Lost in Translation

One of my nerdiest hobbies includes studying Hermeneutics. Hermeneutics is the study of the theory of (and the practice of) interpretation. I spend a lot of time (some would say too much) comparing different translations of texts and different interpretations of literature in order to form my own opinion. Some call it obsessive... I just consider it being thorough.

The other evening I was speaking with a friend of mine who is Christian. We were discussing the Lord's Prayer-- I was sharing anecdotes and details that I found amusing. For example: Did you know that in most Asian-language translations of the Lord's Prayer, they ask for God to "Give us today our daily rice"? Regardless, we were not discussing Asian languages.

We were discussing Aramaic, Jesus' first language and the one he spoke most fluently. Aramaic is a Semitic language, meaning it is related to ancient Hebrew and helped give birth to modern-day Arabic. Semitic languages have a great habit of being butchered by Western civilizations for numerous reasons; sometimes to spin the information the way the Church wanted and sometimes simply due to terrible scholarship. Either way, a lot of meaning has been lost. My friend just so happens to be a linguistics student who specializes in Semitic languages. Needless to say, I lucked out.

He wrote and recited the Lord's Prayer for me in Aramaic. It is as follows.

D'bwaschmâja Nethkâdasch schmach
Têtê malkuthach.
Nehwê tzevjânach aikâna d'bwaschmâja af b'arha.
Hawvlân lachma d'sûnkanân jaomâna.
Waschboklân chaubên wachtahên aikâna
daf chnân schwoken l'chaijabên.
Wela tachlân l'nesjuna
ela patzân min bischa.
Metol dilachie malkutha wahaila wateschbuchta l'ahlâm almîn.
Amên.

When I first looked at the phonology of the words and the way the consonants and vowels played off of each other, it honestly looked like a bit of a mess. I said right out loud, "Who would ever design a language this way?" To which my friend wisely responded "We don't design language. Language designs us."

We discussed this for some time, as I recited the German version for him, then translated it literally. He was shocked.

"That's far too close to the Westernized version. It's not close to the original at all."

I asked him to elaborate, which is when he recited the most beautiful English prayer I have ever heard.

Oh You, from whom the breath of life comes,
who fills all realms of sound, light and vibration.
May Your light be experienced in my utmost holiest.
Your Heavenly Domain approaches.
Let Your will come true - in all the universe
just as on earth.
Give us wisdom for our daily need,
detach the fetters of faults that bind us, like we let go the guilt of others
Let us not be lost in superficial things,
but let us be freed from that what keeps us off from our true purpose.
From You comes the all-working will, the lively strength to act,
 And the song that beautifies all and renews itself from age to age.
May this be sealed in trust, faith and truth.

I smiled to myself as I muttered, "That almost sounds like a Buddhist mantra or meditation wheel prayer." The first thing that I noticed (and immediately loved) about it was the second line. "[God] fills all realms of sound, light, and vibration". I interpret this to mean that God can be experienced first-hand, audibly, visibly and palpably. This paints a very different portrait that if any word close to the English "Heaven" were used. Heaven implies somewhere completely separate from the realm of Earth, but in the original Aramaic, God is well within our realm of perception.

Another thing I loved was that it references the holiness of the self. Many denominations of many faiths paint the Human as faulty, less-than, fallen from grace. This prayer, however, speaks of the holiness of the individual. That's right: when Jesus first spoke the Lord's Prayer, he referenced that there is holiness inside every human, a little bit of God in each of us-- a Divine Spark.

When Jesus spoke the words "Let us not be lost in superficial things", I doubt he really meant what is now "let us not be led into temptation". Really, to be lost in superficial things means what? It means to realize what truly matters. It means to avoid desire for things you don't need. It means to remember that you could always have less.

My favorite phrase in the Aramaic is the closing. In English, it's well-known: "For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory." In Aramaic, it is incredibly different. Instead of the kingdom that God owns, he gives something to us: will that is all-purposeful. Instead of omnipotence, he gives vigor and life. Instead of his own glory, he shares something more glorious with us: A song. A song that makes everything beautiful. Indeed, Jesus saw beauty in music-- within and without.

Jesus in a very Buddha-like pose.

 When he finished writing it out for me, he circled a few phrases and explained a few Hermeneutical issues (words that are near-impossible to translate or have other quirks worth notice) to me.

• • The phrase "Breath of Life" is very common in almost all Semitic languages as describing the way God breathes life into clay or dust.
    
