The Three Fishes: A Sogdian Tale

A Sogdian tale, translated by W. B. Henning, reads like this:

"There was a big pond, and in it there were three fishes. The first fish was One-Thought, the second fish was Hundred-Thoughts, and the third fish was Thousand-Thoughts. At some time a fisherman came and cast his net. He caught those two fishes of many thoughts, but he did not catch the fish One-Thought." 

When I first read this, I thought that the fish described as having many thoughts were smarter fish. Why, then, was the fish with less intelligence not caught? Shouldn't it be the other way around? I'd like to propose a different perspective. What if thoughts represent concerns? Imagine that the second fish, Hundred-Thoughts, and the third fish, Thousand-Thoughts, are fish who are thinking, worrying, and analyzing so much that they aren't even aware of what's around them anymore. These fish, you might imagine, represent ourselves when we have too much on our minds and over-extend ourselves with so many obligations that it's keeping us from truly living. When the fisherman comes to catch a fish, he gets the two most anxious, busybody fish in the pond.

This means that the One-Thought fish is not a simple-minded fish, although it is a fish that lives simply. It has a full, peaceful, purposeful existence. When the fisherman arrives at the pond to catch his dinner, the One-Thought fish isn't distracted by its busy tasks. Fish, of all creatures, should let life flow.

For me, this story as a parable. The message I take away is clear. May we live life more simply and focus on the right priorities. I don't want to get so busy with worldly distractions, no matter how important they seem in the moment, that I lose sight of what is really important, such as family, kindness, education, love, honesty, faith, health, and happiness.

Source: 
Henning, W.B., "Sogdian Tales," Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Vol. 11, No. 3 (1945), pp. 465-487. 

Boston's Boylston Street Excavations: A Prehistoric Fishweir and the Absence of Pine

More than 20 years ago older buildings were demolished at 500 Boylston Street to make way for the construction of newer buildings. Lawrence Kaplan, Mary B. Smith, and Lesley Sneddon examined 216  specimens recovered from the excavation and published their findings in Economic Botany (see source information below). They call the article "The Boylston Street Fishweir: Revisited" because excavations for the Boston subway system earlier in the 20th century "revealed the presence of waterlogged wood in the peat and silt," and those wood remains are believed to represent an ancient Native American fishweir ("a fencelike barrier and trap for fish on an ancient shoreline").

Past findings
The Boylston Street line of the Boston subway was constructed in 1913. This was when the waterlogged wood was first discovered. Later, more excavations were done for large office buildings and more of the wood was found. Researchers by the names of Bailey and Barghoorn studied the site in 1942 and called it the "Bolyston Street Fishweir" because of their findings. They concluded that the materials were prehistoric.

Present findings
For the more recent excavation, Kaplan, Smith, and Sneddon found, after radiocarbon dating, that their samples (from just down the street) ranged "from about 5000 to 4000 years B.P., during the Late Archaic, pre-agricultural period in Northeastern prehistory" (517).

The absence of pine
After identifying tree species, age (ring number), diameter, and season the specimen was severed from the parent plant (growing or dormant), they discuss possible sources and note the absence of pine. Their pollen analysis shows an agreement with a previous study done by Paige Newby and Thompson Webb III of an area very close to the recently excavated area: the pollen diagram shows pollen percentages varying from 15-30% of total pollen present and indicate that pine was an important component of the regional forest. So, if pine was so accessible, why was no pine used in the supposed fishweir of Boylston Street? The absence of pine indicates that the selection of materials was deliberate and not random. The authors suggest that the pine's resin was probably the reason; those retrieving wood probably avoided the pine because of "the unpleasant or encumbering quality of that substance" (526). According to the authors, Bailey and Barghoorn suggested "there may not have been white pine of small enough diameter for cutting," but they noted pitch pine is suitable for cutting, so that explanation may not be adequate. A better explanation (besides the resin annoyance) lies in the benefits of the other taxa. Beech has woody root sprouts for easy gathering; Sassafras' brittle quality makes it easy to gather, and Alder produces "slender growths," another positive quality. The absence of pine is an interesting subject. I am curious to know what other evidence we have of Boston's prehistoric peoples and what they built, and if there is more evidence of wood types from similar findings.

