BS: Return of Thought for the Day --(Aug 16)

Subject: BS: Return of Thought for the Day --(Aug 16)
From: Peter T.
Date: 16 Aug 08 - 07:46 AM

In the runup to the Getaway, and not having been here all the time for awhile, I thought I might burden the place with a new set of Thoughts/short essays for the Day -- today:

Tibetan prayer flags bring forth or rather signify the way the passing wind chants Buddhist sutras,  and remind us of the musics of the air.  But there are other ways of playing the earth.  In the Alberts' Collection at the Smithsonian,  made up of field recordings made in Africa during the 1950's, there is one set of the most astonishing music created by children splashing ponds of water in complex tempos and with different tones.  The musics of the water. In this month's issue of Archaeology,  reference is made to the Spanish Cave of Nerja where, in prehistoric times,  it appears that cavemen played the stalactites -- there is evidence that the stalactites were chipped and broken so as to make a sequence of musical sounds -- not only that,  but researchers are now coming to think that cave art and the deep echoes of caverns were interconnected ritually.  The musics of the earth.  And then of course there is the musics of the fire of life:  as the Sufis say, everything living in creation continually sings the praises of God, lisan ul-hal,  with "the tongue of its whole being".  

Subject: RE: BS: Return of Thought for the Day --(Aug 16)
From: catspaw49
Date: 16 Aug 08 - 08:06 AM

Just beautiful. More than a pleasure to see you do this once again PT. An excellent start and I would have expected no less.

I will look forward to these as before and of course hoping to find additional gems such as Waylon. Say hello to the old boy for me btw.......

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Return of Thought for the Day --(Aug 16)
From: katlaughing
Date: 16 Aug 08 - 10:01 AM

Just what Spaw said. I am thrilled and delighted to see you start these again, Peter! Thank you!

Subject: RE: BS: Return of Thought for the Day --(Aug 16)
From: lady penelope
Date: 16 Aug 08 - 12:52 PM

Ooh, I like that "With the tongue of its whole being"... spiritual resonance... Beautiful.

Thank you Peter.

Subject: RE: BS: Return of Thought for the Day --(Aug 16)
From: Amos
Date: 16 Aug 08 - 12:57 PM

You are a delightful rogue, indeed, Sir T. Thanks for re-emerging.



A

Subject: RE: BS: Return of Thought for the Day --(Aug 16)
From: catspaw49
Date: 16 Aug 08 - 07:33 PM

Lady Penelope.....Its that type of thing which has always made PT's thoughts so enjoyable. No one can evoke the imagery as he does. I'm always a bit in awe even as I poke fun at him. He's the best.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Return of Thought for the Day --(Aug 16)
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 16 Aug 08 - 07:54 PM

I Ouray Colorado there is a Hotel that houses "Chief Ouray's Personal Hot Springs Cave" in its nether regions. To reach the cave you walk down a flight of stairs from a pretty state-of-the-art fitness room, to a warm and dank concrete hallway. You follow the hallway until you realize the walls have become stone as has the floor. A rickety door is mounted into a cleft in the stone, and through this door you enter the chief's spa. The room is lit by one dim and ancient electric lamp on the wall. This cavern in oval in shape, with banked stone surrounding a shallow pool of hot water in the center. Dripping water is amplified and echoed in this stillness. Somehow, one is compelled to whisper, and our voices continued a rustling conversation long after we had stopped speaking. In a low tone, I began the chant of the single syllable OM, and the cavern seemed to pick up the "mmm" vibration so that it would continue to hum for 10 or 15 seconds after I stopped. Delighted, I repeated this until at one point the "mmm" continued 10, 20, 30 seconds, increased in volume, became an all-encompassing bass note that you could feel in your chest. It gradually elevated in key, then switched to another bass note entirely.

It was several seconds before it dawned on me that the cavern was likely beneath the Ouray street and was picking up the resonance of a large truck shifting gears.

Subject: RE: BS: Return of Thought for the Day --(Aug 16)
From: Amos
Date: 16 Aug 08 - 08:53 PM

Man, what a let-down!! LOL!!!


A

Subject: RE: BS: Return of Thought for the Day --(Aug 16)
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 16 Aug 08 - 08:57 PM

From the thread list...

BS: Return of Thought for the Day --(Aug 16)         
BS: De-Cluttering August - progress

Leaving now.... :-P

Just teasing...

Subject: RE: BS: Return of Thought for the Day --(Aug 16)
From: katlaughing
Date: 16 Aug 08 - 09:01 PM

Oh, LeeJ! You are a real Heyokah!

I've been in a cavern like that in Thermopolis, WY and there were no trucks overhead! The OMs go on forever, it seems, and one can feel so enfolded and safe in a womb of the living Earth. It is a sacred space.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Return of Thought for the Day --(Aug 16)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 17 Aug 08 - 02:17 PM

A sound like that will sometimes shift tone mysteriously to an overtone that comes in.

Another lovely way of "toning" is to use Tibetan bowls, either glass bowls or metal ones.

And anothing thing you can do is sing into the sound hole on a guitar, and amplify the sound through an electronic pickup. This can produce amazing tones. You just tilt the whole guitar up more or less horizontal while holding it and direct your voice into the sound hole.

Subject: RE: BS: Return of Thought for the Day --(Aug 16)
From: KT
Date: 17 Aug 08 - 02:47 PM

Lonesome EJ, I LOVE how you write! (don't know if I ever told you that!)

An yours, Peter! Thanks for starting this up again!

KT

Subject: RE: BS: Return of Thought for the Day --(Aug 16)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 17 Aug 08 - 03:09 PM

LEJ and Peter T. are the best writers here as far as I'm concerned. They both truly have the gift.

Subject: RE: BS: Return of Thought for the Day --(Aug 16)
From: katlaughing
Date: 17 Aug 08 - 03:15 PM

Them and JenEllen!

Subject: RE: BS: Return of Thought for the Day --(Aug 16)
From: Amos
Date: 17 Aug 08 - 03:39 PM

...who has most sadly disappeared into the Mudcat Aether of late...



A