Nothing, with Mustard

So a Buddhist monk goes up to a hot dog stand in Central Park. The stand owner asks, "What'll ya have." The monk answers, "Make me one with everything."
Despite being quite the rugged individualist, MFoD finds comfort in much of Indian and Buddhist philosophy. Knowing that the physical world, samsara, is an illusion at least allows one not to take it too seriously. Accepting the transience of pleasure and pain (the ending of pain is a pleasure) does wonders for one's outlook on life, especially as the talons of middle-age begin to grip more securely. And, the final end to countless rebirths, Nirvana, becoming one with everything, or, really, with nothing, at the very least piques one's interest.
The concept of nothing being real is one that Westerners have a difficult time grasping. In a nutshell, everything, the physical world, is not real. Therefore, the logical conclusion to come to is that nothing must be real. The realm where the physical world does not encroach is the only reality. Fairly boggles the mind, doesn't it?
Buddhism's response to the problem of achieving Nirvana is appealing, especially to an academic. One knows that one has achieved Nirvana through enlightenment, i. e., knowledge. It comes at a moment of pure clarity described by some of the individuals who have become Buddhas in their lifetimes. In order to reach that point, one must slough off all desire, even the desire for enlightenment. One must have both inner and outer peace. One reason the Buddha reached enlightenment under the ficus now known as the Bodhi tree is that this was a tree that tigers under which preferred to rest. The point must be that, if you can find inner peace in a place where a fearsome predator might take issue with your being there, you've really reached inner peace.
Being a New Yorker, MFoD subscribes, most of the time, to Fran Lebowitz' dictum, "There is no such thing as inner peace; there is only nervousness and death." However, the knowledge that at least some of the human population are, at this moment, working towards something greater than anything we know, is comforting. Yet, there is so much to Do: teaching, writing, shopping, traveling, dining with friends, complaining about mass transit; how can one give that up?
Perhaps I'm too much in league with Fran. Oh well, if not this lifetime, then the next.

Image credit: Museum of the City of New York

Atheists

MFoD confesses to a dread secret: an addiction to YouTube. This modern-day agora attracts all types of entertaining and informative videos. At one moment, the viewer may be watching a young person deal with a crisis, or give fashion advice; the next might find the viewer laughing at a skit or a pet's antics, or, a serious scientific or philosophical discussion might be found at the click of a button.
Among the more interesting threads of discussion and videos are those posted by Atheists who usually busy themselves with debunking the many religious videos that appear on the site. They seem to take particular joy in savaging the claim of people who interpret the Bible literally.
Another confession: MFoD usually likes the Atheists better than the Religious People. Most of them tend to be a bit on the Left regarding culture and politics, and some are even accepting of the fact that the majority of the human race approaches the unknown with religious belief. Of course, there are those who are as doctrinaire and intellectually inflexible as the worst sorts in the camp of Religion.
One thing that brings many Atheists into a frothy rage is calling their approach to the universe a "Religion." This is understandable if one realizes that Atheism lacks some of the very things that are necessary to religion, among them: myth, symbol and ritual. They certainly often claim ethics, community and even doctrine, but, by missing those three aforementioned characteristics, they cannot be said to be followers of a Religion.
However, the statement, "I do not believe in God," is a religious statement. Even though the statement is reactionary to the Theistic claims that have dominated human thought for millennia, it really must come under the rubric of "religious discussion," at the very least.
Unfortunately, the Atheist/Theist discussion (or "conflict," if you will) does not take into account the fact that Atheists, just as Theists, are dealing with mystery. The difference is that Atheists deal with it in a matter-of-fact way. Many claim a materialist viewpoint, saying that there is no "soul" that exists separate from the body. Once the body dies, the person is extinguished; there is no afterlife. But, of course, their claims would not be necessary if not for religions, many of which do posit a body/soul dichotomy and many of which have vivid positions on the afterlife.
So, Theists among us, engage Atheists in discussions (note, "discussions," not "arguments") concerning the unknown. Listen to them and hope that they will listen back. Declare a "Take an Atheist to Lunch Day."
Life is short; order the mixed grill.

