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In a world that eternally powers forward, Stephen Crimi’s Katabatic Wind
presents his audience with an opportunity to awaken the wisdom from
within using sacred origin stories that help readers be more cognizant
of the ever-important question: who am I? This compilation of essays
begins with a dive into the abyss of the underworld, a katabasis, with
an analysis of the classic Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, and
culminates with a deep dive into the significance of geometry and the
number 108. The most extensive and intriguing aspect of Katabatic Wind,
however, is the discourse of dharma—duty—and its juxtaposition in
Shakespeare’s Hamlet and the epic poem, Mahabharata.
Crimi’s discourse is inundated with both analysis and research that
helps the reader arrive at a more complete understanding of how one can
lead a more purposeful life.
A thorough reading of Katabatic Wind
will yield one golden nugget after another of self-realization. The
most intriguing of Crimi’s discussions is this idea of dying two
deaths: the death of flesh and the death of ignorance. Specifically in
the Mahabharata, the world’s
greatest archer, Arjuna, is conflicted with his dharma, or the right
way of living, as he and his charioteer, Krishna, described as the
supreme personality of godhead in the Bhagvad Gita,
are stationed in the middle of the battlefield, Kuruksetra.
Incorporating the idea of Sanskrit, the Rgveda, and karma, the author
takes Arjuna’s moral dilemma and compares it to Hamlet’s predicament,
where he must avenge his father’s death by slaying the current king,
his uncle, Claudius. Although Crimi includes complex slokas, or chants
from the Bhagvad Gita, he
explains the meaning and his purpose for its inclusion with such
precision that even the layman would pick up the message. For instance,
in one sloka, Crimi translates the Sanskrit version to simple ideas
such as transforming from dark to light, and death to immortality.
Crisis, tragedy, and loyalty are the common themes for both princes,
Arjuna and Hamlet. Both epics debate their moral dilemma through iconic
monologues: Arjuna’s bow, the Gandiva, is described as trembling under
the weight of the family members he must slay to carry out his dharma,
while Hamlet’s “to be or not to be speech” has become a part of all
literary canons. The way these characters make decisions, face their
doubt, and come to a resolution is insightful, and certainly, as Crimi
suggests, useful to tackle the daily challenges of life.
Like an intricate puzzle, Crimi dissects his evidence, and unveils it
piece by piece, until his purpose and the image he is trying to convey
fits nicely into the reader’s mind. In his section on Exegeses,
Crimi goes into the mysticism of the rose and the role it plays over
many cultures and literary texts, including the Islamic Sufi tradition
and Dante’s Inferno. On a
deeper level, however, the audience will be intrigued by the
intercultural uses of the number 108. Whether it is the Pentagon, the
Golden Triangle, the radius of the moon, Buddhism, or the cosmological
Yugas—phases of life—in the Hindu culture, 108 always finds its way
into relevance. Interestingly, there is even a section on the sanctity
of the game of baseball and Pythagorean numerics and angles.
In the end, Purgito Ergo Sum,
Crimi brings the lens back to his own life, where he finds himself in
an ayahuasca-fueled journey, and comes to the realization that he is,
“neither Shiva nor Satan,” and “this is all that being human is.”
Several elements of life and myth come through loud and clear after
reading Katabatic Wind;
however, the constant is a stronger understanding of cultural origin
stories, parallels, and an overall glimpse into what it means to be
human.
Stephen Crimi’s Katabatic Wind
leaves no stone unturned. The depth of research and insightful
information he conveys about our identity as human beings begs for
multiple reads of this text. While Katabatic Wind
will turn every philosopher into a kid in a candy store, its concise
explanations make for a meaningful read for anyone who wishes to
understand the layers of their humanity.
RECOMMENDED by The US Review