Welcome to members of the Daily Kos Sangha* and all interested visitors who happen by.
Each of us has our own path; we come here by way of many different traditions, and of no particular tradition. While the language we use may differ depending on the traditions, teachers, practices, and teachings that have shaped our journeys, we find in common, generally, a search for who we truly are, our true nature, and to bring the peace and compassion born of that search into the greater world of which we area part. If you wish to share, or if you seek support, or if you simply want to say hello, please do, as this space is for you
I went to the Gardens of Stone today. I saw the stones for my GGG-grandfather, my younger son, and Kossack Stumpy.
I also visited the grave of Senior Airman Benjamin White, who was honored by Daily Kos on IGTNT.
Those silent sentinels, all marked with small American flags, had religious affiliations of every kind on them, including some with no religion noted. There are three Medal of Honor recipients in that particular National Cemetery. There are some who served in Congress as well as the military. All are gone from our company now. There is one Revolutionary soldier memorialized there, along with numerous Civil War veterans. Thousands from other wars since then.
Poems and songs have been written about them, Presidents have eulogized them, and untold families have grieved for them.
I propose we use those silent marble sentinels in the Gardens of Stone as a focal point for today’s solemn meditation.
The timeless poem written by a Canadian Army physician, John McRae, In Flanders Fields:
Think about these things this weekend. It is Memorial Day, not mattress sale day.
“This is the day we pay homage to all those who didn’t come home. This is not Veterans Day, it’s not a celebration; it is a day of solemn contemplation over the cost of freedom.”
— Tamra McAnally Bolton
Sand from the holy ground of Normandy beaches, sent to me by Lamont Cranston:
Sgt. MacKenzie is a lament composed and performed by our late friend Joe Kilna MacKenzie. It is a tribute to his grandfather, Sgt. Charles Stewart MacKenzie of the Seaforth Highlanders. Sgt. MacKenzie was killed at the Somme in 1916 whilst trying to protect a wounded buddy.
Sgt. MacKenzie (also sometimes known as Lay Me Down in the Cold Cold Ground) was heard in the movie, We Were Soldiers.
Nemaste
Peace this day, and every day.
Take this time to sit, and quietly take in your surroundings in a comfortable place.
Do not dwell on thoughts that enter your mind for long, as the need to empty the mind while sitting is what is to be realized, all the while concentrating on your breath: Breath in, and exhale out, and truly realize the moment of this time that is just for you, it is your place, your time, you are at home.
This is an open thread. Please add your thoughts, meditations, and reflections as you wish.
*Attribution: Creator of Dkos Sangha Weekly Thread, Brother “davehouck”.