Month: November 2013

Peace: A Rose by any other name would it be as sweet?

On By MaryIn Choices we makeLeave a comment

I have harbored a fondness for roses ever since I read Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s book “The Little  Prince.” There are wonderful sections in the book dedicated to roses. One where a particular rose taunts the little prince into taking special care of her. He does and comes to see her as the most special flower ever. Then when the little prince travels to our planet he comes across a vast, expansive field of roses. He is crestfallen, thinking that his rose deceived him. His soul is torn by the deception and by his gullibility. Later in the story, through a bit of given wisdom from a fox who had befriended him, the little prince comes to realize that indeed his rose is like no other, for “it is the time that you have wasted on your rose that makes your rose so special.”

So, I was particularly delighted to learn about Francis Meilland and the Peace rose which is officially called Rosa ‘Madame A. Meilland’ which may well be the most popular, best selling garden rose of all time.

Meilland International SA, is a nursery in France. In 1935 Francis Meilland understood that under the imminent German occupation all fertile ground in France would be conscripted to raise food crops for the military. Virtually all of the roses that Francis had been developing were about to be destroyed – virtually, but not literally. The Meillnds quickly shipped all of their rose stock to friends in Turkey. They also sent a shipment of budwood from the test rose 3-35-40 to friends in Germany, Italy and the United States. Sometimes good planning and strategy are not enough. The shipment of rose stock to Turkey was destroyed when German military forces commandeered the use of the train carrying the roses. While the shipments to Germany and Italy, arrived successfully, they were ultimately destroyed during the war.  Because of trade embargos the only way to ship budwood to the US was to smuggle it out of France in a diplomatic satchel.
At the last possible moment, just before the German occupation of France, Francis arranged to smuggle out some budwood rose stocks from the test rose 3-35-40, a new variety that he had been developing. The budwood stocks that were sent to the United States were on the last plane leaving before the German invasion.

Unbeknownst to Meilland, the seeds were safely received by the Conrad-Pyle Co. where they were propagated during the war.  After successfully growing ‘3-35-40’ Conrad-Pyle submitted the rose to the All-America Rose Selections (AARS) for its testing program. Based, in part, on the success of the rose in the AARS test, Conrad-Pyle started the field growth of thousands of grafts of ‘3-35-40’, and in one of many coincidences scheduled a future launch date April 29, 1945 to coincide with the Pacific Rose Society Annual Exhibition in Pasadena, California. At this time Conrad-Pyle did not have a name for the new rose. In 1944, after the liberation of France, Robert Pyle was able to communicate with Francis Meilland and inform him that the rose would be released after the war ended.  On the scheduled launch date Berlin fell to the Allies and a truce was declared in Europe. As part of the product launch two doves were released and the rose was given a commercial name with statement: We are persuaded that this greatest new rose of our time should be named for the world’s greatest desire: ‘PEACE’.

The new rose ‘PEACE’ was officially awarded the AARS award on the day that the war in Japan ended, and on May 8, 1945, with the formal surrender of Germany, each of the 49 delegates to the newly created United Nations were presented with a bloom of “Peace”, accompanied by the following message of peace from the Secretary of the ARS.

We hope the ‘Peace’ rose will influence men’s thoughts for everlasting world peace.”
As for the Meillands, whose rose farms and family assets were destroyed by World War II, the commercial success of “Peace” enable the family business to recover and subsequently continue to develop new, beautiful roses. In what might be a moral to a parable Francis Meilland, who died in 1958, wrote in his diary: “How strange to think that all these millions of rose buses sprang from one tiny seed no bigger than the head of a pin, a seed which we might so easily have overlooked, or neglected in a moment of inattention.”

In 1995, nations around the world paid tribute to the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II, and All-America Rose Selections (AARS) worked to make the Peace rose a focal point of the commemorative ceremonies. There were efforts to establish a network of municipal Peace gardens that were dedicated in 1995 in an international gesture of goodwill and hope. The AARS gained support of local community groups to plant these gardens in town squares and municipal gathering places, and provided 30 to 50 Peace roses for each garden.

Coincidence or not? Intervention by a omnipotent being? Luck? Persistence?  Hard to say. It does seem that hope is worth acting to preserve, protect and promote. For all of that that we can’t know, this seems to resonate with some truth: life and death are grave matters. All things pass quickly away. Each of us must be completely alert, never neglectful, never indulgent. Details matter. Salvation – of beauty, of peace, of freedom and justice – salvation is in the details.

On this cold Monday in November, the week of Thanksgiving, I am grateful for the beauty of roses and for the hope for peace. May we all cherish the beauty of peace a bit more gently, a bit more generously in our hearts and in our lives. 

