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( Featured on front cover of Jain Digest )
There are several pathways to attaining Nirvana. It is the union of Right Knowledge, Right Faith and Right Conduct that eventually leads to Nirvana.
The central multicolored figure represents a neuron; it is the memory bank as well as the source of transmission of full spectrum of knowledge. There are several categories of knowledge. Every human being has intrinsic faculty to harvest them. Each of the knowledge is assigned a specific color. Green-derived from scriptures, blue-subjective cognition, red- super sensory perception, orange- reading the thoughts of others and light yellow-omniscience. Black indicates ignorance or lack of knowledge, which pervades the human kind resulting in the cycles of birth and death.
The light background reflects the aura that surrounds the person having righteous knowledge. One must appropriately apply it to start the process of attaining Nirvana.
Media: Acrylic & Pastel. Size: 24”x30”
2011 .. Spider Monkey carrying her baby .. this endangered species has been bred in the Auckland Zoo at Western Springs since 1950 and is exported to other zoos around the world ..
Spider monkey From Wikipedia
Spider monkeys of the genus Ateles are New World monkeys in the subfamily Atelinae, family Atelidae. Like other atelines, they are found in tropical forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico to Brazil. The genus contains seven species including the critically endangered Black-headed Spider Monkey and Brown Spider Monkey.
The disproportionately long limbs and long prehensile tail makes them one of the largest New World monkeys and gives rise to their common name. Spider monkeys live in the upper layers of the rainforest and forage in the high canopy, from 25 to 30 m (82 to 98 ft). They primarily eat fruits, but will also occasionally consume leaves, flowers, and insects. Due to their large size, spider monkeys require large tracts of moist evergreen forests and prefer undisturbed primary rainforest. They are social animals and live in bands of up to 35 individuals but will split up to forage during the day.
Recent meta-analyses on primate cognition studies indicated that spider monkeys were the most intelligent New World monkeys. They can produce a wide range of sounds and will 'bark' when threatened, other vocalisations include a whinny similar to a horse and prolonged screams.
They are an important food source due to their large size and are widely hunted by local human populations; they are also threatened by habitat destruction due to logging and land clearing. Spider monkeys are susceptible to malaria and are used in laboratory studies of the disease. The population trend for spider monkeys is decreasing; the IUCN Red List lists one species as vulnerable, four species as endangered and two species as critically endangered.
The monkeys may live 20 years or more, and females give birth once every 3 to 4 years.
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Psychology is an academic and applied discipline that involves the scientific study of mental functions and behaviours. Psychology has the immediate goal of understanding individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases, and by many accounts it ultimately aims to benefit society. In this field, a professional practitioner or researcher is called a psychologist and can be classified as a social, behavioural, or cognitive scientist. Psychologists attempt to understand the role of mental functions in individual and social behaviour, while also exploring the physiological and neurobiological processes that underlie certain cognitive functions and behaviours.
Psychologists explore concepts such as perception, cognition, attention, emotion, phenomenology, motivation, brain functioning, personality, behaviour, and interpersonal relationships. Psychologists of diverse stripes also consider the unconscious mind. Psychologists employ empirical methods to infer causal and correlational relationships between psychosocial variables. In addition, or in opposition, to employing empirical and deductive methods, some—especially clinical and counseling psychologists—at times rely upon symbolic interpretation and other inductive techniques. Psychology has been described as a "hub science",[8] with psychological findings linking to research and perspectives from the social sciences, natural sciences, medicine, and the humanities, such as philosophy.
While psychological knowledge is often applied to the assessment and treatment of mental health problems, it is also directed towards understanding and solving problems in many different spheres of human activity. The majority of psychologists are involved in some kind of therapeutic role, practicing in clinical, counseling, or school settings. Many do scientific research on a wide range of topics related to mental processes and behaviour, and typically work in university psychology departments or teach in other academic settings (e.g., medical schools, hospitals). Some are employed in industrial and organizational settings, or in other areas such as human development and ageing, sports, health, and the media, as well as in forensic investigation and other aspects of law.
After a vehicle ran a red light in the 6800 block of Platt Ave in West Hills, it collided with a truck driven by a 79-year-old, Mr. Dennis Platt. Mr Platt was ejected from his truck onto the asphalt with such force, he suffered severe head trauma, countless fractures, and went into cardiac arrest.
At this very moment, LAFD Fire Cadet Leo Kaufman was driving by and witnessed the accident. Leo instinctively pull over and jumped out of his vehicle into a chaotic scene. He quickly evaluated his surroundings and noticed a crowd standing around a patient that was face down, bloody, and severely injured. Bystanders stood by in shock, not knowing what to do. It was clear to Leo that if no action was taken, the patient would not survive.
Fortunately, Leo knew exactly what to do thanks to his LAFD Cadet Program CPR training. He relied on his training and rolled the trauma patient onto his back, initiating life-saving CPR. Despite some vocal people in the crowd second guessing his actions and contradicting his life-saving efforts, Cadet Kaufman worked relentlessly, performing chest compressions and circulating oxygen to the brain and heart of Mr. Platt. He did not know if his actions were going to be effective but he did know it was the only way to give this patient a chance at life.
Meanwhile, your LAFD firefighters were rushing to this scene with lights and sirens. As elite medical professionals they immediately rendered scene-safety, took over medical aid, quickly triaged, treated, and transported the patient to Kaiser hospital where a team of skilled healthcare workers took over.
Mr. Platt sustained very serious injuries which are too gruesome to share in detail but it was clear, his prognosis was not promising. Mr. Platt and his wife were told he should expect to be a quadriplegic, reliant on a wheelchair for the rest of his life. However, he regained full cognition (with mild memory loss) and is able to walk assisted (mechanical and human). His incredible rehabilitation and recovery at Kaiser Hospital is a story for another time.
This incident serves as a powerful example of the importance of Bystander CPR and the Chain of Survival. The "Chain of Survival" is a metaphor used to educate the public about their vital role in helping victims of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).
The six steps in the chain of events that must occur in rapid succession to maximize the chances of survival from SCA are reliant on bystanders helping. Recognizing SCA, Calling 9-1-1 and Starting CPR are the first three steps and Cadet Kaufman's efforts to ensure all three were implemented gave Mr Platt his chance. The arrival of Your LAFD firefighter/paramedics ensured the remaining steps in the Chain of Survival were expediated, delivering Mr Platt into the skilled hands of the Kaiser Hospital staff.
Cadet Leo Kaufman, a 17-year-old young man, valiantly did what he was trained to do when it mattered most, and he did it extremely well!
Today, Your LAFD Fire Chief Kristen Crowley, with Mr and Mrs Platt, the LAFD crews on scene and Kaiser Hospital members present, was honored to present him with a Certificate of Appreciation which reads as follows:
" Leo J. Kaufman, LAFD Cadet. In recognition of your heroic courage and immediate assistance in saving a man's life during a cardiac arrest emergency on July 26, 2021, in the West Hills Community. The Los Angeles City Fire Department commends your extraordinary life-saving efforts of a citizen of the City of Los Angeles. Presented this 9th Day of August, 2022"
We hope reading about the actions of Cadet Leo Kaufman encourages you to Learn CPR because you could be the difference between life and death for someone needing help as desperately as Mr Platt did that fateful day
Photo Use Permitted via Creative Commons - Credit: LAFD Photo | Cheryl Getuiza
LAFD Event: 080922
Connect with us: LAFD.ORG | News | Facebook | Instagram | Reddit | Twitter: @LAFD @LAFDtalk
When people are offered a deal with an unattractive detail, most will refuse it. However, if the same unattractive detail is introduced after the deal is made, considerably fewer then refuse it. This is the low-ball effect.
(Cialdini et al., 1978)
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramacharitamanas
Śrī Rāmacaritamānasa (Devanāgarī: श्रीरामचरितमानस) (Avadhi) is an epic poem composed by the 16th-century Indian poet, Goswami Tulsidas (c.1532–1623) (also transliterated as Tulasidasa). An English translation of Rāmacaritamānasa is "The Lake of the Acts of Rama".
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Sri Sita Ram, Laksman and Hanuman
The core of the Rāmacaritamānas is a poetic retelling of the events of the Sanskrit epic Ramayana, concerning the exploits of Sri Rama, the crown prince of Ayodhya. The great poem is also called Tulsi-krita Ramayana, or "The Ramayana of Tulsidas".
Tulsidas began writing the scripture in Vikram Samvat 1631 (1574 CE) in Avadhpuri, Ayodhya. The exact date is stated within the poem as being the ninth day of the Chaitra month - which was in fact the birth date of Lord Ram. A large portion of the poem was composed at Varanasi, where the poet spent most of his later life.
Today, it is considered one of the greatest works of Hindu literature. Its composition marks the first time the story of Ramayana was made available to the common man for song and performance. Thus, the text is associated with the beginning of the storied tradition of Ramlila, the dramatic enactment of the text.
It was Tulsidasjis aim to make the story of Ramalila accessible to the masses. Sanskrit was seen as a very complicated language to master, at his time, and so for this reason the Śrī Rāmacaritamānasa was written in Avadhi[1], which belongs to the Eastern Hindi language family.
[edit] Structure
The Rāmacaritamānas consists of seven books, of which the first two, entitled Childhood Episode (Bal Kaand) and Ayodhya Episode (Ayodhya Kaand), make up more than half the work. The later books are Forest Episode (Araanya Kaand), Kishkindha Episode (Kishkindha Kaand),Pleasant Episode(Sunder Kaand), Lanka Episode (Lanka Kaand), followed by an epilogue titled Uttar Kaand. The work is composed in quatrains called chaupais, broken by dohas or couplets, with an occasional sortha and chhand, the latter being a hurried metre of many rhymes and alliterations.[2]
The great saint Pujya Morari Bapu talks about a tree being a metaphor for the Manas. The Bal Kaand is the root of the tree with very deep foundations upon which the rest of the glorious manas depends upon. Tulsidasji has written Bal Kaand with many invocations at the beginning and so it is seen as the source life for the entire poem. Ayodhya Kaand is the tree trunk. Araanya Kaand is represented by the many branches of the tree. This Kaand shows many new situations and incidents arising. Kishkindha Kaand has been expounded as a leaf of the tree while Sunder Kaand is akin to the fragrant flower. Lanka Kaand is represented by the fruit and Uttar Kaand by the sweet juice of the fruit.[3]
[edit] The invocations
Goswami Tuslidas begins every chapter with an invocation of some sort, as he believed that reading and indeed the writing of the story of Lord Ram required the right frame of mind, and also the divine assistance of god. Typically the first three or four verses of each chapter are invocations.
The beginning of Baal Kaand is full of invocations to deities such as Lord Shiva, Parvati, Lord Ganesh and Hanuman. [4]
Ayodhya Kaand begins with the following verse: May He in whose lap shines forth the Daughter of the mountain king, who carries the celestial stream on His head, on whose brow rests the crescent moon, whose throat holds poison and whose breast is support of a huge serpent, and who is adorned by the ashes on His body, may that chief of gods, the Lord of all, the Destroyer of the universe, the omnipresent Shivam the moon-like Sankara, ever protect me [5]
The first Dohavali of Ayodhya Kaand is the famous two line couplet: Cleansing the mirror of my mind with the dust from the lotus feet of the revered Guru, I sing Sri Ram's untarnished glory, that bestows the four rewards of human life. This is the same couplet that begins the great poem of Hanuman, the Hanuman Chalisa.[6] [7]
Aranya Kaand's first Sloka is: I reverence Bhagavan Sankar, the progeny of Brahma, the very root of the tree of piety, the beloved, devotee of King Sri Ram, the full moon that brings joy to the ocean of wisdom, the sun that opens the lotus of dispassion, the wind that disperses the clouds of ignorance, who dispels the thick darkness of sin and eradicates the threefold agony and who wipes off obloquy. [8]
Kishkindha Kaand commences with: Lovely as a jasmine and a blue lotus, of surpassing strength, repositories of wisdom, endowed with natural gracem excellent bowmen, hymned by the vedas, and lovers of the cow and Brahmanas, who appeared in the form of mortal men through their own Maya as the two noble scions of Raghu, the armours of true religion, friendly to all and journeying in quest for Sita, may they both grant us Devotion. [9]
Sundar Kaand begins with: I adore the Lord of the universe bearing the name of Ram, the chief of the Raghu's line and the crest-jewel of kings, the mine of compassion, the dispeller of all sins, appearing in human form through His Maya, the greatest of all gods, knowable through Vedanta, constantly worshipped by Brahma, Sambhu, and Sesa, the bestower of supreme peace in the form of final beatitude, placid, eternal, beyond the ordinary means of cognition, sinless amd all-pervading. [10]
Lanka Kaand begins: I adore Sri Ram, the supreme deity, the object of worship even of Shiva, the Dispeller of the fear of rebirth, the lion to quell the mad elephant in the form of Death, the Master of Yogis, attainable through immediate knowledge the storehouse of good qualities, unconquerable, attributeless immutable, beyond the realm of Maya, the Lord of celestials, intent on killing the evil-doers, the only protector of the Brahmanas, beautiful as a cloud laden with moisture, who has lotus like eyes and appeared in the form of an earthly king. [11]
Finally Uttar Kaand's first Sloka is: I unceasingly extol Sri Ram, the praiseworthy lord of Sita the chief of Raghu's line, possessed of a form greenish blue as the neck of a peacock and adorned with a print of the Brahmana's lotus-foot, which testifies to His being the greatest of all gods-rich in splendour, clad in yellow robes, lotus-eyed, ever-propitious, holding a bow and arrow in His hands, mounted on the aerial car named Puspaka, accompanied by a host of monkeys and waited upon by His own brother Laksman.[12]
Goswami Tulsidas similarly ends every chapter in the same manner.[13]
[edit] Storyline
The poem revisits Ramayana of Valmiki, but is not a mere retelling of the Sanskrit epic. Where Valmiki has condensed the story, Tulsidas has expanded, and, conversely, wherever the elder poet has lingered longest, there his successor has condensed. The Rāmacaritamānas is basically three separate conversations. These being between Lord Shiva and Parvati, Bharadwaja Muni and Sage Yagnavalka and finally Kakbhushundiji to Khagpati Garud. It is also said that there is an underlying personal conversation between Goswami Tulsidas and Lord Ram.[14]
[edit] Bal Kaand
The Child Episode
Prior to starting the actual story, Goswami Tulsidas begins with the invocation of various deities, guru, sadhus and saints. He pays particular homage to Valmiki for bringing the Ramayan to the devotees of Lord Ram. The idea is that the Manas cannot be started without praising such entities. He thereafter begins a dramatis personae of sorts by introducing and praising the various characters of the epic beginning with the birth place (janam bhumi) of Lord Ram, the holy city of Ayodhya. He then greets mother Kausalya, Dasarath and the other Queen mothers. He makes obeisances to the father of Sita, King Janak and his family. Finally he praises Bharata, Laksman, Shatrugna and then sings the glories of Lord Hanuman. He thereafter introduces the bear and monkey kings such as Sugriva and Jambavan and then finally introduces Sitaji and Lord Ram.
The Manas is finally underway. The story begins with the meeting of Muni Bharadvaja and Sant Yajnavalkya. Bharadvaja asks Yajnavalkya to speak in detail, the story of Lord Rama. Yajnavalkya begins with how Lord Shiva came about retelling Ram Katha to his consort Parvati. (The great story of Sati's self-immolation, the destruction of her father Daksha's sacrifice, the rebirth of Sati as Parvati and her marriage to Lord Shiva). Lord Shiva explains as many as five reasons as to why Lord Ram incarnated on earth. Each of these is discussed in detail, with the primary message being that Lord Ram incarnated on earth to protect the saints and His devotees. This is followed by the birth of Ravana and his brothers. After this point the narration passes between Lord Shiva, Yajnavalkya, Kakbhushundiji and Tulsidasji.
The story now moves to the abode of Lord Narayan where Lord Brahma and the other demigods make an appeal for him to do something about the demons that are raging havoc on earth. Lord Narayan shows great compassion to all and declares that he is soon to take birth in the Sun Dynasty. Meanwhile in Ayodhya, Dasarath is very uphappy as he is aging and has no heir to take over his throne. He visits the royal family's Guru, Vasistha and narrates his problem. Vasisthaji comforts Dasarath by telling his that not only will he have a son, but will have four sons. With Dasarath's consent, Guru Vasistha summons Rishi Shringi to perform the Putra-Kam yagna (sacrificial fire for the birth of sons). Tulsidas states that the birth of Lord Ram and his brothers took place on the ninth day of the Chaitra month. It was the fortnight of the moon, known as the shukla period. Despite being the Lord of all creation and Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Ram slept in his mothers lap crying. The demigods looked on in awe as the Lord played out childish exploits through His toddler and childhood.
The story then moves on and Lord Ram and His brothers are now grown boys. The sage Vishvamitra arrives at Dasarath's royal court where the King receives his eminent guest with great honour. Sage Vishvamitra lived in the forest and was performing great sacrifices. However, the demons Marica and Subahu would always desecrate the ceremonies. He knew that Lord Ram had taken birth on earth to protect his devotees and so he decided to visit Dasarath to ask him for favour. The sage asks the king to let his sons roam the forest with him. Reluctantly the king agrees. Lord Ram knew the intention of Vishvamitra and gave his assurances to the sage. The vedic sacrifices were performed and Laksman kills Subahu and Lord Ram dispatches Marica.
Vishvamitra looks as Lord Ram breaks the bow, winning the hand of Sita in marriage.
The story then moves to the deliverance of Ahalya. Lord Ram, Laksman and Vishvamitra venture on a journey and reach the beautiful capital of the Videhas, Mithila. The king of Mithila, Janak, welcomes the great sage and asks him who he is accompanied by. Janak is overcome by great emotions he is able to sense the true nature of the brothers. The brothers then set out to discover the beautiful city and visits Janak's garden. This is an important section of the manas as it is the first meeting of Lord Ram and mother Sita takes place. King Janak has arranged a swayamvar ceremony to select a husband for his daughter Sita. Sitaji has fallen for Lord Ram and prays to Devi Gauri that she helps her attain Lord Ram as her husband. King Janak sends a messenger to invite Lord Ram, Laksman and Sage Vishvamitra to attend the swayamvar. Whomever could lift and tie the great bow of Shiva Shiva Dhanush would be married to Sita. Many princes try and fail to lift the mammoth bow, whereas Lord Ram steps up and effortlessly lifts, strings and breaks the divine bow. Sitaji approaches Lord Ram and places a wreath of victory around his neck. Janak dispatches messengers to Ayodhya from where a marriage procession, consisting of Lord Ram's family, friends and well wishers depart for Mithila. After a great wedding, Lord Ram and Sitaji return to Ayodhya where there is a great celebration and much rejoicing. [15]
[edit] Ayodhya Kaand
The Ayodhya Episode
Ayodhya is described as being like heaven on earth ever since Lord Ram and Sitaji arrived back from Mithila. Being wary of his old age, King Dasarath wanted to install Lord Ram as Prince regent. He has decided that the next day he would begin the ceremony for the installation of Lord Ram. The demigods and mother earth become very concerned that the Lord is becoming very settled in Ayodhya and something has to happen if Lord Ram is to vanquish the world of Ravan. They approach Goddess Saraswati for help.
King Dasarath has three wives. Queen Kausalya is the principle queen and the mother of Lord Ram. Queen Kaikeyi is the mother of Bharat amd Queen Sumitra is the mother of Laksman and Shatrughna. Saraswati decides to alter the mind state of one of Queen Kaikeyi's maid servants named Manthara. Manthara mind becomes twisted and begins to talk to Queen Kaikeyi in harsh terms. She chastises Kaikeyi for being supportive of the king's plan of installing Lord Ram, as Prince Regent when in her mind Bharat would clearly be a greater king. At the time Bharat is in Kekeya country visiting his uncle and so he is unaware of what hsi happening in Ayodhya. Slowly Queen Kaikeyi's mind is poisoned. Manthara reminds Queen Kaikeyi of the two boons that the King had promised her. Kaikeyi enters the sulking chamber in the royal palace and awaits Dasarath. Dasarath is greatly alarmed and concerned that Kaikeyi is sat in the sulking chamber as the entire population of Ayodhya is greatly happy and eagerly anticipating the coronation of Lord Ram. Queen Kaikeyi speaks harshly to Dasarath, which surprises the king. She reminds him of the two boons he promised her and to his bewilderment, asks for him to install her son Bharat as Prince Regent and exile Lord Ram to the forest for 13 years. Queen Kaikeyi is unaffected by Dasarth's lamentations and finally the king emotionally breaks down. The kings court assistant Sumantra sends Lord Ram to His father.
Queen Kaikeyi speaks to Lord Ram and explains the boons that she has asked of His father. Lord Ram is actually Supreme Personality of Godhead incarnated on earth, yet He accepts His step mothers request and decides to leave the kingdom as it serves all purposes of his incarnation. The people of Ayodhya remonstrate against Queen Kaikeyi who firmly believes that she is doing the right thing. Lord Ram attempts to talk Laksman and Sitaji out of joining Him but is unable to. The story becomes very emotional as Lord Ram, Sitaji and Laksman greet their mothers before finally going Dasarath to take leave of him. Dasarath attempts, in vain, to try to talk Sitaji out of joining Lord Ram in the forest.
The residents of Ayodhya can't spare the thought of being away from Lord Ram and decide to join him in the forest. Lord Ram, Sitaji, Laksman and Sumantra separate and escape from the citizens during the deep night and venture further into the forest towards Srngaverapur after which they meet Guha, the Nishada king. They arrive at Prayag, the holy city where the Rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati meet. Lord Ram meets with the Sage Bharadwaj at his ashram. Lord Ram is overwhelmed with the reception and love shown by the people inhabiting the banks of the Yamuna. Lord Ram then meets Sage Valmiki, the author of the Ramayan at Chitrakuta dham. Valmiki recognises the true opulence of Lord Ram and sings His praises. At this point Tulsidas takes great care to describe the beauty of the land of Chitrakuta with some inspiring poetry.
Lord Ram meeting Sage Bharadwaj at his ashram in Prayag.
Lord Ram asks Sumantra to return to Ayodhya which sorely saddens Sumantra. He not only wants to stay with Lord Ram, he is also afraid of how the citizens will treat him after arriving back to Ayodhya without Lord Ram. On returning to Ayodhya, Dasarath asks Sumantra of the whereabouts of Lord Ram. The pain of separation from Lord Ram is too much for Dasarath who passes away crying Lord Ram's name.
Sage Vasistha knows that Lord Ram will not return back to the kingdom and so immediately sends an envoy to call Bharat and Shatrugna back to Ayodhya. Bharat learns of all that has happened and chastises his mother, Queen Kaikeyi. He is greatly pained and blames himself for Lord Ram leaving Ayodhya. He accuses her of bringing ruin to the family. Shatragna comes across Manthara and beats her in rage. They approach Queen Kausalya and see her sorry state. Bharat begs her forgiveness and loudly laments while the Queen attempts to pacify him. She asks him to carry out his duty and rule Ayodhya, but he cannot bear the thought of sitting on the throne with his father dead and his brothers in exile in the forest. The cremation of King Dasarath takes place. Bharat and Shatrugna decide to go into the forest and ask Lord Ram to return to Ayodhya and take the throne. Many citizens as well as the royal family, who have been grieving ever since Lord Ram had left them, decide to join the brothers.
The Nishadas see the approaching royal party and become suspicious. Guha approaches Bharat to understand his motive for bringing such a large party to the forest. He assumes that Bharat has some sinister motive. Bharat shows his love for Lord Ram. The royal procession the moves forward to Chitrakuta. Laksman sees the huge army of people with Bharat and immediately begins to chastise Bharat. Lord Ram counters this by praising the greatness of Bharat, leaving Laksman feeling sorry for his harsh words. Bharat finally arrives at Chtrakuta where the brothers are all reunited once again. They collectively mourn the passing of their father and perform his Shradha (obsequies) along with Sage Vasistha leading the ceremony.
Despite all of Bharat's convincing, Lord Ram is true to the word of his father and step mother Kaikeyi, as vows that he will fulfill her wish. Bharat says that he simply cannot sit on the throne while Lord Ram wonders the forest. He asks Lord Ram of his sandals, which he would place at the throne and would serve personally. With much sorrow and hurt, Bharat leaves Lord Ram and returns towards Ayodhya. He decides that he would not live in the kingdom while Lord Ram is in exile and so lives like a hermit in a nearby town called Nandigram. [16]
[edit] Araanya Kaand
The Forest Episode
Lord Ram, Sita and Laksman wonder the forest and come across the hermitage of Atri. Atri sees them approaching and is overcome with great joy. Sita is embraced by Atri's wife, Anasuya and then talks to Sita at length about the duties of a devoted wife.
Lord Ram, Sita and Laksman venture deeper into the Dandaka forest.
Lord Ram, Sita and Laksman venture further into the forest and encounter Viradha. Viradha attempts to capture Sita Lord Ram kills him by burying him in a ditch. They then visit the ashram of Sage Sarabhanga. Lord Ram asks him of where he should go for shelter in the forest. He is advised to visit the sage Sutiksna. As Lord Ram approaches Sutiksna, the later awakes from meditation. He tells Lord Ram, that he had been awaiting his arrival, and had even turned down the offer of entering the heavenly planets.
Continuing on their journey through the forest, they meet with Sage Agastya where Lord Ram pays his respect to the sage. Agastya gifts divine weapons to Lord Ram and advises him to venture further into the forest and into the region of Dandaka. Lord Ram meets with the eagle, Jatayu. Lord Ram, Sita and Laksman take up abode at Panchavati and build a beautiful ashram, at the earlier advice of Agastya. Laksman becomes nostalgic on the past and begins to talk harshly about Kaikeyi. Lord Ram pacifies him and explains that it is sinful to speak of his mother in such a way.
The story takes a change in direction as Lord Ram, Sita and Laksman are approached by the sister of the demon Ravana, called Surpanakha. She immediately takes a liking to Lord Ram and falls in love with him. She disguises herself and talks to Lord Ram in sweet tones. Lord Ram rejects her advances and explains that he is already married. Surpanakha takes great shame in being rejected and attempts to hurt Sita. Laksman takes hold of his sword and lops off Surpankha's ear lobes and nose. Feeling humiliated, Surpankha leaves the forest and goes to the abode of her brothers Khara, Dusana and Trisira. They are angry at the treatment of their sister and leave with the intention of killing Lord Ram. All three brothers are vanquished by Lord Ram.
Surpanakha is greatly upset and visits Ravana at his residence in Lanka. She explains all that has happened, after which Ravana calls for his old friend Marica. Ravana hatches a plot and asks Marica to disguise himself as a golden deer, so that Ravana may then kidnap Sita. Marica has already felt the power of Lord Ram (as mentioned in Baal Kaand) and is apprehensive, however, he thinks that he is going to die either way since Ravana will kill him through rage for refusing him. Ravana and Marica immediately leave for Lord Ram's forest abode. Marica takes his position and instantly Sita is attracted by his deer form. She asks Lord Ram time and time again to mane the deer and bring it too her. Lord Ram runs after the deer and is soon quite a far distance away from the ashram. Lord Ram releases an arrow and hits the deer. Using Lord Ram's voice, Marica shouts out to Laksman to help him. Sita hears the cry and orders Laksman to go help his brother. Ravana, while posing as a begging minstrel, uses this opportunity to forcibly kidnap Sita from the ashram. Jatayu, the eagle, sees Ravana's sinful act and attempts to fight with him, but Ravana has too much power and cuts off Jatayu's wings and leaves him for dead. Lord Ram and Laksman return to find the ashram empty. They anxiously set out to find Sita and find the severely wounded eagle. Jatayu dies in Lord Ram's lap and receives liberation. As the brothers continue to look for Sita they come across the hermitage of Shabari. Tulsidas says that Shabari washes the feet of Lord Ram with tears from her eyes. She is given liberation by Lord Ram.
The brothers then head towards the Pampasarovar lake. [17]
[edit] Kishkindha Kaand
The Kishkindha Region Episode
Laksman meets with Tara, Sugriva, and Hanuman in the Palace of Kishkandha
High up in the Rishyamuk mountains, Sugriva sees Lord Ram and Laksman at the foothills. He consults Hanuman as to whether he thinks they have been sent by his brother Bali. Hanuman disguises himself as a brahmin and approaches the brothers. Hanumanji recognises the true nature of Lord Ram and surrenders himself to his holy feet. He tells the brothers that his king, Sugriva, wishes to extend his friendship to Them and will help Them to find Sita. Lord Ram asks Sugriva why he resides in the mountains instead of Kishkindha, where Sugriva tells of his fued with his brother Bali. Lord Ram sympathises with Sugriva and decides to help Sugriva in return for the latters help in finding Sita. Lord Ram kills Bali and installs Sugriva as king of Kishkindha and Angada, Bali's son, as prince regent. Sugriva becomes too attached to his new regal lifestyle and forgets about his agreement with Lord Ram which fills Lord Ram with great anger. Lord Ram asks Laksman to bring Sugriva to him. Laksman enters the royal court and threatens to burn the entire city to ashes. Sugriva is gravely worried and asks Hanuman to pacify him. Laksman escourts Sugriva to Lord Ram and upon seeing Him, Sugriva falls as His feet and begs forgiveness.
Sugriva immediately orders the gathering of the regions bears and monkey community. Armies of bears and monkeys are dispatched north, south east and west to search for Sita. Lord Ram knew that only Hanuman was really capable of finding Sita. He asks Hanumanji to narrate the agony of separation from her and then hands over his ring. Hanumanji is joined by Angad, Nala, Kesari and Jambavan as well as many others as they head to the south. As the army approach the coast, Jambavan and Angad see a cave by the shore of the ocean. The cave is occupied by Sampati (who is actually Jatayu's older brother). There is a conversation during which Angad explains that Jatayu died serving Lord Ram and thereafter Sampati narates his biography. He tells the monkeys that he is sure that Sita is sat in Ashok vatika in Lanka. The island is 400 hundred miles away and requires someone who is able to jump the distance. Jambavan deduces that Hanuman is the only one capable of the task.
[18]
[edit] Sunder Kaand
The Pleasant Episode
Hanuman approves and likes the superb suggestion of Jambavan. He immediately takes off for Lanka by climbing onto the mountain and using it as a pivot, launches himself into the air. He meets Surasa, the mother of serpents and passes her test. The ocean she-demon tries to capture Hanuman, thinking of him as a bird. He quickly kills her and then lands on the shore of the ocean in Lanka. He sees beautiful lush gardens, groves, lakes and reserviors. Hanumanji takes a minute form and, remembering Lord Ram, enters Lanka. He is accosted by the she demon Lankini whom he hits with his fist and causes her to fall to the ground.
Hanuman flies through the various palaces and gardens for his search of Sita, and amongst all the demoniac activities going on in Lanka, Hanuman sees a palace where Sri Hari's name is being chanted. He is drawn towards the palace and decides to visit the inhabitant. The palace belongs to Ravana's brother, Vibhishan. Hanumanji narrates Ram katha and then introduces himself. Hanuman proceeds to Ashok vatika where he finally sees Sita. He takes position on a branch of a tree, above Sita, and contemplates his next move. He sees Ravana walk towards Sita and beg her to glance at least once toward him. She simply looks at a blade of grass as insults him. Ravana threatens to behead Sita but is calmed down by his wife, Mandodari. Hanumanji has to use all his powers of calm not to react to Ravana's threats. When all is quiet again, Hanuman begins to sing Ram katha in sweet tones. He then approaches Sita and explains who he is. He presents the ring Lord Ram had given him and Sita is overjoyed. She blesses Hanumanji with many kind words and boons.
Hanuman tells Sita that he is hungry and asks for her permission to eat fruits from the grove. He not only eats but manages to destroy large parts of it. He easily kills one of Ravana's sons, prince Aksaya. Indrajit arrives in the grove and Hanuman allows himself to be captured. He is brought in front of the king of Lanka, Ravana. Ravana orders his death, however, Vibhishan reminds him that Hanuman is an envoy and cannot be killed according to religious principle. Ravana decides to humiliate Hanuman be setting his tail on fire. Large amounts of cloth are tied to him tail and oil is used. Hanumanji chants the name of Lord Ram and his tail gets longer, and more cloth and oil is used. He changes from his small form into a gigantic form and decides to torch alight the whole of Lanka.
He returns to the ocean to extinguish is tail and the goes to Sita to reassure her that the next time she sees him, it will be with Lord Ram. He bades farewell to Sita and leaps back towards Angad and Jambavan. The monkey army then venture back to where Sugriva, Lord Ram and Laksman are waiting. On arrival Hanumanji explains all that happened and immediately an army is prepared to go south towards Lanka.
Meanwhile in Lanka, both Mandodari and Vibhishan ask Ravana to hand Sita back to Lord Ram. Ravana takes great expection to this suggestion and begins to insult Vibhishan particularly. He tells him he has no need for a weakling like him and that he was no longer needed. Vibhishan decides to join Lord Ram at Kishkindha. Vibhishan falls at Lord Ram's feet and asks him for protection. The army deliberate over how to cross the ocean to Lanka. The deity of the seas tells Lord Ram of the boon obtained by the monkey brothers Nila and Nala, and that they have the power to build a bridge to link the seashore to Lanka. [19]
[edit] Lanka Kaand
The Lanka Episode
Jambavan asks the monkeys Nala and Nila to begin work on building the bridge across the sea. The Manas states that entire mountain ranges were used by Nala and Nila to complete their objective. Lord Ram remembers his great devotee, Lord Shiva and decides to install a shrine for Lord Rameswaram. Upon completion, the army of Lord Ram begins to cross the bridge and arrives at Lanka, taking camp on Mount Suvela. Ravana hears of the the advance of Lord Ram's army and feels greatly agitated. Mandodari asks Ravana to return Sita to Lord Ram as she fears for her husband's life. Ravana is dismissive of Lord Ram's power and pacifies his wife. Next, Ravana's son Prahasta attempts to reinforce his mothers sentiments, but all to no avail.
Lord Ram fires a warning shot from his retreat in Suvela. The arrow strikes Ravana's crown and royal umbrella. Mandodari once again attempts to convince Ravana of handing Sita back to Lord Ram. Meanwhile Lord Ram asks Jambavan what should be done. Jambavan suggests that they send Angada, as messenger, to give Ravana a chnace to return Sita. On reaching Ravana's court, Angada explains he is the ambassador of Lord Ram, and tells Ravana that he still has time to save himself from destruction. Ravana insults Angada and his refusal to comply makes war inevitable.
The war begins with great ferocity as Ravana loses half of his army on the first day. Indraji, Ravana's son, is required to enter the battle far earlier than he expected. He severely wounds Laksman with his special weapon, the Saang. Hanumanji is order to fetch the doctor of Lanka called Sushena. Sushena tells Lord Ram that there exists a herb called Sanjivani which can only be found in the Himalayan mountains. It is the only hope to save Laksman. Hanuman immediately reassures Lord Ram that he shall find this herb. As Hanuman is about to leave, Ravana orders the demon Kalanemi to impede him however, Hanuman kills Kalanemi with ease. Hanuman reaches the mountain and can't find the herb. In his frustration he decides to take the entire mountain to Lanka.
Hanuman searching for the Sanjivani herb.
Hanuman makes good speed towards Lanka when suddenly he is shot by an arrow as he approaches Nandigram. Hanuman is mistaken to be a demon by Bharat. Hanuman falls to the ground together with the great hill. Hanuman regains conciousness and recognises that Bharat is Lord Ram's brother. He continues on to Lanka where he delivers the Sanjivani herb and Sushena treats Laksman. Lord Ram embraces Hanuman with great pride and affection. Ravana takes the news of Laksman's recovery very badly and decides to awaken his brother Kumbhakarna. Kumbhakarna kills indiscriminantly and wreaks much havoc. Lord Ram releases an arrow which kills him instantly. The death of his brother scares Ravana greatly. Indrajit hastily tries to arrange a ceremony to receive great boons and powers but is interupted by Hanuman and Angada. Laksman takes up arms against Indrajit and kills him. Lord Ram throws numerous arrows at Ravana nut is unable to kill him. He asks Vibhishan on how to kill his brother after which Lord Ram finally kills Ravana. The war is over.
Ravana's funeral takes place and Vibhishan is crowned the king of Lanka. Hanuman carries the happy news to Sita in Ashok vatika. Finally Lord Ram and Sita are reunited. Lord Ram and the army prepare to depart Lanka and return back towards Ayodhya. Lord Ram, Sita, Laksman and the senior monkeys travel back in Ravana's flying vehicle. [20]
[edit] Uttar Kaand
The Epilogue
It is now the day before Lord Ram is to return to Ayodhya after serving his exhile. Bharat is anxious that his brother still hadn't arrived. The Manas mentions that Bharat passed his days shedding tears for fourteen years in Nandigram. Hanumanji meets Bharat telling him of the arrival of Lord Ram, Sita and Laksman. Bharat rushes to Ayodhya to tell the citizens of the great news. As the flying vehicle landed in Ayodhya the citizens shouted chants of 'Glory be to Lord Ramchandra'. Lord Ram, Sita and Laksman collectively touch the feet of the sage Vasishta on arriving in Ayodhya and thereafter greet all that have gathered in the assembly. Lastly Lord Ram meets Bharat with great affection and love. Lord Ram's coronation takes place and he is finally crowned king of Ayodhya. Lord Shiva arrives to glorify the festivities further and asks Lord Ram of the boon that he may have firm and undeviating devotion of Lord Ram's feet.
In conclusion to the tale, Lord Ram has twin sons named Luva and Kusha. The other brothers each have two sons as well. It is mentioned that great sages like Narada and Sanaka visit Ayodhya to meet with Lord Ram and to see his great city.
In the subsequent passages of Uttar Kaand the biography of Saint Kakbhushundi is given, followed by a description of what is to be expected in the current vedic age of Kaliyuga. Lord Shiva ends his narration of the Ram Katha to Parvati as does Kakbhushundi to Garuda. It is not mentioned whether Yagnavalka finishes his recitation to Bharadwaj. Finally Goswami Tulsidas concludes his retelling of the Sriramcharitamanas.
[21]
[edit] Kaand Endings
Every Kaand is formally concluded by Goswami Tulsidas. The example below is an example of the ending of Kishkindha kaand.
Iti Srimad ramacharitamanase sakala kali kalusavi dhvamsane caturthah sopanah samaptah.
Translation: Thus ends the fourth descent into the Manas lake of Sri Rama's exploits, that eradicates all the impurities of the kali age.
All the other kaands are concluded in the same way where the word caturthah is substituted, according to the kaand being concluded.
[edit] Lord Ramachandra's Incarnation
During the Baal Kaand it is mentioned that Lord Shiva is retelling the story of Lord Ram (Ram Katha) to his spouse Parvati. During this retelling, Lord Shiva explains as many as five reasons as to why Lord Ram incarnated on earth.
[edit] Balance of Creation
Lord Shiva explains to Parvati that whenever virtue declines and vile and haughty demons multiply, and whenever Brahmanas, cows, demigods and the earth herself are in distress, the gracious Lord assumes various transcendent forms and relieves the distress of the virtuous. Killing the demons, He reinstates the demigods and diffuses His great glory throughout the universe. This is the primary motive for Lord Ram's decent.
[edit] Jay and Vijay
The brothers Jay and Vijay are the two favoured gate keepers of Lord Hari. Due to a curse, by the Brahman Sanaka and his three brothers, Jay and Vijay were born in the species of the demons. One took the birth of Hiranyakashipu and the other was born as Hiranyaksha. The Supreme Lord incarnated Himself as Varaha in order to kill Hiranyaksha, while incarnating as Narasimha to kill Hiranyakashipu. Even though these brothers are killed by Lord Hari Himself, they do not attain liberation as the Brahman's had cursed them to three births and so were reborn as the powerful demons Ravana and Kumbhakarna. Lord Hari took a human incarnation, as Lord Ram, to kill Ravana and Kumbhakarna. [22] [23]
[edit] The curse of Narada Muni
Narada Muni is wondering the Himalayan mountains and begins to think about Lord Vishnu. He instantly falls into a deep meditative trance. Seeing the sage's state, Indra becomes apprehensive as he sees Narada's trance as a threat to his own position as the chief of demigods in heaven. Indra asks Kamadeva to disturb Narada's trance. He creates an illusion of frangrant flowers, delightful breezes and such. Heavenly damsels are called but all this has no affect on the sage. Kamadeva accepts defeat and falls at Narada's feet addressing him with deep humility. He recalls all that happened to Lord Shiva and becomes puffed up with pride of his defeating of Kamadeva. Lord Shiva admonishes him and begs him not to repeat the story to Lord Hari.
Narada visits Lord Vishnu at His abode, and unable to control his pride, retells his episode with Kamadeva, ignoring all that Lord Shiva had advised. Lord Vishnu further fans Narada's pride by telling him that his steadfast vow of celebacy is so strong that he can never be smitten. Narada then departs Lord Vishnu's abode. Lord Hari tells Laksmi that he has a plan and sets his illusionary powers (Maya) into operation. As Narada departs Vaikuntha, Lord Vishnu creates a beautiful illusionary city with illusionary inhabitants. The city is ruled by king Silanidhi who has a beautiful daughter called Visvamohini. Narada is intrigued with the city and decides to visit the king. Narada sees the kings daughter and falls in love with her. The king explains that he wishes to marry his daughter off to a suitable man. Narada devises a plot to get the princess to choose him.
Narada approaches Lord Hari and asks him for the gift of great beauty. Lord Vishnu says that he will do only that which is benefitial to Narada. The sgae is glad at heart and thinks that with Lord Vishnu's favour, the princess will surely choose him. In reality the Lord had made Narada look hideous. The entire royal court is aware of Narada's appearance, but says nothing. The princess is filled with rage as soon as she sees Narada's ugly form and completely ignores him. He sees a reflection of his face and is consumed with rage. He instantly goes back to Vaikuntha and begins to speak to Lord Hari in ugly tones. He curses Lord Hari, "You made me look like a monkey; therefore You shall have monkeys for Your mates. And as You have greviously wronged me, so shall You suffer the pangs of separation from Your wife". Lord Hari accepts Narada's curse and instantly withdraws his illusionary spell.
Narada realises that there is no city and there is no Visvamohini, and is dismayed at what he has done. He begs the Lord to invalidate his curse. Lord hari explains that it was His will and advises Narada to chant his name to absolve himself of any sin. Narada returns to his abode chanting the praises of Lord Ram. [24]
[edit] Svayambhuva Manu and Satarupa
Svayambhuva Manu had Satarupa as his wife. Manu ruled the earth for many years and carried out the Lord's commandments. He longed to devotion to Lord Hari and decides to give up rulership to his son so that he can retire to the forest and meditate upon Lord Vishnu. Manu and Satarupa settle at the banks of the Gomati river and devoutly repeat the mantra, "Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya" and begin to live a simple life. They first sacrifice food and then water and are finally willing to sacrifice air. Lord Brahma, Hari and Shiva call on Manu but Manu and Satarupa are resolute and do not swerve on their sacrifices. A great voice from the heavens tells Manu, in sweet tones, to ask for a boon. Lord Vishnu approaches Manu in a beautiful form, which leaves Manu overcome with emotion. Manu explains now that he and Satarupa have seen Lord Hari's lotus feet, all their desires have been met. Manu has one longing but doesn't know how to ask the Lord. Finally he asks, "O gracious lord, I tell You my sincere wish: I would have a son like You. I have nothing to conceal from You."
Lord Hari announces that it shall be, however, where would he find a son like Himself? Lord Vishnu tells Manu that He Himself would be a son to him. Lord Hari then asks Satarupa of her wish. She says that she greatly likes the boon received by her husband and wants the same. Bowing at the Lord's feet, Manu then asks one more favour. He asks that he be dependent on Lord Hari which is granted. The Lord then commands the couple to dwell in Indra's capital in heaven.
Lord Vishnu explains that after some time Manu would be born as the king of Ayodhya, Dasarath and Satarupa as Kausalya. He would then manifest Himself in the royal household as their son. He reassured the couple that their desire would be accomplished. [25]
[edit] Tale of King Pratapbhanu
Prior to the birth of Lord Ram, Muni Bharadvaja is told the story of King Pratapbhanu by Sant Yajnavalkya. There is a kingdom called Kaikay where Satyaketu is king. He has two sons, Pratapbhanu and Arimardana and rules his kingdom with his prime minister Dharamaruchi. Satyaketu abdicates and hands the reign to Pratapbhanu, who becomes conquerer of the world.
Once Pratapbhanu goes into the forest to hunt and sees a wild boar. The boar is actually the demon Kalaketu in disguise who runs away from the king. Pratapbhanu gives chase deeper into the forest. Pratapbhanu chases for many miles and becomes thirsty. He approaches a fake saints ashram, where the resident fake saint wants to hurt and insult Pratapbhanu due to a previous incident. Pratapbhanu doesn't recognise the saint, who begins to sweet talk the king and says that by pure love, he wishes to impart boons onto the king. The king asks to be invicible and never ageing, which the fake saint grants, but with the condition that he needs to win favour of all brahmans. The fake saint advises that the king arrange the cooking of holy food (prasadam) to feed the bramanas, who would surely be in his favour for such an act of kindness. The fake saint's real intention is to trap the king and repay him for his old greviances.
The fake saint asks the King to go rest, and that he would arrange the feast for the bramanas using his mystic powers. Pratapbhanu waits for three days for the fake saint. Kalaketu, now disguised as a priest, approaches the King in his court and says that he has been sent to cook the holy food. The entire brahmana community is invited. A heavenly voice from above warns the brahmanas that the food is unpure and they should run away immediately. They curse the king that he, his kingdom and entire family are wiped from the face of earth. They also curse that he be born a demon in his next life. The heveanly voice says that the brahmana's curse is ill thought, as Pratapbhanu is not to blame. Since their curse cannot be taken back, the voice says that it is the brahmana community that will bare the brunt of the evil of his next life.
Pratapbhanu is distraught and quickly goes to his kitchen to find Kalaketu. The king is pained and cries as he realises Kalaketu has vanished. The brahmanas feel sorry for Pratapbhanu and tell him that his evil next life will be ended by Lord Supreme Vishnu himself. As per the curse, Pratapbhanu, Arimardam and Dharmaruchi are all killed as other neighbouring kings invade Kaikay.
Pratapbhanu is reborn as Ravana, Arimardam is reborn as Kumbhkarna and Dharmaruchi as Vibhishan. All three take great penances and are approached by Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva and are asked for any boon. Ravana asks that no one should be able to kill me except the tribes of man and monkeys. Kumbhkarna asks for uninterupted sleep for periods of six months. Vibhishan asks for unshakeable love for the feet of Lord Vishnu. [26]
[edit] The Abrupt Ending
Many scholars have commented on the sudden ending to the Manas. Valmiki's Uttar Kaand goes into great detail about Sita going into the forest, as a result of disapproving gossip of the citizens of Ayodhya, during the rule of Lord Ram over Ayodhya. Sitaji asks mother Earth to receive her and Lord Ram leaves His human form and returns to His celestial abode. Tulsidas decides not to mention these at all. The great Katha Kar, Pujya Morari Bapu has mentioned, in many of his retellings of Ram Katha, that Tulsidasji didn't want to end the Manas in heartache for Sita. Tulsidas refers to Sita as his mother (as well as the mother of the entire universe) many times in the poem and so, on an emotional level, this becomes very understandable. She has endured enough pain throughout the Manas and so ends his retelling at a relatively happy moment. It is said that there are some Vaishnav devotees who will only recite the Baal Kaand of the Manas, as this is seen as the happiest period of Lord Ram and Sita's lila on earth. [27]
[edit] English Translation
An unpublished English poetic translation of Ramacaritamanas is provided by (Late) Binda Prasad Khattri of New Market, Banda, Uttar Pradesh. Apparently, the translation can be sung essentially in the same way and with the same rhythm as the original Hindi work.
Frederick Growse translated the Ramacaritamanas into English under the title, "The Ramayan of Tulasidasa," during the nineteenth century. His translation remains in print.
The English commentary by Pujya Morari Bapu, called Mangal Ramayan is an english composition of one of his orrated Ram Katha commentaries. The book contains all the translations of prayers, Dohavalis, Chaupais and Chandan sung by Bapu as well as an indepth disccusion behind the meanings of the poetry.
Continued: A Love Non-Distracting
“The advice from Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) to Hazrat Ali (ratu) that every man seeks closeness to Allah through some form of obedience. And that he should seek His Closeness through the company of the wise and special friend of His so that he reaches his goal quickly and leave all others behind.
یا علی از جملهی طاعات راه
بر گزین تو سایهی خاص اله
O Ali, above all devotional acts in the Way (of God) do choose the shadow of protection of the chosen Favourite of God.
هر کسی در طاعتی بگریختند
خویشتن را مخلصی انگیختند
Every one took refuge in some act of devotion and discovered for themselves some means of deliverance.
تر برو در سایهی عاقل گریز
تا رهی ز آن دشمن پنهان ستیز
Go ahead, take refuge in the shadow of the Sage, that thou may escape from the Enemy that opposes you in secret.
از همه طاعات اینت بهتر است
سبق یابی بر هر آن سابق که هست
Of all acts of devotion this is the best for you and you will gain precedence over every one that has outrun others.
چون گرفتت پیر هین تسلیم شو
همچو موسی زیر حکم خضر رو
When you give yourself to a Spiritual Master, surrender yourself to him like the Prophet Moses (as) walked with Khizr (as).
صبر کن بر کار خضـری بی نفاق
تـا نـگـویـد خـضـر رو هـذا فـراق
O sincere one! Be patient with Khizr then so he does not say, “Leave. Now we separate.”
گرچه کـشتی بشکـند تو دم مزن
گرچه طفلی را کُشَد تو مو مَکَن
If he breaks the boat, do not protest. If he kills the child, do not be sad.
دست او را حق چو دستِ خویش خواند
تـا یَــــدُ الله فــــوقَ اَیْـــــدِیـهـم بــــرانـد
Now that God has named his hand to be His Own by even saying, “The Hand of God is upon theirs.”
دستِ حق میـراندش زندهش کند
زنده چـه بود جـانِ پـایندهش کند
You are in need of a guide in this jungle, don’t go alone. In this jungle don’t go alone.
هـرکـه تـنها نادِرا این ره بُـرید
هـم بـعونِ هـمّت پــیران رسـید
It is unlikely that this place is successfully traversed alone.
The one who reached their goal did so only by the inner attention of the Friends of God.
دستِ پیر از غایبان کوتاه نـیست
دست او جـز قَــبـضـهٔ الله نـیست
The hand of the Spiritual Master is even attentive to those absent.
His hand is undoubtedly the Hand of God.
غـایبان را چون نواله میدهند
پیش مهمان تا چه نـعمتها نهند
When the inattentive can receive such blessings extraordinary,
imagine what you will receive as the one present willingly.
Subhan Allah!
I went back to Uzair’s lecture: “In the 18 verses, the background is quite spectacular. Maulana Rum is the scholar of his time. And all scholars have an element of pride in them because of the effect their words have on others which is evident before them. He is also a teacher, he is the “mufti,” the Islamic jurist, of the city. Konya is a city of wealth and he is known and respected throughout it. In those days a faqeer enters the city and takes up residence in an inn in the bazaar where sugar is sold. And this is Maulana Shams Tabrez (ra).
Now the incident of the “bay’at” of Maulana Rum (ra) on the hands of Shams Tabrez is very well known and has 6-7 variations. I will share with you the one that drew me to the Masnavi:
A class on hadith is taking place in the courtyard. Before Maulana Rum (ra) sit 50-100 students. Nearby is a fountain on the edge of which lie a few books on the subject. In the time the books were hand written since there were no printing presses. It took several years for a single one to be completed so they were of immense value and extremely precious.
Maulana (ra) is instructing the class while Maulana Shams Tabrez (ra) scales the wall and sneaks into the courtyard. He comes close to where Maulana (ra) is sitting who turns to look at him wondering from his appearance who this man was. He certainly didn’t look like one of his students with his tattered clothes and torn shoes, matted hair and disheveled look.
Having caught his attention, Maulana Shams(ra) asked him, “Een che kardi?” What are you doing?
Maulana Rum (ra) turned his face dismissively and replied condescendingly, “Aan che to nami dani.” You don’t know (anything) about it.
Maulana Shams (ra) retreated and went to sit by the edge of the fountain and one by one starting to push the ancient texts into the water. Upon hearing the splash, Maulana Rum (ra) noticed that the books had disappeared. He leapt up and shouted for him to stop.
Walking over to where Maulana Shams (ra) was sitting, now he asked him, ““Een che kardi?” What are you doing?
And received the reply, “Aan che to nami dani.” You don’t know (anything) about it.
The story goes that Maulana Rum (ra) starts hitting him and his students rush to join him. Maulana Shams (ra) held up his hands in protest asking why they were beating him. Maulana Rum (ra) answered, “Because these books are books of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) ahadith and you have destroyed them all.”
Maulana Shams (ra) said in response, “Oh the books! Wait then for a moment” and saying that he jumped into the water. One by one he started to take the books out. Once the book was out of the water, he slapped it as if to clean it and dust blew off it. He placed it on the edge and said, “Take a look.”
Maulana Rum (ra) picked up the book and found it to be dry as a bone. Then Maulana Shams (ra) took out another book and did the same. Bewildered, Maulana Rum (ra) looked at Shams and asked, “Will they come out dry by my hand as well or only yours?”
Maulana Shams (ra) answered, “While I am in the water, they will come out dry by your hand as well.”
Subhan Allah! It was my favourite line of the story.
Maulana Rum (ra) picked up a book from the water and dusted it. It was completely dry. He called his students over. They started picking out books too. Now Maulana Shams (ra) had thrown in 10-12 books sitting on the side of the fountain but 300 or so emerged from the water.
Maulana Rum (ra) was elated. He pointed towards the piles and said to his students, “Take these into the library and place them there carefully.”
Maulana Shams (ra) stopped him. “What are you doing?”
Maulana Rum (ra) explained he wanted to keep the books in the library for they were precious.
On hearing that Maulana Shams (ra) admonished him, “This is the hadith you are teaching your students? 10 of the books were yours. 300 plus have come out from the water that don’t belong to you and you are taking them all? This is the morality they are learning from you? This is the knowledge you are imparting to them?”
In that moment Maulana Rum (ra) fell to his feet and exclaimed, “Then give me the “ilm,” the knowledge, you have that you have been bestowed by The Divine.” And this is the start.”
Then Uzair went back to the first couplet of the Masnavi and explained the instrument that Maulana references in it; the ney.
“The ney is different from the flute. It is held by the teeth not the lips. It is breathed out from not in to. As the fingers press on some notes and leave others, so the placement and movement of the fingers create the melodies. So what Maulana is saying this; the ney, the instrument itself, has nothing to it. It is a piece of dead wood. The sound is coming from the player of the instrument, his hands are creating the melody. And Allah is The Breather.”
Then he cited the verse.
فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُۥ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِى فَقَعُوا۟ لَهُۥ سَـٰجِدِينَ
And when I have formed him fully and breathed into him of My Spirit,
fall down before him in prostration!”
Surah Sad, Verse 72
“And the fingers are the training of the guide.
The ney was nothing until it was separated from the tree, from the forest. If it had remained there, as a piece of bark it would have eventually fallen to the ground and become dust. Now though it is a conveyer of notes.
What Maulana is saying here is that the suffering in the world, the guide is the one who makes you go through different stages and trials, he plays you like the flautist, so that the melodic sounds you emit reverberate in the entire world. The blower is Allah, the player is the Spiritual Master. The separation from the jungle is what has rendered the wood an instrument. It is what it is only because it is separated.
Remember, two people have had the deepest impact and influence on Maulana Rum; Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (ra), Ghaus ul Azam and Hazrat Muhuyddin Ibn e Arabi (ra). He has restated their philosophies in the Masnavi. And where do these philosophies in turn come from? Maula Ali (ratu).
Ghaus ul Azam (ra) was asked by Allah Almighty, “Do you want My Closeness?”
He answered, “I do.”
So Allah said, “Come near. And then He said to him,
إنقطع ثم اتصل واتصل ثم أوصل
Disconnect (from all others)
then connect (to Me)
and keep connecting
then communicate (with all others through Me).”
I was not expecting Uzair to say these lines. Since I had heard them in one of his lectures years ago, I had written the words in so many pieces, spoken the words in so many gatherings, whispered them to myself and my loved ones. But Uzair bringing it up in this context of the ney and its separation from its source was something else altogether.
“Maulana is taking the concept of the ney from here actually. From what Ghaus ul Azam is saying as told by Allah. ‘Separate from all others. And connect to Me. And I will connect with you, And then you will rejoin the others. But before you were joined to them through your own self. This time around, you will join with them through Me.’”
I let out a deep sigh.
I am a sigher by nature. I didn’t notice it till those around me commented on it. “You sigh a lot,” someone first said to me in college. I was surprised to hear the words. Then I forgot about them. Over the years when I was alone I noticed them myself, those long-winded sighs. Then I started noticing them in others, especially children.
It was such an unexpected sound from a child. It seems to hold such a deep sadness. A sadness that a soul holds within it, that the “batin” possesses and the overt self, the “zahir,” is totally unaware of. Maybe the sigh is the first sound of the ney awaiting the fingers of the Master. So that the Hand of God will one day will transform the sound of that sigh into melodious notes that intoxicate another soul.
On an afternoon in Karachi while sitting with my friend’s friends from Karachi a topic came up I knew nothing about; the vagus nerve. I wasn’t paying much attention to the conversation. It was some important nerve in the body blah blah and the ways that the nerve was activated that they were discussing were not of interest to me; cold showers, a lot of exercise, deep breathing, meditation.
Then one of them said, “And humming.”
“Humming?” I echoed. I hummed and sang the words of the kalam for my videos all day long when I was working on them.
“Yup,” she said.
When I went home I looked it up.
“What is the vagus nerve? The ”wandering” or vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve in the body. Leaving the brain stem, the vagus nerve branches off in different directions and extends as far down as the abdomen. It connects the brain and the gut, lungs, and heart. And it plays a critical role in helping us “rest and digest.” Increasing the tone of the vagus nerve enables our body to relax faster after experiencing stress.
Traveling down past the neck and into the body, the vagus nerve performs some of its most vital tasks. Its main function is to regulate the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), a special part of the nervous system that maintains the homeostasis of body functions, such as heart rate, respiration rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and digestion.
When homeostasis is disrupted through exercise, illness, or stress, a subsystem of the ANS, the Sympathetic Nervous System, kicks in and prepares the body to move, respond, or adapt to the change. This state of readiness is also known as the Fight or Flight System. When the stress is over, the Parasympathetic Nervous System down-regulates the body, bringing its functions back to baseline. Working in opposition to the Fight or Flight System, the Parasympathetic Nervous System is known as the Rest and Digest System.
We can thank the vagus nerve for keeping the heart rate from elevating too high for too long, maintaining blood vessel constriction (which regulates blood pressure) during activity, reactivating the digestive system after being shut down, and stabilizing the respiration rate and making sure it coordinates with the heart.
Because of its communication between the viscera and the brain, the vagus nerve plays an important role in body/brain interactions. Recently, neuroscientists have found a link between the presence of good gut bacteria (probiotics) and elevated mood and improved cognition. Apparently, good bacteria produce approximately 95 percent of the body’s serotonin, a neurotransmitter responsible for improved mood.
The vagus nerve appears to also assist in regulation of inflammatory responses from the body. Vagal communication between inflammatory responses and the brain can also allow the brain to regulate this inflammation and promote adaptations to acute injury and chronic irritation. The vagus nerve passes through by the vocal cords and the inner ear and the vibrations of humming is a free and easy way to influence your nervous system states.”
Unreal!
From my classes on “tajweed” in Fes, the rules of recitation of the Quran, I had learnt that the sound of the “shadda” on a letter, which means it is said with a double emphasis, gave it a longer stretch of two beats. Of the different levels of recitation, when it is “in a slow-paced manner with clarity, clearly distinguished letter by letter and with tranquility,” it is called “tarteela.”
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ جُمْلَةًۭ وَٰحِدَةًۭ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِۦ
فُؤَادَكَ ۖ
وَرَتَّلْنَـٰهُ تَرْتِيلًۭا
And said those who disbelieve ask, "Why not was revealed to him the Quran all at once?"
(It is so) in this manner that We may strengthen thereby your heart.
And We have recited it ‘tarteela,’ with a distinct recitation.
Surah Al-Furqan, Verse 32
The name of the Prophet (peace be upon him) has two “meem.” There is one in the beginning and the one in the middle has a “shadda” on it. The application of the rule then to it creates a natural hum. Muhammmmmmad! When I learnt about humming activating the vagas nerve that day, I could not help but think, all I was doing when I hummed was saying the “meem” of his name endlessly. No matter the song. The thought was having such swooning effect on my overt being, I could only imagine what it was doing to my nervous system.
In the same days I came upon Maulana’s (ra) words about musicality in the Universe. The essence of sound as its form, any form, our own included, was known me to when I discovered from Sheikh Nurjan, the Naqshbandi Master, that we are energy beings first that then gain form through sound.
But Maulana’s (ra) revelations about it opened another dimension altogether. How music was heard differently by the extraordinary and therefore the effect it had upon them of “wajd,” a state of spiritual ecstasy.
The Masnavi: “The sound of the rubaab played in the court of the King. But for the lovers of God, the “ushaaq,” the rubaab’s sound is a reminder of the promise they made in the Realm of the Souls to God, the Ahd e Alast (when He asked, ‘Am I not your Lord?’ and we answered, ‘Indeed You are.’
The sound of the dhol, the drum, for the lovers of God holds similarity to the sound of the Nufikha As-Saur, the trumpet of Israfeel. (Even though for the rest of humanity it is the sound of the Day of Judgement, which invokes fear. But for those whose nafs is “mutmainna,” content with God, even that sound is the sound of happiness for it will bring reunion).
The scholars say that the different raag, with their particular combination of notes, have been taken from the movement of the orbits of the skies. And the 12 notes of the chromatic scales of music draw a parallel with the 12 constellations.
وَلَقَدْ جَعَلْنَا فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ بُرُوجًۭا وَزَيَّنَّـٰهَا لِلنَّـٰظِرِينَ
And indeed in the Heavens we have set up great constellations and beautified it for the observers.
Surah Al-Hijr, Verse 16
The seven notes of music, the major scale, are taken from seven of the planets. The air that is between the Earth and the sky creates all the sounds in the world. These sounds are then imitated by the voice and the Tanbura.
The believers, the Momin, know that all these raag, these songs, they come from the singing of the heavenly “Hoors”, the heavenly maidens, and from the running waters of the rivers of Jannat, and the movement of the trees of Heaven. The melodies of the raag create the thought of reunion with The Creator for those who are His Lovers. When the listener holds within them these feelings, the music intensifies this burning love for the Divine.”
In my readings, in particular of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya (ra) and in general the Chisti silsila, that I myself belong to, I had heard of the effect of the “sama’a,” in their case the qawali, upon their souls. In his case for he is “Mehboob e Ilahi,” “The one who Allah holds a beloved,” I had read of instance after instance where the effect of music transported his soul in a moment from the world to an audience before His Lord during a sama’a.
Since I had heard Uzair’s lecture on Maulana, I was fixated on the stations of the spiritual path. I thought the be all and end all was love. Yet it was the third station of seven. “Ikhlaas” had come next. I had been praying for sincerity in my prayer but I had not known what I was even asking for. I had heard so many lectures in which Uzair and others cited the words of Auliya Karaam who stressed feeling the presence of Allah, focusing on the nearness of Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) during the saying of the namaz.
I had tried different ways to do that. Mostly the images of the Ka’aba and the Green Dome were as far as I got. My speed of recitation had slowed considerably over the years. I took my time. The verse I connected with most often was “As Salam o Alayka Ayyuha Nabiyyu wa Rahmutallah e wa Barakatahu.” That was because of the hadith that when one sent a “salam” upon his blessed person, he always returned it. Mostly, I was just happy I wasn’t blazing through it anymore.
Then while writing this piece, Maulana blew my heart wide open. I was perusing my book on the stories in the Masnavi when a title caught my eye; “Ibadat ka haqeeqi mafhoom,” the original meaning of worship.
The prayer of the people behind Daqooqi (ra)
One day a wali Allah, (a Friend of God), Hazrat Daqooqi (ra) stood as the Imam to lead the prayer. A few of his contemporaries, whose hearts were soft as silk, stood behind him to say it. As soon as the “takbeer” was uttered (Allah u Akbar – Allah is The Greatest), they departed from this transient world like the sacrificed animal.
The meaning of that “takbeer” became this; “We sacrifice ourselves for you, O Lord, in the way that the “takbeer” is said before the slaughter of animals for food.” So they said Allah u Akbar and sacrificed their nafs, the ego, cutting its head off so that the soul is saved from its evil deeds.
Be like the body of Hazrat Ismail (as) when he surrendered to his father after he told him about his dream. Like his body, become free, liberated from desire and greed. Through the utterance of Bismillah, (In the Name of Allah), the contemporaries starting shivering in remembrance of their God.
After that moment, they stood before God shedding tears as if on the Day of Judgment where Allah, Exalted is He, will ask; “What have you brought for Me in this time that I gave you? I granted you an age of living, I gave you livelihood, you were given strength and power. So what did you do with them? The ability to see, the ability to hear, what did you use it for? I bestowed you the blessings of the other senses. What did you do with them? You had hands and feet, the means and tools given to work, what work did you perform with them?”
Qari Sahib had told me that Nabi Pak (ra) had described this scene to the Sahaba;
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: لَا تَزُولُ قَدَمَا عَبْدٍ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ حَتَّى يُسْأَلَ عَنْ عُمُرِهِ فِيمَا أَفْنَاهُ،
وَعَنْ عِلْمِهِ فِيمَ فَعَلَ،
وَعَنْ مَالِهِ مِنْ أَيْنَ اكْتَسَبَهُ وَفِيمَ أَنْفَقَهُ،
وَعَنْ جِسْمِهِ فِيمَ أَبْلَاهُ
The Prophet of God (peace be upon him) said, “The feet of no person will move until he has been asked (by God) about what works did he do in his life,
about his knowledge and his deeds as a result of it,
and his livelihood and how he earned it and how he spent it,
and about his body and how he sinned with it.”
The Masnavi: “Standing before God, in “qayam,” these questions were asked of Mankind from God. But because they are in a state of awe and ashamed because of the inability to answer, they immediately went into “ruku’” (the act of touching the hands on the knees), a state of humility.
Feeling ashamed they uttered the words for the greatness of God in that position (Subhan a Rabbi Al-Azeem). Allah commanded them, “Rise from your ‘ruku’’ and answer Me.” They raised their heads and stood up for a moment. Then losing strength again, they fell into prostration. Then they was ordered again to raise their heads.
They raise themselves only for a second to fall back into prostration a second time. Then again Allah says “Raise your head.”
After the second “raka’t,” they cannot bring himself to stand again, so they sit and Allah says to them again, “I bestowed you countless blessings, how were you grateful for them? I gave you wealth, where is the profit of that?”
Since they have nothing to offer, Mankind is unable to answer. Now they want an intercessor so they can be excused from this accountability. They turn to their right shoulder and says “salam” and call upon the Prophets and the Friends of God to come to their help, to aid them knowing they are stuck in a place from which there is no escape. The Prophets will say, “There is no help for you today from us. The time given to you has passed.”
Then they turn to their left shoulder and says “salam” and ask for their family and friends to come to their side. They too will say, “We cannot help you today.” Disappointed by all of them, their hearts will be shattered into a thousand pieces.
Finally they will raise their hands before their Merciful Lord and shed tears of repentance saying He is the First One and He is the Last One, so that they save themselves from their punishment. Learn from the actions of namaz that this is what will happen to you one day. Say to Him that He is The One who guides and we are the one who wish to be guided.”
بچه بیرون آر از بیضه نماز
سر مزن چون مرغ بی تعظیم و ساز
So you come out of your namaz like a chick leaves the egg, new born, pure.
And not like the chicken who wanders everywhere aimlessly.
The first time I read the story it was late at night. I went to sleep thinking nothing of it. The next morning when I woke it was for Fajr. I started my prayer and out of nowhere, burst into tears. Then I cried non-stop through it. For the first time in my life I pictured myself standing before God, Him asking me questions and I felt scared. Never before had I thought of myself in any moment with God that had held in it fear.
I wanted the namaz to end so badly the thought only made me cry more. The whole thing was so unexpected. How could Maulana Rum (ra) of all of Allah’s Friends, the one whose words are so full of love, so deeply romantic with the most exquisite expression that only softened the heart undeniably, how could he be the one who instills fear in my heart that never before existed? I had previously only concentrated on the Softness, the Mercy, the Forgiveness of Allah, because it was all I experienced. Even in the hardest of times.
In that morning prayer, for the first time in my life, I uttered verses in parallel. In my overt being, the verses of the namaz, and in my heart, my “qalb” whispered “Astaghfiruallah,” “I seek the forgiveness of Allah.” By the time I finished just the first two “raka’t” I was drained. But lifting the hands for a prayer was a must. It was how the story ended. My dua that day was only one and it was not to God. It was to His Beloved (peace be upon him). “Please ya Rasool Allah,” I begged, “ask Allah not to ask me anything.”
I went to bed weeping with a tasbeeh in my hand that I couldn’t even bring myself to read upon. I only clutched it close to my heart as I cried. I woke up the next morning fearing the hours to Zuhr. For three days the experience repeated itself in every prayer. Then like all things of beauty, it tapered off and when it did, what I had been anxious about, I wished and longed for.
A day or so later I went to the beach by myself. I tried to read my New Yorker but I was distracted and couldn’t focus on anything. Different thoughts interrupted me. I kept pondering about what had happened and one hadith kept coming to my mind. I have used it so many times in my writing in a particular context, it surprised me that it was the one I was reminded of.
إِنَّ هَذِهِ الْقُلُوبَ تَصْدَأُ كَمَا يَصْدَأُ الْحَدِيدُ
قِيلَ يَارَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَمَا جَلاؤُهَا
وذِكرُ الموت تِلاوَةُ الْقُرْآنِ كثرةُ ذِكرِ اللَّهِ قَالَ
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Indeed, the hearts rust like iron rusts.”
They said, “So what will polish them?”
He said, “The abundance of remembrance of Allah, recitation of the Quran and remembering death.”
Remembering death!
I had never feared death. It wasn’t unusual. Many people who have close family, especially a parent, die when they are young, become oblivious to it. At first they become indifferent to life and when it keeps going, death, more and more, becomes the reason there will be union.
As Hazrat Khwaja Moineenuddin Chisti Ajmer (ra) says most beautifully:
الموت جسرا يوصل الحبيب الى الحبيب
Death is the bridge that joins the beloved with the beloved.
But I realized that in my lovey dovey relationship with God, I had never really thought of the Afterlife. I always knew someone would save me. I had imagined our meeting, even written about it but my thought had always been child-like, if not outright childish. It was all about me of course. What I would ask Him. I never once thought about what God might ask me.
Uzair says the role of the Prophets, all of them was the same. They asked for belief in Tauheed (the One-ness of God), Risalat (prophethood), Aakhirat (the Day of Judgment). I believed in the Day of Judgment but I never considered it. Until now. The hadith about the Last Day when people would go from Prophet to Prophet asking them to intercede for them, until they were eventually sent by them all to Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) held a new meaning for me.
Each Prophet had declined the ask to appear before God for a single sin they had committed over their entire lives. Just one! That one sin made them feel so deeply ashamed, they declined to go before their Lord and ask something of Him. My list of sins was exhaustive and it was still in play, yet I had never thought of it as anything.
Over the next few days I realized the story was a gift from Maulana to me. He didn’t want me to be of the “ghafileen,” by not thinking of the Day of Judgment the way God wanted me to think of it. And it was not lost on me that the prayer had the effect it had because a Friend of God was leading it.
قُلْ مَن يَرْزُقُكُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ أَمَّن يَمْلِكُ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْأَبْصَـٰرَ
وَمَن يُخْرِجُ ٱلْحَىَّ مِنَ ٱلْمَيِّتِ وَيُخْرِجُ ٱلْمَيِّتَ مِنَ ٱلْحَىِّ وَمَن يُدَبِّرُ ٱلْأَمْرَ ۚ
فَسَيَقُولُونَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ
فَقُلْ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ
Say O Prophet, “Who provides you with sustenance out of Heaven and Earth, or who has full power over hearing and sight? Who brings forward the living and the dead, and the dead from the living? Who administers all matters?
They will say, “Allah.”
Then say, “Will you not then be mindful of Him?”
Surah Yunus, Verse 31
I wanted to know what Ghaus Pak (ra) said about the last word of the verse, “tattaqoon,” as in O you who practice taqwa: “They are the ones try to prepare with precaution to avoid the fallout from Allah’s Grip and His Reckoning. You associate others with Him who give you no benefit and can bring upon you no harm and you will not spared from Him because of them at all.”
I was meant to read the story to feel fear for once, which I did intensely in the beginning. But more than that it was so I could continue to mindfully polish my heart. A heart whose rust never wanes. Like the dust in Karachi that is wiped one day and appears as the same the next! It was so I could understand why Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) is asked to say in the Quran by his Lord:
قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِى وَنُسُكِى وَمَحْيَاىَ وَمَمَاتِى لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
Say (O Blessed Prophet (peace be upon you)), “Indeed my prayer, my acts of worship, my living and my dying, are for Allah alone, the Lord of the worlds.
Surah Al-Anam, Verse 162
I had to look up the verse in the Tafseer e Jilani by Ghaus Pak (ra) because of the word “salat-i,” my prayer:
“Say, you who is the most perfect of all Prophets, who is the reflection of the One-ness of the Allah Almighty’s Essence, whilst surrendering all your affairs and that which has happened to you as well as that have emanated from you to your Lord!
Say, “The heart-felt inclinations of my body and my soul, and my worship, which is the means for closeness and connection with my Lord, and the necessities for my living and dying, all, are sincerely for Allah alone, The One who does as He wills in the overt and inward existence of the Universe forever and by His Choice alone.”
Over time, slowly, prayer by prayer, I realized my tears were of repentance. The same note in the stories in this piece, in the story for my video, had entered my life, piercing my heart. It was like I had invited them. Because I had not even chosen the story for the video except by reading the Fateha and opening the book blindly to a page.
The Masnavi has hundreds of stories. It was impossible for me to choose one arbitrarily. To make sure it was the right story, I had opened it a second time to see what else appeared and then try to to decide between them but it had opened to the same story, settling the matter.
I thought of my weeping in my namaz for those days. I had shed my tears in silence thinking about when He would ask what I brought for Him. I had nothing. I had shed them in regret imagining if He asked what had I done with that which He bestowed me. It was nothing. And for the first time in my life, I realized the heart wrenching emotion that tears of repentance actually express: “Why did it take me so long to get here?”
After every Quran class that I have been going to for years now, a prayer is said by Dannu at the end. I had always uttered it fleetingly. Now I understood why she shed such heartfelt tears every single time. Finally I understood her ask. I didn’t want to be asked anything, whether we were front of others and even if we were all alone.
It was unsurprising of course that my Prophet (peace be upon him), who taught me about the Afterlife, is the one who I invoked before my heart began to feel calm again. He would be the only reason Allah might spare me in that moment I had experienced only in my imagination in the last few days with such intensity, it had ripped my soul apart.
He would be the one who would save me and everyone else that day. When everybody else would decline, he would invoke the intercession he was promised on the night he was brought to the Heavens, on the Night of Ascension.
فَيَأْتُونِي، فَأَنْطَلِقُ حَتَّى أَسْتَأْذِنَ عَلَى رَبِّي، فَيُؤْذَنَ لِي، فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُ رَبِّي وَقَعْتُ سَاجِدًا، فَيَدَعُنِي مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ،
ثُمَّ يُقَالُ: ارْفَعْ رَأْسَكَ وَسَلْ تُعْطَهْ، وَقُلْ يُسْمَعْ، وَاشْفَعْ تُشَفَّعْ،
فَأَرْفَعُ رَأْسِي فَأَحْمَدُهُ بِتَحْمِيدٍ يُعَلِّمُنِيهِ،
ثُمَّ أَشْفَعُ فَيَحُدُّ لِي حَدًّا، فَأُدْخِلُهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ، ثُمَّ أَعُودُ إِلَيْهِ فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُ رَبِّي مِثْلَهُ،
ثُمَّ أَشْفَعُ فَيَحُدُّ لِي حَدًّا، فَأُدْخِلُهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ، ثُمَّ أَعُودُ الرَّابِعَةَ،
فَأَقُولُ: مَا بَقِيَ فِي النَّارِ إِلَّا مَنْ حَبَسَهُ الْقُرْآنُ وَوَجَبَ عَلَيْهِ الْخُلُودُ،
Then people will come to me and I will go with them and ask to see God. Then I will be granted audience and as soon I will see Him, I will go into prostration and until He calls me, I will remain in prostration.
Then He will say, “Raise your head O Muhammad! Intercede and your intercession will be granted.”
I will raise my head and speak in His praise that which God Almighty Himself taught me. Then I will begin my intercession and there will be a limit set for me and I will make them enter Heaven.
When I will come back for the fourth time, then I will say “There are no more people left in Hell except those who are destined to remain in it forever (by You).”
And it was him who had made the point of Maulana’s (ra) story crystal clear. A single namaz said with sincerity, would render a person pure of all sin, like a new born, like the Haj did. The incident, like all of his life, had a different meaning for me every time I cited it. This time it was simply in his reason for God’s forgiveness towards a man who was literally hounding him for punishment for a sin that was making him guilty and distressed.
Hazrat Abu Umama (ratu) narrates:
We were sitting in the mosque in the company of Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him).
A person came there and said, “O Messenger of God (peace be upon you)! I have committed an offence which deserves the imposition of Hadd (punishment for a transgression) upon me, so impose it upon me.”
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) kept silent.
He repeated it and said, “O Messenger of God (peace be upon you), I have committed an offence which deserves the imposition of Hadd upon me, so impose it upon me.”
He (the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)) kept silent, and it was at this time that Iqama was pronounced for prayer (and the prayer was observed).
And when Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) had concluded the prayer, the person followed Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him). Hazrat Abu Umama continues:
I too followed Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) after he had concluded the prayer, so that I should know what answer he would give to that person.
That person remained attached to Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) and said, “O Messenger of God (peace be upon you), I have committed an offence which deserves imposition of Hadd upon me so impose it upon me.”
Hazrat Abu Umama (ratu) reported that Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said to him, “Didn't you see that as you got out of the house, you performed ablution perfectly well.”
He said, “O Messenger of God (peace be upon you)! of course. I did it.”
He again said to him, “Then you observed prayer along with us.”
He said, “O Messenger of God (peace be upon you)! Yes, it is so.”
Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to him, “Verily, Allah has exempted you from the imposition of Hadd or he said, ‘From your sin.’”
“You performed ablution well, you observed prayer along with us.” The blessings of a prayer behind the Master of of the Universe!
Another hadith came to my mind, one that I had never previously understood. In fact, I could never relate to the lectures in which I had heard that the “haqq,” the right of uttering the prayer is fulfilled, when one can see God or at least when God sees them.
“Use imagery,” I heard the scholars say but I didn’t know how to apply that. The thought itself did bring focus on the act for me more so than before but my mind still constantly wandered. Sadly I confess, I had spent so much time in that endless wandering, I actually had been able to identify where it was languishing.
It was always one of two things; either I was thinking about my to-dos, immediately or otherwise pending or I was broiling over something someone had done to upset me and I had held on to it instead of letting it go.
The hadith that I was thinking of now with a new zeal was the one in which Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) defines “ehsaan” when Hazrat Gibrael once appears before him to ask him some questions.
As narrated by Hazrat Omar Farouq (ratu):
One day while we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) there appeared before us a man whose clothes were exceedingly white and whose hair was exceedingly black; no signs of journeying were to be seen on him and none of us knew him. He walked up and sat down by the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Resting his knees against his and placing the palms of his hands on his thighs, he said: "O Muhammed, tell me about islam."
The messenger of Allah said: "Islam is to testify that there is no god but Allah and Muhammed is the messenger of Allah, to perform the prayers, to pay the zakat, to fast in Ramadhan, and to make the pilgrimage to the House, if you are able to do so." `
He said:"You have spoken rightly," and we were amazed at him asking him and saying that he had spoken rightly.
He said: "Then tell me about imaan."
He said:"It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day, and to believe in divine destiny, both the good and the evil thereof."
He said:"You have spoken rightly."
He said, " Then tell me about ehsaan."
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "It is to worship Allah as though you are seeing Him, and while you see Him not yet truly He sees you".
He said: "Then tell me about the Hour". He said: "The one questioned about it knows no better than the questioner."
He said: "Then tell me about its signs."
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "That the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress and that you will see the barefooted, naked, destitute herdsman competing in constructing lofty buildings."
Then he took himself off and I stayed for a time. Then he said: "O Omar, do you know who the questioner was?" I said: "Allah and His messenger know best". He said: "He was Jebreel (Gabriel), who came to you to teach you your religion."
گفت پيغامبر که حق فرموده است
قصد من از خلق احسان بوده است
The Prophet (peace be upon him) of God said that Allah says, “The purpose of My creating you was to bestow you with ehsaan (My Bounty).”
I called Qari Sahib to ask him one question only. In the story of those who followed Daqooqi (ra) in prayer, the Prophets had all turned away, the friends and family had turned away. Yet everything Maulana Rum (ra) says is about the need of the guide, a “murshid,” is that it is beyond essential. That the way to gain knowledge of God, closeness with him is not only accelerated through connection to His Favourites, it is impossible without them. He was the savior in the world and the Hereafter, so wasn’t there a mixed message?
Qari Sahib smiled. “The beauty of the Masnavi is that it is a reflection of the Quran. Maulana himself calls it "the marrow of the Quran." So everything that is said in it is in fact inspired by Allah and His Verses and then of course the ahadith.
In this story, or that matter any story in it, anyone who has knowledge of the Quran can connect every single thought Maulana (ra) expresses to a verse from The Book.”
Then he gave me the example:
“We will all be standing before God.”
يَوْمَ يَقُومُ ٱلنَّاسُ لِرَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
The Day that Humankind will stand before God, The Lord of the Worlds.
Surah Al-Mutaffifeen, Surah 6
“Everyone will be asked about the blessing they received.”
ثُمَّ لَتُسْـَٔلُنَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَنِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ
Then surely you will be asked that Day about what you did with the pleasures of life.
Surah At-Takathur, Verse 9
“No one will ask about another Maulana (ra) says.”
فَإِذَا نُفِخَ فِى ٱلصُّورِ فَلَآ أَنسَابَ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ وَلَا يَتَسَآءَلُونَ
Then when the trumpet of Ressurection is blown, no ties of kinship will bind them on that Day, neither will they ask about one another.
Surah Al-Mumineen, Verse 101
“No one will be able to say a single word on their part.”
يَوْمَئِذٍۢ يَتَّبِعُونَ ٱلدَّاعِىَ لَا عِوَجَ لَهُۥ ۖ وَخَشَعَتِ ٱلْأَصْوَاتُ لِلرَّحْمَـٰنِ فَلَا تَسْمَعُ إِلَّا هَمْسًۭا
And on that Day everyone will follow the summoning Voice from which there will be no escape.
Then all voices will be hushed before the Most Gracious and only faint whispers will be heard.
Surah Taha, Verse 108
“But then there is also the exception. Because there is always an exception.
ٱلْأَخِلَّآءُ يَوْمَئِذٍۭ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلَّا ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ
On that Day, close friends will be enemies to each other, except for those who are mindful of God.
Surah Al-Zukhruf, Verse 67”
“So you see,” Qari Sahib ended on this note, “the Quran itself says that the “Muttaqeen” will be friends and they will also be intercessors. Maulana (ra) is talking to the ordinary to warn them and to encourage them to prepare for that meeting with their Lord. To not be oblivious to it and disregard it. That is why he ends the way he does. And yet it is uplifting because he also says that the prayer, each and every prayer holds in it, for the reader, the possibility of absolute renewal.”
The journey of the seeker is “ma’rifat,” knowing God. Ghaus Pak (ra) says that without surrender (islam), there is no “imaan” (faith) and without “imaan,” there is no “iqaan” (certainty) and without “iqaan,” there is no “ma’rifat.” And each time I learn the same thing. The acts of my own life never reveal anything to me about my God.
As Hazrat Shahabuddin Suhrawardi (ra) says, Allah is not found by those who search for Him. He’s a non-material Being. But the ‘bay’at,’ a pledge of allegiance to a Spiritual Master, is a thing that if you take it, you can find the Hand of God.”
The first hand Allah called His Own was the hand of His Beloved, Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him). Then those who pledged their allegiance to him, in deep devotion and perfect emulation, placing their hand in his, also received the same blessing; through their hand could also be found the Hand of God. The “hand” is figurative but it was clear from Ghaus Pak’s (ra) tafseer of the pledge at Hudaibiah that Allah promises His Own Power and Authority to them.
It’s funny how one learns in life. When the “influencers” who actually cause change, in thought and in action, are no longer around, two possibilities remain. Traversing the path alone and going around in circles or turning to someone else, someone in the know.
My interests, some intensely passionate when they were shared with my loved ones, simply died when they died. It was then that I made Allah my Rabbi, my Lord who raises me, and my journey resumed. From being someone with intense attachment issues, I learnt to become detached.
My feelings became engaged with the Realm of the Unseen and its “makeen,” the ones who live there. In the world I gained a Spiritual Master at 16. Stage two! But I didn’t know then I had the Hand of God so close to my own. I wish I had.
Maulana Rum (ra) says that when Allah takes an oath countless times in different ayaat in the Quran, no object of an oath taken by God can be temporary or transient. In their “zahir,” the overt, they range from the skies that have been lifted and the Earth that has been laid, to the first star that appears in the dawn of the night, to the oceans and their waves that break into each other.
The specificity of the choices are spell-binding. Allah swears by the sun but not by the sun that is out all day. The Knower of Subtleties swears by the sun when it is at its peak. By the moon but not any moon. The moon that trails the sun and is revealed in its presence so both can be seen. He swears by the day when all is visible, and the night when nothing can be seen and the things we see and the things we are unable to see. He even swears by colours: the light of the dawn, the glow of the sunset, the blackness of the night and what it shrouds, the moon when it is full. The list goes on and on.
Maulana (ra) says that anything that is fleeting is not worthy of being sworn upon by Allah who is Al-Baaqi, The Everlasting. Therefore, according to him, almost always the oath taken is upon a facet of His Beloved (peace be upon him) for everything reflects the light of his heart.
عکس راز مرد حق دانيدروز
عکس ستاريش شام چشم دوذ
Think of the light of the day as the inner being of The Truthful One (Nabi Kareem (saw)),
the evening that closes the eyes is the reflection of his concealing (the flaws of others).
زاں سببفرمويزداں و الضحی
و الضحی نور ضمير مصطفی
This is the reason that Allah swears upon Ad-Duha (the dawnlight),
for Ad-Duha is the light of the heart of Mustafa (peace be upon him).
The meaning of the word, qalb, is also that which forever changes.
Hence the invocation by Nabi Kareem, “Ya Muqallib ul Qaloob, thabit qalbi ala deenik,” “O Changer of hearts forever changing, make my heart steadfast, unchanging, upon the state of being pious/conscious/consistent/obedient/fearful in Your Faith.”
When entrenched in the world, no doubt, the heart lands on one person and one thing, then another and another. It is certainly the opposite of “thabit,” steadfast. Maybe that’s why it’s so hard to find a love that intensifies focus on anything, much less God.
But one day it tires of the endless change. One vision becomes longed for which can take up the heart’s entire space forever. Filling it with the love of The Divine is the ask of all asks. For then it is a love that is in its manner God-like, that is infinite, that allows for increased giving, widening its embrace to everyone, a Universe, while all other expressions and reasons for loving ultimately exhaust and even become exhausting.
Qari Sahib said to me years ago, “Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) takes us towards Allah and Allah sends us back to him. Thus our soul’s journey proceeds back and forth between the two and we find our way forward.”
Never did his words resonate with my heart as they do now. In those days of fear filled prayers before God, I only called out to the Prophet (peace be upon him). And now in my prayers full of yearning, I plead before God to make my heart a space worthy for His Beloved to occupy.
I want to grovel before God and find the apples of Heaven falling in my lap in the name of His Favoured. Like the man who one day awoke and found the cow strolling in his front door, I pray for my “nafs” to die, my “aql” to be free after a lifelong of captivity. I found it at long last, my love non-distracting. Now I await it entering my heart and making it still forever.
وَلِكُلٍّ وِجْهَةٌ هُوَ مُوَلِّيهَا
And for everyone is a direction - he turns towards it.
Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 128
It was said (by the Mufassiroon) for the verse:
قِیْلَ اَلْمُرَادُ بِھَا لِکُلِّ اَحَدٍ قِبْلَةٌ
فَقِبْلَةُ الْمُقَرَّبِيْنَ الْعَرْشُ وَالرُّوْحَانِيِّيْنَ الْكُرْسِيُّ وَالْكَرُّوْبِیْنَ الْبَیْتُ الْمَعْمُوْرُ وَالْاَنْبِیَاءُ قَبْلَکَ بَیْتُ المُقَدَّسِ
وَ قِبْلَتُكَ الْکَعْبَةُ وَ ھِیَ قِبْلَةُ جَسَدِکَ،
وَ أَمَّا قِبْلَةُ رُوْحِکَ فَأَنَا
وَ قِبْلَتِیْ أَنْتَ
“There is a Qibla, direction, for everyone.
For those brought nearer to Allah (Muqarabeen), their Qibla is Al-Arsh, The Throne.
For the Spirits it is the Kursi, The Chair (of Knowledge).
For the Karrubeen, the angels, it is Beit ul Ma’moor (a mosque in Heaven).
And for the Prophets before you (O Muhammad (peace be upon you), it is Beit ul Muqaddas.
And for you O Beloved, your Qibla is the Ka’aba and it is the Qibla of your physical being, whereas the Qibla of your soul is Me.
And My Qibla (Focus) is you.”
وَاصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ فَإِنَّكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا
So be patient with your Lord’s Judgment, for indeed, you are in Our Eyes.
Surah At-Tur, Verse 48
Taken on December 11 at IIT Italian Institute of Technology, Genoa - Italy, During the Family Day 2015
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The iCub is the humanoid robot child designed to support researchers interested in the themes of learning, control, cognition, and interaction, both at IIT and worldwide. The goal of the iCub Facility is to foster the development of the iCub, arrange the construction of new versions, supervise the incorporation of new technologies.
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iCub è un robot androide costruito dall'Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) di Genova. Alto 104 cm e pesante 22 kg, la sua estetica e funzionalità ricordano quelle di un bambino di circa tre anni.
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Sito ufficiale IIT:
www.iit.it/en/research/departments/icub-facility.html
Official website IIT:
www.iit.it/en/research/departments/icub-facility.html
Wikipedia italiano:
Wikipedia english:
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You can see my images on fluidr: click here
You can see my most interesting photo's on flickr: click here
You can see my web site as Nikon Photographer Advanced: click here
2011 .. Spider Monkey demonstrating it's acrobatic skills .. this endangered species has been bred in the Auckland Zoo at Western Springs since 1950 and is exported to other zoos around the world ..
Spider monkey From Wikipedia
Spider monkeys of the genus Ateles are New World monkeys in the subfamily Atelinae, family Atelidae. Like other atelines, they are found in tropical forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico to Brazil. The genus contains seven species including the critically endangered Black-headed Spider Monkey and Brown Spider Monkey.
The disproportionately long limbs and long prehensile tail makes them one of the largest New World monkeys and gives rise to their common name. Spider monkeys live in the upper layers of the rainforest and forage in the high canopy, from 25 to 30 m (82 to 98 ft). They primarily eat fruits, but will also occasionally consume leaves, flowers, and insects. Due to their large size, spider monkeys require large tracts of moist evergreen forests and prefer undisturbed primary rainforest. They are social animals and live in bands of up to 35 individuals but will split up to forage during the day.
Recent meta-analyses on primate cognition studies indicated that spider monkeys were the most intelligent New World monkeys. They can produce a wide range of sounds and will 'bark' when threatened, other vocalisations include a whinny similar to a horse and prolonged screams.
They are an important food source due to their large size and are widely hunted by local human populations; they are also threatened by habitat destruction due to logging and land clearing. Spider monkeys are susceptible to malaria and are used in laboratory studies of the disease. The population trend for spider monkeys is decreasing; the IUCN Red List lists one species as vulnerable, four species as endangered and two species as critically endangered.
The monkeys may live 20 years or more, and females give birth once every 3 to 4 years.
People litter more in messy environments than in clean ones. Litter begets litter.
(Krauss, Freedman & Whitcup, 1978; Cialdini et al., 1990)
treatments work to get a little more words and cognition back.
getting back cognition works to get pains back .
aches live in the living.
A cigarette to deal with stress lights up. Now an interdisciplinary staff of Yale experts has shown that guanfacine, a medicine authorized for treating hypertension that promotes cognition and reduces anxiety, shows assurance as being a smoking cessation assistance.However it's not easy-to give
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meta_creation lab: inter-actors, attractors and the aesthetics of complexity
marlon barrios solano
www.dance-tech.net/page/meta-creation
A collaborative workshop interfacing movement art practices, digital creativity, portable computation and networked systems.
This workshop is a collaborative lab to creatively explore the contemporary approaches, practices and aesthetics of self organization and of complex systems within the dynamic couplings of mind, body and information/data flows.
This workshop is an open space for experimentation and inquiry within a well defined theoretical/aesthetic frame and open space format: the participants self-organize in different node projects (collaborative and flexible groups) in order to investigate and deploy bottom-up architectures as compositional prototyping strategies and processes. It explores interactivity plus generativity.
An embodied/distributed cognition approach is used to generate physical activities and games, guided discussions/conversations about relevant artists works and concepts exploring the aesthetic of complex systems and emergence.
Open source technologies and methodologies will be explored in combination with composition in real-time.
Inter and trans-disciplinary explorations are encouraged and diversity is the main asset.
Several nodes of research projects are suggested:
Sampling, recombinations and mashups
New Internet technologies (web 2.0) and collaborative creation
Post-pc technologies apps, tablets and mobile technologies
Life logging and creative process
Media Capturing and Real time processing
Bottom-up architectures of generative systems
Hybrid realities and alternative sites
Portable cameras and video production
Online video and video straming
Cloud/social computing
Locative media/Mobile
Performance, rule systems and algorithms.
Computer aided choreography
Portable hardware as interfaces/interactive media control
Social media for distributed creativity and knowledge production
Networked documentaries/storytelling.
Photos from workshops in Beirut, Lebanon.
October 2011
A hypnopompic state (or hypnopomp) is the state of consciousness leading out of sleep, a term coined by the psychical researcher Frederic Myers. Its twin is the hypnagogic state at sleep onset; though often conflated, the two states are not identical. The hypnagogic state is rational waking cognition trying to make sense of non-linear images and associations; the hypnopompic state is emotional and credulous dreaming cognition trying to make sense of real world stolidity. They have a different phenomenological character. Depressed frontal lobe function in the first few minutes after waking – known as "sleep inertia" – causes slowed reaction time and impaired short-term memory. Sleepers often wake confused, or speak without making sense, a phenomenon the psychologist Peter McKeller calls "hypnopompic speech". When the awakening occurs out of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, in which most dreams occur, the hypnopompic state is sometimes accompanied by lingering vivid imagery. Some of the creative insights attributed to dreams actually happen in this moment of awakening from REM.
Books I bought at Half Price Books at Crossroad Mall.
Neurology and Clinical Neuroscience Edited by: Anthony H.V. Schapira, MD, DSc
SECTION I: CONSCIOUSNESS, COGNITION, AND SPECIAL SENSES
OpenSECTION III: NEUROPSYCHIATRY
OpenSECTION IV: NEURO-OPHTHALMOLOGY
OpenSECTION V: NEURO-OTOLOGY
OpenSECTION VI: AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM DISEASES
OpenSECTION VII: MOTOR SYSTEM AND MOTOR DISEASES
OpenSECTION VIII: SPINE AND SPINAL DISEASE
OpenSECTION IX: CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASE
OpenSECTION X: EPILEPSY
OpenSECTION XI: HEADACHE
OpenSECTION XII: NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE
OpenSECTION XIII: MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND DEMYELINATING DISORDERS
OpenSECTION XIV: NEUROMUSCULAR DISEASE: NERVE
OpenSECTION XV: NEUROMUSCULAR DISEASE: MUSCLE
OpenSECTION XVI: INFECTIONS AND GRANULOMATOUS DISEASES
OpenSECTION XVII: NEURO-ONCOLOGY
OpenSECTION XVIII: TRAUMA
OpenSECTION XIX: METABOLIC DISEASES
OpenSECTION XX: NEUROLOGY IN GENERAL MEDICINE
The donkey is a domesticated equine. It derives from the African wild ass, Equus africanus, and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof, Equus africanus asinus, or as a separate species, Equus asinus. It was domesticated in Africa some 5000–7000 years ago, and has been used mainly as a working animal since that time.
There are more than 40 million donkeys in the world, mostly in underdeveloped countries, where they are used principally as draught or pack animals. While working donkeys are often associated with those living at or below subsistence, small numbers of donkeys or asses are kept for breeding or as pets in developed countries.
An adult male donkey is a jack or jackass, an adult female is a jenny or jennet, and an immature donkey of either sex is a foal. Jacks are often mated with female horses (mares) to produce mules; the less common hybrid of a male horse (stallion) and jenny is a hinny.
Nomenclature
Traditionally, the scientific name for the donkey is Equus asinus asinus, on the basis of the principle of priority used for scientific names of animals. However, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature ruled in 2003 that if the domestic and the wild species are considered subspecies of a common species, the scientific name of the wild species has priority, even when that subspecies was described after the domestic subspecies. This means that the proper scientific name for the donkey is Equus africanus asinus when it is considered a subspecies and Equus asinus when it is considered a species.
At one time, the synonym ass was the more common term for the donkey. The first recorded use of donkey was in either 1784 or 1785. While the word ass has cognates in most other Indo-European languages, donkey is an etymologically obscure word for which no credible cognate has been identified. Hypotheses on its derivation include the following:
perhaps from Spanish for its don-like gravity; the donkey was also known as "the King of Spain's trumpeter".
perhaps a diminutive of dun (dull grayish-brown), a typical donkey colour.
perhaps from the name Duncan.
perhaps of imitative origin.
From the 18th century, donkey gradually replaced ass and jenny replaced she-ass, which is now considered archaic. The change may have come about through a tendency to avoid pejorative terms in speech and may be comparable to the substitution in North American English of rooster for cock, or that of rabbit for coney, which was formerly homophonic with cunny (a variation of the word cunt). By the end of the 17th century, changes in pronunciation of both ass and arse had caused them to become homophones in some varieties of English. Other words used for the ass in English from this time include cuddy in Scotland, neddy in southwestern England and dicky in southeastern England; moke is documented in the 19th century and may be of Welsh or Romani origin.
Burro is a word for donkey in both Spanish and Portuguese. In the United States, it is commonly applied to the feral donkeys that live west of the Rocky Mountains; it may also refer to any small donkey.
History
The genus Equus, which includes all extant equines, is believed to have evolved from Dinohippus, via the intermediate form Plesippus. One of the oldest species is Equus simplicidens, described as zebra-like with a donkey-shaped head. The oldest fossil to date is ~3.5 million years old from Idaho, USA. The genus appears to have spread quickly into the Old World, with the similarly aged Equus livenzovensis documented from western Europe and Russia.
Molecular phylogenies indicate the most recent common ancestor of all modern equids (members of the genus Equus) lived ~5.6 (3.9–7.8) mya. Direct paleogenomic sequencing of a 700,000-year-old middle Pleistocene horse metapodial bone from Canada implies a more recent 4.07 Myr before present date for the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) within the range of 4.0 to 4.5 Myr BP. The oldest divergencies are the Asian hemiones (subgenus E. (Asinus), including the kulan, onager, and kiang), followed by the African zebras (subgenera E. (Dolichohippus), and E. (Hippotigris)). All other modern forms including the domesticated horse (and many fossil Pliocene and Pleistocene forms) belong to the subgenus E. (Equus) which diverged ~4.8 (3.2–6.5) million years ago.
The ancestors of the modern donkey are the Nubian and Somalian subspecies of African wild ass. Remains of domestic donkeys dating to the fourth millennium BC have been found in Ma'adi in Lower Egypt, and it is believed that the domestication of the donkey was accomplished long after the domestication of cattle, sheep and goats in the seventh and eighth millennia BC. Donkeys were probably first domesticated by pastoral people in Nubia, and they supplanted the ox as the chief pack animal of that culture. The domestication of donkeys served to increase the mobility of pastoral cultures, having the advantage over ruminants of not needing time to chew their cud, and were vital in the development of long-distance trade across Egypt. In the Dynasty IV era of Egypt, between 2675 and 2565 BC, wealthy members of society were known to own over 1,000 donkeys, employed in agriculture, as dairy and meat animals and as pack animals. In 2003, the tomb of either King Narmer or King Hor-Aha (two of the first Egyptian pharaohs) was excavated and the skeletons of ten donkeys were found buried in a manner usually used with high ranking humans. These burials show the importance of donkeys to the early Egyptian state and its ruler.
By the end of the fourth millennium BC, the donkey had spread to Southwest Asia, and the main breeding centre had shifted to Mesopotamia by 1800 BC. The breeding of large, white riding asses made Damascus famous[citation needed], while Syrian breeders developed at least three other breeds, including one preferred by women for its easy gait. The Muscat or Yemen ass was developed in Arabia. By the second millennium BC, the donkey was brought to Europe, possibly at the same time as viticulture was introduced, as the donkey is associated with the Syrian god of wine, Dionysus. Greeks spread both of these to many of their colonies, including those in what are now Italy, France and Spain; Romans dispersed them throughout their empire.
The first donkeys came to the Americas on ships of the Second Voyage of Christopher Columbus, and were landed at Hispaniola in 1495. The first to reach North America may have been two animals taken to Mexico by Juan de Zumárraga, the first bishop of Mexico, who arrived there on 6 December 1528, while the first donkeys to reach what is now the United States may have crossed the Rio Grande with Juan de Oñate in April 1598. From that time on they spread northward, finding use in missions and mines. Donkeys were documented as present in what today is Arizona in 1679. By the Gold Rush years of the 19th century, the burro was the beast of burden of choice of early prospectors in the western United States. With the end of the placer mining boom, many of them escaped or were abandoned, and a feral population established itself.
Conservation status
About 41 million donkeys were reported worldwide in 2006. China had the most with 11 million, followed by Pakistan, Ethiopia and Mexico. As of 2017, however, the Chinese population was reported to have dropped to 3 million, with African populations under pressure as well, due to increasing trade and demand for donkey products in China. Some researchers believe the actual number may be somewhat higher since many donkeys go uncounted. The number of breeds and percentage of world population for each of the FAO's world regions was in 2006:
In 1997 the number of donkeys in the world was reported to be continuing to grow, as it had steadily done throughout most of history; factors cited as contributing to this were increasing human population, progress in economic development and social stability in some poorer nations, conversion of forests to farm and range land, rising prices of motor vehicles and fuel, and the popularity of donkeys as pets. Since then, the world population of donkeys is reported to be rapidly shrinking, falling from 43.7 million to 43.5 million between 1995 and 2000, and to only 41 million in 2006. The fall in population is pronounced in developed countries; in Europe, the total number of donkeys fell from 3 million in 1944 to just over 1 million in 1994.
The Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (DAD-IS) of the FAO listed 189 breeds of ass in June 2011. In 2000 the number of breeds of donkey recorded worldwide was 97, and in 1995 it was 77. The rapid increase is attributed to attention paid to identification and recognition of donkey breeds by the FAO's Animal Genetic Resources project. The rate of recognition of new breeds has been particularly high in some developed countries. In France only one breed, the Baudet du Poitou, was recognised until the early 1990s; by 2005, a further six donkey breeds had official recognition.
In developed countries, the welfare of donkeys both at home and abroad has become a concern, and a number of sanctuaries for retired and rescued donkeys have been set up. The largest is The Donkey Sanctuary near Sidmouth, England, which also supports donkey welfare projects in Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, and Mexico.
In 2017, a drop in the number of Chinese donkeys, combined with the fact that they are slow to reproduce, meant that Chinese suppliers began to look to Africa. As a result of the increase in demand, and the price that could be charged, Kenya opened three donkey abattoirs. Concerns for donkeys' well-being, however, have resulted in a number of African countries (including Uganda, Tanzania, Botswana, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Senegal) banning China from buying their donkey products.
In 2019, The Donkey Sanctuary warned that the global donkey population could be reduced by half over the next half decade as the demand for ejiao increases in China.
Characteristics
Donkeys vary considerably in size, depending on both breed and environmental conditions, and heights at the withers range from less than 90 centimetres (35 in) to approximately 150 cm (59 in). Working donkeys in the poorest countries have a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years; in more prosperous countries, they may have a lifespan of 30 to 50 years.
Donkeys are adapted to marginal desert lands. Unlike wild and feral horses, wild donkeys in dry areas are solitary and do not form harems. Each adult donkey establishes a home range; breeding over a large area may be dominated by one jack. The loud call or bray of the donkey, which typically lasts for twenty seconds and can be heard for over three kilometres, may help keep in contact with other donkeys over the wide spaces of the desert. Donkeys have large ears, which may pick up more distant sounds, and may help cool the donkey's blood. Donkeys can defend themselves by biting, striking with the front hooves or kicking with the hind legs. Their vocalization, called a bray, is often represented in English as "hee haw".
Cross on back
Most donkeys have dorsal and shoulder stripes, primitive markings which form a distinctive cross pattern on their backs.
Breeding
A jenny is normally pregnant for about 12 months, though the gestation period varies from 11 to 14 months, and usually gives birth to a single foal. Births of twins are rare, though less so than in horses. About 1.7 percent of donkey pregnancies result in twins; both foals survive in about 14 percent of those. In general jennies have a conception rate that is lower than that of horses (i.e., less than the 60–65% rate for mares).
Although jennies come into heat within 9 or 10 days of giving birth, their fertility remains low, and it is likely the reproductive tract has not returned to normal. Thus it is usual to wait one or two further oestrous cycles before rebreeding, unlike the practice with mares. Jennies are usually very protective of their foals, and some will not come into estrus while they have a foal at side. The time lapse involved in rebreeding, and the length of a jenny's gestation, means that a jenny will have fewer than one foal per year. Because of this and the longer gestation period, donkey breeders do not expect to obtain a foal every year, as horse breeders often do, but may plan for three foals in four years.
Donkeys can interbreed with other members of the family Equidae, and are commonly interbred with horses. The hybrid between a jack and a mare is a mule, valued as a working and riding animal in many countries. Some large donkey breeds such as the Asino di Martina Franca, the Baudet du Poitou and the Mammoth Jack are raised only for mule production. The hybrid between a stallion and a jenny is a hinny, and is less common. Like other inter-species hybrids, mules and hinnies are usually sterile. Donkeys can also breed with zebras, in which case the offspring is called a zonkey (among other names).
Behaviour
Donkeys have a notorious reputation for stubbornness, but this has been attributed to a much stronger sense of self-preservation than exhibited by horses. Likely based on a stronger prey instinct and a weaker connection with humans, it is considerably more difficult to force or frighten a donkey into doing something it perceives to be dangerous for whatever reason. Once a person has earned their confidence they can be willing and companionable partners and very dependable in work.
Although formal studies of their behaviour and cognition are rather limited, donkeys appear to be quite intelligent, cautious, friendly, playful, and eager to learn.
The donkey has been used as a working animal for at least 5000 years. Of the more than 40 million donkeys in the world, about 96% are in underdeveloped countries, where they are used principally as pack animals or for draught work in transport or agriculture. After human labour, the donkey is the cheapest form of agricultural power. They may also be ridden, or used for threshing, raising water, milling and other work. Some cultures that prohibit women from working with oxen in agriculture do not extend this taboo to donkeys.
In developed countries where their use as beasts of burden has disappeared, donkeys are used to sire mules, to guard sheep, for donkey rides for children or tourists, and as pets. Donkeys may be pastured or stabled with horses and ponies, and are thought to have a calming effect on nervous horses. If a donkey is introduced to a mare and foal, the foal may turn to the donkey for support after it has been weaned from its mother.
A few donkeys are milked or raised for meat. Approximately 3.5 million donkeys and mules are slaughtered each year for meat worldwide. In Italy, which has the highest consumption of equine meat in Europe and where donkey meat is the main ingredient of several regional dishes, about 1,000 donkeys were slaughtered in 2010, yielding approximately 100 tonnes (98 long tons; 110 short tons) of meat. Asses' milk may command good prices: the average price in Italy in 2009 was €15 per litre, and a price of €6 per 100 ml was reported from Croatia in 2008; it is used for soaps and cosmetics as well as dietary purposes. The niche markets for both milk and meat are expanding. In the past, donkey skin was used in the production of parchment. In 2017, the UK based charity The Donkey Sanctuary estimated that 1.8 million skins were traded every year, but the demand could be as high as 10 million.
In China, donkey meat is considered a delicacy with some restaurants specializing in such dishes, and Guo Li Zhuang restaurants offer the genitals of donkeys in dishes. Donkey-hide gelatin is produced by soaking and stewing the hide to make a traditional Chinese medicine product. Ejiao, the gelatine produced by boiling donkey skins, can sell for up to $388 per kilogram, at October 2017 prices.
In warfare
During World War I John Simpson Kirkpatrick, a British stretcher bearer serving with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, and Richard Alexander "Dick" Henderson of the New Zealand Medical Corps used donkeys to rescue wounded soldiers from the battlefield at Gallipoli.
According to British food writer Matthew Fort, donkeys were used in the Italian Army. The Mountain Fusiliers each had a donkey to carry their gear, and in extreme circumstances the animal could be eaten.
Donkeys have also been used to carry explosives in conflicts that include the war in Afghanistan and others.
Care
Donkey hooves are more elastic than those of horses, and do not naturally wear down as fast. Regular clipping may be required; neglect can lead to permanent damage. Working donkeys may need to be shod. Donkey shoes are similar to horseshoes, but usually smaller and without toe-clips.
Nutrition
In their native arid and semi-arid climates, donkeys spend more than half of each day foraging and feeding, often on poor quality scrub. The donkey has a tough digestive system in which roughage is efficiently broken down by hind gut fermentation, microbial action in the caecum and large intestine. While there is no marked structural difference between the gastro-intestinal tract of a donkey and that of a horse, the digestion of the donkey is more efficient. It needs less food than a horse or pony of comparable height and weight, approximately 1.5 percent of body weight per day in dry matter, compared to the 2–2.5 percent consumption rate possible for a horse. Donkeys are also less prone to colic. The reasons for this difference are not fully understood; the donkey may have different intestinal flora to the horse, or a longer gut retention time.
Donkeys obtain most of their energy from structural carbohydrates. Some suggest that a donkey needs to be fed only straw (preferably barley straw), supplemented with controlled grazing in the summer or hay in the winter, to get all the energy, protein, fat and vitamins it requires; others recommend some grain to be fed, particularly to working animals, and others advise against feeding straw. They do best when allowed to consume small amounts of food over long periods. They can meet their nutritional needs on 6 to 7 hours of grazing per day on average dryland pasture that is not stressed by drought. If they are worked long hours or do not have access to pasture, they require hay or a similar dried forage, with no more than a 1:4 ratio of legumes to grass. They also require salt and mineral supplements, and access to clean, fresh water. In temperate climates the forage available is often too abundant and too rich; over-feeding may cause weight gain and obesity, and lead to metabolic disorders such as founder (laminitis) and hyperlipaemia, or to gastric ulcers.
Throughout the world, working donkeys are associated with the very poor, with those living at or below subsistence level. Few receive adequate food, and in general donkeys throughout the Third World are under-nourished and over-worked.
Feral populations
In some areas domestic donkeys have returned to the wild and established feral populations such as those of the burro of North America and the Asinara donkey of Sardinia, Italy, both of which have protected status. Feral donkeys can also cause problems, notably in environments that have evolved free of any form of equid, such as Hawaii. In Australia, where there may be 5 million feral donkeys, they are regarded as an invasive pest and have a serious impact on the environment. They may compete with livestock and native animals for resources, spread weeds and diseases, foul or damage watering holes and cause erosion.
Donkey hybrids
The earliest documented donkey hybrid was the kunga, which was used as a draft animal in the Syrian and Mesopotamian kingdoms of the second half of the 3rd millennium BCE. A cross between a captive male Syrian wild ass and a female domesticated donkey (jenny), they represent the earliest known example of human-directed animal hybridization. They were produced at a breeding center at Nagar (modern Tell Brak) and were sold or given as gifts throughout the region, where they became significant status symbols, pulling battle wagons and the chariots of kings, and also being sacrificed to bury with high-status people. They fell out of favor following the introduction of the domestic horse and its donkey hybrid, the mule, into the region at the end of the 3rd millennium BCE.
A male donkey (jack) crossed with a female horse produces a mule, while a male horse crossed with a jenny produces a hinny. Horse-donkey hybrids are almost always sterile because of a failure of their developing gametes to complete meiosis. The lower progesterone production of the jenny may also lead to early embryonic loss. In addition, there are reasons not directly related to reproductive biology. Due to different mating behavior, jacks are often more willing to cover mares than stallions are to breed jennies. Further, mares are usually larger than jennies and thus have more room for the ensuing foal to grow in the womb, resulting in a larger animal at birth. It is commonly believed that mules are more easily handled and also physically stronger than hinnies, making them more desirable for breeders to produce.
The offspring of a zebra-donkey cross is called a zonkey, zebroid, zebrass, or zedonk; zebra mule is an older term, but still used in some regions today. The foregoing terms generally refer to hybrids produced by breeding a male zebra to a female donkey. Zebra hinny, zebret and zebrinny all refer to the cross of a female zebra with a male donkey. Zebrinnies are rarer than zedonkies because female zebras in captivity are most valuable when used to produce full-blooded zebras. There are not enough female zebras breeding in captivity to spare them for hybridizing; there is no such limitation on the number of female donkeys breeding.
Umberto Eco - Kant and the Platypus
Essays on Language and Cognition
Vintage Books, 2000
Cover: Drawing of Kant by Hans V.F. Schnorr von Carolsfeld
Platypus by Ferdinand Bauer © The Natural History Museum, London
"Essays on Language and Cognition"
After a vehicle ran a red light in the 6800 block of Platt Ave in West Hills, it collided with a truck driven by a 79-year-old, Mr. Dennis Platt. Mr Platt was ejected from his truck onto the asphalt with such force, he suffered severe head trauma, countless fractures, and went into cardiac arrest.
At this very moment, LAFD Fire Cadet Leo Kaufman was driving by and witnessed the accident. Leo instinctively pull over and jumped out of his vehicle into a chaotic scene. He quickly evaluated his surroundings and noticed a crowd standing around a patient that was face down, bloody, and severely injured. Bystanders stood by in shock, not knowing what to do. It was clear to Leo that if no action was taken, the patient would not survive.
Fortunately, Leo knew exactly what to do thanks to his LAFD Cadet Program CPR training. He relied on his training and rolled the trauma patient onto his back, initiating life-saving CPR. Despite some vocal people in the crowd second guessing his actions and contradicting his life-saving efforts, Cadet Kaufman worked relentlessly, performing chest compressions and circulating oxygen to the brain and heart of Mr. Platt. He did not know if his actions were going to be effective but he did know it was the only way to give this patient a chance at life.
Meanwhile, your LAFD firefighters were rushing to this scene with lights and sirens. As elite medical professionals they immediately rendered scene-safety, took over medical aid, quickly triaged, treated, and transported the patient to Kaiser hospital where a team of skilled healthcare workers took over.
Mr. Platt sustained very serious injuries which are too gruesome to share in detail but it was clear, his prognosis was not promising. Mr. Platt and his wife were told he should expect to be a quadriplegic, reliant on a wheelchair for the rest of his life. However, he regained full cognition (with mild memory loss) and is able to walk assisted (mechanical and human). His incredible rehabilitation and recovery at Kaiser Hospital is a story for another time.
This incident serves as a powerful example of the importance of Bystander CPR and the Chain of Survival. The "Chain of Survival" is a metaphor used to educate the public about their vital role in helping victims of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).
The six steps in the chain of events that must occur in rapid succession to maximize the chances of survival from SCA are reliant on bystanders helping. Recognizing SCA, Calling 9-1-1 and Starting CPR are the first three steps and Cadet Kaufman's efforts to ensure all three were implemented gave Mr Platt his chance. The arrival of Your LAFD firefighter/paramedics ensured the remaining steps in the Chain of Survival were expediated, delivering Mr Platt into the skilled hands of the Kaiser Hospital staff.
Cadet Leo Kaufman, a 17-year-old young man, valiantly did what he was trained to do when it mattered most, and he did it extremely well!
Today, Your LAFD Fire Chief Kristen Crowley, with Mr and Mrs Platt, the LAFD crews on scene and Kaiser Hospital members present, was honored to present him with a Certificate of Appreciation which reads as follows:
" Leo J. Kaufman, LAFD Cadet. In recognition of your heroic courage and immediate assistance in saving a man's life during a cardiac arrest emergency on July 26, 2021, in the West Hills Community. The Los Angeles City Fire Department commends your extraordinary life-saving efforts of a citizen of the City of Los Angeles. Presented this 9th Day of August, 2022"
We hope reading about the actions of Cadet Leo Kaufman encourages you to Learn CPR because you could be the difference between life and death for someone needing help as desperately as Mr Platt did that fateful day
Photo Use Permitted via Creative Commons - Credit: LAFD Photo | Cheryl Getuiza
LAFD Event: 080922
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Technical Session # 3: Language and Cognition at
The First Conference on Artificial General Intelligence (AGI-08) 1-3 March 2008
A Cognitive Substrate for Natural Language Understanding Nick Cassimatis , Arthi Murugesan and Magdalena D. Bugajska of the Human Level Intelligence Lab Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
1. What is difficult? [ about A Cognitive Substrate for Natural Language Understanding ],
Anticipative Coordinated Cognitive Processes for Interactivist and Piagetian Theories by Jean-Charles Quinton, Jean-Christophe Buisson, Filipo Perotto of Institut de Recherche en Informatique de Toulouse (IRIT)- Computer Science Research Institute of Toulouse
2. Anticipative Coordinated Cognitive Processes for Interactivist and Piagetian Theories,
3. Panel Technical Session # 3: Language and Cognition,
Technical Session # 4 : Reasoning chaired by Steve Omohundro of Self-Aware Systems at the The First Conference on Artificial General Intelligence (AGI-08)
Probabilistic Quantifier Logic for General Intelligence: An Indefinite Probabilities Approach by Matthew Ikle and Ben Goertzel of Novamente
4. Indefinite Probability Review by Matthew Ikle,
Comirit: Commonsense Reasoning by Integrating Simulation and Logic by Benjamin Johnston and Mary-Anne Williams is Research Professor and Director of the Innovation and Technology Research Laboratory. at The University of Technology, Sydney, Australia
5. Motivation for Commonsense Reasoning (COMIRIT),
6. Graph-Based Simulation in Commonsense Reasoning (COMIRIT),
7. Future Work on Commonsense Reasoning (COMIRIT),
Hybrid Reasoning and the Future of Iconic Representations by Catherine Recanati of Laboratoire d'Informatique de l'Université Paris Nord
8. Three Points - Hybrid Reasoning and the Future of Iconic Representations,
9. Panel for Technical Session # 4 : Reasoning
mosaic_reason_agi08
Fangruida -- Modern Science and Technology Engineering and Comprehensive High-end Technology R&D, Design and Manufacturing (Introduction to Modern Science and Engineering Technology Research) 2013v2.3 2021v.2.5 Online global version, mobile version (Bick compiled in November 2021. Colombia) ♣♣♣♣Moon Comprehensive Deep Development♥♥♣Ocean City, Marine Architecture, ♣♣ Desert City, ♥♥♥ Mountain City, ♦♦♦Life Genetic Engineering, ♦♦♦♦Green Plant Nutrition Engineering●●●●●●● Smart Engineering; ♦♦♦♦♦♦ Nuclear Engineering - Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy ●●●●●●Advanced Manufacturing●●●●●●● --New World Intelligence Revolution, New Industrial Revolution, New Planetary Revolution, New Moon Revolution, New Cosmic Revolution **************************************************** **************************************** Architecture Bridge design, large-scale circuit design (chip development, etc.), mechanical and electrical product design and manufacturing, pharmaceutical product development and design, genetic engineering, aerospace technology design and manufacturing, atomic energy development and utilization, agricultural engineering, computer-aided design and manufacturing, New material research and development design, military Engineering design and manufacturing, industrial robots, aircraft and ships, missiles, spacecraft, spaceships, rockets, submarines, super-speed missiles, etc. are very important, and the foresight is highly integrated. the key. These science and technology are the powerful driving force of historical development, and also the key to whether each country can reach the peak of the world. The rapid development of modern science, all kinds of soft design emerge in an endless stream. Mathematical software, civil software, mechanical software, electrical and electronic software, chemical software, aircraft software, ship software, missile software, spacecraft software, rocket software, material software, bionic simulation software, medical software, chemical software, etc. Their appearance and wide application are of great significance to industrial modernization and intelligence, which greatly improves artificial intelligence and greatly promotes the rapid development of human society. Marine engineering, overall lunar development engineering, intelligent highly integrated engineering, high-speed heavy-duty fire Arrow transportation engineering, submarine tunnel engineering, reservoir dam engineering, agricultural engineering, biomedical engineering and so on. Lunar overall engineering development planning, Mars engineering development and design, desert engineering (desert city), alpine city, marine engineering (ocean city) life genetic engineering, green plant nutrition engineering, VLSI design and manufacturing, Daxing civil engineering hydraulic engineering, road and bridge , tunnels, super tall buildings, all of them. The modern scientific revolution is guided by the revolution in physics, with the emergence of modern cosmology, molecular biology, systems science, and soft science as its important content, and is characterized by the interpenetration of natural science, social science and thinking science to form interdisciplinary subjects. scientific revolution.
In the past 30 years, emerging technologies such as computers, energy, new materials, space, and biology have emerged successively, causing the third scientific and technological revolution. The third technological revolution far exceeds the previous two in terms of scale, depth and impact. Basic Features: 1. Greatly promoted the development of social productive forces — changes in the means to improve labor productivity; 2. Promoting changes in the social and economic structure and social life structure - the proportion of the tertiary industry has increased. Changes in people's daily life such as food, clothing, housing and transportation; 3. It has promoted the adjustment of the international economic structure - localities are more closely connected. 4. Planetary revolution, lunar revolution. Lunar engineering Lunar industrial intelligent city Lunar-Earth round-trip communication system We should develop the moon fast, it's a real cornering overtake. The physical presence of the moon will be of great strategic importance for thousands of years to come. There are many resources on a first-come, first-served basis, orbits, best lunar locations, electromagnetic wave bands, etc. Make full use of the local resources and environment of the moon to quickly build a city. Minimize the amount of supplies and equipment that needs to be launched to the Moon. 5. Ocean City, Ocean Building, ♣♣ Desert City, ♥♥♥ Mountain City 6. Life genetic engineering, drug research and development 7 Green Plant Nutrition Engineering 8 Smart Engineering 9 Nuclear Engineering 10 Advanced Manufacturing Engineering The rapid development of modern science and technology, with each passing day, all kinds of inventions and creations, all kinds of technological innovations are numerous. However, the most important and most relevant technical fields mainly include lunar engineering, lunar industrial intelligent city, lunar-earth round-trip communication system, Radius: 1737 km; Ocean City, Ocean Building, ♣♣ Desert City, ♥♥♥ Mountain City 6. Life genetic engineering, drug research and development 7 Green Plant Nutrition Engineering 8 Smart Engineering 9 Nuclear Engineering 10 Advanced Manufacturing Engineering and others. It is in these fields and categories that the development competition among countries is nothing more than. Of course, military, aerospace, etc. are also among them. Scientific discoveries can last for thousands of years, and technological inventions can be kept fresh for only a few decades, and they will be obsolete in a few hundred years. Such as electronic product updates, quite quickly. Life cycles are short, as are smart cars, smartphones, etc. Of course, the technological limit may also reach hundreds of years. Even scientific discoveries are not permanent. Tens of thousands of years later, people will have a new leap in understanding the universe and natural laws of natural phenomena. For example, people are on the moon and on Mars, and the human wisdom finds that the invention of wisdom is unbelievable. For us
people on earth, we have become uncivilized ancient human beings. The intelligence quotient of lunar humans is dozens and hundreds of times that of our current Earth humans. The scientific discovery of that time was unimaginable. Mathematical, physical and chemical, natural, agricultural, medical, industrial, legal and commercial, literature, history, philosophy, classics, education, etc., everything will be renovated and mutated. math The science of studying quantitative relationships and spatial forms in the real world. It is produced and developed in the long-term practical activities of human beings. Originated from counting and measurement, with the development of productive forces, more and more quantitative research on natural phenomena is required; at the same time, due to the development of mathematics itself, it has a high degree of abstraction, rigorous logic and wide applicability. It is roughly divided into two categories: basic mathematics (also known as pure mathematics) and applied mathematics. The former includes branches such as mathematical logic, number theory, algebra, geometry, topology, function theory, functional analysis and differential equations; the latter includes branches such as probability theory, mathematical statistics, computational mathematics, operations research and combinatorial mathematics ■■■Basic technical sciences, mainly including civil engineering, electromechanical engineering, chemical engineering, information engineering, aerospace engineering, ocean engineering, mining engineering, medical engineering, materials engineering, computational engineering, agricultural engineering, energy engineering, lunar engineering, Mars engineering , life engineering and so on. . Computational mathematics and its application software This major trains students to master the basic theories, basic knowledge and basic methods of mathematical science, to have the ability to apply mathematical knowledge and use computers to solve practical problems, and to be able to engage in research, teaching or production in the departments of science and technology, education and economics Senior talents engaged in practical application and management in operation and management departments. This major in computer software is to cultivate all-round development of morality, intelligence, physique, beauty, labor, etc., master certain professional theoretical knowledge, basic knowledge and basic skills of computer programming and application, and be proficient in using the latest international popular software development environment and tools. , Familiar with international software development norms, have strong software development practice ability and good software engineering literacy. Modern mathematics is a edifice built from a series of abstract structures. It is based on the innate belief of human beings in the inevitability and accuracy of mathematical reasoning, and it is the concentrated expression of confidence in the capacity, origin and power of human reason. Deductive reasoning based on self-evident axioms is absolutely reliable, that is, if an axiom is true, then the conclusions deduced from it must also be true. By applying these seemingly clear, correct, and perfect logics, mathematicians The conclusions reached are clearly unquestionable and irrefutable. Naturally, mathematics is constantly developing and alienating, and eternal mathematics is also unrealistic, mainly due to the changes in the logical thinking structure of the human brain, and mathematics will continue to mutate or alienate. Mathematical logic, natural logic, image logic, hybrid compound logic. In fact, the above-mentioned understanding of the essential characteristics of mathematics is
carried out from the aspects of the source, the way of existence, and the level of abstraction of mathematics, and the essential characteristics of mathematics are mainly seen from the results of mathematical research. Common general-purpose mathematical software packages include: Matlab, Mathematica and Maple, where Matlab is good at numerical calculation, while Mathematica and Maple are good at symbolic operation and formula derivation (2) Dedicated math packages include: Drawing software: MathCAD, Tecplot, IDL, Surfer, Origin, SmartDraw, DSP2000 Numerical computing class: Matcom, DataFit, S-Spline, Lindo, Lingo, O-Matrix, Scilab, Octave Numerical calculation library: linpack/lapack/BLAS/GERMS/IMSL/CXML Finite element calculation classes: ANSYS, MARC, PARSTRAN, FLUENT, FEMLAB, FlexPDE, Algor, COSMOS, ABAQUS, ADINA Mathematical statistics: GAUSS, SPSS, SAS, Splus Obviously, the result (as a deductive system of the theory) does not reflect the whole picture of mathematics, another very important aspect that constitutes the whole of mathematics is the process of mathematical research, and in general, mathematics is a dynamic process, a " The experimental process of thinking" is the abstract generalization process of mathematical truth. The logical deductive system is a natural result of this process. In the process of mathematical research, the richness of mathematical objects, the invention of mathematics by human beings, "Mathematics is a language", mathematical activities are social, it is in the historical process of the development of human civilization, human beings understand nature, adapt to It is the crystallization of a high degree of wisdom that transforms nature and improves self and society. Mathematics has a key influence on the way of thinking of human beings. It is of great significance. Mathematics, physics and chemistry, mathematics is the first priority, and it is not an exaggeration. Based on the above understanding of the essential characteristics of mathematics, people also discussed the specific characteristics of mathematics from different aspects. The more general view is that mathematics has the characteristics of abstraction, precision and extensive application, among which the most essential characteristic is abstraction. In addition, from the perspective of the process of mathematical research and the relationship between mathematics and other disciplines, mathematics also has imagery, plausibility, and quasi-experience. The "falsifiability" feature of Matlab is suitable for the engineering world, especially toolboxes, fast code, and many integrations with third-party software, such as optimization toolboxes The most obvious third party is comsol Mathematica syntax is excellent, so good that it comes with almost all programming paradigms . The understanding of the characteristics of mathematics is also characteristic of the times. For example, regarding the rigor of mathematics, there are different standards in each period of mathematics historical development, from Euclidean geometry to Lobachevsky geometry to the Hilbert axiom system. , the evaluation criteria for rigor vary widely, especially when Gödel proposed and proved the "incompleteness theorem... Later, it was found that even axiomatic, a rigorous scientific method that was once highly regarded, was flawed. Therefore, the rigor of mathematics is shown in the history of mathematics development and has a relativity. Regarding the plausibility of mathematics, ◆◆◆ Mathematics is the tool and means of physical research. Some research methods of physics have strong mathematical ideas, so the process of learning physics can also improve
mathematical cognition. Mathematical logic is the study of symbolic and mathematical logic in formal logic. Mathematical logic is also called symbolic logic and theoretical logic. It is both a branch of mathematics and a branch of logic. It is the study of logic or formal logic using mathematical methods. The research object is the formal system after symbolizing the two intuitive concepts of proof and calculation. Mathematical logic is an integral part of the foundation of mathematics. Although the name has the word logic, it does not belong to the category of pure logic. Mathematical logic is the product of the development of modern Western logic. Generally speaking, it is predicate logic, which is to introduce mathematical methods into logic. Mathematical logic also mainly focuses on form, not content, but the method has changed. For example, all S are P. Mathematical logic can transform this sentence into that there is an x. If this x is S, then this x is P. Physics is a discipline that is close to exploring the origin of the world, so it has connections with many disciplines. As big as the movement of celestial bodies in geography, the spring, summer, autumn and winter of the earth, etc., as small as the gain and loss of electrons in chemical reactions in chemistry, etc.; physical calculations require mathematics, and calculus in mathematics is created by Newton to study gravity. Both formal logic and mathematical logic focus on conceptual extension and agree with the law of identity, but the analysis methods for sentences are different. Mathematics plays an important role in the development of physics, and physics also plays an important role in the development of mathematics: Explanatory language has accuracy, rigor, scientificity, plainness, thoroughness, and natural logic. The accuracy, rigor, plainness, thoroughness and scientificity of expository language are prerequisites for expository language. Representation of time, space, quantity, scope, degree, characteristics, nature, procedures, etc., are required to be accurate. The practicability of the description is very strong, and if there is a slight error, it will be missed by an inch or a thousand miles. Under the premise of accuracy, some of the language of the description is known for its plainness, and some is known for its liveliness. Due to the difference between the object of the description and the language style of the author, the language of the description is also varied and complex. In fact, the connections and differences between scientists and engineers are much more than that. In fact, the boundaries between engineers and scientists can be completely broken. Some outstanding scientists are also outstanding engineers, and some outstanding engineers often do the work of scientists. Properties of complex numbers, functions of complex variables, analytic functions, integrals of functions of complex variables, power series over complex number fields, Taylor series of analytic functions, Lorent series, singularities, residues and their calculations; string vibration equations, heat conduction Equations and potential equations, classification of second-order linear equations, traveling wave method for solving string vibration equations, two-dimensional and three-dimensional wave equations, separation of variables solution, Bessel function, Legendre polynomial and their properties, expansion of functions by characteristic
functions, Fourier transform , Laplace transform, generalized function and its Fourier transform, Green function method, variational problem, Sobolev space and weak solution, finite element solution method of boundary value problem, total stiffness matrix and total load matrix, programming finite element solution method with Mathematica In addition, mathematical physics equations and special functions are also an important branch of engineering mathematics. vector algebra, vector analysis, tensor analysis Matrix Algebra, Matrix Analysis Analytical Geometry, Differential Geometry Functional Analysis, Variational Methods Ordinary Differential Equations, Partial Differential Equations optimal method Graph and network models Stochastic Mathematics (Probability, Statistics, Stochastic Processes) Computational intelligence (ANN, GA, SVM, etc.) models Pattern Recognition, Machine Learning, Data Mining The main representative of , author of "Nine Chapter Collection" 6. Plato, an ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Socrates, author of "Socrates' Defence", "Utopia", "Parmenides", "The Wise Men" and other dialogues. 7. Aristotle, a student of Plato, a master of Greek philosophy, an encyclopedic philosopher, the founder of many disciplines, his representative works "Theory of Tools", "Physics", "Metaphysics", "Nicoma" Ethics", "Politics". 8. Epicurus, the ancient Greek philosopher, one of the founders of euphoria ethics. 9. Pyrrho, the ancient Greek philosopher and founder of skepticism. 10. Plotinus, the late Greek philosopher, Egyptian, the main representative of Neoplatonism, author of "Nine Chapters" 11. Marx, Hegel, Kant, etc. From the 16th century to the 19th century, many scientists were born in England. 1. Newton created a complete system of mechanics theory. 2. Faraday discovered the principle of electromagnetic induction. 3. Dalton founded the modern atomic theory. 4. Darwin created the biological evolution theory "Origin of Species"). The proportion of the world's top scientists in each country; 1. United States: 1,465 people. accounted for 47.5%. 2. United Kingdom: 346 people. accounted for .2%. 3. Germany; 177 people. accounted for
5.7%. 4. China: 175 people. accounted for 5.7%. 5, Australia: 113 people. accounted for 3.7%. 6. Canada: 97 people. accounted for 3.1%. 7. The Netherlands: 94 people. accounted for 3%. 8. France: 89 people. accounted for 2.9%. 9. Japan: 74 people. 2.4% 10. Switzerland: 71 people. 2.3% (Quoted from web resources) Newton, Franklin, Darwin, Maxwell, Hertz, Bohr, Fermi, Marie Curie, Einstein, Heisenberg, Lorenz, Ampere, Pasteur, Watson Creek, Feynman, Oppenheim Mer, David, Faraday, Roentgen, Hahn, Thomson, Rayleigh, Haber . ▲▲▲▲ Surface area: 37.93 million square kilometers, smaller than Asia and larger than Africa; Equator Circumference: 10921 km Escape velocity: 2.38 km/s; circling velocity at a height of 10 km: 1.674 km/s Surface gravitational acceleration: 1.62 m/s square, about one-sixth of the earth Equatorial surface temperature: minimum -173°C, maximum 117°C, average -53°C Surface pressure: 1 trillionth of an atmosphere during the day, 1/10 millionth of an atmosphere at night, almost an absolute vacuum The main components of the surface rock: The thickness of the lunar crust is about 50 kilometers (earth direction), and the back is about 65 kilometers. The thickness of the lunar mantle is about 1200 kilometers, solid rock, and there is a lot of iron. The partially molten outer core is 260 kilometers thick, and the solid iron inner core has a radius of 240 kilometers. There is no air on the surface of the moon, cosmic radiation is heavy, and there is damage from small meteors, so the city should be built below the surface, or a very thick dome. Other measures and methods can also be taken. The materials used to build cities on the moon should of course use all local resources, that is, the soil, rocks, etc. of the moon. If a large amount of metal materials is required, the lunar soil should also be used directly for smelting. Astronomy: It is a discipline that studies the structure and development of celestial bodies in space and the universe. Cosmology: The study of the universe, which also studies the position of human beings in the universe, and the study of the large-scale structure and evolution of the universe Astronomy: The content
includes the structure, properties and running laws of celestial bodies. Astronomy is an ancient science, and it has played an important role since the history of human civilization. Cosmology: The study of the origins of observable structures in the universe, from giant galaxy clusters to the solar system, falls within the field of celestial evolution. Fundamental questions to be addressed include when and how the universe began, how galaxies formed and acquired the shapes and sizes we observe, how stars were born, how planets and life evolved, and more. planetary hierarchy Including planets in planetary systems, satellites revolving around planets, and a large number of small celestial bodies, such as asteroids, comets, meteoroids, and interplanetary matter. star system. 2. Stellar-level lunar soil and lunar rocks: The lunar surface is covered with a layer of lunar soil, which is rock debris, powder, breccia, impact molten glass and volcanoes formed by long-term meteorite and micrometeorite impacts and the accumulation of their sputtered materials Soil layer composed of glass. Internal structure of the moon: According to the records of natural moonquakes and large meteorites hitting the lunar surface, it is proved that the moon has a crust-like structure inside. The thickness of the front lunar crust is about 50km, and the thickness of the back is about 72km; the thickness of the lunar lithosphere can extend to a depth of at least 1000km. According to the study of the conductance profile inside the moon, the radius of the lunar metal core is about 360km; according to the measurement of the lunar magnetic field, the radius of the moon core is about 400-500km; the maximum temperature inside the moon does not exceed 1300 ℃, which does not reach the temperature of material melting. ……………………………………………………………………… ………………… If humans want to live normally on the lunar surface, they must first of all be inseparable from the essential fresh water and oxygen, and there is neither water nor empty lunar base gas on the moon. What to do about this? Scientists found that the lunar sand
contains a lot of oxygen, and they proposed the idea of using the lunar sand to produce fresh water and oxygen. The idea is to first use a forklift to automatically excavate the sandy soil on the lunar surface, select the oxygen-containing iron minerals from it, and then use hydrogen to reduce the oxygen-containing iron minerals to obtain fresh water. With water, electricity is applied to electrolyze the water to obtain oxygen and hydrogen. Oxygen is liquefied and stored, ready to be supplied to base residents. The hydrogen initially used as a reducing agent can be shipped from the earth, and the hydrogen obtained by electrolysis of water can be recycled after production begins. Second, for humans to live in a self-sufficient system on the moon, food supplies must also be guaranteed. Where does the food come from? In recent years, scientists have carried out a large number of biological experiments on the space station, and have cultivated more than 100 "space plants", including wheat, corn, oats, soybeans, tomatoes, radishes, cabbage, beets, etc. Moreover, it has been proved that under the conditions of zero gravity in space, the germination rate of plant seeds in lunar soil is higher, the growth rate is faster, and the flowering or heading time is earlier. Therefore, as long as a lunar agriculture and aquaculture base is established on the moon, the food source of the lunar base for people on the moon is fully guaranteed. The third is that the energy supply of the lunar base is not a problem. Because there is no wind or rain on the moon, it is clear and sunny, there is sunshine all day long, and there is no atmospheric absorption, the radiation intensity of the sun is about 1.5 times that of the earth. Therefore, it is completely possible to use solar energy for lighting, heating, heating and power generation on the moon. Of course, nuclear power plants can also be built on the moon if necessary to ensure an adequate supply of energy for the base. Without air resistance, the shape of transport equipment and cargo is only limited by the design size of the transport system itself, not by aerodynamics. , rail transportation: Rail transportation has less resistance. The rails for orbital transportation can be constructed with
aluminum, iron, titanium and other elements that are very abundant on the lunar surface. The earth and stone building materials can be melted, cut into pieces, and bonded with lunar soil or lunar rock. . In the 30-50 years after 2030, local mining, smelting, energy and other industries on the moon can gradually become large-scale. Limited by the capacity of the earth to launch into space, the industrialization of the moon mainly relies on the accumulation of local materials. The main industrial categories include energy (power generation and heat collection), mining, smelting, and processing. The initial solar equipment has to be transported. This is the original bulk shipment. The power of solar panels on the moon is higher than that on Earth, The United States' Artemis project plans to send astronauts to the moon in 2024, and Russia will also send astronauts to orbit the moon in 2025. There are also many countries that have multiple probes or sample return projects before 2025, including China's Chang'e 6-7. But there are no ongoing plans for lunar mining and smelting. Even with a space station on the moon, current plans are unclear. The reasons include, of course, the need to prepare the groundwork for the successful implementation of the previous project, improve the launch and recovery technology, and more experience on the lunar surface. Within 50-100 years, the development of the moon will become an aerospace hotspot. In fact, at this stage, only the moon is likely to actually enter the development and immigration of human beings on Earth, and Mars is waiting for later. The moon is the first planet that human beings can conquer and set foot on. If human beings can't conquer even him, how can we conquer Mars? ▼▼▼▼▼ It has made outstanding achievements in the construction of ecological protection system in desert areas, restoration and reconstruction of degraded ecosystems, water conservancy engineering construction, transportation engineering construction, oil and gas exploration and development, land development and oasis construction, water-saving irrigation engineering, etc., which convincingly proves that : Human beings not only have the power to
overcome the harm of desertification, but also have the power to make the desert benefit mankind The ocean is the cradle of life and a treasure trove of resources, covering 71% of the earth's total surface and accounting for 97% of the earth's total water. With the continuous growth of the world population, the development of marine resources has become a strategic measure for human survival and development. In modern marine development activities, the development of marine oil and natural gas, marine transportation, marine fishing and sea salt production are huge in scale and output value. They are mature industries and are undergoing technological transformation and further expansion of production; marine aquaculture, seawater desalination, seawater Extraction of bromine and magnesium, tidal power generation, offshore factories, and undersea tunnels are developing rapidly; deep-sea mining, wave power generation, thermoelectric power generation, seawater uranium extraction, and offshore cities are being studied and tested for the development of seabed mineral resources, and marine engineering is very important. It is the most important source of life for all mankind. The protection and development of the ocean includes various measures, and the development of ocean cities is an important aspect of them. To develop a marine city is to build a city on the sea or under the sea, rather than developing a city near the sea as is usually thought. Nowadays, many coastal cities are very prosperous, and it is a natural idea and choice to continuously expand the area of coastal cities. However, under the background of global warming, the glaciers in the Arctic and Antarctic are melting, and the sea level is rising year by year. Coastal cities are not only facing submersion. Dangerous, and also facing the invasion of powerful typhoon and waves, simple expansion by reclamation is not a long-term solution. It can further expand the living space of human beings and develop and utilize the vast marine resources. In 2002, an American company envisioned building a sea city that could accommodate tens of thousands of people, namely the super cruise ship "Freedom". The design of the
"Freedom" was 1372 m in length, 229 m in width and 107 m in height, on the main deck. The building above is 25 stories high. The design goal of the "Freedom" is to go to the major oceans in the world to cruise, which is the embodiment of people's longing for the ocean. Marine engineering structural problems. Structural problems are the first problems to be solved by ocean cities. Whether it is a building on the water or underwater, how to resist the impact of storms, waves or huge water pressure, and ensure the stability, safety and reliability of the structure will become the first problem. For the durability of the project, it is necessary to select materials that are resistant to seawater corrosion, such as magnesium alloys or synthetic resin concrete. In order to live comfortably, the overall structure should not have too much shaking. Using rigid, flexible, durable, corrosion-resistant and high-strength composite materials to build a large-area semi-submersible platform, which is wind-resistant, wave-resistant, and earthquake-resistant. The new habitat, the platform is rigid-flexible structure and connection, 1000m-5000m, ground anchor and drop anchor, or sit on the bottom or semi-submersible, generally 50-100m in shallow sea, anti-earthquake, tsunami, storm and lightning protection ,Safe and reliable. To prevent fluttering and shaking, rigid, flexible, hard and soft measures are adopted. The marine city building materials are lightweight, durable, fire-resistant and corrosion-resistant, and the promenade and plank roads are readily available. The continental shelf is the most developed area of seabed sedimentation, and its sedimentary types and characteristics are restricted by environmental factors. Since the waters of the continental shelf are in a shallow sea environment, the factors affecting the deposition of the continental shelf are: 1. Sea level change; 2. Provenance supply; 3. Hydrodynamic conditions; 3. Climate and its fluctuations; 5. Detrital particle size; 6 7. Chemical factors; 8. Continental shelf topography; 9. Sea area openness; 10. Geological characteristics of surrounding land areas; 11. Tectonic background. 12. Earth evolution, etc. Ocean
engineering has great potential. living environment problems. How to provide an environment suitable for human survival, such as air, food, light, etc., is also an issue that needs to be carefully considered. Appropriate air is easy to satisfy for floating cities, but precise control is required for underwater cities. In order to maintain an air environment with a composition similar to that of the earth's atmosphere, a sufficiently robust air control system must be set up to maintain air pressure, temperature, humidity, etc., and must be carefully considered from the very beginning of the design. Sufficient electrical energy is the main form of energy. In addition to ensuring various activities and other needs of residents, it is also a necessary supporting condition for maintaining the living environment, such as air circulation and seawater desalination. In order to protect the ecological environment of the ocean, consideration should be given to using renewable and clean energy as much as possible. The turbulent waves of the ocean, the rising and falling tides, the huge ocean currents and the temperature difference between the upper and lower layers of the sea contain huge energy, so photovoltaic power generation, wind power generation, wave power generation, tidal power generation, ocean current power generation, ocean temperature difference power generation and other renewable energy Energy will be the main force of energy supply. If there is a shortage, it can be considered to supplement part of nuclear power generation. For floating cities, the development area is large, so photovoltaic power generation, wind power generation, and wave power generation can be the main force. For underwater cities, the power source is relatively scarce, and thermoelectric power generation, nuclear power can be considered, and some marine resources such as oil and natural gas can also be used. , combustible ice, etc. garbage disposal issues. How to recycle garbage, avoid environmental pollution, establish a recyclable economy, and build a reasonable and feasible sustainable development model will be the key control factors for building a marine city. For example, in the
concept of "Future City in the Maritime Environment", the garbage generated in the city is classified and processed to achieve partial reuse of resources. One is the fully recyclable garbage such as domestic garbage, sewage and carbon dioxide. First, the domestic sewage is treated and provided to plants for irrigation, and secondly, the domestic garbage is converted into fertilizer for plant factories through decomposition technology; , In addition to providing grain and meat products to residents, the residual processed waste will be further processed and provided to aquaculture in shallow sea areas as bait. Another type of waste that can be converted into energy, such as waste paper scraps, plastics, building materials, etc., is partially converted into fertilizers that can be used in agriculture, animal husbandry, and fisheries through special waste treatment plants, and part is used for the production of renewable materials and fuels . However, a small amount of garbage with great harm and pollution may still need to be transferred to land for centralized treatment or destruction to be harmless and pollution-free. With the improvement of technology and strict environmental protection measures, this part of garbage will become less and less. . Due to the complexity of the environment and the independence of effective operation, marine buildings in the future development of marine cities must meet the long-term settlement requirements of human beings. In addition to the above obvious problems, there are many other problems that need to be re-examined and carefully designed. Modern engineering is a huge challenge. Therefore, building a marine city is a multi-disciplinary, multi-professional, multi-field, and all-round integration system. There are many difficulties to overcome. The proposed scheme, new design and new concept, organically integrates various technologies under the concept of environmental protection, as a huge system. Only by considering the project can a more economical and feasible technical route be obtained, and the planning and realization of the ocean city can be continuously promoted. desert city, mountains
Set up drainage and seepage guide on the downstream backwater surface to discharge seepage water in time. In addition to the homogeneous earth dam, the dam body is mainly intercepted by the core wall, and the core wall is mainly composed of clay core wall, asphalt core wall, concrete core wall or other materials. The grouting method is the most widely used method for dam foundation seepage interception, and dam foundation grouting mainly selects different grouting methods according to the different geological conditions of the dam foundation. For large reservoirs, the design of the dam is very strict. When the dam foundation is rock and there are cracks, consolidation grouting should be used; when the dam foundation is rock or gravel foundation, if there is a leakage channel, curtain grouting should be used; when the dam foundation is Measures such as high-spray grouting shall be adopted for silty soil, silty clay stratum, silt, sand, gravel, gravel and other loose permeable foundations or filling bodies. structural design When designing a reservoir dam structure, the most basic requirement is to ensure the safety and stability of the structure. Therefore, it is necessary to extensively collect and organize relevant structural information during design to ensure the quality level of engineering design and improve the safety and stability of the reservoir dam structure. At the same time, in the structural design of dams, there are problems of uneven settlement caused by poor dam foundation and water conveyance tunnel foundation, and the compactness and bearing capacity do not meet the specifications. Uneven settlement leads to cracks in the dam body, cracks in the dam crest road surface, and rupture and damage of the culvert pipe of the water conveyance tunnel. Structural safety is paramount. Metal Structure Equipment In the design of reservoir dams, it is necessary to do a good job in the preliminary field investigation. By mastering accurate hydrogeological data, we can learn about the natural conditions of the construction site in detail, and choose metal structure equipment that is suitable for the actual local conditions. Control the quality of the equipment, and avoid rust and corrosion during the actual application of the equipment, so as to improve the quality of reservoir dam construction and better play the important role of reservoir dams. Redundant design and special accident safety design Spaceships, ships, dams, ultra-high buildings, large-section tunnels, extra-large bridges, atomic energy reactors, hazardous chemicals, earthquake, tsunami, volcanic eruption, safety protection, prediction, forecast and early warning system, extreme climate forecast system, Major infectious disease and plague prediction and early warning systems, program design of important software, R&D and design of important intelligent hardware, etc., are particularly important and require the full attention of scientists and engineers. On these important issues, we must redouble our efforts and intensify our efforts. world dam failure Dam collapse in Marpasse, France, 1959 The failure of the Malpasset dam is a vicious accident in the history of arch dam construction in the world, and it is more serious than the four previous dam accidents in the United States recorded in the records of modern dam accidents in the 1920s and 1930s. This dam is located on the Leyland River in the Var province in southern France. The dam was only built for water supply and irrigation. It was designed by André Coyne, a famous French civil engineer at the time. He led the construction of 70 dams in 14 countries in his lifetime. dam.
The dam is about 66 meters high and 223 meters wide at the crest. Construction started in 1952 and completed in 1954, using reinforced concrete. Due to the turbulent political situation in France at that time, it was put into operation as late as the end of 1958. In December 1959, the local area had continued torrential rain, and at noon on December 2, the reservoir reached its highest water level. Reservoir engineer André Ferro immediately asked to open the gates to discharge the flood, but the leaders were slow to approve. Until 6 pm that day, after the leaders approved the opening of the gate, the flood discharge speed was too slow, and the water level dropped by only a few centimeters in 3 hours, which was too late. At 9:00 p.m. that night, the Marbasi Dam suddenly collapsed. With a loud noise, a huge wave about 40 meters high carrying reinforced concrete fragments rushed out of the dam breach at a high speed of 70 kilometers per hour. The resulting huge air shock wave turned the small town of Fragers, about 10 kilometers downstream of the dam, into ruins in more than half an hour, and nearly all nearby buildings, roads, railways, power supply and water supply lines were washed away. into the sea more than ten kilometers away. According to official statistics, 423 people, including more than 100 children, were directly killed in the accident, many were missing, and many more were injured. "World's Best" Vaião Dam Landslide, Italy, 1963 Vajont Dam is located in the scenic Alps, less than 100 kilometers from the famous Venice. Italy entered a period of rapid development after the Second World War. The industrial development of the northern cities has an increasing demand for electricity. The Vaian Canyon dam construction has unique geographical conditions. As early as before World War II, the government and engineers have proposed to build power generation and reservoir functions. The dam's vision and engineering scheme. The design structure of the concrete double-curvature arch dam, which was finally used in the world's tallest dam at that time, had such excellent stress conditions that even after the disaster caused by the collapse of the reservoir, the dam remained standing. However, the mountains on both sides of the dam could not bear the weight of building dams and reservoirs. Image source: The International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) is the most authoritative international non-governmental academic organization recognized in the field of international dam engineering technology. It was established in 1928. The Dam Committee adopts a national membership mechanism. Currently, there are 104 national members, covering the countries where more than 95% of the world's reservoir dams are located. Its purpose is to promote technological progress in the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of reservoir dams and water conservancy and hydropower projects through the exchange of mutual information, including research on technical, economic, financial, environmental and social impact issues. Activities include technical exchanges between national committees, organizing conferences, annual meetings, executive meetings, sub-regional meetings and other meetings, organizing cooperative research and experiments, publishing collections of papers, technical bulletins, dam statistics and other documents. , GETTY IMAGES The dam was built in 1957 by a company that monopolized private power in northern Italy. Later,
the dam engineering company changed the original design. The height of the dam was increased from 230 meters to 262 meters, and the storage capacity was also increased to three times the original design. As the storage of the reservoir increased, the geological structure around the dam became unstable. At the end of 1962, the Italian national electric company bought the reservoir, in order to accept it as soon as possible and accelerate the water storage. From September 28, 1963, heavy rains continued to fall in the Vaian area. The speed of the landslide was increasing, and people nearby began to hear strange noises in the Vaian Valley. Authorities decided to lower the reservoir level, too late. On the night of October 9, 1963, a 260-million-cubic-meter landslide around the reservoir filled half of the reservoir within 45 seconds. The water that burst out instantly formed a 250-meter-high wave and an air shock wave like an atomic bomb explosion. It flooded nearby towns and villages, killing nearly 2,000 people. At that time, there were more than 60 technical and management personnel in the management building and office on the bank of the reservoir. Except for one person who survived, all the others died. despite the loss of water storage or generator energy. The intact dam has remained in place and has become a local tourist attraction. In 2008, when UNESCO launched the "International Year of the Earth", it listed the tragedy of the Vaian dam as one of the human engineering tragedies "due to the errors of engineers and geologists". In August 1975, a super typhoon brought Henan a torrential rain that broke the record of the highest rainfall in China and the world at that time, causing a major flood in the upper reaches of the Huai River, and a small reservoir began to collapse on August 6. In the early morning of August 8, two large reservoirs and nearly 60 small and medium-sized reservoirs collapsed one after another in just a few hours. Like a landslide, more than 600 million cubic meters of floodwater poured down, dozens of meters high and wide. The flood peak of about 12 kilometers inundated 29 counties and cities in Henan and Anhui provinces within a few hours. The book "The Great Flood in Chinese History" published in 1999 stated that 11 million people in Henan Province were affected and suffered heavy casualties. 17 million mu of farmland was flooded, 5.96 million houses collapsed, 302,300 farm animals and 720,000 pigs were washed away. , the Beijing-Guangzhou line running through the north and south of China was washed away 102 kilometers, interrupted for 18 days, affecting transportation for 48 days, known as the "75.8" flood. • ------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------- Civil engineering, roads and bridges, tunnels, dams, super high buildings, etc. 1. Engineering Feasibility Study (Gong Ke) - preliminary planning, key technology research, feasibility study from economic, technological and social development; 2. Preliminary design - select recommended and optimal plans from different design plans; mainly solve overall planning problems, including bridge location selection, bridge type, sub-holes, longitudinal and cross-sectional layout, main dimensions of the structure, project budget estimates, main The amount of materials; the preliminary design estimate is the basis for
controlling the investment of the construction project and compiling the construction budget; 3. Construction drawings - technical documents that further detail and specify the construction principles, technical plans, technical decisions, and total investment approved by the preliminary design; detailed analysis and calculation of each component of the bridge, drawing of construction drawings, and preparation of construction methods must be carried out. , construction material schedule and budget; Bridge Profile Design Including the total span of the bridge, sub-holes, bridge deck elevation, route, road longitudinal slope, foundation embedding depth and the method used; 1. The total span of the bridge - comprehensive consideration according to hydrological data, river bed erosion, foundation form, channel arrangement and cost; 2. The principle of split holes is that the total cost of the upper and lower structures is the most economical; comprehensively consider the influence of factors such as span, number of holes, structural system, combat readiness, etc.; three-span continuous beam 1: 0.8, five-span continuous beam 1: 0.9: 0.65 ; 3. Determination of bridge deck elevation - first meet the navigation requirements (navigation clearance), determined by the navigation department and determined by the design flood level; the bottom surface of the bearing is 25 cm higher than the design flood, and the bottom surface of the vault is 1 meter higher; the specific analysis of the flyover bridge ; The longitudinal slope of the bridge is not more than 4%, and the city is not more than 3%; the longitudinal slope of the approach bridge is not more than 5%, and vertical curves must be set at the changes; • Bridge cross-section design . Depends on the bridge deck width, structure type, cross-sectional arrangement; . Traffic lanes (7, 9) + sidewalks (1+NX0.5) + bicycle lanes (n*1) . Sidewalks and seat belts should be at least 20~25cm higher than the road surface, generally greater than 30cm .The cross slope of the bridge deck is 1.5%~3%, which is conducive to drainage; . Railings, guardrails, lamp post locations, bridge pipelines, etc. • Bridge layout . The alignment of the bridge should be as perpendicular to the river and the route under the bridge as possible to avoid oblique crossing; . When the oblique crossing is restricted, the oblique crossing angle is usually not more than 15 degrees, and it is not more than 5 degrees on navigable rivers; when the oblique crossing angle is large, special structural analysis and calculation shall be made; . The alignment between the alignment and the bridgehead approach road is smooth and conforms to the specifications;
• 1. On the premise of meeting the functional requirements, the best structural type should be selected - Pure, refreshing and stable. Quality is unified in beauty, and beauty is subordinate to quality. • 2. Beauty is mainly manifested in the harmony and good proportion of structure selection, and has a sense of order and rhythm. Too much repetition can lead to monotony. • 3. Pay attention to coordination with the environment. The choice of materials, the texture of the surface, and the use of special colors play an important role. Model checking helps with real-feeling judgment and examines shadow effects. • 4. A beautiful bridge should have a positive impact on people with its personality. Beauty and ethics are inherently interlinked. A beautiful environment will directly shape people's sentiments. The beauty of nature and the beauty of man-made environment are necessary for people's physical and mental health. • The determination of bridge structural form depends on in-depth comprehensive analysis and comparison of bridge technology, economy, and bridge construction conditions; • First determine the sub-holes according to the requirements of terrain, geology, navigation, etc., and draw up the bridge structure diagrams that may be designed; (usually 2~4) • Next, formulate the technical and economic indicators of each selected bridge structure form, including: main material consumption, total investment, construction period, operating conditions, maintenance costs, technical requirements for construction technology (whether there are difficult projects, etc.), special materials, etc.; and draw up the bridge structure the size of the main components; • Technical and economic comparison and optimal plan; comprehensively compare various indicators, determine the optimal plan based on the principles of applicability, economy and aesthetics, or recommend the first plan according to other objective conditions and special requirements. • Bridge codes are not necessarily the same across the world , it needs to be used according to the actual situation, and cannot be copied and used. The collapse of the Quebec Bridge in 1907 On August 29, 1907, a section of a newly built bridge in Quebec, Canada collapsed, falling into the St. Lawrence River. The collapse threw dozens of bridge builders and mechanics into the water and killed at least 80 people. The disaster happened just as workers were about to leave work that day, when a mile and a half or so of the bridge deck collapsed, causing a chain reaction of broken bridges and cables. A report later blamed the accident on the bridge's engineers. When the bridge was rebuilt in 1916, its structure collapsed again when it was hoisted back into place, killing 13 workers. • 1-3-1 Bridge Load Classification According to the probability of load occurrence:
Primary loads, secondary loads and special loads Highway design specification division: Permanent load, variable load, accidental load • During the service life of the bridge, the position, size, and direction of the load do not change with time or change very little and can be ignored. • Main Type Self-weight of main girder structure, deck pavement and ancillary facilities; Earth weight, earth pressure, internal and external prestressing, concrete Soil shrinkage, creep effect, foundation displacement effect, etc.; • Basic variable load (live load) ·Use loads of bridges: vehicles, people, and loads indirectly caused by vehicles · Cars, trailers, crawler vehicles, crowds (350) and special vehicles, consider centrifugal force (centrifugal coefficient V2/127R) and impact force (impact coefficient) for curved bridges • Other variables include: Vehicle braking force (related to the bearing, driving direction, 1.2 meters), bearing frictional resistance, temperature, wind load, water pressure, etc. ·Wind - small and medium bridges are calculated according to static wind pressure, and bridges are calculated according to dynamic force ·Automobile braking force - used when calculating bearings and piers ·Temperature influence—sunshine and annual temperature difference ·Support friction resistance, flowing water pressure and ice pressure - used when calculating bridge piers •Different countries have different norms, which are scientific and reasonable according to local conditions. Common problems in road and bridge design security issues road and bridge engineering★★★★★ -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- --- • Tunnel engineering design Principles for selecting the location of tunnel engineering design a. The location of the tunnel should be selected in a stable stratum, and try to avoid crossing the extremely complex engineering geology and hydrogeology and serious bad geological areas; when it must be passed, there should be practical and reliable engineering measures. b. For long and extra-long tunnels and large-section tunnels crossing the watershed, the route direction and plane position shall be determined on the basis of geological surveying and comprehensive geological exploration of
People will make an obviously false judgement if others in the group (who are actors) make the same false judgement first.
Asch (1951)
Taking advantage of a Maddy-nap to type up my info for this round of the Good Mail Day Swap! Copying heavily from previous swap info posts.
Foods you like, despise, can't eat (allergies, etc.):
Foods I lIke: I'm vegetarian, and I make a lot of food from scratch (we eat very little processed stuff, in our house). I love chocolate (particularly mildly-dark or semisweet), nuts (especially peanuts, cashews, and walnuts, and almonds), and whole grains (I swear I could live on oats!). Also love apples, strawberries, carrots, spinach, tomatoes, and peppers. And steamed broccoli, except I can't eat that now because it makes Madrigal fart all night long. Oh, and while pregnant, I developed a serious triscuits and cheddar habit. And an obsession with the black bean-sweet potato enchiladas from my vegetarian pregnant lady cookbook. Breastfeeding my giant baby means I'm a hungry hungry hippo pretty much all the time, which means I both love and am extremely annoyed by food.
Foods I despise: Cilantro. Food with meat or gelatin in it.
Allergies: Not allergies, per se, but I have smell-based migraine triggers. Here are the smells that will trigger a migraine for me: seafood of any type, twizzlers, blow pops, alcohol, cigarette smoke. Also, ingesting MSG is a sure way for me to get a migraine. So now you know!
Coffee vs. tea? Do you have a favorite kind?:
I don't drink either, really! Between the not-drinking-coffee and the not-drinking-alcohol thing, I'm kind of a weirdo for an academic! But honestly, I pretty much just drink water, orange juice, and almond milk.
Where do you live?
I live in Rochester, NY. We get a lot of snow in the winter, except not this year (we only got about 45", which sounds like a lot but really isn't, for here). I spent the first half of my childhood in NC, and the second half in MN, so I'm still a southern girl in some ways, but I feel most at home in the upper midwest and hope to return there soon. Like, really soon. Like, I will pretty much apply for any job that I am even remotely qualified for if it's within a couple hours' drive of my hometown. I'm not exactly loving raising my daughter so far from her extended family, basically.
Favorite yarns / fabrics? Any yarn you want to try but haven't yet?:
Yarn-wise, I am a big fan of wooly wools (think: Shelter, Beaverslide, Bartlett yarns, Peace Fleece, that sort of stuff). I also like the basic "workhorse" yarns like Cascade 220 and St Denis, but sometimes I enjoy something softer and fancier like Madelinetosh or Dream in Color. I favor rich jewel tones (especially blues, greens, and purples) and pretty much only knit with solids or semi-solids. Self-striping can be fun, but I have a hard time finding things to do with variegated yarn - it's just not really my thing I guess. I've been dying to try the new Brooklyn Tweed yarn (Loft) but haven't gotten any yet. Babies kind of cramp the yarn budget.
Fabric-wise, I'm just starting to build up a small stash as a newbie sewer/quilter. I'm more into solids/semisolids here, too, or small-scale prints that are easy to mix with solids. Also I love linen.
Crafty pursuits - knit, crochet, spin, sew, quilt, make friendship bracelets, any of these or others?
Knitting is my primary crafty pursuit - I've been knitting since I was 13 and have gotten into knitwear design in recent years, too. I've been learning crochet and enjoy it, but am not very experienced with it. I'm also learning to sew, and am eager to be able to sew clothes for my little Madrigal. I taught myself to spin with a drop spindle a couple of years ago, but haven't done much with it, because I'd much rather spin with a wheel but can't afford one. Oh, oh, and I started to learn crewel embroidery before I had Maddy and fell in love with it but have a hard time finding time for it now (shocking, I know!)
Hobbies/pursuits/proclivities/passions (other than the aforementioned crafty ones, obvs)
I've played the violin since I was 10 years old, and I'm learning to play cello, too (though neither is particularly easy to do while wearing a baby, it turns out!). I read a lot, especially YA dystopian stuff these days, with the Kindle for iPhone app (I also have a regular Kindle but the phone is always with me). I love making bread from scratch, and just generally enjoy learning how to do more with food. I swim a lot, too, except now I don't because my university closed our pool for 6 FREAKING MONTHS AND I AM PISSED OFF ABOUT IT. And, lately, I obsess over baby stuff. Especially hipppie/environmentalist baby stuff like cloth diapering.
What do you do in life? (job, career, school, family, etc.)
I've been married to my awesome husband for just over 7 years now, and we welcomed our daughter Madrigal into the world last fall. We've also got 3 orange kitties. I'm a graduate student in Brain and Cognitive Science (but what I really study is language), still working towards that Ph.D (I've got 2 Masters at this point, though, one in Linguistics and one in BCS), and attempting to write a dissertation while working at home with my daughter full time (PRO TIP: This is really hard). I'm obsessed with language. I'm really passionate about teaching, and have been teaching and/or tutoring writing and various cognition-related courses for several years now. Teaching or something writing-related (e.g. editing) is what I want to do, moving forward.
What makes you happy?
Madrigal. My husband. Family in general. Birthdays (I turn 29 tomorrow!), Solstices, and Equinoxes. Sunny days. Making things, including music. Teaching. Talking to my crafty friends online. Sleeping (when I can). Eating delicious homemade food, especially food that someone else made for me and that is easy to eat one handed. The rare instances when I don't feel utterly, desperately hungry despite eating like a horse are awesomely happy-making, but yeah, rare.
Into makeup? Is there anything you want to try, for example: Revlon lip butters, lip balm, a particular kind of mascara, brush, etc. (Think inexpensive- we’re obvs not swapping UD Naked Palettes here.) ;) :
I am completely and utterly clueless regarding makeup. Between being a generally low-maintenance person, and having crazy sensitive skin, I just don't bother. The only thing I use sometimes is Neutragena's Healthy Skin stuff, which evens out my skin tone and has SPF. Oh, and sometimes Burt's Bees lip balm. That's it. I think I look just fine without makeup (if you disagree, please don't tell me!) and I am lazy/busy :)
Into nail polish? Any favorite brands, favorite colors, or specific shades you covet?:
Nope! Wearing nail polish makes me feel like my nails can't breathe and freaks me out. A lot. Seriously. Also I just have to mention that every time I see folks tweeting about "polish" I think y'all are talking about people from Poland.
Random favorites -- colors, flavors, scents, books, movies, TV, magazines, genres, time of day, motifs (foxes, bees, squirrels, owls, beavers, mushrooms, bats), etc.:
Colors: blue, green, and especially blueish greens (or greenish blues).
Programming Language: Python
TV: Star Trek in almost any incarnation but especially TNG. Doctor Who. Battlestar Gallactica. Mad Men. But really I almost never watch TV anymore and am hopelessly behind on pretty much everything pop-culture-wise. Or even not-pop-culture-wise, for that matter.
Animal: Sea Turtles, because they look so dumb and happy when they swim! I wanna be that blissed out!
Motifs: I am into stripes and polka dots these days. Also anything with robots and/or monsters on it, because that's what we decorate Maddy's room with.
Book: Le Ton Beau de Marot, by Douglas Hofstadter. (PS: I recommend this book to all lovers of language)
Authors: Douglas Adams, Kurt Vonnegut
Anything you CAN'T tolerate (b/c of allergies or intense dislikes)?:
The aforementioned migraine-triggers and cilantro. Also NSAIDs (they will make me asphyxiate, but I figure you won't be sending me Advil or anything, and if you did, I won't take it). Being asked whether Maddy "sleeps through the night" by every single person I talk to. Mean people (please don't send me a mean person! They probably wouldn't fit in a flat-rate box anyway). Also selfish people, theocrats, misogynists, racists, homophobes, etc (so especially don't send me Rick Santorum, please!).
Ok so filling this out was way more fun than working on a dissertation! Also, I don't know if I made myself sound picky but I'm really not and right now just getting a box in the mail at all is going to make me so freaking happy (unless it has Rick Santorum in it). Babies are awesome but exhausting, yo. And mail is fun. Except bills. But you wouldn't send me bills, because you're a nice person :)
IDN4 Life&Death by Malga Kubiak, The Ego Trip 1991 3 h, 2h of 3
dedicated to my son Sun and his childhood
documentary shot in period of 5 years
this part begins in Mexico 1989, interview w Kathy Acker that I shot in Gbg at Sheraton, it got stolen from me by Austrian filmmaker Barbra Caspar who was making a documentary on Kathy Acker few years ago, though I don't know if she used anything of my filming.. I dearly hope so, as it was a great shoot, I adore Kathy Acker! I rented swimming pool at Sheraton, we used also bubble pool and Kathy did a work out. Interview with CM von Hausswolff who was always a great inspiration to my work of this period. The complete interview is dislocated, but it might pop up. Interview with Lung Leg when she visited Poetry Art Festival that I was responsible for. Complete interview is in safe place with Fox Andersson that himself vanished..
This part ends up in Rio De Janeiro Brazil 1990
MISS MESS appears in concert.
excerpts from Dirty Paradise
I wonder round in white snow landscape, start to dig. I dig through to the blood, muddy and thick, I warm up my hands.
I am in the open land of frozen fields and single and lonely black trees with frost covered twigs. And a white milky moon above. At last I find the burrow which is my size. I rest inside. I cut all my veins. Finally I am not alone anymore. My own blood surrounds me, it keeps me warm and soft, caressing to sleep.
The night came for to stay as scar. I weep along hotels empty corridor, bye bye babe song, string pearls tears into my bloodless wound. Its only the earth which wants my blood, which wants my body and my dirty heart and my dress. The sky swells with blood.
A man masturbates in the silent room. Hot seeds of sperm rest and die on his stomach.
Without rising my eyes, I knew I was going along the river. I know which river and why but this is nothing for you. All my eyes saw were my bare and frozen feet stumbling on clods of frozen earth.
I am so endlessly alone. The night is dark and warm, and I am so endlessly alone. This time is going to be finding out. Whats my illusions, whats my odds, and illusions have to be killed, I don't have more time to destroy. Don't I? Is my loneliness real and is my longing about what? Then who are this people?
What is the life about? Can I really see it? The sense of it? Can you? I'm just walking. Cognition, recognition; a field of seeing develops from day to day to a sudden stop when everything is as usual; a habit, a normality, as long as my life is OK, its OK. Fucking shame, shitty dirty business, the fucking ego of such ones as me possibly drive the rest of the world to the brink.
I'm walking, judging, thinking. I'm a robot, a camera eye, I'm taking it in, and letting nothing out.
Watch this video on Vimeo. Video created by malgakubiak film.
www.al-islam.org/short/martyrdom/
Imam Husain And His Martyrdom
By Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Renowned English translator and commentator of the Holy Qur'an
(Progressive Islam Pamphlet No. 7, September, 1931)
Introduction:
The month of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, brings with it the memory of the sacrifice of Imam Husayn [a], the grandson of Prophet Muhammad [s], and his noble family and friends. This short text reflects the deep admiration of its author towards Imam Husayn [a] and an insight into the tragedy of Karbala, its reasons and its consequences. It is presented with the hope that it will foster the Islamic unity and the brotherly love that the author seeks in his preface.
The author, of course, is none other than the well-known Sunni English translator and commentator of the Qur'an, Abdullah Yusuf Ali, who died in 1952 in England. Little would he have known that his English translation and commentary of the Qur'an would become so popular in the West and East alike, wherever English is read and understood.
And little would he have known that later editions of his Qur'an translation and commentary would undergo tampering such that favorable references to Imam Husayn [a] would be deleted, amongst other changes!(*) Perhaps there are some out there who want to see the memory of Imam Husayn [a] wiped out. Perhaps Karbala is not quite over yet.
The Shi'a Encyclopedia team
(*) A detailed and documented case study is now available on Tahrif! Investigating Distortions in Islamic Texts.
Imam Husain And His Martyrdom, Abdullah Yusuf Ali (d. 1952), 41 pages
Lahore: M Feroz-ud-Din & Sons, 1931.
[Harvard]
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[Try the Guide to Online Libraries to locate this text elsewhere]
Preface
The following pages are based on a report of an Address which I delivered in London at an Ashura Majlis on Thursday the 28th May, 1931 (Muharram 1350 A.H.), at the Waldorf Hotel. The report was subsequently corrected and slightly expanded. The Majlis was a notable gathering, which met at the invitation of Mr. A. S. M. Anik. Nawab Sir Umar Hayat Khan, Tiwana, presided and members of all schools of thought in Islam, as well as non-Muslims, joined reverently in doing honour to the memory of the great Martyr of Islam. By its inclusion in the Progressive Islam Pamphlets series, it is hoped to reach a larger public than were able to be present in person. Perhaps, also, it may help to strengthen the bonds of brotherly love which unite all who hold sacred the ideals of brotherhood preached by the Prophet in his last Sermon.
A. Yusuf Ali.
Imam Husain And His Martyrdom
Sorrow as a Bond of Union
I am going to talk this afternoon about a very solemn subject, the martyrdom of Imam Husain at Kerbela, of which we are celebrating the anniversary. As the Chairman has very rightly pointed out, it is one of those wonderful events in our religious history about which all sects are agreed. More than that, in this room I have the honour of addressing some people who do not belong to our religious persuasion, but I venture to think that the view I put forward today may be of interest to them from its historical, its moral and its spiritual significance. Indeed, when we consider the background of that great tragedy, and all that has happened during the 1289 lunar years since, we cannot fail to be convinced that some events of sorrow and apparent defeat are really the very things which are calculated to bring about, or lead us towards, the union of humanity.
How Martyrdom healed divisions
When we invite strangers or guests and make them free of our family circle, that means the greatest outflowing of our hearts to them. The events that I am going to describe refer to some of the most touching incidents of our domestic history in their spiritual aspect. We ask our brethren of other faiths to come, and share with us some of the thoughts which are called forth by this event. As a matter of fact all students of history are aware that the horrors that are connected with the great event of Kerbela did more than anything else to unite together the various contending factions which had unfortunately appeared at that early stage of Muslim history. You know the old Persian saying applied to the Prophet:
Tu barae wasl kardan amadi;
Ni barae fasl kardan amadi.
"Thou camest to the world to unite, not to divide."
That was wonderfully exemplified by the sorrows and sufferings and finally the martyrdom of Imam Husain.
Commemoration of great virtues
There has been in our history a tendency sometimes to celebrate the event merely by wailing and tribulation, or sometimes by symbols like the Tazias that you see in India, - Taboots as some people call them. Well, symbolism or visible emblems may sometimes be useful in certain circumstances as tending to crystallise ideas. But I think the Muslims of India of the present day are quite ready to adopt a more effective way of celebrating the martyrdom, and that is by contemplating the great virtues of the martyr, trying to understand the significance of the events in which he took part, and translating those great moral and spiritual lessons into their own lives. From that point of view I think you will agree that it is good that we should sit together, even people of different faiths, - sit together and consider the great historic event, in which were exemplified such soul-stirring virtues as those of unshaken faith, undaunted courage, thought for others, willing self-sacrifice, steadfastness in the right and unflinching war against the wrong. Islam has a history of beautiful domestic affections, of sufferings and of spiritual endeavour, second to none in the world. That side of Muslim history, although to me the most precious, is, I am sorry to say, often neglected. It is most important that we should call attention to it, reiterated attention, the attention of our own people as well as the attention of those who are interested in historical and religious truth. If there is anything precious in Islamic history it is not the wars, or the politics, or the brilliant expansion, or the glorious conquests, or even the intellectual spoils which our ancestors gathered. In these matters, our history, like all history, has its lights and shades. What we need especially to emphasise is the spirit of organisation, of brotherhood, of undaunted courage in moral and spiritual life.
Plan of discourse
I propose first to give you an idea of the geographical setting and the historical background. Then I want very briefly to refer to the actual events that happened in the Muharram, and finally to draw your attention to the great lessons which we can learn from them.
Geographical Picture
In placing before you a geographical picture of the tract of country in which the great tragedy was enacted, I consider myself fortunate in having my own personal memories to draw upon. They make the picture vivid to my mind, and they may help you also. When I visited those scenes in 1928, I remember going down from Baghdad through all that country watered by the Euphrates river. As I crossed the river by a bridge of boats at Al-Musaiyib on a fine April morning, my thoughts leapt over centuries and centuries. To the left of the main river you have the old classic ground of Babylonian history; you have the railway station of Hilla; you have the ruins of the city of Babylon, witnessing to one of the greatest civilisations of antiquity. It was so mingled with the dust that it is only in recent years that we have begun to understand its magnitude and magnificence. Then you have the great river system of the Euphrates, the Furat as it is called, a river unlike any other river we know. It takes its rise in many sources from the mountains of Eastern Armenia, and sweeping in great zig-zags through rocky country, it finally skirts the desert as we see it now. Wherever it or its interlacing branches or canals can reach, it has converted the desert into fruitful cultivated country; in the picturesque phrase, it has made the desert blossom as the rose. It skirts round the Eastern edge of the Syrian desert and then flows into marshy land. In a tract not far from Kerbela itself there are lakes which receive its waters, and act as reservoirs. Lower down it unites with the other river, the Tigris, and the united rivers flow in the name of the Shatt-al-Arab into the Persian Gulf.
Abundant water & tragedy of thirst
From the most ancient times this tract of the lower Euphrates has been a garden. It was a cradle of early civilisation, a meeting place between Sumer and Arab, and later between the Persians and Arabs. It is a rich, well watered country, with date-palms and pomegranate groves. Its fruitful fields can feed populous cities and its luscious pastures attract the nomad Arabs of the desert, with their great flocks and herds. It is of particularly tragic significance that on the border of such a well-watered land, should have been enacted the tragedy of great and good men dying of thirst and slaughtered because they refused to bend the knee to the forces of iniquity. The English poet's lines "Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink" are brought home forcibly to you in this borderland between abundant water and desolate sands.
Kerbela and Its Great Dome
I remember the emotion with which I approached Kerbela from the East. The rays of the morning sun gilt the Gumbaz-i-Faiz, the great dome that crowns the building containing the tomb of Imam Husain. Kerbela actually stands on one of the great caravan routes of the desert. Today the river city of Kufa, once a Khilafat capital, is a mere village, and the city of Najaf is famous for the tomb of Hazrat Ali, but of little commercial importance. Kerbela, this outpost of the desert, is a mart and a meeting ground as well as a sacred place. It is the port of the desert, just as Basra, lower down, is a port for the Persian Gulf. Beautifully kept is the road to the mausoleum, to which all through the year come pilgrims from all parts of the world. Beautiful coloured enamelled tiles decorate the building. Inside, in the ceiling and upper walls, there is a great deal of glass mosaic. The glass seems to catch and reflect the light. The effect is that of rich coruscations of light combined with the solemnity of a closed building. The tomb itself is in a sort of inner grill, and below the ground is a sort of cave, where is shown the actual place where the Martyr fell. The city of Najaf is just about 40 miles to the South, with the tomb of Hazrat Ali on the high ground. You can see the golden dome for miles around. Just four miles from Najaf and connected with it by a tramway, is the deserted city of Kufa. The mosque is large, but bare and practically unused. The blue dome and the Mihrab of enamelled tiles bear witness to the ancient glory of the place.
Cities and their Cultural Meaning
The building of Kufa and Basra, the two great outposts of the Muslim Empire, in the 16th year of the Hijra, was a visible symbol that Islam was pushing its strength and building up a new civilisation, not only in a military sense, but in moral and social ideas and in the sciences and arts. The old effete cities did not content it, any more than the old and effete systems which it displaced. Nor was it content with the first steps it took. It was always examining, testing, discarding, re-fashioning its own handiwork. There was always a party that wanted to stand on old ways, to take cities like Damascus readymade, that loved ease and the path of least resistance. But the greater souls stretched out to new frontiers - of ideas as well as geography. They felt that old seats were like dead wood breeding worms and rottenness that were a danger to higher forms of life. The clash between them was part of the tragedy of Kerbela. Behind the building of new cities there is often the burgeoning of new ideas. Let us therefore examine the matter a little more closely. It will reveal the hidden springs of some very interesting history.
Vicissitudes of Mecca and Medina
The great cities of Islam at its birth were Mecca and Medina. Mecca, the centre of old Arabian pilgrimage, the birthplace of the Prophet, rejected the Prophet's teaching, and cast him off. Its idolatry was effete; its tribal exclusiveness was effete; its ferocity against the Teacher of the New Light was effete. The Prophet shook its dust off his feet, and went to Medina. It was the well-watered city of Yathrib, with a considerable Jewish population. It received with eagerness the teaching of the Prophet; it gave asylum to him and his Companions and Helpers. He reconstituted it and it became the new City of Light. Mecca, with its old gods and its old superstitions, tried to subdue this new Light and destroy it. The human odds were in favour of Mecca. But God's purpose upheld the Light, and subdued the old Mecca. But the Prophet came to build as well as to destroy. He destroyed the old paganism, and lighted a new beacon in Mecca - the beacon of Arab unity and human brotherhood. When the Prophet's life ended on this earth, his spirit remained. It inspired his people and led them from victory to victory. Where moral or spiritual and material victories go hand in hand, the spirit of man advances all along the line. But sometimes there is a material victory, with a spiritual fall, and sometimes there is a spiritual victory with a material fall, and then we have tragedy.
Spirit of Damascus
Islam's first extension was towards Syria, where the power was centred in the city of Damascus. Among living cities it is probably the oldest city in the world. Its bazaars are thronged with men of all nations, and the luxuries of all nations find ready welcome there. If you come to it westward from the Syrian desert, as I did, the contrast is complete, both in the country and in the people. From the parched desert sands you come to fountains and vineyards, orchards and the hum of traffic. From the simple, sturdy, independent, frank Arab, you come to the soft, luxurious, sophisticated Syrian. That contrast was forced on the Muslims when Damascus became a Muslim city. They were in a different moral and spiritual atmosphere. Some succumbed to the softening influences of ambition, luxury, wealth pride of race, love of ease, and so on. Islam stood always as the champion of the great rugged moral virtues. It wanted no compromise with evil in any shape or form, with luxury, with idleness, with the seductions of this world. It was a protest against these things. And yet the representatives of that protest got softened at Damascus. They aped the decadent princes of the world instead of striving to be leaders of spiritual thought. Discipline was relaxed, and governors aspired to be greater than the Khalifas. This bore bitter fruit later.
Snare of Riches
Meanwhile Persia came within the Muslim orbit. When Medain was captured in the year 16 of the Hijra, and the battle of Jalula broke the Persian resistance, some military booty was brought to Medina - gems, pearls, rubies, diamonds, swords of gold and silver. A great celebration was held in honour of the splendid victory and the valour of the Arab army. In the midst of the celebration they found the Caliph of the day actually weeping. One said to him, "What! a time of joy and thou sheddest tears?" "Yes", he said, "I foresee that the riches will become a snare, a spring of worldliness and envy, and in the end a calamity to my people." For the Arab valued, above all, simplicity of life, openness of character, and bravery in face of danger. Their women fought with them and shared their dangers. They were not caged creatures for the pleasures of the senses. They showed their mettle in the early fighting round the head of the Persian Gulf. When the Muslims were hard pressed, their women turned the scale in their favour. They made their veils into flags, and marched in battle array. The enemy mistook them for reinforcements and abandoned the field. Thus an impending defeat was turned into a victory.
Basra and Kufa: town-planning
In Mesopotamia the Muslims did not base their power on old and effete Persian cities, but built new outposts for themselves. The first they built was Basra at the head of the Persian Gulf, in the 17th year of the Hijra. And what a great city it became! Not great in war and conquest, not great in trade and commerce, but great in learning and culture in its best day, - alas! also great in its spirit of faction and degeneracy in the days of its decline! But its situation and climate were not at all suited to the Arab character. It was low and moist, damp and enervating. In the same year the Arabs built another city not far off from the Gulf and yet well suited to be a port of the desert, as Kerbela became afterwards. This was the city of Kufa, built in the same year as Basra, but in a more bracing climate. It was the first experiment in town-planning in Islam. In the centre was a square for the principal mosque. That square was adorned with shady avenues. Another square was set apart for the trafficking of the market. The streets were all laid out intersecting and their width was fixed. The main thoroughfares for such traffic as they had (we must not imagine the sort of traffic we see in Charing Cross) were made 60 feet wide; the cross streets were 30 feet wide; and even the little lanes for pedestrians were regulated to a width of 10.5 feet. Kufa became a centre of light and learning. The Khalifa Hazrat Ali lived and died there.
Rivalry and poison of Damascus
But its rival, the city of Damascus, fattened on luxury and Byzantine magnificence. Its tinsel glory sapped the foundations of loyalty and the soldierly virtues. Its poison spread through the Muslim world. Governors wanted to be kings. Pomp and selfishness, ease and idleness and dissipation grew as a canker; wines and spirituous liquors, scepticism, cynicism and social vices became so rampant that the protests of the men of God were drowned in mockery. Mecca, which was to have been a symbolical spiritual centre, was neglected or dishonoured. Damascus and Syria became centres of a worldliness and arrogance which cut at the basic roots of Islam.
Husain the Righteous refused to bow to worldliness and power
We have brought the story down to the 60th year of the Hijra. Yazid assumed the power at Damascus. He cared nothing for the most sacred ideals of the people. He was not even interested in the ordinary business affairs of administration. His passion was hunting, and he sought power for self-gratification. The discipline and self-abnegation, the strong faith and earnest endeavour, the freedom and sense of social equality which had been the motive forces of Islam, were divorced from power. The throne at Damascus had become a worldly throne based on the most selfish ideas of personal and family aggrandisement, instead of a spiritual office, with a sense of God-given responsibility. The decay of morals spread among the people. There was one man who could stem the tide. That was Imam Husain. He, the grandson of the Prophet, could speak without fear, for fear was foreign to his nature. But his blameless and irreproachable life was in itself a reproach to those who had other standards. They sought to silence him, but he could not be silenced. They sought to bribe him, but he could not be bribed. They sought to waylay him and get him into their Power. What is more, they wanted him to recognise the tyranny and expressly to support it. For they knew that the conscience of the people might awaken at any time, and sweep them away unless the holy man supported their cause. The holy man was prepared to die rather than surrender the principles for which he stood.
Driven from city to city
Medina was the centre of Husain's teaching. They made Medina impossible for him. He left Medina and went to Mecca, hoping that he would be left alone. But he was not left alone. The Syrian forces invaded Mecca. The invasion was repelled, not by Husain but by other people. For Husain, though the bravest of the brave, had no army and no worldly weapons. His existence itself was an offence in the eyes of his enemies. His life was in danger, and the lives of all those nearest and dearest to him. He had friends everywhere, but they were afraid to speak out. They were not as brave as he was. But in distant Kufa, a party grew up which said: "We are disgusted with these events, and we must have Imam Husain to take asylum with us." So they sent and invited the Imam to leave Mecca, come to them, live in their midst, and be their honoured teacher and guide. His father's memory was held in reverence in Kufa. The Governor of Kufa was friendly, and the people eager to welcome him. But alas, Kufa had neither strength, nor courage, nor constancy. Kufa, geographically only 40 miles from Kerbela, was the occasion of the tragedy of Kerbela. And now Kufa is nearly gone, and Kerbela remains as the lasting memorial of the martyrdom.
Invitation from Kufa
When the Kufa invitation reached the Imam, he pondered over it, weighed its possibilities, and consulted his friends. He sent over his cousin Muslim to study the situation on the spot and report to him. The report was favourable, and he decided to go. He had a strong presentiment of danger. Many of his friends in Mecca advised him against it. But could he abandon his mission when Kufa was calling for it? Was he the man to be deterred, because his enemies were laying their plots for him, at Damascus and at Kufa? At least, it was suggested, he might leave his family behind. But his family and his immediate dependants would not hear of it. It was a united family, pre-eminent in the purity of its life and in its domestic virtues and domestic affections. If there was danger for its head, they would share it. The Imam was not going on a mere ceremonial visit. There was responsible work to do, and they must be by his side, to support him in spite of all its perils and consequences. Shallow critics scent political ambition in the Imam's act. But would a man with political ambitions march without an army against what might be called the enemy country, scheming to get him into its power, and prepared to use all their resources, military, political and financial, against him?
Journey through the desert
Imam Husain left Mecca for Kufa with all his family including his little children. Later news from Kufa itself was disconcerting. The friendly governor had been displaced by one prepared more ruthlessly to carry out Yazid's plans. If Husain was to go there at all, he must go there quickly, or his friends themselves would be in danger. On the other hand, Mecca itself was no less dangerous to him and his family. It was the month of September by the solar calendar, and no one would take a long desert journey in that heat, except under a sense of duty. By the lunar calendar it was the month of pilgrimage at Mecca. But he did not stop for the pilgrimage. He pushed on, with his family and dependants, in all numbering about 90 or 100 people, men, women and children. They must have gone by forced marches through the desert. They covered the 900 miles of the desert in little over three weeks. When they came within a few miles of Kufa, at the edge of the desert, they met people from Kufa. It was then that they heard of the terrible murder of Husain's cousin Muslim, who had been sent on in advance. A poet that came by dissuaded the Imam from going further. "For," he said epigramatically, "the heart of the city is with thee but its sword is with thine enemies, and the issue is with God." What was to be done? They were three weeks' journey from the city they had left. In the city to which they were going their own messenger had been foully murdered as well as his children. They did not know what the actual situation was then in Kufa. But they were determined not to desert their friends.
Call to Surrender or Die
Presently messengers came from Kufa, and Imam Husain was asked to surrender. Imam Husain offered to take one of three alternatives. He wanted no political power and no revenge. He said "I came to defend my own people. If I am too late, give me the choice of three alternatives: either to return to Mecca; or to face Yazid himself at Damascus; or if my very presence is distasteful to him and you, I do not wish to cause more divisions among the Muslims. Let me at least go to a distant frontier, where, if fighting must be done, I will fight against the enemies of Islam." Every one of these alternatives was refused. What they wanted was to destroy his life, or better still, to get him to surrender, to surrender to the very forces against which he was protesting, to declare his adherence to those who were defying the law of God and man, and to tolerate all the abuses which were bringing the name of Islam into disgrace. Of course he did not surrender. But what was he to do? He had no army. He had reasons to suppose that many of his friends from distant parts would rally round him, and come and defend him with their swords and bodies. But time was necessary, and he was not going to gain time by feigned compliance. He turned a little round to the left, the way that would have led him to Yazid himself, at Damascus. He camped in the plain of Kerbela.
Water cut off; Inflexible will, Devotion and Chivalry
For ten days messages passed backwards and forwards between Kerbela and Kufa. Kufa wanted surrender and recognition. That was the one thing the Imam could not consent to. Every other alternative was refused by Kufa, under the instructions from Damascus. Those fateful ten days were the first ten days of the month of Muharram, of the year 61 of the Hijra. The final crisis was on the 10th day, the Ashura day, which we are commemorating. During the first seven days various kinds of pressure were brought to bear on the Imam, but his will was inflexible. It was not a question of a fight, for there were but 70 men against 4,000. The little band was surrounded and insulted, but they held together so firmly that they could not be harmed. On the 8th day the water supply was cut off. The Euphrates and its abundant streams were within sight, but the way was barred. Prodigies of valour were performed in getting water. Challenges were made for single combat according to Arab custom. And the enemy were half-hearted, while the Imam's men fought in contempt of death, and always accounted for more men than they lost. On the evening of the 9th day, the little son of the Imam was ill. He had fever and was dying of thirst. They tried to get a drop of water. But that was refused point blank and so they made the resolve that they would, rather than surrender, die to the last man in the cause for which they had come. Imam Husain offered to send away his people. He said, "They are after my person; my family and my people can go back." But everyone refused to go. They said they would stand by him to the last, and they did. They were not cowards; they were soldiers born and bred; and they fought as heroes, with devotion and with chivalry.
The Final Agony; placid face of the man of God
On the day of Ashura, the 10th day, Imam Husain's own person was surrounded by his enemies. He was brave to the last. He was cruelly mutilated. His sacred head was cut off while in the act of prayer. A mad orgy of triumph was celebrated over his body. In this crisis we have details of what took place hour by hour. He had 45 wounds from the enemies' swords and javelins, and 35 arrows pierced his body. His left arm was cut off, and a javelin pierced through his breast. After all that agony, when his head was lifted up on a spear, his face was the placid face of a man of God. All the men of that gallant band were exterminated and their bodies trampled under foot by the horses. The only male survivor was a child, Husain's son Ali, surnamed Zain-ul-'Abidin - "The Glory of the Devout." He lived in retirement, studying, interpreting, and teaching his father's high spiritual principles for the rest of his life.
Heroism of the Women
There were women: for example, Zainab the sister of the Imam, Sakina his little daughter, and Shahr-i-Banu, his wife, at Kerbela. A great deal of poetic literature has sprung up in Muslim languages, describing the touching scenes in which they figure. Even in their grief and their tears they are heroic. They lament the tragedy in simple, loving, human terms. But they are also conscious of the noble dignity of their nearness to a life of truth reaching its goal in the precious crown of martyrdom. One of the best-known poets of this kind is the Urdu poet Anis, who lived in Lucknow, and died in 1874.
Lesson of the Tragedy
That briefly is the story. What is the lesson? There is of course the physical suffering in martyrdom, and all sorrow and suffering claim our sympathy, ---- the dearest, purest, most outflowing sympathy that we can give. But there is a greater suffering than physical suffering. That is when a valiant soul seems to stand against the world; when the noblest motives are reviled and mocked; when truth seems to suffer an eclipse. It may even seem that the martyr has but to say a word of compliance, do a little deed of non-resistance; and much sorrow and suffering would be saved; and the insidious whisper comes: "Truth after all can never die." That is perfectly true. Abstract truth can never die. It is independent of man's cognition. But the whole battle is for man's keeping hold of truth and righteousness. And that can only be done by the highest examples of man's conduct - spiritual striving and suffering enduring firmness of faith and purpose, patience and courage where ordinary mortals would give in or be cowed down, the sacrifice of ordinary motives to supreme truth in scorn of consequence. The martyr bears witness, and the witness redeems what would otherwise be called failure. It so happened with Husain. For all were touched by the story of his martyrdom, and it gave the deathblow to the politics of Damascus and all it stood for. And Muharram has still the power to unite the different schools of thought in Islam, and make a powerful appeal to non-Muslims also.
Explorers of Spiritual Territory
That, to my mind, is the supreme significance of martyrdom. All human history shows that the human spirit strives in many directions, deriving strength and sustenance from many sources. Our bodies, our physical powers, have developed or evolved from earlier forms, after many struggles and defeats. Our intellect has had its martyrs, and our great explorers have often gone forth with the martyrs' spirit. All honour to them. But the highest honour must still lie with the great explorers of spiritual territory, those who faced fearful odds and refused to surrender to evil. Rather than allow a stigma to attach to sacred things, they paid with their own lives the penalty of resistance. The first kind of resistance offered by the Imam was when he went from city to city, hunted about from place to place, but making no compromise with evil. Then was offered the choice of an effectual but dangerous attempt at clearing the house of God, or living at ease for himself by tacit abandonment of his striving friends. He chose the path of danger with duty and honour, and never swerved from it giving up his life freely and bravely. His story purifies our emotions. We can best honour his memory by allowing it to teach us courage and constancy.
The End
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Sufism (Arabic: تصوّف) taṣawwuf,(Persian: صوفی گری) also spelled as tasavvuf and tasavvof according to the Persian pronunciation, is generally understood to be the inner, mystical dimension of Islam.[1][2][3] A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a ṣūfī (صُوفِيّ), though some adherents of the tradition reserve this term only for those practitioners who have attained the goals of the Sufi tradition. Another name used for the Sufi seeker is Dervish.
Classical Sufi scholars have defined Sufism as "a science whose objective is the reparation of the heart and turning it away from all else but God."[4] Alternatively, in the words of the renowned Darqawi Sufi teacher Ahmad ibn Ajiba, "a science through which one can know how to travel into the presence of the Divine, purify one’s inner self from filth, and beautify it with a variety of praiseworthy traits."[5]
hile all Muslims believe that they are on the pathway to God and will become close to God in Paradise — after death and after the "Final Judgment" — Sufis also believe that it is possible to draw closer to God and to more fully embrace the Divine Presence in this life.[14] The chief aim of all Sufis is to seek the pleasing of God by working to restore within themselves the primordial state of fitra,[15] described in the Qur'an. In this state nothing one does defies God, and all is undertaken by the single motivation of love of God.Template:Fact=November 2009 A secondary consequence of this is that the seeker may be led to abandon all notions of dualism or multiplicity, including a conception of an individual self, and to realize the Divine Unity.Template:Fact=November 2009
Thus Sufism has been characterized[by whom?] as the science of the states of the lower self (the ego), and the way of purifying this lower self of its reprehensible traits, while adorning it instead with what is praiseworthy, whether or not this process of cleansing and purifying the heart is in time rewarded by esoteric knowledge of God. This can be conceived in terms of two basic types of law (fiqh), an outer law concerned with actions, and an inner law concerned with the human heart.[citation needed] The outer law consists of rules pertaining to worship, transactions, marriage, judicial rulings, and criminal law — what is often referred to, a bit too broadly, as shariah. The inner law of Sufism consists of rules about repentance from sin, the purging of contemptible qualities and evil traits of character, and adornment with virtues and good character.[16]
To enter the way of Sufism, the seeker begins by finding a teacher, as the connection to the teacher is considered necessary for the growth of the pupil. The teacher, to be genuine, must have received the authorization to teach (ijazah) of another Master of the Way, in an unbroken succession (silsilah) leading back to Sufism's origin with Muhammad. It is the transmission of the divine light from the teacher's heart to the heart of the student, rather than of worldly knowledge transmitted from mouth to ear, that allows the adept to progress. In addition, the genuine teacher will be utterly strict in his adherence to the Divine Law.[17]
Scholars and adherents of Sufism are unanimous in agreeing that Sufism cannot be learned through books.[dubious – discuss] To reach the highest levels of success in Sufism typically requires that the disciple live with and serve the teacher for many, many years.[citation needed] For instance, Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari, considered founder of the Naqshbandi Order, served his first teacher, Sayyid Muhammad Baba As-Samasi, for 20 years, until as-Samasi died. He subsequently served several other teachers for lengthy periods of time. The extreme arduousness of his spiritual preparation is illustrated by his service, as directed by his teacher, to the weak and needy members of his community in a state of complete humility and tolerance for many years. When he believed this mission to be concluded, his teacher next directed him to care for animals, curing their sicknesses, cleaning their wounds, and assisting them in finding provision. After many years of this he was next instructed to spend many years in the care of dogs in a state of humility, and to ask them for support.[18]
As a further example, the prospective adherent of the Mevlevi Order would have been ordered to serve in the kitchens of a hospice for the poor for 1,001 days prior to being accepted for spiritual instruction, and a further 1,001 days in solitary retreat as a precondition of completing that instruction.[19]
Some teachers, especially when addressing more general audiences, or mixed groups of Muslims and non-Muslims, make extensive use of parable, allegory, and metaphor.[20] Although approaches to teaching vary among different Sufi orders, Sufism as a whole is primarily concerned with direct personal experience, and as such has sometimes been compared to other, non-Islamic forms of mysticism (e.g., as in the books of Seyyed Hossein Nasr).
Sufism, which is a general term for Muslim mysticism, sprang up largely in reaction against the worldliness which infected Islam when its leaders became the powerful and wealthy rulers of multitudes of people and were influenced by foreign cultures. Harun al-Rashid, eating off gold and silver, toying with a harem of scented beauties, surrounded by an impenetrable retinue of officials, eunuchs and slaves, was a far cry from the stern simplicity of an Umar, who lived in the modest house, wore patched clothes and could be approached by any of his followers.[21][neutrality disputed]
The typical early Sufi lived in a cell of a mosque and taught a small band of disciples. The extent to which Sufism was influenced by Buddhist and Hindu mysticism, and by the example of Christian hermits and monks, is disputed, but self-discipline and concentration on God quickly led to the belief that by quelling the self and through loving ardour for God it was possible to maintain a union with the divine in which the human self melted away.[21]
During the primary stages of Sufism, Sufis were characterised by their particular attachment to dhikr "remembrance [of God]" and asceticism. Sufism arose among a number of Muslims as a reaction against the worldliness of the early Umayyad Caliphate (661-750 CE[6]). The Sufi movement has spanned several continents and cultures over a millennium, at first expressed through Arabic, then through Persian, Turkish and a dozen other languages.[7] ṭuruq "Orders", which are either Sunnī or Shī‘ī in doctrine, mostly trace their origins from the Islamic Prophet Muhammad through his cousin ‘Alī, with the notable exception of the Naqshbandi who trace their origins through the first Caliph, Abu Bakr.[8]
According to Idries Shah, the Sufi philosophy is universal in nature, its roots predating the arising of Islam and the other modern-day religions; likewise, some Muslims[who?] feel that Sufism is outside the sphere of Islam,[1][9][10] although generally scholars of Islam contend that it is simply the name for the inner or esoteric dimension of Islam.[1]
The lexical root of Sufi is variously traced to صُوف ṣūf "wool", referring either to the simple cloaks the early Muslim ascetics wore, or possibly to صَفا ṣafā "purity". The two were combined by al-Rudhabari who said, "The Sufi is the one who wears wool on top of purity."[11] The wool cloaks were sometimes a designation of their initiation into the Sufi order. The early Sufi orders considered the wearing of this coat an imitation of Jesus. Sufism is known as "Islamic Mysticism," in which Muslims seek to find divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of God.[12] Mysticism is defined as the experience of mystical union or direct communion with ultimate reality, and the belief that direct knowledge of God, spiritual truth, or ultimate reality can be attained through subjective experience (as intuition or insight).[13]
Others[who?] suggest the origin of the word ṣufi is from Aṣhab aṣ-ṣuffa "Companions of the Porch", who were a group of impoverished Muslims during the time of Muhammad who spent much of their time on the veranda of Al-Masjid al-Nabawi, devoted to prayer and eager to memorize each new increment of the Qur'an as it was revealed. Yet another etymology, advanced by the 10th century Persian historian Abū Rayhān al-Bīrūnī is that the word is linked with Greek word sophia "wisdom".
Bayazid Tayfur al-Bistami
Bayazid is considered to be "of the six bright stars in the firmament of the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam)",[22] and a link in the Golden Chain of the Naqshibandi Tariqah. Bayazid al-Bistami was the first one to spread the reality of Annihilation (Fana'), whereby the Mystic becomes fully absorbed to the point of becoming unaware of himself or the objects around him. Every existing thing seems to vanish, and he feels free of every barrier that could stand in the way of his viewing the Remembered One. In one of these states, Bayazid cried out: "Praise to Me, for My greatest Glory!" Bistami's belief in the Unity of all religions became apparent when asked the question: "How does Islam view other religions?" His reply was "All are vehicles and a path to God's Divine Presence." From a young age, he left his mother stating to her that he could not serve Allah and his mother at the same time.[23]
[edit] Ibn Arabi
Muhyiddin Muhammad b. 'Ali [Ibn 'Arabi][1] (or Ibn al-'Arabi) is considered to be one of the most important Sufi masters, although he never founded any order (tariqa). His writings, especially al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya and Fusus al-hikam, have been studied within all the Sufi orders as the clearest expression of tawhid (Divine Unity), though because of their recondite nature they were often only given to initiates. Later those who followed his teaching became known as the school of wahdat al-wujud (the Oneness of Being). He himself considered his writings to have been divinely inspired. As he expressed the Way to one of his close disciples, his legacy is that 'you should never ever abandon your servanthood ('ubudiyya), and that there may never be in your soul a longing for any existing thing'[24]. The following quotations give a flavour of his teaching: 'Whoever witnesses without ceasing what he was created for, in both this world and the next, is the Perfect Servant, the intended goal of the cosmos, the deputy of the whole cosmos'[25]. 'The self is an ocean without a shore. There is no end to the contemplation of it in this world or the next'[26]. 'God seeks from you your heart and gives to you all that you are. So purify and cleanse it [the heart] through presence, wakefulness and reverential fear'[27].
[edit] Junayd
Junayd al-Baghdadi (830-910 AD) was one of the great early Sufis and is a central figure in the golden chain of many Sufi orders. He laid the groundwork for sober mysticism in contrast to that of God-intoxicated Sufis like al-Hallaj, Bayazid Bastami and Abusaeid Abolkheir. In the process of trial* of al-Hallaj, his former disciple, Caliph of the time demanded his fatwa and he issued this fatwa: "From the outward appearance he is to die and we judge according to the outward appearance and God knows better". He is referred to by the Sufis as Sayyid-ut Taifa i.e. the leader of the group. He lived and died in the city of Baghdad.
* The utterances of Arabic: أنا الحق Anā l-Ḥaqq "I am The Truth," by Mansur Al-Hallaj led to a long trial, and his subsequent imprisonment for 11 years in a Baghdad prison. He was tortured and publicly crucified on March 26, 922.
[edit] Mansur al-Hallaj
Mansur al-Hallaj is renowned for his claim "Ana-l-Haq" (I am the Truth), for which he was executed for apostasy. He is still revered by Sufis for his forthrightness. It is also said that during his prayers, he would say "O Lord! You are the guide of those who are passing through the Valley of Bewilderment. If I am a heretic, enlarge my heresy." [28]
[edit] History of Sufism
Main article: History of Sufism
[edit] Origins
In its early stages of development Sufism effectively referred to nothing more than the internalization of Islam.[29] According to one perspective, it is directly from the Qur’an, constantly recited, meditated, and experienced, that Sufism proceeded, in its origin and its development.[30] Others have held that Sufism is the strict emulation of the way of Muhammad, through which the heart's connection to the Divine is strengthened.[31]
From the traditional Sufi point of view, the esoteric teachings of Sufism were transmitted from Muhammad to those who had the capacity to acquire the direct experiential gnosis of God, which was passed on from teacher to student through the centuries. Some of this transmission is summarized in texts, but most is not. Important contributions in writing are attributed to Uwais al-Qarni, Harrm bin Hian, Hasan Basri and Sayid ibn al-Mussib, who are regarded as the first Sufis in the earliest generations of Islam. Harith al-Muhasibi was the first one to write about moral psychology. Rabia Basri was a Sufi known for her love and passion for God, expressed through her poetry. Bayazid Bastami was among the first theorists of Sufism; he concerned himself with fanā and baqā, the state of annihilating the self in the presence of the divine, accompanied by clarity concerning worldly phenomena derived from that perspective.[32]
Sufism had a long history already before the subsequent institutionalization of Sufi teachings into devotional orders (tarîqât) in the early Middle Ages.[33] Almost all extant Sufi orders trace their chains of transmission (silsila) back to Muhammad via his cousin and son-in-law Ali. The Naqshbandi order is a notable exception to this rule, as it traces the origin of its teachings from Muhammad to the first Islamic Caliph Abu Bakr.[8]
Different devotional styles and traditions developed over time, reflecting the perspectives of different masters and the accumulated cultural wisdom of the orders. Typically all of these concerned themselves with the understanding of subtle knowledge (gnosis), education of the heart to purify it of baser instincts, the love of God, and approaching God through a well-described hierarchy of enduring spiritual stations (maqâmât) and more transient spiritual states (ahwâl).
Towards the end of the first millennium CE, a number of manuals began to be written summarizing the doctrines of Sufism and describing some typical Sufi practices. Two of the most famous of these are now available in English translation: the Kashf al-Mahjûb of Hujwiri, and the Risâla of Qushayri.[34]
Two of Imam Al Ghazali's greatest treatises, the "Revival of Religious Sciences" and the "Alchemy of Happiness," argued that Sufism originated from the Qur'an and was thus compatible with mainstream Islamic thought, and did not in any way contradict Islamic Law — being instead necessary to its complete fulfillment. This became the mainstream position among Islamic scholars for centuries, challenged only recently on the basis of selective use of a limited body of texts. Ongoing efforts by both traditionally-trained Muslim scholars and Western academics are making Imam Al-Ghazali's works available in English translation for the first time,[35] allowing readers to judge for themselves the compatibility between Islamic Law and Sufi doctrine.
The spread of Sufism has been considered a definitive factor in the spread of Islam, and in the creation of integrally Islamic cultures, especially in Africa[36] and Asia. Recent academic work on these topics has focused on the role of Sufism in creating and propagating the culture of the Ottoman world,[37] and in resisting European imperialism in Africa and South Asia.[38]
Between the 13th and 16th centuries CE, Sufism produced a flourishing intellectual culture throughout the Islamic world, a sort of "Golden Age" whose physical artifacts are still present. In many places, a lodge (known variously as a zaouia, khanqah, or tekke) would be endowed through a pious foundation in perpetuity (waqf) to provide a gathering place for Sufi adepts, as well as lodging for itinerant seekers of knowledge. The same system of endowments could also be used to pay for a complex of buildings, such as that surrounding the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, including a lodge for Sufi seekers, a hospice with kitchens where these seekers could serve the poor and/or complete a period of initiation, a library, and other structures. No important domain in the civilization of Islam remained unaffected by Sufism in this period.[39]
[edit] Contemporary Sufism
Sufism suffered many setbacks in the modern era, particularly (though not exclusively) at the hands of European imperialists in the colonized nations of Asia and Africa. The life of the Algerian Sufi master Emir Abd al-Qadir is instructive in this regard.[40] Notable as well are the lives of Amadou Bamba and Hajj Umar Tall in sub-Saharan Africa, and Sheikh Mansur Ushurma and Imam Shamilin the Caucasus region. In the twentieth century some more modernist Muslims have called Sufism a superstitious religion that holds back Islamic achievement in the fields of science and technology. [41]
In spite of this recent history of official repression, there remain many places in the world with vital Sufi traditions. Sufism is popular in such African countries as Senegal, where it is seen as a mystical expression of Islam.[42] Mbacke suggests that one reason Sufism has taken hold in Senegal is because it can accommodate local beliefs and customs, which tend toward the mystical.[43]
In South Asia, four major Sufi orders persist, namely the Chishti Order, the Qadiriyyah, the Naqshbandiyya, and the Suhrawardiyya. The Barelwis and Deobandis are significant Islamic movements in this region whose followers often belong to one of these orders.[44]
For a more complete summary of currently active groups and teachers, readers are referred to links in the site of Dr. Alan Godlas of the University of Georgia.[45][46]
A number of Westerners have embarked with varying degrees of success on the path of Sufism. One of the first to return to Europe as an official representative of a Sufi path, and with the specific purpose to spread Sufism in Western Europe, was the Swedish-born wandering Sufi Abd al-Hadi Aqhili (also known as Ivan Aguéli). The ideas propagated by such spiritualists may or may not conform to the tenets of Sufism as understood by orthodox Muslims, as for instance with G. I. Gurdjieff and Shawni. On the other hand, American- and British-born teachers such as Nuh Ha Mim Keller, Hamza Yusuf, and Abdal Hakim Murad have been instrumental in spreading messages that conform fully with the normative tenets of Islam.
Other noteworthy Sufi teachers who have been active in the West in recent years include Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, Nader Angha, Inayat Khan, Nazim al-Qubrusi, Javad Nurbakhsh, Bulent Rauf[2]and Muzaffer Ozak.
[edit] Theoretical perspectives in Sufism
Traditional Islamic scholars have recognized two major branches within the practice of Sufism, and use this as one key to differentiating among the approaches of different masters and devotional lineages.[47]
On the one hand there is the path from the signs to the Signifier (or from the arts to the Artisan). In this branch, the seeker begins by purifying the lower self of every corrupting influence that stands in the way of recognizing all of creation as the work of God, as God's active Self-disclosure or theophany.[48] This is the way of Imam Al-Ghazali and of the majority of the Sufi orders.
On the other hand there is the path from the Signifier to His signs, from the Artisan to His works. In this branch the seeker experiences divine attraction (jadhba), and is able to enter the path with a glimpse of its endpoint, of direct apprehension of the Divine Presence towards which all spiritual striving is directed. This does not replace the striving to purify the heart, as in the other branch; it simply stems from a different point of entry into the path. This is the way primarily of the masters of the Naqshbandi and Shadhili orders.[49]
Contemporary scholars may also recognize a third branch, attributed to the late Ottoman scholar Said Nursi and explicated in his vast Qur'ân commentary called the Risale-i Nur. This approach entails strict adherence to the way of Muhammad, in the understanding that this wont, or sunnah, proposes a complete devotional spirituality adequate to those without access to a master of the Sufi way.[50]
[edit] Contributions to other domains of scholarship
Sufism has contributed significantly to the elaboration of theoretical perspectives in many domains of intellectual endeavor. For instance, the doctrine of "subtle centers" or centers of subtle cognition (known as Lataif-e-sitta) addresses the matter of the awakening of spiritual intuition[51] in ways that some consider similar to certain models of chakra in Hinduism. In general, these subtle centers or latâ'if are thought of as faculties that are to be purified sequentially in order to bring the seeker's wayfaring to completion. A concise and useful summary of this system from a living exponent of this tradition has been published by Muhammad Emin Er.[47]
Sufi psychology has influenced many areas of thinking both within and outside of Islam, drawing primarily upon three concepts. Ja'far al-Sadiq (both an imam in the Shia tradition and a respected scholar and link in chains of Sufi transmission in all Islamic sects) held that human beings are dominated by a lower self called the nafs, a faculty of spiritual intuition called the qalb or spiritual heart, and a spirit or soul called ruh. These interact in various ways, producing the spiritual types of the tyrant (dominated by nafs), the person of faith and moderation (dominated by the spiritual heart), and the person lost in love for God (dominated by the ruh).[52]
Of note with regard to the spread of Sufi psychology in the West is Robert Frager, a Sufi teacher authorized in the Halveti Jerrahi order. Frager was a trained psychologist, born in the United States, who converted to Islam in the course of his practice of Sufism and wrote extensively on Sufism and psychology.[53]
Sufi cosmology and Sufi metaphysics are also noteworthy areas of intellectual accomplishment.
[edit] Sufi practices
The devotional practices of Sufis vary widely. This is because an acknowledged and authorized master of the Sufi path is in effect a physician of the heart, able to diagnose the seeker's impediments to knowledge and pure intention in serving God, and to prescribe to the seeker a course of treatment appropriate to his or her maladies. The consensus among Sufi scholars is that the seeker cannot self-diagnose, and that it can be extremely harmful to undertake any of these practices alone and without formal authorization.[54]
Prerequisites to practice include rigorous adherence to Islamic norms (ritual prayer in its five prescribed times each day, the fast of Ramadan, and so forth). Additionally, the seeker ought to be firmly grounded in supererogatory practices known from the life of Muhammad (such as the "sunna prayers"). This is in accordance with the words, attributed to God, of the following, a famous Hadith Qudsi:
My servant draws near to Me through nothing I love more than that which I have made obligatory for him. My servant never ceases drawing near to Me through supererogatory works until I love him. Then, when I love him, I am his hearing through which he hears, his sight through which he sees, his hand through which he grasps, and his foot through which he walks.
It is also necessary for the seeker to have a correct creed (Aqidah),[55] and to embrace with certainty its tenets.[56] The seeker must also, of necessity, turn away from sins, love of this world, the love of company and renown, obedience to satanic impulse, and the promptings of the lower self. (The way in which this purification of the heart is achieved is outlined in certain books, but must be prescribed in detail by a Sufi master.) The seeker must also be trained to prevent the corruption of those good deeds which have accrued to his or her credit by overcoming the traps of ostentation, pride, arrogance, envy, and long hopes (meaning the hope for a long life allowing us to mend our ways later, rather than immediately, here and now).
Sufi practices, while attractive to some, are not a means for gaining knowledge. The traditional scholars of Sufism hold it as absolutely axiomatic that knowledge of God is not a psychological state generated through breath control. Thus, practice of "techniques" is not the cause, but instead the occasion for such knowledge to be obtained (if at all), given proper prerequisites and proper guidance by a master of the way. Furthermore, the emphasis on practices may obscure a far more important fact: The seeker is, in a sense, to become a broken person, stripped of all habits through the practice of (in the words of Imam Al-Ghazali words) solitude, silence, sleeplessness, and hunger.[57]
[edit] Dhikr
Main article: Dhikr
Allah as having been written on the disciple's heart according to Qadiri Al-Muntahi order
Dhikr is the remembrance of God commanded in the Qur'an for all Muslims through a specific devotional act, such as the repetition of divine names, supplications and aphorisms from hadith literature and the Qur'an. More generally, dhikr is any activity in which the Muslim maintains awareness of God.. To engage in dhikr is to practice consciousness of the Divine Presence and love, or "to seek a state of godwariness". Some types of dhikr are prescribed for all Muslims, and do not require Sufi initiation or the prescription of a Sufi master because they are deemed to be good for every seeker under every circumstance.[58]
Some Sufi orders engage in ritualized dhikr ceremonies, or sema. Sema includes various forms of worship such as: recitation, singing (the most well known being the Qawwali music of the Indian sub-continent), instrumental music, dance (most famously the Sufi whirling of the Mevlevi order), incense, meditation, ecstasy, and trance.[59]
Some Sufi orders stress and place extensive reliance upon Dhikr, and likewise in Qadri Al-Muntahi Sufi tariqa, which was originated by Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi. This practice of Dhikr is called Dhikr-e-Qulb (remembrance of Allah by Heartbeats). The basic idea in this practice is to visualize the Arabic name of God, Allah, as having been written on the disciple's heart.[60]
[edit] Muraqaba
Main article: Muraqaba
The practice of muraqaba can be likened to the practices of meditation attested in many faith communities. The word muraqaba is derived from the same root (r-q-b) occurring as one of the 99 Names of God in the Qur'an, al-Raqîb, meaning "the Vigilant" and attested in verse 4: 1 of the Qur'an. Through muraqaba, a person watches over or takes care of the spiritual heart, acquires knowledge about it, and becomes attuned to the Divine Presence, which is ever vigilant.
While variation exists, one description of the practice within a Naqshbandi lineage reads as follows:
He is to collect all of his bodily senses in concentration, and to cut himself off from all preoccupation and notions that inflict themselves upon the heart. And thus he is to turn his full consciousness towards God Most High while saying three times: “Ilahî anta maqsûdî wa-ridâka matlûbî — my God, you are my Goal and Your good pleasure is what I seek.” Then he brings to his heart the Name of the Essence — Allâh — and as it courses through his heart he remains attentive to its meaning, which is “Essence without likeness.” The seeker remains aware that He is Present, Watchful, Encompassing of all, thereby exemplifying the meaning of his saying (may God bless him and grant him peace): “Worship God as though you see Him, for if you do not see Him, He sees you.” And likewise the prophetic tradition: “The most favored level of faith is to know that God is witness over you, wherever you may be.”[61]
[edit] Sufi pilgrimages
The Darbar-e-Gohar Shahi Tomb in Kotri Sharif.
In popular Sufism (i.e., devotional practices that have achieved currency in world cultures through Sufi influence), one common practice is to visit the tombs of saints, great scholars, and righteous people. This is a particularly common practice in South Asia, where famous tombs include those of Khoja Afāq, near Kashgar, in China; Sachal Sarmast, in Sindh, Pakistan; and the Darbar-e-Gohar Shahi in Kotri Sharif. Likewise, in Fez, Morocco, a popular destination for such pious visitation is the Zaouia Moulay Idriss II and the yearly visitation to see the current Sheikh of the Qadiri Boutchichi Tariqah, Sheikh Sidi Hamza al Qadiri al Boutchichi to celebrate the Mawlid (which is usually televised on Mocorran National television).
Visitors may invoke blessings upon those interred, and seek divine favor and proximity.
[edit] Islam and Sufism
[edit] Sufism and Islamic law
Tomb of Shaikh Salim Chisti, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Scholars and adherents of Sufism sometimes describe Sufism in terms of a threefold approach to God as explained by a tradition (hadîth) attributed to Muhammad,"The Shariah is my words, the tariqa is my actions, and the haqiqa is my interior states". Sufis believe the shariah, tariqa and haqiqa are mutually interdependent.[62] The tariqa, the ‘path’ on which the mystics walk, has been defined as ‘the path which comes out of the Shariah, for the main road is called shar, the path, tariq.’ No mystical experience can be realized if the binding injunctions of the Shariah are not followed faithfully first. The path, tariqa, however, is narrower and more difficult to walk. It leads the adept, called sâlik (wayfarer), in his sulûk (wayfaring), through different stations (maqâmât) until he reaches his goal, the perfect tawhîd, the existential confession that God is One.[63] Jalaluddin Ar Rumi, the initiator of the Mavlevi Tariqah, spoke of the Shariah and Sufism in such terms, " To be a real Sufi, is to be to Muhammad, salalahu alaihy wasallam, just as Abu Bakr was to him, peace be upon him." Shaykh al-Akbar Muhiuddeen Ibn Arabi mentions," When we see someone in this Community who claims to be able to guide others to Allah, but is remiss in but one rule of the Sacred Law - even if he manifests miracles that stagger the mind - asserting that his shortcoming is a special dispensation for him, we do not even turn to look at him, for such a person is not a sheikh, nor is he speaking the truth, for no one is entrusted with the secrets of Allah Most High save one in whom the ordinances of the Sacred Law are preserved. (Jami' karamat al-awliya')" [64]
[edit] Traditional Islamic thought and Sufism
The literature of Sufism emphasizes highly subjective matters that resist outside observation, such as the subtle states of the heart. Often these resist direct reference or description, with the consequence that the authors of various Sufi treatises took recourse to allegorical language. For instance, much Sufi poetry refers to intoxication, which Islam expressly forbids. This usage of indirect language and the existence of interpretations by people who had no training in Islam or Sufism led to doubts being cast over the validity of Sufism as a part of Islam. Also, some groups emerged that considered themselves above the Sharia and discussed Sufism as a method of bypassing the rules of Islam in order to attain salvation directly. This was disapproved of by traditional scholars.
For these and other reasons, the relationship between traditional Islamic scholars and Sufism is complex and a range of scholarly opinion on Sufism in Islam has been the norm. Some scholars, such as Al-Ghazali, helped its propagation while other scholars opposed it. W. Chittick explains the position of Sufism and Sufis this way:
In short, Muslim scholars who focused their energies on understanding the normative guidelines for the body came to be known as jurists, and those who held that the most important task was to train the mind in achieving correct understanding came to be divided into three main schools of thought: theology, philosophy, and Sufism. This leaves us with the third domain of human existence, the spirit. Most Muslims who devoted their major efforts to developing the spiritual dimensions of the human person came to be known as Sufis.
[edit] Traditional and non-traditional Sufi groups
The mausoleum (gongbei) of Ma Laichi in Linxia City, China.
The traditional Sufi orders, which are in majority, emphasize the role of Sufism as a spiritual discipline within Islam. Therefore, the Sharia (traditional Islamic law) and the Sunnah are seen as crucial for any Sufi aspirant. One proof traditional orders assert is that almost all the famous Sufi masters of the past Caliphates were experts in Sharia and were renowned as people with great Iman (faith) and excellent practice. Many were also Qadis (Sharia law judges) in courts. They held that Sufism was never distinct from Islam and to fully comprehend and practice Sufism one must be an observant Muslim.
There is some speculation that some Sufi orders in India might have become influenced by other traditions after the translation of Greek philosophical works into Arabic during the third Islamic century. Sharda highlights these unsurprising similarities by stating that: "After the fall of Muslim orthodoxy from power at the centre of India for about a century, due to the invasion of Timur, the Sufi became free from the control of the Muslim orthodoxy and consorted with Hindu saints, who influenced them to an amazing extent. The Sufi adopted Monism and wifely devotion from the Vaishnava Vedantic school and Bhakti and Yogic practices from the Vaishnava Vedantic school. By that time, the popularity of the Vedantic pantheism among the Sufis had reached its zenith."[65]
In recent decades there has been a growth of non-traditional Sufi movements in the West. Examples include the Universal Sufism movement, the Golden Sufi Center, the Sufi Foundation of America, the neo-sufism of Idries Shah, Sufism Reoriented and the International Association of Sufism. Rumi has become one of the most widely read poets in the United States, thanks largely to the translations published by Coleman Barks.
[edit] Islamic positions on non-Islamic Sufi groups
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The use of the title Sufi by non-traditional groups to refer to themselves, and their appropriation of traditional Sufi masters (most notably Jalaluddin Rumi) as sources of authority or inspiration, is not accepted by some Muslims who are Sufi adherents.
Many of the great Sufi masters of the present and the past instruct that: one needs the form of the religious practices and the outer dimension of the religion to fulfill the goals of the inner dimension of Sufism (Proximity to God). The exoteric practices prescribed by God contain inner meanings and provide the means for transformation with the proper spiritual guidance of a master. It is thought that through the forms of the ritual and prescribed Islamic practices (prayer, pilgrimage, fasting, charity and affirmation of Divine Unity) the soul may be purified and one may then begin to embark on the mystical quest. In fact it is considered psychologically dangerous by some Sufi masters to participate in Sufi practices, such as "dhikr", without adhering to the outer aspects of the religion which add spiritual balance and grounding to the practice.
Some traditional Sufis also object to interpretations of classical Sufis texts by writers who have no grounding in the traditional Islamic sciences and therefore no prerequisites for understanding such texts. These are considered by certain conventional Islamic scholars as beyond the pale of the religion.[66] This being said, there are Islamic Sufi groups that are open to non-Muslim participation.
[edit] Reception
[edit] Perception outside Islam
Sufi mysticism has long exercised a fascination upon the Western world, and especially its orientalist scholars.[67] Figures like Rumi have become household names in the United States, where Sufism is perceived as quietist and less political.[67]
The Islamic Institute in Mannheim, Germany, which works towards the integration of Europe and Muslims, sees Sufism as particularly suited for interreligious dialogue and intercultural harmonisation in democratic and pluralist societies; it has described Sufism as a symbol of tolerance and humanism – undogmatic, flexible and non-violent.[68]
[edit] The Influence of Sufism on Judaism
A great influence was exercised by Sufism upon the ethical writings of Jews in the Middle Ages. In the first writing of this kind, we see "Kitab al-Hidayah ila Fara'iḍ al-Ḳulub", Duties of the Heart, of Bahya ibn Pakuda. This book was translated by Judah ibn Tibbon into Hebrew under the title "Ḥovot ha-Levavot".[69]
The precepts prescribed by the Torah number 613 only; those dictated by the intellect are innumerable.
This was precisely the argument used by the Sufis against their adversaries, the Ulamas. The arrangement of the book seems to have been inspired by Sufism. Its ten sections correspond to the ten stages through which the Sufi had to pass in order to attain that true and passionate love of God which is the aim and goal of all ethical self-discipline.
It is noteworthy that in the ethical writings of the Sufis Al-Kusajri and Al-Harawi there are sections which treat of the same subjects as those treated in the "Ḥobot ha-Lebabot" and which bear the same titles: e.g., "Bab al-Tawakkul"; "Bab al-Taubah"; "Bab al-Muḥasabah"; "Bab al-Tawaḍu'"; "Bab al-Zuhd". In the ninth gate, Baḥya directly quotes sayings of the Sufis, whom he calls Perushim. However, the author of the Ḥovot ha-Levavot did not go so far as to approve of the asceticism of the Sufis, although he showed a marked predilection for their ethical principles.
The Jewish writer Abraham bar Ḥiyya teaches the asceticism of the Sufis. His distinction with regard to the observance of Jewish law by various classes of men is essentially a Sufic theory. According to it there are four principal degrees of human perfection or sanctity; namely:
(1) of "Shari'ah," i.e., of strict obedience to all ritual laws of Islam, such as prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, almsgiving, ablution, etc., which is the lowest degree of worship, and is attainable by all
(2) of Ṭariqah, which is accessible only to a higher class of men who, while strictly adhering to the outward or ceremonial injunctions of religion, rise to an inward perception of mental power and virtue necessary for the nearer approach to the Divinity
(3) of "Ḥaḳikah," the degree attained by those who, through continuous contemplation and inward devotion, have risen to the true perception of the nature of the visible and invisible; who, in fact, have recognized the Godhead, and through this knowledge have succeeded in establishing an ecstatic relation to it; and
(4) of the "Ma'arifah," in which state man communicates directly with the Deity.
[edit] In popular culture
[edit] In movies
The movie Bab´Aziz (2005) directed by Nacer Khemir tells the story of an old and blind dervish who must cross the desert with his little granddaughter during many days and nights to get to his last dervish reunion celebrated every 30 years. The movie is full of Sufi mysticism and even contain quotes of Rumi and other sufi poets and shows an ecstatic sufi dance. In Monsieur Ibrahim Omar Sherrif's character professes to be a Muslim in the sufi tradition.
[edit] In music
Madonna, on her 1994 record Bedtime Stories sings a song called "Bedtime Story" that discusses achieving a high unconsciousness level. The video for the song shows an ecstatic Sufi ritual with many dervishes dancing, Arabic calligraphy and some other Sufi elements. In her 1998 song Bittersweet, she recites Rumi´s poem by the same name. In her 2001 Drowned World Tour, Madonna sang the song Secret showing rituals from many religions, including a Sufi dance.
Singer/songwritter Loreena McKennitt, on her record The Mask And Mirror (1994), has a song called The Mystic's Dream, influenced by Sufi music and poetry. The band, MewithoutYou, has made references to Sufi parables, including the name of their upcoming album It’s all crazy! It’s all false! It’s all a dream! It’s alright (2009). Lead singer, Aaron Weiss, claims this influence comes from his parents, who are both Sufi converts.
A.R. Rahman scored a Sufi Qawwali, Khwaja Mere Khwaja, in the Bollywood film Jodhaa Akbar.
Junoon, a band from Pakistan, is famous for creating the genre of Sufi rock by combining elements of modern hard rock and traditional folk music with Sufi poetry.
[edit] See also
A hypnopompic state (or hypnopomp) is the state of consciousness leading out of sleep, a term coined by the psychical researcher Frederic Myers. Its twin is the hypnagogic state at sleep onset; though often conflated, the two states are not identical. The hypnagogic state is rational waking cognition trying to make sense of non-linear images and associations; the hypnopompic state is emotional and credulous dreaming cognition trying to make sense of real world stolidity. They have a different phenomenological character. Depressed frontal lobe function in the first few minutes after waking – known as "sleep inertia" – causes slowed reaction time and impaired short-term memory. Sleepers often wake confused, or speak without making sense, a phenomenon the psychologist Peter McKeller calls "hypnopompic speech". When the awakening occurs out of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, in which most dreams occur, the hypnopompic state is sometimes accompanied by lingering vivid imagery. Some of the creative insights attributed to dreams actually happen in this moment of awakening from REM.
After a vehicle ran a red light in the 6800 block of Platt Ave in West Hills, it collided with a truck driven by a 79-year-old, Mr. Dennis Platt. Mr Platt was ejected from his truck onto the asphalt with such force, he suffered severe head trauma, countless fractures, and went into cardiac arrest.
At this very moment, LAFD Fire Cadet Leo Kaufman was driving by and witnessed the accident. Leo instinctively pull over and jumped out of his vehicle into a chaotic scene. He quickly evaluated his surroundings and noticed a crowd standing around a patient that was face down, bloody, and severely injured. Bystanders stood by in shock, not knowing what to do. It was clear to Leo that if no action was taken, the patient would not survive.
Fortunately, Leo knew exactly what to do thanks to his LAFD Cadet Program CPR training. He relied on his training and rolled the trauma patient onto his back, initiating life-saving CPR. Despite some vocal people in the crowd second guessing his actions and contradicting his life-saving efforts, Cadet Kaufman worked relentlessly, performing chest compressions and circulating oxygen to the brain and heart of Mr. Platt. He did not know if his actions were going to be effective but he did know it was the only way to give this patient a chance at life.
Meanwhile, your LAFD firefighters were rushing to this scene with lights and sirens. As elite medical professionals they immediately rendered scene-safety, took over medical aid, quickly triaged, treated, and transported the patient to Kaiser hospital where a team of skilled healthcare workers took over.
Mr. Platt sustained very serious injuries which are too gruesome to share in detail but it was clear, his prognosis was not promising. Mr. Platt and his wife were told he should expect to be a quadriplegic, reliant on a wheelchair for the rest of his life. However, he regained full cognition (with mild memory loss) and is able to walk assisted (mechanical and human). His incredible rehabilitation and recovery at Kaiser Hospital is a story for another time.
This incident serves as a powerful example of the importance of Bystander CPR and the Chain of Survival. The "Chain of Survival" is a metaphor used to educate the public about their vital role in helping victims of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).
The six steps in the chain of events that must occur in rapid succession to maximize the chances of survival from SCA are reliant on bystanders helping. Recognizing SCA, Calling 9-1-1 and Starting CPR are the first three steps and Cadet Kaufman's efforts to ensure all three were implemented gave Mr Platt his chance. The arrival of Your LAFD firefighter/paramedics ensured the remaining steps in the Chain of Survival were expediated, delivering Mr Platt into the skilled hands of the Kaiser Hospital staff.
Cadet Leo Kaufman, a 17-year-old young man, valiantly did what he was trained to do when it mattered most, and he did it extremely well!
Today, Your LAFD Fire Chief Kristen Crowley, with Mr and Mrs Platt, the LAFD crews on scene and Kaiser Hospital members present, was honored to present him with a Certificate of Appreciation which reads as follows:
" Leo J. Kaufman, LAFD Cadet. In recognition of your heroic courage and immediate assistance in saving a man's life during a cardiac arrest emergency on July 26, 2021, in the West Hills Community. The Los Angeles City Fire Department commends your extraordinary life-saving efforts of a citizen of the City of Los Angeles. Presented this 9th Day of August, 2022"
We hope reading about the actions of Cadet Leo Kaufman encourages you to Learn CPR because you could be the difference between life and death for someone needing help as desperately as Mr Platt did that fateful day
© Photo by Brandon Taylor
LAFD Event: 080922
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Article Courtesy
www.al-islam.org/short/martyrdom/
The Ahlul Bayt Digital Islamic Library Project team presents
Imam Husain And His Martyrdom
By Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Renowned English translator and commentator of the Holy Qur'an
(Progressive Islam Pamphlet No. 7, September, 1931)
Introduction:
The month of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, brings with it the memory of the sacrifice of Imam Husayn [a], the grandson of Prophet Muhammad [s], and his noble family and friends. This short text reflects the deep admiration of its author towards Imam Husayn [a] and an insight into the tragedy of Karbala, its reasons and its consequences. It is presented with the hope that it will foster the Islamic unity and the brotherly love that the author seeks in his preface.
The author, of course, is none other than the well-known Sunni English translator and commentator of the Qur'an, Abdullah Yusuf Ali, who died in 1952 in England. Little would he have known that his English translation and commentary of the Qur'an would become so popular in the West and East alike, wherever English is read and understood.
And little would he have known that later editions of his Qur'an translation and commentary would undergo tampering such that favorable references to Imam Husayn [a] would be deleted, amongst other changes!(*) Perhaps there are some out there who want to see the memory of Imam Husayn [a] wiped out. Perhaps Karbala is not quite over yet.
The Shi'a Encyclopedia team
(*) A detailed and documented case study is now available on Tahrif! Investigating Distortions in Islamic Texts.
Imam Husain And His Martyrdom, Abdullah Yusuf Ali (d. 1952), 41 pages
Lahore: M Feroz-ud-Din & Sons, 1931.
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Preface
The following pages are based on a report of an Address which I delivered in London at an Ashura Majlis on Thursday the 28th May, 1931 (Muharram 1350 A.H.), at the Waldorf Hotel. The report was subsequently corrected and slightly expanded. The Majlis was a notable gathering, which met at the invitation of Mr. A. S. M. Anik. Nawab Sir Umar Hayat Khan, Tiwana, presided and members of all schools of thought in Islam, as well as non-Muslims, joined reverently in doing honour to the memory of the great Martyr of Islam. By its inclusion in the Progressive Islam Pamphlets series, it is hoped to reach a larger public than were able to be present in person. Perhaps, also, it may help to strengthen the bonds of brotherly love which unite all who hold sacred the ideals of brotherhood preached by the Prophet in his last Sermon.
A. Yusuf Ali.
Imam Husain And His Martyrdom
Sorrow as a Bond of Union
I am going to talk this afternoon about a very solemn subject, the martyrdom of Imam Husain at Kerbela, of which we are celebrating the anniversary. As the Chairman has very rightly pointed out, it is one of those wonderful events in our religious history about which all sects are agreed. More than that, in this room I have the honour of addressing some people who do not belong to our religious persuasion, but I venture to think that the view I put forward today may be of interest to them from its historical, its moral and its spiritual significance. Indeed, when we consider the background of that great tragedy, and all that has happened during the 1289 lunar years since, we cannot fail to be convinced that some events of sorrow and apparent defeat are really the very things which are calculated to bring about, or lead us towards, the union of humanity.
How Martyrdom healed divisions
When we invite strangers or guests and make them free of our family circle, that means the greatest outflowing of our hearts to them. The events that I am going to describe refer to some of the most touching incidents of our domestic history in their spiritual aspect. We ask our brethren of other faiths to come, and share with us some of the thoughts which are called forth by this event. As a matter of fact all students of history are aware that the horrors that are connected with the great event of Kerbela did more than anything else to unite together the various contending factions which had unfortunately appeared at that early stage of Muslim history. You know the old Persian saying applied to the Prophet:
Tu barae wasl kardan amadi;
Ni barae fasl kardan amadi.
"Thou camest to the world to unite, not to divide."
That was wonderfully exemplified by the sorrows and sufferings and finally the martyrdom of Imam Husain.
Commemoration of great virtues
There has been in our history a tendency sometimes to celebrate the event merely by wailing and tribulation, or sometimes by symbols like the Tazias that you see in India, - Taboots as some people call them. Well, symbolism or visible emblems may sometimes be useful in certain circumstances as tending to crystallise ideas. But I think the Muslims of India of the present day are quite ready to adopt a more effective way of celebrating the martyrdom, and that is by contemplating the great virtues of the martyr, trying to understand the significance of the events in which he took part, and translating those great moral and spiritual lessons into their own lives. From that point of view I think you will agree that it is good that we should sit together, even people of different faiths, - sit together and consider the great historic event, in which were exemplified such soul-stirring virtues as those of unshaken faith, undaunted courage, thought for others, willing self-sacrifice, steadfastness in the right and unflinching war against the wrong. Islam has a history of beautiful domestic affections, of sufferings and of spiritual endeavour, second to none in the world. That side of Muslim history, although to me the most precious, is, I am sorry to say, often neglected. It is most important that we should call attention to it, reiterated attention, the attention of our own people as well as the attention of those who are interested in historical and religious truth. If there is anything precious in Islamic history it is not the wars, or the politics, or the brilliant expansion, or the glorious conquests, or even the intellectual spoils which our ancestors gathered. In these matters, our history, like all history, has its lights and shades. What we need especially to emphasise is the spirit of organisation, of brotherhood, of undaunted courage in moral and spiritual life.
Plan of discourse
I propose first to give you an idea of the geographical setting and the historical background. Then I want very briefly to refer to the actual events that happened in the Muharram, and finally to draw your attention to the great lessons which we can learn from them.
Geographical Picture
In placing before you a geographical picture of the tract of country in which the great tragedy was enacted, I consider myself fortunate in having my own personal memories to draw upon. They make the picture vivid to my mind, and they may help you also. When I visited those scenes in 1928, I remember going down from Baghdad through all that country watered by the Euphrates river. As I crossed the river by a bridge of boats at Al-Musaiyib on a fine April morning, my thoughts leapt over centuries and centuries. To the left of the main river you have the old classic ground of Babylonian history; you have the railway station of Hilla; you have the ruins of the city of Babylon, witnessing to one of the greatest civilisations of antiquity. It was so mingled with the dust that it is only in recent years that we have begun to understand its magnitude and magnificence. Then you have the great river system of the Euphrates, the Furat as it is called, a river unlike any other river we know. It takes its rise in many sources from the mountains of Eastern Armenia, and sweeping in great zig-zags through rocky country, it finally skirts the desert as we see it now. Wherever it or its interlacing branches or canals can reach, it has converted the desert into fruitful cultivated country; in the picturesque phrase, it has made the desert blossom as the rose. It skirts round the Eastern edge of the Syrian desert and then flows into marshy land. In a tract not far from Kerbela itself there are lakes which receive its waters, and act as reservoirs. Lower down it unites with the other river, the Tigris, and the united rivers flow in the name of the Shatt-al-Arab into the Persian Gulf.
Abundant water & tragedy of thirst
From the most ancient times this tract of the lower Euphrates has been a garden. It was a cradle of early civilisation, a meeting place between Sumer and Arab, and later between the Persians and Arabs. It is a rich, well watered country, with date-palms and pomegranate groves. Its fruitful fields can feed populous cities and its luscious pastures attract the nomad Arabs of the desert, with their great flocks and herds. It is of particularly tragic significance that on the border of such a well-watered land, should have been enacted the tragedy of great and good men dying of thirst and slaughtered because they refused to bend the knee to the forces of iniquity. The English poet's lines "Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink" are brought home forcibly to you in this borderland between abundant water and desolate sands.
Kerbela and Its Great Dome
I remember the emotion with which I approached Kerbela from the East. The rays of the morning sun gilt the Gumbaz-i-Faiz, the great dome that crowns the building containing the tomb of Imam Husain. Kerbela actually stands on one of the great caravan routes of the desert. Today the river city of Kufa, once a Khilafat capital, is a mere village, and the city of Najaf is famous for the tomb of Hazrat Ali, but of little commercial importance. Kerbela, this outpost of the desert, is a mart and a meeting ground as well as a sacred place. It is the port of the desert, just as Basra, lower down, is a port for the Persian Gulf. Beautifully kept is the road to the mausoleum, to which all through the year come pilgrims from all parts of the world. Beautiful coloured enamelled tiles decorate the building. Inside, in the ceiling and upper walls, there is a great deal of glass mosaic. The glass seems to catch and reflect the light. The effect is that of rich coruscations of light combined with the solemnity of a closed building. The tomb itself is in a sort of inner grill, and below the ground is a sort of cave, where is shown the actual place where the Martyr fell. The city of Najaf is just about 40 miles to the South, with the tomb of Hazrat Ali on the high ground. You can see the golden dome for miles around. Just four miles from Najaf and connected with it by a tramway, is the deserted city of Kufa. The mosque is large, but bare and practically unused. The blue dome and the Mihrab of enamelled tiles bear witness to the ancient glory of the place.
Cities and their Cultural Meaning
The building of Kufa and Basra, the two great outposts of the Muslim Empire, in the 16th year of the Hijra, was a visible symbol that Islam was pushing its strength and building up a new civilisation, not only in a military sense, but in moral and social ideas and in the sciences and arts. The old effete cities did not content it, any more than the old and effete systems which it displaced. Nor was it content with the first steps it took. It was always examining, testing, discarding, re-fashioning its own handiwork. There was always a party that wanted to stand on old ways, to take cities like Damascus readymade, that loved ease and the path of least resistance. But the greater souls stretched out to new frontiers - of ideas as well as geography. They felt that old seats were like dead wood breeding worms and rottenness that were a danger to higher forms of life. The clash between them was part of the tragedy of Kerbela. Behind the building of new cities there is often the burgeoning of new ideas. Let us therefore examine the matter a little more closely. It will reveal the hidden springs of some very interesting history.
Vicissitudes of Mecca and Medina
The great cities of Islam at its birth were Mecca and Medina. Mecca, the centre of old Arabian pilgrimage, the birthplace of the Prophet, rejected the Prophet's teaching, and cast him off. Its idolatry was effete; its tribal exclusiveness was effete; its ferocity against the Teacher of the New Light was effete. The Prophet shook its dust off his feet, and went to Medina. It was the well-watered city of Yathrib, with a considerable Jewish population. It received with eagerness the teaching of the Prophet; it gave asylum to him and his Companions and Helpers. He reconstituted it and it became the new City of Light. Mecca, with its old gods and its old superstitions, tried to subdue this new Light and destroy it. The human odds were in favour of Mecca. But God's purpose upheld the Light, and subdued the old Mecca. But the Prophet came to build as well as to destroy. He destroyed the old paganism, and lighted a new beacon in Mecca - the beacon of Arab unity and human brotherhood. When the Prophet's life ended on this earth, his spirit remained. It inspired his people and led them from victory to victory. Where moral or spiritual and material victories go hand in hand, the spirit of man advances all along the line. But sometimes there is a material victory, with a spiritual fall, and sometimes there is a spiritual victory with a material fall, and then we have tragedy.
Spirit of Damascus
Islam's first extension was towards Syria, where the power was centred in the city of Damascus. Among living cities it is probably the oldest city in the world. Its bazaars are thronged with men of all nations, and the luxuries of all nations find ready welcome there. If you come to it westward from the Syrian desert, as I did, the contrast is complete, both in the country and in the people. From the parched desert sands you come to fountains and vineyards, orchards and the hum of traffic. From the simple, sturdy, independent, frank Arab, you come to the soft, luxurious, sophisticated Syrian. That contrast was forced on the Muslims when Damascus became a Muslim city. They were in a different moral and spiritual atmosphere. Some succumbed to the softening influences of ambition, luxury, wealth pride of race, love of ease, and so on. Islam stood always as the champion of the great rugged moral virtues. It wanted no compromise with evil in any shape or form, with luxury, with idleness, with the seductions of this world. It was a protest against these things. And yet the representatives of that protest got softened at Damascus. They aped the decadent princes of the world instead of striving to be leaders of spiritual thought. Discipline was relaxed, and governors aspired to be greater than the Khalifas. This bore bitter fruit later.
Snare of Riches
Meanwhile Persia came within the Muslim orbit. When Medain was captured in the year 16 of the Hijra, and the battle of Jalula broke the Persian resistance, some military booty was brought to Medina - gems, pearls, rubies, diamonds, swords of gold and silver. A great celebration was held in honour of the splendid victory and the valour of the Arab army. In the midst of the celebration they found the Caliph of the day actually weeping. One said to him, "What! a time of joy and thou sheddest tears?" "Yes", he said, "I foresee that the riches will become a snare, a spring of worldliness and envy, and in the end a calamity to my people." For the Arab valued, above all, simplicity of life, openness of character, and bravery in face of danger. Their women fought with them and shared their dangers. They were not caged creatures for the pleasures of the senses. They showed their mettle in the early fighting round the head of the Persian Gulf. When the Muslims were hard pressed, their women turned the scale in their favour. They made their veils into flags, and marched in battle array. The enemy mistook them for reinforcements and abandoned the field. Thus an impending defeat was turned into a victory.
Basra and Kufa: town-planning
In Mesopotamia the Muslims did not base their power on old and effete Persian cities, but built new outposts for themselves. The first they built was Basra at the head of the Persian Gulf, in the 17th year of the Hijra. And what a great city it became! Not great in war and conquest, not great in trade and commerce, but great in learning and culture in its best day, - alas! also great in its spirit of faction and degeneracy in the days of its decline! But its situation and climate were not at all suited to the Arab character. It was low and moist, damp and enervating. In the same year the Arabs built another city not far off from the Gulf and yet well suited to be a port of the desert, as Kerbela became afterwards. This was the city of Kufa, built in the same year as Basra, but in a more bracing climate. It was the first experiment in town-planning in Islam. In the centre was a square for the principal mosque. That square was adorned with shady avenues. Another square was set apart for the trafficking of the market. The streets were all laid out intersecting and their width was fixed. The main thoroughfares for such traffic as they had (we must not imagine the sort of traffic we see in Charing Cross) were made 60 feet wide; the cross streets were 30 feet wide; and even the little lanes for pedestrians were regulated to a width of 10.5 feet. Kufa became a centre of light and learning. The Khalifa Hazrat Ali lived and died there.
Rivalry and poison of Damascus
But its rival, the city of Damascus, fattened on luxury and Byzantine magnificence. Its tinsel glory sapped the foundations of loyalty and the soldierly virtues. Its poison spread through the Muslim world. Governors wanted to be kings. Pomp and selfishness, ease and idleness and dissipation grew as a canker; wines and spirituous liquors, scepticism, cynicism and social vices became so rampant that the protests of the men of God were drowned in mockery. Mecca, which was to have been a symbolical spiritual centre, was neglected or dishonoured. Damascus and Syria became centres of a worldliness and arrogance which cut at the basic roots of Islam.
Husain the Righteous refused to bow to worldliness and power
We have brought the story down to the 60th year of the Hijra. Yazid assumed the power at Damascus. He cared nothing for the most sacred ideals of the people. He was not even interested in the ordinary business affairs of administration. His passion was hunting, and he sought power for self-gratification. The discipline and self-abnegation, the strong faith and earnest endeavour, the freedom and sense of social equality which had been the motive forces of Islam, were divorced from power. The throne at Damascus had become a worldly throne based on the most selfish ideas of personal and family aggrandisement, instead of a spiritual office, with a sense of God-given responsibility. The decay of morals spread among the people. There was one man who could stem the tide. That was Imam Husain. He, the grandson of the Prophet, could speak without fear, for fear was foreign to his nature. But his blameless and irreproachable life was in itself a reproach to those who had other standards. They sought to silence him, but he could not be silenced. They sought to bribe him, but he could not be bribed. They sought to waylay him and get him into their Power. What is more, they wanted him to recognise the tyranny and expressly to support it. For they knew that the conscience of the people might awaken at any time, and sweep them away unless the holy man supported their cause. The holy man was prepared to die rather than surrender the principles for which he stood.
Driven from city to city
Medina was the centre of Husain's teaching. They made Medina impossible for him. He left Medina and went to Mecca, hoping that he would be left alone. But he was not left alone. The Syrian forces invaded Mecca. The invasion was repelled, not by Husain but by other people. For Husain, though the bravest of the brave, had no army and no worldly weapons. His existence itself was an offence in the eyes of his enemies. His life was in danger, and the lives of all those nearest and dearest to him. He had friends everywhere, but they were afraid to speak out. They were not as brave as he was. But in distant Kufa, a party grew up which said: "We are disgusted with these events, and we must have Imam Husain to take asylum with us." So they sent and invited the Imam to leave Mecca, come to them, live in their midst, and be their honoured teacher and guide. His father's memory was held in reverence in Kufa. The Governor of Kufa was friendly, and the people eager to welcome him. But alas, Kufa had neither strength, nor courage, nor constancy. Kufa, geographically only 40 miles from Kerbela, was the occasion of the tragedy of Kerbela. And now Kufa is nearly gone, and Kerbela remains as the lasting memorial of the martyrdom.
Invitation from Kufa
When the Kufa invitation reached the Imam, he pondered over it, weighed its possibilities, and consulted his friends. He sent over his cousin Muslim to study the situation on the spot and report to him. The report was favourable, and he decided to go. He had a strong presentiment of danger. Many of his friends in Mecca advised him against it. But could he abandon his mission when Kufa was calling for it? Was he the man to be deterred, because his enemies were laying their plots for him, at Damascus and at Kufa? At least, it was suggested, he might leave his family behind. But his family and his immediate dependants would not hear of it. It was a united family, pre-eminent in the purity of its life and in its domestic virtues and domestic affections. If there was danger for its head, they would share it. The Imam was not going on a mere ceremonial visit. There was responsible work to do, and they must be by his side, to support him in spite of all its perils and consequences. Shallow critics scent political ambition in the Imam's act. But would a man with political ambitions march without an army against what might be called the enemy country, scheming to get him into its power, and prepared to use all their resources, military, political and financial, against him?
Journey through the desert
Imam Husain left Mecca for Kufa with all his family including his little children. Later news from Kufa itself was disconcerting. The friendly governor had been displaced by one prepared more ruthlessly to carry out Yazid's plans. If Husain was to go there at all, he must go there quickly, or his friends themselves would be in danger. On the other hand, Mecca itself was no less dangerous to him and his family. It was the month of September by the solar calendar, and no one would take a long desert journey in that heat, except under a sense of duty. By the lunar calendar it was the month of pilgrimage at Mecca. But he did not stop for the pilgrimage. He pushed on, with his family and dependants, in all numbering about 90 or 100 people, men, women and children. They must have gone by forced marches through the desert. They covered the 900 miles of the desert in little over three weeks. When they came within a few miles of Kufa, at the edge of the desert, they met people from Kufa. It was then that they heard of the terrible murder of Husain's cousin Muslim, who had been sent on in advance. A poet that came by dissuaded the Imam from going further. "For," he said epigramatically, "the heart of the city is with thee but its sword is with thine enemies, and the issue is with God." What was to be done? They were three weeks' journey from the city they had left. In the city to which they were going their own messenger had been foully murdered as well as his children. They did not know what the actual situation was then in Kufa. But they were determined not to desert their friends.
Call to Surrender or Die
Presently messengers came from Kufa, and Imam Husain was asked to surrender. Imam Husain offered to take one of three alternatives. He wanted no political power and no revenge. He said "I came to defend my own people. If I am too late, give me the choice of three alternatives: either to return to Mecca; or to face Yazid himself at Damascus; or if my very presence is distasteful to him and you, I do not wish to cause more divisions among the Muslims. Let me at least go to a distant frontier, where, if fighting must be done, I will fight against the enemies of Islam." Every one of these alternatives was refused. What they wanted was to destroy his life, or better still, to get him to surrender, to surrender to the very forces against which he was protesting, to declare his adherence to those who were defying the law of God and man, and to tolerate all the abuses which were bringing the name of Islam into disgrace. Of course he did not surrender. But what was he to do? He had no army. He had reasons to suppose that many of his friends from distant parts would rally round him, and come and defend him with their swords and bodies. But time was necessary, and he was not going to gain time by feigned compliance. He turned a little round to the left, the way that would have led him to Yazid himself, at Damascus. He camped in the plain of Kerbela.
Water cut off; Inflexible will, Devotion and Chivalry
For ten days messages passed backwards and forwards between Kerbela and Kufa. Kufa wanted surrender and recognition. That was the one thing the Imam could not consent to. Every other alternative was refused by Kufa, under the instructions from Damascus. Those fateful ten days were the first ten days of the month of Muharram, of the year 61 of the Hijra. The final crisis was on the 10th day, the Ashura day, which we are commemorating. During the first seven days various kinds of pressure were brought to bear on the Imam, but his will was inflexible. It was not a question of a fight, for there were but 70 men against 4,000. The little band was surrounded and insulted, but they held together so firmly that they could not be harmed. On the 8th day the water supply was cut off. The Euphrates and its abundant streams were within sight, but the way was barred. Prodigies of valour were performed in getting water. Challenges were made for single combat according to Arab custom. And the enemy were half-hearted, while the Imam's men fought in contempt of death, and always accounted for more men than they lost. On the evening of the 9th day, the little son of the Imam was ill. He had fever and was dying of thirst. They tried to get a drop of water. But that was refused point blank and so they made the resolve that they would, rather than surrender, die to the last man in the cause for which they had come. Imam Husain offered to send away his people. He said, "They are after my person; my family and my people can go back." But everyone refused to go. They said they would stand by him to the last, and they did. They were not cowards; they were soldiers born and bred; and they fought as heroes, with devotion and with chivalry.
