Faith
When at a temple once I bought an omamori (お守り) for my Dad that was supposed to help him keep safe driving on the roads. He's crazier than me on them! I wish I'd bought the one for good health. I'm not a believer in anything much and sometimes I think 'more's the pity' ~ at least it might give you some sort of positive spin - apart from all that crazy original sin nonsense which doesn't make anyone feel good. On top of the usual chemo stuff I have just heard that he had to have bits hacked out of his head that we all thought was a scratch that wasn't healing but turns out to have been some kind of skin cancer.
My host Mum is Buddhist and we often offer up prayers and stuff at the family shrine. I join in the chanting every now and again but it's seems as relevant to me as when I used to sing songs from Mass in Latin. Kumi says that 'Namyo can cure anything if you pray hard enough' or stuff to that effect. I have long been accustomed to religious faith talk and probably I have a greater tolerance for Buddhism than other strains of religious belief, but no matter how kindly I try to attend to such statements I just can't put any faith in them. I don't believe it.
I would give up a whole lot to have my Dad healthy again.
I took this photo in a series of many at about midnight last week at Miyajima. I'm so pleased with the way it turned out in the end. I really am enjoying learning more and mucking about with photography.
Tonight I had a fantastic time when having hung out spending time talking to Erie-san in the International Exchange Centre I determined to go and do some study in the library. Listlessly considering where to sit as I realised that thousands of students are all in exam frenzy and studying overtime at school, I heard a voice call my name. I have come to associate Ryoko with studying in the library (her studying, rather than myself) and as it happened she had come in today to study. She's been so busy with work and her Grandfather was gravely ill with pneunomia last week so that there hasn't been a chance for us to hang out much. I have really missed her because we have such an easy way conversing. Her English is brilliant after being in Canada for 2 years and so we flip about in a lively mix of English and Japanese which seems so natural and enjoyable. I decided I'd rather catch up with her and head on home than do half-hearted study for an hour or so, thus we ended up chatting away as we drove through the rain, chatting away and looking up English and Japanese words as we sat drinking warm soy-based beverages at Tully's. We did a bit of bargain hunting at Comme Ca and I came away with a few more new tops and a cheap new trolley case so that I can beginning to get organised with packing up for my return to Australia in September, accompanied by the fabulous Beenz.
It was soooo good to see Ryoko and now we're also got Tuesday evening to look forward to - before Alex goes home we are to have a Pictionary Party!! Hopefully English will come out then better than it has today . . . . imagination not remembering 'combination'!!!!
Right - From now on it's Exam Prep lockup for me!!!
Well, at least until 6pm tomorrow night! o-(＞。＜）-o
My host Mum is Buddhist and we often offer up prayers and stuff at the family shrine. I join in the chanting every now and again but it's seems as relevant to me as when I used to sing songs from Mass in Latin. Kumi says that 'Namyo can cure anything if you pray hard enough' or stuff to that effect. I have long been accustomed to religious faith talk and probably I have a greater tolerance for Buddhism than other strains of religious belief, but no matter how kindly I try to attend to such statements I just can't put any faith in them. I don't believe it.
I would give up a whole lot to have my Dad healthy again.
I took this photo in a series of many at about midnight last week at Miyajima. I'm so pleased with the way it turned out in the end. I really am enjoying learning more and mucking about with photography.
Tonight I had a fantastic time when having hung out spending time talking to Erie-san in the International Exchange Centre I determined to go and do some study in the library. Listlessly considering where to sit as I realised that thousands of students are all in exam frenzy and studying overtime at school, I heard a voice call my name. I have come to associate Ryoko with studying in the library (her studying, rather than myself) and as it happened she had come in today to study. She's been so busy with work and her Grandfather was gravely ill with pneunomia last week so that there hasn't been a chance for us to hang out much. I have really missed her because we have such an easy way conversing. Her English is brilliant after being in Canada for 2 years and so we flip about in a lively mix of English and Japanese which seems so natural and enjoyable. I decided I'd rather catch up with her and head on home than do half-hearted study for an hour or so, thus we ended up chatting away as we drove through the rain, chatting away and looking up English and Japanese words as we sat drinking warm soy-based beverages at Tully's. We did a bit of bargain hunting at Comme Ca and I came away with a few more new tops and a cheap new trolley case so that I can beginning to get organised with packing up for my return to Australia in September, accompanied by the fabulous Beenz.
It was soooo good to see Ryoko and now we're also got Tuesday evening to look forward to - before Alex goes home we are to have a Pictionary Party!! Hopefully English will come out then better than it has today . . . . imagination not remembering 'combination'!!!!
Right - From now on it's Exam Prep lockup for me!!!
Well, at least until 6pm tomorrow night! o-(＞。＜）-o
posted by Eleanora Martinez at 11:59 PM
5 Comments:
Heya Ellie. Wow, you are doing an amazing blog job. I am finding the longer I leave between posts the harder it is to get back into it because there is just too much to cover and not enough spare time! Re the whole faith thing - Dan once said to me "faith is beyond logic" and I think that is so true. Faith is not something you can create otherwise it is meaningless and just not something you can really hope in. In the Bible in Hebrews it says "faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see"...which is quite an odd concept considering the uncertainty that usually surrounds wishful "hoping". So faith really is something that can't be explained logically - which in my opinion has to be where God comes in. Without some kind of divine intervention there is no way that I would logically believe what I do. There comes a point where it is just "faith". That's my perspective and I guess you are right that in many ways it does provide some kind of positive crutch to lean on but I happen to believe it is a worthwhile crutch because I have discovered that no matter how independent I might like to think I am I just can't seem to do it on my own. (Sorry, that's probably the essay you were expecting I might write!)
Love you always, Phili xx
Ha haa . . . knew that was a dangerous title for my post but it seemed appropriate. I'm not surprised but it's great to have you back on the ether waves!
o(^~^)／ have missed you while you were away! Well, missed your virtual presence.
My brain is in kanji mode (I'm sooo going down in a ball of flames this exam round) and I'm having trouble following you but I'm not sure that what you've said doesn't just back me up . . . I just don't believe in it and I wonder why is it that some people have this faculty for doing so. I'm sure there are many good reasons for it, etc. and maybe it's got a fair bit to do with how one is raised. I was just musing on the curiousness of me being entirely faithless while others have an evidently immense and strong belief in their religion.
On this score it is to be noted that Brendan has not had any car mishaps to speak of so maybe the omamori is actually working.....mmmmmm.
That hepzibah doesn't know what he's talking about.
Who the hell is wilmot . . . the people who comment are getting crazier names than me and that shouldn't be! Plus, it seems quite clear that hepzibah would a lady, ladies!
Yeah for Omamori being pretty, compact and saving people on the roads!
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