This week, I pledge to smile more, to invite my smile into my eyes as I gaze at those I love and as strangers cross my path, with the hope that this small gesture may bring a touch more beauty (not that I’m all that cute, but a smile is more beautiful than a scowl, yes?) anyway to bring a touch more beauty and an invitation for more peace into our world.

enjoy! and be grateful!

If you are interested in reading more about the amazing string of coincidences in the development of ‘Peace’ do have a look at “For Love of a Rose”, by Antonia Ridge.

100th blog

On By MaryIn happiness2 Comments

 Celebrations are important in life – for individuals, families, circles of friends and communities. Celebrations are part of the goo that holds us together. It is worthwhile to re-member, to mark moments of import, to note change and growth, gain and loss, to pause and reflect and to ferret out the lessons life may be offering in the course of events and our actions within those events.  I know this. And, yet, for me, personal celebrations are not easy. When I think of marking personal accomplishments or mile stones, I remember the proverb that says: the nail that stand up invites the hammer. 

But on this occasion I believe that I will invite the attitude of MC Hammer and “you can’t touch this” and full out celebrate 100 JustAlchemy blog entries!! May justice, respect for the dignity of all sentient beings and JustAlchemy thrive for 100 years!!!

And, in that spirit, here are three wishes for you: May you live 100 years, five simple rules to be happy, and good wishes for you. 

 May you live 100 years (Sto Lat!) is a Polish song of celebration. We sang it at every family celebration I can remember.

 Sto Lat! – May you live a hundred years.
Sto lat, sto lat, niech zyje zyje nam.
Sto lat, sto lat, niech zyje zyje nam.
Jeszcze raz, jeszcze raz, niech zyje, zyje nam.
Niech zyje nam!

Sto Lat (English version)

Good luck, good cheer, may you live a hundred years.
Good luck, good cheer, may you live a hundred years.
Good luck, good cheer, may you live a hundred years.
One hundred years!

 

I once attributed Five simple rules to be happy to Abraham Lincoln. Now I am not sure whose rules they are, but they make sense to me.

 Five simple rules to be happy:

  • Free your heart from hatred.
  • Free your mind from worries.
  • Live simply.
  • Give more.
  • Expect less.

 

I first heard ‘good wishes’ as a song at a Paul Winter Celebration of the Winter Solstice. ‘Good Wishes may be a Druid Invocation, a Welsh festive song, or a Scottish Blessing.

 I understand that Good Wish” is one of the many lovely blessings collected in the Scottish Highlands by Alexander Carmicheal, and compiled into his book Carmina Gadelica.  (Page 282). This wonderful blessing starts out by conferring “power of raven.” Ravens so often get a bad rap but in mythology and folk lore they are the avian equivalent of coyotes, anarchists, feminists, culture jammers – often acting the trickster with their sense of humor, a bit wiser than you might expect, unafraid of weirdness or death, a bit flamboyant and interesting.  This invocation highlights the great powers and riches (“goodness”) of nature.  An interesting  part of this Wish is for  “death on pillow.” This is not something we ordinarily think of as a positive prayer since we’re so alienated from the realities of death in this culture, but by considering the many other ways one may greet death, death on a pillow is not so bad at all!

 Power of raven be thine
Power of eagle be thine
Power of storm be thine
Power of moon be thine
Power of sea be thine
Power of land be thine
Goodness of sea be thine
Goodness of earth be thine
 
Each day be joyous to thee
No day be grievous to thee
Love of each face be thine
Death on pillow be thine
Power of sea be thine
Power of land be thine
Goodness of sea be thine
Goodness of earth be thine

 

In every case, my good wishes to each of you. May you live 100 years in health, happiness, peace and love!

 

Yoshihime and the Gate through which all buddhas come into the world

On By MaryIn Choices we make, Koan, laughterLeave a comment

Women can be quite spunky when we’ve a mind to be. When we are at our spunkiest best, the stories about what we have done bring a smile to my face and a twinkle to my eyes. So, I was most delighted to find this story in the November issue of the Shambhala Sun.  . . . the story plays off a traditional Zen Buddhist Koan, a a paradoxical anecdote used by Zen teachers to demonstrate to a particular student the inadequacy of logical reasoning and to provoke enlightenment, often the provocation is in a visceral sort of manner. Often the ‘correct’ response to a koan is not communicated in words, but rather through a simple, elegant, eloquent act or gesture.

 Traditionally Zen teachers and students were boys and men. There were, of course women who studied and practiced Buddhism, but they were accorded far less prominence so to hear about one is, for me particularly, a special treat. So, I am honored to introduce you to Yoshihime.

