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grandhotelabyss · 2 years

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—Sally Rooney, “Misreading Ulysses”

I take for granted that Ulysses is a sentimental domestic novel, more on the model of Sterne than Austen. (Rooney doesn’t mention the Anglo-Irish Sterne, though he also wrote a long experimental sentimental novel about men and masculinity and childbirth, about the necessity and impossibility of writing realist fiction, and he did it before Austen was born.) I also take for granted that Joyce is not a feminist and may even be a misogynist; this is an old and unresolved quarrel in Joyce scholarship, largely between the partisans of French feminism (who laud Joyce from a poststructuralist and psychoanalytic perspective as a fount of écriture féminine) and those of Anglo-American feminism (who decry Joyce on quasi-Marxist grounds as a male chauvinist who imposed his self-serving delusions on women). On those points, I am with Rooney, more or less. I append here something I’ve shared before—the first page of an atrocious essay I wrote in graduate school 15 years ago—to prove that I’ve been thinking about this for a long time:

But what does it mean that Rooney has to annex Ulysses entirely to the English canon—denying its somewhat vigorous anti-Anglo specificities as an Irish and a European novel—to grant it a female lineage? Might this gesture be linked to Joyce’s assertion that his favorite English novelist, Daniel Defoe, invented feminism in Moll Flanders and imperialism in Robinson Crusoe, as if feminism and imperialism were somehow yoked together?

This tonally strange essay about gender—I might label its mix of apologetic humility and political assertiveness “passive aggressive”—is more obviously about genre. Rooney wishes to defend her own continued practice of novelistic realism, wants to claim that it isn’t dead, despite Joyce’s putative efforts:

It’s easy to understand in this context how a book as innovative and iconoclastic as Ulysses could be seen as striking the final blow against an already ailing literary tradition. In fact, it might be less easy to understand why, one hundred years later, the novel is still lumbering on, not yet superseded by any more popular or critically significant form of textual storytelling. Classical music, after all, effectively gave way to popular music in the twentieth century; figurative painting never again reasserted itself as a dominant cultural form. But novels as we know them are still being written and widely read.

But when he showed its conventions to be arbitrary, Joyce killed the centrality, the unquestioned hegemony, of realism, not the novel tout court, which, I agree with Rooney, remains very much alive. The last English novelist to win the Nobel Prize hasn’t written anything we might call “realist” since the 1980s. His last few books were about detectives, clones, dragons, and robots—even if each was, like Ulysses, also a sentimental novel, in this case decisively influenced by Austen. That, for better or worse, is Joyce’s legacy.

#james joyce #sally rooney #modernism #literary criticism #irish literature

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almaqead · 10 months

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"The Coin." From Surah 3, Ali Imran, "Mary's Ancestor."

3:72-76 The Essence of Belief.

And a faction of the People of the Scripture say [to each other], "Believe in that which was revealed to the believers at the beginning of the day and reject it at its end that perhaps they will abandon their religion,

And do not trust except those who follow your religion." Say, "Indeed, the [true] guidance is the guidance of Allah . [Do you fear] lest someone be given [knowledge] like you were given or that they would [thereby] argue with you before your Lord?" Say, "Indeed, [all] bounty is in the hand of Allah - He grants it to whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Wise."

He selects for His mercy whom He wills. And Allah is the possessor of great bounty.

And among the People of the Scripture is he who, if you entrust him with a great amount [of wealth], he will return it to you. And among them is he who, if you entrust him with a [single] silver coin, he will not return it to you unless you are constantly standing over him [demanding it]. That is because they say, "There is no blame upon us concerning the unlearned." And they speak untruth about Allah while they know [it].

But yes, whoever fulfills his commitment and fears Allah - then indeed, Allah loves those who fear Him.

Commentary:

One of Muhammad's greatest challenges was to reconcile different religions. He hated arguing with people about nonsense beliefs for which no one could provide any proof, despised hypocrites who turned away from practices religions legislated for our benefit.

Muhammad disliked keeping Kosher immensely, thought incessant praying was ridiculous, he lamented idols, he thought they were exactly what they appeared to be: lumps of rock or hunks of metal. And if he throught idols or strange stories were compelling people to harm their neighbors, he held war councils and hewed them down.

Finally, God gave him the Quran which explains the how Great God Allah, who is the One Fount all mankind can turn to for truth, readiness to face the environment, and how to eke out a steady, straight path through the trials and tribulations other persons were surely going to provide along the way.

