Mga Pangyayari Ngayong Enero ng 2012

Ngayon ang huling araw ng unang buwan ng 2012. Maraming nangyari. Isa na rito ang isang linggong pagpupuyat upang matapos lamang ang isang kinakailangang isumite, ang sayt report para sa Archaeo 206. Sa wakas ay natapos ko na rin iyon matapos ang ilang buwang pamomroblema kung paano gagawin iyon. Kabilang na rin siguro sa aking pagiging abala ang paulit-ulit na pag-revise sa trench report. Nakakapagod, parang walang katapusan. At naging problema pa ang pagloloko ng Yahoo Mail kung kaya't lalo kaming nahirapan ng partner ko.

Bukod pa rito, naging biktima ako nang dalawang beses. Dalawang magkasunod na biyernes akong pumasok naa handang handa para magreport para lang malaman na walang klase. Iyon siguro ang pinakabad trip na pwedeng mangyari. Kasi siyempre, magagamit ko sana ang oras ng pagbiyahe sa paggawa ng isa pang paper na dapat ay matagal ko nang ipinasa sa prof ko.

Nagsimula na ang impeachment trial ni Corona. Nais ko sanang magtungo sa Sandiganbayan upang makita ang aktwal na court proceedings subalit dahil na rin sa aking trabaho kung saan hindi ako pwedeng lumiban, ay kailangang isakripisyo ang ninanais na ito. At dahil nga abala rin ako sa kakahabol ng kung ano-anong deadline e wala na rin akong oras na subaybayan ang mga balita ukol dito. Pag-uwi sa bahay ay derecho tulog at pahinga. Nais ko sanang gamitin ang pagkakataon upang pag-aralan ang mga nangyayari sa korte pero mukhang ayaw na naman ni tadhana. Hindi naman kasi ako si Superwoman na hindi marunong mapagod. Hay, napakahirap maging isang mortal.

Medyo nagiging malapit na ako sa aking mga estudyante. Unti-unti ay naiintindihan ko ang mga bagay-bagay patungkol sa paaralan. Mukhang hindi lang pala ako ang biktima ng sistemang ito, pati na rin ang mga bata ay ginagatasan ng sistemang base sa kapitalismo na wala nang inisip kundi ang kumita ng malaki kahit na ang kapalit ay magsanhi ng lubusang kapaguran sa ibang tao--- sa kontekstong ito, ang mga guro't mga estudyante. Hindi rin maiiwasan kung bakit maraming estudyante ang nagrereklamo. At dahil naiintindihan ko ang mga hinaing nila ay kampi ako sa kanila. Hindi rin makatarungan para sa akin ang ginagawa ng paaralang ito. At kailan lang ay nalaman ko kung paano rin nila gatasan ang mga guro at mga estudyante na lalong nagpagalit sa akin. Kung katotohanan at awa ang motto nila, pues, ako na aang nagsasabi na isang malaking kasinungalingan ito. Puro panloloko at puro pagpapakasakit sa tao. Kung kaya't sinabi ko na lang sa sarili ko na mag-adjust alang-alang sa mga estudyante ko.

Isa pa siguro sa highlight ng buwang ito ay ang pagpunta namin ng mga ate ko kasama ang kanilang mga kaibigan sa Star City. Naalala ko mga ilang taon na ang nakaraan, nagpunta kami doon ng buong pamilya para lang magtapon ng pera. Napilitan lang din kasi si papa. Ni hindi kami nagtagal doon nang isang oras dahil gusto nang umuwi ni papa. At dahil madaming tao noon, ni hindi kami nakapag-bump cars, na siyang gustong gusto naming magkakapatid. Pero ngayong buwan ay nagkaroon ng pagkakataon na makasakay muli sa bump cars. Nag-rappel din ako. At iyong Anchors Away kung saan napamura ako nang lubos dahil sa sobrang sakit na ng ulo ko. (At mukhang ewan lang talaga kami doon, tawa-tawa tapos magmumura.)

