Thursday, October 28, 2010

Џејмс Вилијам Хакет за хаику

Животот е извор на хаику доживувањето. Затоа согледај го овој, сегашниов миг.

Запомни дека хаику е поезија на секојдневието, и дека секојдневието е неговото подрачје.

Внимателно набљудувај ги нештата од природата...ќе ти се откријат невидени чуда.

Идентификувај се (толкувај се преку) со својот субјект, што и да е тоа: Тоа си ти – “Тат твам аси”.

Размислувај во самотија и во спокој за своите белешки за природата.

Не издавај го Качеството на нештата- природата треба да биде предадена токму онаква каква што е.





Изрази го своето чувство преку синтакса природна за англискиот јазик. Не пишувај се во јапонскиот 5, 7, 5 облик, оти тоа на англиски честопати предизвикува подметнување и вештачко дотерување.

Настојувај да пишуваш во три стиха, со приближно седумнаесет слога.

Употребувај само обичен јазик.

Сугерирај, ама погрижи се на читателот да му дадеш доволно, оти хаику што заматува е промашено.

Кога-годе можеш спомени го годишното време, оти тоа додава димензии. Запомни дека годишното време може да биде одредено со предмет или со знаци на песната.

Никогаш не употребувај нејасни алузии – хаику се интуитивни, не се интелектуални.

Не превидувај го хуморот, ама избегнувај обична шега.

Римата и другите поетски средства никогаш не треба да бидат толку очигледни што ќе го засенуваат градивото.

Живодарноста, не убавината, тоа е вистинското својство на хаику.

Никогаш не жртвувај си ја јаснотијата на твојата интуиција за извештаченост: изборот на зборови треба да биде насочуван од значењето.

Читај ја секоја песна на глас, оти незабележаното вештачко дотерување секогаш ќе се чуе.

Имај го на ум советот на Торо – “Поедностави! Поедностави! Поедностави!”

Остани при секоја песна додека не го задоволи она што сакаш да го изразиш.

Запомни го предупредувањето на Р.Х.Блајт дека е хаику прст што покажува кон месечнината, и ако е дланката украсена со скапоцености, веќе не го гледаме она што го покажува прстот.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

From "Son of Thunder" to...

The following is a story about St. John, taken from the church history of Eusebius, and it really touched me when I read it for the first time. It might look long but it's definitely worth reading. The man on the picture is Polycarp, a disciple of St. John and possibly the guy from the story. Read it and tell me what you think.

Listen to a story that is not a story but a true account of John the Apostle preserved in memory. After the tyrant's death (the emperor), he returned from the island of Patmos to Ephesus and used to go, when asked, to the neighboring Gentile districts to appoint bishops, reconcile churches, or ordain someone designated by the Spirit. Arriving at a city near by (Smyrna), he settled disputes among the brethren and then, noticing a spirited youth of superior physique and handsome appearance, commended him to the appointed bishop with the words, "I leave this young man in your keeping, with Christ as my witness".

When John returned to Ephesus, the churchman brought home the youth entrusted to his care, raised him, and finally baptized him. After this he relaxed his oversight, having put the seal of the Lord on him as the perfect safeguard. But some idle and dissolute youths corrupted him with lavish entertainment and then took him with them when they went out at night to commit robbery or worse crimes. Soon he joined them and, like a stallion taking the bit in mouth, he dashed off the straight road and down the precipice. Renouncing God's salvation, he went from petty offenses to major crimes and formed the young renegades into a gang of bandits with himself as chief, surpassing them all in violence and bloody cruelty.

Time passed, and John paid another visit. When he had finished his mission, John said, "Come now, Bishop, return the deposit that Christ and I left in your keeping with the church as witness". At first the bishop was dumbfounded, thinking that he was being dunned for funds he had never received. But John said, "I am asking for the young man and his soul".