All of this is rolled up in the idea of one silver coin, trust in God which can be cashed in for all the real things this world has to offer.

Allah is a God of what is real, about Him there is nothing false, implied, hinted at or dumbfounding. Every verse in the Quran is a piece of a this piece of silver, designed to hone the thinking and turn it away from what is silly or superstitious and redirect it towards the substantive and tangible.

The basis for all that is of substance, as we know, this planet and its resources are not manmade. We cannot make a world such as this, we but live upon it and it is in deep trouble because we cannot sift what is unreal from what is real. In order to make proper use of the Quran, one must accept we are made to know the difference and accept the advantages of this as a premise of mature intelligent adulthood.

The verses above say, give a man a coin and he will steal it. Give Allah a coin and He will return it with interest. The time is now for men to start paying their intelligence coins back. There is no aspect of Islam that is of greater importance to Masjid than this. Do not be unintelligent, do not succumb to delusion, ignorance, or religion. Fight against these things, not for them.

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darktiger0049 · 2 years

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Dendro Fatui concept - part 1/2

okay

in face of the upcoming Sumeru update I have a reasonable question: where the hell is Dendro Fatui?!

Really, we got some shamachurls, slimes... Baizhu as a Vision holder but that's ALL! We've NEVER seen any Dendro Delusion Fatui. We have two Hydro's, two Pyro's, two Electro's, two Cryo's, one Anemo's and one Geo's. WHERE. IS. DENDRO.

So, I been thinking about it and decided to draw Dendro Fatui Skirmisher as I see it.

It's taking an Electro/Anemo guy model, same face, body and hair. Due he's Dendro user, he lives in regions with many plants/woods/flowers. This is conditioned by that fact he's blind. He has no eyes, at all. That's also showed by him wearing no shoes. He relies on his sences of hearing, smell and touch. Dendro Delusion makes him to "talk", "listen" and "feel" the nature.

So, about the regions this foe exists. Mondstadt, Liyue(except the Chasm and mines), Inazuma and Sumeru, of course. These regions are rich with plant, and climate is mild and warm. In reverce, Nathlan, Fontaine and Snezhnaya are not for this guy cause his legs could be injuried in deserts and snow chills, and the fount of plants is too small. And I think that Fountaine is builded too lot, there's many cities and no plants in them, so he can't contact with stones or smth and becomes useless and defenceless. The same applies to water spaces. When there's no bottom or algaes, he's absolutely "blind". Algaes are also possible to "talk" and "listen", as they are lowest plants.

#genshin impact #fatui skirmisher #dendro #fatui #concept #my idea #really why we have never seen any?

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antiquark · 7 years

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Fuente Ilusoria (Sergio Lantadilla)

#fuente #ilusoria #sergio #lantadilla #hk #humankind #art #tcg #chile #fountain #fount #illusory #illusive #unreal #delusive #blade #sombra #shadow #fight #bald #acracia

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zerogate · 4 years

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The path to occult knowledge will be found, at the fitting moment, by every human being who discerns in what is visible the presence of something invisible, or who even but dimly surmises or divines it, and who, from his consciousness that powers of cognition are capable of development, is driven to the feeling that what is hidden may be unveiled to him.

One who is drawn to occult science by such experiences of the soul will find opening up before him, not only the prospect of finding the answers to certain questions which press upon him, but the further prospect of overcoming everything which hampers and enfeebles his life. And in a certain higher sense it implies a weakening of life, in fact a death of the soul, when a person is compelled to turn away from, or to deny, the unseen.

Indeed, under certain circumstances despair is the result of a man's losing all hope of having the invisible revealed to him. This death and despair, in their manifold forms, are at the same time inner spiritual foes of occult science. They make their appearance when a person's inner force is dwindling away.

That which secures life from exhaustion lies in the unseen world, deep at the roots of things. If a person loses the power of descending into those depths so that he cannot be perpetually drawing fresh vitality from them, then in the end the outer world of things also ceases to yield him anything of a vivifying nature.

If a man makes his life desolate by losing touch with the unseen, he not only destroys in his inner self something, the decay of which may eventually drive him to despair, but through his weakness he constitutes a hindrance to the evolution of the whole world in which he lives.

