(Waddell)

A monk said to Bankei: I was born with a short temper. It’s always flaring up. My master has remonstrated with me time and again, but that hasn’t done any good. I know I should do something about it, but as I was born with a bad temper, I’m unable to rid myself of it no matter how hard I try. Is there anything I can do to correct it? This time, I’m hoping that with your teaching, I’ll be able to cure myself. Then, when I go back home, I’ll be able to face my master again, and of course I will benefit by it for the rest of my life. Please, tell me what to do.  

Bankei: That’s an interesting inheritance you have. Is your temper here now? Bring it out. I’ll cure it for you.

Monk: I’m not angry now. My temper comes on unexpectedly, when something provokes me.

Bankei: You weren’t born with it then. You create it yourself when some pretext or other happens to appear. Where would your temper be at such times if you didn’t cause it? You work yourself into a temper because of your partiality for yourself, opposing others in order to have your own way. Then you unjustly accuse your parents of having burdened you with a short temper. What an extremely unfilial son you are!

Each person receives the Buddha-mind from his parents when he’s born. His illusion is something he produces all alone, by being partial to himself. It’s foolish to think that it’s inherent. When you don’t produce your temper, where is it?

All illusions are the same; as long as you don’t produce them, they cease to exist. That’s what everyone fails to realize. There they are, creating from their own selfish desires and deluded mental habits something that isn’t inherent but thinking it is. On account of this, they’re unable to avoid being deluded in whatever they do.

You certainly must cherish your illusions dearly for you to change the Buddha-mind into them just so you can be deluded. If you only knew the great value of the Buddhamind, there’s no way you could ever be deluded again, not even if you wanted to be. Fix this clearly in your head: When you are not deluded, you are a Buddha, and that means you are enlightened… Once you’ve realized this and you stop creating that temper of yours, you’ll find that you won’t have any other illusions either, not even if you want to, for you’ll be living constantly in the unborn Buddha-mind. There is nothing else.

This is the famous passage wherein Bankei declares to the monk who is troubled with his anger, “Where is this anger? Show it to me and I will cure it for you.” Bankei’s methods would not fare very well with present day psychiatrists or psychologists. Today’s rules of the game stem from rigid dependence upon the DSM (Diagnostic/Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) manual, wherein all mental disorders (and the unfortunate recipients thereof) are pigeon-holed into strict and unbending classifications and diagnoses. And then the appropriate medications are prescribed as the patient becomes dependent upon them for the rest of their lives. I was diagnosed with an “anxiety-disorder” way back in 1986 and have been dependent upon psychiatric meds ever since. It’s true that these disorders can stem from certain chemical imbalances; I know for myself when I arise in the morning, if I don’t take the meds that chemically something is happening inside my head that causes anxiety via an endless array of thoughts and emotions that can prevent proper focus of mind. I come from a family that is riddled with anxiety on the paternal-side ; indeed, I’ve been exposed to it since I was a baby and it still invades the scene quite frequently. Yet, I have to wonder if the chemical solutions offer any lasting benefits; it seems to be that it all leads to a greater dependency upon the medication that was meant to break the cycle of co-dependence in the first place. I’m sure that in Bankei’s time certain strands of DNA were afflicted with some form of chemical disorder, but the approach to solving the dilemma was quite different.

