Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Today I go meandering . . .

A Happy Birthday salute to Edward Lear (May 12/13, 1812 – January 29, 1888), artist, illustrator and writer known for his nonsensical poetry and his limericks. He was a highly-regarded nature and landscape artist, but is best-known for his poem The Owl and the Pussycat and popularizing the limerick.


"How pleasant to know Mr. Lear,
Who has written such volumes of stuff.
Some think him ill-tempered and queer,
But a few find him pleasant enough."
- Edward Lear


The Owl and the Pussy Cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money
Wrapped up in a five-pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
"O lovely Pussy, O Pussy, my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are,
You are,
You are!
What a beautiful Pussy you are!"
- Edward Lear

Trivia bit: "His birth certificate states that it was actually the 13th and Lear used the 13th May as his birthday in his diaries, however later in life he switched to the 12th." direct quote source (1)

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Today is the birthday of Jiddu Krishnamurti (May 12, 1895 – February 17, 1986), philosopher and writer. He has been referred to as one of the greatest philosophical minds of the 20th century.

Jiddu Krishnamurti was known for his passionate discourses on the various ways the human mind turns to self-delusion in its never-ending search for psychological fulfillment.

"The observer is the observed." - Jiddu Krishnamurti

"I think it is fairly clear why none of us do experience something beyond the mere watching. There may be rare moments of an emotional state in which we see, as it were, the clarity of the sky between clouds, but I do not mean anything of that kind. All such experiences are temporary and have very little significance. The questioner wants to know why, after these many years of watching, he hasn't found the deep waters. Why should he find them? Do you understand? You think that by watching your own thoughts you are going to get a reward: if you do this, you will get that. You are really not watching at all, because your mind is concerned with gaining a reward. You think that by watching, by being aware, you will be more loving, you will suffer less, be less irritable, get something beyond; so your watching is a process of buying. With this coin you are buying that, which means that your watching is a process of choice; therefore it isn't watching, it isn't attention. To watch is to observe without choice, to see yourself as you are without any movement of desire to change, which is an extremely arduous thing to do; but that doesn't mean that you are going to remain in your present state. You do not know what will happen if you see yourself as you are without wishing to bring about a change in that which you see. Do you understand?" - Jiddu Krishnamurti

"Man has throughout the ages been seeking something beyond himself, beyond material welfare—something we call truth or God or reality, a timeless state—something that cannot be disturbed by circumstances, by thought or by human corruption. Man has always asked the question: what is it all about? Has life any meaning at all? He sees the enormous confusion of life, the brutalities, the revolt, the wars, the endless divisions of religion, ideology and nationality, and with a sense of deep abiding frustration he asks, what is one to do, what is this thing we call living, is there anything beyond it?" - Jiddu Krishnamurti

"Truth is a pathless land." - Jiddu Krishnamurti

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Lear stamp image source (1)
Owl and Pussy Cat stamp source (
1)
Kishnamurti image source (1)

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