Tolerance is the homage which the finite mind pays to the inexhaustibility of the Infinite.— Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888-1975) On this day in 1888, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born. He was an Indian philosopher and statesman. He was widely admired as a master of the English language, a spellbinding orator, a dynamic leader, and a generous … Read more
I see the better things, and approve; I follow the worse. — Ovid As we continue through the harvest festival season, and the time of year when the ancestors are remembered, we come on this date to the opening day of the Ludi Romani, also called the Ludi Magni which were held to honor the … Read more
Please do not offer my God a peanut.— Apu, from The Simpsons Today is Ganesh Chaturthi, the festival that celebrates the birthday of the great Hindu God, Ganesh. Also known as Ganapati and Ganesha, He is the son of Shiva and Parvati. He is the Lord of success, destroyer of evils and remover of obstacles. … Read more
So long as men worship the Caesars and Napoleons,Caesars and Napoleons will duly rise and make them miserable.— Aldous Huxley, novelist, visionary (1894-1963) We welcome September, the month in the northern hemisphere where the harvest time is well underway. Now we gather the gifts of what we have sown throughout the year, and there is … Read more
This is America, not Beijing. This is not being shown on the mainstream news, but it is happening. These folks are protesting — but they are not violent, they are not terrorists, they are exercising their First Amendment rights. You know. Those freedoms and rights that some people say we are fighting our wars to … Read more
The Star Throwerfrom the story by Loren Eiseley I awoke early, as I often did, just before sunrise to walk by the ocean’s edge and greet the new day. As I moved through the misty dawn, I focused on a faint, far away motion. I saw a youth, bending and reaching and flailing arms, dancing … Read more
Dark of the MoonNew beginningsDark of the MoonPlant a seed tonightDark of the MoonWhat we envisionWill come to be by the Full Moon’s light. Today is the second New Moon of the calendar (solar) month. In the way that the Blue Moon is a second Full Moon in a month, the second New Moon is … Read more
I grant forgiveness to all living beings.May all living beings grant me forgiveness.My friendship is with all living beings.My enmity is totally non-existent.Let there be peace, harmony, and prosperity for all.— from the Kalpa Sutra, holy text of JainismDepending on sect and location, the practitioners of Jainism are now ending their most important religious period … Read more
This will be the day, this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning “My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!— Dr. Martin Luther … Read more
Decuman’s Well at the church in Watchet Deep well, clear water,May you hear this prayer from your sons and daughters:As you swell,Go deeper,And sweep our grief away.— Nancy Conescu Today is the feast day of the Celtic saint, Decuman. Decuman is said to have been born of noble parents from Rhoscrowther in Pembrokeshire, Wales, where … Read more