Meaning of Drawing below "Order of Unified Hearts"

Everything about Leonard's 2006 book of poetry and Anjani's album
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Wood'n'Fire
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Meaning of Drawing below "Order of Unified Hearts"

Post by Wood'n'Fire »

Hello!

This is my first post. I'm sure you will help me with the following question: What does the rectancle logo/drawing below the "Order of the Unified Hearts" mean? You'll find it on the front cover, on many pages inside the book including the last page with the acknowledgements.
Is it from the "I Ging"? That's my guess. Unfortunately, I don't have my copy here to look it up.
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LisaLCFan
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Re: Meaning of Drawing below "Order of Unified Hearts"

Post by LisaLCFan »

Hello, welcome! I think that I can answer your question.

Are you are referring to this?
DH-symbols.jpg
DH-symbols.jpg (3.62 KiB) Viewed 9615 times

If so, the symbol below the unified hearts is the name "Jikan", which was Leonard's name as a monk, given to him by Roshi. I direct you to the following thread in which the symbol is discussed:

https://www.leonardcohenforum.com/viewt ... f=4&t=3590

As you will see in that thread, Leonard himself responded to the (somewhat erroneous) suggestion that it means "The Silent One", and below is what Leonard said:

"Interesting
I never suggested that Jikan meant 'The Silent One'
that somehow got into the air
and was taken up by journalists –
whenever I've been asked
I've given Roshi's bad English translation
which is something like:
"ordinary silence, normal silence, just ok
everything don't sweat it silence"

Roshi always got pissed off when people wanted to explore the deep meanings of the names he'd given them – new versions of their self-importance he wasn't trying to honour you with some poetic revelation of your adorable nature that he had discerned he was just trying to give you a name that he could remember and he has his own private associational method I won't go into the matter, but Jikan was someone in his own life that he knew very well."


Hope that helps! Cheers!
Wood'n'Fire
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Re: Meaning of Drawing below "Order of Unified Hearts"

Post by Wood'n'Fire »

Thank you, Lisa!

It answers my question. Interesting post, too. I went through it. I would have never been able to solve the riddle of the drawing. The "Unified Hearts" made it.

Positive energy around. Be blessed!
abby
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Re: Meaning of Drawing below "Order of Unified Hearts"

Post by abby »

whose hearts are unified in the unified hearts logo?
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LisaLCFan
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Re: Meaning of Drawing below "Order of Unified Hearts"

Post by LisaLCFan »

abby wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 6:09 pm whose hearts are unified in the unified hearts logo?
The hearts of anyone who considers themselves to be a member of The Order of the Unified Hearts, i.e., those who feel some affinity to Leonard Cohen -- to his life and his works, etc. -- there is a secret handshake and everything! ;-)

Just kidding about that last bit, but seriously, Leonard has actually addressed this matter in various interviews, and this is from one of them:

[Leonard:] “These two interlocking hearts I designed for the cover of Book of Mercy [...]. I established this Order of the Unified Heart, that is a kind of dream of an order. There is no organization. There’s no hierarchy. There’s just a pin for people of a very broadly designated similar intent.”

[Interviewer:] "And yours is?”

He thinks for a minute.

[Leonard:] “To just make things better on a very personal level. You’re just not scattered all over the place. There is a tiny moment when you might gather around some decent intention.”

[Interviewer:] “And what has been your most decent intention?”

He places his hands on the edge of the table.

[Leonard:] “I can’t think of any right now. There must be one or two.”

[Interviewer:] “Beauty, maybe.”

“Beauty, certainly,” he responds.



- From Sarah Hampson, "He Has Tried in His Way To Be Free", 2007 (link below to full interview).

https://www.lionsroar.com/he-has-tried- ... o-be-free/
abby
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Re: Meaning of Drawing below "Order of Unified Hearts"

Post by abby »

I so appreciate the reference, Lisa. Coming across this thread I felt like I'd never had words for the symbol's meaning, that whatever meaning it had held for me was wordless, intuitive, & when I tried to find the words I could only think of Leonard's heart entwined with... God? a woman? My thoughts just weren't satisfying.

But this is! When I read the suggestion that beauty might be the most decent intention around which the order gathers, I immediately thought Leonard responded with kindness in his assent rather than truth. When did beauty fall so low in my estimation? & now beauty seems a fine intention, as much what drew me to Leonard as my experience of kinship with how I've thought of him, always darker than beauty. Maybe this'll help me lighten up already.
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LisaLCFan
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Re: Meaning of Drawing below "Order of Unified Hearts"

Post by LisaLCFan »

abby wrote: Wed Oct 19, 2022 6:58 am I so appreciate the reference, Lisa....
Abby, I am glad that I was able to help.

I cannot tell you how to think or feel, but my experience of Leonard Cohen and all things associated with him makes me think that there are many layers to him and his work, and thus there is probably no one answer as to what anything means, but rather many answers, or maybe no answers and just questions, or... who knows? Perhaps not all mysteries need to be solved -- some may be there just to make us think and to open our minds (and/or our hearts).

Over time, some of my perceptions of Leonard and his work have changed as I have changed -- how I think and feel about it has evolved -- and I believe that that is partly because of how deep and profound his work is -- he is a poet, after all, and of a very high order, I'd say -- such that he and his work can mean different things to different people, or different things to the same person at different times.

Incidentally, I have always seen far more beauty than darkness in Leonard's work -- the beauty and the light is what drew me to him, and those are the elements for which I have the most affinity, whereas the darkness -- Leonard's darkness -- was always something to which I could not easily relate. Perhaps, like a lot of great and timeless art, there is something for everyone in Leonard and his work, whatever their proclivities may be.
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