Image credit: atheists.org

Day of Atonement

It's just sundown here, September 21, 2007. In this neighborhood with a large Jewish population, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, has just begun. For twenty-four hours Jews will fast, pray and beg the Master of the Universe for forgiveness. Seeing that today is Friday, there is not much difference on the surface of things from any other Shabbat. But, it's quite different.
Atonement to God for sins, a practice followed in somewhat similar manners by Judaism's sister religions, Christianity and Islam, is seen, in one form or another, across the spectrum of human religiousness. While offenses against other people often have the force of law prosecuting them, it's those offenses with which civil law does not concern itself that the days, months, seasons or practices address.
Being a species based in the senses, we tend to be most horrified by the sins we see: murder, molestation, theft (private and corporate), violence, among others. But, within the depths of the center of many of humans there exists the kernel of those sins that are served before us on the evening news. This human darkness is the target of the actions of penance and confession of Yom Kippur, as well as the more recognizable sins.
What goes on inside the true penitent? Most important, some say, is healing. The human soul is a fragile thing, so easily damaged, and often that damage is beyond repair. Hence, atonement, experiencing, for a day, a season, or a moment, wholeness again through a sense of purging and forgiveness. This is the deepest of human desires: peace and tranquility in the face of a harsh world.
The myths offer many reasons for human sinfulness: the apple, heavenly war, divine incest, pride or cosmic disorder. They do not matter. Only the healing matters.

Image credit: 3D Bible Project

What's for Dinner?

Food and religion go together. The work of Mythologist Joseph Campbell connected our earliest religious experiences with our food, and he has a point. His "Power of Myth" conversation with Bill Moyers, entitled, "The First Storytellers," highlights the connection of tribal peoples with their food.
As cuisine in the industrial West becomes more obsessed with presentation, sauces and new combinations, one may do well by looking at food through the eyes of a woman or man in a primary culture. Cultures that relied more on vegetation had myths that connected them to the plants they gathered or grew. Hunting cultures' mythological companions were the very animals that they hunted. The sacrifice of the animals' lives allowed the people to live. And the people were grateful.
The meat aisle at the supermarket presents "dressed" meats for our delectation. Their colors are uniform; any unexpected color is quickly dismissed as unhealthy. The colors that we expect also tend to be somewhat unnatural, derived from a certain type of feed, or even dyes. The original animal, whose life has probably been uninteresting (to the animal) and devoid of much natural behavior, is lost to the consumer. And, heaven save the butcher if the "cut" we desire is not in stock! But, never is there any sense of gratitude to that original animal, who was barely an animal at all, always just a food product.
Now, MFoD, being a city dweller, is not in the least suggesting that we all invest in arrows, spear, poisons, and go out to catch out own food. She is merely pointing out that there is a sense of alienation between industrialized people and there foodstuffs. We tend not to realize that an animal has had its life taken, rather than being allowed to give it up. The tribal peoples know the difference, and revere it.
What's for dinner? Culture. Enjoy it!

Image courtesy of the North American Bison Cooperative

The Astor Court

Discussion still rages whether the writings of Confucius (K'ung Fu-tzu; all transliterations come from Wang-Tsit Chan's A Sourcebook in Chinese Philosophy, Princeton, 1963) are philosophy, theology or both. Whatever. All is grist for the mill. What is quite certain is that the Sixth-Century BCE master developed the concept of humanity (jen), thus introducing humanism, and gave greater dignity to the concept of civil service (one wishes that modern US civil servants still obtained and offered such dignity).
Among the more revered figures in Confucian thought was the scholar. He embodied the concepts of jen, li (a word that means both "propriety" and "rituals"), and i ("justice," "morality"). These characteristics, and others, existed together within a harmonious whole in the Confucian ideal. No place mirrored the scholar's pursuit of these concepts more than did his study and garden. A magnificent example of the retreat for the gentleman can be found in New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art: the Astor Court.
One enters the Astor Court through a round opening called a "Moon Gate." After a second or two of reflection on the recently-deceased Mrs. Astor, one of the moving forces behind this exhibit, one proceeds into the garden. Splashing water from a pond tickles the ears; there are small koi to add some color. A pavilion with a roof common to Southern Chinese architecture stands next to the pond. The garden is planted with grasses and mosses. Large, weather-worn limestone pillars stand around the garden. Being almost certainly among the first "found objects" in art, they are almost protean in that every move of the viewer uncovers a new shape. The focal point of the Astor Court is a moon-viewing terrace and a scholar's den. The terrace was a place to meditate, view the moon, and entertain friends. The den contains a low table and several chests for storage, as well as mats for sitting. One can imagine ink stands ready for calligraphy practice and scrolls spread out on the table. While the scholar sat with his back to the outdoor, the better to facilitate contemplation, the garden was as much a part of the room as the storage chests.
The entire exhibit breathes tranquility. The retreat of the scholar, the gentleman, the servant of society, is timeless, changeless. As is contemplation.
In this room, set up as a museum piece, the scholar still teaches us. His presence is palpable within the constructions that he inhabited oh so long ago.