Now man may delude himself. He may yield to the belief that there is nothing invisible, and that that which is manifest to his senses and intellect contains everything which can possibly exist. But such an illusion is only possible on the surface of consciousness and not in its depths. Feeling and desire do not yield to this delusive belief. They will be perpetually craving, in one way or another, for that which is invisible. And if this is withheld, they drive man to doubt, to uncertainty about life, or even to despair. Occult science, by making manifest what is unseen, is calculated to overcome all hopelessness, uncertainty, and despair,—everything, in short, which weakens life and makes it unfit for its necessary service in the universe.

The beneficent effect of occult science is that it not only satisfies thirst for knowledge but gives strength and stability to life. The source whence the occult scientist draws his power for work and his confidence in life is inexhaustible. Any one who has once had recourse to that fount will always, on revisiting it, go forth with renewed vigour.

-- Rudolf Steiner, An Outline Of Occult Science

#quotes #rudolf steiner

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opalstream · 4 years

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Affirmation

O Spirit, I worship Thee as beauty and intelligence in the temple of Nature. I worship Thee as power in the temple of activity, and as peace in the temple of silence.

Discover the Fount of Beauty Behind the Blossoms of the Earth - A Quote by Mother Teresa - Enjoy a Meditation in Nature if You Can

Beholding the blossoms of the earth and the starry flowers in the infinite fields of the sky, how can one not wonder, “Is there a hidden Beauty behind these finite patterns? Is there an Intelligence behind man’s intellect?” The blossoms of life in the garden of earthly existence are enchanting to behold. But somewhere there is a fount of Beauty and Intelligence, even more enthralling from which we have come and into which we shall merge again.

Everything in the universe is related. And through the right use of our God-given human intelligence we begin to see that all life is linked to one Supreme Intelligence. We may sometimes think we are puppets of destiny; but when we project our intelligence beyond limited delusive forms and examine the extent of our consciousness and mental perception, we realize that within us there is a spark of the divine Power, That which is creating and sustaining all life, just waiting to be kindled.

The ultimate proof of God’s existence will come through your own experience in meditation. Once you have found Him in the Cathedral of silent meditation in the depths of your soul, you will see Him everywhere.

-Paramahansa Yogananda, Journey to Self-Realization p 287; Affirmation, Metaphysical Meditations p 5.

*We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass – grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls. - Mother Teresa

*The splendor of spring’s natural bounties is seen everywhere in Massachusetts. This photo captures one expression of budding blossoms which can be found on our paths and in our gardens and woods. Even though the sunshine has been intermittent, the shifting hues and shafts of light are entrancing. Please share a photo of the natural beauty in your area. Take a little time to sit outside and meditate on the silence of God underlying nature. Sip peace, drink joy, be still, know God. OmLove, Annie

*Photo by devotee Ari Weinkle:

http://photography.ariweinkle.com/

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princeescaluswords · 5 years

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And, I get it. Magic!Stiles is a massively popular trope + you can do whatever in fic. But the way the emissary dynamic is wildly misinterpreted? By having Druid!Stiles be on the frontlines, side by side with the pack? That's not.. how it works. You can still do that, just call it something different from emissary. But, they need him to be emissary because they see Stiles as the Teen Wolf universe moral barometer and endless fount of wisdom but want BAMF!Stiles too

Are you really surprised? They barely pay attention to most of what was going on in the show (those members of the fandom that actually watched it – you’d be surprised how many have not, and yet demand their views be taken seriously).

The sad part of it is that they’re so ready to project their power fantasies onto Stiles that they miss what seems, to me, a defining point of Stiles character – his aversion to power. Almost every character takes steps to become better at what they can do – Scott listens to advice from Derek and Deaton on how to be a better alpha, Allison completes her training, Kira complains to her mother that she’s not being trained, Lydia wants to learn how to fight) but Stiles doesn’t do anything that might make him more physically or supernaturally powerful. He improves his detective skills, but very cautiously stays away from things that might make him physically dangerous.

Scott has an aversion to power as well, which is why people complain that he seems ‘weak.’ Scott doesn’t enjoy hurting other people; he seeks the non-violent solution first. But Stiles aversion is different – he’s seen the darkness in his own heart and he’s frightened by it.

