Winter Update

Arctic morning, January 5. Photos by Teisuka.
(Click the pictures to see them bigger.)

Hello again, my friends! This is my winter update. First of all, I want to wish a Merry Christmas to my dear Russian friend Nika. Again, thanks for your lovely Christmas gift (a video on YouTube)! Let this winter article be my little Christmas gift to you. С Рождеством Христовым, мой Снегурочка! （＾—＾）／

Just for information to all, Christmas in Russia (Рождество Христово) is celebrated on 7 January and marks the birthday of Jesus. Christmas is mainly a religious event in Russia. 6 January is the Christmas Eve. A Russian Christmas is so "late", because the Russian Orthodox Church use the Julian Calendar. The Finnish Orthodox Church celebrate Christmas on December 25. Thanks to my Russian friend, I have two Christmas (or one very long). Ура! ヘ( ^.^)乂( ^.^)ノ

During the long Christmas holidays, I've been watching old cartoons: Disney classics and Soviet animation films. I love them both. Here is one of my favorite – I found it through Nika: Umka, an old Soviet animation film from the year 1969. A length is only 10 minutes, and it has the English subtitles. (Click the video below.)

Umka, the little polar bear, and his mom.

The last few days, I have met my friends Mr. Doyle and Mr. Proletarian (both are nicknames, because they are shy and suspicious guys, haha). Seriously speaking: thank you, guys – we had a lot of fun together. :)

Yesterday morning, I was walking with my camera and I took some pictures again. Thank God, we have a real winter here. Right now, air temperature is -17 °C (1.4ºF) and snow depth is 15 cm. I really like this kind of weather.

By the way... if YOU like winter and snow, I would recommend you a great novel called Winter's Tale written by Mark Helprin in 1983. It is one of the best books I have ever read! The book is also translated into Russian and Finnish. Winter's Tale is very imaginative and fabulous novel, and wonderful love story as well. Genre is "magical realism". The film adaptation was released in 2014. Here is a description of the book, which I found from the web:

Set in New York at the beginning and the end of the twentieth century, Winter´s Tale unfolds with such great narrative force and beauty that a reader can feel that its world is more real than his own. Standing alone on the page before the book begins are the words, I have been to another world, and come back. Listen to me. In that world, both winter and the city of New York (old and new) have the strength and character of protagonists, and the protagonists themselves move as if in a vivid dream. Though immensely complicated, the story is centered upon Peter Lake, a turn-of-the-century Irish burglar, and Beverly Penn, a young heiress whom he encounters in robbing her house, and who eventually will die young and in his arms. His love for her, and a gift of grace, will allow him after the most extraordinary and painful explorations and discoveries to stop time and bring back the dead. To follow him, his predecessors, his inheritors, and his companions is to experience one of the great stories of American literature.

Again, a Happy New Year to all my friends! ＼（＾ ＾）／

Best greetings from cold and snowy Finland,

Teisuka

This is one of the best books I have ever read.

A winter moment in the park.

The old water tower in my neighborhood.

A view from my balcony.

Frozen trees.

OMG, one of these is my bike! Maybe it's better to walk. :D

Christmas Greetings to My Friends

The snow covers the ground – finally!
(Click the pictures to see them bigger.)

Few days ago, we finally got a little bit of snow here in my area in Western Finland. Today, I took some pictures in my neighborhood, but the fact is that landscapes are not so beautiful yet. No snow enough. I want more. Haha. Well, anyway we got a white Christmas. Air temperature is about -4 °C or 24 ºF.

Otherwise, I have no special news to tell. Just the same. I have read a lot. The last two books were 'Uncle Fyodor, His Dog and His Cat' written by Eduard Uspensky and 'The Long Goodbye' written by Yury Trifonov. Both very good stories.

This year, it seems that I'm going to spend Christmas alone. Well, "so it goes like it goes". At least, I have time to read. Today, I started 'Doctor Zhivago', a huge Russian novel.

I am an Orthodox Christian, and for us, Christmas is the celebration of joy that light up the whole world. On Christmas night, the angel said to the shepherds, "Don't be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people. For there is born to you, this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (The Gospel of Luke 2:10-11).

"Christ is born, glorify Him!" This is Orthodox Christmas greetings.

I wish a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2015 to all my friends! May there be peace on earth. （＾—＾）

From Finland with love,

Teisuka

A later addition (December 24): Nika's Christmas video, filmed in Moscow and dedicated for me. I really like it and it makes me smile! （＾—＾） This is my best Christmas gift. Thank you very much, my dear Nikushka! Большое спасибо, мой ангел, мой Снегурочка!!! ❤

My photos (below):

Welcome to my home. :) A view from my living room.

Please note an old tube television (lol) and the painting
of Marshal Mannerheim (the Finnish military leader)
on the wall. A picture added on December 24.

A wintry view from my balcony.

The park in my neighborhood.

 Trees in the park.

One more picture from the park.

'Nativity of Our Lord', icon of the Orthodox Church.

Christmas is the Birthday of Christ.

The Danger of a New World War Still Exists

People are too smart to create killing machines.

Frankly, I am very depressed at the moment. I am worried about the world situation and a new Cold War. World is such a crazy place currently. Peaceful people turn aggressive and warlike and stop treating each other as human beings. From time to time, millions of people shout everywhere, "Kill them, destroy them, kill them all!" Kill or destroy who? Someone says Muslims, someone says Ukrainians, or Russians, or Americans, or  so on... There are many groups or nations that hate some other group or nation. This happens everywhere, and it is very dangerous. This world is too full of wrath. We know where it took us in the 1930s.

I have read a lot of history, too much history, especially tons of military history. Therefore I am able to recognize the "mechanisms of war". At times I think the current era is too much like the 1930s. Maybe two more years, and The Big War breaks out again? I hope I am wrong, I really hope so!

The Bible says about the end of time, "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. - - Nation rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. - - At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other. - - Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold" (The Gospel of Matthew, chapter 24). This is very serious prophecy, and it is two thousand years old.

We don't need a new Cold War. We don't need a new arms race. We don't need stupid military blustering or new confrontations between the West and the East. It is dangerous and narrow-minded. There are good and bad people in every country and within every nation. We all have a common country, the Planet Earth. Black and white thinking or being racist or nationalist is not intelligent or wise at all.

For my part, I pray peace for the world, and I wish love and peace to all my friends around the world. Let's be the peace people all of us, okay? Being angry or full of wrath is not good for anyone's soul. The Bible says, "In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry" (The Epistle to the Ephesians, chapter 4). What a good advice, isn't it?

So keep calm and make peace, not war!

From Finland with love and peace,

Teisuka

P.S. Lastly, I link here one touching anti-war song called Where Have All the Flowers Gone, originally a melancholic Russian folk song. The first three verses were written by Pete Seeger in 1955. Additional verses were added by Joe Hickerson in 1960, which turned it into a circular song. Some lines were taken from the traditional Cossack folk song Tovchu, tovchu mak, referenced in the Mikhail Sholokhov novel And Quiet Flows the Don (1934). Please check out this touching song and video. Very appropriate at this time. Indeed, I wonder where have all the flowers gone... has the cold winter killed them all?

Early Winter Came to Finland

Early winter surprised Finland on September 23, 2014. A scene

from the Northern Finland. Photo by the Finnish website.

The swans are leaving Finland. Photo by the Finnish website.

Today, it seems like the winter has come to Finland. It is very early this year. Today, we got a first snow (well, not in my area in Western Finland, but in Northern and Eastern Finland)! Anyway, last night was very cold also here in the west coast, temperature was only -2 °C or 26 ºF.

On this morning, I saw three swans flying towards the south. It was a beautiful but also a plaintive scene. Now it really feels like summer is over and winter is coming. Well, no problem for me. As my friends knows, the winter is my favorite season of the year.

Lately, I have been very busy in my work, and that's why I've been so silent in my blog and YouTube. Yesterday, I started my 10 days summer vacation. I worked all summer long, and only now I have time enough to rest and relax and just be a lazy. :)

Let me tell some other news from my life.

Three weeks ago, I started to study Russian language in the adult training college. It's quite difficult but also very interesting. I can only do my best, and my Russian friend support me. At least I hope so. Haha. ;)

Last Saturday, I visited in the local antique store, and I bought four old Finnish military magazines, useful for me since military history is my job and also my hobby.

Well, these were the latest updates from chilly Finland. Stay tuned, and see you, my friends. Have a wonderful autumn to all!

Teisuka

P.S. The photos in this article are not taken by me, except the image of magazines.

My Russian textbook called «Пора!» (English: It's
time). In this case, it is time to learn Russian! :)

The old Finnish military magazines (mostly comics) which
I bought from the local antique store. Photo by Teisuka.

The Impending Clouds

The time is stretching while I'm spending
a rainy night by listening to Revelation,
escaping the reality, running ahead,
behind me the enemy of humanity.

No time for love means no time for live.
Now what's the time and am I still alive?

In these times of wrath and insanity
the love of many is growing cold.
Friends turn their back to each other,
farewell to the flowers and cranes.

Dark clouds are rising in the sky,
warmongers are proudly marching
over the graves of past generations.
Does no one realize where it leads?