Image credit: garden in Kowloon park, courtesy of www.aviewoncities.com

Harmonic Convergence

Today begins the Jewish High HolyDays, with Jews all around the world ushering in the year 5768.
Today begins the Fast of Ramadan, with Muslims gearing themselves up for the next 28 days of reflection and asceticism.
Coincidence, of course. The revised lunar calendar of Judaism has just by happenstance lined up with the strict lunar calendar of Islam.
However, MFoD is not one to leave such a coincidence by the wayside. For, within the convergence lies a stronger connection. Jews celebrate the New Year, the creative actions of the Master of the Universe. The gift of a world, of a set of regulations for using the world properly, and a constantly-shifting intimate relationship with God, are reasons for celebration. However, underneath the joy is the awareness of the need for penitence. In a few days, the fast of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, will absorb the hearts and minds of the faithful.
Islam fasts for a month, also remembering one of the greatest of Allah's gifts: The Holy Quran. God graciously sent down, on multiple occasions, the Word. The last time it came to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), who set up a social system to ensure that its message would reamain clear. Being unworthy of God's indulgence, Muslims engage in a grueling fast: 28 days with not so much as a drop of water from sunup to sundown. When MFoD lived and taught in the Middle East, Ramadan occured during the summer. The Muslim students were stoic and brave; the occasional fainter was tended to by the other students, who instructed MFoD to continue the lesson.
Of course, both religions enjoin compassion on those unable, due to age (youth or maturity), health or pregnancy, to fast; the are, in effect ordered to take nourishment. Humanity abounds in both religious traditions.
The convergence is indeed harmonic. Those with eyes will see, and wonder what all the "fussin' and feudin'" is about. Two great religions, both prostrate before the goodness and mercy of the same God, named either Allah or YHWH, are deeply into Sacred Time.
MFoD heaves a prodigious sigh, sheds a tear, and hopes.

9/11

MFoD lost two friends six years ago today. Both former students. One was a gentle and decent man, with his head always screwed on the right way. The other, just as decent, was feisty, vital, and loved a good argument. Both died in the Towers. Both left wives and children.
When MFoD first heard the news about what was going on that beautiful Tuesday morning (from an hysterical comment broadcast loudly on the radio, a rarity in the neighborhood), the TV went on immediately, but, with no cable, the radio and high end channels had to suffice. A next-door neighbor, stranded at home, had cable. He, of course, offered a chair. The devestated towers, minutes from falling, brought only one thought: "So, this is what they did."
Yes, it was no surprise that something happened; the surprise and shock was what that something was.
There was no prescience at work here; there was no need for any. Being "in the business," and having studied and taught about militant Islam for years, MFoD knew that it was only a matter of time. There was no need for an August 6th memo, one that was apparently ignored by those who might have helped to stop the carnage. Any keen observer of the fringe elements of Islam could see it coming.
For weeks afterward, friends were not really happy to hear MFoD's thoughts on the workings of politics in intolerant, resurgent Islam. They were angry. So was MFoD, but not for the same reason: intolerance, ignorance and confrontational politics on all sides had caused this, not Islam.
Now, six years later, friends can't get enough information and opinions. In the remarkable post-9/11 issue of "The New Yorker," there appeared among short comments written by several notable figures, one by the late Susan Sontag, for which she was roundly chastised. She wrote, "Let's by all means grieve together. But let's not be stupid together." MFoD knew exactly what Sontag meant, and what she feared. For today, six years later, we know there has been stupidity, epic in scale. It is for this stupidity that the grieving continues.
About the future of human relations, MFoD is not usually an optimist, but very few people would disagree with her that there will be a time in the not-too-distant future, as there have been many times since 9/11/01, when she has, and will say, "So this is what they did."