The show hits this point again and again. There’s the iconic scene where Stiles refuses the offer of the Bite from Peter, and says “I don’t want to be like you.” Many of the fandom thinks that meant Stiles was rejecting not being human, but I think a more likely answer is that he was rejecting Peter specifically. Peter was using the alpha power to kill the people that hurt the ones he cared about, without remorse or hesitation. Stiles is also possessively dedicated to protecting the ones he loves – as seen in Season 2 & 3A – and he wants to protect, he wants to help, but there’s a part of him, probably scarred by Claudia’s delusions, that thinks that if he had power, he’d be as bad as Hale. Remember, no one – NO ONE – hates Peter Hale as much as Stiles Stilinski does, and I’m pretty sure that we’re meant to believe it’s because he looks at Peter and sees what he could become. “We walk around, acting as if he’s one of the good guys. He’s not one of the good guys.”

We also see Stiles struggle with power during 3B. He admits that he liked killing and hurting people, even if it was the Nogitsune behind the wjeel. Remember, when he says to Malia in Season 4, “And I think maybe you’re so afraid of hurting me because of what you did to your family. I know what that’s like. I remember everything I did. And the worst part is I remember liking it. Because I felt powerful. I felt fearless. And most of all, in control.“ This is the speech of someone who understands their own limitations and feels the depth of their own fear.

When people say “Why isn’t Stiles training to be Scott’s emissary?” I think it’s clear that Stiles doesn’t want power. He’s more than happy to be in a position where he’s able to be helpful but unable to effectively kill others (because unlike Peter and like Scott, he recognizes it as wrong.) I feel that all these people who embrace the idea that Scott or Deaton or even the writers were holding back BAMF/Archmage/Emissary Stiles miss one of the most subtle and unique parts of Stiles’ character. His own fear of what he’s capable of (crystallized into reality with Donovan).

#teen wolf meta #stiles stilinski

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wisdomrays · 5 years

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Worldly Means and The Criteria for Planning The Future

QUESTION: The Messenger of God enjoined being like a stranger or traveler in this fleeting world. Some Muslims of the early period regarded even planning what to eat the following day as a form of cherishing long-term worldly objectives and delusion of eternity. Considering the conditions of our time, however, making certain plans about the future is deemed as necessary, particularly at issues such as choosing which schools to attend and what profession to learn. How can we strike the balance at making plans for the future?

ANSWER: As it has been mentioned in the question as well, the noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did enjoin being like a stranger (gharib) or traveler (abiru sabil) in this world. The term “gharib” used in the Prophetic saying denotes a person who somehow leaves his or her hometown and migrates to somewhere else, thereby staying there for a while as a guest, and who has thus no deep relation with the things and people around. And the other term or phrase is “abiru sabil.” The root of the first word is ubur, which denotes journeying or crossing a road. As a matter of fact, every individual is a “traveler” journeying from the mother’s womb to childhood, from there to youth, maturity, to old age… from there to the grave—an intermediate realm between this world and the next, and finally (rise up from the grave to go) to the Plain of Great Gathering for judgment. Thus, the beloved Prophet counsels taking the journey of worldly life as if passing from one side of the road to the other.

The noble Prophet pointed to this same fact another time when he rested on a plain rough mat, which made marks on his body. With eyes full of tears, Umar ibn al-Khattab mentioned how the Sassanid and Roman kings lived (in luxury) and implied that the Prophet could benefit from worldly blessings. It is reported that the Messenger of God replied that he did not have anything to do with this world. The noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, compared his position in this guesthouse of the world to a traveler who takes shade under a tree for a while and then continues on his way. All of us know that had he wished so, the Companions would have brought anything they could find to make him feel comfortable. However, the Pride of Humanity, peace and blessings be upon him, likened himself to someone who stops temporarily under a tree for a rest and then goes on his journey, and this was the scope of his relation to the worldly life. He maintained this understanding until his blessed soul passed to the next world.