A poem by Teisuka (on 23rd of the Harvest Month, 2014)

The Way of a Pilgrim – Amazing Spiritual Book

The Way of a Pilgrim tells about the secret of prayer.

It represents so called hesychasm, a mystical tradition

of experiential prayer in the Orthodox Church.

Hello, my friends, after a long time. ( ^.^)ノ I'm sorry, I've been too busy (or lazy) to write my blog lately. This time, I want to introduce one wonderful book that I read some time ago.

The book is a spiritual classic called The Way of a Pilgrim, a 19th-century Russian work, recounting the narrator's journey as a mendicant pilgrim across Russia while practicing the Jesus Prayer, the practice of ceaseless inner prayer and communion with God. The Russian title of the book is actually much longer than its English translation: «Откровенные рассказы странника духовному своему отцу» - literally, 'Candid tales of a pilgrim to his spiritual father'.

In this book, an anonymous pilgrim treks over the Steppes in search of the answer to the one compelling question: How does one pray constantly? Through his journeys, and under the tutelage of a spiritual father, he becomes gradually more open to the promptings of God, and sees joy and plenty wherever he goes. Ultimately, he discovers the different meanings and methods of prayer as he travels to his ultimate destination...

The Way of a Pilgrim is a really amazing and mystical book, one of the best Orthodox Christian books I have ever read. It represents so called hesychasm. It's a mystical tradition of experiential prayer in the Orthodox Church. The Greek-derived word hesychasm means "stillness, rest, quiet, silence". The Hesychast usually experiences the contemplation of God as light. It's called the Uncreated Light and is identified with the Holy Spirit. I feel hesychasm is right way for me.

Silence – often it also means loneliness. While longing for silence, soul doesn't like noise or noisy people. The Bible says, "My soul, wait thou in silence for God only; for my expectation is from him" (Psalm 62:5).

 

 The Russian front cover of The Way of a Pilgrim.

The Way of Silence and the Jesus Prayer

Here I want to share two quotes from the book:

"Sit alone and in silence; bow your head and close your eyes; relax your breathing and with your imagination look into your heart; direct your thoughts from your head into your heart. And while inhaling say, 'Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me,' either softly with your lips or in your mind. Endeavor to fight distractions but be patient and peaceful and repeat this process frequently."

"All that is necessary is to descend in silence into the depths of one's heart and call on the name of Jesus Christ frequently. In this way one can experience interior light and many things will become clear to him, even the mysteries of the kingdom of God. And what depth of mystery and what light there is when man realizes his ability to descend into himself, to see his inner self, to take pleasure in self-knowledge, to be touched and even to shed tears over his fallen and weakened will. It is not difficult to be reasonable and to speak sensibly with people, for the mind and the heart of man preceded knowledge and wisdom. When one has a mind, it is possible to cultivate it with learning and experience, but when there is no brain, no upbringing will help. The fact is that we are alienated from ourselves and have little desire really to know ourselves; we run in order to avoid meeting ourselves and we exchange truth for trinkets while we say, 'I would like to have time for prayer and the spiritual life but the cares and difficulties of this life demand all my time and energies.' And what is more important and necessary, the eternal life of the soul or the temporary life of the body about which man worries so much? It is this choice which man makes that either leads him to wisdom or keeps him in ignorance."

If you want to get a whole PDF book in English, just send me a private message via YouTube and give me your personal email address. (Please don't share your secret email address here in public.) Then I'll post you a free PDF file (3,74 Mb). The book contains 196 pages. You can find the original Russian text here (click the blue word). By the way, here is a real treasure in Russian language – a free digital Orthodox Christian library: Библиотечка Православной.

Regarding the Jesus Prayer, you can find my video from YouTube:

In this prayer, one sentence repeated over and over again. In English language it goes (in the shortest form): "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me." That's all. Very simple and short, but very powerful prayer.

These days, except that I'm working diligently, I'm just searching for the silence and the presence of God. In this quest, I'm using the Jesus Prayer. I am not a good Christian (far from it), but I try to do my best. We all have our own battles to win, and that's the way of sanctification or divinization...

Blessings to all of you, my friends. （＾—＾）

Best greetings from warm and sunny Finland,

Teisuka

The Finnish front cover of The Way of a Pilgrim.

The Sphere of Beauty

In my darkest moment, came a girl and said: "Do not despair."

Then she was laughing, her laughter lighted the whole sphere.

"I'm just a girl", she said, "and I can not even speak so well."

But I knew, she was an angel, and she raised me up from hell.

Through her eyes she taught me to see the beauty everywhere.

"Behold!" the angel said, "Look at all those flowers out there."

Although far from each other we live in a conjunction.

Together we stand, we are safe – is it just a fiction?

A poem by Teisuka (May 31, 2014)