sumangali.org

Never Give Up!

Sumangali Morhall — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:32:20 +0000

It took 68-year-old Korean Cha Sa-soon 950 attempts to pass her driving test. She finally got her license yesterday, which she needs for her vegetable selling business. It took her four years and the equivalent of £2,600 (US$4,200), but most of all a truck-load of determination.

“I believe you can achieve your goal if you persistently pursue it,” she told Reuters news agency. “So don’t give up your dream, like me. Be strong and do your best.”

I was drawn to this article because it illustrates one of the key phrases of my meditation teacher, Sri Chinmoy: Never give up!

“Never give up, never give up!
Even if you lose your way
A great many times,
You must realise that your destination
Is sleeplessly expecting your arrival.”
–Sri Chinmoy
Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, 22346

Read the full article at BBC.co.uk

Ashrita’s Everywhere

Sumangali Morhall — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 20:55:37 +0000

Last night I was telling someone about Ashrita Furman’s Guinness World Record for holding the most Guinness World Records, and within an hour I discovered there were two articles in the UK news about his self-transcendence feats on the very same day. Not sure if that syncronicity, serendipity or spooky coincidence, but it’s definitely something beginning with ‘s’.

I’m familiar with Ashrita’s constant stream of record-breaking as he’s a fellow student of my meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy. He attributes his incredible capacity to the daily practice of meditation according to Sri Chinmoy’s teachings. Although I say I’m familiar with his records, it’s pretty hard to keep up, let alone remember all the facts and figures, and each one is more mind-blowing than the next. The Daily Mirror has listed all 98 of his current records in a handy list:

Daily Mirror Article 6th August 2009

The Telegraph has this full length article:
Telegraph Article 6th August 2009
and Photo gallery

Irish Joy

Sumangali Morhall — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:12:53 +0000

I spent last weekend in a country house just outside Dublin, an international gathering hosted by the Irish Sri Chinmoy Centre. As always we were treated like kings and queens, or at least lords and ladies of the manor in this case. The bucolic scenes, the healthful feasts, the air full of sweet green aroma, were all welcome condiments to the staple of meditation, games and singing to which we all look forward at Joy Weekends.

Pavitrata Taylor took some very classy photos as always, a larger selection of which you can see at Pavitrata.com. Joy Weekends are an integral part of life as a student Sri Chinmoy; a chance to get together with people from other Sri Chinmoy Centres, to share inspiration and a lot of fun.

OTHER JOY WEEKENDS:
A Day of Joy in the South of France
A Day of Joy in the North of France
A Day of Joy in Ireland
A Day of Joy in Scotland
A Day of Joy in Wales
A Day of Joy in England
In Celebration of Celebrations

World Heart Beat

Sumangali Morhall — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:14:40 +0000

I recently had the good-fortune of creating a website for a new venture in London: World Heart Beat Music Academy. Check out the finished site here. The project is the dream of my dear friend Sahana Gero, and I’m really proud to play even a small part of making it a reality. The motto is an excerpt from Sri Chinmoy’s writings:

“We are all truly unlimited, if we only dare to try…”
— Sri Chinmoy

Sahana’s dauntless enthusiasm and inspiration has for many years been the driving force behind the 51st State Band; a huge orchestra for children and young people in West London. The band performed last month at the Royal Festival Hall with jazz legend Julian Joseph. You can see videos and photos at 51stStateBand.org.

“The World Heart Beat Music Academy envisions a world where music, as a universal form of communication, bridges cultural, political, economic and linguistic barriers.

The Academy aims to bring the myriad of the world’s cultures together through music, providing an environment where all people can experience harmony with their fellow citizens and be empowered to create a feeling of identity and oneness with humanity at large.”

Home Is Where The Heart Is

Sumangali Morhall — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 21:00:54 +0000

A long time ago I sold most of my things, packed the rest in a case, and sank my savings on a one-way ticket to somewhere far away. It was by no means the first time I’d done it, not to mention the countless times I’d nearly done it, but it was the last. I was a dreamer, and an impulsive one at that, always looking for what other people called “home”. Had there been affordable tickets to the moon, I might have tried there. As it was, I planned to start in Thailand and work my way around Asia, as that seemed the likeliest continent.

I have mentioned a certain car accident in previous musings, and it’s perhaps worth mentioning again, as it was really far from accidental, or incidental. I was visiting another city to say some farewells, a week before my Asian departure. The drive almost prompted a departure from my earthly frame instead. Not only was my life miraculously saved though, it seemed replaced by a brand new one: new eyes, new ears, a new heart and new aspiration. What could, (and perhaps should), have been a disaster, was a mystifying blessing, and it changed me for good.

“What!? Will you live in a hut made of straw?” asked an incredulous school friend in her nice clean semi-detached house, nursing her nice clean child on one knee, as I drank tea on her matching 3-piece-suite. “Bangkok?? Do they have buildings there?” It was then I really wondered that we ever had anything in common, and it was then I realised that we no longer did. From various others I heard that Bangkok was especially AWFUL / unhygienic / unsafe / unsavoury / undesirable in every way. Needless to say I didn’t take their word for it, especially since none of them had been there.

Still euphoric from the previous week’s miracle, I fell hopelessly in love with Thailand, especially Bangkok. Nothing could repel me, so besotted was I. The scent of drying fish or the aroma of an open drain were only parts of a greater mystery, and thus enchanting. I lived in a state of wonder and thankfulness, a new-born child in a full-sized body, fervently exploring a world I’d so nearly just left behind on the westbound M5.

