No Attachment to Dust

No Attachment to Dust

Zengetsu was a great Chinese Zen master of the T’ang dynasty. He wrote the following advice for his pupils. Standing the test of time it certainly would hold true today.

-Living in the world yet not forming attachments to the dust of the world is the way of a true Zen student. 

-Virtues are the fruit of self-discipline and do not drop from heaven of themselves as does rain or snow. 

-Modesty is the foundation of all virtues. Let your neighbours discover you before you make yourself known to them. 

- A noble heart never forces itself forward. Its words are as rare gems, seldom displayed and of great value.

-When witnessing the good action of another encourage yourself to follow his example. Hearing of the mistaken action of another, advise yourself not to emulate it. 

- A person may appear a fool and yet not be one. He may only be guarding his wisdom carefully.

-Censure yourself, never another. Do not discuss right and wrong.

-Some things, though right, were considered wrong for generations. Since the value of righteousness may be recognized after centuries, there is no need to crave an immediate appreciation. 

-Even though alone in a dark room, be as if you were facing a noble guest. Express your feelings, but become no more expressive than your true nature. 

- Poverty is your treasure. Never exchange it for an easy life.

-To a sincere student, every day is a fortunate day. Time passes but he never lags behind. Neither glory nor shame can move him. 

-Live with cause and leave results to the great law of the universe. Pass each day in peaceful contemplation. 

The End.

Nature's Abstract Art- 2

Nature's Abstract Art-2

“The symbol of heaven is the circle, and that of earth is the square. Thus squareness is a primary quality of the earth. On the other hand, movement in a straight line, as well as magnitude, is a primary quality of the Creative.

“All square things have their origin in a straight line and in turn form solid bodies. In Mathematics, when we discriminate between lines, planes and solids, we find that rectangular planes result from straight lines, and cubic magnitudes from rectangular planes. The Receptive accommodates itself to the qualities of the Creative and makes them its own. Thus a square develops out of a straight line and a cube out of a square. This is compliance with the laws of the Creative; nothing is taken away, nothing added. Therefore the receptive has no need of a special purpose of its own or any effort, yet everything turns out, as it should.

“Nature creates all beings without erring: this is its four-squareness. It tolerates all creatures equally: this is its greatness. Therefore it attains what is right for all without artifice or special intent. Man achieves the height of wisdom when all that he does is as self-evident as nature.”

I Ching

The World Celebrations of Valentine's Day

 Valentine’s Day

Part: 2

The World celebrations of Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is celebrated throughout the world by a vast array of countries and cultures, though not all of them follow the same traditions as the United States or Great Britain. There are regional touches to the day, in Norfolk, a person called ‘Jack’ Valentine knocks on the rear door of houses leaving sweets, treats and even presents for children. Even in nearby Wales Valentine’s celebrations are slightly altered: they are called Dydd Santes Dwynwen (St. Dwynwen’s Day) and are held on Jan 25 to honour St Dwynwen, the patron saint of Welsh lovers.

In France, Valentine’s Day is known as “Saint Valentin”, and in Spain, Valentine’s Day is known as “San Valentin”; both share the tradition we are familiar with, though in Catalonia it replaced by similar festivals where roses or books are given on La Diada de Sant Jordi (Saint George's Day). In Portugal it is called "Dia dos Namorados" (Lover's Day).

Meanwhile in most of Latin American the "Día del Amory la Amistad" (Day of Love and Friendship) and the Amigo Secreto (Secret friend) are both celebrated on Feb 14 with the exception being Colombia, where it is celebrated instead on the third Saturday of September. The Amigo Secreto, as the name implies, involves randomly assigning to each participant a recipient for their anonymous gift. A delightful tradition, don’t you agree?  In Mexico, Costa Rico, Ecuador, and Puerto Rico people carry out "acts of appreciation" for their friends. Similarly in Guatemala this day is known as the "Día del Cariño" (Affection Day). In Brazil, because of cultural and commercial reasons mainly having to do with the proximity of the larger fete of Carnivale, February 14's Valentine's Day is not celebrated.  Instead, they celebrate Dia dos Namorados ("Lovers' Day", or "Boyfriends'/Girlfriends' Day"), which falls on June 12. It is the day before the day of Saint Anthony, known there as the Marriage Saint, when, according to tradition, many single women perform popular rituals, called simpatias, in order to find a good husband or boyfriend. On this day couples exchange gifts, chocolates, cards and flower bouquets. 

