Here in Oz, places, plants, seasons, and animals were renamed with colonisation. Fortunately the old names are still known by the First Nations people and now able to be recorded. Many are regaining their old names - like Uluru. The old names have a far deeper spiritual meaning than simply the surname of some old white guy who probably stomped all over a sacred site.
Hi Sarah, yes there’s many more layers of naming that came with colonisation. I lived in NZ for a few years and everything there had been renamed after the colonisers too.
I got no further than the second paragraph, where you write about attending the Church of England as a child, where "everything had been decided," before I found myself inspired to go and write 400 words in my journal.
The gist of my thoughts were on writing and writing style; something I've been thinking about a lot lately; how I want to be careful not to assume that I know what my readers need, that I'm providing answers that they should implement in their own lives—an arrogant and disrespectful outlook—but rather am just telling how it was for me in the hopes that my readers will FIND something they can use. A subtle but important difference, and the difference between sharing and sermonizing.
I will go finish your essay now, haha; just wanted you to know you've inspired me!
Oh, I think I've found a kindred spirit, although I'm a student of yoga philosophy I think we're climbing the same mountain. I've also read both the short story and Writing Down the Bones.
In our yoga sessions we would talk about how divisive language is, but at the same time it's the only tool we have for investigating the philosophy, and we had to learn some Sanskrit, which is only fun for a linguist like me. But it made me think how we're trying to name ideas that don't need to be named but which we know intuitively, and the more we turn away from instructions the more we know them.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on this 🤓
Hi Lisa, nice to meet you! I do love coming across kindred spirits. 😊 Yes despite its drawbacks and divisive elements, language does have many great elements too. Words are great when used in the right way! 💙
For inspirational historical fiction at this chilling time, I reccomend any book by Kristin Harmel. Herioc women during the Nazi occupation of France and a bit of romance feature in all three of the books I have read.
This prompted me to get down my copy (largely unread copy) of Ursula Le Guin's rendition of Lao Tzu's text. I found it helpful reading both versions together, so I thought I'd include it here.
TAOING
The way you can go
isn't the real way.
The name you can say
isn't the real name
Heaven and earth
begin in the unnamed:
name's the mother
of the ten thousand things.
So the unwitting soul
sees what's hidden,
and the ever-wanting soul
sees only what it wants.
Two things, one origin,
but different in name,
whose identity is mystery.
Mystery of all mysteries!
The door to the hidden
In her footnote, Le Guin says: "A satisfactory translation of this chapter is, I believe, perfectly impossible. It contains the book [ie The Tao Te Ching]. I think of it as the Aleph, in Borge's story: if you see it rightly, it contains everything".
My note ... So, of course, I used Google to look up 'Borge, the Aleph' and found the following Google note, which I am simply going to lift and place ere:
Q: What is the Aleph by Borges about?
A: Plot summary. In Borges' story, the Aleph is a point in space that contains all other points. Any one who gazes into it can see everything in the universe from every angle, simultaneously, without distortion, overlapping, or confusion.
I love Taoism, and I have Stephen's translation. I've also gotten pretty deep into Advaity Vedanta. I look forward to hearing you talk at the Creator Retreat. I look forward to reading your other works.
Hi Eddie, I’m glad you enjoyed my post. I’m a big fan of Stephen’s translation too. It was the first one I read. I don’t know much at all about Advaity Vedanta. Tell me! Look forward to meeting you at the Creator Retreat!
Thanks for contemplating names.
Here in Oz, places, plants, seasons, and animals were renamed with colonisation. Fortunately the old names are still known by the First Nations people and now able to be recorded. Many are regaining their old names - like Uluru. The old names have a far deeper spiritual meaning than simply the surname of some old white guy who probably stomped all over a sacred site.
Hi Sarah, yes there’s many more layers of naming that came with colonisation. I lived in NZ for a few years and everything there had been renamed after the colonisers too.
I got no further than the second paragraph, where you write about attending the Church of England as a child, where "everything had been decided," before I found myself inspired to go and write 400 words in my journal.
The gist of my thoughts were on writing and writing style; something I've been thinking about a lot lately; how I want to be careful not to assume that I know what my readers need, that I'm providing answers that they should implement in their own lives—an arrogant and disrespectful outlook—but rather am just telling how it was for me in the hopes that my readers will FIND something they can use. A subtle but important difference, and the difference between sharing and sermonizing.
I will go finish your essay now, haha; just wanted you to know you've inspired me!
Thanks Don - I am very happy to have inspired you! And I hope my posts are sharing not sermonising! 💙
I've never felt that way reading your posts. In fact, the rest of this essay further confirmed my thoughts.
And, btw, I read that short story, Tower of Babylon, a couple years ago and never forgot it. I think it was the standout of that compilation for me!
I am glad to hear that! I love Ted Chiang’s work and have read both of his short story collections. All so different and always make me really think.
I always meant to look further into his writing. I’ll put it on my Goodreads list!
Oh, I think I've found a kindred spirit, although I'm a student of yoga philosophy I think we're climbing the same mountain. I've also read both the short story and Writing Down the Bones.
In our yoga sessions we would talk about how divisive language is, but at the same time it's the only tool we have for investigating the philosophy, and we had to learn some Sanskrit, which is only fun for a linguist like me. But it made me think how we're trying to name ideas that don't need to be named but which we know intuitively, and the more we turn away from instructions the more we know them.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on this 🤓
Hi Lisa, nice to meet you! I do love coming across kindred spirits. 😊 Yes despite its drawbacks and divisive elements, language does have many great elements too. Words are great when used in the right way! 💙
For inspirational historical fiction at this chilling time, I reccomend any book by Kristin Harmel. Herioc women during the Nazi occupation of France and a bit of romance feature in all three of the books I have read.
Thanks for the recommendation, Kathleen!
This prompted me to get down my copy (largely unread copy) of Ursula Le Guin's rendition of Lao Tzu's text. I found it helpful reading both versions together, so I thought I'd include it here.
TAOING
The way you can go
isn't the real way.
The name you can say
isn't the real name
Heaven and earth
begin in the unnamed:
name's the mother
of the ten thousand things.
So the unwitting soul
sees what's hidden,
and the ever-wanting soul
sees only what it wants.
Two things, one origin,
but different in name,
whose identity is mystery.
Mystery of all mysteries!
The door to the hidden
In her footnote, Le Guin says: "A satisfactory translation of this chapter is, I believe, perfectly impossible. It contains the book [ie The Tao Te Ching]. I think of it as the Aleph, in Borge's story: if you see it rightly, it contains everything".
My note ... So, of course, I used Google to look up 'Borge, the Aleph' and found the following Google note, which I am simply going to lift and place ere:
Q: What is the Aleph by Borges about?
A: Plot summary. In Borges' story, the Aleph is a point in space that contains all other points. Any one who gazes into it can see everything in the universe from every angle, simultaneously, without distortion, overlapping, or confusion.
Thank you for sharing this, Anita. I’ve not read the Le Guin version but I keep meaning to. I now also want to read the Borges story!
I love Taoism, and I have Stephen's translation. I've also gotten pretty deep into Advaity Vedanta. I look forward to hearing you talk at the Creator Retreat. I look forward to reading your other works.
Hi Eddie, I’m glad you enjoyed my post. I’m a big fan of Stephen’s translation too. It was the first one I read. I don’t know much at all about Advaity Vedanta. Tell me! Look forward to meeting you at the Creator Retreat!