Carl Sagan was a man of extraordinary vision — and what is more, a man who helped others to see more clearly. Here’s Sagan’s meditation on that little speck seen in this image taken from a distance of 6.4 billion kms from earth, the place we call home. The image was taken by Voyager 1 (launched 1977) in 1990 on its way out of the solar system. It shows earth as if it were a “mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.” Sagan had persuaded NASA to command the …

Today I am reminded of a fragment of a poem that I had learned in high school. It is by the Scottish poet — Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832). It is from his narrative poem, “The Lay of the Last Minstrel” (1805). It is worth memorizing. Here it is:

Neil Diamond sings his Longfellow Serenade:
I’ll weave his web of rhyme
Upon the summer night
We’ll leave this worldly time
On his winged flight
Then come, and as we lay
Beside this sleepy glade
There I will sing to you
My Longfellow serenade
Weave your web of rhyme
Upon the summer night
We’ll leave this worldly time
On your winged flight
I quote those lovely lines just for the heck of it. Beautiful, isn’t it? Here’s a random link from this blog — on A Path with a Heart.

Breathes there the man, with soul so dead,
Who never to himself hath said,
“This is my own, my native land!”
Whose heart hath ne’er within him burned,
As home his footsteps he hath turned,
From wandering on a foreign strand!
If such there breathe, go, mark him well;
For him no Minstrel raptures swell;
High though his titles, proud his name,
Boundless his wealth as wish can claim;
Despite those titles, power, and pelf,
The wretch, concentred all in self,
Living, shall forfeit fair renown,
And, doubly dying, shall go down
To the vile dust, from whence he sprung,
Unwept, unhonoured, and unsung.
From The …

[Here is a transcript from one of the scores of Alan Watts' talks I have in mp3 format.]
[Begin transcript of Alan's talk.]
I’m not really a musician but it just so happens that I have in front of me a fabulous instrument which the Japanese call koto. I suppose it would be best described as a table harp. Long instrument stringed with bridges – horizontal harp.
It was customary among Chinese poets in the old days to read poetry and strum on the lute or table harp at the same time. …

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Let us mourn in silence with this simply awesome gut-wrenching rendition by an American, Emmanuel Ortiz …
“Before I start this poem“
Before I start this poem,I’d like to ask you to join me ina moment of silencein honour of those who diedin the World Trade Centreand the Pentagonlast September 11th.
I would also like to ask youa moment of silencefor all of those who have beenharassed, imprisoned, disappeared,tortured, raped, or killedin retaliation for those strikes,for the victims in bothAfghanistan and the U.S.
And if I could just add one more thing …A full …