We Are All Cut From the Same Cloth

We Are All Cut From the Same Cloth

Geographical regions and climate have played a major part in creating the diversity of cultural traditions in all the nations of the world.  When it comes to most basic human rituals however, the similarities are universal.  For one thing most of us work diligently to improve our circumstances and those of our children but we also reserve a small portion of our time for fun. Of course, there is a small affluent, privileged segment of humanity that does not need to fully participate with us in these forays into the realms of the gods. For them it can be attained anytime on demand. They are the leaders, the shapers and the helmsmen of our society. But we are not here to mention them; it is the ordinary folk that warrant our attention here; and the hard working majority does need its well earned respite now and then.  Never underestimate the importance of rest and fun, for it is as essential to each human being’s survival as air, water, food and shelter. It is what releases the ordinary folk from their mundane existence and allows them to live for a spell in that exalted regions where they may crawl with the beasts, soar with the angels, or turn against each other in mock battles over tribal properties.

Aside from the routine fun there are those special times that are eagerly sought. These are the holidays, the special days of the year when the ordinary is put aside and we indulge in the gift of our own humanity. Sometimes we celebrate just what it is to be a human being, have the love and comfort of our family and the closeness that gives a higher meaning to our lives. We come together at Weddings, Funerals, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter to reminisce, establish new bonds or strengthen and retie the old ones.

Then there are those times marking the end of an episode in time  or season, when we break free of the constraints we are forced to live with and allow ourselves a well earned  reprieve by loosening our inhibitions and reveling wildly in our uniqueness. Whether we call it Halloween, Carnival, or Saturnalia the mask is donned and the societal strictures are dropped. Collectively at times all non essential activity ceases and every iota of our attention is riveted to the ritual warfare represented by our sports teams. During the playoffs we are the willing recruits to particular totem groups that cheer or jeer, egging on the chosen team to its inevitable victory or defeat.

The types of break we take explore the full spectrum of our identity as human beings. As family members, as uncontrolled beasts and as members of warring social groups, every one of these activities expresses that which is uniquely human in all of us.

Fortuitously, there are countless events and concerts around the Toronto area that mark the end of summer.  Some of them being:  Busker Fest, the Chinatown festival, the FanExpo SciFi convention and, of course, the CNE.  The latter is an old tradition that has existed in Toronto since 1879 and therefore merits special attention. It was established back then to encourage the development of agriculture, manufacturing, industry, commerce and, of course, the arts. Today varied entertainment and fun are the chief requisites. This is where families and couples young and old go to celebrate end of summer in the plethora of colour, sounds, games and the ingesting of delectable and unusual food in vast quantities….Everyone enjoys a last hurrah! 

The End

A Heavenly Law

A Heavenly Law

To bless means to help.

 Heaven helps the man who is devoted

Men help the man who is true.

He who walks in truth and is devoted in his thinking, and furthermore reveres the worthy, is blessed by heaven. He has good fortune, and there is nothing that he would not further.

It is the law of heaven to make fullness empty and to make full what is modest. When the sun is at its zenith, it must, according to the law of heaven, turn toward its setting and at its nadir it rises toward a new dawn. In obedience to the same law the moon when it is full begins to wane and when empty of light it waxes again.

 This heavenly law works itself out in the fates of men also. It is the law of earth to alter the full and to contribute to the modest. High mountains are worn down by the waters, and the valleys are filled up. It is the law of fate to undermine what is full and to prosper the modes; and men also hate fullness and love the modest.

The destinies of men are subject to immutable laws that must fulfill themselves. But man has it in his power to shape his fate, according as his behavior exposes him to the influence of benevolent or of destructive forces. A thing to remember is this: When a man holds a high position and is nevertheless modest, he shines. He who requires much from himself and little from others could be secure from hatred.

I Ching

The End.

The Right Path

The Right Path

When one is faced with a danger that has to be overcome, weakness and impatience can do nothing. Only a strong man can stand up to his fate, for his inner security enables him to endure to the end. 

This strength shows itself in uncompromising truthfulness within him.

It is only when we have the courage to face things exactly as they are, without any sort of self-deception or illusion, that a light will develop out of events by which the path to success may be recognized. 

This recognition must be followed by resolute and persevering action. For only the man who goes to meet his fate resolutely is equipped to deal with it adequately. 

Then he will be capable of making the necessary decision and of surmounting the danger.

I Ching.

The End.