Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.
Archive for the ‘beautiful things’ Category
Aeschylus
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010All religions believe this. Or should.
Friday, November 13th, 2009The world’s religious leaders came together this year to make a joint statement about what is common across all of them.
Their statement is the best (first? only?) representation of the collective values of the world’s population that I’ve seen. It’s a call to action and a statement of purpose. I commit myself to strive to live up to these as if they were commandments.
It’s called the Charter for Compassion:
The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.
It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.
We therefore call upon all men and women ~
- to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion
- to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate
- to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures
- to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity
- to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.
We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensible to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.
I wish I’d made this.
Wednesday, July 8th, 2009Hexagons covered in layers of rice paper and suspended from filament, so the whole thing undulates and flashes as you walk by. WANT.
Jakob Hashimoto
(update: I do kind of hate the plaid. The idea and execution are spectacular. Just that mine would be prettier.)
beautiful stop-motion animation film.
Sunday, March 15th, 2009by way of Ze Frank and @canopygallery.
I was there as myself: Memorable TEDlines
Wednesday, March 21st, 2007“They never delegated understanding” — Eames Demetrios
“A new moral hunger is growing” — Katherine Fulton
“Raise your angle of view” — Philippe Starck
“I am shit” — also Philippe Starck, mid-rant about barbarians, and pronounced “sheet”
“We’re less violent than we used to be” — Steven Pinker
“Animated graphics can make a difference” — Hans Rosling”
“Simple is best” — Murray Gell-Mann
“What little boring things are you willing to do every day?” — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
“I’m scared.” — John Doerr
“lexicographically” — Erin McKean
“Things should be as simple as possible, but not simpler” — Einstein (Ok, he wasn’t there. But it was mentioned and is still relevant.)
“I was there as myself” — Maira Kalman
“You look great in that uniform” — Deborah Scranton
“Passion lives here” — Isabel Allende
“I don’t make old people noises” — Sophia Loren (also not there, but mentioned and always relevant)
“Learn as if you will live forever” — Benjamin Dunlap