy at the Theatre Royal in King Street, Sydney.
A timeless American play, which inspired the beloved Academy Award®- winning film, Driving Miss Daisy tells the affecting story of the decades-long relationship between an elderly Southern Jewish woman, Daisy Werthan, and her compassionate African-American chauffeur, Hoke Colburn. Their iconic tale of pride, changing times and the transformative power of friendship has warmed the hearts of millions worldwide.
Promo...
Don't miss 2013's hottest ticket as two of the world's greatest living actors arrive in Australia to perform Alfred Uhry's timeless Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, Driving Miss Daisy.
The stage will light up, with the extraordinary talents of the legendary five-time Tony Award® winner and three-time Academy Award® nominee ANGELA LANSBURY and two-time Tony Award® winner and Honorary Academy Award® recipient JAMES EARL JONES. David Esbjornson's acclaimed, smash-hit production has dazzled audiences and critics alike on Broadway and the West End.
Inspiration for the much-loved Oscar winning movie, Driving Miss Daisy is the charming, poignant and utterly compelling tale of the unlikely, long-lasting friendship that blossoms between a prickly, elderly Southern matriarch and her kind-hearted chauffeur, Hoke. As the wheels turn and the decades roll by against a backdrop of prejudice, inequality and civil unrest, the pair slowly transcend their differences and ultimately grow to rely on each other far more than either of them ever expected.
Sparklingly funny, irresistibly heart-warming and with an unmissable stellar cast, Driving Miss Daisy is the must-see show for 2013.
Don't miss 2013's hottest ticket as two of the world's greatest living actors arrive in Australia to perform Alfred Uhry's timeless Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, Driving Miss Daisy.
Limited season from 1 - 31 March
The Theatre Royal stage will light up with the extraordinary talents of the legendary five-time Tony Award® winner and three-time Academy Award® nominee ANGELA LANSBURY and two-time Tony Award® winner and Honorary Academy Award® recipient JAMES EARL JONES. Also starring four-time Tony Award® winner BOYD GAINES, David Esbjornson's acclaimed, smash-hit production has dazzled audiences and critics alike on Broadway and the West End.
Inspiration for the much-loved Oscar winning movie, Driving Miss Daisy is the charming, poignant and utterly compelling tale of the unlikely, long-lasting friendship that blossoms between a prickly, elderly Southern matriarch and her kind-hearted chauffeur, Hoke. As the wheels turn and the decades roll by against a backdrop of prejudice, inequality and civil unrest, the pair slowly transcend their differences and ultimately grow to rely on each other far more than either of them ever expected.
Sparklingly funny, irresistibly heart-warming and with an unmissable stellar cast, Driving Miss Daisy is the must-see show for 2013.
Reviews...
Stage Whispers - 10/02/13
“...a trilogy of perfection”
Aussie Theatre – 11/02/13
“...a once in a life-time opportunity to see two of the worlds’ greatest theatre legends on stage in Australia”
Theatre People – 11/02/13
“...nothing less than the most superb piece of acting”
“...timeless star quality, attentiveness, awe-inspiring craftsmanship” “...warm, honestly funny, sincere, composed, poised and utterly astounding”
The Australian – 11/02/13
“...every person in the theatre was on their feet, some with tears in their eyes”
Courier Mail – 12/02/13
“This production of Driving Miss Daisy is a theatrical masterpiece that those who are fortunate enough to see will never forget.” “A spine-tingling piece of theatre”
“They take what is already a warm, funny, engaging and compelling piece of theatre and turn it into something truly magnificent.”
Special Guests: The Member for Wentworth and Shadow Minister for Communications and Broadband Malcolm Turnbull (Angela Lansbury’s cousin) with Lucy Turnbull and their daughter Daisy; Bronwyn Bishop MP; ABC TV’s Margaret Pomeranz; Kerri-Anne Kennerley; Channel 7 newsreaders Chris Bath, Mark Ferguson and Anne Sanders; Channel 9 newsreader Deborah Knight; actors Tom Burlinson, Mitchell Butel, Gigi Edgley, David Harris, Amanda Harrison, Nancye Hayes, Erika Heynatz, Jay Laga'aia, Steve Le Marquand, Todd McKenney, Sharon Millerchip, Ben Mingay, Tara Morice, Amanda Muggleton, Lola Nixon, Peter Phelps and Ian Stenlake; choreographer Kelley Abbey; radio announcers Stuart Bocking, Tony Delroy, Rob Duckworth, Brendan “Jonesy” Jones, Dominic Knight, Simon Marnie and Jason Morrison; theatre producer James Thane; along with Driving Miss Daisy playwright Alfred Uhry, Broadway producer Adam Zotovich and Australian producer John Frost, amongst others.
Websites
Driving Miss Daisy - Daisy On Stage (Australia)
Daisy On Broadway
Theatre Royal
Eva Rinaldi Photography