Saturday, February 25, 2006

In a Contemplative Fashion

A long time friend in the Dharma wrote me the other day speaking about his enforced down time due to chronic back pain.

He reports: During the last few weeks I have had to drop, one by one, all my plans for the immediate and medium term future as it became clear that I was going to be out of action for some time. Actually, dropping things can be quite a therapeutic activity in itself as I'm sure you know.

And then he went on to say: My other therapeutic activity has been lying in bed listening to Gilbert and Sullivan operas on a personal CD player. "In a contemplative fashion/ and a tranquil frame of mine/ Free from every kind of passion/ some solution let us find. (Gondoliers).

Here is the full verse sung by all:

In a contemplative fashion,
And a tranquil frame of mind,
Free from every kind of passion,
Some solution let us find.

Let us grasp the situation,
Solve the complicated plot —
Quiet, calm deliberation
Disentangles every knot.
Gondoliers, Gilbert and Sullivan Act 11

Not half bad ah?