The Final Agony; placid face of the man of God
On the day of Ashura, the 10th day, Imam Husain's own person was surrounded by his enemies. He was brave to the last. He was cruelly mutilated. His sacred head was cut off while in the act of prayer. A mad orgy of triumph was celebrated over his body. In this crisis we have details of what took place hour by hour. He had 45 wounds from the enemies' swords and javelins, and 35 arrows pierced his body. His left arm was cut off, and a javelin pierced through his breast. After all that agony, when his head was lifted up on a spear, his face was the placid face of a man of God. All the men of that gallant band were exterminated and their bodies trampled under foot by the horses. The only male survivor was a child, Husain's son Ali, surnamed Zain-ul-'Abidin - "The Glory of the Devout." He lived in retirement, studying, interpreting, and teaching his father's high spiritual principles for the rest of his life.
Heroism of the Women
There were women: for example, Zainab the sister of the Imam, Sakina his little daughter, and Shahr-i-Banu, his wife, at Kerbela. A great deal of poetic literature has sprung up in Muslim languages, describing the touching scenes in which they figure. Even in their grief and their tears they are heroic. They lament the tragedy in simple, loving, human terms. But they are also conscious of the noble dignity of their nearness to a life of truth reaching its goal in the precious crown of martyrdom. One of the best-known poets of this kind is the Urdu poet Anis, who lived in Lucknow, and died in 1874.
Lesson of the Tragedy
That briefly is the story. What is the lesson? There is of course the physical suffering in martyrdom, and all sorrow and suffering claim our sympathy, ---- the dearest, purest, most outflowing sympathy that we can give. But there is a greater suffering than physical suffering. That is when a valiant soul seems to stand against the world; when the noblest motives are reviled and mocked; when truth seems to suffer an eclipse. It may even seem that the martyr has but to say a word of compliance, do a little deed of non-resistance; and much sorrow and suffering would be saved; and the insidious whisper comes: "Truth after all can never die." That is perfectly true. Abstract truth can never die. It is independent of man's cognition. But the whole battle is for man's keeping hold of truth and righteousness. And that can only be done by the highest examples of man's conduct - spiritual striving and suffering enduring firmness of faith and purpose, patience and courage where ordinary mortals would give in or be cowed down, the sacrifice of ordinary motives to supreme truth in scorn of consequence. The martyr bears witness, and the witness redeems what would otherwise be called failure. It so happened with Husain. For all were touched by the story of his martyrdom, and it gave the deathblow to the politics of Damascus and all it stood for. And Muharram has still the power to unite the different schools of thought in Islam, and make a powerful appeal to non-Muslims also.
Explorers of Spiritual Territory
That, to my mind, is the supreme significance of martyrdom. All human history shows that the human spirit strives in many directions, deriving strength and sustenance from many sources. Our bodies, our physical powers, have developed or evolved from earlier forms, after many struggles and defeats. Our intellect has had its martyrs, and our great explorers have often gone forth with the martyrs' spirit. All honour to them. But the highest honour must still lie with the great explorers of spiritual territory, those who faced fearful odds and refused to surrender to evil. Rather than allow a stigma to attach to sacred things, they paid with their own lives the penalty of resistance. The first kind of resistance offered by the Imam was when he went from city to city, hunted about from place to place, but making no compromise with evil. Then was offered the choice of an effectual but dangerous attempt at clearing the house of God, or living at ease for himself by tacit abandonment of his striving friends. He chose the path of danger with duty and honour, and never swerved from it giving up his life freely and bravely. His story purifies our emotions. We can best honour his memory by allowing it to teach us courage and constancy.
The End
Further Reading
To find out more about Imam Husayn [a], his position in Islam, his noble family, their sacrifice in the deserts of Karbala, and its universal relevance, see the following resources:
* The Excellences of Imam Husayn In Sunni Hadith Tradition
* The Revolution of Imam Husayn
* Karbala, an enduring paradigm of Islamic revivalism
* Imam Husayn's Concepts of Religion and Leadership
* Victory of Truth: Life of Zaynab bt. 'Ali
* The Illustrious Period of the Imamate of Imam Zayn al-'Abidin
* Karbala and the Imam Husayn in Persian and Indo-Muslim literature
* Also see the heading "Ahlul Bayt - Imam Husayn" and "Karbala" in the Subject Index for many more text, audio, and video resources
PROCRUSTES IN SITU
The entire JOTTING WALL behind the figure of PROCRUSTES. This JOTTING WALL served the artist almost as a diary of his thoughts as he was working on PROCRUSTES IN SITU, thoughts and ideas and phrases that passed through his mind as he considered Procrustes and all that his being symbolizes, thoughts concerning specific and contemporaneous procrustean events in his actual life. Also recorded thereon are the names of those whose death occurred during the creation of the work. Many of these words, thoughts, names and events will be transcribed here and elsewhere within this recordation in photographs of the actual sculpture.
Below is a transcription in full of the words on Blue Triangle in the center of THE JOTTING WALL:
"We live in an age of miracles...August 6th, 1945. Born in a searing flash of light, god himself signed his magnificent demise with the most enormous phallic plume the world had ever seen. Terminus.... Fifty years have passed since the death of god...fifty years of the most miraculous discoveries, inventions and accomplishments—and fifty years of denial and deceit. We live in an age of miracles and refuse to accept the authorship of, hence responsibility for, the miracles themselves. We persist in denying our resplendency and responsibilities within the concept of a new age—a new age with a new concept of time, finite and creative. An Age of Miracles. Thousands upon thousands of men, women and children were consumed in this cataclysmic change of metaphors. God, like an ancient ruler incarnate, adorned his death with innocents, and their blood colors this new age. How old he was! As old as human fear. And though fear still holds us enthralled, we are no longer free to worship it. God is dead and, with him, men in His image. Patriarchy's grave lies in the blood and rubble of Hiroshima, beneath a poisoned cock of smoke. Is it possible that human evolution is gender actuated? Though all genders participate in linear development, environmental and in-species conditions select one gender innately qualified to compete successfully for survival. Meaning that the circumstances of exterior actuality create the internal reality for human evolution and communication—. (It is interesting that the word "gender" refers mainly to language and its syntactic relationships: masculine, feminine, neuter.) One gender has always dominated and, for reasons of mutual survival, the correlative genders, in symbiotic relationship, have supported and reflected the sense of reality, sustaining its primacy. Reality is that state which functions best and if actual conditions alter so, too, must comprehensive reality. Until August 6th, 1945, the actual conditions of environment demanded a masculine gendered reality. This is no longer so.... In a searing flash of light with its accompanying phallic signature, the cognitional symbiosis was altered completely: In a split-second shattering of the Actual, gendered reality shifted the masculine Alpha to Omega. "Mankind" became the human experiment's first gendered epoch. Delivered and signed, He presented the human corporation His final solution—total annihilation...magnificent simplicity. Humanity has been in a crisis of reality for fifty years—and a gendered struggle for dominance. Our cognizance has been presented two alternatives: the inevitable conclusion of masculine dominance within the concept of infinite time or the deposition of masculine reality and the acceptance of Time Finite within the reality construct of an alternate gender. Meaning...if humankind does not shift its metaphorical identity from masculine entelechy it will destroy itself. By his apotheosis will His prophecies be fulfilled. Armageddon. Life-everlasting—with no one to prove Him wrong. There is no real purpose in deconstruction. Mankind's epoch ended on the 6th of August 1945. We are engaged in defining a new age, an age free of the metaphors of dominance and fear—killing and hate. An age without god no matter what guise his bearded face. There is no need to correct the dead. All genders participated in symbiotic relationship. It is over. The hierarchy must change.... A new symbiosis must prevail. The gendered tribal role of provider and protector is without grace. It can no longer provoke obeisance and obsecration by virtue of birthright. We live in a new epoch of ungendered creativity—an Age of Miracles from which will be engendered a new entelechy. From time immemorial, reality has evolved in a constantly threatening environment relying totally on the masculine's ability to compete and provide within the actualities for survival: Man against elements, man against animal and man against man. From one against one to group against group to nation against nation and finally, on 8/6/45, man against life itself. Within the geometric inevitability of his evolving entelechy, mankind will conclude itself. Generation upon generation, century upon century, millennium upon millennium, this gendered primacy for survival has established a density of reality nearly impenetrable in its compaction of metaphor and myth. In a flash of light, humanity was plunged into a hiatus of astonishment, depression and exhilaration. In the face of universal suicide through the symbiotic reality of masculine entelechy, humanity has been forced to question the continuation of gendered supremacy. This fifty-year hiatus has been defined by a choice between revolutionary chaos or an ordered planetary annihilation through gendered apotheosis. Survival has stimulated cognition and revolution: that which would destroy us must be deposed—. The revolution is gendered, the outcome unknown. The symbiotic relationship between masculine, neuter and feminine genders has undergone a violent wrenching of cognitional reality. The past is undergoing a process of deconstruction with history rewritten to include rather than suppress feminine accomplishments and contributions. The neuter genders have positioned themselves viably within the hierarchy of revolutionary change. Under attack, the masculine has become schizophrenic and paranoiac in the realization that the only way to regain control is to subvert the appearance of evolutionary reality. We live in a time of chaos with the masculine and feminine obsessed with re-creating and reprising the past and the gendered neuter demanding viability within the symbiotic Now. We are at war with the god of our fathers. If the human experiment is to continue, He must be eliminated from the symbiotic equation, the past defined and this new epoch created in gender parity. Let the masculine have the past with its gods and redundant birthrights—. For this he must forsake intellectual apotheosis and enter into cognizant reality in full and equal partnership within the gendered Whole. The triarchy of masculine gendered reality continues to dominate this fifty year hiatus. Though humanity knows there has occurred vital and essential change at the very core of cognizance, war, religion and commerce continue patriarchal control of cognitional entelechy. This triarchy, with its fabric of mores and metaphors, has maintained symbiotic absolutism throughout epochal time with entrenchment so profound as to seem insuperable. Radical feminism, however, has made deep fissures and the traditional symbiosis has begun to break down. An inversion has also begun to alter the triumvirate itself. An epochal change has occurred. A new reality is being born. Since 8/6/45, humanity has existed within the solipsistic freedom of the suicide's choice to live or die. In Time-Finite, a new symbiosis is being formed, man-kind displaced, the death of gods. Humanity is on the edge. Either a new entelechy will be provoked or the Experiment will end. As we struggle to shed our epochal skin, split the protective and procrustean chrysalis, jettison the propulsive force whose prolonged embrace would destroy us, it is incumbent to look out over the broad landscape of masculine gendered reality. Feminine infusion within these past fifty years gives some perspective to those areas within masculine orientation willing to adjust to symbiotic evolution—and—those areas which have hardened and opacified their omnific control. Religion is, of course, the most obdurate and lies at the core of masculine entelechy. When man created God in order to reify himself in His image, he perverted the natural evolution of his gendered potential. By establishing this symbiotic inversion between himself and his idea of himself, a schism occurred within gendered masculine entelechy...a stunting and stultification. Of the three genders, the masculine seems pre-fixed and immutable—redundant and preponderant.... A blind actor on an unlighted stage. Isolated and solipsistic. Age-old deceits and perversions are increasingly apparent within the triarchy: war and commerce prosper without benignancy in mechanical expectation while religion utilizes both in its increasingly malignant hypocrisy of divisiveness and hate. This triarchy, once the viable center of gendered symbiosis, has become the Procrustes of myth foretold. Art and science, once engaged in symbiotic union within masculine entelechy, now exist as separate identities outside the masculine sphere of domination—and, because they lie outside, are suspect and threatening: Art no longer serves as meretricious pimp of patriarchal supremacy, nor science directed toward apotheosis. August 6th, 1945, shattered the ancient symbiosis finally and forever by actualizing choice: life or death—nascency or apotheosis. Masculine entelechy, as manifest reality, is disintegrating leaving only its hardcore triarchy to command obeisance: religious, military and commercial fundamentalism. Dominance is sustained by fear, threat and purchase. This final procrustean embrace must be broken. By universal recognition of 8/6/45 as the Omega and Alpha in symbiotic gendered evolution, how magnificent would be our release from redundancy. The actual truths of science and the real truths of art would once again be engaged in symbiotic viability rather than as threats and chattels of a dying entelechy. Science and art—neuters in gendered cognition—are its linchpins. Neither masculine nor feminine, they are the purveyors of truth. Throughout the epoch of Masculine entelechy, the triarchy achieved magnificence during its peaks of symbiotic benignancy: masculine, feminine and neuter in functioning cognitional harmony. Under masculine solipsistic dominance these high points have been minimal, fragile and transcendent. Procrustes slumbered. Like a railroad track, Art and Science in binary relativity have given testimony to gendered evolution; by their evidence do we see the successes and failures of the human experiment. Humanity at its most syntonic evolves in gendered parallelism without distortion or hegemony. As masculine entelechy is personified by the triarchy of Religion, War and Commerce, the feminine, through symbiotic allegiance, has been identified as distaff, mother and chattel. Species survival has, until 8/6/45, flourished within this symbiosis and, through the birth and death, birth and death patterned repeat of masculine gendered entelechy, Time seemed infinite. As long as the binary parallelism existing between masculine and feminine continued in solipsistic linearity, masculine dominance would prevail. This blind assumption did not reckon with neuter volatility within the symbiotic mix. As male and female neutrality lies between male and female sexuality so, too, does the neutrality of Science and Art lie between masculine and feminine genders. As Art and Science reflect and mimic each other's achievements with prophetic results, so, too, do the gendered entelechies of masculine and feminine reflect and mimic each other within a meliorating evolution through linear time. As Art foretold the eventuation of Science, so has the feminine reflected and defined the masculine. His death was in his birth. By actualizing feminine entelechy, the masculine evolved a solipsistic syntax for control within the gendered symbiosis while developing the mechanics and methods for survival in a hostile environment. By force and mimicry, the masculine established dominance: Feminine Spirit was actualized into dogmatic religion which has served to constrain feminine power and establish a perverted masculine surrogacy over birth and creation. Since 8/6/45 there has been a struggle to re-create and reconstitute human entelechy in an environment no longer threatening from without but rather from within. In an aversion to masculine apotheosis, the feminine is asserting itself to continue species evolution through finite time. Born in fear and controlled by fear, the landscape of human consciousness continues to be constricted by masculine solipsistry: chronic religious wars and conflicts, territorial greed, pretentious contact sports, incessant and unremitting advertising...the triarchy persists in postured exaggeration. As the struggle evolves and a new epoch is born, the neuter has attained unaccustomed freedom. Employed by the masculine for his evolving entelechy, the aborted apotheosis and abrupt shift in concepts of time from infinite to finite has unleashed a force no longer indentured. Art, being by nature prophetic, has existed within a kind of free-floating state for twice the time of Science. (It is interesting, however, that since 8/6/45 the triarchal head of Commerce has, with some success, managed to retain its servitude.) It is the Science of technology that has created this Age of Miracles. It is as though by denying (or postponing) Science its role as executioner of apotheosis it has, through technological apology, created an explosion of dazzling brilliance. Unacknowledged by a dead religion still searching for Lazarus and chronically threatened by neutered truth, the miracles of technology also challenge War's egocentricity and gender aggrandizement. War has increasingly become neuter-oriented much in the same vein as commerce—through feminine transfusion. From the Korean War, which occurred at the beginning of finite time, to the Persian Gulf War, which took place forty years later, War was transformed from a reaffirmation of masculine values and authenticity to an exposition of technological astonishments: neutered and ascendant. Denied apotheosis, Masculine entelechy is being absorbed into a neutered symbiosis of parellelism. The end of history? The question smacks of masculine solipsistry. We are within the nascency of a new age, a new concept of time, a new symbiotic entelechy. We must ask new questions—. A meliorating evolution is in process and humanity is in hiatal crisis between life and death and life. Masculine egocentrism has prescripted an afterlife; Symbiotic Parallelism envisions a life after mankind. The first requires the death of Life; the second the death of Procrustes. Two alternatives: the first very actual and the second very real. As long as the means for universal Suicide exists, Life evolves in hiatus through finite time. Humanity has become totally responsible for the miracle of Life in its continuance. In the face of this, god withers...and in a very real sense apotheosis has occurred. Mankind is free to enjoin itself in a new symbiotic entelechy—parallel and syntonic. The date 8/6/45 should be enshrined in human cognizance as the death of Mankind and the beginning of Humanity...a new epoch. It is 1995. Five years until the Christian millennium and fifty years since the annihilation of Hiroshima. The condition of humanity is toxic, poisoned by an entelechy redundant and untransmuted...corrupting and corrupt. Mankind, unremitting and unregenerate, has become an inversion of procrustean intent: the triarchy is destroying itself. In a protracted hiatus of apotheosis postponed, commerce is consuming the pretensions and personae of religion and war leaving a Janus of hypocrisy, Procrustean trafficker in fear and greed. As this perception becomes ever more cognitional, its actuality manifest, masculine solipsistry denied, its prophetic eventuation becomes ever more caricatured—morbific and mordant, aberrant and anachronistic, invasive and pervasive. Pre-millennialism is rampant, still promising rapture and damnation. The politics of reversal and denial are in ascendancy.... Blinded by fear and suffocating in angst, we refuse to establish the one signpost which could save us all: Hiroshima 8/6/45. Dies Irae and Deus ex machina. The triarchy must be forced to confess its suicide. A new epoch has begun. And what of Art? Over-shadowed by technology and constrained by commerce, it seems vestigial and mimetic in this age of miracles, serving as distaff to science in gendered neutrality. And what of Feminine gendered entelechy? What then of Humanity's evolving Spirit? What then of Art? As Science expands actual truth through the means and miracles of technology, Art seems unable to command its true equivalency. As Hubble looks out toward the very beginnings of the universe, Art must look deep into Feminine entelechy for its own essentiality within the concepts of finite time. If, as it seems, a meliorating evolution is progressing, then a feminine primus interpares is nascent; and with the death of procrustean religionism, Feminine Spirituality is released. Is it, perhaps, Art's purpose to define and configure the mysteries of this repressed and muted essence, to give persona and presence to this buried truth? Heretofore this essence, this spirit, this truth has been revealed in moments of ecstasy—profound religious or aesthetic experiences wherein an opacity suddenly becomes transparent and revelation occurs: a cosmic orgasm...a miracle. Art, from its earliest manifestations through its most opaque servitude in masculine entelechy to contemporary autotelism can be judged authentic only in terms of its capacity for transparency. Historicity means nothing. Originality means nothing. Authorship or ownership mean nothing—only its capacity for transparency. Throughout the ages and isms of linear time, Art's personae have reflected the shifting tastes and tableaux of their coeval existence. These surface perceptions often have great historical and anthropological information; however, the denser the first plane of perception, the more opaque and difficult the transmutation from object to experience. Even the most, supposedly, autotelic works are burdened by the opacities of technique and culture hype, procrustean in motive and intent. And most works are only surface manifestations with little or no capacity for transparency and transcendence. These works simply are until they aren't, leaving a few, oh so few, windows to Feminine ethos: to reality and truth. Suppressed, patronized and feared, this ethos—this ethic—this sublime clarity has been carried, protected and hidden within works of Art. Undiluted and volatile, it is Creation itself, exhilarating and liberating and awesome in its revelation. The more authentic the work of art, the more imbued with Feminine entelechy...the more astute and articulate the artist, the more transparent the access and profound the experience. The Feminine, whether actualized as Female or realized transcendentally, has been protected and exploited throughout evolutionary time, treated primarily as vassal and vessel within masculine solipsism; the miracle of birth, subservient to the sacredness of sperm...the subjective experience subverted by objective worth. This relationship between masculine and Feminine evolved virtually intact until this century and then shifted drastically on 8/6/45. Though parity has not been achieved, self-recognition is progressing at an astonishing pace (this is also true of the gendered neuter) and the diagonal hegemony of masculine control is moving toward symbiotic parallelism. This creates a climate both curious and problematic: As Feminine entelechy actualizes, what then of Art? Will it devolve into a kind of usage—propaganda for an increasingly fragmented and divergent society? A merging with technology into a single-gendered neutrality functioning with pragmatic opacity in the satisfying of evolving sensuous need? As this fifty year hiatus progresses through finite time, there is increasing evidence that as masculine superiority is challenged and feminization occurs, Science (technology) becomes ever more miraculous and neutralizing: Feminine entelechy will soon share the once unique power of reproduction with the entelechy of Science. Gender identities are in flux—no longer absolute within the human equation. As the Feminine neutralizes Masculine hegemony, Science is neutralizing the Feminine. What then of Art? If the miracle of Creation is being regendered and actualized into the miracles of Science, what becomes of the liberating ecstasies of Art? What of transparencies and transcendence? What of the Spirit? Has precognitional apotheosis precluded Art's purpose—its raison d'être? As Symbiotic parallelism evolves, will Art become merely the vehicle for an opaque communication? If the epicenter of Feminine entelechy can be produced in a test-tube, does this serve to destroy the entire entelechy or, as the death of Masculine procrustean triarchy has served, to integrate Masculine entelechy into Symbiotic Parallelism? I believe that Art, authentic in its entelechy of transparency and transcendence, will flourish throughout Time Finite as it has flourished throughout infinite time. And that as Hubble seeks out the beginnings of Time, the artist—if he indeed be an artist—will continue to probe cognizance for the miracle of Creation. We are an evolving mystery—a braided circlet of parallel threads twisted and tied into a Gordian knot of perplexing simplicity. On the Sixth of August Nineteen Hundred and Forty-Five in a Japanese city named Hiroshima, the solution of Alexander was proffered in penultimate predation. Thus far humankind has rejected this solution and for the past fifty years has involved itself in an intensified struggle to untie or at least record the knotted threads. Even the most orthodox and fundamental of religionists seem not quite ready for Rapture and apotheosis. We live in hiatus knowing that everything has changed, but not knowing what. It is a time of exaggeration. The Christian millennium fervor verges on hysteria with fundamentalists trying to revert, convert and invert with procrustean zest. Science, not employed as the sword for the ultimate severing solution, has become the wellspring for an astonishing shower of technological miracles, obliterating all but the most fundamental differences between the sexes allowing for a new and liberating parallelism devoid of hegemonic masculine supremacy. Art, struggling to retain viability in a hyper-actualized climate, has hardened its fundamental identities of precious chattel and valued propagandist. Both poses are redundant and hypocritical. On the verge of a new century, a new millennium, a new epoch, I cannot imagine a more thrilling and challenging time to be an artist. The entire human experiment is in flux. As the Holocene epoch ends, humankind has conquered its planet and is now in absolute control of its destiny. It can exist or not exist. No more "God's Will"—no more excuses. No more dogma or "God's word." The prophecies have been fulfilled. Mankind has delivered the future to parallelism. Art entelechies must be equal, including the entelechy of the planet itself. By its own law of survival, Darwinism is being replaced by a new Law of Connectedness, and professions that promote and advance masculine hegemony recissioned: War surrogate Sports, militant religionism...all manifestations of Procrustes, recissioned. As parallelism evolves, so, too, will new myths and metaphors evolve within a new construct of essentiality. We mourn the loss of war because we mourn the loss of patriarchy because we mourn the loss of god, the death of god and all his metaphors. We live in an age of miracles; a renaissance of human entelechy wherein courage wears a different face. Our new heroes will not be killing each other in the names of god and country, building an ever-increasing density of separation and hate. Rather, they will be destroying the masks and songs of Procrustes: Nasrin, Faulkner, Meinhold, Dunning, Hill—New heroes for a new age...a new epoch of syntonic evolution. As the heroes and martyrs of hiatal time gradually shift cognizance from the masculine actual to the Feminine real, the evolving persona of art seems unfocused: its gendering unclear.... Feminine entelechy, liberated by the Masculine apotheosis of 8/6/45, must now define self as an entity within an evolving symbiotic Parallelism. As Feminine entelechy resolves into definition, so, too, will the Face of Art."
As Robert Cremean wrote:
PROCRUSTES IN SITU attempts to illustrate the obvious and redundant visages of Procrustes. He is omnipresent within the human condition: cutting, trimming and stretching each individual to fit the beds of conformity. During this phase of the Trilogy, I came to see how essential he is to everything that we are. Without Procrustes, there is no coherence. Procrustes is the antithesis of chaos. He is also the enemy of Art.
Procrustes thrives on repeat, stasis, and order. His sole purpose is to determine and control. Anything that threatens his authority and the dimensions of his beds is trimmed away or stretched beyond its viable scope of importance. The enforced illusions of Procrustes are in constant conflict with the Artist’s desire for truth, no matter what the cost.
In PROCRUSTES IN SITU, the connection between Procrustes and nature, sexuality and reproduction is considered. The linear extension of the species gives Procrustes great authority within the strictures of society. This is acknowledged in the beds of the mother, the father, the young woman, the young man, the child, and fear. Procrustes controls these beds through instinct. We are born into them. By these he controls us all. Chaos is not a threat to Procrustes in his natural form but rather to the illusions that that form has itself constructed. It is this illusion of identity that centers the drama of Procrustes: Theseus versus Procrustes, Art versus culture, chaos versus illusion.
Collection:
Fresno Art Museum
Fresno, California
Technical Session # 5 Learning at
The First Conference on Artificial General Intelligence (AGI-08) 1-3 March 2008
Israel Gottlieb presents Participating in Cognition: The Interactive Search Optimization Algorithm by Nadav Abkasis, Israel Gottlieb, and Eliraz Itzchaki of Department of Computer Science, Jerusalem College of Technology, Israel
1. Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) dealing with new situations,
2. Plans/Results for the Interactive Search Optimization Algorithm,
Adversarial Sequence Prediction by Bill Hibbard of University of Wisconsin
3. Predators vs. Evaders - Adversarial Sequence Prediction,
Artificial General Intelligence through Large-Scale, Multimodal Bayesian Learning by Brian Milch of MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
4. Artificial General Intelligence through Large-Scale, Multimodal Bayesian Learning,
A Computational Approximation to the AIXI Model by Sergey Pankov from Florida State University.
5. AIXI Overview - Sergey Pankov,
Matthew Taylor presents Transfer Learning and Intelligence: an Argument and Approach
by Matthew Taylor , Gregory Kuhlmann , and Peter Stone of Learning Agents Research Group, Department of Computer Science , University of Texas at Austin
6. Matthew Taylor presents Transfer Learning and Intelligence
mosaic_learn_agi08
Personality disorders are included as mental disorders on Axis II of the diagnostic manual of the American Psychiatric Association and in the mental and behavioral disorders section of the ICD manual of the World Health Organization. Personality, defined psychologically, is the set of enduring behavioral and mental traits that distinguish human beings. Hence, personality disorders are defined by experiences and behaviors that differ from societal norms and expectations. Those diagnosed with a personality disorder may experience difficulties in cognition, emotiveness, interpersonal functioning or control of impulses. In general, personality disorders are diagnosed in 40–60 percent of psychiatric patients, making them the most frequent of all psychiatric diagnoses.
These behavioral patterns in personality disorders are typically associated with substantial disturbances in some behavioral tendencies of an individual, usually involving several areas of the personality, and are nearly always associated with considerable personal and social disruption. A person is classified as having a personality disorder if their abnormalities of behavior impair their social or occupational functioning. Additionally, personality disorders are inflexible and pervasive across many situations, due in large part to the fact that such behavior may be ego-syntonic (i.e. the patterns are consistent with the ego integrity of the individual) and are, therefore, perceived to be appropriate by that individual. This behavior can result in maladaptive coping skills, which may lead to personal problems that induce extreme anxiety, distress or depression. The onset of these patterns of behavior can typically be traced back to early adolescence and the beginning of adulthood and, in some instances, childhood.
There are many issues with classifying a personality disorder, is it really a disorder; or just hard to get along with. There are many categories of definition, some mild and some extreme. Because the theory and diagnosis of personality disorders stem from prevailing cultural expectations, their validity is contested by some experts on the basis of invariable subjectivity. They argue that the theory and diagnosis of personality disorders are based strictly on social, or even sociopolitical and economic considerations. Cluster A (odd or eccentric disorders)
Not to be confused with Type A personality.
Paranoid personality disorder: characterized by irrational suspicions and mistrust of others.
Schizoid personality disorder: lack of interest in social relationships, seeing no point in sharing time with others, anhedonia, introspection.
Schizotypal personality disorder: characterized by odd behavior or thinking.
Cluster B (dramatic, emotional or erratic disorders)
Not to be confused with Type B personality.
Antisocial personality disorder: a pervasive disregard for the rights of others, lack of empathy, and (generally) a pattern of regular criminal activity.
Borderline personality disorder: extreme "black and white" thinking, instability in relationships, self-image, identity and behavior often leading to self-harm and impulsivity.
Histrionic personality disorder: pervasive attention-seeking behavior including inappropriately seductive behavior and shallow or exaggerated emotions.
Narcissistic personality disorder: a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and a lack of empathy. Characterized by self-importance, preoccupations with fantasies, belief that they are special, including a sense of entitlement and a need for excessive admiration, and extreme levels of jealousy and arrogance.
Cluster C (anxious or fearful disorders)
Avoidant personality disorder: pervasive feelings of social inhibition and social inadequacy, extreme sensitivity to negative evaluation and avoidance of social interaction.
Dependent personality disorder: pervasive psychological dependence on other people.
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (not the same as obsessive-compulsive disorder): characterized by rigid conformity to rules, moral codes and excessive orderliness.
After a vehicle ran a red light in the 6800 block of Platt Ave in West Hills, it collided with a truck driven by a 79-year-old, Mr. Dennis Platt. Mr Platt was ejected from his truck onto the asphalt with such force, he suffered severe head trauma, countless fractures, and went into cardiac arrest.
At this very moment, LAFD Fire Cadet Leo Kaufman was driving by and witnessed the accident. Leo instinctively pull over and jumped out of his vehicle into a chaotic scene. He quickly evaluated his surroundings and noticed a crowd standing around a patient that was face down, bloody, and severely injured. Bystanders stood by in shock, not knowing what to do. It was clear to Leo that if no action was taken, the patient would not survive.
Fortunately, Leo knew exactly what to do thanks to his LAFD Cadet Program CPR training. He relied on his training and rolled the trauma patient onto his back, initiating life-saving CPR. Despite some vocal people in the crowd second guessing his actions and contradicting his life-saving efforts, Cadet Kaufman worked relentlessly, performing chest compressions and circulating oxygen to the brain and heart of Mr. Platt. He did not know if his actions were going to be effective but he did know it was the only way to give this patient a chance at life.
Meanwhile, your LAFD firefighters were rushing to this scene with lights and sirens. As elite medical professionals they immediately rendered scene-safety, took over medical aid, quickly triaged, treated, and transported the patient to Kaiser hospital where a team of skilled healthcare workers took over.
Mr. Platt sustained very serious injuries which are too gruesome to share in detail but it was clear, his prognosis was not promising. Mr. Platt and his wife were told he should expect to be a quadriplegic, reliant on a wheelchair for the rest of his life. However, he regained full cognition (with mild memory loss) and is able to walk assisted (mechanical and human). His incredible rehabilitation and recovery at Kaiser Hospital is a story for another time.
This incident serves as a powerful example of the importance of Bystander CPR and the Chain of Survival. The "Chain of Survival" is a metaphor used to educate the public about their vital role in helping victims of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).
The six steps in the chain of events that must occur in rapid succession to maximize the chances of survival from SCA are reliant on bystanders helping. Recognizing SCA, Calling 9-1-1 and Starting CPR are the first three steps and Cadet Kaufman's efforts to ensure all three were implemented gave Mr Platt his chance. The arrival of Your LAFD firefighter/paramedics ensured the remaining steps in the Chain of Survival were expediated, delivering Mr Platt into the skilled hands of the Kaiser Hospital staff.
Cadet Leo Kaufman, a 17-year-old young man, valiantly did what he was trained to do when it mattered most, and he did it extremely well!
Today, Your LAFD Fire Chief Kristen Crowley, with Mr and Mrs Platt, the LAFD crews on scene and Kaiser Hospital members present, was honored to present him with a Certificate of Appreciation which reads as follows:
" Leo J. Kaufman, LAFD Cadet. In recognition of your heroic courage and immediate assistance in saving a man's life during a cardiac arrest emergency on July 26, 2021, in the West Hills Community. The Los Angeles City Fire Department commends your extraordinary life-saving efforts of a citizen of the City of Los Angeles. Presented this 9th Day of August, 2022"
We hope reading about the actions of Cadet Leo Kaufman encourages you to Learn CPR because you could be the difference between life and death for someone needing help as desperately as Mr Platt did that fateful day
© Photo by Brandon Taylor
LAFD Event: 080922
Connect with us: LAFD.ORG | News | Facebook | Instagram | Reddit | Twitter: @LAFD @LAFDtalk
People holding a pencil horizontally between their teeth (forcing a partial smile) rate a series of cartoons as funnier than those holding a pencil horizontally between their lips (forcing a partial frown). External expressions soak back into inner feelings.
(Strack, Martin & Stepper, 1988)
CC image courtesy of: www.flickr.com/photos/pietroizzo/2034681616/
"Transcendental intelligence rises when the intellectual mind reaches its limit and if things are to be realized in their true and essential nature, its processes of thinking must be transcended by an appeal to some higher faculty of cognition."
....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ........ ....... Siddhartha Gautama
A Haiku Note:
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You must meditate
for it to be intrinsic
and know that it's true
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P_BPyXJ0f0
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Japanese superheroes are always merging, with an ecstatic cry of "gattai!" This merging scene mesmerized Japanese children who rehearse similar using merging superhero toys. The merged superheroes are often much larger in size. Often its is the familiars of the super-heroes (as my son is holding top left) rather than the heroes themselves that merge. The superheroes themselves will then sometimes fly up inside the merged giant to control it. Since the superheroes are possessed by the familiars, receiving their super power from them, this tinal structure has the topography of a Klein bottle.
In the past I had thought that perhaps the merging represented the way in which Japanese must merge multiple interdependent (Marks & Kitayama, 1991) or "dialogic" (Hermans and Kempen, Bakhtin, but in fact in the visual domain) self views from the view points of others, and, relatedly whether Japanese children are merging various self body views, perhaps also with that of their face as viewed in a mirror.
I have more recently realised the enormous size of my first person body views and presume that this difference in scale explains the size differences between the superheroes before and after they merge.
There is also a vague possibility that the merging (gattai) of power ranger represents the merging of the five "layers" of self. Alternatively perhaps it could be be said that we walk with giants that subsume us, that eat us up.
Bakhtin, M. M. (1986). Speech Genres and Other Late Essays. (C. Emerson & M. Holquist, Eds., V. W. McGee, Trans.) (Second Printing). University of Texas Press. Retrieved from pubpages.unh.edu/~jds/BAKHTINSG.htm
Hermans, H. J. M., & Kempen, H. J. G. (1993). The Dialogical Self: Meaning as Movement. Academic Press.
Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. Psychological Review; Psychological Review, 98(2), 224. Retrieved from www.biu.ac.il/PS/docs/diesendruck/2.pdf
Your Time
Time comes when there is no more time.
A footstep halts, cannot go ahead.
Eyes look at themselves,
with a gaze full of reproach.
Where have you brought me, they say.
Why are you stiff with fear.
Why locked in icy immobility.
Time comes when time is cruel.
Inexorable.
The lips frozen.
Unstirring.
And the tongue, dry from cognition,
plunges into the cavity of
the throat.
Time when you halt.
When you are the ice of your own self.
Your time.
by Dane Zajc
OPINION
The Joy of Quiet
By PICO IYER
Published: December 29, 2011
ABOUT a year ago, I flew to Singapore to join the writer Malcolm Gladwell, the fashion designer Marc Ecko and the graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister in addressing a group of advertising people on “Marketing to the Child of Tomorrow.” Soon after I arrived, the chief executive of the agency that had invited us took me aside. What he was most interested in, he began — I braced myself for mention of some next-generation stealth campaign — was stillness.
A few months later, I read an interview with the perennially cutting-edge designer Philippe Starck. What allowed him to remain so consistently ahead of the curve? “I never read any magazines or watch TV,” he said, perhaps a little hyperbolically. “Nor do I go to cocktail parties, dinners or anything like that.” He lived outside conventional ideas, he implied, because “I live alone mostly, in the middle of nowhere.”
Around the same time, I noticed that those who part with $2,285 a night to stay in a cliff-top room at the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur pay partly for the privilege of not having a TV in their rooms; the future of travel, I’m reliably told, lies in “black-hole resorts,” which charge high prices precisely because you can’t get online in their rooms.
Has it really come to this?
In barely one generation we’ve moved from exulting in the time-saving devices that have so expanded our lives to trying to get away from them — often in order to make more time. The more ways we have to connect, the more many of us seem desperate to unplug. Like teenagers, we appear to have gone from knowing nothing about the world to knowing too much all but overnight.
Internet rescue camps in South Korea and China try to save kids addicted to the screen.
Writer friends of mine pay good money to get the Freedom software that enables them to disable (for up to eight hours) the very Internet connections that seemed so emancipating not long ago. Even Intel (of all companies) experimented in 2007 with conferring four uninterrupted hours of quiet time every Tuesday morning on 300 engineers and managers. (The average office worker today, researchers have found, enjoys no more than three minutes at a time at his or her desk without interruption.) During this period the workers were not allowed to use the phone or send e-mail, but simply had the chance to clear their heads and to hear themselves think. A majority of Intel’s trial group recommended that the policy be extended to others.
THE average American spends at least eight and a half hours a day in front of a screen, Nicholas Carr notes in his eye-opening book “The Shallows,” in part because the number of hours American adults spent online doubled between 2005 and 2009 (and the number of hours spent in front of a TV screen, often simultaneously, is also steadily increasing).
The average American teenager sends or receives 75 text messages a day, though one girl in Sacramento managed to handle an average of 10,000 every 24 hours for a month. Since luxury, as any economist will tell you, is a function of scarcity, the children of tomorrow, I heard myself tell the marketers in Singapore, will crave nothing more than freedom, if only for a short while, from all the blinking machines, streaming videos and scrolling headlines that leave them feeling empty and too full all at once.
The urgency of slowing down — to find the time and space to think — is nothing new, of course, and wiser souls have always reminded us that the more attention we pay to the moment, the less time and energy we have to place it in some larger context. “Distraction is the only thing that consoles us for our miseries,” the French philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote in the 17th century, “and yet it is itself the greatest of our miseries.” He also famously remarked that all of man’s problems come from his inability to sit quietly in a room alone.
When telegraphs and trains brought in the idea that convenience was more important than content — and speedier means could make up for unimproved ends — Henry David Thoreau reminded us that “the man whose horse trots a mile in a minute does not carry the most important messages.” Even half a century ago, Marshall McLuhan, who came closer than most to seeing what was coming, warned, “When things come at you very fast, naturally you lose touch with yourself.” Thomas Merton struck a chord with millions, by not just noting that “Man was made for the highest activity, which is, in fact, his rest,” but by also acting on it, and stepping out of the rat race and into a Cistercian cloister.
Yet few of those voices can be heard these days, precisely because “breaking news” is coming through (perpetually) on CNN and Debbie is just posting images of her summer vacation and the phone is ringing. We barely have enough time to see how little time we have (most Web pages, researchers find, are visited for 10 seconds or less). And the more that floods in on us (the Kardashians, Obamacare, “Dancing with the Stars”), the less of ourselves we have to give to every snippet. All we notice is that the distinctions that used to guide and steady us — between Sunday and Monday, public and private, here and there — are gone.
We have more and more ways to communicate, as Thoreau noted, but less and less to say. Partly because we’re so busy communicating. And — as he might also have said — we’re rushing to meet so many deadlines that we hardly register that what we need most are lifelines.
So what to do? The central paradox of the machines that have made our lives so much brighter, quicker, longer and healthier is that they cannot teach us how to make the best use of them; the information revolution came without an instruction manual. All the data in the world cannot teach us how to sift through data; images don’t show us how to process images. The only way to do justice to our onscreen lives is by summoning exactly the emotional and moral clarity that can’t be found on any screen.
MAYBE that’s why more and more people I know, even if they have no religious commitment, seem to be turning to yoga, or meditation, or tai chi; these aren’t New Age fads so much as ways to connect with what could be called the wisdom of old age. Two journalist friends of mine observe an “Internet sabbath” every week, turning off their online connections from Friday night to Monday morning, so as to try to revive those ancient customs known as family meals and conversation. Finding myself at breakfast with a group of lawyers in Oxford four months ago, I noticed that all their talk was of sailing — or riding or bridge: anything that would allow them to get out of radio contact for a few hours.
Other friends try to go on long walks every Sunday, or to “forget” their cellphones at home. A series of tests in recent years has shown, Mr. Carr points out, that after spending time in quiet rural settings, subjects “exhibit greater attentiveness, stronger memory and generally improved cognition. Their brains become both calmer and sharper.” More than that, empathy, as well as deep thought, depends (as neuroscientists like Antonio Damasio have found) on neural processes that are “inherently slow.” The very ones our high-speed lives have little time for.
In my own case, I turn to eccentric and often extreme measures to try to keep my sanity and ensure that I have time to do nothing at all (which is the only time when I can see what I should be doing the rest of the time). I’ve yet to use a cellphone and I’ve never Tweeted or entered Facebook. I try not to go online till my day’s writing is finished, and I moved from Manhattan to rural Japan in part so I could more easily survive for long stretches entirely on foot, and every trip to the movies would be an event.
None of this is a matter of principle or asceticism; it’s just pure selfishness. Nothing makes me feel better — calmer, clearer and happier — than being in one place, absorbed in a book, a conversation, a piece of music. It’s actually something deeper than mere happiness: it’s joy, which the monk David Steindl-Rast describes as “that kind of happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.”
It’s vital, of course, to stay in touch with the world, and to know what’s going on; I took pains this past year to make separate trips to Jerusalem and Hyderabad and Oman and St. Petersburg, to rural Arkansas and Thailand and the stricken nuclear plant in Fukushima and Dubai. But it’s only by having some distance from the world that you can see it whole, and understand what you should be doing with it.
For more than 20 years, therefore, I’ve been going several times a year — often for no longer than three days — to a Benedictine hermitage, 40 minutes down the road, as it happens, from the Post Ranch Inn. I don’t attend services when I’m there, and I’ve never meditated, there or anywhere; I just take walks and read and lose myself in the stillness, recalling that it’s only by stepping briefly away from my wife and bosses and friends that I’ll have anything useful to bring to them. The last time I was in the hermitage, three months ago, I happened to pass, on the monastery road, a youngish-looking man with a 3-year-old around his shoulders.
