Thursday, October 19, 2017

Dialogue




There's this high tower "Champion Motors" - 42 floors of offices, car showrooms, shopping spaces, and. ..at its foot - little pools with tropic lotus plants. Whenever I happen to pass by this spot (located at the intersection of two major roads, on the border between two adjacent cities), I wonder about  the combination of skyscraper and lotus pools.




The lotus seems at first out of place; it's not a usual sight in urban Israel.  After a few minutes of contemplation, one gets captivated by these floating plants and is tempted to sit on the stone seat near one of the pools  to watch them closely.


The apparently static water,  the  slow motion of the leaves, and the color variety of the lotus flowers (pink, white, violet, blue, yellow) create a magic atmosphere. It gives the busy, commercial tower that dominates the pool area  a blessed serenity, and makes the lotus an integral part of the setting.




The spot is certainly a great attraction for the many children and parents of Bnei-Brak, the religious city to which  this area belongs. A family stroll in this part of the city, is both pleasant and educational.





When I  visited the spot a few days ago, it was the beginning of the sunset, also a bit breezy outside, and some of the lotus flowers seemed dormant. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the sight enormously and took some decent pictures too.




The lotus plant is considered sacred in Budhism, and ...here it is, thriving  in Bnei-Brak, the very city of Judaism. This reminds me of a book  ("The Jew in the Lotus" by Rodger Kamenetz) published many years ago, about a dialogue between a group of rabbis and Dalai Lama, discussing the ideas and thoughts behind the two religions: budhism and judaism.

A dialogue - that's what it was - and  that's what we all need in this world : a dialogue between religions, cultures, man and environment, nature and technology. Without a dialogue the world won't survive; will become extinct.



Come to thnk of it, the water and the lotus are also having a sort of constant dialogue. 





33 comments:

  1. Duta, what a great building! I absolutely love your photos of the lotus flowers! Thank you so much for sharing. And I love your header, too!

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    1. Thanks. This high building is new (erected some three years ago) and very beautiful; it's a commercial not a residential one.There are some more skyscrapers in the neighborhood.

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  2. Very pretty, and so very calming.

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    1. Calming, relaxing - that's exactly what is needed in this area of big Buys( cars mainly),lots of employees and customers.

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  3. That's a unique modern-looking building, Duta! We have many skyscrapers here in Chicago area, but I can't think of one lotus pool by them though. Great idea for a bustling area. A dialogue may be just what's needed, a focused, intentional conversation where differences can be discussed! Good post!

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    1. Right, Pam - great idea. The combo skyscraper-lotus pools seems to work. Dialogues are essential in life, anywhere, anytime.

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  4. Amen An inspirational post All should start having a dialogue and understand each other. Love the lotus flower pool and the flowers are gorgeous and peaceful

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    1. The lotus flowers are not only beautiful but also...edible. In fact, all the parts of this peaceful plant (leaves, root, seeds, flowers) are considered edible.

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  5. hi Duta, your post is conducive to conversation! I like that:)) Makes me want to ask you...how was your day?! Oh, I guess you told us! nice! You really have an eye for urban spaces and things that are juxtaposed together, and how pleasing it is when finding water, flowers and places soothing to the soul in the middle of the city. Blessings and Shalom!!

    PS my post from today rhymes, I think you will like it:))

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    1. Thanks for your kind words.
      I must admit I don't become immediately aware of things around me; it usually takes some time and more than one visit to notice details and satisfy my curiosity.

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  6. What an interesting juxtaposition of massive buildings and Mother Nature. I, too, would have stopped by, taken a seat on that ledge, to gaze at the delicate beauty of these lotus flowers. How pretty they must be up close, and how peaceful they must make one feel, in the midst of this city.

    Wishing you a wonderful weekend,
    Poppy

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    1. I like this word 'juxtaposition'- the placing of the two elements (tower and lotus pools)close with such a contrasting, surprisingly pleasant and peaceful effect. And all this beauty ,"in the midst of the city"!

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  7. The water lilies are gorgeous! We have the same in the same color in our back yard gold fish pond. I find it fascinating how they drop to the bottom of the pond in the winter, survive under the ice, then reappear on the top in the Spring to produce beautiful flowers.

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    1. Lucky you, to have them in your backyard! Yes, their hibernation under the ice in winter, sounds fascinating indeed.

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  8. Oh, I love these pictures of the floating Lotus plants. And the blossoms are just lovely.

    ~Sheri

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    1. The lotus is not only lovely, but its parts are also used in alternative medicine. I don't know much about that; I'll have to google the topic.

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  9. A beautiful post, Duta, contrasting the tall buildings and the delicate flowers. I agree, dialogue is necessary even when we are very different like the lotus and the commercial street. I like your pictures. You describe the religious community and I enjoyed the families pushing strollers of children. In Jerusalem, I use to marvel at the fathers who seem to enjoy that role as I watched in the park and hoped that the men in my country would do likewise.

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    1. Life is made up of infinite contrasts.
      The religious fathers in these communities, happily pushing the strollers of children, are indeed a lovely, heart-warming sight. However, many of them have more time and are less tired than the secular father; most of their day is dedicated to the study of the Thora and not to regular work. They get state allowances for that.

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  10. Calming...and wonderful to reflect upon. :)

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    1. The sunset (seen in the second picture above)also contributed some calm and beauty to the whole scene.

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  11. Dear Duta, your post brought tears to my eyes, all you were feeling, this post reveals a beautiful soul. Love to you and family.
    I value our friendship. yvonne

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    1. I'm flattered that you felt moved by my post. Thanks for your kind words.

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  12. You always make me want to visit Israel. This is a beautiful spot. Thank you Duta for sharing the gentle, the peaceful side of Israel.

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  13. Well, we've got to locate those peaceful spots, otherwise life becomes unbearable in this harsh country.

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  14. These plants and flowers are very captivating! I think with the big building it goes well

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  15. Oh yes, a big tick to the designers/planners who enabled such ponds to exist in that position. They do bring a real softening to the, sometimes, harshness of city buildings.
    The waterlillies are so beautiful and your photos have captured them and their lovely settings so well.

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  16. I loved the photos-seeing ordinary people going about their day. Lovely blog! Followed! I blog at
    https://teaandtorah.wordpress.com/ but I couldn't leave a comment from my blog address for some reason. Sorry.

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    1. Sandy, Sue, Regine,
      Thank you for your comment.

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    2. Tea and Torah,

      If a blog is not on Blogger, it's not easy for me to get to it. I'll do my best.

      I agree with you about photos of ordinary people going about their day. I like them too.

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  17. Beautiful post. I don't think I've seen lotus in years. We have water lilies in the goldfish pond, but they've gone to sleep for winter! It's been cold.

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    1. Thank you.
      I'm afraid I'm not very good at telling the difference between lotus and water lilies, except that the lotus is above the water whether the water lily is on the water (floating). Anyway, both hibernate in winter and go to sleep for the night.

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