I arrived at the start of monsoon. From a veranda I would watch the sky as it jealously gathered navy blue cloud with long grey fingers, until its arms could hold no more, and the whole hoard was spilt on the earth at once. The traffic thickened and curdled, borders between road and path were eaten away by hungry torrents, where sandalled feet sloshed towards any cover they could find. It was at those times I liked to go for a walk.

I went out bare-headed, daring myself not to flinch as the salvo pummelled my back and shoulders. I would faintly distinguish the whites of eyes and the shouts of the locals as they insisted on my coming under whatever they had as shelter. Giving me up as a lost cause, and not wanting to save me badly enough to follow me into the deluge, they let me carry on to further shouts and gesticulations ahead. I found after my first outing that acid rain was the reason for the general uproar—the shirt I was wearing, washed and worn countless times, had bled its colour. My skin was dyed blue from the shirt and my eyes were ruddy, but it didn’t put me off doing it again. That sort of rain was made to be enjoyed.

That year bore the most extreme flooding for two centuries, which I considered highly auspicious. Everything seemed to carry on as normal, just at a slower pace, and with rolled up trousers. Shops stayed open, but just didn’t make use of the lower shelves. My favourite form of transport was the river bus, whose service was completely uninterrupted. It was the fastest way to anywhere, especially then, and my favourite haunts—the temples—were never far from one bank or another. It was all part of the fun wading knee or thigh high to the jetty through what was normally a boat terminal, discovering the hard way where each type of boat did and didn’t stop, and on which side of the river. No direction can be the wrong direction on an adventure anyway.

My favourite temple was Wat Pho—a 20-acre site with many elegantly spired temple buildings, and over 1000 images of Lord Buddha. I loved to visit the largest, reclining 46 metres long and painted gold. He lies in such a small temple building, that going inside is exquisitely overwhelming. I imagined he walked in there at human height, then expanded to fit the room in a huge golden bliss, and has stayed there ever since, smilingly in repose.

I loved the people most of all—their fine features, sweet smiles and refined etiquette. One only need witness the roadside industries and mobile market stalls to know that this is about as far from a defeatist or self-pitying race as it’s possible to be. A country that has resisted invasion for as long as Thailand would necessarily have a resilient strain, retaining depth and purity of culture, as well as a few quaint idiosyncrasies. Ironically, the country believed by my kinsmen to be frighteningly unevolved, I found to be far more civilised than my own; at least in the qualities that matter to me most. In soulfulness, sweetness, happiness, kindness, nobility, and respect for others, they are centuries or even millennia ahead.

I took a job teaching English to employees of a Japanese motorcycle company. My students would arrive around 7am and I would stay with them until they started their working day (whence my own work ended and my temple tourism commenced!). The lessons were not compulsory, but rather mildly encouraged by the employer, so those who turned up were of a particularly positive and grateful disposition, even for a particularly positive and grateful country. As a conversation exercise I once asked a lady with a modest vocabulary what she had done before coming to the office that morning. I expected she would know such words as “breakfast,” “toothbrush,” and so on, but that was not nearly enough. She had risen at around 4 to perform various complex medicinal tasks for her ailing mother in a different house, then to pray for around an hour in various ways, followed by the dressing, feeding and dispatch of various children into the care of others, so she could leave by 6.30 for a voluntary English lesson.

I adored them all, and got to know them well. Through such warm and open smiles as they had, vocabulary was no barrier to friendship. They asked me to eat with them on the evening of my last day. It was an elaborate outdoor restaurant with very traditional fare. They seemed hardly to eat at all, so busy were they passing me new things to try, and making sure my bowl was never less than half full. Every mouthful was watched by many pairs of eager eyes. There was a conspicuous table laden with wrapped boxes, which I naturally assumed was for another party. But then ensued a formal presentation for me, with accompanying speeches, followed by a box from each person. Apparently it is a high compliment to buy someone a gift for the home. I was soon trying to carry more huge decorated table lamps and carved wooden animals than I could even fit in a taxi. I gave them so little, and yet they seemed to receive so much. Ironically, I’m certain I learned much more from them than they learned from me. Also ironically, I was sure I had found home at last. Months later postcards would arrive at my mother’s house (the only sure address I could give) in neatly scribed and charmingly broken English, signed by one or all of them.

I once imagined I would stay there forever, but Destiny had other plans. She somehow convinced me that I was badly needed in England; that I should spend any money I’d saved on a one-way ticket back, and forget my love affair with Thailand. I dutifully obeyed, to find not only that I was not required where I thought I was, but neither was I welcome. I was in Bristol at the start of winter, a long way from family, and no longer knowing who my friends were. I had no money, nowhere to live, no job, no belongings, and no way to get back to my Asian “home”. I would have been inconsolable, had there been anyone there to console me. All the unutterable beauty and joy I’d seen in everything had gone, or at least I no longer had eyes for it.

Destiny knew what she was doing though. In tricking me to come back, she was giving me a deeper happiness than I could have imagined; it just took a little time to see it that way. Stripped of all I called safe and beautiful, I had no choice but to cry to God and to meditate. The seed of spiritual searching was sown a long time before, but it took some fairly arduous conditions for it to blossom.

