Musica sacra (5)

The Glory of St Anna (Annakirche, Wien)

The Credo, a setting of the Nicene Creed, is the longest text of a sung Mass. It is a statement of belief.

Who listens – or reads through it – with an  open mind, will find many pointers. In particular the most beautiful mantra of the Nicene Creed:

Lumen de lunine, deum de deo
Deum verum, de deo vero

Light of light, God of God
true god of true god.

Let us not forget that Music and the holy Mass was the chosen vehicle of the spirit at the time. It is so easy to discard it because of the “religious” context….

Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem,

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty
factorem cœli et terrae, visibilium omnium et invisibilium.

Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible:
Et in unum Dominum, Jesum Christum,

And in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
Filium Dei unigenitum, et ex Patre natum ante omnia saecula.

the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds;
Deum de Deo, Lumen de Lumine, Deum verum de Deo vero,

God of God, Light of Light, very [true] God of very [true] God;
genitum non factum, consubstantialem Patri;

begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father,
per quem omnia facta sunt.
by Whom all things were made; (abbreviated) 

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On Anger

The energy of transformation

For a while now I am planning to start writing about emotions.  Looking at them for what they really are and what they want to tell us. What is their purpose, their function and how do we generate them. How do they look and feel – and what happens, when they are not being heard.

And most importantly, how can we work with them on our path towards living an authentic life.

The word “emotion” is based on the Latin word “ moving out” and indeed, anger seems to be a visceral reaction. Something that appears to be coming out of the inner depth of our being, rising quickly and erupting in a sense of rage, carrying away everything that is in the way.

Anger is a formidable energy. It is pure life force, erupting and enabling us to go beyond the limitations of our mind and body in terms of running for our life – or take up the fight. Anger is what keeps as alive and evolving as a species. Anger is nature’s means for survival.

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Bring space

By Glerikud

The ego’s goal is to make you identify with it, whatever form it takes. Your task is to bring space between you and the ego. How? Recognize that the upcoming thought / emotion is not you, but it’s inside you (I’m not sad, but i have sadness in me).

How do you know that it’s inside you and not you? It’s simple: Just as the dreamer don’t know that he’s dreaming as long as he won’t step over the level of the dream, you don’t know either that you identify with thoughts or emotions as long as you won’t step over them. As soon as you recognize them as they are there, you’re immediately got the chance too choose and you just stepped over their levels. If the thoughts or emotions were you, then you won’t ever be able to recognize them (you can’t surpass yourself).

The separation you from the ego makes the egoic thoughts and emotions start losing energy, because it’s necessary for their survival to make you identify with them. They can’t survive the light of your consciousness.

The last step is to accept the thoughts and emotions in you. Don’t make a problem out of them, let them be. They don’t rule you any more.

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Rage

by Dawn

To My Beautiful Mother, Genevieve. You unhappily carried me in your womb for nine months – carrying heavy milk cans from barn to milk house willing me to die.

A foggy veil lowers before me, barely able to see the through it.  I am in the recesses of myself.  It bursts forth without warning.  It grabs me with its wretched claws.  A deep burgundy cloud of pulsating energy descends on me – invading my self. I don’t know where it resides.  It comes from nowhere. I am frozen in place while it enters.

There is pressure behind my eyes. It raises itself from my perineum. It rises and spreads to my extremities.  I am panting using all my physical strength to hold it back The more I fight, the stronger it gets My mind is foggy – I can’t think. I watch as it takes control of me.  I have no power to seize it and destroy it.  I lose myself to it.  It only has enemies- including me.  My fingers tips and toes buzz with vibrating energy.  The muscles in my body are tense and throbbing. A rushing sensation rises and falls. Pulsations develop under my skin moving about.  The dark burgundy mist shoots out of my eyes and finger tips hitting any possible target.  My head aches as the blood vessels dilate.  I hold my breath.

