From the book Walden

Let me share a brief moment from Walden with all the friends who want to know why I love this book so much and read it so many times.

“If we respected only what is inevitable and has a right to be, music and poetry would resound along the streets.”


And this is how Thoreau himself actually experienced such moments when he was in Walden:

“At a sufficient distance over the woods this sound acquires a certain vibratory hum, as if the pine needles in the horizon were the strings of a harp which it swept.”

Just imagine living in a world where every pine needle is the string of the world’s symphonic orchestra. What a world. What a wonderful man Thoreau was!

In a similar analogy Rumi considers the trees clapping their leaves and dancing with their branches to the music that the winds sing.
I live for beauty and I find the beauty that I live for in these sentences. Really what else do we need for a good life except helping more people to appreciate "what is inevitable and has a right to be?"

Ali

Good News

First: Sue is going to send us a copy of her new book. I have been waiting for this moment for a very long time. 

Second:  Sahar has promised to put the film of one of her performances on the guitar on our site for everybody to see.  Sahar we are so proud of you.  We can't wait to see you and listen to your guitar.

T

Love, Pasternak's way

Yes Sue, The way odds were against him and people like him, he should have left Russia. But here is a piece from the film where Zhivago has realised that the right thing for him to do is to leave Lara. To me Lara depicts Russia: just see how Camerovsky, Strelnikov and Zhivago all love her in their own special ways and why.

Lara: Yes my darling, do as best.

Zhivago: I'm not coming back.

Lara watching him with tearful eyes says, "I understand." Zhivago asks again: "Do you understand?" With eyes soaked in tears, she can't say yes to this question and only nodds. Zhivago emphasizes: "But never, Lara. Do you understand?" Lara nods again and then comes Zhivago's last and most difficult question: "Do you believe me?" And Lara says no.

Just as Russia never believed that Pasternak would ever leave her. Zhivago, Strelnikov and Camerovsky all die in the end and in their own special ways. Future belongs to Yuri's child.

Pasternak never left Russia to accept the Nobel prize. Perhaps it was because he knew that if he had done so he would have never had a chance to return.