American and British culture has introduced Valentines celebrations to Norway and Denmark where Valentisdag is celebrated on the 14^th of February. In Sweden, it is called Alla hjartans dag (All Hearts Day) and the day is dedicated to sending cards, giving roses or having a romantic dinner with a loved one. As is to be expected, the floral and cosmetic industries are behind the popularization of this day in Scandinavia. Finland celebrates Ystävänpäivä (Friend’s Day) and, as the name implies, this day is for more than celebrating with loved ones, it is also for recollecting all one’s good friends. Estonia shares the Finnish tradition, calling the celebration Sõbrapäev. Latvia and Lithuania recently started celebrating the day after they gained statehood and independence from the former Soviet Union in 1990 and the festivities include pasting stickers on the clothing of friends and relatives.

In Slovenia the first plants and flowers start to grow in mid-February and Valentine’s Day is celebrated as the day when the first work is done in the vineyards, fields and gardens. This practice gave rise to the saying “St. Valentine brings the keys of roots” and “Valentine, the first Saint of Spring”. Traditionally the Slovenian Day of Love was St. Gregory’s Day on March 12^th, the day on which the birds propose or marry before settling down to build their nests.

The Romanian day of love was always observed on February 24^th and is called Dragobete, named after a treasured character from folklore, the son of Baba Dochia, whose name includes the word drag or “dear” and dragoste meaning “love”. Lately many Romanians have joined with the rest of the world to celebrate on February 14^th as well and have drawn criticism from nationalist institutions and organizations, such as Noua Dreapta, that it is superficial commercial kitsch rooted in Western, not Romanian, culture.

In Greece and Greek Cyprus the day is called Ημέρα του Αγίου Βαλεντίνου or “St. Valentine’s Day”.

Egypt celebrates February 14^th as well as their indigenous holiday of the Eid el-Hob el-Masri  (Love Day) on November 4^th. Both days involve buying gifts, cards and flowers for loved ones.

Israel celebrates the Tu B’Av on the 15^th of the Hebrew calendar month of Av (late August) as a festival of love. It was a time when girls in their white dresses would go out to dance in the vineyards where the boys were waiting for them. In modern times it is a popular day to declare your love, propose marriage and give cards and flowers.

In Pakistan the Jamaat-e-Islami political party has tried to ban Valentine’s Day to no avail. Florists anticipate brisk business of the selling of flowers, particularly red roses on this day.
In Iran the Esfandegan, or Sepandarmazgan, is a time honoured custom celebrating love, friendship and The Earth. Though unrelated to Saint Valentine celebrations save for the fact they too give gifts, flowers and etc. to their beloved, it has been gradually supplanted by the catchy Western concept of Valentine’s Day. Since 2006 however, the Association of Iran’s Cultural and Natural Phenomena has been striving to reinstate Sepandarmazgan a state holiday on 17 February, therefore replacing Valentine’s Day.  Meanwhile Islamic Teachers have voiced their strong opposition to anything remotely similar to Valentine’s Celebration, as being an affront to Islamic culture. In 2011 they, with the backing of unions, enforced a ban on the production and distribution of any Valentine printing material in shops and outlets. This ban included such things as cards with heart designs, posters, gifts, flowers, red-roses, teddy bears, or any activity relating to this holiday.  Failure to observe the ban would meet with dire legal consequences.
In 2002 and later in 2008 Saudi Arabia’s religious police got the go ahead to enforce a ban on all Valentine items as well as anything with the colour red  which is offered for sale up to and including Valentine’s Day, as this day was deemed a Christian holiday. Unable to stem the popularity of the concept of celebrating love, this repression has only created an underground black market for roses, cards and wrapping paper.

