Sound of Music

I love the movie Sound of Music. I saw it in middle school, the whole school took a bus to the theater and we watched it at school. At the time I was just glad to watch a movie instead of have school, but I really appreciate the movie now. 

The struggle of a new novice who loves life, is interesting. It has me thinking how renunciation has been scrubbed out of the western version of Buddhism, and why there are subreddits like r/goldenswastika, which inter alia contrasts western versus eastern followers, converts versus heritage followers. Mostly it's Theravadan against the rest, but that is almost something ashamed they hide. Some ancient lineages try to jump onto bandwagon. In general communication between strangers isn't always polite. And it's also an opportunity to show your true face. That the sangha has many divisions is nothing new.

My root guru Sangharakshita, though the joy of aesthetic appreciation was essential to the spiritual life. These modern exceptions might be why he thought it was OK to experiment sexually, that got him into trouble, and delegitimize his movement started in 1967, what is now called Triratna. I'm not convinced that much of the vilifying is anti-gayness. There's always going to be tension in updating and modernizing Buddhism. What is essential and what is of the times?  

The Mahayana path of living in the world and striving for the high ideals of Buddhism is what Maria chooses in the Sound of Music. She marries into a Jewish family who must flee during the Holocaust. I don't really understand what sides of a story need to be taught about the Holocaust. People who deny it happening are quacks, and you don't have to entertain every quack who comes along. There are holocausts going on now, I'm sensitive to the ones going on in so called Buddhist countries, against the Rohingya and the Uyghur. Genocide is the name now.

I like New York City where Muslim and Buddhist get along, where Russian and Ukrainian get along. The conflict here is between those who don't value life and pretend to, and those who really value life. I suppose it's the same conflict. People can decide it's OK to kill certain people for various reasons everywhere. I can only cut down the murderousness in my life. I had a hankering for an egg sandwich the other day, and gave into it. My moral slips are around food these days, but I believe corporations need to do more for the global warming crisis. I'm a drop in the bucket. I think the excessive moral preoccupation with individual choices are because the group doesn't seem to be making the right choices and that feeds into the guilt of the individual, passing off blame the corporations really deserve. How long will it take for humanity to work out these kinks? The world is changing so rapidly but humans still seem to be a mixture of good and not quite as good. 

One fascinating aspect of the movie Sound of Music is that Jewishness seems to be totally scrubbed from the movie. No Yiddishisms or Jewish food, or mention of anything Jewish. On the one had that seems weird, on the other perhaps it's saying there are no differences between human beings, and a little cultural difference isn't even noticeable. That's the hope of America not inspired by MAGA anyway. Economic tensions bring out intolerance, and when politicians use it to get into office, hate crimes go up. Growing up naive in Wisconsin, I didn't really know about Judaism or the context, and I didn't really get the movie when I first saw it.

You know each time you see an old classic movie there's a song you didn't notice before. I thought this one was interesting for some reason, the way it's both pushing and pulling on confidence. 

I Have Confidence

What will this day be like?

I wonder

What will my future be?

I wonder

It could be so exciting

To be out in the world

To be free

My heart should be wildly rejoicing

Oh, what's the matter with me?

I've always longed for adventure

To do the things I've never dared

Now here I'm facing adventure

Then why am I so scared?

A captain with seven children

What's so fearsome about that?

Oh, I must stop these doubts

All these worries

If I don't I just know I'll turn back

I must dream of the things I am seeking

I am seeking the courage I lack

The courage to serve them with reliance

Face my mistakes without defiance

Show them I'm worthy

And while I show them

I'll show me

So let them bring on all their problems

I'll do better than my best

I have confidence

They'll put me to the test

But I'll make them see

I have confidence in me

Somehow I will impress them

I will be firm, but kind

And all those children

Heaven bless them

They will look up to me

And mind me

With each step I am more certain

Everything will turn out fine

I have confidence

The world can all be mine

They'll have to agree

I have confidence in me

I have confidence in sunshine

I have confidence in rain

I have confidence that spring will come again

Besides, which you see

I have confidence in me

Strength doesn't lie in numbers

Strength doesn't lie in wealth

Strength lies in nights of peaceful slumbers

When you wake up

Wake up!

It's healthy

All I trust I leave my heart to

All I trust becomes my own

I have confidence in confidence alone

(Oh, help)

I have confidence in confidence alone

Besides, which you see

I have confidence in me