Lately, this movie kept flashing in my mind. "Okuribito" means departure. I had it watched two years ago and that was how long it took me to pen this down.
The movie started by introducing Daigo (the main actor) as an enthusiastic man, having fulfilled his dream by becoming a cellist in a symphony in Tokyo. No sooner than his first performance, events suddenly took an unfortunate turn when he received the devastating news that the group would be disbanded, which would mean leaving him jobless. Broken but comforted by his wife, both of them decided to start all over at his old hometown.
After some time of job searching, he came across a classified entitled "Departure", assuming that it was a travel-related job advertisement. Money concerns hung over his family. Left with no other options, he dropped his most desired ambition and went for the job interview halfheartedly, only to find that the job was actually for an "encoffineer" (Nokanshi) - to prepare the dead for the burial. It was an undesirable job. In fact, a "taboo" among the society. It required one to clean the body and the facial of the deceased in a ceremony immersed in tradition. In fact, in his first case, he had to endure the gruesome ordeal of working on a deceased who had passed weeks away in an unfortunate manner before she was discovered. He was physically, mentally and emotionally spent. Although, he tried his best to keep it a secret, rumor had its way to his wife. When she learnt about his new job, she could not accept it and threatened to leave him.
While his wife and others despise his job, he soon discovered a hidden passion to master the art of "Nokanshi. In the midst of dealing with the deceased, he found himself as a breach between the deceased and the living. Some complicated relationships between the deceased and the living were resolved during the ceremony. And some sour relationships were turned into joy once again. While no one understood him, they offered this level of empathy and appreciation for his work. It came at a cost.
What moved me the most was not so much of the appreciation part. Rather, it was a clip where he sat outside the open greens below the pale blue sky playing on his cello...The scene was beautiful and magical! The melodious piece of music that birth forth out of a heart of brokenness, of dying to self, of humility and a heart of gratitude made it all the more beautiful...He didn't need the inspiration to perform in an orchestra setting with full packed audience. He already had the universe listening to him even though no men were present. He had already realized his dream.
Somehow, it just reminded me of the same vision that I received on the ice skater. If you have time, i recommend you to watch this movie - "Okuribito" aka "Departure".
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Monday, June 11, 2012
The Call to 'HIS' Approval
I could no longer contain the sequel of thoughts that have been lingering in my mind. They were as if piling laundry hidden in the wardrobe awaiting to tumble down at any time. Plus, it's been AGES since I last wrote. Recently, I gave up on the attempt of capturing a vision that I had received some years ago into the form of drawings. I recognized my limitation, knowing what my hand could produce would not be able to justify the awesomeness of the whole thing, which also led me to relinquish to the fact that there could be a reason behind- to let it just remain imprinted in my mind. Hence, my attempt to simply translate the vision into words.
It was on a typical Sunday morning in a church service setting, "an unexpected intrusion of beauty" happened. I recalled my eyes were closed and I could hear the worship team playing some tune on the backdrop. In the vision, I found myself being ushered into a pitch dark-setting. Then, a stream of light was cast in the middle, gently lifting the blanket of darkness, revealing what seemed to be an ice skating ring. There stood a skater, posing in poised and looking upward. She started wheeling herself around the ring as the light trailed her at every point. I will never forget that smile of assurance on her lovely face as she formed into a 'spiral' movement. Every move was noticeably graceful and confident. I watched in amazement, enthralled by the beauty and her flawless performance. And then, the breath-holding moment came when she slowed down at a corner and braced herself before she made a jump, soaring into the air and started spinning herself for the first, followed by a second..and the third time! She nailed it, landed safe and smoothly. Then, she secured herself in a position where she started spinning herself up maneuvering her arm to resemble a swan. Because of the speed and the lights reflected from her garment, it looked like a spinning ball of blue crystal. It was awesome! She slowed down and finally came to a stop looking up to the spotlight. Her countenance was beamed with joy and radiance.
I felt it was as if I was standing outside of what was actually taking place. No applause, no cheers no praises heard from the crowd. I observed that there was not a single soul present behind the ring! The smile on her face...oh that smile...it told so much of her joy and satisfaction. All that seemed to be coming forth from a deep communion with the light. She knew that she was being watched from above and that was all that mattered to her most. And that was it. She knew 'HE' was smiling back from above. It was as if she was designed to perform just for the pleasure and delight for 'HIM' alone. She had 'HIS' approval.
I would not say I've fully taken hold of it, eventually, I believe every encounter will help me gain a deeper insight and lead me to its greater mystery that is yet to unfold.
It was on a typical Sunday morning in a church service setting, "an unexpected intrusion of beauty" happened. I recalled my eyes were closed and I could hear the worship team playing some tune on the backdrop. In the vision, I found myself being ushered into a pitch dark-setting. Then, a stream of light was cast in the middle, gently lifting the blanket of darkness, revealing what seemed to be an ice skating ring. There stood a skater, posing in poised and looking upward. She started wheeling herself around the ring as the light trailed her at every point. I will never forget that smile of assurance on her lovely face as she formed into a 'spiral' movement. Every move was noticeably graceful and confident. I watched in amazement, enthralled by the beauty and her flawless performance. And then, the breath-holding moment came when she slowed down at a corner and braced herself before she made a jump, soaring into the air and started spinning herself for the first, followed by a second..and the third time! She nailed it, landed safe and smoothly. Then, she secured herself in a position where she started spinning herself up maneuvering her arm to resemble a swan. Because of the speed and the lights reflected from her garment, it looked like a spinning ball of blue crystal. It was awesome! She slowed down and finally came to a stop looking up to the spotlight. Her countenance was beamed with joy and radiance.