"He is dead", groaned the old man, in tears.
"How did he die?"
"He is dead to God. He turned out vile and debauched: an outlaw. Now he is in the mountains, not the church, with an armed gang of men like himself".

The apostle tore his clothing, beat his head, and groaned, "A fine guardian I left for our brother's soul! But get me a horse and someone to show me the way". He rode off from the church, just as he was. When he arrived at the hideout and was seized by the outlaws' sentries, he shouted, "This is what I have come for: take me to your leader!" When John approached and the young leader recognized him, he turned and fled in shame. But John ran after him as hard as he could, forgetting his age, and calling out, "Why are you running away from me, child - from your own father, unarmed and old? Pity me, child, don't fear me! I will give account to Christ for you and, if necessary, gladly suffer death and give my life for yours as the Lord suffered death for us. Stop! Believe! Christ sent me".

The young man stopped, stared at the ground, threw down his weapons, and wept bitterly. Flinging his arms around the old man, he begged forgiveness, baptized a second time with his own tears, but keeping his right hand hidden* (*As unworthy of forgiveness for all the bloodshed it had caused). John, however, assured him that he had found forgiveness for him from the Savior. He prayed, knelt down, and kissed that right hand as being cleansed through repentance. Then he led him back and did not leave him until - through prayer, fasting, and instruction - he had restored him to the church: a great example of true repentance and regeneration, the trophy of a visible ressurection.

Friday, October 08, 2010

O Brother, where is thine prayer?

(The following material is classified "spiritual" and may disturb the ones that don't believe in God.) :)

Many people pray and many people pray for stupid things. Why? Cause they don't know the One they are praying to? In prayer, the key thing is to know who do you pray to. Your picture of the One you pray to will define how you pray and what you ask in your prayers. My theory is this. You pray for what is important to you. Those things that you ask for, in prayer, expose what is important for you and what you value in life. Many prayers are selfish. Does that mean that we are selfish? Oh, yes, we are.

Prayer is important. Or better said, prayer is essential. Prayer is not a technicality, prayer is a breath. Prayer is not a duty, it's not an obligation, it's not something that you have to do. Prayer should be something you want to do. Prayer is a safe place, a hiding place when you are afraid, but prayer is also a place of passion, of tears, of pain, of loud cries, of expectation and strong desire...

So let's get to know the One that we pray to more, let's allow him to change our hearts which will change our prayers. And then...let's pray.

Saturday, October 02, 2010

Edinburgh Part 2 ("Jesus")

Thessaloniki (the view, the friends, the burgers at Cosmos) was great, Guildford (staying with our dear friends Scot and Misty) was great, London ("I like the market in Camden Town!") was great, Edinburgh was great. I guess it should be expected that I write about Edinburgh and Scotland and that is cool. Probably I should, cause it's a beautiful city and I really loved it. But if I have to choose one thing, one significant thing, then I will have to write about the ending of the Magnify gathering, when Pete Greig shared a message about where 24-7Prayer has been and where it is going. This is how the message began and this is all I have to say for now...


"Let’s be absolutely clear about this, 10 years on, we are here to change the world. We are that naïve, we are that idealistic and the reason that we want to change the world it’s the same reason why we started. The vision is Jesus. And until he is the most loved, most listened to, most respected person on earth, until heaven comes to earth, until we are living in the very dream for which he created us, we gonna keep fighting. We gonna keep praying, we gonna keep serving, we gonna keep binding up our broken bones, and mopping up our tears, and caring for people. The vision is Jesus, 10 years on. I’m so thrilled that that hasn’t changed. There could be no greater vision, there could be no one else on whom to spend your life, there could be no one else worth your life than Jesus Christ who laid his life down for us. So, if you can find a greater cause, go follow it, but if you can not, I urge you, don’t waist your life just playing games but give your life to the greatest cause of all, who is the greatest name of all, Jesus Christ. So if you are with me, let’s change the world for his glory. That’s what it’s about".