"Thou art too damned jolly. Sail on." Herman Melville in Moby Dick
Current book-selection rotation: B, M, J, A, K
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
BECOMING WISE by Krista Tippett
This is a non-fiction book, so out of our normal area, but it comes highly recommended by Elizabeth, who promised she would get online and post about it.
This is a very difficult book to comment on. It reads like a college level text book. I am stumbling through it. A couple statements I liked had to do with religion. "Beauty is that in the presence of which we feel more alive". That holds true whenever we are in the presence of nature. I liked that it was brought out that when God created the earth He intended that man should take care of it. Being an environmentalist is scriptural. Man has misused the meaning of mastery.
Almost done reading the book. Finally read an enjoyable portion, the End Notes of chapter five - Faith. Chapter six - Hope so far promises to also be enjoyable. The descriptions of actual forms of community living were filled with hope for humanity. It was also pointed out rightfully how people help total strangers in times of disaster or stress.
Some very good thoughts in this book but I had to read through so much to find them. A book club of scholars would probably enjoy it.
This book does lend itself better to in-person discussion than online commenting, I think, because it is easier to react and interact with others about their impressions and ideas than to put together a coherent comment. Part of the difficulty is that it is so meaty and dense. There are so many things that could be commented on independently that it is difficult to comment on the book in its entirety.
I can see how you might struggle with it too. She uses very advanced language (I know I had to look up a few words) and each paragraph is thick with meaning that requires reflection and consideration almost before moving on. It is not a quick read, that is for sure.
With that said, I will give it a go. I enjoyed the book and her take on how to listen and become wise. I gained something valuable from each chapter. The things that stick with me the most is the chapter on Flesh when she discusses being kind in our way of interacting with our bodies. So, instead of thinking of them failing us, considering how hard they are working to heal and to help us live. This has helped me deal better with being ill much of this spring and with my bad knee.
IN the Love chapter, I really liked the focus on loving everyone whether we agree with them or not and whether we like them as a person or not. We can love them as a human deserving of love and still disagree with them. Considering the current political climate, I think this is really important.
The chapter on Words emphasized a point that I make to my students all the time and that is how much words matter and how much misunderstanding exists in words with multiple definitions and meanings. We should never assume that we all understand a word the same.
I think my favorite part of the book was the emphasis on kindness throughout. Every chapter, although it may phrase it differently, was about how to be kind to ourselves, our world, and each other. And like the chapter on language, indicated, this has multiple interpretations and applications. What remained constant, it seemed, was the feeling behind it. So maybe being wise is actually being kind.
I guess my philosopher side really showed up in this book, however I too needed to read it in paragraph increments to get my mind and thoughts around each of the ideas. I found it so packed with thought that each page sometimes required a day of thought. It came at a time I was questioning very basic ideas of life for last summer, when I first read it was a terribly lonely and discouraging time for me. I was searching for answers to my personal dilemmas on a deep spiritual level. The very meat of it, the discussion back and forth with no clear and easy answers called to my soul which in all its faith was stumbling along. I remember one interview where a religious man talked about his mentor who helped him find faith. The mentor was enduring a long and trying illness and at death's door, when thanked for helping the man find his faith, told the man that he did not really believe as he had anymore. I thought "Yes, physical illness and pain can do that!" for it drags at my spirit/mood tremendously. It drags questions and hope into difficult places.
Yet the little story about us being part if the fragments of divinity in the world was powerful about helping me for it was about us being what the world needs AS WE ARE, not as we think we could be or may want to be. For am I of use if I cannot work to earn my living, if I cannot do anything except a narrow sphere of activities, if I am hopeless against pain and yield to hopelessness in pain. My questions last summer were basic as I was unable to do more than lie under the trees by myself for days on end. What if I never get better, can not work, cannot support myself, cannot go to PA to see family, cannot see Ben, cannot stay sane in constant pain, am alone for the rest of my days, afraid even now to replace my dearest doggy friend due to fear sparked by an attack by a not friendly dog? It seems all very melodramatic now to write but they were legitimate questions as I still cannot work, missed seeing Ben and August, lost two years of health gains and more weight, felt the grey head of depression weighing in on me after almost 30 years and still miss my doggy friend and still am dealing with the aftermath of the summer.
So the supposition that I, as I am, may be what is needed to help mend this world, to bring healing, even if only to my small corner of it, is powerful. What if, in my reading and thinking of this book and encouraging others to read and think about this, what if I AM helping heal the World? What if my struggle to keep faith and hope and love alive in a difficult time can help others who may face these questions? What if my commitment to love, even if it just loving one cat and the trees overhead, is what is important for me and the world? If we all spent one day in just loving, might not the world be a better place?
