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Monday 15 February 2010

A Swaledale Quaker and a Book of Wisdom from Tibet

It is such a pity that Eliza didn't finish stitching her name, for she has left such a charming sampler for us to enjoy. And you can visit it when next you are in the Swaledale Museum at Reeth. How do we know that it is a Quaker sampler? We can never be absolutely certain, particularly since we are lacking a name. From the title Sincerity it seems we are looking at a Quaker, but it is when we go to the source of the quotation that we can be 90% sure that Eliza or her teacher was a Quaker. The quotation is a translation from a book of esoteric wisdom which was uncovered in Tibet in the mid 18th century and seems to have become a favoured text of the Society of Friends - another quotation based on this text appears on an Ackworth School Sampler. To read more about the interesting origins of this quotation click here.

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for the link to the origin of the quotation. I've been reading through the site and found this little pearl too...

    "To what purpose, saith he, is my vesture of gold, to what end are my tables filled with dainties, if no eye gaze upon them or if the world know it not? Give thy raiment to the naked and thy food unto the hungry; so shalt thou be praised and feel that thou deservest it."

    Wonder if I'm making too many dainties? lol

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  2. I loved that museum, but I think my last visit, must have been before these people took it over, it looks a lot cleaner.

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