On Lamplighters
Wednesday, 29. August 2007, 14:13:04
"To give you an idea of the size of the Earth, I will tell you that before the invention of electricity it was necessary to maintain, over the whole of the six continents, a veritable army of 462,511 lamplighters for the street lamps.
Seen from a slight distance, that would make a splendid spectacle. The movements of this army would be regulated like those of the ballet in the opera. First would come the turn of the lamplighters of New Zealand and Australia. Having set their lamps alight, these would go off to sleep. Next, the lamplighters of China and Siberia would enter for their steps in the dance, and then they too would be waved back into the wings. After that would come the turn of the lamplighters of Russia and the Indies; then those of Africa and Europe, then those of South America; then those of South America; then those of North America. And never would they make a mistake in the order of their entry upon the stage. It would be magnificent."
~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince
Would you like to see a picture of a lamplighter?
Here's one: http://home.pacific.net.hk/~rebylee/text/prince/14.html
"It is like we have a lamp . . . called mindfulness and the oil of that lamp is our breathing, our steps, our smile, our working in mindfulness.
We have to light up that lamp. Light up the lamp of mindfulness and the light will shine out and the darkness will cease, will dissipate."
~ Thich Nhat Hanh, dharma talk given oat the New Hamlet in Plum Village on March 26, 1998:
"We are our ancestors and The Sutra on Measuring and Reflecting." Full text available at [URL=http://www.plumvillage.org/dharmatalks/html/weareourancestors.html
Seen from a slight distance, that would make a splendid spectacle. The movements of this army would be regulated like those of the ballet in the opera. First would come the turn of the lamplighters of New Zealand and Australia. Having set their lamps alight, these would go off to sleep. Next, the lamplighters of China and Siberia would enter for their steps in the dance, and then they too would be waved back into the wings. After that would come the turn of the lamplighters of Russia and the Indies; then those of Africa and Europe, then those of South America; then those of South America; then those of North America. And never would they make a mistake in the order of their entry upon the stage. It would be magnificent."
~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince
Would you like to see a picture of a lamplighter?
Here's one: http://home.pacific.net.hk/~rebylee/text/prince/14.html
"It is like we have a lamp . . . called mindfulness and the oil of that lamp is our breathing, our steps, our smile, our working in mindfulness.
We have to light up that lamp. Light up the lamp of mindfulness and the light will shine out and the darkness will cease, will dissipate."
~ Thich Nhat Hanh, dharma talk given oat the New Hamlet in Plum Village on March 26, 1998:
"We are our ancestors and The Sutra on Measuring and Reflecting." Full text available at [URL=http://www.plumvillage.org/dharmatalks/html/weareourancestors.html
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