I found the real people's experience so helpful. There was no simple answer for all. It seems a search we all must make, though right now our world tends to avoid such a search or try to fill it with simple answers that do not fill or fit all questioners. I find myself also thinking and weighing things in complex ways, so that is part of her writing and it fit my need. I am rereading it, still working to digest all of it and to let myself absorb it and come to my own space of truth.
I was surprised by how much of the one chapter was about poetry. I expected it to be more about word use. Yet in my life, when I cannot grasp thought yet can feel it there waiting to be expressed, that is when and where I turn to my poetry. It captures the essence of the thing when the "thing" fails of description in prose or becomes as long and convoluted in prose as this book. I do not know that such deep concepts can be contained in short terse paragraphs without loosing some of the beauty of the idea. Love seems such a puny word when used today, yet the love she envisions and I work toward is mighty and earthy enough to embrace the unpretty as well as what we see as beauty, a body struggling with diarrhea on a bathroom floor as well as the glory of sunrise on a mountaintop. Loving anything, even self, is hard in our culture where we sterilize out the realities of illness or death or fear. To love myself I have had, eventually to love the self who still has the problems of illness just as much as the one who can do tree pose in yoga with grace. I am both. And wanting to be only one leaves part of me out, just as our world wants to leave out those who look or think or behave or believe differently.
In case I do not post more, I know many who have read it on my recommendation find it difficult to read. I cannot give any more advice other than to read it slowly, one sentence, on word, at a time and know that everyone's mind and preferences and favorite books are different and what fit me this year is not a suit for all to wear.
There are some books that we come across in our lives that require time, thought, a frame of mind brought on by where we are in our life journey. Books that we read through first to ingest the flavor of the book, to form an outline of sorts in our minds. These are books that we earmark pages and paragraphs and words that we can go back to at times. Books that touch each person differently. Books that hold different meaning and content for different people because of what each person has individually experienced and is now experiencing so relates to in their own way. These books we may find ourselves putting in a place where they are accessible for special times. For me such a book is the bible because it contains my life story in many places and soothes my soul so much of the time. In the secular vein, I think this book could also hold insights and treasures to be read and reread and digested as the need arises. When I say secular, I simply mean that it is not a religious book such as the bible or the Koran. That can be a good thing for those who shy away from religious books, but who can and do relate to what this book has to say and to offer.
7 comments:
This is a very difficult book to comment on. It reads like a college level text book. I am stumbling through it. A couple statements I liked had to do with religion. "Beauty is that in the presence of which we feel more alive". That holds true whenever we are in the presence of nature. I liked that it was brought out that when God created the earth He intended that man should take care of it. Being an environmentalist is scriptural. Man has misused the meaning of mastery.
Almost done reading the book. Finally read an enjoyable portion, the End Notes of chapter five - Faith. Chapter six - Hope so far promises to also be enjoyable. The descriptions of actual forms of community living were filled with hope for humanity. It was also pointed out rightfully how people help total strangers in times of disaster or stress.
Some very good thoughts in this book but I had to read through so much to find them.
A book club of scholars would probably enjoy it.
I definitely enjoyed the final chapter entitled Hope as the best and most readable part of this book.
This book does lend itself better to in-person discussion than online commenting, I think, because it is easier to react and interact with others about their impressions and ideas than to put together a coherent comment. Part of the difficulty is that it is so meaty and dense. There are so many things that could be commented on independently that it is difficult to comment on the book in its entirety.
I can see how you might struggle with it too. She uses very advanced language (I know I had to look up a few words) and each paragraph is thick with meaning that requires reflection and consideration almost before moving on. It is not a quick read, that is for sure.
With that said, I will give it a go. I enjoyed the book and her take on how to listen and become wise. I gained something valuable from each chapter. The things that stick with me the most is the chapter on Flesh when she discusses being kind in our way of interacting with our bodies. So, instead of thinking of them failing us, considering how hard they are working to heal and to help us live. This has helped me deal better with being ill much of this spring and with my bad knee.
IN the Love chapter, I really liked the focus on loving everyone whether we agree with them or not and whether we like them as a person or not. We can love them as a human deserving of love and still disagree with them. Considering the current political climate, I think this is really important.
The chapter on Words emphasized a point that I make to my students all the time and that is how much words matter and how much misunderstanding exists in words with multiple definitions and meanings. We should never assume that we all understand a word the same.
I think my favorite part of the book was the emphasis on kindness throughout. Every chapter, although it may phrase it differently, was about how to be kind to ourselves, our world, and each other. And like the chapter on language, indicated, this has multiple interpretations and applications. What remained constant, it seemed, was the feeling behind it. So maybe being wise is actually being kind.