At isasama ko na rin siguro ang pagsubok ko sa Honey Garlic Chicken ng Chowking na mukhang masarap sa mga ads nito sa dyaryo at TV. Pero hanggang dun lang pala, hindi ako nasarapan dun. Ni hindi honey ang gamit nila. Walang bango ng honey at garlic. Amoy vetsin. Naalala ko tuloy yung kinain kong puno ng vetsin na nagdulot ng sakit sa akin. Ang nais ko lang sabihin ay, magaling ang ads ng Chowking. Kailanma'y hindi ko paborito ang Chowking. Kakain lang ako doon kung wala na talagang ibang mapagpipilian. Iba kasi kapag lumaking sanay sa pagkaing Tsino, mas alam mo kung ano ang authentic at hindi. Pero magaling sa ads ang Chowking talaga kasi ilang beses na akong nahikayat na subukin ang kanilang mga pagkain. Naalala ko dati umorder ako ng spicy seafood chaofan. Hindi siya spicy. Maalat sobra. Naiinis ako. Tapos yung noodles nila na lasang instant lang at ang konti pa. Tapos ngayon ay ang honey garlic chicken. Hay nako. Isa lang ang ok sa kanila, ang halo-halo.

Disoriented

On the way to school from work, I took the bus where I fell asleep some 20 minutes after boarding it. I was just so tired and so stressed out from all the things that are happening all at once. For one, I'm feeling the pressure to submit all the requirements ASAP because I really need to graduate this summer. Second, I'm no longer happy with my job seeing that there are lots of negative people out there who take pleasure in making people feel bad, not to mention those who resort to backstabbing and conjuring exaggerated stories to make a person look bad.

So that's my situation now. Somehow, going to UP makes me feel better. I had an order of nachos at Foodtrip Strip today. It costs P40 and it's good. (And yes, I promised myself to support this little kiosk since it's the only stall aside from the one at CASAA that has nachos... I think.) Somehow, Mexican food lifts my spirits up.

Upon arriving home, I went straight to sleep. About two hours later, I woke up. For once, it felt as though I were looking at the world from the eyes of a stranger. Everything seemed strange, so unfamiliar. I looked around me, wondering what time it is already. I looked at the window and saw that it's partially dark. I thought to myself, shit, I'm gonna be late for work. Then I remembered my sisters who were supposed to share the bed with me. Waking up on their territory, I thought, where were they? Did they leave home without waking me up? Then it struck me, what day is today? I'm so dead. Feeling weak still, I went back to sleep, telling myself not to worry if ever I were late or whatever.

Minutes later, someone walked into the room. It was my sister and she had just gotten back from work. She told me to move a little to give her some space to sleep on their territory. I obliged, half-awake. Then it dawned on me that what I just experienced a while ago was disorientation. I realized that it was already 6pm. I remembered that, oh yeah, I already got back from work and school. It was a scary feeling. I thought I were transported to another world. (Though I think that would be most welcome at the moment to once again escape from my duties.)

I wonder what causes disorientation. I found some answers here. I think that maybe there are a combination of causes in my case. For instance, I suspect anemia, high anxiety level, forgetfulness, concentration difficulty, and possibly hypoglycemia. Sometimes I think I am working a little too hard. I need to find relaxation soon.

2012 ACLE: Livebox's Screening of "Ang Umaatikabong Buhay ni badong Aguirre"

This afternoon, I rushed to UP thinking that we had class even though I knew it was ACLE day. I shouldn't have come. Before I got to my building, I received a text message from a classmate who told me that there was no class. I proceeded anyway, and borrowed lots of books for a minor paper I will be writing this weekend.

After that, I visited the GT Toyota Auditorium and a man asked me if I were to attend Livebox. Oblivious to ACLE activities for the day, I said no but asked what their ACLE is anyway. He told me there would be a movie screening. After I checked out the library, I entered the venue and was met by a noisy bunch of people. Then it struck me that Livebox is actually a youth-oriented religious organization.

I was able to see a live performance by From the Author. The lead singer was a cute girl. Though she has a very small voice (I couldn't hear the lyrics well from the back), I am impressed at the musical composition.