My inner myopia healed completely within a year. Gradually, through Sri Chinmoy’s teachings, I discovered that building the outer life on a foundation of inner strength cements it into something infinitely more abiding, meaningful and beautiful. At last I realised, as Destiny had known all along, that home is where the heart is.

“Like the deer who runs
To and fro
Looking for the musk,
You will discover that
The supreme Reality
Is inside your heart.”
—Sri Chinmoy
From Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 16

Photograph by Kedar Misani

The Princess and the Pirate

Sumangali Morhall — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 15:07:11 +0000

During a recent trip to Bali a few friends and I performed a play for some of Sri Chinmoy’s students, based on two stories by Sri Chinmoy: The Sailor and the Parrot, and Light is the Only Wealth Worth Having.

Since we had a lot of fun with the performance, I thought I’d at least post the script here in case anyone is in the mood for humour (with a soulful twist of course)

Please note that no animals were harmed in this production. Katy the canary in fact stole the show, and should probably win some sort of award for being cute on demand, and for ‘playing dead’ when such was required.

THE PRINCESS AND THE PIRATE

CAST:
Pirate Venturo
King
Queen
Princess Fortuna
Duchess Fifi
Duchess Mimi
Prime Minister
Prince Admiral Alphonse
Sailor 1
Sailor 2
Monk 1
Monk 2
Angel

* * *

ACT 1, SCENE 1: AT THE PALACE

[Enter Pirate Venturo, secretly, hides behind thrones]
[Enter King & Queen, followed by Prime Minister]

KING:
Prime Minister, what news today of life beyond our borders?
Make it brief, the chef is soon to come and take our orders
And then we have a manicure at twenty-five past ten.

QUEEN:
Then probably when that is done we’ll need to eat again.
Surely it is splendid sport to reign as queen and king
But leaves short time for long reports, much less for idling.
And speak up, the King’s new hair does so affect his hearing.

PRIME MINISTER:
Majesties, a war is closer than I have been fearing.
To this matter I entreat your full and close attention.
Yes, the King’s new periwig does first deserve a mention
— The royal visage is within it admirably framed —
But I dread that noble head beneath it may be claimed:
Inside a year I dare predict a Southerly invasion,
Our little nation does not look so well in that equation.
For your safety I must urge a Northerly alliance;
Unlike manicures, the matter can afford no dalliance.
I propose a marriage match between Princess Fortuna
And Prince Admiral Alphonse, within six months or sooner.
As your only daughter the Princess’s role is crucial.
Her virtues and her lineage will make the profit mutual.
Prince Alphonse is first in line to his Father-Emperor’s throne.
(His love of gambling and his love of wine we must condone),
Let’s focus on his… bravery and… gallantry instead,
His stature and… his wit are sure to claim her fair young heart.
With your blessing certainly her hand would be a start.
Suppose you hold a ball for him tomorrow tonight or sooner,
There involve the Duchesses and fair Princess Fortuna,
Then will the Navy Fleet have all their joy of jolly dancing,
There the merry music and the finest wine enhancing
All the many merits of our small but noble land.
Before the night has sung its last the Prince will ask her hand,
Then our two countries, th’major and the minor, will be one,
(Pardon please my musical but quite amusing pun).

KING (to Queen):
What was that he said my dear? I hardly caught a word.
Something about dancing and the finest wine I heard.
He is indeed a lovely man, his waistcoats are fantastic,
But in speech he mumbles and his style is so… bombastic.

[Venturo listens to conversation, steals ornament from the Queen’s hair and exits]

QUEEN [loudly]:
He says this little land of ours is in a spot of danger.
If we treat the Northern Empire as a foe or stranger
We will be swallowed from the South… in some unpleasant way,
And so he says we must not waste a single night or day.
In order to avert this irreversible calamity
We must approach the Northern lands with courtesy and amity,
Offer to the Northern Emperor’s son our only daughter,
And thus the matter’s settled well, as blood’s thicker than water.
The North will naturally give their full and sure protection
Against a brute intrusion from a Southerly direction.
And so at once we must induce a favourable response
From the Northern (dashing brave) Prince Admiral Alphonse.

KING:
And so we hold a splendid ball at once with jolly dancing,
There the merry music and the finest wine enhancing
[Prime Minister joins in] All the many merits of our small but noble land.
That I heard! And then the Prince will surely ask her hand!
Wizard! Corking! Cracking! What a super duper plan!
There will not have been a finer ball since… time began.
I do so love these good excuses for a proper bash!
So much to prepare my dear, come, come, now we must dash!

[Exeunt (at a leisurely pace)]

* * *

ACT 1, SCENE 2: THE MASKED BALL

[Enter Queen, followed by Fortuna, followed by the Duchesses.
Fifi pauses to take a cake.]

QUEEN:
Come Fortuna! Now employ your finest regal charms.
Our country’s fate depends upon the way you hold your arms,
And maybe hold your tongue throughout the evening for a change;
I fear these Northern gentlemen may find your accent strange.
Stand straighter please, but gracefully, chin up, that’s it, eyes down,
Smile in moderation but don’t let me see you frown.
Tread as if your feet are downy feathers on the floor.
It’s up to you now to avert this nuisance of a war.
Duchess Mimi! Try to match your cousin’s good behaviour.
Duchess Fifi, come! Manners could be this country’s saviour.
Do not take the sweets or cakes and thus outgrow your dress!
Now do excuse me for a while, the King’s hair is a mess!

