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[Aug. 11th, 2008|06:53 pm] |
| [ | Tags | | | bikes, blossoming lotus, issan dorsey roshi, organic, periodic table, robe, sustainable, tom lehrer, torah, vegan, zen | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  caliente | ] |
| [ | music |
| | R. Yitzchak Husbands-Hankin, Hashkiveinu | ] |
Years ago, I practiced Buddhism in the Soto Zen tradition. Actually, I discovered yoga and meditation when I was still in grade school and I've continued to sit zazen (do Zen meditation) even in Israel where I was without the benefit of a sangha (community). Eyes wide open, no mantra, no visualization ~ just sitting. On Thursday, Mikio and I met for the fist time in more than four years. He's a dear friend and spending the afternoon with him awakened all sort of memories from those happy days in the early to mid-1990s. Mikio returned my robe which he'd been keeping for me. Now is the right moment.
A photo of a young Jean Cocteau was the improbable
inspiration for this shot:
The full-length robe was tailored for me and is probably the most comfortable thing I have ever worn. Mikio, who is Japanese, told me that his associations with robes have to do with funerals. (Zen priests in Japan conduct funerals aplenty, I guess). For me, though, it's just a reminder to sit, and all about ease. Issan Dorsey roshi said of his remarkable transformation from prostitute/drug addict/drag queen to Zen priest, "Ah, buddhist drag!"
inscrutable smile?
On Friday a.m., I met my חברותאה study partner, ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) bikelovejones to look at פרשת השבוע the weekly Torah portion. First though, she floated my bicycle on a portable bike repair stand, took off the broken gear shifter thingy and cable, mounted a new one, tested it -- all in a flash. I think it took me longer to write about it just now than for her to make the crucial repairs. I'm in awe of skill and experience at work!
After we parted, I went to Powell's City of Books to browse the chemistry section. I cannot explain this chemistry jag I'm on. Maybe it is a delayed reaction having to do with reading about wicked_danu's pre-med school exploits in the lab. Maybe it is my ancestor, the Scottish chemist Sir James Dewar (whose most accessible claim to fame is that he invented the thermos ) calling me from the Other Side. Maybe my fascination with chemistry is due to being a virgin. I am, honest! Except for the Tom Lehrer's song, The Elements (à la Gilbert and Sullivan's "Major-General" from Pirates of Penzance), I have never studied chemistry at all. It is still far from apparent to me what use the periodic chart serves (perhaps some quirkily coded unifying theory?). I only knew 36 of the 109 elements by name, but so small a percentage seems to have been more than sufficient for me for a fair number of decades. I supposed, though, that most people who enjoy music don't know the lingo. It takes a fair bit of music theory to make heads or tails of figured bass, and most non-musicians probably see Pk, plagale Kadenz or contra-fag and do not automatically think: timpani, amen and contra bassoon. If you do chemistry, have you found committing the periodic table to heart to be useful?
After leaving Powell's, I pedalled over a few blocks into the Pearl district and joined gilaor for a wonderful lunch and conversation by the waterfall at the Blossoming Lotus Cafe. It was rather incredible! I rolled back downtown, threw my bike on the bus and passed the hour-long trip back to my sister's recreating the recipe for their yummy Thai Bowl. You could probably put the ginger-lime-peanut sauce on Purina Dog Chow and it would taste sensational, but tossed with carrot, bell pepper, cabbages green and purple, baked tofu, peanuts, cilantro and rice noodles - and I'm thinkin' organic, vegan wonderfulness. |
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loved
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firbro-fog, ugh!
enthralled
