The Stone Cathedral and the Living Cathedral

[Mole]

In our Parliamentary Triangle, between the Australian Treasury and the Australian Finance buildings, is a walk across the Land Axis. The walk is under a cathedral of living trees, with lawns on either side, and a large reflecting pool, and two large fountains.

I walk there, as do a small number of public servants moving between Treasury and Finance.

The public servants walk purposefully at slightly faster than normal pace, because they are going somewhere. Whereas I walk at slow pace, savouring each step, and letting my mind wander, because I am not going anywhere, I am already here.

Who would have thought I would find myself here, between Treasury and Finance, who ensure the prosperity of Australia, and provide me with a walk under a magnificent cathedral of living trees.

It is typical though, the medieval provided us with Gothic Cathedrals of stone, while we provide a non sectarian cathedral of living trees. We have gone from the sacred supernatural in stone, to the sacred natural in living trees. We marvel at the stone Cathedrals like Notre Dame in Paris, and take for granted our natural cathedrals of magnificent living trees. We forget we are living beings like our trees, and instead turn our selves to stone, 'cause we are going somewhere.

 

[Mole]

Stretched like a wire between Treasury and Finance, the living Cathedral of trees carries the knowledge of the clever Economists, and the brilliant Accountants.

Also the wire carries the empty meditator, walking back and forth, going nowhere, who knows nothing, but sees everything, as quantum field theory tells us, nothing exists until it is observed.

As the Economists and Accountants scuttle around him, the meditator sees the world turning, becoming itself with each renewal, turn and turn about, the whole Earth breathing with him.

 

[Mole]

I walk the wire in the natural cathedral of trees stretched between Treasury and Finance in the Parliamentary Triangle of Australia, click Parliamentary Triangle, Canberra - Wikipedia.
And click Autumn Arrives In Canberra Trees Become Multicolored Around The Lake Stock Photo - Download Image Now - iStock.

I walk the wire between time and being, and discover I like being here, this time.

On my off days I also walk the wire in the antechamber of death in the dialysis unit of Woden hospital. I walk the wire balanced between life and death. And I don't walk the wire alone, my fellow patients are arrayed around me "like flowers anesthetiised upon a table".

All that is required to balance on the wire is the will to live, but some give up. John exclaimed, "not the needle, not the needle!", and as he had a legal right to refuse treatment, they didn't give him the needle, and he died within a week. And a nice death notice was posted on our notice board, they do say nice things about us when we are dead.

Cathy became very quiet, and left discretely, dying without anyone noticing, but free at last.

Although the will to live is crucial for balancing on the wire, the medical staff make no attempt to restore the will to live, this is left entirely up to us.

To be or not to be, that is the question.

Click Johnny Cash - I Walk the Line (Man in Black: Live in Denmark) - YouTube.

 

[Lark]

Lawful Good - Chaotic Good.

Castles - Caravans.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Lawful Good - Chaotic Good.

Castles - Caravans.

I don't get it.

 

[Lark]

I don't get it.

Its a contrast I have heard before, castles vs. caravans, as a short hand for the differences between lawful and chaotic as one is built to last, the other is temporary/transitory, although on is inflexible/fixed while the other flexible/mobile.