[Exit Queen]

FORTUNA: Oh cousins! I can scarcely breathe in my anticipation!
That we will meet the Northern Fleet defies imagination.
Fifi: I heard Prince Alphonse is stronger than a dozen men.
I heard he swam to Tuscany and then… straight back again!
And all the while he held aloft a standard in one hand
Displaying his own Navy crest.

MIMI:
I cannot understand
What drives a man to strive for so much valiance and strength.
It seems in feats of daring some will go to any length.
I heard that he once felled a tree with one stroke of his sword,
And with that self-same implement shaved it into a board
With which to plug a gaping hole beneath his own ship’s helm.
(And this I warn you ladies may your senses overwhelm)
He dove beneath the ocean and repaired it in one breath!
A full ten minutes! Any man would sooner meet his death!

FIFI:
Yes, and his heroic heart of goodness never fails.
What about the time he saved a family of whales
Who one by one had accidentally wandered to the shore.
(Here I must confess I’ve never seen a whale before
But I have heard they’re even bigger than our royal yacht.)
Undaunted though, the Prince Alphonse was out there like a shot
And on his shoulders lifted he each one without commotion
And gently placed it (belly downwards) back into the ocean.

MIMI:
Hush! The Prince’s entourage is on its way I think! [listens right]

[Enter Prince Alphonse & Sailors left to a sailing song]

FIFI:
Oh! My hands are trembling! Wait there, I need a drink.

[Runs away left, accidentally toward the entourage]

ALPHONSE (in a Yorkshire accent):
Land ahoy me’hearties! Let’s bring down the anchor here.
[to Fifi] Oh what a pretty thing have we? What is your name my dear?

FIFI:
Fff F… Fifi

ALPHONSE:
A little minuet I’m sure would see your stutters calmed.
Find me later, I can guarantee you won’t be harmed.

[Mimi tries to pull Fifi away]

ALPHONSE contd.:

And who is this? I see we have an even brighter gem
That glitters so divinely as on Heaven’s diadem.

MIMI: Mimi

ALPHONSE:
Yes you, you stammer like your sister, come on don’t be wary;
My combat skills are legend but with ladies I’m not scary.
We’ll talk about it later then, you needn’t be alarmed.

[Enter Queen hurriedly dragging King along, adjusting his hair]

QUEEN: Prince Alphonse! Your Highness, by your presence we are charmed!
Please do enjoy the feasting and the drinking and the dance!
Although it is a masked ball I won’t leave one thing to chance;
That fair young lady standing in the pale and seemly dress
Is our only heir and daughter, our Fortuna the Princess!
Prince Alphonse: Indeed, a regal bearing, I can sense it from afar.
In this glowing galaxy she seems the brightest star.

[Fortuna approaches timidly to join the Duchesses]

ALPHONSE contd.:
Majesties, how charmed am I to have your invitation.
As a rule I only socialise in moderation,
[Sailors cough]
But your timing’s perfect, for I’m seldom found at home.
[Sailors nod]
An Admiral (as I am), was forever born to roam.
My life is dedicated to my country’s preservation!
Saving lives has always been my foremost aspiration!
[Fifi swoons, Mimi catches]
(And… taking them of course whenever circumstance dictates)
I am setting sail tomorrow — with my merry mates —
On a swashbuckling and extremely dangerous quest.
The infamous Venturo, Pirate of the Southern Seas
Has been spotted by my lookout in the Channel of Belize,
So at dawn we leave to cross the perilous Atlantic!
As you can imagine my dear mother will be frantic,
But the foul Venturo has adventured long enough.
Now it’s time to show him Alphonse also can play tough!
[Mimi swoons, Fifi catches]

QUEEN: Oh! Belize! My goodness would you go to such a length?
There are many… closer… places to display your… strength,
And all for just one pirate? Is a he really such a threat?
Prince Alphonse: Yes, it is essential, for my honour is in debt!
Last year he ransacked all the wealthy harbours of the North,
He pillaged and he plundered and he looted back and forth,
Then broke into my father’s vault and stole his favourite crown,
But like a shadow in the night I never tracked him down.
He always lurks one step before me in his wicked fun.
This time I will show him all his trickery is done.

QUEEN: I hear… the weather will be turning dreadful overnight,
Are you certain it is wise to take such sudden flight?
You may meet your peril if you take that weighty chance!
Wait until you taste our wine! Now come and start the dance!

[Exeunt in pairs]

* * *

ACT 1, SCENE 3: LETTERS AT THE PALACE

[Enter Fortuna (centre) & Duchesses (left & right facing away) each reading letters privately to themselves]

MIMI: Mimi,
FORTUNA: Fortuna,
FIFI: Fifi,

(ALPHONSE’S VOICE):
Dearest, since I met you I have been in quite a trance
Remembering in detail every step of our last dance.
I am a blinded man now, one who looks but never sees,
My eyes are for you only, even here in bright Belize.
My heart is only yours, and I would send it in a jar.
Can you hear it beating for you even from afar?
Without you I’m like a… cracker that has lost its cheese,
A ship without a… shipment, or a forest without trees.
Every day I catch a… fish and name it after you,
Every night I make a wish and… wish it will come true:
That in a month I may return and look upon your face.
Truly you must know that nobody could take your place.
Signed by Prince Algernon Derek Reginald Alphonse
Ardently awaiting your alacritous response.
[Mimi and Fifi roll up their letters and exit]