After that was a movie screening. The title was "Ang Umaatikabong Buhay ni Badong Aguirre". From the title, I thought that maybe this is one of those boring indie films. But I was wrong. Every scene was humorous. The movie, about a man who looks like a bad person but is actually kind-hearted, is a brilliant opus. I can't help thinking about Shrek the whole time. This movie also incorporated many tropes like the police who always come late. The movie also explores the background of hired goons, something unheard of in Pinoy movies. As Josephine Carreon, the lovely director of the film, puts it, goons are only there for the hero of the movie to punch and kick or kill. We don't even know how these goons came to be.

As it turns out, the goons in this movie are gruff-looking guys who are actually kind-hearted. All of them, including Badong, were tricked into the kidnap trade to serve as goons. These goons earned the trust of Princess, the kidnap victim whom they sought to help later on. Towards the end, Badong was shot. He told his newfound friends to escape quickly and just leave him there for the police to arrest. While in prison, he remembered his father telling him about not killing cockroaches. His father's secret was unfortunately lost because he suddenly died of heart attack. But upon seeing a roach in prison, he reflected on this and realized that like a cockroach who is always despised, he must be strong and stay happy.

So I guess my going to UP today is not wasted since I was able to see this wonderful film for free.

No to SOPA and PIPA

Tonight while researching on anything new about Aya Kamiki (as I listen to her albums "CONSTELLATION", "W.H.Y.", and "Ashita no tameni-Forevermore"), I happened to click on Wikipedia and was greeted by this:

Is the U.S. government afraid now of the internet after seeing how this technology brought down dictators in Libya and its surrounding countries? Is it afraid that more protests will be spawned especially with the economic crisis the world is suffering from? Is it afraid to see more enlightened souls who can no longer believe in the government and the principles they supposedly espouse after the Wikileaks scandals?

The internet is a free sphere and it should remain so. With SOPA and PIPA, information on the internet will be restricted. This will result to monopoly by the powerful and the rich (and more often than not, they are evil who are all out for world domination). This means that the small voices which have proliferated the internet since the emergence of blogs and social networking sites will once again lose these voices.

We have already entered the digital age. We have already been accustomed to being exposed to copious information from multiple perspectives. Let us not go back to the time when power is concentrated to a select few.

Philippine Fengshan Temple

The Philippine Fengshan Temple was open to the public late last year. It is one of the projects of the Philippine Nan-An Association. Last October, my father invited me to join the "dian yan" ceremony. Basically, a monk is invited to "make the saints alive". I said yes because it is a rare opportunity to witness such an event, at least for me. At that time, I forgot to bring my camera with me. The ceremony was NOT enjoyable to say the least. Tears welled in the eyes because of the heavy concentration of incense. And then there were loud firecrackers which I hate a lot.

But anyway, I told my dad that if ever he's going to visit the temple, he should let me go with him. Last December, I had my chance. My mom also joined us.

note the intricate designs and the two pillars with dragon designs. My dad says that highly skilled craftsmen were flown from Mainland China for this temple.

the inside of the temple showing ShengGong and ShengMa. Red and gold colors complement each other well and give off a very rich impression

both walls inside the temple are lined up with artworks depicting the story of Shengong.

And I must admit that the one thing I was looking forward to after our visit here was a trip to Cafe France as promised by my father. But we had lunch late in the afternoon.

My mom and I love the grilled chicken salad. I love the pizza best. Really yummy :)

Emoing: It's More Fun in the Ordinary Bus!

The "It's more fun in the Philippines" slogan is very contagious. So tonight I write the most emo lines. Write for example, "It's more fun to emo in an ordinary bus!"


It all started early this week when I happened to get inside a bus which played my favorite songs. One of them was David Pomeranz's "On This Day" which spirited me away to the land of fantasy. As the wind blows through my hair, I close my eyes and savor each word and each melody. This is one of those songs that easily arrests one's heart. The first time I heard this on the radio many years back, I thought to myself, this IS my wedding song. And even at present I still tell myself, this is really really THE wedding song.

And tonight the bus I took played "Out of the Blue" by my favorite band ever, Michael Learns to Rock. Ever since I heard their "Nothing to Lose", I craved for their every song. In highschool, I considered buying original CDs of just two bands and one of them was MLTR. (The other one was Linkin Park.)