  •  In line 5, the word "Universe" can be literally translated as "All that vibrates".
  • In the line after that, the word for "Earth" is more accurate as "That which is material and dense".
  •  The word "wisdom" in line 7 could also mean "understanding", or "assistance" (as in, the way a teacher 'assists' a student).
  • The phrase "fetters of fault" gives birth to the modern Arabic term for 'karma', an oddly Eastern word to see in a Western prayer.
  • to "let go" in line 8 also means to unlock, relieve weight from, or release from grip.

All-in-all, the Aramaic words used strike certain stark differences tot he modernized version. A lot of people could wonder how so much could be lost in translation, and I urge those people to visit this site  which displays and illustrates Hermeneutical fallacies perfectly. 

Language is constantly changing. There is nothing intrinsically good or bad about that, but it is always important to see where the words we're using come from in order to gain a deeper understanding about the history of what we say and why we say it.

If you like my writing, you can join the site to the right of the page, like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+ . If you have questions or just want to chat, I'm on Formspring too!

Thanks for reading. Go forth and do good things, my friends.

We Are United

 “There is no such thing as a 'self-made' man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts, as well as our success.”

--George Burton Adams

I want to begin this post with a thought, a notion, a meditation if you will. If you're in a place where you can speak without disturbing others, say it out loud as you read it.

All of us are connected.

Unity is something that is very important to me. If a group of people are able to set aside differences, drama, disagreements, and strife to come together for a common goal, what that group can achieve is astounding.

I used to be a stark Individualist, looking out for only my own skin without care for who I hurt, used, or disregarded along the way. I was using people for money, for their bodies, for food, for information, for anything and everything. What I didn't realize is that I wasn't just harming others-- All of that chaos I spread was hurting myself as well. Once I was shocked out of that behavior, I began a 4-month stretch of introspective philosophical observation during which I asked myself important questions. What connects all humans to each other? What should I value? How do I attain balance? What's the right way of carrying on functioning relationships with others?

I was trying so hard to find some big, deep secret, but it was ridiculously simple once I realized that it had been hiding right under my nose the entire time. 

What connects all humans to each other? Simply being human. 
What should I value? That intrinsic connectedness. 
How do I attain balance? Through solid connections to real people who help me preserve my values.
What's the right way of carrying on functioning relationships with others? To know that everything the individual does has an impact on everyone connected.


Chapter 39 of the Dao De Jing states quite clearly

The Master views the parts with compassion,
because he understands the whole.

 That could also be translated as, "Wisdom means viewing each part with knowledge and kindness, through understanding of the whole."

A few people have asked me, "How did you come to realize this all at once?" The silly (yet totally legitimate) answer is "Why, by playing World of Warcraft, of course!"

No, really. I was playing WoW at the time. As any of my close friends could tell you, my allegiance lies very heavily with the faction known as the Horde.

Insignia of the Horde

The Horde is comprised of the Orcs, the Darkspear Trolls, the Tauren, the Forsaken Undead, the Sin'dorei Blood Elves, and the Bilgewater Goblins. To anyone with a lick of fantasy knowledge, that seems like a bit of a motley crew. Why would Elves side with Orcs? Why would the maniacal Undead be trusted by... well, anyone? That's when I realized it. They are united through the fact that they're all misfits. They need to fight for their place in the world, and they have formed an allegiance (if a tentative one) in order to better assure mutual survival.

It makes me smile when I remember how closely my friends mirror that structure. A lot of people ask me about some of my friends, "Wow, how did you meet them?" or "Why do you associate with them?" or "How do you get along so well?" I always remember that my friends are my friends because we need each other, because we're human and because this world sucks. That's right, this world sucks and it sucks a lot less if you have more people who help you through the huge mounds of suck.

The other night I spoke with a good friend of mine who was having a bit of an identity crisis. She asked me, "What's my purpose?" Ah, the big question that has plagued philosophy for as long as it has existed. I didn't (and don't) claim that this is the absolute number one answer to this question, it is but my own. What's our purpose?

Everyone who has ever done something kind for you. Everyone who has shown generosity, who has studied with you, made music with you, taught you, helped you, protected you, everyone who has fought alongside you. They are why you are here. Because ultimately, even if life doesn't have a purpose, you have the capacity to make your own-- You can get by, with a little help from your friends.

If you like my writing, you can join the site to the right of the page, like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+ . If you have questions or just want to chat, I'm on Formspring too!