(ALPHONSE’S VOICE contd.):
P.S. I do promise you my dear Princess FORTUNA:
I will return to marry you sometime… soon… or sooner.
Without you my humble life is ever incomplete.
More seemly and agreeable a girl I’ll never meet.
For company I send you this to while away the hours.
[Fortuna reveals a live bird in a cage]
It is a token of my love, like chocolates or flowers
But lasts a good while longer. Like my love it is alive.
Keep it by you as a sign of me ‘til I arrive.
Only in the farthest countries can one find this bird.
Such a sweet melodious voice you never will have heard.
It was the favourite of Venturo, whom I have beheaded;
That wicked pirate is long gone, no longer to be dreaded.
His treasured pet is now a trophy of my brave conquest.
I know you’ll be delighted, and I hope you are impressed.

FORTUNA:
Mama! Mama! I have the news we’ve waited for at last!
[Enter Queen]
Our days of fear and trembling are firmly in the past.
I have an offer from the Prince, he’s promised to return.
I have a letter from him full of fondness and concern.
He promised me that sometime soon we shall be man and wife.
Now our country is protected from all future strife.
And look! He sent me this fine bird as proof of his largesse,
But also it’s a symbol of his soldierly prowess!
Venturo he has found and he has valiantly vanquished!
Our seas are safe and now my Prince will be no longer anguished!
This was the pirate’s favourite pet, it is a living prize!
I’m overcome with gladness! What a manifold surprise!
Look how its eyes and feathers shine and sparkle in the sun!
It’ll be my dearest playmate, we will have no end of fun!

QUEEN:
Oh! I knew that he would fit his heart to our agenda;
I was sure we should not fail and to the south surrender.
Plus that wretched pirate now has met a sticky end.
The Prince was born to win your heart and our kingdom defend!
You have saved the dignity and pride of this whole land!
This bond will be invincible; no shifty rope of sand.
And what a lovely time to marry! Just before the spring!
Quickly, right this instant we must go and tell the king!
Then I’ll tell Prime Minister directly of the news!
He’ll be cock-a-leekie!… I mean he’ll be cock-a-hoop!
It’s not a bad idea though, I fancy a bowl of soup.
Go, I’ll catch you up, my feet are killing in these shoes.
(Lord, is there no limit to the price we pay for vanity?
This infinite discomfort is enough to claim my sanity)

[Exeunt]

* * *

ACT 1, SCENE 4: RETURN OF THE ADMIRAL

[Enter Princess, kills bird and rips up letters. Enter Queen.]

FORTUNA:
Three months have been wasted now, all in this fruitless wait.
Next I dread to wonder what will be our country’s fate.
That two-faced duplicitous insufferable betrayer!
That so-called dashing Prince I’ve found is nothing but a player!
He has written rhymes of love to both of the duchesses
And all the meantime his undying troth to me professes!
And one poem he has sent to each of us the same.
We are all but pieces in his sordid little game!
Anyway his poetry was genuinely appalling,
His letters, like his company, were far short of enthralling,
I heard he’s useless with a sword, and is a dreadful coward.
(I should have known at once the way his perfume overpowered.)
He didn’t fight the pirate and was nowhere near Belize,
He’s in Britain with no plans to cross the Southern Seas.
I have heard Venturo is as yet alive and well,
Last seen checking out of a 5-star French hotel.
Goodness knows where he is plotting his next buccaneering,
Plus we risk invasion now as we had long been fearing.

QUEEN: Oh my dear, have faith, perhaps there is an explanation,
Though of course I understand your anger and frustration.
Maybe he is only shy beneath that brave exterior,
And with his… modest… stature he is bound to feel inferior.
Some seem over-confident when they are truly… meek.
Give him another chance my dear for just another week.
Let us see if he returns and if he can explain.
His true nature and intentions we must ascertain;
These scant facts you have revealed need not be so sinister.
In the meantime I will seek the counsel of Prime Minister.

[Exit Queen]

FORTUNA (crying):
What happened to the days gone by of honour and nobility?
What are words and wit in lieu of goodness and integrity?
…Invertebrate, unmannerly, unmanly, ham-fisted,
Pompous pom-pom! Treacherous, chicken-chested, limp-wristed,
Spongy, sissy, cowardy-custard with a heart as yellow
As a … bullfrog’s eye, and an eye as … Oh hello!
[Enter Prince Alphonse]

[Enter Angel, stands behind Fortuna, blesses her and exits.]

