Of Foreword reading and Spiritual listening

I used to skip the reading of forewords in any book I lay my hands on. Be it fiction or non-fiction, my interest lies in the contents of the book and not so much the idiosyncratic (or so I thought)monologue of the Writer. As a Reader, I ought to be allowed to choose what goes into my eyes and eventually into the mind, soul and heart. So I chose to skip all Forewords.

Until this Chinese book came along, something written by an author who made her first impression on me as a singer. Someone in showbiz, talented but not quite fitting the image of a writer. Her writing drew me to return to her foreword, AFTER I had dived into her book of prose. Midway, I did an about-turn and did something I had not done in eons.

Cool. Not mind-blowing, but cool enough to nudge me on: give Forewords a chance.

So I read Hanif Kureshi's foreword for his new book on writing and politics today, on the MRT ride home. The 1st 8 pages talked about his dad, aspiring writer and civil servant(what stark resemblance to yours truly! *gasp*) and I reached my stop. Think I'll catch on with the rest before I hit my bed tonight. It's almost like conversing with the Writer, my own idiosyncratic monologue directed at him but which he'd never hear about. So interestingly naughty, I feel.

Now on the Spiritual listening.

Today, I heard of the Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey (http://www.animalinfo.org/species/primate/pygaavun.htm), a breed of monkeys found in the subtropical forests of Northern Vietnam for the 1st time in my life.
And how? Through a new age music compilation part of the "Creatures in Crisis" series. NAM (New Age Music) is used here to help in fund-raising for the conservation cause and I think it's pretty nice. Enigma's Sadeness is one track I can never grow tired of and that probably prompted me to do that little bit for the Tonkon snub-nosed Monkey.

Seeing the small photo of one monkey, it reminded me of a child wearing face-paint, resembling a kabuki-actor at the same time. Very innocent and more importantly, speaking a silent language of Life. It's almost like the effect NAM has on me, some time several years ago when NAM seemed really pretty big and I was caught up in the whirlwind as well. Out of the world and in this world at the same time. At this very moment I am savouring the spread of calm and revigorating music, a life form is withering quietly. Suddenly the pain seemed more intense and it isn't that FAR away anymore. I could be that monkey, I could lose my right to live to a tyrannical hand other than godly fate. It is HUMAN and it is not supposed to have the right to meddle at all.

Spiritually, Man is starved. We have filled ourselves over and over again with material junk, stupidity and cruelty we hold as gems and treasures. This has to be stoppped somehow, before many more lives are wiped out, from the face of the Earth they hold an equal right to.