Yoshihime was a Buddhist nun. Because of her strength and her headstrong approach to life and study, she had earned the nickname “Devil-girl.” After studying and meditating for many years, Yoshihime decided that it was time for her to meet and have an interview with Engakuji, the teacher at the monastery, but the monk who was serving as the gatekeeper barred her way. Before he would let her approach, he shouted a koan to her: “What is it, the gate through which the buddhas come into the world?”

Yoshihime grabbed the man’s head, forced it between her legs, and said: “look, look.”

The monk said, “in the middle, there is a fragrance of wind and dew.”

Yoshihime said, “This monk is not fit to keep the gate; he ought to be looking after the garden.”

The gatekeeper relayed this to Engakuji’s assistant, who said that he would test Yoshihime. And, so he went to the gate, and posed the same koan to Yoshihime, ““What is it, the gate through which the buddhas come into the world?”

Yoshihime grabbed his head and held it between her legs, saying: “look, look!”

The teacher’s assistant said: “The buddhas of the three worlds come, giving light.”

And Yoshihime said: “This monk is one with the eye; he saw the eighty-four thousand gates all thrown open.”

So, what is going on in this story? Yoshihime lives with the misogyny of her time on a daily basis. Then she is confronted with it in a very personal, particular way in the action of the monk baring her passage through the gate. Yoshihime responds to the misogyny with an act of profound, insightful feminism. What is the gate through which buddhas come into the world? As a woman she immediately understands that it is the very same gate through which ALL human beings come into the world. She responds by demonstrating her awareness to  the gatekeeper and then the teacher’s assistant – all human beings enter the world through their mothers cervix and vagina. The gatekeeper’s misogyny was too thick and he could not see through it, but the teacher’s assistant immediately got it.

Misogyny is not a thing of the past. It is alive and too well in our world today. Yoshihime’s audacity is a powerful lesson to us all. We need to know ourselves. We need to be prepared to stand our ground, to claim our rights, and maybe even to be a bit audacious as we do so.

With thanks to Judith Simmer-Brown and Florence Caplow and Susan Moon.

The Blind Man and the Lame Man & The Chicken and the Egg

On By MaryIn growth into humanity, stories for social change, vision and perspectiveLeave a comment

Every time I am certain that I have things right and that I KNOW something, sooner or later (and often it is sooner), something comes along to show me (if I am paying attention) that maybe, just maybe what I was sooo certain about might just be a bit of an other way. As I have searched for stories for this blog, as I thought and taught in the past, I was fairly sure that individuals and small groups needed to change, grow, develop, evolve to create a more loving, just and compassionate base before we could adequately and effectively build more just and humane social structures. Well, I kind of thought that. I do remember enough Buddhism most of the time to know that the solid ground we stand on is mostly ephemeral quicksand.

But we live in a rational, linear world don’t we? OK. I know we don’t really. But we have been socialize to think we do. Many folks have been raised with the American koan that asks: who came first, the chicken or the egg. Many have pondered it thoughtfully and deeply. … Until the around 2009 when the answer was revealed in this joke: “A chicken and an egg are laying in bed together. The chicken is all happy and has a big smile on it’s face while the egg is irritated and looks a bit disappointed.  The egg turns to the chicken and says, ‘Well, I guess we solved THAT riddle.’”

So, chicken or egg? Individuals or structures? It is a bit of a koan in a conundrum in a riddle in an enigma.

Then I was prowling the internet looking for parables from Poland, the homeland of my grandparents. And I found this poem by Ignacy Krasicki (from his book Fables and Parables)

 

The Blind Man and the Lame

A blind man was carrying a lame man on his back,

And everything was going well, everything’s on track,

When the blind man decides to take it into his head

That he needn’t listen to all that the lame man said.

“This stick I have will guide the two of us safe,” said he,

And though warned by the lame man, he plowed into a tree.

On they proceeded; the lame man now warned of a brook;

The two survived, but their possessions a soaking took.

At last the blind man ignored the warning of a drop,

And that was to turn out their final and fatal stop.

Which of the two travelers, you may ask, was to blame?

Why, ’twas both the heedless blind man and the trusting lame.

 

So, you might think its settled! These guys need to change, get over their issues and learn to trust or we will never be able to build a better world. Ah, but Wikipedia to the rescue! Because there we are reminded that Krasicki wrote this around 1779 just after Poland had been taken over partitioned by Russia, Prussia and Austria, an action that ultimately abolished the commonwealth of Poland until after World War II. So, the social structure shaped and constrained the experience, view, imagination and dreams of its inhabitants. Which leads me to re-member: both/and indeed is better. Who came first the chicken or the egg? Life would be so much happier if they both come together. Who changes first the individual or the community/social structure? Life would be so much happier if they both changed together in consort and harmony!!