ALPHONSE:
Fortuna, noble lady, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.
Though it is true I am as bloodthirsty as a fruit bat,
I couldn’t fight my way out of an open paper bag,
All I learned in navy school was how to boast and brag.
My favourite sport is playing cards, I’m not too bad at poker,
But exercise just does me in, I’m that much of a smoker.
I couldn’t swim to save my life, how’s that for an Admiral?
And jogging in this get-up is a terrible rigmarole.
I admit it, I’m a fraud, I’m sorry that I lied.
In coming back at last… at least… I put aside my pride.
Today I mean to see an end to all t’tears you’ve been shedding.
I promised you I would return and we would have a wedding,
I must say I have a very slightly… different plan,
But you’re mature, and I’m quite sure you’ll take it like a man.
As consolation for my insolence and impropriety
I invite you to remain always in my society.
Though not our wedding, I could take you to a wedding party,
There I fully guarantee the welcome will be hearty.
I have met… another girl, I’ll wed her now in spring.
[Fortuna almost faints, angel catches]
I really couldn’t help myself, she has me on a string.
I’ve fallen hook line and sinker, I’ve quite lost my head,
So I hope you’ll be to her like a sister instead.
Really I meant to return and be your loyal husband,
But I was up in t’Hebrides, and… no man is an island,
And… there she was all dressed in sacks — been working on the farm —
Sling-ful of turnips on her back, ten piglets in one arm,
Puffing from a great long pipe, sat on a cask of cider.
Something melted in my heart when I sat down beside her.
At that moment I resolved: who cares about her breeding!
I’ve no backbone myself, that’s the woman I’ve been needing!
Actually I already married her last week.
[Fortuna almost faints again, angel catches]
I told another lie to you, can you believe my cheek?
She already is my Mrs., and I am her… Mister.
I will bring her here tomorrow, and she’ll be your sister.
[Fortuna starts to cry, then so does Alphonse]

FORTUNA:
Prince Alphonse, I’m sorry I insulted you so gravely.
I shall choose to take this news respectfully and bravely.
I was… distracted… when I found you’d written to my cousins,
And you had been courting other ladies … by their dozens,
But I suppose it surely is perfectly natural
And logical for an Admiral to admire … all.
My language was unholy, unbefitting a princess.
What’s more I have been far from rational, I must confess.
I tore up all your letters, and I slaughtered that poor bird,
Though … if you were in earshot you’d possibly have heard.
[Alphonse nods]
I have been dishonest from the start, it must be said,
I did not love you much at all, it was a ploy instead.
I only sought to use you as a shield from invasion,
And as luck would have it you needed little persuasion.
It was a clumsy trick and I am terribly ashamed.
In this awful tragedy I’m really to be blamed.
What is to become of us, we surely cannot tell,
But this must be good-bye now, and I truly wish you well.
[Exit Alphonse]

FORTUNA: Mamaaaaaa!
[Exeunt]

* * *

ACT 2, SCENE 1: KING AND QUEEN PLAN AT THE PALACE

[Enter Venturo (secretly), King & Queen, Prime Minister, Fortuna (secretly)]

[King now holds aside his hair when others speak]

QUEEN:
Prime Minister! Well what a dreadful mess your plan has left!
That awful Prince has snubbed us, poor Fortuna is bereft!
We cannot afford to take your counsel on this matter!
One more two-faced suitor and our daughter’s heart may shatter!
We insist that you assist in bringing her true peace!
We cannot rule the country on the back of your caprice!
[Angel enters and blesses King]

KING:
She is such a good girl, she would never hurt a fly
(Although that bird did come off rather badly by and by).
She has spirit but she is a truly… soulful thing.
In most circumstances so much wisdom does she bring.
Yes, we are in danger from the South still, as you’ve said,
(I am likely to forego my crown if not my head),
But I think it best that we let God be our Defender;
Not unto the South but to the Heavens let’s surrender.
I say that we give Fortuna a more spiritual life;
How could she be happy as a military wife?
It is plain: to please us was the reason she agreed
To all this Admiral nonsense, now God bless us she is freed.
If we let her live as God intended in His Game,
She is sure to bring us luck and live up to her name.

PRIME MINISTER:
Majesties my heartfelt apology I submit,
Please proceed to rule this kingdom as you both see fit.
Too long have you struggled with my mind as your dictator,
Your two gentle hearts combined are infinitely greater.
I have been of service to you forty-seven years,
And I always dreaded it may one day end in tears.
My judge of character has led me to a grave mistake,
The one I thought the hero has admitted he’s a fake.
Please allow me one last act of aid in my employment,
Or I’ll live out all my days in penitence and torment.

KING:
Excellent, I’ve always known you were a decent chap,
Let’s forget our differences, and this awkward mishap.
What say you find her a new spouse who leads the life monastic?
Most may shun you, though the opportunity’s fantastic.
He will have our kingdom — or whatever still remains —
And dear Fortuna will at last be free from earthly chains.
We have seen monks praying at the river in the morning.
Go and do a reconnoitre while tomorrow’s dawning.
See if you can ask them while they’re praying by the water
Which of them is willing to be wedded to our daughter.
Any man would love our fair princess to be his bride,
But most saintly people are reluctant to be tied.

FORTUNA:
Mother, Father I have overheard your conversation,
I always obey your wishes without hesitation.
But to hear you speaking thus has moved my heart to tears.
Your two hearts of love are sure to quell our country’s fears.
I have pondered many hours since my sad discovery,
Now my aching heart has found immediate recovery.
Father’s right, I cannot find true happiness in status.
My spell of disillusionment came as a cold hiatus.
My heart and head so full of doubts, like walking through a storm,
Now I’ve reached a turning point, returning to the warm.
I know I must trust my heart now; Father’s words are true.
I must marry one who’s made of goodness through and through.
I would follow all your decisions without complaint,
But yes, I would be happiest if I could wed a saint.
I’m too shy to go out and investigate myself;
Prime Minister please do ensure I’m not left on the shelf.
[Exit Prime Minister (humbly), and Venturo (hurriedly)]

QUEEN:
Dearest girl, I always knew your outlook was unique.
I can almost see our golden future as you speak.
I first thought your father’s plan was far beneath our dignity,
But he’s right, in order to create an opportunity
Of finding you a simple man devoted to religion,
We must try to tone down our highhandedness a smidgeon.
Fortuna, you will always be our brightest joy and treasure.
We may be a bit batty, but we love you without measure.
[Exeunt]

* * *

ACT 2, SCENE 2: MONKS AT THE RIVER

[Enter monks followed by Venturo dressed as a monk]

[Enter Prime Minister]

PRIME MINISTER:
By order of the King and Queen I come here for research,
I have a proposition for you good men of the church.
I have come to seek a husband for the fair Princess:
Fortuna the most radiant possessor of finesse,
Of graceful elegance, propriety, beneficence.
Whose pure heart itself is a rare gem of magnificence.
(Plus she is the royal couple’s only child and heir,
So she’ll inherit everything without the need to share).