Fortunes spent for the sake of God

When the issue is seen with a holistic view and the commands of religion are taken as a whole, we understand that the noble Prophet does not tell us to absolutely neglect the world, but rather to refrain from indulging in worldliness in pursuit of lowly pleasures and delights. The following verse, for example, decrees that the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, is authorized to handle one-fifth of war gains: “And know that whatever you take as gains of war, to God belongs one fifth of it, and to the Messenger, and the near kinsfolk, and orphans, and the destitute, and the wayfarer (one devoid of sufficient means of journeying)” (al-Anfal 8:41). Even if the noble Prophet chose to take only one tenth out of the one fifth of the war gains for himself, he could have led a very prosperous life and lived in palaces. However, he preferred to lead his blessed life in a little cell instead. It was so little that, as his wife Aisha reported, when the Messenger of God stood in the Prayer at night and before prostration, he would touch his hand to the feet of Aisha, and only after our blessed mother receded her feet did he have enough space to prostrate. Imagine, he could not even find sufficient room for prostrating in his cell—let our souls be sacrificed for that cell. However, as we take into consideration the riches allocated to his use we see that he had the means to equip an entire army. He spent them for the sake of God and preferred to live an austere life. In terms of his personal life and abstention from worldly pleasures, he acted in such a careful, cautious, and measured way that he fulfilled the due of the virtuous conduct God Almighty demanded from him: “Pursue, then, what is exactly right (in every matter of the Religion) as you are commanded (by God)” (Hud 11:112).

The representatives of dignified contentment (Istighna)

Undoubtedly, the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, was a transcendent person with respect to his relation with God, his position, state, profundity, and immensity. He had such a lofty and different nature that he expressed how he felt delight in worship, as other people take delight in physical pleasures. To relieve his aching for worshipping his Lord, the Prophet would frequently ask his wives to be excused and get up in the middle of the night to be nourished from the fount of worship and devotion. In this respect, let alone comparing him to ourselves, even comparing him with the Companions is not right: no other person can be compared to him. And I dare say that even comparing the Archangel Gabriel with him is a mistake. As an angel, Gabriel did not bear any burdens related to carnal desires and physicality. In spite of bearing the burdensome side of human nature, the Prophet was far beyond angels in spiritual progress. It is for this reason that as the Prophet, millions of blessings and peace be upon him, returned from the Ascension back to live among us, he descended from his high horizons to the level of ours to convey objective truths for our understanding and spiritual life. When we look into the matter within these criteria, although nobody can be compared to him, we can say that believers should lead their personal lives in dignified contentment, in compliance with his teaching. Indeed, all the great figures who were true to his path preferred to live this way. Actually, not only people from the Muslim tradition, but also followers of others teachings who changed the fate of the societies to which they belonged, similarly lived a life of dignified contentment. In this respect, we can say that such virtues, which can be taken as a sign of greatness with respect to universal human values, are the same in almost everyone, but with one difference—in believing hearts, this virtue is more soundly established and it promises permanence, because they have Divine approval behind them. For some others, even though they temporarily possess virtues becoming of believers such as dignified contentment, self-sacrifice, and altruism, they do not necessarily promise continuity and permanence. And one thing that needs to be known is that God Almighty grants success in this world to anyone who possesses characteristics and qualities becoming of believers, because He treats His servants according to their good character and conduct. Therefore, even if someone is a saint flying miraculously in the air, God Almighty will not treat him in a way that becomes true believers, given that he acts in a lethargic or lazy way, or becomes a selfish one who runs after personal benefits; those who act thus fail to fulfill the meaning of being human in the true sense. Indulging in worldliness, leading a physical-oriented life, and acting upon animal desires are unacceptable for a believer, who should be proceeding toward realizing the God-given spiritual potential for human perfection. Obviously, such a lifestyle is not the way of the Prophet.

The way to eternalize transient means

Surely, today’s believers need not push aside everything about the world and live like ascetic dervishes in retreat. This is contradictory to the ideal of becoming a powerful community upholding justice; Muslims must try to have worldly means as much as they can. However, they must make use of the means they acquire in a benevolent way to eternalize them. At this point, I would like to express a feeling of mine: sometimes I imagine and wish that when I step into the room I find a great amount of money, out of nowhere, and distribute it to the people volunteering for benevolent services for humanity so that they can establish schools and cultural centers in different corners of the world and thus conquer hearts of people. This is just a dream of course. Since it is a dream, I realize no practical goodness with it. But let me point out that if such a dream did not belong to me but to a friend of mine, and if he shared this consideration with me, I would tell him that even such an imaginary action can bring you manifold rewards and blessings to be gained at worship. Sharing the inspirations of our heart with others, illuminating worlds with the torch in our hand, taking the beauties we learn from the Prophet to everywhere the sun shines upon, exerting ourselves with this thought, and becoming oriented to such a lofty goal even in our dreams are all very important.