Bankei is dead-on when he says that just trying to lay the blame on one’s parents for certain maladies like anger is a real cop-out. Today’s solution is to do precisely that; I remember being in therapy years ago and the shrink saying emphatically, “Ah –haaa, we’ve found the culprit here!” meaning, of course, members of my family. Are families really to blame for what particular strands of DNA they’ve inherited? I think not. Sure, a problem exists, but the real way they can be solved is if one learns how not to “react” to a given set of circumstances. All this stuff is learned behavior, behavior that after time becomes somehow coded into those ol’ DNA strands. But the way to break the code is to rise above it—in a very real sense to develop an inner-mechanism that renders it null and void. Bankei says to nip-it-all in the bud before it gets out of hand. The way to rise above it is to be Prior-to-it, and that is through faithful and incessant abidance in the Unborn. I wish I had encountered Bankei before being exposed to that chemical-route all those years ago, but I’m working on it. In fact, this series has been particularly beneficial for me. Bankei says that rather than chastise one’s parents, one should be eternally grateful to them; indeed, it was through their seed that you became born as a human being; and a human being has a greater chance on the sentient-spectrum of rising above and avoiding future re-birth in Samsara. So, be grateful to them for having had this opportunity. Also, one doesn’t have to remain stuck in that other cycle of dependent psychological baggage that accompanies all families in some form or other; don’t keep incessantly placing the blame on someone else for what you may or may have not inherited genetically, just take RESPONSIBILITY-NOW and, as Bankei says, don’t keep cherishing all those chemical delusions inside your heads, just know and have faith in that greater value of the Unborn Buddha Mind, and do what you need to do (or undo) accordingly. Remember this above all: there is NO-TEMPER or any form of ANGER in the Unborn; all-things are unfolding temperately and in proper order and will continue to do so, provided you don’t get in the way and “create” all those disorders in the first place. Indeed, “Show me your anger!” It’s not really there unless you first “react” to an impulse and thus create it yourself.

Traditionally, we have entered into the Year of the Black Water Snake. Looked at from an astrological perspective, the snake falls under the Element of Water; although combined with the snake’s fiery energy can yield conflict. There have been numerous disasters occurring during this sign, like the attack of the World Trade Center in 2001 and the Stock Market Crash of 1929. Although contemplated from the mystical vantage point the full import shifts considerably. In the older annals of Indian Buddhism, the Naga was the symbol of Wisdom, much like the Dragon.The Nagas were the ancient protectors of the Dharma. In the Lankavatara Sutra, we find the Palace of the Sea Serpents (nagas) figuring as the opening scenario from which the Tathagata emerges and begins to expound the Buddhadharma. Earlier on, when Śākyamuni attained awakening at Bodhgayā, the Naga King became the first sentient being to receive the Buddhadharma. In this sense, the Naga is considered as a sign of the renewal of life, helping to perpetuate and protect the living teachings of the Tathagata. Śākyamuni was also sheltered from a violent wind and rainstorm—created during his struggle with Mara—by the protective coils of the Naga King. The following passages from the International Journal of Buddhist Thought and Culture (Hye-young Tcho: The Dragon in the Buddhist Korean Temples) further elaborates on the full import of the Nagas:

“From the tree of enlightenment, the Buddha moves to a succession of three trees, still meditating. The last tree belongs to the Naga King Mucilinda. A violent storm blows up. The Naga King glides down his tree and sheltered the Buddha from the rain, the cold and insects with his protective coils; he spreads his crown of hoods. While the Buddha stayed down the tree during seven days and seven nights with folded legs, the rain was pouring. As it ebbs, the Naga King Micilinda asked him also to stay in his palace and he too was given the Three Jewels and the Five Precepts, and became a pious follower (T.3.800a).

According to another tradition, when the Buddha used to teach the Perfection of Wisdom (Prajñaparamita) on the Vulture’s Peak, the books were entrusted upon the naga. This is perhaps the reason why important Buddhist scriptures were originally stored in the Naga King’s palace, and then were handed down to the famous monks invited by them. This procedure is used doubtless to justify the authenticity of the Buddha teachings and their sacred nature. The legend says that one of the most important Buddhist authors, Nagarjuna (2nd-3rd century), whose name includes the word naga and who was venerated in Asia as the founder of Madhyamika, the largest school of Mahayana Buddhism, noticed that two of his disciples vanished into the ground after his sermons. These two young men were actually nagas, who invited him to their palace and gave him seven volumes of the Prajñaparamitasutra. When he came back to earth, he revealed them to humankind and commented on its essence.* When Buddhism reached China in the 1st century and brought along its writings, the naga were replaced with the Dragons in the Chinese Translation. ”

*This tradition continues in Korea: it is in the palace of Dragon King where famous monks initiated themselves the secret Law and were receiving writings they passed on to men. The greatest Korean bonze of the 7th century, Wŏnhyo, was invited to the palace of the Dragon King, who presented him with his book. “According to the order given by the Sea Dragon, he received Buddha Dhyana Samadhisagara Sutra, of which he made the commentary” (Antiquities of the Three Kingdoms, Book IV, The interpretation of Meaning, Wŏnhyo, the Unbridled Monk). “The bonze Myŏngnang visited the palace of the Dragon King, where he learnt the Esoteric Law” (Antiquities of the Three Kingdoms, Book II, Wonder 2, King Munho Pŏpmin). Hye-young Tcho: The Dragon in the Buddhist Korean Temples.