In India the Western valentine celebrations seem rather timid, when compared to the long standing rituals of the Art of Love on that subcontinent.  Since ancient times there existed the custom of paying homage to the Lord of Love, Kamadeva, and following the famous treatise on lovemaking: the Kama Sutra. Around the Middle-Ages public displays of sexual affections became frowned upon and, as a result, celebrations of Kamadeva ceased to exist. In 1992 special TV and radio programs which promoted love letter competitions, as well as the availability of Valentine cards for Valentine’s Day led to a resurgence of interest that quickly caught on in India. Today the old school religious extremists, both Islamic and Hindu conservatives, deem this to be cultural contamination from the West. They have urged their followers to spurn the observance of a love day. Fearing this sort of globalization might disrupt their traditional way of life featuring arranged marriages, segregation of the female as a full-time wife and mother, and suppression of women’s rights.  Even the Leftist ideologies express opposition to Valentine’s Day as a front for Imperialism or neo-colonialism and its exploitation of working classes through commercialism by corporations. They have supported findings that prove the Valentine’s Day concept promotes and exacerbates Indian income inequality and fosters the creation of a westernized middle class backed by hegemonic capitalism, ultimately alienating the rural poor and the urban working poor both politically, socially.
In Malaysia, Islamic officials warned the people against Valentine’s Day festivities, equating it to vice crime. Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the celebration of romantic love (in a country where arranged marriage is the norm) is “not suitable” for Muslims.  Wan Mohamad Sheikh Abdul Aziz (head of Malaysian Islamic Development Department) cited a 2005 fatwah by the top clerics of Malaysia and proclaimed that Valentine’s Day is associated with elements of Christianity and as such Malaysians “cannot get involved with another religion’s worshipping rituals.” In 2011, Jakim officials launched a nationwide campaign “Awas Jerat Valentine’s Day” (Mind the Valentine’s Day Trap), in order to prevent supposed wayward Muslims from celebrating the day on February 14. By raiding hotels where young couples met Malaysian religious authorities arrested and charged more than a hundred Muslim couples that dared to still celebrate in Shariah Court. In the West we are not used to such severe reaction to expressions of affection and love.
In South Korea the 14th of every month, not just February, pretty much marks a love-related day. From January to December there is Candle Day, Valentine's Day, White Day, Black Day, Rose Day, Kiss Day, Silver Day, Green Day, Music Day, Wine Day, Movie Day, and Hug Day. Here and in Japan, women give chocolate to men on February 14, and men give non-chocolate candy to women on March 14 (White Day). In a strange reversal on April 14 (Black Day) those who did not receive anything on the 14th of February or March go to a Korean restaurant to eat black noodles and "mourn" their single life. Koreans also celebrate Pepero Day on November 11, when young couples give each other Pepero cookies. The date '11/11' is intended to resemble the long shape of the cookie.
In 1936 Japan Morozoff Ltd. first introduced the Valentine’s Day concept in an advertisement aimed at foreigners. Later in 1953, when it began promoting the giving of heart-shaped chocolates, other Japanese confectionery companies followed suit. Then in 1958 the Isetan department store ran a "Valentine Sale”. Other campaigns during the 1960’s popularized it further. The custom that only women give chocolates to men (particularly the idea of office ladies giving chocolate to their co-workers) had its beginnings in a typo of a chocolate company executive during these early ad campaigns.
 Contrary to the western custom of giving greeting cards, candies, flowers, or taking a loved one out on a dinner date, in Japan the chief concern seems to be more about giving the right amount of chocolate to each person. It’s almost obligatory for women to give chocolates to all male co-workers, except when the day falls on a Sunday, a day off work. This is known as giri-choko, (giri meaning obligation and choko meaning chocolate). Unpopular co-workers receive only chō-giri choko (meaning cheap chocolate). This differs with honmei-choko, which is a chocolate given to a loved one. Friends, especially girls, may exchange chocolate tomo-choko from the word tomo meaning "friend".

In 1980 the Japanese National Confectionery Industry Association launched a successful campaign to make March 14 a "reply day", where men are expected to reciprocate the favour of Valentine's Day chocolates, calling it White Day after the color of the chocolates being offered. Furthermore the color white was chosen because it is the color of purity, evoking "pure, sweet teen love", and because it is also the color of sugar. The initial name was "Ai ni Kotaeru White Day" (Answer Love on White Day).  At this time men are also obliged to dispense gifts that are at least two or three times more valuable than the gifts received on the Valentine's Day. Failure to comply is perceived as the man placing himself in a position of superiority without having any good excuses. Returning a present of equal value is considered as severing, or cutting off, that relationship. Presently, chocolate gift giving has expanded to include diverse items such as jewellery, accessories, clothing and lingerie.
In Taiwan it is the men who give gifts to women on the Valentine’s Day, and the women who return them on White day.
In the Philippines, Valentine's Day is called "Araw ng mga Puso" or "Hearts Day". It is usually marked by a sharp increase in the prices of flowers.
In China Modern Valentine's Day is also celebrated on February 14 of the solar calendar each year. This is when a male counterpart typically gives flowers, chocolate or both to his beloved.  The traditional Chinese celebration of Love is the Qixi Festival, celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. The Qixi Festival is a special time commemorating the day on which a legendary cow herder and weaving maid are allowed to be together.