Returning back to our main subject, though, let us reiterate that as far as worldly means are used correctly, there is nothing wrong with having them. However, adoration for one’s worldly goods, status, home, children, or carnal pleasures as if one worships them, leads a person toward worldly and otherworldly disaster. A person must adore and worship God Almighty only and love anything else solely for His sake. He must be the One to be remembered at the beginning and end of something and everything must be attached to Him. Otherwise, when we act in the name of physicality and our carnal side, everything will be condemned to our own narrowness and it will mean wasting ourselves and our God-given spiritual potential. A human being, who is as worthy as all the worlds and who is endowed with a vast potential to ascend to otherworldly ranks as great as the earth and sky, should not be condemned to such narrowness I think. One the contrary, he or she must run after eternity and seek His good pleasure all the time—so much so that a title of “conqueror” should not be anything desirable as far as it does not take one to God, as such a thing does not bear any meaning on its own. What makes an action valuable is the depth of a person’s sincere intention. An accomplishment will be truly valuable as far as it is meant to gain the rewards heralded by the noble Prophet, to hold Islam in esteem, and to share the values we learn from the Prophet with the entire world.

Intention as a determining factor

The same point holds true for the efforts directed to graduating from certain schools and performing certain jobs. In other words, if a person wishes to do something for the sake of their lofty ideals and pass through certain stages, they will naturally carry out what they need to do. For example, a student who wishes to have a good education must say, “I cannot go to the university without finishing high school. I cannot reach a good position to serve my people without finishing the university. I cannot be welcomed and respected without having such means to serve others. And if I do not become worthy of respect, I cannot do anything serious for the sake of my people and lofty ideals.” And a student must make such an intention from the very beginning.

We cannot stop ourselves from questioning previous generations and blaming them for having failed to see certain things, leaving gaps in certain fields, and losing continuously. But if we do not wish the next generation to question us in the same way, we must exert ourselves to fill the gaps left by the earlier ones and not let new gaps appear. We have to take certain pains in order not to receive righteous criticism from our children and grandchildren. What needs to be done first is to have a strong faith and to try not having any flaws in our worship, and then to attach everything we do to a sincere and sound intention. If this can be realized, a person’s studying at high school, finishing the university, and every other achievement they plan to do will be counted as worship and gain them blessings; because, whatever is the intention of attaining a goal, the means used to obtain it will assume the hue of that very intention. In this respect, everything that is done must be woven according to the pattern of a sound intention.

In conclusion, true believers never do—and must not do—anything in order to receive praise from others or for worldly concerns. They always strive for conveying the heavenly values distilled from their spiritual roots to others and make continuous efforts so that the representatives of these high values gain an esteemed status in the world. For this sake, they sometimes face difficulties, experience pain, and bend in two with suffering. But they know that their troubles and suffering for the sake of a sublime ideal will gain them so many blessings that such progress could not be attained even through a process of spiritual journeying.

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orthodoxydaily · 4 years

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Saints&Reading: Sun., Aug., 30, 2020

Enlightener of Mind, Icon of the Mother of God

Removable holiday on the Sunday after August 15th_Old Julian Calendar ((Russian tradition)

This unusual icon comes from the Russian town of Rybinsk, in Yaroslavl province. The Mother of God and the Divine Child are wrapped in what appears to be a priest’s phelonion, and Angels are depicted on either side, holding lighted candles. Beneath the Virgin’s feet and on her head Cherubim are depicted with outstretched wings.The model for this Icon is a statue in the town of Loreto in Italy, which is wrapped in a similar covering.

The “Enlightener of minds” Icon (Подательница ума) reflects the deep faith of Orthodox Christians in the power of the All Holy Virgin to intercede before God and His Son to bestow both temporal and spiritual blessings. Foremost among these is enlightenment of the mind and heart through Divine Truth.

For this reason, parents whose children are slow learners, either in matters of the Faith or in secular knowledge, often turn to the Most Holy Theotokos and her Divine Child, Who is the fount of the loftiest wisdom and knowledge, praying for their children’s minds be strengthened and that they may retain what they are taught. People also entreat the Mother of God to help them overcome delusion and mental illness.

Source OrthodoxChurch of America (OCA)

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

1Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand,2by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you-unless you believed in vain.3For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,4and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,5and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.6After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.7After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.8Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.9For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.11Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Matthew 19:16-26

16Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"17So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."18He said to Him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,'19'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "20The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?"21Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."22But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.23Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.24And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.25When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"26But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

#orthodoxy #orthodoxchristianity #ancientfaith firstchristian spirituality holyscripture sacredtext gospel icon sacredart

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theknightonabike · 7 years

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Is this Knight thing just a game?