As we can see, rather than being a harbinger of doom and gloom, the royal sign of the Naga (snake) bears a wonderful protective banner for the Buddhadharma. It can be reasoned that this Year of the Water Naga can truly be an auspicious one, provided one carefully and not recklessly handle the great treasures and mystical guidance hidden in the Sacred Bodhi-Cove they so diligently and faithfully protect. For Lankavatarians, the Lanka Buddha (Sacred Yidam, or protective guardian) is depicted as follows:

Deep-Sea Giant Squid Footage:

In keeping with our series of uncategorized oddities, this recent discovery is amazing; indeed, like “Nemo’s Squid” sprung to life from 20,000 Leagues Beneath the Sea:

“The mysterious and mythical giant squid has never been spotted alive in the deep sea — until now. A team from Japan’s National Science Museum has captured footage of a giant squid in its natural habitat: nearly a third of a mile below the surface of the ocean. It is the first such video of its kind.

Giant squids, which can grow up to 60 feet in length, have been found dead on beaches and photographed in the ocean and — more often — on the surface. But scientists have never seen video of the strange creature below the waves, until a mission put together by the Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) and the Discovery Channel filmed the elusive beast off the coast of Japan.

“The giant squid was so beautiful that it seemed to sparkle,” Tsunemi Kubodera, one of the lead scientists on the expedition, told reporters. “I was so thrilled when I saw it first hand, but I was confident we would because we rigorously researched the areas we might find it, based on past data.”

Kubodera, a zoologist and giant squid expert with Japan’s National Museum of Science, has spent years searching for the huge sea creatures. His team filmed a giant squid on the surface of the ocean in 2006.

Using a manned submarine, Kubodera and his colleagues took 100 trips below the surface to spot the stealthy squid. The team used a specially designed camera to capture high definition images in deep water.

Giant squids are predators who hunt in the deep sea further down than light can reach. Because of this, acquiring footage of the creatures has been a tremendous challenge, and has led to many rumors and myths about the animals. It is believed that the ancient myth of the Kraken, a sea monster large enough to devour ships and the sailors on them, originated with the giant squid.

The video will be aired in America on the Discovery Channel on January 27.”

Just came across this. It looks like a fine resource to have for those who are interested in the Dunhuang sources of early Ch’an Buddhism.

The following review is exclusively from:

http://www.thezensite.com/ZenBookReviews/The_Ceasing_of_Notions.html

“In 1900, a Chinese Taoist, Wang Yuanlu, self-appointed guardian of a series of caves 25 kilometres southeast of the small city of Dunhuang, Gansu Province, began to clear away the sand blocking a cave and made one of the most important and astonishing  Buddhist archaeological discoveries in China.

Commonly known as the Dunhuang Caves (but officially titled the Mogao Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the site is a series of over 700 caves that had been first created in the early fourth century CE as a religious site, originally as a meditation site for Buddhist hermits. Later the area developed into a complex of shrines, temples and storage areas. As nearby Dunhuang was an important centre on the fabled Silk Road, the caves became a destination for Buddhist pilgrims from throughout the ancient world. Elaborately painted, the cave complex was expanded through funding by wealthy patrons, Chinese and foreign, and pilgrims, military officials, and nobility.  Although the cave complex flourished for centuries, by the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368), construction of new caves ceased as the Silk Road began to lose its importance as a trade route.  Some of the caves were used as storage areas for manuscripts and paintings and walled off, perhaps to protect their contents. Dunhuang became de-populated and the caves were forgotten by the outside world.

What Wang Yuanlu discovered was a small walled-off cave of some 500 cubic feet (14 cubic meters) crammed full of manuscripts and paintings. The manuscripts in this cave (which became known as the Library Cave) date from 406 to 1002 CE and are written not only in Chinese, but also Tibetan, Uighur, Sanskrit, and Sogdian, reflecting the cosmopolitan nature of Dunhuang as an important trade centre. Many of the valuable manuscripts were sold to European archaeologist explorers, especially Sir Aurel Stein and Paul Pelliot in 1907 and 1908 respectively. Some 40,000 manuscripts, paintings and printed documents on paper and silk were eventually unearthed in the Library Cave and many were scattered throughout institutions world-wide. In 1994, The International Dunhuang Project was established to reunite the works through high-quality digital photography and to make the works available to the world via the internet. The Ceasing of Notions is one of the texts uncovered in the Library Cave.