I guess my philosopher side really showed up in this book, however I too needed to read it in paragraph increments to get my mind and thoughts around each of the ideas. I found it so packed with thought that each page sometimes required a day of thought. It came at a time I was questioning very basic ideas of life for last summer, when I first read it was a terribly lonely and discouraging time for me. I was searching for answers to my personal dilemmas on a deep spiritual level. The very meat of it, the discussion back and forth with no clear and easy answers called to my soul which in all its faith was stumbling along. I remember one interview where a religious man talked about his mentor who helped him find faith. The mentor was enduring a long and trying illness and at death's door, when thanked for helping the man find his faith, told the man that he did not really believe as he had anymore. I thought "Yes, physical illness and pain can do that!" for it drags at my spirit/mood tremendously. It drags questions and hope into difficult places.
Yet the little story about us being part if the fragments of divinity in the world was powerful about helping me for it was about us being what the world needs AS WE ARE, not as we think we could be or may want to be. For am I of use if I cannot work to earn my living, if I cannot do anything except a narrow sphere of activities, if I am hopeless against pain and yield to hopelessness in pain. My questions last summer were basic as I was unable to do more than lie under the trees by myself for days on end. What if I never get better, can not work, cannot support myself, cannot go to PA to see family, cannot see Ben, cannot stay sane in constant pain, am alone for the rest of my days, afraid even now to replace my dearest doggy friend due to fear sparked by an attack by a not friendly dog? It seems all very melodramatic now to write but they were legitimate questions as I still cannot work, missed seeing Ben and August, lost two years of health gains and more weight, felt the grey head of depression weighing in on me after almost 30 years and still miss my doggy friend and still am dealing with the aftermath of the summer.
So the supposition that I, as I am, may be what is needed to help mend this world, to bring healing, even if only to my small corner of it, is powerful. What if, in my reading and thinking of this book and encouraging others to read and think about this, what if I AM helping heal the World? What if my struggle to keep faith and hope and love alive in a difficult time can help others who may face these questions? What if my commitment to love, even if it just loving one cat and the trees overhead, is what is important for me and the world? If we all spent one day in just loving, might not the world be a better place?
I found the real people's experience so helpful. There was no simple answer for all. It seems a search we all must make, though right now our world tends to avoid such a search or try to fill it with simple answers that do not fill or fit all questioners. I find myself also thinking and weighing things in complex ways, so that is part of her writing and it fit my need. I am rereading it, still working to digest all of it and to let myself absorb it and come to my own space of truth.
I was surprised by how much of the one chapter was about poetry. I expected it to be more about word use. Yet in my life, when I cannot grasp thought yet can feel it there waiting to be expressed, that is when and where I turn to my poetry. It captures the essence of the thing when the "thing" fails of description in prose or becomes as long and convoluted in prose as this book. I do not know that such deep concepts can be contained in short terse paragraphs without loosing some of the beauty of the idea. Love seems such a puny word when used today, yet the love she envisions and I work toward is mighty and earthy enough to embrace the unpretty as well as what we see as beauty, a body struggling with diarrhea on a bathroom floor as well as the glory of sunrise on a mountaintop. Loving anything, even self, is hard in our culture where we sterilize out the realities of illness or death or fear. To love myself I have had, eventually to love the self who still has the problems of illness just as much as the one who can do tree pose in yoga with grace. I am both. And wanting to be only one leaves part of me out, just as our world wants to leave out those who look or think or behave or believe differently.
In case I do not post more, I know many who have read it on my recommendation find it difficult to read. I cannot give any more advice other than to read it slowly, one sentence, on word, at a time and know that everyone's mind and preferences and favorite books are different and what fit me this year is not a suit for all to wear.
There are some books that we come across in our lives that require time, thought, a frame of mind brought on by where we are in our life journey. Books that we read through first to ingest the flavor of the book, to form an outline of sorts in our minds. These are books that we earmark pages and paragraphs and words that we can go back to at times. Books that touch each person differently. Books that hold different meaning and content for different people because of what each person has individually experienced and is now experiencing so relates to in their own way. These books we may find ourselves putting in a place where they are accessible for special times. For me such a book is the bible because it contains my life story in many places and soothes my soul so much of the time. In the secular vein, I think this book could also hold insights and treasures to be read and reread and digested as the need arises. When I say secular, I simply mean that it is not a religious book such as the bible or the Koran. That can be a good thing for those who shy away from religious books, but who can and do relate to what this book has to say and to offer.
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