I attended the SCA’s Midrealm Crown tourney yesterday.

I really enjoyed myself. Partly because I got to re-connect with a number of lifelong friends. Also, I had the privilege to attend My Beloved Rocky and Jane as they participated in the last Crown Tournament he intends to compete in.

To our knowledge. Rocky is the oldest individual to compete in a Crown Tourney in the history of the “known world” At 75 years old, he forwarded his banner and the name of his Lady as a legitimate fighter in, basically, the one stick fighting tournament that actually has some modicum of consequence..

In general, every tournament has some consequence... After all, the practitioner gambles renown.... In Rocky’s case, he was engaged in one of the greatest gambles a Man of Coat Armor CAN make... Is he, at that age, capable of bearing harness on the field as a legitimate threat, or is he too feeble. Will his efforts be denigrated by patronization from his peers. He won that gamble, and succeeded in gaining much worshipful honor. I love him for that, and will honor him all the days of my life, as is my responsibility as a Member of the Chivalric community.

Crown tourney has “real world” consequence. The winner of that tournament more or less becomes the “president” of the world’s largest costume party/Medieval theme park/Chivalric sandbox. They become the focal point... the archetype.. for other’s journeys. (Regardless of if they ultimately succeed or fail)

In any case, The tournament is the highlight of the six months/ stick fighting tournament play cycle in the SCA.

Later that night, Rocky was recognized by My King and the assembled Knights for His life long constancy in the pursuit of knightly endeavors and pursuit. This was a right and proper thing to have happened.

I told Rocky that one of my goals was to some day beat his record... to compete in Crown Tourney at the age of 76. He is my Chivalric father, my elder. It is my responsibility to honor the love and investment he has given me by trying my hardest to surpass him, as, ultimately, I hope my own students surpass me.

If you boil it down, Knightly enterprise and living the Way of the Knight has nothing to do with costume parties, or Larping, or tournaments.. It is an inward path to Mastery.

The SCA and other organizations, including the global steel fighting community, are ultimately constructs and crucibles to learn, test, and examine one’s self through Deeds. That is a defining function of the Hero’s journey.

One of the highlights of my day was that I got to connect with a kindred spirit in the form of a Man who, in the context of our game, calls himself Rin Ravenfoe. He is a Master of Arms in our Society.

We had actually started a conversation about the Hero’s journey literally three years ago in a stylized living history encampment at Pennsic.

We almost immediately fell back into the same conversation, only this time, we had a little more time to develop our thoughts and understand the type of men we were. I think that our meeting was exactly at the right time in the right place to spur us both further upon our paths; especially for me. Some of the things that we talked about have shed some light on certain struggles I have been trying to come to grip with for several years.... Since one afternoon in Spain when the 29 lost the banners of our ancestors... but that story is for another day..

Later that evening, I got to participate in a ceremony that marked a signpost in another Man’s journey. He was placed on Vigil for Knighthood himself.

This man’s path has been winding, long, unique, and also full of trials. But that is a singular function of this type of pursuit. Perhaps someday I will write more on this...

Then, I had a brief conversation with my dear friend Doug, who’s pursuit of mastery has also been twisting and turning... We started in the sca roughly at the same time.

I have a great feeling of kinship with this man and his beloved family is a jewel of beauty that I have enjoyed and, in many ways, envied over the years. But the trials on his journey have been different than mine.

He is rejoining the path of Chivalric pursuits, and we are, as is so often the case on these journeys, picking up where we left off when our paths diverged some 6 or so years ago.

Our conversation was cut short due to the nature of the day, and we continued it via texts this morning. In those texts, there were a number of themes that are interesting and need further developed.

We were discussing the fact that the Knighthood of our Ancestors are, of course, different than the path that modern practitioners must walk. This concept touches on the evolution of relevance that happens to all warrior paths through history. Again, some day I may try to write more on this topic as well..

There is a continuity of themes, however. The need and the archetypes themselves are universal. For instance, I think for practitioners such as myself, there are two Knightly realities. If a practitioner does not foster excellence in both of these realities, then he or she is, at the least, not reaping the benefits of this path, and at most, utterly failing.

They are both Part of the whole... the yin and yang, the inside and outside path...

I have been blessed with being acknowledged a member of two modern Knightly Orders. But really, is there value in this? My fellows and I have sacrificed much... suffered and exulted in much.. but when it comes down to it, is it REALLY a game that we play? An elaborate lifelong exercise in self delusion and mental masturbation?

