A Blog by Ken Langer
In India philosophy, the word “vāsanā” denotes past mental impressions that are imprinted in the subconscious. Vāsanās are likened to seeds that sprout into thoughts, behavior, and personality traits.
I recently watched Berlioz’s The Damnation of Faust, performed by the Metropolitan Opera Company. Based on Goethe’s play (Part I), Faust is a crotchety old scholar in search of life’s meaning. He longs for a transcendental moment, a knowledge beyond what the mind can grasp. Enter Mephistopheles, the Devil, who seizes on Faust’s despair and […]
This essay appeared in the Vineyard Gazette, July 6, 2017 On April 22, more than a million citizens marched in 600 cities across the United States and abroad in support of science — an impressive turnout. But if we are to defend the role of science in public policy, we must do more than march […]
I first travelled to India in 1971 as a participant in the University of Wisconsin’s Junior Year in India program. A propeller plane trudged across the Atlantic Ocean, Europe and the Middle East on it’s way to the Subcontinent. My ultimate destination: Varanasi (then, Benares) in northern India, the holy city on the banks of […]
This essay appeared in Chaleur Magazine, May 1, 2018 (chaleurmagazine.com) I recently underwent shoulder surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff. While the surgery is routine—repairing damaged tendons—the recovery time is not. I’m told I must be prepared to suspend life as I know it for at least six months! During this time, I […]
The history of the world can be found in an etymological dictionary. Take, for example, the entry for the word “cipher” (zero, code) from etymonline.com, given below. The word traces back to Europe, the Middle East, and all the way to India, where it existed as Sanskrit “shunyata,” meaning “zero” (as well as the Buddhist word […]
This story appeared in Rumblefish Press, Winter 2017 Issue (Vol I, Issue II) (rumblefishpress.com) The doorbell rang twice. Tony took a final drag of his cigarette, blew a cloud of smoke, and lifted himself from the easy chair. He started toward the front door, but stopped suddenly. Jill? “Just a sec,” he yelled as he hurried back […]