Every time I'm inside the bus, I cannot help but think of my love life and the lack thereof. And when there's nice music, all the more do I think of my future love life. I think about supreme happiness and sadness derived from love. I think about the many broken hearts, the reasons why couples break up, the passion of loving someone to the point of breaking... Of these my favorite is the last. Because passion for me is what keeps a person alive amidst the absurdities of life.

So who says taking an ordinary bus is no fun? The speed, the wind, the roar of the motor, and occasionally the nostalgic songs...

A Message 3

"You'll never be brave if you don't get hurt. You'll never learn if you don't have mistakes. And you'll never be successful if you don't encounter failures. Negative results do not mean that God is hard on you. We always start from the ground in order for us to appreciate our way to the top."

It's More Fun in the Philippines?

It's in the frontpage. The new slogan of the Department of Tourism was met by criticisms for its adoption of the 1951 slogan of Switzerland.

The question is, is it really more fun in the Philippines?

Being a citizen of this country for a little more than a score, I would have to say that it depends on where in the Philippines you are in. Having the opportunity to have a month-long trip to a province in the south made me see how beautiful the countryside is. Lots of trees, very few people, fresh foods... And what they say about Filipinos being hospitable and friendly is definitely true.

Being in Metro Manila has its perks because it's the urban center. But it also has many drawbacks. For one, there's the issue of congestion which results in more pollution. These days, I can no longer go outside without covering my nose because of the dust and smoke. Everywhere you go in the metro, you will see garbage. I always am in awe at how indifferent the average Filipino is to his environment and to his fellow Filipinos. There's also the perennially annoying heavy traffic mostly caused by public vehicles who think they own the roads.

Many times I think of going abroad and stay there for the rest of my life, seeing that ours is a hopeless country beset by the same problems we have been contending with for many years now. Many times over we are told that we lack discipline. But knowing this does not amount to anything when not coupled by immediate action. In school, since elementary days we  are taught to care for the environment, but growing up we seem to have forgotten the main reason why we are taught thus. In school, I remind my students to throw their trash in proper trash bins and I am ashamed to learn that a fellow teacher herself does not hesitate to throw food wrappers out to the streets. While on board jeepneys, I am horrified whenever I see parents telling their kids to just throw out candy wrappers and such. I don't see the fun there. Even those who received formal schooling turns out to be uneducated after all. And this, I keep on telling my students--- that true education goes beyond the diploma and high grades, that true education is being a man of the self and a man for others, someone who not only knows how to think but also someone who cares for others. And I do not have to say that in taking care of our environment, we also take care of ourselves.

Waiting

Waiting has always been a pet peeve. Yes, I am an impatient person and I hate waiting. But waiting is a major part of life. You cannot escape it. For instance, you have to line up and wait for your turn to be served at a fast food store. Or if you choose to dine at a fancy restaurant, you certainly have to wait for your food to be cooked and to be served. In applying for important papers like passports, certificates, and the like, you need to wait. Waiting is an inevitable part of life and patience is necessary for us to get through it.

The past years have provided me with ample opportunities to practice the virtue of patience. I force myself to live on a fast lane, to make sure I get a lot done in a short period of time. But along the way, there are moments wherein life tells me to slow down, pause, and have a breather. One such instance is recently when I got sick due to MSG-overdose. It made me rethink my priorities. It made me rethink my decisions. Suddenly I found myself asking, am I happy at where I am right now? (The answer of course is no. I have yet to fulfill my dreams of becoming an international human rights lawyer. Though to be honest, I am glad to have achieved so much last 2011, which marks the start of my being a teacher, an archaeologist, a writer, a translator, a researcher, and a volunteer. I still find it incredible that I got to play all these roles aside from the usual daughter-student-sister-friend roles of a humdrum existence.)

Waiting... Almost everybody, almost everything seems to ask me to wait, sometimes even without meaning to. Perhaps I don't really hate waiting that much. I've waited for him for several years now. The problem is, I don't even know if he knows that I am waiting for him, which makes the process even more difficult though yes, exciting. What if I waited for naught? On the other hand, what if I were to be rewarded for my patience?

The act of waiting for a loved one, the feelings of whom you are not even certain of, is a risky venture. Without news of him for a very long time now, you are in constant struggle against yourself: to forget or not to forget? To continue to love or not? To move on or not? When does a heart need to stop longing for a person's affection?