Buddhist scholar, John McRae, attributes this text to the Ox-head School of early Chan. McRae explains that research of the Ox-head School (named after the mountain Mount Niu-t’ou, Ox-head Mountain), has, until recently, been almost entirely devoted to the study of this text, the Chüeh-kuan lun (Jue-guan lun) which was rediscovered through the publication in 1935 of D. T. Suzuki’sShōshitsu issho (Lost Works from Bodhidharma’s Cave). In all, there are six extant Dunhuang manuscripts of this text, all of which were published by Suzuki in 1945 and then by the eminent Japanese scholar Yanagida Seizan in 1970. The authorship of the text is in dispute.  McRae notes that the text, which he dates as sometime after 750, has been variously attributed to Shen-hi, Bodhidharma, Niu-t’ou Fa-jung, the legendary figurehead of the Ox-head School or perhaps by someone else later in the Bodhidharma tradition.   Regardless of the authorship, the text is an important component in understanding the development of early Chan and the subsequent development of Japanese Zen.

The text is an early example of the creativity of early Chan writing. It is structured as a dialogue between master and pupil but is obviously a fictional encounter. Highly structured as it is, it may be, as McRae notes in his essay, The Antecedents of Encounter Dialogue in Chinese Ch’an Buddhism, “intended to model ideal teacher/student interactions and may in fact have resembled to some degree actual exchanges that took place between living meditation masters and practitioners.”  McRae translates the title asTreatise on the Transcendence of Cognition and the two individuals, master (Ju-li hsien-sheng; Ruli) and disciple (Yüan-men; Yuanmen), as’ Professor Enlightenment’ and ‘Conditionality’.  The current volume under review has the title The Ceasing of Notionsand uses the Japanese names Emmon and Master Nyuri. This text is translated by Venerable Myokyo-ni (Irmgard Schloegl, 1921 – 2007) and Michelle Bromley from earlier versions in German, English and Japanese (but notably, not Chinese).

The master in the text tries to lead the student from his notions of delusions and clinging, seeing everything in a dual way, to a true understanding of Chan. Master Nyuri constantly points to the student’s errors in seeing things as a duality and not recognizing the emptiness in all things, including his questions. Throughout the dialogue, the student fails to understand the master’s teaching until the very end when he becomes ‘enlightened’, “finally breaking through to the pure, non-discriminating illumination of śūnyatā”. (McRae: 217) This translation is liberally annotated by Soko Morinaga Roshi, notes which are most useful in penetrating what can be obscure in the master’s replies. Furthermore, there is a short selection from Morinaga’s biography, Novice to Master: an ongoing lesson in the extent of my own stupidity. This entire volume is just 121 pages of which the main text is only 77 pages, the rest being excerpts from Morinaga’s biography, two pages “About the Authors and Translators” and the Introduction.

As the introduction says, the purpose of this translation is not to adhere to “severe literalness or heavy scholarly apparatus” (p 3) but to make the text accessible to modern students of Zen. The introduction goes on to point out that the “Chinese Chan terms and personalities are given in their Japanese readings”, ostensibly “in the interest of accessibility” (p 4) but I fail to see how the Japanese names are any more “accessible” than Chinese renderings. It is one thing to use the Japanese rendering of names in Romaji when discussing Japanese topics but quite another to perpetuate the Japanization of what we know as Zen. It is time the cultural heritage of Chinese Chan was acknowledged and respected through the use of the official Pinyin transliteration, a system in use in the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, the United Nations and many international institutions. Although I recognize the important role played by Japanese teachers in bringing Zen to the West, it is time to stop usurping Chinese culture through the use of Japanese names and begin to learn the proper names and titles of the ancient Chinese masters.

Although this is a very slim volume, it is sure to provide plenty of food for thought for both experienced Zen students and new comers alike. The translation is eminently readable and Morinaga’s commentary is useful and enjoyable to read. I recommend this to all who wish to learn more about the early teachings of Chan and I commend Wisdom Publications on a delightful volume that I am sure will be read more than once by myself.”