Thanks for reading. Stay human, my friends.

Today is a Silent Day

Ask any American where they where when the planes hit the tower, and they'll know. With little or no hesitation, they will know.

I was very young-- I was in 4th grade at a tiny Christian private school in a suburb of the Twin Cities. The teachers were having a devotion/faculty meeting and had no idea until the second plane hit.

When the principal was informed, he walked to my classroom first (as it was closest to his office) and he quietly called my teacher to join him with the other teachers in his office again. We all figured it was just another meeting.

When my teacher returned, she calmly explained the situation to us. A few of us gasped, others simply grew silent. I just stared. I would like to think I understood it fully then, but that's not really likely. Truth be told, I don't really remember.

Now, I'm older and looking back I am gifted with a certain insight. I now am able to grasp the depth of the events, and I am able to look mindfully into the stories and reports.

I've never been particularly patriotic, so I never got swept up in the whole swell of patriotism whenever 9/11 was mentioned. "Those damned Moslems hate our freedom" was something I knew was bullshit even at 4th grade.It was then really distressing for me to witness some of my friends (white and otherwise) speak so many hateful words about people who were different (or not even so much, depending on your perspective) without any knowledge other than the oversimplified stories that we as children had been spoonfed.

A lot of people have exchanged conspiracy theories, saying it was an inside job, saying the Government itself did it. I don't know if I completely buy into it, but I also don't completely buy into the official story. However, none of that matters. It doesn't matter if it was a conspiracy, it doesn't matter if it was exactly as the government said, it doesn't matter. 2,996 people lost their lives. Any loss of life is a tragedy, and when the death toll is this high, it doesn't matter exactly how it happened anymore. Just that it did.

Today is a silent day. It's important to remember what happened on September 11th of 2011, whether you think it was a terrorist act or a conspiracy or an accident or whatever. it doesn't matter-- Too many died for it to matter. I think it is wise to look mindfully into the tragedy and know the suffering of the victims, of the families, of the rescue forces, of the witnesses, of your own experience. The events had a large impact, from worldwide politics to the schoolyard racism.  Today is a silent day.

If you like my writing, you can join the site to the right of the page, like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+ . If you have questions or just want to chat, I'm on Formspring too!

Thanks for reading. Stay human, my friends.

Working Together

So, to pass the time at my household, my older sister and her husband and I have been playing an older game on our X-Box (note the lack of 360) called X-Men Legends. Now, my brother-in-law and I are both big fans of the Marvel universe, and also both big fans of the X-Men (especially Wolverine).

Because what reason do you have NOT to like him?

This being said, I'm a huge fan of the game for a different reason. It reminded me of other things I really liked (and I couldn't think of why): Some other games, such as World of Warcraft and Dungeons and Dragons, and a TV show called Leverage.  

The game is different than most in that it's an RPG, rather than an arcade-style fighting game, which most superhero games end up being. In this game, the characters gain levels and collect items just like in Final Fantasy, or, say, Pokemon, and instead of player-versus-player fighting, it's multiplayer is cooperative instead.

You build a team of 4 super-heroes and complete missions. Up to three other players can join in to take control of these heroes. At times, you need specific powers that you may not have, but a friend might: Iceman can use his ice powers to put out fires, Magma can build bridges out of molten rock, Jean Grey can flip switches telekinetically, et cetera.

Our team usually consisted of Wolverine, Iceman, Magma, and Storm.

I gave it some thought. World of Warcraft revolves around the concept of classes-- 10 different ones designed to do different jobs, or maybe the same job in different ways.

In case the text is too small, left to right starting at top: Death Knight, Druid, Hunter, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, and Warrior.

Organizing raids or PvP (player-versus-player) is very difficult and takes many factors into account, and normally, if you don't have at least one of every class in many raids, you won't make it out alive.

Then, my thoughts drifted to Dungeons and Dragons, and the same fact is very similar. If you're a team of nothing but Rogues, either it will be incredibly awesome how you all completely avoid being seen, or incredibly terrible how you all get your asses handed to you by the first person who sees through your stealth.

After contemplating this, I thought about the TV show, Leverage. The thought struck me that it was essentially the same concept as the others; Each of the 5 members has a certain specialty, be it planning, conning, martial arts, thievery, or hacking. 

Again, L to R: The Hitter, Grifter, Mastermind, Thief, and Hacker, as the show advertises it.

