Larvatus Prodeo

We stood around and talked after the ceremony, the nine of us, like farmers after church on a Sunday morning. There was much to share. Many of us hadn’t seen each other for years (“We must stop meeting like this!â€?) There were endless stories about our friend and colleague, one Peter John Pegg, whose passing we had come to the Lakeside Chapel to commemorate, whose life we had come to celebrate. Indeed he was one of the most interesting people you would ever hope to meet.

Inevitably we checked on each other’s health, the depredations of old age. Our friend at 63 was younger than any of us. We feel very much in the front line. We wonder how many people will come to our funerals. The only positive was that he’d side-stepped the problems of old age. But too soon, too soon!

There were plenty at Peter’s funeral. Apart from us, the contingent from the first half of his working life, there would have been people he’d subsequently worked with, his family and the members of Windsor & Districts’ Historical Society where he had been president for the last seven years. (The website is clearly the work of someone who signed his name with a calligraphy pen.) That last association apparently explains why there was a message from the Premier as well as the Lord Mayor. Very impressive! But as usual with Peter, he left us with an intriguing question.

Peter loved to help and to share knowledge. We were never surprised at what Peter knew. At his funeral we were given a nicely put together program that captured Peter’s life very well, plus the warmth of regard felt by those around him. But it also left a teaser which as a more ordinary mortal I can’t quite solve. Peter, we were informed, had a book of haiku with a book mark at the following verse:

The morning glory
Today reveals most clearly
My own life cycle

But this was on the most well-worn page:

From all directions
Cherry blossoms blow upon
Two-Deva kings lake

I googled the reference to the Two-Deva kings lake to find that in Buddhist tradition two benevolent kings (Nio) were said to have followed and protected the historical Buddha when he travelled throughout India. They have been taken over into the Japanese Buddhist pantheon, where two fierce figures guard the gate of most Japanese Buddhist temples:

Each is named after a particular cosmic sound. The open-mouthed figure is called “Agyo,” who is uttering the sound “ah,” meaning birth. His closed-mouth partner is called “Ungyo,” who sounds “un” or “om,” meaning death. Other explanations for the open/closed mouth include: (1) mouth open to scare off demons, closed to shelter/keep in the good spirits; (2) “Ah” is the first letter in the Sanskrit alphabet and “Un” is the last (same in Japanese syllabary too), so the combination symbolically represents all possible outcomes (from alpha to omega) in the cosmic dance of existence.

The cosmic dance of existence. All possible outcomes. Peter would have understood all that and more. He would have known that “Devaâ€? is believed to derive from the Proto-Indo-European “deiwosâ€?, originally an adjective meaning “celestial” or “shining”, from which we get “divine”. Peter would also have been able to explain the lake, which I can’t fathom.

Perhaps he will yet find a way of telling me. After all, friends of the Windsor historical society did receive an email from Peter inviting them to a wake at the old Windsor Town Council Chambers after the funeral.

Meanwhile can anyone out there help me with the lake?

Addendum: On googling I found that Peter did not have a large imprint on the web for one so computer savvy. There were a few references to pithy, rational comments on Courier Mail blogs that lead me to think he would have been an excellent blogger. There was an entry in a curious site called General Thinking where there is an entry for Peter. Presumably this entry will eventually be taken down, so I repeat here some of the content (supplied in 2001 and I think not updated) for the assistance of those who may google in future.

My Label, Role or Title: Generalist

My Work: Problem solving, technical writing, product documentation, technical graphics, web site development, editing, proofing, research

About Me: Born & schooled in Brisbane. Trained and practised as a teacher. Qualified for library registration. Involved in Library & Resource Services of the State Department of Education for some time. While there

a) tried to develop logical and coherent standards for resource provision, staffing and facilities

b) helped establish the first copyright section in an Australian education department

c) helped develop a list of subject headings for Australian schools based on language patterns and usage of Australian English.

Left for the challenge of private enterprise and joined with a group of young computer software engineers to develop software for the Macintosh. Formed with them the first graphic arts bureau in Brisbane using the then fledgling Macintosh.

Also worked with a globe-trotting aquatic sports equipment designer and manufacturer who remains a major client. Went to Japan to work with this client and his associates in the Japanese aquatic leisure industry.

Later returned to Japan for an eighteen month period in which I worked with a Japanese development consulting firm and also represented a venture promoting Australian technology.

Returning to Australia, I provided administrative, creative, and technical services in the sporting and graphics design industries. I particularly enjoyed involvement in product design.

Most recently I have been immersed in Co-opOnes with Mal Enright and Alex Humffray which provides a demanding but refreshing collegiate experience in a co-operative endeavour of individuals.

My Passions: English language and literature, German literature, struggling with the Japanese language. My library is tiny – under 3000 volumes, but a great delight. Areas of interest are language & literature, cars, history, art and design. My music taste is catholic and eclectic but my deepest admiration is for Mozart, Bach, and Haydn. The design and history of cars (automobiles) is a long-term interest. I am President of the local historical society and am actively interested in local and more general history. I am writing (very slowly) a history of the local area, and have designed and prepared for publication a couple of works for the society.