EASTBEAT  - for peace & non-violence

Sergio Navarro

from Muestras Salon Humor Peru 2009

  Read:      The Toad & The Swallow

stop press: Fundraiser for Music Fund for Cuba presents

live latin band "Cubania"

Saturday Feb 6th  8 - 11.30

The Theatre, Leytonstone Library, Church Lane E11 1 HG (100 metres from Leytonstone tube)  £8 in advance, £10 on door

John (020) 89898752  enquiries nicsc@hotmail.com

Eastbeat grew out of discussions at The Spotted Dog Tavern in Forest Gate during the Balkan conflict in 1996.  It has evolved into a small literary magazine publishing occasionally and fronting concerts and events.

""Sages speak of the immutable ashvattha tree, The Tree of Life, with its taproot above and its branches below.  On this tree grow the scriptures; seeing their source, one knows their essence. Nourished by the gunas, the limbs of this tree spread above and below.  Sense objects grow on the limbs as buds; the roots hanging down bind us to action in this world.  The true form of this tree- its essence, beginning and end - is not perceived on this earth.  Cut down this strong-rooted tree with the sharp axe of detachment; then find the path which does not come back again.  Seek That, the First Cause, from which the universe came long ago."

Most of the Tree of Life, we should remember, lies in the world within.  Sri Krishna is telling us to get beneath the surface and trace our way back to the source.

   One  school of thought speaks of this tree as an illusion, beccause separateness is an illusion.  But I would say each leaf is precious. Each individual creature deserves our respect, love and protection. So instead of talking about cutting down trees, I would rather talk about digging to the root, deep in the soil of the consciousness.  Meditation is the tool for digging.""  (click on coloured text for link to Blue Mountain Centre site)

Bhagavad Gita for Daily Living  p. 182 -chapter 15 1-4 - by Eknath Easwaran

 ""Above and below its branches spread, blossoming because of the gunas, having for their shoots the sense-objects; deep down in theworld of men are ramified its roots, in the shape of the consequences of action.(ch 2)  In the first verse, Sri Krishna shows the means of going beyond this world. In this verse, he has described the world from another point of view, that of the ignorant man.

Its form as such is not here percieved, neither is its end, nor beginnning, nor basis.  Let men first hew down this deep-rooted Ashvattha with the sure weapon of detachment:  Let him pray to win to that haven from which there is no return and seek to find refuge in theePrimal Being from whom has emanated this ancient world of action.

We shall remain apart from this world, while working in it, when we no longer look upon it as God's sport bu, regarding it as the sphere in which people run after enjoyments, cut it off at the root withthe weapoon of non-cooperation.  In no other way is it possible to cut it off at the roots, for it is without beginning and without end. That is why Shri Krishna has advised non-cooperation.

To that imperishable haven those enlightened souls go - who are without pride and delusion, who have triumphed over the taints of attachment, who are ever in tune with the Supreme, whose passions have died, who are exempt from the pairs of opposites, such as pleasure and pain.

They who crave to win that haven are indifferent to honour or insult.  They are absolutely free from delusion. They have scored triumph over the taints of attachment. Those who are always atmarthi (that is, whoa re aware every moment that they are not their physical bodies but are the atman), whose cravings for objects of senses have subsided (who look not fear-struck but serene at the moment of death) are the enlightened souls that go to that imperishable haven.

     On every leaf of the banyan tree are inscribed the Vedas,  which means that Ramanama is inscribed on its every leaf.  The world is a holy gift made by God out of His grace; the tree of the world grows from the navel of BRahma.   But there is another world with its root below, whose leaves are the various objects of sense pleasure; that world is the world of desire.   Adhyatmanityah means those whose thoughts dwell with love on Rama, who repeat His name and who do his work. (pp252/253

    from  M.K. Gandhi Interprets The Bhagavadgita Orient Paperbacks   "discourses which he gave at the Satyagraha  Ashram, Ahmedabad, during morning prayers over a period of nine months from February 24 to Nove3mber 27, 1926. 

 John Retty R.I.P.

The incorrigible anarchist poet and well loved manager of Torriano Meeting House and founder of Hearing Eye Press  died last Wendnesday of a massive heart attack.

7.2.10

 Samedi16 Janvier 2010

Commentaire (Marc 2, 13-17)

 Jésus sortit de nouveau sur le rivage du lac ; toute la foule venait à lui, et il les instruisait. En passant, il aperçut Lévi, fils d'Alphée, assis à son bureau de publicain (collecteur d'impôts). Il lui dit : «Suis-moi. » L'homme se leva et le suivit. Comme Jésus était à table dans sa maison, beaucoup de publicains et de pécheurs vinrent prendre place avec Jésus et ses disciples, car il y avait beaucoup de monde. Même les scribes du parti des pharisiens le suivaient aussi, et, voyant qu'il mangeait avec les pécheurs et les publicains, ils disaient à ses disciples : « Il mange avec les publicains et les pécheurs ! » Jésus, qui avait entendu, leur déclara : « Ce ne sont pas les gens bien portants qui ont besoin du médecin, mais les malades. Je suis venu appeler non pas les justes, mais les pécheurs. »

Dans son contexte, le comportement de Jesus est provocant, mais de cette bonne provocation qui interroge et derange les evidences, fusssent-elles institutionnelles.  Manger avec les publicans et les pecheurs, n'est-ce pas remettre en cause l'ordre etabli, rappeler que Dieu est au-dela de toutes les separations instituees par les hommes? Certes, il ne s'agit pas, comme les contemporains d'Isaie, d'appeler "noir ce qui est blanc" et de sombrer dans la confusion des valeurs, mais de ne pas oublier cet essentiel: l'amour de Dieu pour tout etre humain, sa volonte de guerison et de salut a l'egard de chacun.

Sœur Emmanuelle Billoteau,
ermite bénédictine

PRIONS EN EGLISE p.111

 GLEE no 1 in the U.S. charts

  TABLET ARTICLE CRITICISES LIBERATION THEOLOGY 12/12/09Pope Benedict is described in an article by Robert Micken as critical of a Brazilian University:  He, Pope Benedict,  refers us back to his 1984 instruction; Libertatis Nuntius. The Instruction "Libertatis Nuntius" - "Certain Aspects of the Theology of Liberation", stated the intention of the Congregation to publish a second document which would highlight the main elements of the Christian doctrine on freedom and liberation. "Between the two documents there exists an organic relationship. They are to be read in the light of each other.

"Visit The World Forum On Theology And Liberation site.

MURDERED SALVADOREAN PRIESTS HONOURED

The six priests murdered in 1989 in El Salvador have been given the state's highest honours. Read the CAFOD report:  click here

Jon Sobrino  on the "crucified poor! " 

visit The Archbishop Romero Trust

 From 1975 Yolocamba-Ita sang of the struggle in El Salvador. 

Hear their Homage to St Romero: and visit their website.

 In December 1989, Baricada, Nelson, Paul Moss and Quilombo Expontaneo, Sambatucada and Manu Ventura & Talvin Singh played two nights of concerts in London in commemoration.

Hear Nelson's Song for El Salvador

Barricada play Los Yankees,   Cadenas,  

 http://www.stopwar.org.uk/Troops out of AFGHANISTAN.