Taoism, anyone?

Invitation to the Voyage

This life is the crossing of a sea, in which we meet in the same narrow ship.

In death we reach the shore and go to our own different worlds.

Rabindranth Tagore, Stray Birds, 242

Tung Chung (The Lord of the East)

With a faint flush I start to come out of the east.

Shining down on my threshold, Fu-Sang,

As I urge my horses slowly forward,

The night sky brightens, and day has come.

I ride a dragon car and chariot on the thunder,

With Cloud-banners fluttering upon the wind.

I heave a long sigh as I start the ascent

Reluctant to leave, and looking back longingly;

For the beauty and the music are so enchanting

The beholder, delighted, forgets that he must go.

Tighten the zither's strings and smite them in unison!

Strike the bells until the bell-stand rocks!

Let the flutes sound! Blow the pan-pipes!

See, the priestesses, how skilled and lovely!

Whirling and dipping like birds in flight!

Unfolding the words in time to the dancing,

Pitch and beat all in perfect accord!

The spirits, descending, darken the sun.

In my cloud-coat and my skirt of the rainbow,

Grasping my bow I soar high up in the sky;

I aim my long arrow and shoot the Wolf of Heaven;

I seize the Dipper to ladle cinnamon wine.

Then holding my reins I plunge down to my setting,

On my gloomy night journey back to the east.

from Songs of the South, tr. David Hawkes

Hi Sunflowers, thought you'd drop by.  I don't seem to be good at statistics or politics or research so thought I'd stick to the ethereal - maybe you, too?

cheers, Arlene