January 21
THE SPECTACLES
The spectacles are made to modify the vision. Mind also functions as the spectacles. As is the mind so is the view of the world.
When a man puts on green spectacles the world appears green So is the case in regard to other colours. Corrugated spectacles give distorted vision. Similarly, mind interprets the world as good or bad according to its disposition. There are as many interpretations of the world as there are minds.
Purify the spectacles of your mind and you will see the world is God.
--- Ramakrishna
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Essay
The dreams we have
私たちが見る夢
Do you have recurring dreams?
According to an article by website Science Alert, nearly two-thirds of the population has recurring dreams. So if you do get them, you’re far from alone.
The article says that recurring dreams “reflect unresolved conflicts” in a person’s life and that they are most frequent during times of stress or hardship. Unfortunately, that also means that these dreams are usually related to negative situations.
Possibly because of my work in the newspaper industry, my recurring dreams always relate to being unprepared or missing an important deadline.
Even though it’s been 12 long years since I graduated from university, every month or two I have a vivid dream that I’m back in school.
In the dream, it’s always near the end of the semester, just as I’m about to take the final exam. I realize I haven’t handed in any of the required assignments or even attended any classes. Needless to say, the final exam never goes well.
Another regular dream I have feels more familiar to my current situation.
When my dream starts, it is an hour before The Japan Times print deadline but the entire paper is still blank. For some reason, most of my colleagues are on vacation or off sick, so the responsibility rests with me and one or two co-workers.
Faced with all that pressure, I must work quickly. But nothing goes right.
The software we use constantly crashes and when it does work, I can’t seem to remember how to use it. In the end, it becomes clear that there won’t be a newspaper the next morning and I wake up in a panic.
I always figured that others might have recurring dreams, but I assumed that their dreams would be very different from my own. After all, why would someone living in a different country and with very different life experiences than my own have the same kinds of dreams?
But actually, many people’s recurring dreams have the same themes and scenarios.
My dream about being unprepared for an exam is actually one of the most common ones.
Other popular examples include dreams that relate to a specific fear or embarrassment, such as a situation where you find yourself naked in a public place. Some people frequently dream that they’ve lost all their teeth.
The Science Alert article says that this shared experience with dreams may be a result of evolution. For example, a recurring dream where you’re being chased may have been useful for our ancient ancestors if it allowed them to “practice” avoiding danger.
As for my dream about not being ready for school or work, maybe that’s just my brain’s way of reminding me to always be prepared for any exam or deadline that comes my way. (Joel Tansey)
20230120-06x.mp3 - Google ドライブ
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Dueteronomy 015
Chapter 15
Deuteronomy 015.mp3 - Google ドライブ
Deuteronomy 015x.mp3 - Google ドライブ
***** The Year for Canceling Debts *****
1 At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.
2 And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbor shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbor, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD's release.
3 Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release;
4 Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it:
5 Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.
6 For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.
7 If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:
8 But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.
9 Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee.
10 Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.
11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.
***** Freeing Servants *****
12 And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.
13 And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty:
14 Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.
15 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.
16 And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee;
17 Then thou shalt take an awl, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.
(awl 突きぎり a pointed tool that is used for marking surfaces or for making small holes in leather, wood, etc.)
18 It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee, in serving thee six years: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.
***** The Firstborn Animals *****
19 All the firstling males that come of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy bullock, nor shear the firstling of thy sheep.
20 Thou shalt eat it before the LORD thy God year by year in the place which the LORD shall choose, thou and thy household.
21 And if there be any blemish therein, as if it be lame, or blind, or have any ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the LORD thy God.
22 Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart.
23 Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water.