But sometimes the heart is a stubborn machine. And if Becquer were to counsel me, he might berate me and tell me that my heart is a stupid machine. A heart that loves, yearns, hopes, dreams, and revels in the beauty of waiting with or without the guarantee of a reward... For it is in waiting that the heart grows more mature. For it is in waiting that the heart humbles itself and submits itself to passions. For it is in waiting that the heart learns how it is to love truly. For a heart that truly loves expects nothing but delights in the hope of an imagined future.

That is the romantic me pouring her heart out.

Now the rational me butts in and tries to shoo away all these feelings. The rational mind busies itself in everything, finding things to do, making the person more experienced in other aspects of life other than the love life. The rational mind does not want to admit it, but it is also waiting together with the heart-that-truly-loves. The rational mind pretends to get busy, pretends to work and have no time for play. But in reality it does so only to pass the time as it tells itself that no matter what the outcome of all this waiting, the person will become more beautiful than ever.

written 6:30 pm, December 3, 2011

Trinoma Foodcourt

Doraemon

Ever since my elementary days, I have always been a fan of Doraemon. The idea of a robot sent from the future to the 1970s to help a hopeless boy named Nobita Nobi was very interesting. And more interesting still is that Doraemon has a front pocket from which he pulls out gadgets of various uses to help Nobita. These gadgets of course are more often than not, abused by Nobita. This results in ironic endings wherein Nobita ends up all the more the loser.

Seeing packed Doraemon comics at Booksale made me nostalgic. Memories of those days, when I would borrow Chinese comics from my Chinese classmates, flood my mind. Those days, Doraemon became my primary motivation for studying Chinese mainly because how on earth can I comprehend the comics if I didn't understand Chinese? So I guess I have Doraemon to thank for my Chinese language skills.

So anyway, last December, while doing my regular rounds at Booksale, I chanced upon Doraemon comics and didn't hesitate to buy volumes 5 to 16. These are translated to Filipino but it's okay since I need to read Filipino texts more often, too. (Yes, I'm planning to read Filipino novels this year and I'm talking about serious Filipino novels.)

Here are pics of my beloved Doraemon comics:

Note the freebies: pencils and a Doraemon toy :)

me and my Doraemon stuffs

 And I learned from my students that GMA7 will be airing the series again soon. I hope I'll be able to catch even a few episodes.

Cifu (Banawe Street, Quezon City)

This is another late post.

Last month, after a day's work at the National Archives, I had a date with my sister and we agreed to try out Cifu. Cifu is located along Banawe St. and is just some three minutes from Del Monte Avenue. At first we were hesitant to enter the restaurant. For one, we thought we might be in for a costly treat. Two, we haven't heard of reviews of this resto and we're afraid it'll be another one of those money-down-the-drain scenarios.

But we were oh so wrong! The food here are reasonably priced. What I like most about this resto is that waiters are attentive and really wait on customers well. Also, the servings do not disappoint. My sister and I even had to take home the noodles because both of us were already full. (And that is considering we are big eaters.)

Me showing my sister my latest awesome purchase from Booksale: Doraemon comics!!!

xiaolongpao, thai noodles, and dumplings: YUM!!!

After our meal, my sister and I swore to come back again. I must also say that I super love their chili sauce. I put lots of it on my food and it was really wonderful!

Chinese Cemetery

During my pre-camera days, I used to make a mental note to myself that if ever I finally were able to buy my own digital camera, I would bring it with me on our annual visit to the cemeteries and snap photos. There's something about cemeteries that appeal to me. Perhaps it's the serenity that pervades the area. Perhaps it's the rich symbols and details that adorn the houses of the dead. Or perhaps it's the sense of mystery in an area believed to be the residence of ghosts and spirits. Or maybe it's because of the presence of a favorite flower, the calachuchi.

This blog post is already late. (My excuse: I had to sort my files. And well, I'm pretty busy these days.)

Just wanna share some pics I took.

“Way Back Home”

It has been a long time since I watched a Pinoy film with a family theme. The last great drama would probably have to be “Ama, Ina, Anak” which tells the story of a young girl (Angelica Panganiban) adopted by a wealthy couple who later on were able to have a child of their own. Seeing the newborn infant as attention grabber and the reason why her foster parents suddenly paid her little attention, the adopted daughter once tried to kill the baby. The father (Edu Manzano) was of course enraged when he learned of this. The movie ended with a lot of drama and I think it’s the first Pinoy film to ever make me cry. 

“Way Back Home” stars Julia Montes and Kathryn Bernardo as sisters Jessica and Joana Santiago respectively. While young, Joana was separated from the family by accident while on vacation at a beach resort. She was finally adopted by a poor family in a coastal area and grew up to be a bubbly girl. Jessica, on the other hand, suffers from guilt and rejection from her mother (Agot Isidro) who regarded her as the primary reason for the disappearance of Joana. This in turn made Jessica bitter and envious of the attention their mother lavished on Joana when the latter was finally found. 

Both girls do well in school and are excellent swimmers. Now Jessica has always been popular in school. That is, until her sister attended the same school and beat her in academics. Joana, being her adopted town’s top swimmer, also emerged champion in a swimming contest thereby ruining Jessica’s winning streak. To top it all, Jessica’s friend (Sam Concepcion) whom she spurned as a lover has been paying more attention to Joana. Feeling that Joana has returned to snatch away all her happiness, Jessica can’t help but feel more annoyed at her younger sister. 

While on a retreat, Jessica dared Joana to a race at the sea. She almost drowned were it not for her younger sister who obviously won the race. After that, they patched things up and everything turned out well when everyone found forgiveness. For instance, their mother finally realized her negligence toward her elder daughter.

This movie has a lot of tearjerker scenes. For instance, the flashback scenes of the two sisters’ childhood in a heavy contrast to the present them would certainly tug at one’s heartstrings. Also everytime Jessica attempts to gain her mother’s affection only to be shown coldness and indifference is something every unfavored child would certainly relate to. But the most touching scene of all is towards the end when everyone finally finds peace and acceptance.

Like all supposedly heavy drama, this film does not lack a witty humor. Fish jokes are central to the movie mainly because Joana sells fish when she’s not in school, and also because living in a coastal town entails fishing as the main source of livelihood. One particular joke I like is during the swimming competition when Joana tells her friend (Enrique Gil) that she’s dying, a pun to daing (dried fish), because of extreme nervousness. I also like the inclusion of the chubby Clarence Delgado who plays the foster younger brother of Joana who extremely idolizes her.

Another thing I like about this movie is its usage of a poem with double interpretations to illustrate the state of the two sisters. On a literal level, Jessica’s teacher and classmates read it as her expression of her desire to find her long lost sister. But AJ (Sam Concepcion) tells her that she’s actually talking about herself in the poem and what a hypocrite she is. Literature is rarely used in Pinoy films and I must commend this movie for doing so. 

Concerning Bernardo and Montes, who also starred in the TV series remake Mara Clara, I must say that Julia Montes indeed is perfect to play the troubled kontrabida with her mestiza looks and her seemingly snobbish charm. Bernardo, on the other hand, has improved a little in this movie. Though truth be told, I feel that they still hold the remnants of their Mara Clara days which make it easier for them since Bernardo plays the aping bida for the second time.

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Regarding Julia Montes, she will be starring in another primetime series on ABS-CBN with Coco Martin in Walang Hanggan. Coco Martin, whom I fondly call Kukurukuku, is also one actor I admire for his thespic talents especially after Minsan lang Kita Iibigin where he played dual roles. Walang Hanggan will surely not to be missed. (And if ever I do because of work, I’ll just ask my sisters for summaries since I’m racing against time to finish many things.)

Excerpts from “The Essential Kabbalah: the Heart of Jewish Mysticism” by Daniel C. Matt

Ever since my childhood days, I have always been interested with mysticism and spirituality. I was around 6 or 7 when I started to read the Bible, focusing mostly on the book of Genesis, which for me was a compilation of short stories with moral teachings. As child who studied in a private Catholic school where attendance to Sunday School was compulsory, I found it hard to reconcile my own understanding of what I read and what they teach us. Of course leafing through the Bible exposed me to its contents without its adaptation for children. For instance, I was bothered by stories of women making love with their father-in-law. I found it shocking to have read that a father is willing to let his daughters be “known” by the townspeople who demanded the angel in disguise.

Aside from the Book of Genesis, I loved The Book of Revelations, too. Yes, it almost scared the wits out of me reading about beasts and scary apocalyptic prophecies. As I grow older, I found the Book of Ecclesiastes more and more appealing. At 15, it officially became my favorite book ever mainly because of the wonderful poetry and its main thesis that “everything is grasping for the wind”, something I have been contemplating for a very very long time now.

With my interest in the Bible, I came to know about Judaism as well as the Kabbalah. It was in college when I was first exposed to these two and I have been pursuing them on and off for some time now. 

While browsing the shelves at the library one time for new books to borrow home in time for the Christmas vacation, I chanced upon Daniel Matt’s “The Essential Kabbalah”. The comprehensive book is perfect for a returning informal student like me. While reading it, I can’t help but be reminded of Taoism. Ein sof, that which permeates everything, is very similar to the concept of Tao. This book also enlightened me on the Sefirots. I once read about them in other books but either those were for advanced scholars or I was dumb then, I wasn’t able to understand anything.

Anyway, here are some of my favorite passages in “The Essentual Kabbalah”:

One pillar extends from earth to heaven. Its name is Righteous One, named for the righteous. If there are righteous people in the world, the pillar is strengthened; if not, it is weakened. It upholds the entire world, as it is written: “The righteous one is the foundation of the world.” If it weakens, the world cannot endure. So if the world contains just one righteous person, that person sustains the world.

(p.78)

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When a glassblower wants to produce glassware, he takes an iron blowpipe, hollow as a reed from one end to the other, and dips it into molten glass in a crucible. Then he places the tip of the pipe in his mouth and blows, and the breath passes through the pipe to the molten glass attached to the other end. From the power of his blowing, the glass expands and turns into a vessel—large or small, long or wide, spherical or rectangular, whatever the artisan desires.

So God, great, mighty, awesome, powerfully breathed out a breath, and cosmic space expanded to the boundary determined by divine wisdom, until God said, “Enough!”

(p.92)

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There was a man whom lived in the mountains. He knew nothing about those who lived in the city. He sowed wheat and ate the kernels raw.

One day he entered the city. They brought him good bread. He said, “What is this for?” They said, “Bread, to eat!” He ate, and it tasted very good. He said, “What is it made of?” they said, “Wheat.”

Later they brought him cakes kneaded in oil. He tasted them and said, “What are these made of?” They said, “Wheat.”

Finally they brought him royal pastry made with honey and oil. He said, “What are these made of?” They said, “Wheat.” He said, “I am the master of all of these, for I eat the essence of all of these: wheat!”

Because of that view, he knew nothing of the delights of the world; they were lost to him. So it is with one who grasps the principle and does not know all those delectable delights deriving, diverging, from that principle.

(p. 134)

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There is one who sings the song of his soul, discovering in his soul everything—utter spiritual fulfillment.

There is one who sings the song of his people. Emerging from the private circle of his soul—not expansive enough, not yet tranquil—he strives for fierce heights, clinging to the entire community of Israel in tender love. Together with her, he sings her song, feels her anguish, delights in her hopes. He conceives profound insights into her past and her future, deftly probing the inwardness of her spirit with the wisdom of love.

Then there is one whose soul expands until it extends beyond the border of Israel, singing the song of humanity. In the glory of the entire human race, in the glory of the human form, his spirit spreads, aspiring to the goal of humankind, envisioning its consummation. From this spring of life, he draws all his deepest reflections, his searching, striving, and vision.

Then there is one who expands even further until he unites with all of existence, with all creatures, with all worlds, singing a song with them all.

There is one who ascends with all these songs in unison—the song of the soul, the song of the nation, the song of humanity, the song of the cosmos—resounding together, blending in harmony, circulating the sap of life, the sound of holy joy.

(p.154)

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Whoever delves into mysticism cannot help but stumble, as it is written: “This stumbling block is in your hand.” You cannot grasp these things unless you stumble over them.

(p.163)