The common thread is obvious. What I love most about all of these is the idea that a group of people, no matter how different, can come together and use their different skillsets to accomplish something greater than the individual. In Random Receipts, and even within my own family, we do the same thing with our varying gifts. It's nothing short of a blessing! That philosophy is something I take very seriously.

This is why I believe multiculturalism is so important. This philosophy works on a higher level that just the individual! If more people had a global perspective, it would be much easier to respect other cultures for what they have done for the world, and much more difficult to take for granted how much American culture (or any one culture, for that matter) relies on others. As an old internet joke used to say, 

"Your car is Japanese. Your Vodka is Russian. Your pizza is Italian. Your kebab is Turkish. Your democracy is Greek. Your coffee is Brazilian. Your Beers are German. Your shirt is Indian. Your oil is Saudi Arabian. Your electronics are Chinese. Your numbers? Arabic. Your alphabet? Latin. Other cultures are all around you, don't complain about having an immigrant for a neighbor."

I think the more people learn about other cultures, the better understanding we can have between individuals, and as a wonderful byproduct, we can cultivate an even better, non-exceptionalistic appreciation for our own culture.

If you like my writing, you can join the site to the right of the page, like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter. If you have questions or just want to chat, I'm on Formspring, too!

Peace and Love, thank you for reading!

Interview 2: Flex

Earlier this month, I interviewed my good friend Jeremy. Today I’m writing about a mutual friend of ours, another influence of mine, and a fellow member of Random Receipts, Fidelis. I’ve most often seen Fidelis making music on a piano, djembe or goblet drum, but he’s also a talented writer, painter, and singer. 

-So how did you get involved doing creative work, and how long have you been writing?
I've been creating ever since I can remember. I recall when I was a small boy, my older brother would draw comic book super heroes and cut them out, and we would play with them. I was maybe 4 or 5 years young at the time. So since then, creativity has been in my life. That been said, I only just started to write music on the Piano Forte since the 3rd week of November, 2010. Aside from that sort of writing, I wrote my first poem in 2009 and since then I've been forming quotes and writing spoken word pieces. Before writing though, my primary means of expression is painting. I started to paint in the early half of 2007. And so I guess you could say that, I really began to take art as a whole, more seriously, since I was 17.

-So far, what has been your best memory doing creative work?
I have lots of great memories, but honestly as I write this, it is the day after I performed at 'Honey' [a lounge] in Minneapolis, and it was pretty awesome!! I also really enjoy working with my group members from Random Receipts, everyone involved, including the interviewer on this blog [aw, shucks] - is talented in their own unique way and so working alongside Random Receipts is always a great time for me.

-What piece that you’ve written do you feel best expresses you?
I'd say that my piece titled 'The Catalyst' is the one piece of spoken word that truly captures my inner truth, i.e. my inner most fear. Otherwise all of my pieces, poetry, painting, piano compositions, short stories, best express me.

-What has been your biggest influence in your writing?
Life and its experiences influence me the most in creating; as broad as that sounds.

-Any advice for people who want to get into the creative scene?
Yes. Enjoy yourself in your art, whichever it may be. Have passion for it. Dedicate your time in practice. And, share it!

-A quote that inspires you?

"In all forms of it. Our art, in years to come, will define our time. And so therefore we must create!!"

- Fidelis Odozi.

THE EYE WITNESS

My thoughts are naked as I sit amidst very relaxed trees that surround a body of water where two lovers stroll together from one end of the lake to the other.
I suspect the lagging lover to be the male because of the way in which he tails her with admiration and drinks the flow of water behind her glide every now and then.
She turns abruptly to him at the loud sound of an awaking fish.
He moves closer to her as though to say, 'I am here, do not fear.'
Far off into the distance a lonely bird stalks the two lovers and does a brilliant job staying out of sight. He or she might have been an ex boyfriend, a very protective parent, or perhaps an ex girlfriend, hell, how should I know?
Suddenly though, an even louder sound enters the air, its a human being smacking his floating device on the water.
I Shout at him. I say "Hey! You over there, you're disturbing the love birds!"
I then realize that I too am adding to the noise but it is too late, the birds by now have panicked and so they changed course and hurried down a different direction.
I felt terrible about this.
I felt as tho I played a huge role in the destruction of a lovely stroll down the stream.
But things turned out for the better, it seems, because due to them changing directions they were able to spot the stalker and so they swam even closer together
And were on a new path, one that was far off into the distance with no stalker and no human beings.
It was beautiful.
I got up and walked back home with a smile that slowly turned into laughter.
I might have looked crazy to the people driving by, but hell, I had just witnessed love on water.
I had absolutely no care at all.