Image credit: "Mourning Angel," courtesy of GNU/Wikipedia

Culture/Religion/Religion/Culture

The Arabic word proncounced deen can denote both "religion" and "culture." For those of you for whom "Arabic" means "Muslim," allow MFoD a moment's chiding. Arabic speakers belong to as many religions as exist, worshipping in synagogues, churches, masjids and a variety of temples. There is no "Arab religion."
That said, this article shall concentrate on the word din in its Islamic usage. The one thing about Islam that must be remembered is that the religion, from its inception, offered a complete way of life. Of the other Western/Semitic religions, the Hebrew Scriptures, with their interest in approaching Creation in a manner pleasing the the Almighty, comes close, but Christian Scripture, with its persistent gaze towards the eschaton, offers little in the way of "everyday religion."
The best place to test the claim concerning Islam's completeness is to travel to the Islamic world itself. MFoD, from personal experience, can assure her readers that there are many destinations in the Muslims world where Westerners are safe and welcomed. Men, at least, can generally expect to be invited by a smiling aquaintance for coffee and discussion. For women, the Muslim world may offer less in the way of public amenities, but, in a group of other women, especially locals, a Western woman may have a reasonably pleasant visit.
Regardless of gender, a traveler (remember, one is never to be a "tourist," always a traveler) easily espies the strong influence Islam has on the world around her/him. First of all, the muezzin calls from the minaret five times each day, summoning the faithful to prayer. One will find a change in atmosphere around one as people become attentive to the reminder of the day's passage; one might even need to excuse a companion for the few minutes it takes to fulfill the duty to pray.
Then, there are, in the Middle East, at least, the suqs, filled with buys and bargains, from spices to silks. Not merely a prototype shopping mall, the suq serves the community as a gathering place where important information may be obtained. When MFoD lived in an "interesting" town, the Arabic speakers among us would always be sure to visit the market daily for the news. Other signs of Islam: men handling prayer beads, a companionable atmosphere among friends and contemporaries, jewelry made in the form of Islamic symbols, and, during Ramadan, hanging lights after dark and closed retaurants during the daylight hours.
As part of its completeness, Islam offers a political system, a blog for another time. For now, the traveler to many an Islamic State may look forward to a welcoming, smiling world where people generally tend to be happy with their lives, or at least secure in the knowledge that their way of life is, on the whole, better because of the focus religion brings to it.

Image credit: Zeyek and Suleymaniye Mosques, Istanbul; courtesy Les Arts Turcs.

Campfire Girls

Ah, the smell of the wood fire. The cozy tent. The bedroll on the lumpy ground. Such are the memories of the Scouts. Some of us have other memories as well, especially those of adolescent gropings under cover of helpful darkness in the two-person tent (MFoD, being somewhat naive, declined to participate when asked), with the adults keeping apart and (willfully?) ignorant. Whatever happened to those halcyon times? Alas, the Religious Right (RR) happened, those purveyors of intolerance who have sunk their claws into a once innocent community. They would not abide MFoD and her ilk today.
When the RR took over the BSA, they imposed two rules: one must believe in God, and one must be heterosexual. These twin demands have brought, as did the lightning bolt of the Fall from Grace, knowledge to the Scout. The once innocent gropings (which do not really arise from sexual urges, more from curiosity) have been exposed and condemned; the tent now contains a metaphorical night light and a Supreme overseer. Even the young Cub Scout is faced with theism and heterosexism when his time would be much better spent collecting leaves and wading in streams. The older Scout, especially when his sexuality (with its often attendent concerns about being homosexual) awakens, finds himself in a conundrum concerning his membership in the organization. He must dissemble. He must cover over his insecurities. He must betray himself. Such a betrayal, even by a Scout who is, in the end, heterosexual, leaves a bitterness that can never be sweetened. And the RR has brought him that bitterness.
Traditionally, Scout leadsership demands quite a few skills and qualities: a sterling character, patience, knowledge of Scouting lore, inventiveness, chastity concerning the boys (a predator will never do), among many others. To this list the RR has imposed a belief and an urge. The belief must encompass a deity recognized as such to the BSA leadership, and the urge must be for the vagina. The other characteristics in the list above were not enough, and the gay Scout Leader, although possessed of all the qualities in that list, and more, has been judged accordingly. The impervious donjon of conformity stands even when one of the leaders themselves was found to have amassed a considerable amount of child pornography.
However, there is hope, seen in such organizations as "Scounting For All," led by a tolerant and accepting heterosexual young man. Once these clearer heads become the dominant force in the world of Scouting, once again the campsite will be as innocent as the Garden of Eden.

