Wednesday, November 25, 2020

98,000 Visits and Other Blog Statistics

Today we are passing the milestone of 98,000 visits to this blog, since its inception a little more than four years ago. I'm always trying to understand who my readers are, and where the visits come from.  Below is a graphic that lists eleven of the thirteen countries from which visits came on one recent day:



As you can see, the visits were predominantly from North and South America, Europe, and Asia. We do also get some visits from Africa, but not nearly as many as I would like to be getting.

I've also studied the patterns of popularity of different subject matter/genres. General poetry and photography are always popular, as is also the case with my writings on the Synoptic Problem and original and translated religious texts. Writings in and about the Udugi language also continue to be surprisingly popular.

It is easier for me to tell you what is important to me than what is important to my audience. In fact, I did this in a recent poem, published on November 21:


I Am Normalizing


I am normalizing poetry,

I am normalizing art,

I am normalizing nudity,

in a battered and tattered 

world

that at times I hardly

recognize.


But beyond these lesser battles,

let us normalize

our love for each other,

our unity through our diversity,

the strength and mutual aid in our humanity.

In short, let us normalize

Spirit.


May that Spirit guide us, always.



As usual, I would like to thank all of you for your continued interest and enthusiasm. Be well and be safe.






Text and image Copyright © 2020 by Donald C. Traxler aka Donald Jacobson Traxler.



Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Upanishad LXXX - The Ego (2) / अहंकार (2)

The ego makes us slaves to the senses, and imprisons us within the cycle of birth and death. Only meditation on the pure consciousness of Brahman can liberate us.

Nagna says:

Meditation is the key that makes us free.


अहंकार हमें इंद्रियों का दास बनाता है, और जन्म और मृत्यु के चक्र में हमें कैद कर देता है। ब्रह्म की शुद्ध चेतना पर केवल ध्यान ही हमें मुक्त कर सकता है।


नग्न कहते हैं:

ध्यान वह कुंजी है जो हमें मुक्त करती है।






Text and image Copyright © 2020 by Donald C. Traxler aka Nagna Chidaananda.


Monday, November 23, 2020

Upanishad LXXIX - The Ego / अहंकार

The ego, the feeling that "I am the doer,"

blinds us to the truth of who we are.


Nagna says:

The truth is bigger and better than our illusion.


अहंकार, यह भावना कि "मैं कर्ता हूं,"

हमें सच्चाई से अंधा बना देता है कि हम कौन हैं।


नग्न कहते हैं:

सच हमारे भ्रम से बड़ा और बेहतर है।






Text and image Copyright © 2020 by Donald C. Traxler aka Nagna Chidaananda.


Upanishad LXXVIII - How Can We Be the Physical Body? / हम भौतिक शरीर कैसे हो सकते हैं?

How can we be the physical body,

and the subtle body,

and the Atman,

and the Atman is also Brahman?

We are only Consciousness.


Nagna says:

We are multidimensional beings. We are Consciousness.


हम भौतिक शरीर कैसे हो सकते हैं,

और सूक्ष्म शरीर,

और आत्मान,

और आत्मान भी ब्रह्म है?

हम केवल चेतना हैं।


नग्न कहते हैं:

हम बहुआयामी प्राणी हैं। हम चेतना हैं।





Text and image Copyright © 2020 by Donald C. Traxler aka Nagna Chidaananda.


Sunday, November 22, 2020

Upanishad LXXVII - The Subtle Body Is Also Illusion / सूक्ष्म शरीर भी भ्रम है

The subtle body is also illusion,

it cannot be the Atman.


Nagna says:

The Astral body cannot be the imperishable Self, because it is tied to a single lifetime.


सूक्ष्म शरीर भी भ्रम है,

यह आत्मान नहीं हो सकता।


नग्न कहते हैं:

सूक्ष्म शरीर आत्मा नहीं है, क्योंकि यह एक ही जीवनकाल से जुड़ा हुआ है।






Text and image Copyright © 2020 by Donald C. Traxler aka Nagna Chidaananda.


Saturday, November 21, 2020

I Am Normalizing

 I am normalizing poetry,

I am normalizing art,

I am normalizing nudity,

in a battered and tattered 

world

that at times I hardly

recognize.


But beyond these lesser battles,

let us normalize

our love for each other,

our unity through our diversity,

the strength and mutual aid in our humanity.

In short, let us normalize

Spirit.


May that Spirit guide us, always.






Text and image Copyright © 2020 by Donald C. Traxler  aka Donald Jacobson Traxler.


Upanishad LXXVI - He Has Leapt Centuries

He has leapt centuries and millennia to visit us,

perhaps worlds, too.


Nagna says:

We do not yet know the reason for his visit.


उसने हमसे मिलने के लिए सैकड़ों और हजारों वर्षों में छलांग लगाई है,

शायद दुनिया भर में भी।


नग्न कहते हैं:

हम अभी तक उनकी यात्रा का कारण नहीं जानते हैं।






Text and image Copyright © 2020 by Donald C. Traxler aka Nagna Chidaananda.