--Fidelis Odozi

Fidelis is an old soul, the first Nigerian man I ever met, and shows me that he truly lives up to his name which means "Faithful". His eye for art and affinity for phrases puts a smile on my face.

If you like what you've read, want to learn more about Random Receipts or about this blog, or even just spread the word about this blog, you can like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

Thank you for reading.  

The Dao of the Everyday

Whenever I tell people that I follow traditional Daoist philosophy, I usually one of three reactions.

1. "...What's Daoism? "
2. "Oh, really? That's... different. How did you learn about that? "
3. "You don't really strike me as that kind of guy. "  

 I've pretty much learned how to discuss my philosophy well enough to get the point across to a member of any of these groups. One question that I've always received (in one form or another) is, "How do you know when someone is living in the Dao?", which is sometimes asked more like "How do Daoists go about everyday business?" It's a difficult question to answer, because the Dao is completely inexplicable in every way.

"The Way that can be expressed is not the real Way. "

That's the FIRST THING that is taught about the Dao. So, it's always easier to explain the effect that the Dao has on the individual.

• Simplicity.  Daoists will always go about their business in the simplest possible way-- The easiest metaphor is the image of water flowing around a rock. When an obstacle is present, it is always easiest to flow around it and try a different way. Daoists conserve their energy and are often content with what they have. It's not that they aren't ambitious; They simply go after the easiest way possible.
• Sensitivity. Daoists are incredibly observant people. They try and avoid aggression whenever possible and do what they can to help those in need. Daoists have a mysterious affinity for nature and oftentimes spend hours in wilderness learning from the seasons, studying life, and absorbing nature's creative anima. Nature is not the same thing as the Dao, but it is an expression of the Dao and is thus completely flawless and a window into the Dao.
• Flexibility. One of my good friend's name is the word for "Bamboo" in her native language. She once told me that her family gave her that name because they wanted her to be flexible, and in that flexibility she would have strength. Whether she knows it or not, that's a perfect illustration of the Dao. The Dao De Jing (道德经）says that newborn life is strong because it's soft and supple, and dead bodies are rigid and brittle when they are dead. The Dao holds that everything in the world is relative, and that nothing is absolute. Choices are always made from circumstances, not from preconceived notions.
• Independence. People who follow the Dao often don't pay attention (or even really care about) what society says. They don't pay attention to fads, trends, common-spread morality, or even most political movements. It isn't because Daoists are immoral-- It's because they act from a very profound, deep level of the spirit. Because of this, many religions and politicians throughout ages have accused Daoism of being dangerous or complacent. Those who follow the Dao value wisdom and affirm experience over government and etiquette.
• Focus. Those who follow the Dao have an intense inner focus. They accept who they are, and view that as the first step towards accepting all things as they are. They know how futile it is to try and be someone they are not. They accept that they were born and that they will die. This offers an opportunity to view the distance between those as a journey to be traveled. Many Daoists meditate on these precepts and gain a very focused view on the world.
• Mindfulness. Though strictly speaking a concept stemming from Buddhism, Daoism also participate in it. Tying in closely with the previous attribute, Daoists learn to see everything within everything. The old animistic teaching comes back: "Everything that is, is alive." If you ask a person what bread is, often times one who follows the Dao will describe it as being made of grain, water, heat, soil, the sun, air, time, et cetera. They will describe it as being made completely of non-bread elements. Seeing as we are made of non-human elements in the same manner, we know we are within the bread just as the bread is within us. This can be a source of great happiness-- all from mindfulness. As Jostein Gaarder wrote: "We, too, are stardust."
• Discipline. Most Daoists believe in the value of longevity, and try and live in a way that will prolong their lives as much as possible. At the very loosest, this means many abstain from drugs and tobacco. At the absolute strictest, many Daoists live on vegetarian diets and forbid any alcohol from entering their bodies, many even taking it so far as to live on little more than rice and water. The Dao shows patience, kindness, and love in every case.
• Joy. When a person glimpses into the Dao, it forever changes them. Sometimes it's described as seeing God or achieving Enlightenment. The experience can never be erased. The Dao grants a sense of connectedness to the source of life, to a force of sustenance. One who sees the Dao does not fear tyranny-- No tyrant can take the Dao from them. She does not fear poverty, because the Dao grants a profound wealth beyond imagination. She does not fear loneliness, because through the Dao, every living thing is surrounding them. She does not fear death, because through the Dao, everything that is is alive.