Here’s a brief synopsis of the delightful folktale:
Once, a young boy, named Niulang (cowherd), chanced upon a beautiful girl, Zhinu (weavergirl), who was the seventh daughter of the Goddess in Heaven. Niulang, being bored in Heaven, escaped to earth in search of excitement. Zhinu and Niulang soon fell in love and so got married. They lived happily for many a year and had two wonderful children.  Their happiness was interrupted however when the Goddess of Heaven found out that Zhinu was missing and, furthermore, had married a mere mortal. Furious, she forced the fairy Zhinu to return to heaven and resume her former duty of weaving colourful clouds, a task which she’d neglected while living in bliss on earth with the mortal.
Meanwhile back on earth, Niulang was upset and missed his wife terribly since the day she’d gone missing. Taking pity on Niulang, the ox spoke up and told Niulang that if he killed the ox and put on its hide, he would be able to go up to Heaven and find his wife. Niulang, sobbing bitterly, did as he was told and he and his children arrived in Heaven and begun searching for Zhinu. The Goddess learned of this and was again infuriated. Removing her hairpin she scratched a wide river in the sky, forming the Milky Way stretching from Altair and Vega, and so permanently separating the lovers. From then on Zhinu was constrained to sit on one side of the river, mournfully weaving on her loom, while Niulang, caring for the children, watched her from afar.
Magpies in the world however took pity on them and once a year, on the seventh night of the seventh moon, they would all fly up to heaven to form a bridge over the star Deneb in the Cygnus constellation so that the lovers may be reunited, if only for a single night. What a wonderful expression of romantic love!

Where ever you are, whatever country, whatever you call it, it being all the same, I wish you all a very Happy Valentine’s Day!

The Origin of Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day: Feb 14, 2012

Part 1

The Origin of Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day, February 14, is an annual celebration celebrating love and affection between individuals. It is a day on which lovers express their feelings through flowers, confectionery, heart symbols, doves, greeting cards or even more creative means.  

Originally it was established by Pope Gelasius in 496 AD to mark some of the early Christian martyrs Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni. Needless to say, Valentine of Rome was a priest in Rome who was martyred around AD 269. Valentine of Terni became bishop of Interamna about 197 AD and was martyred during the persecution of Emperor Aurelian. This association persisted till 1969 when it was deleted from the General Roman calendar of saints by Pope Paul VI.  Actually no romantic elements existed in the medieval biographies of either of these martyrs. By the time a Saint Valentine became linked to romance in the 14the century any connection to Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni were completely lost.

Accordingly in the accounts of Legenda Aurea, St Valentine was persecuted as a Christian and interrogated by Roman Emperor Claudius II in person; during which Claudius was impressed by Valentine and, through a lengthy discussion, strove to convert Valentine to Roman paganism in order to spare his life. Valentine not only refused, but also did his best to convert Claudius to Christianity instead. Valentine was condemned to death however before his demise he performed a miracle by healing the blind daughter of his jailer. Since the accounts of Legenda Aurea offered no connection to sentimental love a suitable tale was embellished in present times to depict Valentine as a priest who disobeyed the unjust law of Emperor Claudius II. This law had stipulated that, in order to build the Emperor’s army, young men were to remain single, on the assumption that married man made poor soldiers. The defiant priest Valentine, whenever the need arose, covertly performed several marriage ceremonies. When this was discovered Valentine was arrested and thrown in jail.  There is an interesting addendum, unsupported by historical fact, to this legend, provided of course by American Greeting to History.com. : Ostensibly on the evening just before Valentine was to be executed, he had written a note with the heading: “From your Valentine” addressed to the daughter of the jailer whom he had supposedly healed.  This was the first, and original, Valentine’s Card,

Some modern sources have linked vague Greco-Roman February holidays devoted to fertility and love to St. Valentine’s Day.  Lupercalia, an archaic rite connected to fertility, was observed Feb 13-15 in Rome.  Pope Gelasius I (492-496) abolished Lupercalia in favor of the two Valentines’ Saints Days.  Meanwhile, The Festival of Juno Februa, meaning “Juno the purifier” or “the chaste Juno”, was also celebrated on Feb 13-14.  