I felt it was as if I was standing outside of what was actually taking place. No applause, no cheers no praises heard from the crowd. I observed that there was not a single soul present behind the ring! The smile on her face...oh that smile...it told so much of her joy and satisfaction. All that seemed to be coming forth from a deep communion with the light. She knew that she was being watched from above and that was all that mattered to her most. And that was it. She knew 'HE' was smiling back from above. It was as if she was designed to perform just for the pleasure and delight for 'HIM' alone. She had 'HIS' approval.
I would not say I've fully taken hold of it, eventually, I believe every encounter will help me gain a deeper insight and lead me to its greater mystery that is yet to unfold.
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Jesus, the Bread of Life?
John 6:
25When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?"
26Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
28Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"
29Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
30So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"
32Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
34"Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread."
35Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. 36But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
25When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?"
26Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
28Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"
29Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
30So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"
32Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
34"Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread."
35Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. 36But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
Friday, September 04, 2009
sad yet profound...
just remembered an excerpt taken from Memoirs of Geisha, by Arthur Golden:
"What an unbearable sorrow it would be, to realize I'd never really tasted the things I'd eaten, or seen the places I'd been, because I'd thought of nothing but the Chairman even while my life was drifting away from me."
----------------------------------------------------------
i dunno about you but i cud identify myself with Sayuri (the woman whose story's been told in the book). For Sayuri, Chairman had become the center of everything in her life...every steps that she took was driven by the intention of getting nearer to the Chairman...to a certain extent, i admire her for confessing the statement out loud...it's a bold statement...sad but true...at least, she realized it...
i guess it may not be something uncommon...sometimes, on one extreme, we plan, strategize and take every steps necessary to achieve certain goals in lives...it cud be anything - be it a relationship, success, financial stability, freedom, marriage and the list goes on...On the other extreme, we cud be one passing by each day going through the routine of work and life without knowing for who and for what and why...questioning and searching...the cycle goes on...i think..whether we are on one extreme or on the other, we may find ourselves eating our heart and mind out...
what Sayuri had shared and written by Arthur Golden beautifully depicts something in the little journey i have been walking...while i was driving one day, i felt a sudden joy...i can't fully explain...i took a deep breath and was glad that i cud breathe...sound silly but every breath that i took was like dosage of ecstasy...it was like a sudden realization of joy and appreciation of having life...being able to breathe...i smiled and i thanked God...the next thing i heard in my heart..."whether u walk in gladness and in sorrow in life from now on, u will have life abundantly when you have Me..." the word sorrow may not be a pleasant thing to swallow, but the whole confirmation just comforted my heart...i don't know how but it just did...and it's not surprising that food does tastes better, sleep seems sweeter and laff seems fuller...
no matter what had happened in the past, whether i had walked life or not, it didn't matter...i hope i learn what David had learnt when he said "teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." -psalm 90:12
"What an unbearable sorrow it would be, to realize I'd never really tasted the things I'd eaten, or seen the places I'd been, because I'd thought of nothing but the Chairman even while my life was drifting away from me."
----------------------------------------------------------
i dunno about you but i cud identify myself with Sayuri (the woman whose story's been told in the book). For Sayuri, Chairman had become the center of everything in her life...every steps that she took was driven by the intention of getting nearer to the Chairman...to a certain extent, i admire her for confessing the statement out loud...it's a bold statement...sad but true...at least, she realized it...
i guess it may not be something uncommon...sometimes, on one extreme, we plan, strategize and take every steps necessary to achieve certain goals in lives...it cud be anything - be it a relationship, success, financial stability, freedom, marriage and the list goes on...On the other extreme, we cud be one passing by each day going through the routine of work and life without knowing for who and for what and why...questioning and searching...the cycle goes on...i think..whether we are on one extreme or on the other, we may find ourselves eating our heart and mind out...
what Sayuri had shared and written by Arthur Golden beautifully depicts something in the little journey i have been walking...while i was driving one day, i felt a sudden joy...i can't fully explain...i took a deep breath and was glad that i cud breathe...sound silly but every breath that i took was like dosage of ecstasy...it was like a sudden realization of joy and appreciation of having life...being able to breathe...i smiled and i thanked God...the next thing i heard in my heart..."whether u walk in gladness and in sorrow in life from now on, u will have life abundantly when you have Me..." the word sorrow may not be a pleasant thing to swallow, but the whole confirmation just comforted my heart...i don't know how but it just did...and it's not surprising that food does tastes better, sleep seems sweeter and laff seems fuller...
no matter what had happened in the past, whether i had walked life or not, it didn't matter...i hope i learn what David had learnt when he said "teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." -psalm 90:12
a post almost forgotten...
someone once told me that at certain points of our lives, God does something significant. i looked through the post that i had written a few years ago. there's one particular post that seems to resonate within my heart now more than the time when it was written. strange but i think i didn't have the full understanding of the whole poem then...
--------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, November 14, 2004:
Love Restored (The Lord’s Embrace)
When grief strikes my wounded heart
When darkness clouds my vision
When tears is my sustenance
And words lose their meaning
In a still small voice
You bring me into the desert
Into the dryness of my soul
You pour Your living water
To quench my longing thirst
To wash my broken body
To heal my grievous wounds
You silence the loudness around me
And embrace me in Your arms
So closely, so tenderly
I feel the heartbeat of the One I love
Every beat healing the hurt within
Nothing else appeals to me
You captured my heart once again
You lift my countenance
And breathe in me new life
You said, "I am yours and you are Mine"
Such words, beyond my comprehension
Now I am lovesick
My heart burns within me
Drowning in the River of Fire
Dancing in the River of Love
--------------------------------------------------------------
The healing started to take place from 2006 onwards...i had this properly refined in 2004. i cudn't remember when was the first draft. Strange...yet amazed...
Thank You... :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)