Åpen kirke

Dette har jeg ventet på lenge.

Korsfarernes seier

I slaget ved Presidentpalasset vant korsfarerne. Egentlig kalt korsriddere på folkemunne i Polen men det det blir litt feil på norsk som bruker Den tyske orden. Jeg fulgte ikke så godt med debatten rundt saken og vet derfor ikke om den ble omtalt i norske media. Men her er den på engelsk.

Og slik kjempet de til siste blod:





Lady Mju blir sliten av å se på disse videoopptakene, mens Grumpy Old Pole blir først rasende og så beskjemmet. Så overskriften burde kanskje heller blitt Grumpy Old Pole raser over korsets forsvarere?

Noe å tygge på

Gravalvor

Interessant artikkel om en særegen form for vandalisme i et land jeg ikke forstår. Les det hos BBC News Africa.

Aktelse for bøker og respekt for steiner

Sist onsdag fikk jeg muligheten til å besøke Gurdwaraen i Oslo. Det var særlig ritualene knyttet til Guru Granth Sahib som gjorde inntrykk på meg. Tenkte litt på hvordan flere religioner viser aktelsen for sine hellige bøker. Inntil for fem minutter siden var jeg ikke klar over at ufullstendige eksemplarer av Guru Granth Sahib kremeres og begraves, noe som ytterligere understreker respekten for Guruen i bokform.

På youtube fant jeg bare den første halvdelen av de daglige ritualene men les nedenfor for videre beskrivelse...



Hentet herfra

Bringing the Granth to the Prayer Hall. In the morning, Guru Granth Sahib is brought to the prayer hall carried from its room on head, singing the Shabads - the Holy Hymns. If another person is there, he or she follows working a Chaur - hair-wisp, over it. The Granth - Holy Book, is placed on the Peerhee - cot, a low small bed.

Short Invocation. Standing before Guru Granth Sahib, a short Ardas - invocation, is said and then singing or saying appropriate Holy Hymns, it is gracefully, reverently, unwrapped and opened at about its middle. A Palak - cloth-sheet, is placed on each side of the Holy Book, its setting is checked, needed adjustments are made, and is covered with Romalas - cloth sheets, scarves. To learn, watch someone doing it.

Opening the Holy Granth. Working a wisp over it, it is uncovered again and Hukam - Order of the Guru, is read out from where it had already been opened. The Hukam, Vaak, or Shabed, is reading of a Holy Hymn at random. - mostly from about the middle part where at the Granth was opened. As well, it is commonly called a Hukam-Namah, but literally it means a written order.

Hukam - Inspiration. The Hukam is taken (the Holy Hymn is read) from top of the left page (right of the Granth), from its start - may be it starts on the back of this page (at the previous page). In a Gurdwara, it may be kept open at this page and covered for others to read or listen to this first Hukam of the day i.e. that of the morning. In the homes, this page is covered with a few pages from the right (left of the Book), and anyone may take a new (fresh) personal Hukamat any time. This is standard procedure, but its variations are there.

The Holy Presence - In the prayer hall, Guru Granth Sahib - the Holy Book, is kept open on the raised platform, for the Gurdwara-Session. Unless someone is reading out of it, the Holy Book is covered with nice, clean, cloth sheets.

[...]

Taking Guru Granth Sahib for Rest - Chhotee Ardas, second time. Guru Granth Sahib should not be closed till Parshad has not been distributed.

When the Gurdwara session, or a program elsewhere is complete, a Shabad (Hymn) is recited from the Holy Book as before (from its left top), in the usual voice. It is reverently closed and wrapped in sheets. A Chhotee Ardas is said again, and a request is made to the Guru to permit taking it to the place of its rest. This Chhotee Ardas is the same as said at the time of opening the Holy Book.

After Chhotee Ardas, Sangat keeps standing, the Holy Granth is carried on the head, going around the cot (platform) from the left (anti clockwise), it is taken to its special room. It is done in the form of a small procession, singing Gurbani, and working Chaur (moving wisp) over it. After respectfully placing it on the bed there, all say Jaikara (slogan), “Jo bolae so nihaal, Satsri-Akal.” See “Sukh Asan.”

Det minner meg om en gravlundsvokter i den gamle jødiske gravlunden i Lublin i Polen som omtalte gravsteiner som om de var mennesker og kalte dem ved fornavn og etternavn for så å beskrive skader på steinen. Klikk på lenken og skroll litt nedover på siden. Oppe til høyre finner man også den engelske teksten der man kan lese at densamme vokteren døde for noen år siden. Tiden flyr.