Image: Campfire Films, UK, 2006

The Grecian Taste

My, Acts of the Apostles 9:1-7 is an exciting bit, isn't it? "Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord...," and later, while traveling to Damascus, "there shines round about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me" (King James Version, as it is beautiful and is "The Bible" to oh, so many).
All of this was written by the same person who wrote Luke (How do we know? Read the introductions to both the Gospel and Acts, for a start.). Luke wrote more than 25 years after the events related, in Greek. Soon after Saul/Paul's conversion (as recounted in Acts 13:16-41), Luke puts a speech into Paul's (as he can now be known) mouth, even including a rhetorical flourish or two. It's a dandy speech, recounting Salvation History as it leads to Christ, a favorite Lucan theme. All of this leads to the question: How Greek were these people?
Saul/Paul knew Greek. He was born and raised in the Greek-speaking world. He visited the marketplaces, the temples, the magistrates' courts (Oh, to be able to see them in the same condition as Paul did!). They were part of his daily life; he even wrote about the propriety of buying meat in the market of Corinth. Although he doesn't exhibit much talent for Greek rhetorical composition (alas), he does know who he is and among whom he lives.
Yet on his trip to Greek-speaking Damascus, Saul/Paul met Christ, who spoke to him. In what language? Greek? Hebrew? The tongue of the heart's understanding? And to whom was he on his way to persecute? "Christians," is the usual answer, but that may not be correct. Gunther Bornkamm, the great Pauline scholar, posited that Paul took on as his quest the eradication of Hellenism from the synagogue. When Jesus asked, "Why do you persecute me," Saul may well have been perplexed; he had been confronting an idea, not a person. Luke does not tell us exactly how, but apparently, Saul/Paul somehow got the message. After a few more tussles with the Hellenists, he broke from the synagogue and began to minister to the same people he had persecuted. This was the beginning of a Christianity from Judaism.
Paul developed a Grecian taste. Always honoring the Mosaic Law, he nonetheless immersed himself among the people called "Gentile." I always believe that his claim that there is neither Jew nor Greek was a tad disingenuous. As it had conquered Rome, the Greek world conquered Paul. And the multi-faceted Greek language conquered the Christian Scriptures, and provides biblical scholars with a myriad of possibilites as to what Paul actually said when he used certain words, a pastime always good for an argument (Today's New International Version, anyone?).
Stodgy, sturdy, legalistic Latin eventually took over in Western Europe, and robbed that Church of a lively sense of debate (except for some of those sparkling Medieval disputations). The relic of Greek in the Roman Liturgy ("Kyrie eleison") was not enough. Western Christianity needs to develop the Grecian taste, even as the Roman Church appears to be embracing the Latin liturgy once again. Flexibility of thought in the classical vein, coupled with the knowledge of human-ness of the 21st century, may well lead to a Renaissance of thought. As a colleague of MFoD stated: "The Church doesn't need new laws; it needs a new anthropology." The Greeks, humanists par excellence, provide the road map to Damascus. All we need to do is get on the horse.

Image credit: The British Museum, courtesy of ihistorylink.net

The Legend of Marie Fatime of Damascus

Marie Fatime of Damascus is a Church near the capital city founded by a Franco-Roman Crusader expeditionary force during the Twelfth Century. The force consisted of younger sons of noble families. Composed mostly young men of, shall we say, artistic temperament, they were not spiritually inclined to wage war against the Muslims. Faced, however, with the alarming possibility of having to deface such an exquisite culture, and being rejected by the Crusade commanders in their bid to entertain the troops, they decided to go native. Their leader, son of the Seigneur de ____, found an obliging Nestorian Bishop who ordained him almost immediately. By coincidence, the bishop's friend, a Fatimid imam, was visiting from Egypt. He was so impressed by the young man's firmness of purpose that he proclaimed him imam.
Hence, the Church of Marie Fatime of Damascus was built, and served a needy (and, necessarilly, confused) local populace until the Ottomann conquest. The Ottomanns, far from destroying the Church, instead defrocked the priests, but left them with their status as imams. The newly-created mosque holds services to this day.
The above: Nonsense, or to the point? There is too much talk of a war between civilizations.
One purpose of this blog is to re-mystify religion through clarity. "Religion" is a set of approaches to mystery. The fact that the three Western Religions have a different name for the Supreme Being (YHWH, God, Allah) is immaterial (this idea was stolen from Joseph Campbell). The fact that the Eastern Religions have a different cosmology from the West.is immaterial.
Read, if you wish, and comment. Let the games begin!

Image credit: "Byzantine Church near Alepppo," Duncan Mackenzie, 1911