The first recorded link of Valentine’s Day with romantic love was found in 1382, in the “Parlement of Foules” by Geoffrey Chauncer. It said:  “For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.” (For this was Saint Valentine’s Day, when every bird comes there to choose his mate.)

The poem was written as a tribute of the first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia. A treaty providing for a marriage was signed on May 2, 1381. When they were married eight months later, they were each only 15 years old. Many have supposed that Chaucer was referring to February 14 as Valentine's Day; but as Henry Ansgar Kelly has pointed out, May 2 is the saints' day for Valentine of Genoa. This St. Valentine was an early bishop of Genoa who died around AD 307.  Furthermore, Chaucer's Parliament of Foules is set in a fictional context of an old tradition, but in fact there was no such tradition before Chaucer. More likely it is sentimental customs posing as historical fact.  Nevertheless, these were persistently linked with romantic love in the circle of Goeffrey Chauncer in the High Middle ages, when the convention of courtly love flourished. Professor Jack  Oruch of Kansas University, disputes Chauncer’s claim of the supposed connection between Saints named Veleninus and romantic love, on the hypothesis that it more likely be a sacrifice, such as in Ancient Greece during the time period between mid January to mid February (the month of Gamelion, the time reserved for celebrating the sacred marriage of Zeus and Hera).

In 1400 the rituals of courtly love; a "High Court of Love” was established in Paris on Valentine's Day.  In those days the court ordinarily dealt with love contracts, betrayals, and violence against women. Oddly enough Judges were selected by women on the basis of skill in poetry reading. The earliest surviving valentine is a 15th-century rondeau written by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife. At the time, the duke was being held in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt, 1415. Here is an example:  Je suis desja d'amour tanné
Ma tres doulce Valentinée...   (Charles d'Orléans, Rondeau VI, lines 1–2)

 In Hamlet (1600-1601) Valentine's Day is mentioned sorrowfully by Ophelia:

“To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day,
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine.
Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes,
And dupp'd the chamber-door;
Let in the maid, that out a maid
Never departed more.”

(William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5)

The popular verse:  Roses are red are traceable all the way back to Edmund Spencer’s epic The Faerie Queene (1590):

“She bath'd with roses red, and violets blew,
And all the sweetest flowres, that in the forrest grew.

The modern clichéd Valentine's Day poem can be found in the collection of English nursery rhymes Gammer Gurton's Garland (1784):

The rose is red, the violet's blue,
the honey's sweet, and so are you.
Thou are my love and I am thine
I drew thee to my Valentine

The lot was cast and then I drew,
and Fortune said it shou'd be you.”

In 1797 The Young Man's Valentine Writer contained many suggested, suitably sentimental verses for the young lover incapable of composing one himself.  The next century saw readymade cards with verses and sketches that prospered due to the reduced postal rates and the possibility of anonymous exchange. You can grasp the popularity of Valentine’s sentiments in the otherwise prudish Victorian Era.  Even in the United States of 1847 the first mass-produced valentines of embossed paper lace were made by Esther Howland (1828–1904) of Worcester, Massachusetts gained ground and begun selling briskly shortly after. By 1849, as it was astutely stated by the writer Leigh Eric Schmidt in Graham's American Monthly: “Saint Valentine's Day... is becoming, nay it has become, a national holyday." Indeed in the early 19th century attractive Valentine cards were being made with real lace, paper lace and ribbons and were assembled in many English factories. In the UK, just under half of the population spent their hard earned money on their Valentines and to date, more than 1.3 billion pounds are spent yearly on cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts, and an estimated 25 million cards are sent.  

In the second half of the 20th century, the practice of exchanging cards has expanded into a vast array of gift giving:  this includes roses and chocolates packed in red satin, heart-shaped boxes. In the 1980s, the diamond industry began to promote Valentine's Day as an occasion for giving jewellery. Valentine exchange is no longer restricted to lovers. Many valentines are now given to family members other than the husband or wife, usually to children. The greeting cards of these students sometimes mention what they appreciate about each other and most of them are given to their teacher. In this digital age, millions have now adopted this means of creating and sending Valentine's Day greetings in e-cards, love coupons or printable greeting cards. An estimated 15 million e-valentines were sent in 2010. Social media has played a great role in commercializing American’s Valentine’s Day Spending.

Wishing you all a Happy Valentine’s Day!