For instance, my co-workers don’t know what I have done, what I have faced... They don’t know of the times I almost shit myself in fear, got my dick knocked in the dirt by stronger men, or exhibited exquisite hubris... They don’t know that, for some reason, people around the world know my name. That The name my father gave me is in the congressional record. They don’t know that I have been stopped in crowds to give autographs, or been held in high regard by people of greater worth than myself, or villainized by others..

And is that high regard or distain just part of a game? Does the blood and the money and the life shed by me and those like me merely to serve as a prop for other people’s fantasies? For my own fantasies?

One of the major responsibilities of being a Knight of the SCA, for instance, is to judge the efforts of fellow practitioners; to serve as a guardian of the Fount of Honor, and to ascertain when a fellow practitioner is ready for the public rituals, accolades, and responsibilities of formal Knighthood.

But how is that judged? What is the purpose of the entire thing?

As I said, there are two Knightly paths... An internal and an external... Both have different ramifications and worth.

I have said before that the Chivalric life is not for everyone. In fact, it is a narrow filter.. only those who are broken in certain ways really actually need it...

For those broken men and women who do, the personal payoff is almost entirely internal in nature. As such, it doesn’t really matter if the external construct it plays out upon is a dojo, or a tiltyard, or a stick fighting tournament in the SCA... To tread the Hero’s journey means that rites of passages.... tests... risks with true internal and external consequence, are NECESSARY...

The external “chivalric sandbox” may look utterly ridiculous from the outside... completely and wholly contrived...

But think about something...... ALL rites of passage are, by necessity, artificial constructs.. Ordeals to pass from one stage of life to another... They must be painful, they must be exultant, and they must, in some ways be artificial.

The tribal leader that puts a test before a warrior constructs challenges in an artificial way. The risks are generally controlled, the goal amorphous... but they are constructed in such a way by this elder, by this Knight, to test the mettle of the internal person in an external way.

This, amount other reasons, is why a Knight must always make a Knight... Why an elder must be the one to externally and publicly acknowledge success.... or failure.

For make no mistake, it is not a true rite of passage, not a true test, if there is not the distinct possibility of failure.

Failure is always a part of the Hero’s journey...

I think that is the purpose of these external “games”. They serve as the physical mountain that must be climbed.. the physical stone that must be stacked... the fearful path that must be tread, the enemy that must be conquered.

A Knight always makes a Knight because he or she is the only one who knows the path of the soul that must be tread. If an external accolade is given with no ordeal, then it has little transformative internal consequence, and it truly IS just a game.

These rites of passages, these ordeals of the body and soul, produce different results ultimately, because, well, no two people are entirely alike...

I am a different “flavor” of knight than others... is one of greater worth than another? No.... AS LONG AS we both tread the same archetype,the same hero’s journey of our own souls.

Ultimately, every “type” of knight, as people such as Sir Vitus have pointed out in the past, serve different purposes, different archetypes in and of themselves.

The external purpose of a Knight is to act as archetypes and examples for other practitioners.

This is why, as I believe, the literary Arthurian Knights really boil down to archetypes of different expressions of this reality.

In the SCA, there are Knights that hold entirely different views than I.. Some represent the Knight that is barely constrained, Some represent the romantic idealist, some the Courteous exemplar, some the hardened warrior. Some play the Noble Savage. Some are shaped to play the ideal of the refined Master.

Ultimately though, externally, it is their JOB to be those archetypes for other practitioners... for other seekers.

Some must play the roll of the False Knight as well. Their role in other’s journeys is to be the Brother who betrays, the Knight who taints, The Breaker of oaths... The exhaled Knight who sins against Chivalry..

I have said many times that “we are the instruments of other men’s tests”. And the reverse is true... sometimes others are my test. Sometimes the role of a Knight is to be the exemplar of the hated.

The role of some Knights is to test the practitioner to the point of failure, or the focus of hate, or the stumbling block to the abyss.

I am just now learning the words to understand this truth in my own path... it is the hardest lesson so far. I personally don’t know if I will pass this ordeal in my path or not.. and what is even more sobering is the realization that I myself may play that exact same role in someone else’s path... That thought fills me with dread.

But that is the nature of things: The construct of the test, both in the artificial parameter of the ordeal, and in the internal Chivalric path... The internal reality.

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