Armed with a concept of justice based and centered on human worth and dignity, and aware of suffering and evil, we can begin to build a sound and enduring ethical system. Humility is an essential first step. Humility is a global and deferential virtue. It expresses a relationship between the self and others and/or the world. Thus, humility implies a…
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Value for Wednesday of Week 51 in the season of Harvest and Celebration
Being Content
Being rich is being happy with what you have.
- He who is attached to things will suffer much. He who saves will suffer heavy loss. A contented man is never disappointed. [Lao-Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 44.]
- When you are discontent, you always want more, more, more. Your desire can never be satisfied. But when you practice contentment, you can say to yourself, ‘Oh yes – I already have everything that I really need.’ [attributed to Dalai Lama XIV]
- Man falls from the pursuit of the ideal of plan living and high thinking the moment he wants to multiply his daily wants. Man’s happiness really lies in contentment. [attributed to Mohandas Gandhi]
In my father’s mature years, he would walk out of our farmhouse late in the evening and look at the stars. We had very little money but my father was rich because he could see the stars. I cannot think of a simpler or more important thing that he could have taught me about happiness, and he did not need to utter a word. Occasionally he would comment about how in awe he was of being able to see the universe from his garage doorway. If you live like that, you will live well.
“Contentment—the knowledge that things are OK exactly as they are, right now—is highly valued by many cultures.” “. . . contentment is a unique positive emotion that is central to wellbeing and life satisfaction . . .” It is “a mindset. People feel discontentment because they think something is lacking in their lives, or they wish that things were different.”
We may not have everything; if something was added to our life, we might welcome and embrace it. Being content means that we feel that we have what we need.
Real
True Narratives
Book narratives:
- Tony Judt, The Memory Chalet (Penguin, 2009): As his physical health declined from ALS, “ . . . night after night, before the blissful interlude of sleep — before waking in exactly the same position he had assumed hours earlier — he ranged back over his life, shaping little incidents into short, plangent memory-excursions, each tied to a particular place, theme or object. Over the course of the following day or days he would, with increasing difficulty, dictate the night’s mental excursions to an assistant.”
Technical and Analytical Readings
- Phil Zuckerman, Society without God: What the Least Religious Nations Can Tell Us About Contentment (New York University Press, 2nd edition, 2020).
Photographs
Documentary and Educational Films
Imaginary
Fictional Narratives
Poetry
Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking the whole world belongs to you. [Lao-Tzu, Poem 44.]
A man saw a ball of gold in the sky; / He climbed for it, / And eventually he achieved it— It was clay. / Now this is the strange part: / When the man went to the earth / And looked again, / Lo, there was the ball of gold. / Now this is the strange part: / It was a ball of gold. / Aye, by the heavens, it was a ball of gold. [Stephen Crane, “A Man Saw a Ball of Gold in the Sky” (1899).]
Other poems:
- Robert Frost, “Leaves Compared with Flowers” (analysis)
- Theodore Roethke, “The Right Thing”
- John Keats, “Meg Merrilies”
Music: Composers, artists, and major works
Franz Schubert, Piano Quintet in A Major, Op. 114, D. 667, “Die Forelle” (1819) (approx. 35-43’) (list of recorded performances), evokes a carefree trout swimming in a clear stream. “In elated letters, Schubert described the picturesque, bucolic landscape and the presence of eight lovely young women, ‘nearly all of them pretty.’ This was the youthful, carefree environment in which the Piano Quintet in A Major was composed.” Top recorded performances are by Curzon & Vienna Octet members in 1958; Melos Quartet in 1967; Gilels, Amadeus Quartet & Zepperitz in 1975; Schiff, Leonskaja, Alban Berg Quartet & Hörtnagel in 1986; Brendel, Zehetmair, Zimmermann, Duven & Riegelbauer in 1995; Ax, Frank, Young, Ma & Meyer in 1995; Hagen Quartet & Posch in 2006; Jandó, Kodály Quartet & Toth in 2007; Helmchen, Tetzlaff, Tamestit, Hecker, & Posch in 2009; and Neuburger & Thymos Quartet in 2020.
Guitar works of Napoléon Coste [Naxos has released six volumes of this music, performed by Jeffrey McFadden, Vol. 1 (1999) (51’); Frédéric Zigante, Vol. 2 (1998) (59’); Pavel Steidl, Vol. 3 (2000) (65’); Jeffrey McFadden, Vol. 4 (2000) (63’); Marc Teicholz, Vol. 5 (1999) (69’); An Tran, Vol. 6 (2023) (66’)]:
- Variations et finale sur un motif favori de la famille Suisse de Weigl, Op. 2 (approx. 9’)
- Deux Quadrilles de Contredanses, Op. 3 (approx. 6’)
- Fastaisie sur un motif du ballet d’armind, Op. 4 (approx. 11’)
- Souvenirs de Flanders, Op. 5 (approx. 18’)
- Fantaisie de concert, Op. 6 (approx. 11’)
- Seize valses favorites de Johann Strauss, Op. 7 (approx. 8’)
- Divertissement sur Lucia di Lammermoor, Op. 9 (approx. 10’)
- Grand Caprice, Op. 11 (approx. 11’)
- Rondeau de concert avec introduction, Op. 12 (approx. 9-10’)
- Caprice sur l’air espagnol “La Cachucha”, Op. 13 (approx. 7’)
- Deuxième polonaise, Op. 14 (approx. 10’)
- Le tournoi, Op. 15 (approx. 11-14’)
- Fantaisie on Themes from Bellini’s Norma, Op. 16 (approx. 8’)
- La romanesca, Op. 19b (approx. 4-5’)
- Grande Serenade, Op. 30 (approx. 11’)
- 25 Études, Op. 38 (approx. 57-73’) (list of recorded performances)
- Feuilles D’Automne Douze Valses, Op. 41 (approx. 20’) (list of recorded performances)
- La Ronde de Mai, Op. 42 (approx. 3-5’)
- Marche Funèbre et Rondeau, Op. 43 (approx. 7’)
- Souvenir du Jura, Op. 44: Andante et Polonaise (approx. 7’)
- Divagation (Wandering), Op. 45 (approx. 10’)
Along the same lines, the solo guitar lends itself brilliantly to the value of being content, especially from Spanish composers. Here are collections of guitar pieces composed by:
Other compositions:
- Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90 (1814) (approx. 12-14’) (list of recorded performances): “The first movement is in E minor, and has the heading Conflict between head and heart, the second movement is in E major and has the heading Conversation with the beloved.”
