On Friday January 17, the 4 of us held another one of our adhoc coffee get-togethers at a local cafe in Ottawa, Ontario. We met for 1.5 hours.
We began by reviewing our domestic activities since we last met in the fall of 2019.
- Bill has been working on his Nonkilling Arts Newsletter for the Global Centre for Nonkilling in Hawaii.
- Mony has been occupied with storytelling items for her Mony Dojeiji Facebook page and Mony’s Blog.
- Alberto has been busy with his sketches and paintings into the inner spirit displayed on his blog: Alberto Agraso.
- Koozma is completing his first eBook: Spirit Wrestlers: Doukhobor Pioneers and Their Friends, and continuing to volunteer as a photojournalist for the local peace movement.
Oral Tradition
Our major discussion was the role that oral tradition and folk singing has played over the centuries as a conduit for people to share their inner messages with themselves and the world. This was especially useful for much of human development when most were illiterate. Oral tradition carried the message from one generation to the next.
We observed that folk singing, when done authentically, helps humans to breathe deeply from the bottom of their stomachs, providing more oxygen for our bodies to function. By doing this, it enhances our self-image and self-well being, thus affecting our personal health.
Intuitive Spanish artist Alberto suggested that deep breathing gives us access to the inner spirit and our connection with the divine. For him, this is the real genius of genuine folk singing which connects many generations through time, giving us the feeling of depth and eternity resembling the divine.
Bill shared the following, summarized:
I was impressed by an interview of author Karen Armstrong with Michael Valpy in January 11, 2020 Globe and Mail (she is the author of The Lost Art of Scripture) where as a comparative religion scholar she states that she found that all world religions have one thing in common — a spiritual dimension where human is seen as an image of the Divine.Koozma spoke about the oral tradition of the Doukhobors. He gave a contemporary example in Canada of a Doukhobor singer Ron Kalmakoff from Saskatchewan who moved to British Columbia and after many years following the passing of his grandmother, returned to visit her graveside and the community where she grew up. He then composed a beautiful nostalgic, emotional ode to his grandmother.
Karen says: ‘The origins of the divine were presented as performances. They were sung, recited, acted out. They were intended to transport the audience into a transcendental spiritual dimension.’ At another place she explains that ‘until the 18th century most people listened to the scriptures. It sung or performed. Because most people couldn't read and before the invention of printing it was impossible to own a copy of the Bible. So you listened to your scripture and it was sung .…’ (Karen Armstrong explores the purpose of sacred texts in The Lost Art of Scripture, The Globe and Mail, January 7, 2020.)
That reminded me of two such sources: Flamenco dancing and singing from Spain and the Sindhi Sufi and Bhagat traditional singing and dancing from the Indus Valley, the Sindh province of Pakistan. The lyrics in those songs and the style of singing reflect yearning and longing by lover (seeker) and the beloved (divine) coming right from deep within, from one's spiritual heart. Those traditions have continued for centuries in those two cultures. Examples:
- Flamenco, Flamenco — 2011 film trailer.
- Sindh Rag Rano — ancient Rano sung by two Fakirs.
Russia
Koozma mentioned Vladimir Putin’s Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly, January 15, and proposed changes to the Russian Constitution. He said it was a 'game changer' showing the President as a world statesman and Russia as an evolving nation for the better.
Previous 3 reports: 4 gods-within us — 2013, 2014, 2019
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