The book itself can be found at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1614290415/ref=s9_newr_gw_d42_g14_ir01?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-6&pf_rd_r=1JM221W53425XQ43DDZ4&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470939291&pf_rd_i=507846

This past year of the Water Dragon was indeed a most auspicious year here at UnbornMind.com. In late January into February, the long expected Red Pine translation of the Lankavatara Sutra was covered in a series based on the Noble Sutra itself. Late February into the beginning of April, the Vimalakirti Sutra Series explored the inner-workings of Bodhisattvahood; then from early April into mid-May, the Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma focused on the quintessential importance of Buddha-nature itself. After a summer-break, a singular series, The Lankavatarian Book of the Dead, explored in-depth the nature of the six “bardo-realms” culminating in the vital significance of the Tathatic-stages of Mind Development in best preparation for the final Bardo-stages of Dharmatā and how to avoid the Bardo-stage of re-becoming and rebirth. This vast work extended from late August to the end of October. November was reserved especially for the Diamond Sutra that is perhaps the One-Sutra-Alone that is indispensible for considering the Dharmadhatu as seen through the imageless eyes of the Tathagatas themselves. December has been time well spent with perhaps the greatest Dharma-Master of them all, Huang Po—it’s been a joy walking daily with his indispensible teaching. The Year of the Water Dragon was also a most auspicious year for Tozen and his Zen-School of the Unborn Mind; after some absence, Tozen emerged from his dragon-lair with renewed vigor and was inspired to expound (as only he can in his own singular fashion) further on the Buddhadharma. A special category has been reserved here for Tozen as new-teachings are taking shape even now.

2013 will kick-off here with a series on Hui-neng’s Platform Sutra; it is hoped that this will help to shed new light and even dispel the notion of the overly dominant-emphasis on “sitting” in Zen Buddhism. Elements from Julius Evola’s classic work, The Doctrine of Awakening, will be a series focusing on a better-nuanced appreciation for “Acesis” and its proper place in light of the Buddhadharma for the developing Ariyan-Mind. This will be followed by a series breaking-down some salient features found within the Anguttara Nikaya, in particular the Tathagatas’ refined notion of karma. There’s another singular-work in early developmental stages, and it’s not quite certain whether or not this will come to fruition in 2013; the hope is that by September of 2013 it may appear to take shape. As 2012 now draws to a close, dear readers, have a safe and blessed holiday season..

In the 1950’s there was a catchphrase for a group of young English writers, primarily existentialists, who wrote against the grain of the status quo—“The Angry Young Men”; one of my favorite writers, Colin Wilson, was among them and his ground-breaking work in what has come to be known as the New Existentialism, as well as breakthroughs in the area of consciousness-expansion is well known. At the time, these youthful expressionists harbored their dissatisfaction with normative society with a pen; today’s “Angry Young Men” express their built-up angst with guns.

Yesterday’s horrific mass-shooting at Sandy Hook School in Newton, Connecticut, murdering literally “younglings” was really too much to even try to absorb; the utter impact of the shock and disbelief could be likened, to those who are old enough, to the assassination of JFK in 1963. Folk here in the USA will be reeling from this unspeakable action at the hands of a young, disturbed individual for some time to come. This marks one of many such gun-atrocities in as many months—the toll just keeps on climbing. To be sure, what young people are up against in today’s culture far exceeds what those young men faced in the 1950’s. The deep-psychological wounds that are amassed in trying to cope with a savage culture bent on worshiping violence are legion. Whatever their source of brokenness is, for young men the toll especially makes its mark. Forces like Feminism have essentially eroded-away the notion of masculinity—so much so that the only way it’s expressed nowadays is through excessive-need for control of the situation and that translates as turning to inappropriate measures to do so, like the acquisition and use of firearms. To be sure most of these guys are quite mentally imbalanced, but the source of their neuroses do relate to the culture—in particular here in the USA where young men are driven to do the unspeakable in order to regain some measure of control—to make that “dominate-mark” since it’s still expected of them to do so despite the undercurrent of the psychological milieu that undercuts, excessively medicates, and blurs their sense of self-identity. Of course, the whole notion of what constitutes “Self” is really the whole crux of the problem, but for now the immediate focus needs to be on stepping up to the plate and taking responsible action that can reverse these horrendous events.