“You’re Pico, aren’t you?” the man said, and introduced himself as Larry; we’d met, I gathered, 19 years before, when he’d been living in the cloister as an assistant to one of the monks.
“What are you doing now?” I asked.
“I work for MTV. Down in L.A.”
We smiled. No words were necessary.
“I try to bring my kids here as often as I can,” he went on, as he looked out at the great blue expanse of the Pacific on one side of us, the high, brown hills of the Central Coast on the other. “My oldest son” — he pointed at a 7-year-old running along the deserted, radiant mountain road in front of his mother — “this is his third time.”
The child of tomorrow, I realized, may actually be ahead of us, in terms of sensing not what’s new, but what’s essential.
Pico Iyer is the author, most recently of “The Man Within My Head.”
This image is dedicated to Gorey Laurie, Patricia Collins, Anne-Miek Bibbe, Ralf Schröer / Barbara Hilmer-Schröer and Anne Nomrowski. Thanks, my friends !
This image represents human neural stem cells from fetal cortex. Cells are stained for nuclear (Hoechst, blue), neuronal (TUJ-1, red), and neural progenitor (Nestin, green) markers. Images are acquired using the InCell Analyzer 1000™. The images taken from this assay are analyzed using the Developer Toolbox™ software.
This image is one of many taken from BCI’s growing platform of human neural stem cell differentiation assays. BCI uses this assay along with several others in its neurogenesis platform to identify clinical-stage compounds, novel targets and compounds optimal for CNS indications.
The world leader, the international leader, the mentor of mankind, the great sun-Fangruida (Kyle. Ross/Carl
) May 14, 2019 2019v.1.4 / 2021 v2.3 re-revised version 2021 modified version
The sun is the most beautiful (children’s song)
The sun is the most beautiful
Sun sun i love you
Golden field golden earth
Smile everywhere
The sun is the most beautiful
Sun sun i love you
With the light on the body
Step on the golden ground
The sun is the most beautiful
The mountains and the sea are full of spring
Everything grows and the sun is warm
Thousands of songs for you.
———————————————————
The sun is red and the sun is bright
The sun is dazzling gold
Birds call flowers
The boundless fields are fluttering and undulating waves of wheat
Sun big sun circle
The sun shines
The mountains sing with joy and the sea
The great sun rises in my heart
Primitive Tianzun.
There is a sun goddess in China. This sun goddess is named Xihe: There is a woman named Xihe in the Xihe country. She is the wife of Emperor Jun and gave birth to ten suns. She is the "Mother of the Sun"
Greek sun myth
The sun god Apollo was the son of the god Zeus and the goddess Leto. The queen Hera was jealous of Zeus and Leto's love and cruelly persecuted Leto, causing her to wander around. Finally, a floating island, Delos, took Leto in, and she had difficulty giving birth to the gods of the sun and the moon on the island. So Hera sent the python Pito to kill the mother and son of Leto, but he didn't succeed. Later, when Leto's mother and son had good luck, Hera stopped being enemies with them, and they returned to the ranks of the gods. To avenge his mother, Apollo shot to death the giant python Pito, who brought infinite disasters to mankind, with his hundred-shot arrow. He helped the people in addition to harm. At dawn, the sun god Apollo boarded the sun golden cart and pulled the reins. , Hold high the whip, patrol the earth, and bring light and warmth to mankind. Therefore, people regard the sun as a symbol of light and life.
Chinese sun god
"Shan Hai Jing" records myths and legends about the sun god.
In the far southeast overseas, there is a Xihe country. There is a very beautiful woman named Xihe in the country. She washes the sun in Ganyuan every day. The sun will be polluted after night, and after Xihe's washing, the polluted sun will still be as bright as ever when it rises the next day.
This Xihe is actually the wife of the ancient emperor Dijun. She gave birth to ten suns, and let the ten suns take turns on duty in the air, sending light and warmth to the world. Unexpectedly, his ten children were disobedient, and finally got into a big disaster. Nine of them died, and only one survived.
Nordic sun god
God of prosperity, prosperity, love, and peace, the king of the beautiful fairyland Alfheim. One said that he and Baldr are both the god of light, or the god of the sun.
His little elves do good things all over the world. He often rode a wild boar with a golden mane to patrol. Everyone enjoys the peace and happiness of his gift.
He has a sword, radiant, capable of flying clouds and mists. He also has a pocket-sized magic ship that can carry all the gods and their weapons when necessary.
Greek sun god
The sun god Apollo is the son of the god Zeus and the goddess Leto. The queen Hera cruelly persecuted Leto because she was jealous of Zeus and Leto's love, causing her to wander around.
Finally, a floating island, Delos, took Leto in. She gave birth to the gods of the sun and the moon on the island with difficulty. Hera sent the python Pito to kill the mother and son of Leto, but did not succeed.
Later, when Leto's mother and son had good luck, Hera stopped being enemies with them, and they returned to the ranks of the gods. In order to avenge his mother, Apollo shot to death the giant python Peto, who had brought infinite disaster to mankind, with his magical arrow, so as to eliminate the harm for the people.
Apollo was very proud after killing the giant python. When he met the little love god Eros, his little arrow was not powerful, so Eros shot Apollo with an arrow that ignited the flames of love, and then used another to disperse the love sparks. His arrow hit the fairy Daphne, to make them painful.
In order to get rid of Apollo's pursuit, Daphne allowed his father to turn himself into a laurel tree. Unexpectedly, Apollo was still infatuated with her, which moved Daphne very much. Since then, Apollo has used the laurel as an ornament, and the laurel crown has become a symbol of victory and honor.
At dawn every day, the sun god Apollo will board the golden sun cart, pulling the reins, holding up the whip, patrolling the earth, and bringing light and warmth to mankind. Therefore, people regard the sun as a symbol of light and life.
What are the similarities between the sun gods in Chinese and foreign myths?
First of all, whether it is the sun god in Chinese mythology or foreign mythology, they have brought light and warmth to mankind and are deeply loved by the people. Pulishiwen: All the beautiful things on the earth come from the sun, and all the beautiful things come from people.
Franklin: Don't let the sun despise, it's a shame to be told by him that he rests here.
Stuart: The spring sun can even bring new life to the most common flowers.
Dryden: Brilliant sky lantern, radiant sun, you are the bright eye of nature.
Heraclitus: Education is the second sun of the educated person.
Milton: The sun, you are the eyes and heart of a great world.
Byron: The sun is the life of God, it is poetry, and it is light.
The famous Italian song "My Sun": The praise and eulogy to the sun and the sun goddess spread all over the world. How brilliant that brilliant sun
How clear the sky is after the storm
The fresh air is refreshing
How brilliant that brilliant sun
Che bella cosa e'na jurnata'e sole
n'aria serena doppo na tempesta!
Pe' ll'aria fresca pare già na festa
Che bella cosa e'na jurnata'e sole
Ma n'atu sole,
cchiù bello, oje ne'
'O sole mio
sta'nfronte a te!
'O sole,'o sole mio
sta'nfronte a te!
sta'nfronte a te!
Quanno fa notte e'o sole se ne scenne,
me vene quase'na malincunia;
sotto'a fenesta toia restarria
quanno fa notte e'o sole se ne scenne.
Ma n'atu sole,
cchiù bello, oje ne'
'O sole mio
sta'nfronte a te!
'O sole,'o sole mio
sta'nfronte a te!
sta'nfronte a te!
(Italian lyrics)
How brilliant that brilliant sun
How clear the sky is after the storm
The fresh air is refreshing
How brilliant that brilliant sun
Ah your eyes are shining
As if the sun is brilliant
Eyes are shining
As if the sun is brilliant
When the night comes, the sun no longer shines
I'm desolate and wandering alone
Keep looking at your window
When the night comes, the sun no longer shines
Ah your eyes are shining
As if the sun is brilliant
Eyes are shining
As if the sun is brilliant
As if the sun is brilliant
As if the sun is brilliant
Her eyes are always the most beautiful in my heart
——————————————-
How brilliant that brilliant sun
How clear the sky is after the storm
The fresh air is refreshing
How brilliant that brilliant sun
Fangruidaism, against excessively exaggerating the role of the individual, against personal mythology, and creating human history requires not only the emergence of thousands of heroes, elites, and talents, but also the participation and input of hundreds of millions of people. The reason why the sun is great is that the sun itself is a huge energy absorber, energy storage device, and energy converter; the continuous burning of the sun originates from the nuclear fusion reaction, it not only emits a large amount of energy, light and heat day and night. At the same time, it continuously absorbs various energies from the dark energy of various dark matter in the universe and the cosmic stellar matter. Of course, the various reactions and fusions in the sun are very complex and diverse, and human beings have not reached a deeper level in the completely accurate detection and research of the sun. Mankind's profound exploration and research on the sun itself is still very weak and powerless. Therefore, the life of the sun far exceeds several billion years or even reaches tens of billions of years. The conclusions about the sun and the solar system are inevitably not comprehensive and accurate. Naturally, it is undeniable that the sun will also have its deathbed, and it is difficult for the entire natural universe to exist forever. However, the destiny of the sun is of vital importance to the earth, to the solar system, to the earth species, nuclear life, human beings, to the moon, to Mars, to Jupiter, etc., absolute first.
Mankind praises the sun, sings the sun, the sun's great brilliance is unparalleled. Human beings are inseparable from the sun. The sun's shining nurtures billions of life species and human beings.
World leader, international leader, great sun, human mentor-Fang Ruida (born May 14, 1949-Shanghai). Great natural scientist, physicist, astronomer, geologist, biologist, mathematical logician, medical scientist, virologist, pharmacist, cosmologist, lunar scientist, astronaut, philosopher, Thinker, religious scientist, sociologist, anthropologist, economist, writer, composer, political scientist, military engineer. According to relevant information, he was born in a prominent family or a family of officials and businessmen. Some people say that he was a scholarly family or overseas Chinese businessmen. Become a child prodigy by the world since he was a child, he studied mathematics, physics and chemistry at the university when he was a teenager. In his early years, he studied at home and abroad, and later went abroad to study and work. He studied and studied in Europe, the United States, Russia, Japan, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, India, Pakistan, South Africa, and other countries. This has added wings to his rapid development and leaps. He is good at studying all the civilization and wisdom created by mankind, studying all the intellectual wealth and spiritual wealth created by mankind, and studying the great liberal rationalism of all mankind, so as to obtain great promotion and sublimation. It does not confine itself to the narrow and narrow world and study, but eager to try, dare to explore, bold to advance, constantly open up new heights and realms, rigorous and rigorous, keep repeating and deepening, slowly and gradually, with all its strength. Going to conquer the important Tianjin, has become a big Yan. He is good at learning all the research results of his predecessors. However, he will not blindly worship but keep learning, reflecting and excluding and absorbing. Finally, integrate the big device and try to diverge after convergence. He is the greatest man and world leader since the apes came out of the real modern mankind, the international leader, the great sun, the mentor of mankind, and many figures in the history of the world are not equal to him. Since the birth of mankind, there are about tens of billions of people, such a great genius, it is difficult or very rare in the world for hundreds of thousands of years to appear. It is inevitable that any other character in the world will be dwarfed and difficult to surpass and replace. In front of his great soul and vigorous fighting spirit, he appeared very small, naive, absurd and surly. How can you reach such a height that is beyond the reach of others? With the sun and the moon, coexist with the mountains and seas. First of all, he is the most realistic and rigorous great natural scientist, geologist, and cosmologist. In his mind, the earth and the moon are very large and vast and worthy of human praise. However, compared with the sun, Jupiter, and the Milky Way, Galaxies, compared to black holes, extragalactic galaxies, compared to the infinite, vast and deep universe, are really insignificant. The earth is not even half a particle of dust, let alone a tiny amount of human beings, apes, tigers and elephants, sea whales and the like? Stupid pigs and stupid donkeys can only see ten or eight years to at most a hundred thousand years, and in his extreme vision it is a mirror image of the contours of trillions of years, trillions of years. Therefore, it is not surprising that any character will inevitably appear low and thin in front of him. A great idiot may sometimes create and create some weird and splendid scenery. In fact, he is just a short-lived mirage. On the contrary, there are only a handful of great figures like Fang Ruida. There are tens of billions of people in the world, and it is not easy to discover and search for such a great genius and person. Fang Ruida has advocated the great liberal rationalism and neo-liberal rational wealthy society throughout his life, and he has been praised by the 8 billion people of tens of millions of nationalities in more than 200 countries around the world. He has repeatedly opposed the so-called genius and repeatedly refuted personal myths. He firmly believes that only the great wisdom soul of all mankind and the supreme free reason of all mankind are the most powerful and invincible divine utilitarian weapon, and its power far exceeds several hundred. Thousands of atomic bombs. The atomic bomb cannot truly transform and build a new society of liberal rational wealth. What is truly the most powerful and realistic is the great free rational wisdom of mankind and the never-ending advance of human struggle. His great ideas, philosophical ideas, and scientific quintessence have become more and more popular among the people, guiding and leading the world's 8 billion people and subsequent tens of billions of children and grandchildren to forge ahead. Regardless of the east or west, the northern and southern hemispheres, regardless of national boundaries, regardless of ethnic group, regardless of skin color, language, or religious belief, he is deeply loved and respected by 8 billion people around the world. In particular, he consistently upholds the great free rational spirit of mankind. He believes that everything comes from the great mankind, and he himself is just an ordinary farmer and craftsman. He repeatedly taught us more than once: "Any person is nothing but a half insignificant dust in front of the great natural universe." "Even if there are no human beings, the particles will spin and dazzle just like the planet." This is the voice and call from his heart. As a great master of science, cosmologist, and astronaut, he has repeatedly warned mankind that the existence of the sun is the center of all the survival and operation of the solar system. Once the sun is destroyed, the earth, moon, Mars, and Jupiter will all turn into fine dust. Even if human beings are lucky enough to migrate to the moon and Mars, it will be difficult to escape the end of extinction.
In summary, the sun’s brilliance and greatness are incomparable. With the sun and the moon, coexist with the mountains and the sea. Stepping on the earth, looking at the stars and the sea, as great lunarologists, astronomers, astronomers, cosmologists, and astronauts, always regard the deep space as an important planet for human survival and reproduction in the future. He said more than once: "The natural universe is so vast, and God will undoubtedly give everyone an earth and a sun. God gives us a gift, do we dare to accept it?" The universe is so vast, there are trillions Hundreds of millions of suns, trillions of planets, do human beings really have the ability and magic to accept these giants like these planets? Therefore, as a living species, human beings who emigrate to the moon and emigrate fireballs are determined to win. "Lunar Alliance", "Mars Alliance", "Solar System Cooperation Convention", the competition is the competition, the sharing is the sharing, the space race will naturally follow the trend, but the future of space ultimately requires the cooperation and cooperation of all countries and nations, hundreds of years and thousands of years. Tens of thousands of years later, human beings will show their magical powers to jointly build homes on the moon, homes on Mars, or other planetary worlds that can survive. The American Apollo 11 successfully landed on the moon in July 1969. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Adelin became the first humans to land on the moon in history. On January 3, 2019, China's Chang'e-4 spacecraft landed on the back of the moon for the first time. Other countries such as Russia, Europe, Japan, India, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates have also come from behind, heading for the moon and Mars. 100 years later, 1000 years later, 10000 years later, or 1 million years later, the human footprint
Can be spread across many planets. Of course, reality and the future are not equal signs. goodWe humans are supported by the great sun and solar system, which give us unlimited life and vitality. Human beings are not alone. Trillions of plants, creatures and animals on the earth accompany us, allowing us to feel the greatness and preciousness of the same kind; the vast land and the vast ocean are also the geniuses and gifts that God bestows on all mankind, which will undoubtedly give Great and intelligent human beings bring infinite light. Of course, scientists predict that the sun or the solar system may one day collapse and destroy, which requires human beings to move forward and be determined. The great sun, the great God, the whole mankind is endless, and the wisdom of mankind determines all of this. Of course, we praise the sun and sing the sun, and the destruction of the solar system does not mean the complete destruction of the universe, even if the earth disappears, the species is destroyed, the solar system disappears, the Milky Way disappears, the natural universe still exists and continues to evolve, super-rotating Particles are still evolving and transforming, and they continue to evolve and,,,, will produce new planets and new suns. The solar system, the Milky Way, black holes, star clusters, galaxies, etc. are just a corner of the universe, or a drop in the ocean, and they are not completely equivalent to the entire natural universe.
More than 200 countries in the world, hundreds of ethnic groups, thousands of languages, three major religions: Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Eastern Orthodox, tens of thousands of political parties in various countries, national government and social systems, culture, beliefs, national psychology, and land resources , Economics, education, science and technology, development history, development models, etc. are many and complex. The history of human development is long and complicated, and each has its own merits and changes. Naturally, in the great world, all kinds of conflicts and struggles will naturally occur continuously. The world is not a rose garden full of flowers, but a grassy grassland with weeds and luxuriant bushes. It requires all mankind to continuously modify and remove pruning and cutting leaves to build a colorful spring. Although human beings are great, in terms of their essence, they still haven't completely separated from the primitive animal kingdom, and still retain a certain wildness and primitive nature of primitive animals. Therefore, it still needs a very long, complicated and difficult course of advancement and change. Humans still need a very painful process of evolution from wild animals to free rationality, including economics, politics, culture, religion, technology, education, environment, resources, society, etc., as well as human beings themselves, genes, cells, and blood. , The transformation and evolution of the physical body. This is also an important point of Fangruidaism. He gave important reminders and warnings to mankind. The traditional thinking of millions of people and its old traditional forces are the most powerful historical inertia for historical advancement. Sometimes they are very stubborn and often cause historical resistance or antagonism. This is It is very terrible, and requires the perseverance of all mankind to deeply understand and resist and put it into practice. Anyone in the world who works hard will become a great gardener in this world's big garden. Like the great sun, it illuminates the world and the planet. Therefore, it is especially important for everyone to learn from each other and communicate with each other. This is also true of all countries and ethnic groups. Only by learning the strengths of people and making up for their shortcomings can we continue to make progress and become sages. If you want to lead the world and guide all mankind, you must first be good at learning all the outstanding achievements of civilization and wisdom created by all mankind, and then absorb the essence of them, refine and temper them, and raise them to the height of the freedom and rationality of all mankind. Overlooking the universe. Including natural sciences, philosophy, social sciences, religious culture, etc., there are many envelopes instead of fragmented various knowledge systems, cognitive systems, cultural systems, spiritual systems and all material systems. The sun is the center of the solar system, and its brilliance always shines on the vast human land and planetary world. Humans and all species are bathed in its brilliance. This is exactly the main pinnacle of Fang Ruida's philosophy revolution Fang Ruida's neo-liberal rationalism and neo-liberal rational wealthy society, otherwise it will be difficult to achieve.Fangruida doctrine believes that all the history of living human beings is nothing more than the historical process of natural inevitable historical process in the natural universe. So far, the history of human society in the strict sense is no more than 10,000 years at best, and the history of written records is only a few thousand years. Therefore, the cognitive perception, advanced nervous system, etc. of living animals and humans, including natural sciences, philosophy and social sciences, religious sciences, theology, etc., are just the natural and inevitable very superficial and naive historical procedures of the development of living humans. . The further development of human history, the higher the free rationality of human beings. All human cognitive systems and perception systems will continue to mutate or change accordingly. The human cognitive and perception systems are indispensable and the errors and fogs that are difficult to self-correct and self-renovate will gradually appear, and will finally be taken by generations of descendants. The analysis is updated. Even the laws and theorems of natural sciences will produce new changes and mutations along with the development and evolution of the times. Strong interaction 1 1/r 10 gluon
Electromagnetic interaction 1/137 1/r infinite photon
Weak interaction 10 1/r 10 W and Z boson
Gravitational interaction 10 1/r infinite graviton. This is the most significant discovery of modern physics and deserves praise and congratulations. However, are there only these four basic forces in the natural universe? Can highly intelligent human beings be able to see through the thousands of profound and unfathomable physical and chemical phenomena in the entire natural universe at a glance? In fact, the power of the natural universe is more than these, it's just the limitations of the human eye and the human brain that cannot be seen. Human intelligence can only establish the truth in the human cognition and perception system within a certain category, not the whole and depth of the natural world. Of course, human beings, as a living species, can do these things. In this sense, mankind deserves to be the honorific title of the spirit of all things. Natural science includes a variety of theoretical mechanics. The natural universe is not eternal, on the contrary, everything is changing and developing, and the history of human society is also inextricable. Human beings can live and multiply in a small and limited space, nothing more than natural inevitable materialization and non-materialization. Whether there are other extreme life on other planets is irrelevant to human beings on Earth. Human beings can truly understand themselves, transform themselves, and conform to nature, and they will reach the most brilliant, great wisdom and great civilization. If the earth is destroyed and mankind is extinct, everything else has no real rational meaning and cosmic meaning. Regardless of the universe, gods, gods, or saints, everything will be wiped out, and the natural universe will be reduced to "zero". Probably only super particles can exist. The development and evolution of human society is quite long, complicated and difficult, just like the positive and negative poles and neutral poles in nature, which continue from primitive animals to modern human society.
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* Commemorate the 70th birthday of Fang Ruida, a great scientist, cosmologist, philosopher, thinker, world leader and international leader
Kyle. Ross/Carl
) April 14, 2015
2019v.1.4 / 2021 v2.3 re-revised version 2021 modified version
This article was originally published on May 14, 2019, "To the Great Sun", commemorating the 70th birthday of Fang Ruida, a great scientist, cosmologist, philosopher, thinker, world leader, and international leader. The revised version 2021v2.3 is now revised and supplemented again.
To the great sun
Commemorate the 70th birthday of Fang Ruida, a great scientist, cosmologist, philosopher, thinker, world leader, and international leader
Kyle. Ross/Carl
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Мировой лидер, международный лидер, наставник человечества, великое Солнце-Фангруида (Кайл. Росс / Карл.
) 14 мая 2019 г. 2019v.1.4 / 2021 v2.3 обновленная версия 2021 измененная версия
К великому солнцу
Отметьте 70-летие Фанг Руиды, великого ученого, космолога, философа, мыслителя, мирового лидера и международного лидера.
Кайл. Росс / Карл
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Солнце самое красивое (детская песня)
Солнце самое красивое
Солнце солнце я люблю тебя
Золотое поле золотая земля
Улыбайся везде
Солнце самое красивое
Солнце солнце я люблю тебя
Со светом на теле
Ступай на золотую землю
Солнце самое красивое
Горы и море полны весны
Все растет и солнышко тёплое
Тысячи песен для тебя.
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Солнце красное и солнце яркое
Солнце ослепительное золото
Птицы зовут цветы
Бескрайние поля колышутся и колышутся волны пшеницы.
Солнце большой круг солнца
Солнце светит
Горы поют от радости и море
Великое солнце восходит в моем сердце
Первобытный Тяньцзунь.
В Китае есть богиня солнца. Эту богиню солнца зовут Сихэ: в стране Сихэ живет женщина по имени Сихэ, жена императора Цзюнь, родившая десять солнц. Она "Мать Солнца"
Греческий миф о солнце
Бог солнца Аполлон был сыном бога Зевса и богини Лето. Царица Гера завидовала любви Зевса и Лето и жестоко преследовала Лето, заставляя ее бродить вокруг. Наконец, плавучий остров, Делос, принял Лето. Она с трудом родила на острове богов солнца и луны. Поэтому Гера послала питона Пито убить мать и сына Лето, но ему это не удалось. Позже, когда матери и сыну Лито повезло, Гера перестала быть с ними врагами, и они вернулись в ряды богов. Чтобы отомстить за свою мать, Аполлон застрелил гигантского питона Пито, который принес человечеству бесчисленные бедствия, своей стозарядной стрелой. Он не только навредил людям, но и помог людям. На рассвете бог солнца Аполлон сел на золотую телегу солнца и натянул поводья, высоко держи кнут, патрулируй землю и неси свет и тепло человечеству. Поэтому люди считают солнце символом света и жизни.
Китайский бог солнца
«Шань Хай Цзин» записывает мифы и легенды о боге солнца.
На дальнем юго-востоке за океаном есть страна Сихэ. В этой стране живет очень красивая женщина по имени Сихэ, которая каждый день омывает солнце в Ганьюане. Солнце будет загрязнено после ночи, и после омовения Сихэ загрязненное солнце все еще будет таким же ярким, как и всегда, когда оно восходит на следующий день.
Эта Сихэ на самом деле жена древнего императора Диджуна, она родила десять солнц и позволила десяти солнцам по очереди дежурить в воздухе, посылая свет и тепло миру. Неожиданно десять его детей проявили непослушание и в конце концов попали в большую катастрофу: девять из них погибли, и только один выжил.
Северный бог солнца
Бог процветания, процветания, любви и мира, король прекрасной сказочной страны Альфхейм. Один сказал, что он и Бальдр оба являются богами света или богами солнца.
Его маленькие эльфы делают добрые дела по всему миру. Он часто патрулировал на кабане с золотой гривой. Каждый наслаждается покоем и счастьем своего подарка.
У него есть меч, сияющий, способный летать в облаках и туманах. У него также есть карманный волшебный корабль, который может нести всех богов и их оружие, когда это необходимо.
Греческий бог солнца
Бог солнца Аполлон - сын бога Зевса и богини Лето. Королева Гера жестоко преследовала Лето, потому что она ревновала Зевса и любви Лето, заставляя ее бродить вокруг.
Наконец, плавучий остров, Делос, принял Лето. Она с трудом родила на острове богов солнца и луны. Гера послала питона Пито убить мать и сына Лето, но безуспешно.
Позже, когда матери и сыну Лито повезло, Гера перестала быть с ними врагами, и они вернулись в ряды богов. Чтобы отомстить за свою мать, Аполлон своей волшебной стрелой застрелил гигантского питона Пето, который принес человечеству бесконечную катастрофу, чтобы устранить вред для людей.
Аполлон очень гордился убийством гигантского питона. Когда он встретил маленького бога любви Эроса, его маленькая стрела не была сильной, поэтому Эрос выстрелил в Аполлона стрелой, сжигающей пламя любви, а затем использовал другую, чтобы рассеять любовные искры. стрела попала в фею Дафну, чтобы причинить им боль.
Чтобы избавиться от преследования Аполлона, Дафна позволила своему отцу превратиться в лавровое дерево.Неожиданно Аполлон все еще был увлечен ею, что очень тронуло Дафну. С тех пор Аполлон использовал лавр как украшение, а лавровая корона стала символом победы и чести.
Каждый день на рассвете бог солнца Аполлон садится в золотую солнечную тележку, натягивая поводья, поднимая кнут, патрулируя землю и неся свет и тепло человечеству. Поэтому люди считают солнце символом света и жизни.
В чем сходство между богами солнца в китайских и зарубежных мифах?
Прежде всего, будь то бог солнца в китайской мифологии или зарубежной мифологии, они принесли свет и тепло человечеству и глубоко любимы людьми. Пулисивен: Все прекрасное на земле исходит от солнца, а все прекрасное исходит от людей.
Франклин: Не позволяй солнцу презирать, стыдно, когда он говорит, что он здесь отдыхает.
Стюарт: Весеннее солнце может вдохнуть новую жизнь даже в самые обычные цветы.
Драйден: Сияющий небесный фонарь, сияющее солнце, ты - яркий глаз природы.
Гераклит: Образование - второе солнце образованного человека.
Милтон: Солнце, ты глаза и сердце великого мира.
Байрон: Солнце - это жизнь Бога, это поэзия и это свет.
Знаменитая итальянская песня "My Sun": хвала солнцу и богине солнца распространилась по всему миру. Как ярко это яркое солнце
Какое чистое небо после грозы
Свежий воздух освежает
Как ярко это яркое солнце
Che bella cosa e'na jurnata'e sole
n'aria serena doppo na tempesta!
Pe 'll'aria fresca pare già na festa
Che bella cosa e'na jurnata'e sole
Ma n'atu sole,
cchiù bello, oje ne '
'O sole mio
sta'nfronte a te!
'O sole,' o sole mio
sta'nfronte a te!
sta'nfronte a te!
Quanno fa notte e'o sole se ne scene,
me vene quase'na malincunia;
sotto'a fenesta toia restarria
quanno fa notte e'o sole se ne scene.
Ma n'atu sole,
cchiù bello, oje ne '
'O sole mio
sta'nfronte a te!
'O sole,' o sole mio
sta'nfronte a te!
sta'nfronte a te!
(Итальянские тексты)
Как ярко это яркое солнце
Какое чистое небо после грозы
Свежий воздух освежает
Как ярко это яркое солнце
Ах твои глаза сияют
Как будто солнце сияет
Глаза сияют
Как будто солнце сияет
Когда наступает ночь, солнце больше не светит
Я одинок и блуждаю в одиночестве
Продолжай смотреть в свое окно
Когда наступает ночь, солнце больше не светит
Ах твои глаза сияют
Как будто солнце сияет
Глаза сияют
Как будто солнце сияет
Как будто солнце сияет
Как будто солнце сияет
Ее глаза всегда самые красивые в моем сердце
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Как ярко это яркое солнце
Какое чистое небо после грозы
Свежий воздух освежает
Как ярко это яркое солнце
Фангруидизм против чрезмерного преувеличения роли личности, против личной мифологии и создания истории человечества требует не только появления тысяч героев, элит и талантов, но также участия и вклада сотен миллионов людей. Причина, по которой солнце велико, заключается в том, что оно само по себе является огромным поглотителем энергии, устройством для хранения энергии и преобразователем энергии; непрерывное горение солнца происходит из реакции ядерного синтеза, оно не только излучает большое количество энергии, света. и тепло днем и ночью. В то же время он непрерывно поглощает различные энергии из темной энергии различной темной материи во Вселенной и космической звездной материи. Конечно, различные реакции и слияния на солнце очень сложны и разнообразны, и люди еще не достигли более глубокого уровня в полностью точном обнаружении и исследовании солнца. Глубокие исследования и исследования самого Солнца человечеством все еще очень слабы и бессильны. Следовательно, жизнь Солнца намного превышает несколько миллиардов лет или даже достигает десятков миллиардов лет. Выводы о Солнце и Солнечной системе неизбежно не являются исчерпывающими и точными. Естественно, нельзя отрицать, что у Солнца тоже будет смертельное ложе, и всей естественной вселенной трудно существовать вечно. Однако судьба Солнца имеет жизненно важное значение для Земли, Солнечной системы, земных видов, ядерной жизни, людей, Луны, Марса, Юпитера и т. Д., Причем в первую очередь.
Человечество восхваляет солнце, поет солнце, великая яркость солнца не имеет себе равных. Человеческие существа неотделимы от солнца. Его сияние питает миллиарды живых организмов и людей.
Мировой лидер, международный лидер, великое солнце, человеческий наставник - Фанг Жуйда (родился 14 мая 1949 года, Шанхай). Великий естествоиспытатель, физик, астроном, геолог, биолог, математический логик, ученый-медик, вирусолог, фармацевт, космолог, лунный ученый, космонавт, философ, мыслитель, религиовед, социолог, антрополог, экономист, писатель, композитор, политолог, военный. инженер. По имеющейся информации, он родился в известной семье или в семье чиновников и бизнесменов, а некоторые говорят, что он был в семье ученых или заграничных китайских бизнесменов. Стать вундеркиндом перед миром с детства, он изучал математику, физику и химию в университете, когда был подростком. В ранние годы он учился дома и за границей, а затем уехал учиться и работать за границу. Он учился и учился в Европе, США, России, Японии, Великобритании, Франции, Германии, Италии, Австралии, Индии, Пакистане, ЮАР и другие страны. Это добавило крыльев его быстрому развитию и скачкам. Он хорош в изучении всей цивилизации и мудрости, созданных человечеством, изучении всего интеллектуального богатства и духовного богатства, созданного человечеством, а также в изучении великого либерального рационализма всего человечества, чтобы получить большую поддержку и сублимацию. Он не ограничивается узким и узким миром и изучением, но стремится пытаться, исследовать, продвигаться, постоянно открывать новые высоты и области, быть строгим и строгим, повторять и углублять, продвигаться медленно, со всей своей силой Собираясь покорить важный Тяньцзинь, стал большим Янь. Он хорошо усваивает все результаты исследований своих предшественников, но он не будет слепо поклоняться, а будет продолжать учиться, размышлять, исключать и поглощать. Наконец, интегрируйте большое устройство и попытайтесь разойтись после конвергенции. Он величайший человек и мировой лидер с тех пор, как обезьяны вышли, чтобы стать настоящим современным человечеством, международным лидером, великим солнцем, наставником человечества, и многие фигуры в мировой истории не равны ему. С момента зарождения человечества насчитывается около десятков миллиардов людей, такой великий гений трудно или очень редко в мире за сотни тысяч лет появиться. Неизбежно, что любой другой персонаж в мире будет карликом, и его будет трудно превзойти и заменить. Перед своей большой душой и энергичным боевым духом он казался очень маленьким, наивным, нелепым и угрюмым. Как могло быть возможно достичь такого высокого уровня, недоступного для других? С солнцем и луной сосуществуют с горами и морем. Прежде всего, он самый реалистичный и строгий великий естествоиспытатель, геолог и космолог. В его понимании Земля и Луна очень велики и обширны и достойны похвалы человека. Однако по сравнению с Солнцем, Юпитером и Млечный Путь, Галактики, по сравнению с черными дырами, внегалактические галактики, по сравнению с бесконечной, обширной и глубокой Вселенной, действительно незначительны. Земля - это даже не половина частицы пыли, не говоря уже о крошечном количестве людей, обезьян, тигров и слонов, морских китов и им подобных? Глупые свиньи и глупые ослы могут видеть только от десяти-восьми до ста тысяч лет, и в его крайнем видении это зеркальное отображение контуров триллионов лет, триллионов лет. Поэтому неудивительно, что любой персонаж неизбежно окажется перед ним низким и худым. Великий идиот иногда может создавать и создавать какие-то странные и великолепные декорации, но на самом деле он всего лишь недолговечный мираж. Напротив, таких великих личностей, как Фанг Руида, очень мало. В мире десятки миллиардов людей, и найти и найти такого великого гения и человека непросто. Фанг Руида на протяжении всей своей жизни отстаивал великий либеральный рационализм и неолиберальное рациональное богатое общество, и его хвалили 8 миллиардов человек десятков миллионов национальностей в более чем 200 странах мира. Он неоднократно выступал против так называемого гения, неоднократно опровергал личные мифы и твердо верил, что только великая мудрая душа всего человечества и высший свободный разум всего человечества являются самым мощным и непобедимым божественным полезным оружием, сила которого намного превосходит несколько сотен тысяч атомных бомб. Атомная бомба не может по-настоящему преобразовать и построить новое общество либерального рационального богатства. Что действительно является самым мощным и реалистичным, так это великая свободная рациональная мудрость человечества и бесконечное продвижение человеческой борьбы. Его великие идеи, философские идеи и научная квинтэссенция становятся все более и более популярными среди людей, направляя и побуждая 8 миллиардов человек в мире и последующие десятки миллиардов детей и внуков продвигаться вперед. Независимо от востока или запада, северного и южного полушарий, независимо от национальных границ, независимо от этнической группы, независимо от цвета кожи, языка или религиозных убеждений, его глубоко любят и уважают 8 миллиардов человек по всему миру. В частности, он последовательно поддерживает великий свободный рациональный дух человечества. Он считает, что все исходит от великого человечества, а сам он всего лишь обычный фермер и ремесленник. Он неоднократно учил нас, не раз: «Любой человек - не что иное, как наполовину незначительная пыль перед великой естественной вселенной». «Даже если нет людей, частицы будут вращаться и ослеплять, как и планета», - это голос и зов из его сердца. Как великий магистр науки, космолог и космонавт, он неоднократно предупреждал человечество о том, что существование Солнца является центром всего выживания и функционирования солнечной системы. Как только Солнце будет уничтожено, Земля, Луна, Марс и Юпитер превратятся в мелкую пыль.Даже если людям повезет мигрировать на Луну и Марс, будет трудно избежать конца вымирания.
Таким образом, сияние и величие солнца несравнимы. С солнцем и луной сосуществуют с горами и морем. Ступая по земле, глядя на звезды и море, великие лунарологи, астрономы, астрономы, космологи и астронавты всегда рассматривают глубокий космос как важную планету для выживания и воспроизводства человека в будущем. Он неоднократно говорил: «Естественная вселенная настолько обширна, и Бог, несомненно, подарит каждому землю и солнце. Бог дает нам дар, смеем ли мы принять его?» Вселенная настолько обширна, есть триллионы Сотни миллионов солнц, триллионов планет, действительно ли люди обладают способностями и магией, чтобы принять этих гигантов, подобных этим планетам? Следовательно, как живые существа люди, которые эмигрируют на Луну и эмигрируют огненные шары, полны решимости победить. «Лунный альянс», «Марсианский альянс», «Конвенция о сотрудничестве с солнечной системой», соревнование - это соревнование, обмен - это обмен, космическая гонка, естественно, будет следовать тенденции, но будущее космоса в конечном итоге требует сотрудничества и сотрудничества все страны и народы, сотни и тысячи лет. Десятки тысяч лет спустя люди продемонстрируют свои магические способности, чтобы совместно строить дома на Луне, дома на Марсе или других планетных мирах, которые могут выжить. Американский Аполлон-11 успешно приземлился на Луну в июле 1969 года. Астронавты Нил Армстронг и Базз Аделин стали первыми людьми в истории, высадившимися на Луну. 3 января 2019 года китайский космический корабль Chang'e-4 впервые приземлился на обратной стороне Луны. Другие страны, такие как Россия, Европа, Япония, Индия, Бразилия и Объединенные Арабские Эмираты, также прибыли сзади, направляясь к Луне и Марсу. 100 лет спустя, 1000 лет спустя, 10000 лет спустя или 1 миллион лет спустя человеческий след
Может распространяться по многим планетам. Конечно, реальность и будущее - не равные знаки. хороший
Mirovoy lider, mezhdunarodnyy lider, nastavnik chelovechestva, velikoye Solntse-Fangruida (Kayl. Ross / Karl.
) 14 maya 2019 g. 2019v.1.4 / 2021 v2.3 obnovlennaya versiya 2021Нас, людей, поддерживает великое солнце и солнечная система, которые дают нам безграничную жизнь и жизненную силу. Люди не одиноки. Триллионы растений, существ и животных на Земле сопровождают нас, позволяя нам ощутить величие и драгоценность одного и того же вида; необъятная земля и безбрежный океан также являются сущностью Бога, дарованной всему человечеству, который, несомненно, даст Великим и разумным людям принести бесконечный свет. Конечно, ученые предсказывают, что однажды Солнце или Солнечная система может рухнуть и разрушиться, что требует от людей двигаться вперед и решимости. Великое солнце, великий Бог, все человечество бесконечно, и мудрость человечества определяет все это. Конечно, мы восхваляем солнце и воспеваем солнце, и разрушение Солнечной системы не означает полного разрушения Вселенной, даже если Земля исчезнет, виды будут уничтожены, Солнечная система исчезнет, Млечный Путь исчезнет, естественная вселенная все еще существует и продолжает развиваться, супервращающиеся частицы все еще развиваются и трансформируются, и они продолжают развиваться и,,, будут производить новые планеты и новые солнца. Солнечная система, Млечный Путь, черные дыры, звездные скопления, галактики и т. Д. - это всего лишь уголок Вселенной или капля в океане, и они не полностью эквивалентны всей естественной Вселенной.
Более 200 стран мира, сотни этнических групп, тысячи языков, три основные религии: христианство, ислам, буддизм и православие, десятки тысяч политических партий в разных странах, национальное правительство и социальные системы, культура, верования. , национальная психология и земельные ресурсы, экономика, образование, наука и технологии, история развития, модели развития и т. д. многочисленны и сложны. История развития человечества длинна и сложна, и у каждой есть свои достоинства и изменения. Естественно, что в великом мире все виды конфликтов и борьбы будут происходить постоянно. Мир - это не розарий, полный цветов, а травянистые луга с сорняками и пышными кустами.Он требует от всего человечества постоянного изменения и удаления обрезки и обрезки листьев, чтобы создать красочный источник. Хотя люди велики по своей сути, они еще не полнос
Science of the Mind . . .Klivington, Kenneth A.
How the Mind Works . . .Pinker, Steve
Bounce . . .Friend Natasha
Bright Air, Brilliant Fire: on the matter of the mind . . .Edelman, Gerald M.
The Remembered Present . . . Edelman, Gerald M.
An Anatomy of Thought: the origin and machinery of the mind . . Glynn, Ian
Synaptic Self . . LeDoux, Joseph E.
Instinct and Intelligence: behavior of animals and man . . Barnett, S. A.
Animal Architects . . .Gould, James L. and Gould, Carol Grant
Animal Behavior . . Ridley, Mark
Apes, Language and the Human Mind . . Savage-Rumbaugh, E. Sue; Shanker, Stuart; Taylor, Talbot, J.
Clever As A Fox . . . Yoerg, Sonja
Wild Minds: What Animals Really Think . . .Hauser, Marc D.
The Animal Mind . . Gould, James L. and Gould, Carol Grant
Next of Kin . . . Fouts, Roger
The Ape and the Sushi Master . . . Waal, F. B. M. de
The Smile of a Dolphin . . Bekoff, Marc
Jane Goodall: The Woman Who Redefined Man . . . Peterson, Dale
Walking With The Great Apes : Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, Birute Galdikas . . .Montgomery, Sy
How Monkeys See The World . . .Cheney, Dorothy; Seyfarth, Robert M
Bonobo: The Forgotten Ape . . Waal, F. B. M. de; Lanting, Frans
A Primates Memoir . . . Sapolsky, Robert M.
When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals . . Masson, J. Moussaieft; McCarthy, Susan
Mind of the Raven . . Heinrich, Barnd
The Hidden Life of Dogs . . Thomas, Elizabeth Marshall
Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and his Girl . . O'Brien, Stacy
Cetacean Societies: Field Studies of Dolphins and Whales . . Mann, Janet
To Touch a Wild Dolphin . . Smolker, Rachel
Ishmael . . . Quinn, Daniel
Sundiver . . Brin, David
Startide Rising . . Brin, David
The Uplift War . . . Brin, David
Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior . . Slater, P. J. B
Animal Behavior Science Projects
The Oxford Companion to Animal Behavior . . McFarland, David
Rattling the Cage: Toward Legal Rights for Animals . . Wise, Steven M.
Animal Rights . . Hurley, Jennifer A.
Sociobiology: A New Synthesis . . Wilson, Edward O.
Hillman CH, Erickson KI, Kramer AF. Be smart, exercise your heart: exercise effects on brain and cognition. Nature Reviews. Neuroscience. 2008;9(1):58–65
See blog post with explanation: Graphic: Your Brain on Walking | Ted Eytan, MD