MONK 1:
How dare you come and taunt us with your nauseating bargain!
You revolting viper, spouting foul temptatious jargon!
So the Princess needs a husband, and you think we’d care?
Be gone now from this sacred place or you’ll pollute our air!

PRIME MINISTER:
Do you know who I am you little sack-clothed inconsequence?
I could have you put in prison just for thoughts of insolence,
And yet you speak as freely as a fish wife at her stall.
It seems you do not know how to preserve your life at all.

MONK 2:
Nothing you can say or do will convince me to marry;
On my road to God a wife is but a rock to carry.
How can I go forward with a yoke around my neck?
Even if the King came here and wrote me a blank cheque,
Even if you say you’ll drown me, burn me at the stake,
Deep fry me in boiling oil, I’ll not make the mistake
Of squandering my life on gold or on a woman’s beauty.
My vocation is in prayer, and I’ll not shirk my duty.

PRIME MINISTER (to Venturo):
You seem… different… to the others; you have peace and poise,
While these fellows seek to crush my ears with their noise.
As it seems they have no clear intention to relent,
May I take your silence as a sign that you consent?

[Venturo remains silent]

MONK 1:
Shame, shame, shame! He has cast a slur upon us,
He does not defend us while this sinner tries to con us,
Turns up out of nowhere dressed like one of our good kind,
(He didn’t much disturb us so we didn’t much mind),
Now he is agreeing to be married with this silence,
What a coward, falling for this rascal’s threat of violence!
Agreeing without question to a life of earthly pleasure,
Living out his days in idle luxury and leisure!

VENTURO:
And you strut about like you’re the spiritual aristocracy,
I am so disgusted with your heinous hypocrisy.
You’re all talk, you reckon that you’ve conquered your desires.
You are not true saints, but filthy counterfeits and liars.
Outwardly you say you have no care for earthly life,
That you’d rather be deep fried in oil than have a pretty wife,
But inwardly you crave a life of opulence and pleasure.
Your impurities are far too plentiful to measure.
I may not be perfect but at least I am sincere,
In writing off the outer life I’m not so cavalier.
I have not transcended yet the outer earthly senses,
But I cannot overcome them merely by pretences.
I will marry her, and sooner realise the Supreme,
Than these dishonest fellows merely living in a dream.
I will slowly transcend my desires one by one.
Instead of just pretending all my inner work is done.

PRIME MINISTER:
Excellent! At last I found a level-headed saint!
The Princess and your worthy self, I shall at once acquaint!
[Exit Prime Minister]

MONK 2:
Well I never! Such discourtesy is a disgrace!
Come, brother, I can stand no more, we have to leave this place!
His company is far beneath us! Marriage is frustration,
Frustration is destruction, but we want illumination!
We must dedicate our lives to prayer to win delight.
This fellow is deluded, I am sure our way is right!

[Exit Monks]

[Venturo paces up and down, anguished, enter Angel blessing him, he then stands with hands folded and head bowed in prayer]

[Enter Prime Minister & Princess]

PRIME MINISTER:
I have brought the Princess to you as I said I would.
Won’t you let her see your face? Do please remove your hood.

[Venturo removes hood, then removes robe altogether to reveal pirate clothes]

VENTURO:
Prime Minister I must confess that I have changed my mind.
I know that she is beautiful, courageous and refined,
And she will inherit quantities of earthly wealth.
I thought I’d truly care for her in sickness and in health.
In a twinkling I thought I’d bestow on her my heart,
And spend my life beside her until death would make us part.
But I’m not a monk; I am a thieving buccaneer,
I’m nowhere near as saintly as my robes made me appear.
I am Venturo, bravest and the fastest with a sword,
The strongest and the smartest, but I can’t take this reward.
I could defend this country just depending on my wit
And an army of a hundred, but I cheated, I admit.
I overheard the King when his idea was devised,
So I ran ahead of you, but heavily disguised.
In truth it was the money that encouraged me to do it,
But how can money be enough? Just as you left I knew it.
I can have the Princess and her wealth by telling lies,
But if I pray sincerely — not just in a monk’s disguise —
I will attain the highest Truth, real happiness will follow.
The wealth I gain by trickery is tenuous and hollow.
She is beautiful, but she is blossoming in youth.
God’s Attraction is immortal; it is born of Truth.
I’ve plundered and I’ve pillaged and I’ve looted here and there,
But from today I dedicate my life to Truth and prayer.

[Enter Angel]

ANGEL:
Venturo, I am pleased with your conviction and sincerity,
But allow me to augment your notion of prosperity.
You must marry the Princess but you will still find Truth.
Your past is now behind you, it was greedy and uncouth.
I am happy that your days of thievery are gone,
I am giving you the wealth of Spirit from now on.
This you must combine with money power to succeed.
Your life’s inner cry has reached the highest height indeed,
You have inner light now, and your life is truly blessed,
But you need the outer wealth to make it manifest.
Use this wealth to serve the Truth that now abides inside you.
Heed my words and trust in me, have faith that I will guide you.
I unite you; from this day you will be man and wife,
Spirit of the inner, matter of the outer life.
Fortuna, your husband needs your full and sure assistance.
As one you’ll have a happy and harmonious existence.
With him you will realise God much sooner than without.
With her you will please the Absolute without a doubt.
The King and Queen are getting old, it soon will be your turn.
Defend the land with courage, kindness, honour and concern.
Realise God, manifest God, and God you will fulfil.
In oneness you have every strength, and strength you will instill.
This country will be safe if you abide by this one principle:
When the inner and the outer work as one they are invincible.

[Venturo and Fortuna bow down to Angel]

[Enter all]

* * *

THE END

* * *

Immortality’s Flame-Waves

Sumangali Morhall — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 11:25:20 +0000

Okay, I’m talking about work again, but when work is this much fun you’ll have to let me off. I’ve just finished a website for IMMORTALITY’S FLAME-WAVES — an all-female theatre company based in London. They have been exclusively performing the stories of Sri Chinmoy since 1993, around Europe, the US and Canada.

I’ve been lucky enough to see quite a few of their performaces in past years, and have found them spell-binding. The stories chosen by director Dipika Smith are not the easiest to convey, often covering a broad gamut of human and Divine experience, but the result is always spectacular, moving and colourful; creative while remaining transparent enough to allow the original story to shine through.

So designing and bulding the website was a captivating project, and great fun. I hope you have time to visit and leave your comments. I still keep visiting from time to time, even though I know what’s in there like the back of my hand — I just can’t get enough of the twinkly flash header and the lights that go on and off on the home page.

Photography Website: Unmukta.com

Sumangali Morhall — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:41:31 +0000

I know it’s the most overused intro to a blog post, but I’ve resisted it this long, and it’s true… sorry I’ve been too busy to post lately! So in an attempt at combining leisure with occupation, here’s what I’ve been busying myself with this week: UNMUKTA.COM

This is my latest website: a portfolio for amateur photographer Unmukta Gerretsen of the Netherlands. It was a very enjoyable project, as I love good photography, especially travel photography. So far it covers 18 different countries, but there will probably be more in future. Hope you have time to visit; it’s a really relaxing and beautiful collection of portraits, landscapes and unusual slices of life from around the world.

See my web and print portfolio at purewebdesigns.co.uk

Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa

Sumangali Morhall — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:59:10 +0000

Miyamoto Musashi is Japan’s most famous swordsman. The account of his life, meticulously researched and documented by Eiji Yoshikawa in the 1930s, was carefully crafted into English by Charles S Terry 50 years later; a work transparent enough to preserve Yoshikawa’s exquisite poetic style.

This is ostensibly a book of swordsmanship, and includes its share of martial combat, but that element is neither gratuitous nor glamourised – it serves to support rather than blemish the story’s purpose. Musashi transforms himself from a brute and selfish thug, to a hero of great depth and honour. Through the teachings of Takuan Soho and through his own self-discipline and one-pointedness, he transcends his natural capacities in the pursuit of his life’s mission.

Although Musashi was the maven of martial arts in his time, Yoshikawa portrays his many human aspects so as to bring his character into real and living relief – not a mere legend, but a man struggling with failings and weaknesses, in whom one can surely glimpse one’s own self. Never coldly observing from outside any character, Yoshikawa becomes the character and writes straight from that beating heart, or racing mind, or pulsing body. Each character has its place in the tale and its own unique lesson for the reader.

Yoshikawa’s research is such that every angle of the culture and every level of the social hierarchy is revealed in robust detail. The writing is complete and completely satisfying, pristine and elegant. No single word is superfluous, yet no detail is trivial enough for exclusion. One may well take any sentence from any of the 970 pages and let it stand as a striking, intriguing work of prose.

More graceful than grisly, this is the account by one master of another master’s life. Whether you choose to read this book for its historical content, its study of martial arts, its celebration of Japanese culture, its portrayal of human transcendence, or simply as a heroic piece of writing, you will not be disappointed.

The Scent of Green Papaya

Sumangali Morhall — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:32:19 +0000

I revisited one of my favourite films last week. Every time I see it I love it more.

Masterfully directed by Tran Anh Hung, it follows the life of a Vietnamese servant girl in 1950s Saigon. The characters are subtly contrasted — male with female, young with old, decadent with diligent, selfish with satisfied, exposing the wide gamut of human experience.

This film heightens the senses — the attention to detail is exquisite. The photography is a feast in itself, like visual poetry, and with not a word wasted. Each sound is carefully placed, whether evoking the refinement of eastern culture or the simple elegance of nature.

It thus invokes my reverence for nature and my empathy for humanity. It awakens me to the flow of life and to my surroundings, however simple — after all, the whole set of the film is little more than a few rooms.

These ingredients are more than enough for me to return to the feast again and again, but what I love most is its message, like a constant heartbeat throughout: that duty is at once strong and beautiful, that humility and service win happiness, and that all we need is already within us.