Taking strict-measures for gun-control have been long overdue. Standardized and mandatory background checks are a good beginning; but this warrants going even further, like outlawing the sale and use of semi-automatic assault-style weapons altogether. What the hell is this kind of extreme and monstrous weaponry being sold for in the first place?  Another crucial factor that needs to be addressed real-soon is the long overdue focus on Mental-Health; and I’m not just talking about taking across the board state-wide-measures to better care for and monitor the mentally-ill, but also reassessing what it means to be mentally-fit in the first place. The excessive material-culture itself IS SICK; and until this situation is realized and action is taken to turn around this downward-spiraling trend, then all efforts to cessate this systemic-violence will be in vain.

Last month I wrote a blog about the upcoming series on the Zen Teaching of Huang Po, lamenting the fact that my favorite edition of Blofeld’s translation, the Shambahla Pocket Book Edition, is now extinct. So, then, what kind of selections does Shambahla market these days in pocket-size? The Pocket Pema Chodron and The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh, of course! Why of course these two contemporary cultural icons have replaced perhaps the greatest Zen Master of all time! This is the kind of stuff that people interested in Buddhist spirituality just have to read! Move over, Huang Po! Move over Sutras! Make-way for the new kids on the block; after all, this is the kind of stuff that sells; that appeals to people’s baser knowledge base. Oh, let’s forget about the Buddhadharma and just satisfy our psycho-emotional and physical needs—that’s what really matters after all! Listen to the stuff that litters my mailbox:

Pema Chodron: Here is a treasury of 108 short selections from the best-selling books of Pema Chödrön, the beloved Buddhist nun. Designed for on-the-go inspiration, this collection offers teachings on: becoming fearless; breaking free of destructive patterns; developing patience, kindness, and joy amid our everyday struggles; unlocking our natural warmth, intelligence, and goodness—ouuu, can’t ya just feel the warm fuzzies? Or, how bout:

Thich Nhat Hanh: This is a collection of powerful and inspiring teachings in an appealing, convenient pocket-size book from one of today’s most important and beloved spiritual teachers, the Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. Next to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh is the best-known Buddhist teacher in the world, and his teachings have touched millions. Thich Nhat Hanh is known for his warm, generous, and joyful teaching style…this reader covers main themes like, mindfulness in our daily lives; working with emotions and relationships, and also doing “engaged Buddhism”:–transforming society…

Yeah right! This stuff is transforming society alright, transforming it for the worst!

Well, at long last the drawn-out campaign season here in the USA will finally be coming to a close. Once again the nastiness of the political beasts and cultural wars was very much in vogue, replaying the same ol’ delusional lies and ignorant games over and over and over. When all is said and done it won’t really be said and done since the “polarization” that’s been afflicting the nation promises to widen the great divide with greater gusto more than ever. In the words of the poet, “What’s it all about, Alfie?”

The following is quite a different take; listen closely and recollectively and you will discern the best “decision” of all in transcending the avidyaic-beast.

I remember once a few years back trying to get Tozen’s work recognized on Wikipedia; my request was refused since there was no wide-base of corresponding articles or resources available that recognized his efforts; all this despite the fact that the Tozen Teachings constitute many years of laborious efforts (even his vast work, The Dharmakaya Sutra, which has been available in print) to teach the Buddhadharma. The same can be said of the Zennist’s efforts (apart from references of Stuart Lachs) as witnessed by his prolific blog over the past 5 years. What do we find offered instead on Wikipedia? The stupid mass-media (becoming increasingly obese) Reality-Show wonder-child, Honey Boo Boo—just ramblin’ on while being exploited by both her crazed fan-base and family alike; just shows the sad and disgusting state of mind of where the culture is at in these fu**ed-up times! One also questions the far less-than-respectable and intellectually barren WikiLords who warrant this kind of crap being listed in the first place. How shit being lumped together with other compendiums of worthwhile and mentally challenging material is beyond me. Perhaps it’s a sign of the eminent downfall of a civilization the likes of the Roman Empire and world of long ago. Yesterday is tomorrow today.