The Dao has fascinating effects on the self, but understand that this is not to say that only Daoists may experience this. In fact, the people I have met who best act through the Dao have been Christians, Buddhists, Atheists, and Shintoists. acting in wisdom, patience, and love.

I'm just gonna stuff this post full of thoughts on romance.

我爱故我在: Roughly translated from Khalil Fong's song “爱爱爱” ("Love, Love, Love"), "I love, therefore I am."

If you know me well enough, you probably have noticed two things about my romantic life: First, that I am a hopeless romantic and a little bit sappy when it comes to romance, and second, that I am a little bit of a heartbreaker. In a lot of ways, I'm still trying to figure out how to act in a relationship. This isn't helped by the fact that every girl is different.

I've been in my fair share of crazy relationships. I have been romantically involved with girls from Asia, Africa, and America... And the only thing I've learned is that each of them were terrifying uncharted territory. Going into each relationship, I realized that I had no idea what to expect in each instance. A lot of my good friends know that I love learning about other cultures, so I rarely have romantic interest in girls from America... I don't really view it as a bad thing, but it gets kind of annoying when my own family members and best friends poke fun to me about it.

"Hey, there was a girl who told me she used to have a crush on you, David."
"Oh, is that true?"
"Yeah, but you wouldn't have worked out with her."
"Why do you say that?"
"She's white."

When I'm not in a relationship, I always have a terrible lonely feeling in the pit of my stomach. It's the whole "everyone is in a relationship but you!" mindset, and I hate it! I don't know why it plagues me so much. It's worst during the winter, but I always feel better when spring and summer roll around. I don't know why I let the seasons affect my mood so much.

It would  be interesting to marry a girl from another culture. If I did that, I'd ask her to wear traditional clothes from her culture... I think they're beautiful! Even though they're probably not suited for a wedding, any formal event deserves something like a Japanese kimono, a Chinese cheongsam, a Korean hanbok, a Vietnamese áo dài... I don't know why, I just view them as very very beautiful.

 In a lover, I want someone who can be honest, intelligent, interesting, someone who I can just... be with. Someone who will listen to me when I need to talk, but will tell me to shut up if I need to. Someone who will watch movies with me and cook food with me and listen to music with me.

"Religion divides us, yes, but only because we let it."

Today was quite the eventful day for me. I had the pleasure of being able to spend time with many of my friends after my writing class. I don't even remember how, but somehow the topic migrated to religion. There was a young woman there who was starkly Christian, and she didn't like how I was reading a book ("Living Buddha, Living Christ" by Thich Nhat Hanh) that compared Christianity to Buddhism. I started to talk with her and she revealed to me that she equated Buddhism with worship of Satan, something that not only puzzled me, but also intrigued me.

I asked her why. Without going into too much detail, she had been sent on a mission trip to somewhere (I can't remember exactly where.) and she had been through a very terrifying experience involving what she saw as (and may very well have been) the possession of one or more young children. These children were Buddhist. The experience scared her and shook her so much that she began to directly associate Buddhism with what had happened.

Naturally, when I tried to explain to her my personal beliefs (which are long and complex, and will not be posted here) which include many aspects of both Buddhism and Christianity, she was less than pleased.

"It's impossible to be both Christian and something else. Either you take all of the Bible, which says it's the only way, or you don't take any of it."

 My friend shares an apartment with this woman, and kept continually telling me to stop before I start something.

Many people in this small circle of people had begun to listen to what she was telling me-- partially because I'm a charismatic speaker (or so I've been told), and partially because the woman had noticeably raised her voice. It seems I had inadvertently started something. I explained to her that most of the biggest world religions have one thing in common: They try to better the world by teaching one how to better oneself. Slowly but surely, she opened up and heard what I had to say. After too long, many people had gotten involved and had something to say.

After many controversial words on every side had been said, she and I had both found a strong respect for the other. Not one of us completely shut down on the other, all people involved had gotten a turn to speak when they needed it, and there was a stronger understanding of the other when all was said and done. No violence, no disrespect. Just different ideas coming together to form a deeper mutual understanding.

This is why I speak and write. Because ultimately, the pen is mightier than the sword, and words are what we use to convey ideas-- for the sake of peace and understanding and coexistence, rather than ignorance and close-mindedness and arrogance.