The intruder terrifies and angers everyone including me.  Fear is its fuel – allowing it to regenerate and continue its attack over and over.  I see myself screaming at others disturbing their peace, screaming back you are evil.  They begin to back away from the intruder frightened by its venom.  As the others leave, the intruder disappears.  I am begging the others not to go. Please don’t leave me!  I am not this demon I scream after them.  Please come back I need you!  I will die.

I brake into a thousand pieces, sobbing because I have failed again at being human.  I am not like the others. My body and mind are pained with defeat.

Slowly, I put myself  together – some of the pieces don’t fit and a few are missing, but I force them together.  My will is diminished by failure and rejection. I die a little more. Knowing the intruder will return, to rein again.

 

Fountain of fire

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LoL

My favorite…

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The Tao is the way

The blue Danube

This verse from the Tao-te-ching speaks about teaching people to “not know”. What does that mean ? Maybe it is to cease judging, drop expectation and stay open to all possibilities. Understand and drop old conditioning. It is very difficult to talk someone out of their conviction – and I always have to check my own fixations too. What is it I believe to be true as opposed to what is true. It is of absolute importance to be honest to oneself – and others. Sometimes I am invited by someone to call upon the truth below the surface. When they know that they don’t know, people can find their own way.

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Bright eyes

Looking into the mirror in the bathroom some hours ago a situation came into my mind that happened many years ago but the meaning of which I haven’t really recognized until this very moment:

In my twenties I had a meeting one day with some elderly ladies who interviewed me about my life. The meeting took place in an exclusive restaurant, the ladies were very distinguished, the conversation was shallow-brained. I felt like sitting amongst animated mummies. So I told them about my fantastic life together with my little boy who then was about 3 years of age. Both of us have been enjoying every moment of our lives and we had so much fun together. But we lived without a husband and without a father. I separated long before the child was born. The best decision I have ever made. My friends and also my family didn’t understand me at all. I lost many of my friends but I found many new ones and these very close friendships have been lasting till now. People thought I had gone crazy. How could I leave a wealthy and noble man !?

And so the elderly ladies thought: Isn’t it difficult to live that way ? How do you manage ? Doesn’t the child miss a father (no, he has never missed a father – this will be explained in some separate posting) ? The elderly ladies asked and asked, shook their heads, looked at me …. How could she be fine ?

Suddenly one of the elderly ladies, the eldest of them, who had kep silent so far, suddenly said: „She definitely is fine – look at her eyes, they are bright !“

And looking into the mirror today in the bathroom I saw these bright eyes. Millions of sparks within the iris. Because I am fine.

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A story of surrender

by Dreamfable

Islam basically means surrender. Personally I would like to explain this as letting go of what I (my ego) want and surrender to what Allah wants. I believe that is about same as ET is talking about saying yes to the now. Saying yes to what is.

A little story;

About two years ago our son became ill and at first we believed it to be a minor cold. My son is not a person who will go to the doctor easily but after a while he had no choice. The doctor could not find anything but decided to get his blood checked. My wife already knew that there is diabetes in the family and she was worried. Time went on, but after a few days my wife got a call from the laboratory that my son had to go back to the doctor because they did in fact find out the had diabetes.

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Imagineering

You see sheer and jagged rock

Imagineering
by Jerome

You see sheer and jagged rock,
Overhangs and shadows, lichen
Grey and green on granite
Looming high above any comprehension
Of ascending,
With only circumnavigation possible.
You consider the majesty of the cliff
An enigma, cold and hard,
And marvel at nature’s ability
To find a place to root a tree,
A berry bush, a flower.

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On finding new values

Prenzlauer Berg, Belin

M: Good morning Solly. What can you tell us about the sky above Berlin today?

S: Good morning, Michaela. The sky is grey and the next rain shower is around the corner. Maybe even with some snow. How is it in Vienna?

M: Yes, pretty much the same here too. November weather. Cool, humid, foggy. I love it. Maybe snow later in the week. So how are you adapting to your new reality moving from tropical Bangladesh to continental Germany ?

S: Slowly but surely. I know feel that not only my body, but also my soul has arrived. About two weeks later. The memories of Bangladesh are fading, but I still feel a little like a stranger in Germany.

M: How so ? What do you experience ?

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