- Charles Gounod, Symphony No. 1 in D Major, CG 527 (1855) (approx. 29-30’) (list of recorded performances); “Its first movement flows along with a charming grace and elegance. . . The second movement has a more humorous character . . . The third movement is a scherzo and trio, with a teasingly playful subject . . . The final movement has a short slow introduction, before the drive and energy of the first movement returns . . .”
- Antonio Lauro, Venezuelan Waltzes for Guitar
- Luigi Mozzani, music for guitar, including Studies for Guitar, Six capriccios and 18 small pieces
- Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, Cello Concerto in C Major, Op. 31, "Invocazione" (1945) (approx. 22’)
- Mieczysław Weinberg, Flute Concerto No. 2, Op. 148 (1987) (approx. 20’) (list of recorded performances): “When Weinberg wrote his second flute concerto in 1987. The world had changed, and Weinberg had more freedom to write the music he felt. This work has a relaxed feel to it.”
- Raga Puriya is a Hindustani classical raag for late evening, often called the king of the night ragas. Performances are by Ravi Shankar, Amir Khan, Venkatesh Kumar, and Shamsuddin Faridi Desai.
- Raga Janasammohini is a Hindustani raag for late evening. Performances are by Hariprasad Chaurasia, Vasantrao Deshpande and Zarin Daruwala.
- Rudolf Moser, Concerto for Oboe & String Orchestra, Op. 86 (approx. 15’), features warm tones from the oboe and gentle support from the orchestra.
Albums:
- Peter Ostroushko, “Pilgrims on the Heart Road” (1997) (72’): “. . . a collection of songs with vocals, songs that treat a number of personal and political issues of obvious importance to the musician and which he treats at length.”
- Jerry Garcia and Dave Grisman, “Shady Grove” (1995) (64’): “. . . among the 13 tracks here are versions of children's ballads and other ancient songs that formed the repertoire of some of the folk groups that both players belonged to.”
- Dave Grisman, “Tone Poems” album I (1993) (55’) [“. . . an excellent collection of mandolin/guitar duets, performed with different vintage instruments on each track. The improvising by both men is never less than brilliant, transforming traditional folk tunes like ‘Grandfather's Clock’ and ‘I Am a Pilgrim,’ plus the unlikely ‘O Solo Mio,’ into masterpieces.”] and album II (1995) (62’) ]“. . . Grisman and Taylor play on a variety of vintage fretted classic instruments (altogether they use 41 guitars, mandolins, mandolas, tenor guitars and mandocellos).”]
- Ballaké Sissoko, “At Peace” (2013) (45’): “Malian kora virtuoso offers a serene remedy to the turbulent events in his homeland”.
- Aaron Parks, “Little Big” (2018) (80’): “While the colorful approach in instrumentation and arrangement remains present throughout the album, the pulsating undercurrent to the compositions fades early on and makes room for contemplative melodies presented on piano, elegantly accompanied in atmospheric fashion by the band.”
- Daniel Sherrill, “From a Heritage Tree” (2022) (29’): simple bluegrass melodies played on a solo banjo made from a 275-year-old claro walnut tree
- Kenny Barron, “The Source” (2022) (68’) “has Barron brimming with the same empathy and effervescence, but with all the reflective nature the years tend to instill in a man who has made one to one conversation an art form.”
- Wolfgang Muthspiel, “Dance of the Elders” (2023) (46’): “The guitarist’s writing and approach to jazz is heavily folk-induced but equally inspired by classical music – both aspects are presented clearly throughout the album. Brian’s floating percussive injections and Scott’s nimble counterpoint on bass complement Wolfgang’s acoustic and electric playing in fluid interplay over intricate polyrhythms and adventurous harmonic landscapes.”
- Chris Gekker, “Timequake” (2024) (58’) “is a collection of four chamber works spotlighting the trumpet, as well as clarinet and saxophone. Trumpeter Chris Gekker, who performs on three of the four pieces, describes the featured works: ‘All share a certain perspective of time, looking back, looking forward, and meditating on the present.’”
Music: songs and other short pieces
- Bob Dylan, “Moonlight” (lyrics)
- OneRepublic, “Good Life” (lyrics)
- Franz Schubert (composer), “Der Zufriedene” (The Contented One), D. 320 (1815) (lyrics)
Visual Arts
- Maxfield Parrish, Contentment (1927)
- Agostino Carracci, Democritus
Film and Stage
From the dark side:
