From The Ancient Sage by Alfred Tennyson A thousand summers ere the time of Christ From out his ancient city came a Seer Whom one that loved, and honour’d him, and yet Was no disciple, richly garb’d, but worn From wasteful living, follow’d—in his hand A scroll of verse—till that old man before A cavern whence an affluent …
Tag: greg hake
The Seeker and the Sought
THE QUEST by James H. Cousins They said: ‘She dwelleth in some place apart, Immortal Truth, within whose eyes Who looks may find the secret of the skies And healing for life’s smart!’ I sought Her in loud caverns underground,-- On heights where lightnings flashed and fell; I scaled high Heaven; I stormed the gates of …
Moral Energy
"Every conquering temptation represents a new fund of moral energy. Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before."- William Butler Yeats Life, in a nutshell, is the passage from innocence through temptation to either virtue or vice. What will you make of your life …
The Day is Done
THE DAY IS DONE By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow The day is done, and the darkness Falls from the wings of Night, As a feather is wafted downward From an eagle in his flight. I see the lights of the village Gleam through the rain and the mist, And a feeling of sadness comes o'er me …
Moral Collection
My wonderful horse, a large and long Hanoverian named Leo, has taught and continues to teach me a great many lessons about life. One of the latest centers around a concept which is just beginning to germinate in the soil of my mind, one that the classical riding masters called rassembler. Rassembler or "collection" as we …
The Best in Us
"When we first came to the Spanish Riding School three years ago, you said we'd be expected to give the best that was in us, that you would settle for no less. And as time passed, we saw that you meant it. It was difficult because I don't think any of us knew what the …
Caricatures of Former Greatness
The idea that we are always evolving from a simpler, coarser state to one that is more complex and refined is commonly held, but is it always true? I have found many cases in my short life which give evidence to the contrary, where well-developed bodies of knowledge were abandoned for new and supposedly better …
Dethrone the Tyrant
Rebecca Gilliver, principal cellist of the London Symphony Orchestra tells the story of a conversation she had with Sandro Laffrancini, principal cellist at La Scala about a particularly challenging top shift he played flawlessly over and over again in her LSO Master Class for the Cello. She asked what his secret was and he said …
Expressing Outward
When most people talk about their hobbies, they say things to the effect that: "It's what I like to do," "It makes me happy" or "It's my passion." Those who don't have hobbies tend to feel a little guilty or ashamed that they don't and for good reason (though maybe not the one you might …
Honor Bred
To a Friend Whose Work Has Come to Nothing by William Butler Yeats Now all the truth is out, Be secret and take defeat From any brazen throat, For how can you compete, Being honor bred, with one Who were it proved he lies Were neither shamed in his own Nor in his neighbors' eyes; …
Gregory Hake 