D300 - 70 mm, 1/160 sec f/8, ISO 640Don't ask me what's written here. I don't know. I simply liked the sheer beauty of calligraphy on this old stone piece.
What I do know though is that I did feel a certain reluctance in liking it. Surely Japanese writing wouldn't have stirred this uneasiness. It surfaced to my mind without my knowledge and floated there until I acknowledged it.
The origin of this feeling is fear. Fear of another culture, an unpopular one, charged with aggressiveness, impenetrable to our values, supremely darkened by hideous events.
This is a shadow in our mind, a stain in our soul. Let it be washed away by the same Love that created us all.
What I do know though is that I did feel a certain reluctance in liking it. Surely Japanese writing wouldn't have stirred this uneasiness. It surfaced to my mind without my knowledge and floated there until I acknowledged it.
The origin of this feeling is fear. Fear of another culture, an unpopular one, charged with aggressiveness, impenetrable to our values, supremely darkened by hideous events.
This is a shadow in our mind, a stain in our soul. Let it be washed away by the same Love that created us all.
Yes, I understand that fear. Once, I was facinated by such writing. When I was in love with the movie Aladin and all things Arab. In fact my cousin is from Saudi Arabia and they would come visit every summer... they were living in California when 9/11 happened and were subject to a lot of suspician afterwards. So sad.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I have written a poem for your picture... I just want to make sure that something else dosen't come a long that is better... ;p
Thank you for your comments. I am glad you both understood the idea I was trying to write in this post.
ReplyDeleteThere is lately, and not entirely without reasons, a sort of equation which binds most western people to think alike on certain topics. This uniform thinking can easily be directed by politics, media and/or religious groups towards this or that enemy, according to the most suitable target at a given instant.
On these topics it is often impossible to state something even tangentially unorthodox, least being regarded with extreme suspicion, if not ostracized.
Even with this post, it goes without saying that it won't collect more than a couple of comments.
I have unfortunately no recipe. We can only try, each one to his belief and abilities, to go beyond regional religious views, habits and tacit supremacy... remembering we've always been with the one Love.
The calligraphy is so beautiful. But it is true that the unknown is scary to most people. However, most fail to realize that WE define what is unknown to us by refusing to look further or learn.
ReplyDeleteDarkness does not hold monsters,
They just live in our minds.
Darkness only cradles darkness
Born from our unwillingness to face the light.
That too is a difficult subject to broach with people... what is ironic is that Americans (speaking only from this viewpoint) see themselves as individualists, American ideaology... What reigns all to often is mob thinking.
ReplyDeleteThe interesting part of this post for me is that you didn't really even have the thought, it just surfaced. The true glory is that you noticed it...that way lies grace.
ReplyDeleteI subscribe to spacedlaw's comment.
ReplyDeleteThanks all of you for your balance and insight in commenting this post. Rare qualities in this world lately.