The epigraph is Eknath Easwaran’s translation of a Sanskrit prayer (sometimes called the “Peace Invocation”) used as the invocation to the Isha Upanishad.
Sonoma “Sonoma,” the brand name of a line of GMC compact pickup trucks, is the name of a Californian county. According to Jack London, who had a ranch there, “Sonoma” derives from a Miwok word meaning “Valley of the Moon” – the title of one of his novels – but this is disputed. It could also mean “many moons” or, if it comes from another language, it might refer to “earth village” or even “nose.”
The Darkling - 4 Thomas Merton’s phrase, “Humility against despair,” is a chapter heading in his book of essays, New Seeds of Contemplation.
The Darkling - 6 Trappists follow the Rule of St. Benedict; the vow of conversatio morum is a commitment to on-going transformation of self.
The Darkling - 10: Legendary katana (Samurai swords) were capable of slicing through a row of warriors at one swoop. Their sharpness was reputedly tested on the bodies of convicted criminals. Some museum pieces are rated as having a “five-body” edge.
Old Man Vacanas: Vacanas are colloquial prayer poems. Addressed to the poet’s personal deity, they draw their imagery from nature and domestic activities. In the original Kannada, vacana means “saying; thing said.” Although this is a form used with sophistication by yogi-philosophers – including the extraordinary woman, Mahadeviyakka – in twelfth-century South India the verse is not aureate; it remains frank, accessible and striking.