The great qualities of Enlighten-ment

Thor's mailbox was filled with reminders that he was, among his many traits, a hallower of human places, things, and events . . .

“Hear me, my chiefs; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.” Those are the words spoken today in 1887 by Nez Perce Chief Joseph after surrendering to U.S. Cavalry troops at Bear’s Paw, Montana. He had led 300 members of his tribe on a 1,000-mile trek in an attempt to escape to Canada instead of being forced to resettle on barren land in Oklahoma.

Birthdays today:

Neil deGrasse Tyson. The astrophysicist and author was born on this day in 1958 New York City.

The “Father of the Space Age,” Robert Goddard, was born 141 years ago today in 1882 Worcester, Massachusetts.

Maya Lin, the designer/architect of the Vietnam War Memorial (Washington, D.C.), was born today in 1959 Athens, Ohio.

Events on this date:

The Nobel Peace Price was awarded to Lech Wałęsa on this day in 1983. He helped form and led (1980–90) then communist Poland’s first independent trade union, Solidarity.

And, speaking of the Nobel, Jon Fosse, a Norwegian master of spare Nordic writing, received the Nobel Prize in literature today.

The only way to acquire all the great qualities of Enlighten-ment is to repeat many times the short moments of recognizing
mind essence: Being aware of being aware. There is no other method. One reason for short moments is that, as there is no stability … the recognition of awareness doesn’t last for more than a brief moment, whether we like it or not. By practicing many times, we get used to it. – Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche