Satyagraha

We went to the Metropolitan Opera last night at Lincoln Center to see the Phillip Glass Opera: "Satyagraha". This is an opera focused on the early years of Gandhi. The term "Satyagraha" was his name for non-violent civil disobediance....certainly a timely topic! I enjoyed the Opera, especially it's minimilistic score--it's droning, repetive scalar runs--I could imagine running to the score...very repretitive.

In any event, while the Opera was sung in Sanskrit, there were frequent visual translations into English. Several of the quotes spoke to me, especially as I think about my coming Ironman:

"Hold pleasure and pain, profit and loss, victory and defeat to be the same: then brace yourself ready for the fight."

"Whence comes this faintness on you now at this crisis hour?"

"Between theory and practice, some talk as they were two--making a separation and a difference between them. Yet wise men know that both can be gained in applying oneself wholeheartedly to one. For the high estate attained by men of contemplative theory, that same state achieve the men of action. So act as the ancient of days old, performing works was a spiritual exercise."

"Do the allotted task for which one is fit, for work is more excellent than idleness and the body's life proceeds not, lacking work."

'When he casts off attachment to his deeds, a man embarks on his work ever content, on none dependent."

"The world is not for the doubting man."

"Whoever gives up a deed because it causes pain, or because he shrinks from bodily pain, follows the way of darkness, knowing nothing of self-surrender."

OK--I know this is a little deep for a nerdy triathlon blog....but it worked for me!