Conclusion
Kaplan, Smith, and Sneddon conclude, "We believe that our study supports the earlier contention that prehistoric Native Americans constructed fishweirs extensively along the now filled Boston Shoreline." They explain that Archaic Period and most likely Woodland Period peoples retrieved the wood from upland and riparian habitats in fall and winter to then construct (and repair) the weirs in early spring. They believe this activity began 5000 years ago (at least) and moved to higher areas as the water level rose.

Source: 
"The Boylston Street Fishweir: Revisited," Kaplan, Lawrence, Mary B. Smith, and Lesley Sneddon. Economic Botany, Vol. 44, No. 4 (Oct.–Dec. 1990), pp. 516-528. 

On His Blindness

I found a small, old poetry book in a used bookstore in Utah this winter. I was really happy to find it because I have wanted to reconnect with old poetry. I have been reading too much nonfiction and I was losing touch with the literary arts.

Today I read "On His Blindness" by John Milton. He wonders, in this poem, how he can serve God while blind. He asks, "Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?" And wonders how he might serve with "that one talent... lodged with [him] useless."

However, he wisely remembers, God does not "need" us or our gifts. He just wants us to "bear his mild yoke." A calm reminder that we are all human and our best is enough.

Personal Recipe for Relaxation Inspired by the Japanese Tea Ceremony

Today I learned a bit about the Japanese tea ceremony. To get a general idea, read the Japanese Tea Ceremony page hosted on the Met Museum website. The ceremony is a meditative experience in many ways. For example, as the site describes, "When presented with a bowl of tea, a guest will notice and reflect upon the warmth of the bowl and the color of the bright green matcha against the clay before he begins to drink." The participants seem to be very aware of their surroundings and every detail, down to an appreciation of the utensils they use.

I decided to take some of these principles and create my own meditative experience to bring more tranquility and awareness into my life, especially because Thanksgiving is approaching and giving thanks is built on awareness - a realization of the great many blessings one has in his or her life.

This idea for relaxation is not meant to be a tea ceremony or some adulteration of a tea ceremony. I just took ideas out of context to try them in my life for my own goal of relaxation. Therefore, see this as a personal recipe for relaxation, merely inspired by the tea ceremony.

1. Remove your coat, shoes, jewelry, watch, tie, and anything that restricts your ability to relax.
2. Slowly sip a cup (or half cup) of herbal tea, clear broth soup, or warm water. This should neither be a hearty, chunky soup you would have for dinner nor hot chocolate. Choose something light. I was only on step two and I already felt very relaxed and calm (even drowsy). I need to force myself to relax more often! 
3. Go outside and sit on your front step (or patio or back step) and just be. Don't go inside until you are ready. After less than a minute I thought, "ok I've completed this step, now on to the next one." However, I forced myself to enjoy the moment and mindfully appreciate where I was. I started acknowledging more of my surroundings. I finally felt the cold air on my knees, heard the laughter in the house next door, noticed the unique glow of a street lamp. I even finally became peaceful and still enough to feel my own heart beat (without putting my hand over my heart). I sat there a long time until I was finally ready to come inside. I created this step in my experience because I read that the guests of a Japanese tea ceremony wait outside until summoned by their host.
4. Purify. In a Japanese tea ceremony there is some type of cleansing, like washing one's hands and rinsing out the mouth. I washed my hands and face. 
5. Eat a meal in courses. This means don't eat a large burrito in one quick session. Courses should be small; don't overeat. Courses force a slower, more deliberate, and thoughtful enjoyment of one's food. Enjoy the taste, texture, and temperature of your food. Savor it. Show gratitude for the food you have. 
6. Take a break and clean up. Now that I had gone through a relaxing process, I gained a new perspective on this step. Usually I get chores done so that I can then relax. However, I had the opposite experience. Relaxing was the status quo and I was taking a break from relaxing to clean and tidy up. This is a great perspective to have every once in a while, especially for workaholics, that work is a welcome, energetic break from my calm, meditative norm. Anyway, I used this step to wash the few dishes I had used and to tidy my bedroom. 
7. Wash hands again. 
8. Drink another cup (or half cup) of herbal tea, broth soup, or warm water. Relax.  
9. I wanted to officially 'end' my experience in some way. I know guests to a ceremony might bow to the host. I looked at myself in the mirror and bowed (since I was alone), but I realized that for me the bow was a sign of giving thanks. So I gave a bow to God.

Overall it was a great experience. The only thing I would change is to sit on a cushion on the floor or on a couch when completing steps 2 and 8, and not at the kitchen table, as was the case this evening.