The Love in me Salutes the Love in you.
Peace
21 April 2009
20 April 2009
Three Things: Power, Gossip and Intolerance
1) "Absolute power corrupts, absolutely."
(I don't remember who said it first, but it's worth remembering for oneself and repeating as a reminder to others.)
and
2) A story from the film "Doubt"
In the film, a priest is being hounded by a nun who imagines she knows something about him. After she accuses him of a heinous crime, he tells the following story as his next sermon to their congregation.
"A woman was gossiping with a friend about a man she hardly knew." The priest looks up at the congregation and says: " I know none of you have ever done this." and then he continues.
"That night she had a dream. A great hand appeared over her and pointed a finger down at her. She was immediately seized with an overwhelming sense of guilt. The next day she went to confession. She got the old parish priest and told him the whole thing. "Is gossiping a sin? she asked the old man. Was that the hand of Almighty God pointing a finger at me? Should I be asking your absolution, Father? Father, tell me, have I done something wrong?"
"Yes!", the priest answered. "Yes! You ignorantly badly brought up female! You've born false witness against your neighbor! You played fast and loose with his reputation and you should be heartily ashamed!"
The woman said she was sorry and asked forgiveness.
"Not so fast." said the priest. "I want you to go home, take a pillow off your bed, take it up to the roof, cut it open with a knife and return here to me."
So, the woman went home, took a pillow off her bed, got a knife from the kitchen, took them both up to the roof and stabbed and cut the pillow open. Then she went back to the priest and told him she'd done what he asked.
"Did you gut the pillow with a knife?" he asked.
"Yes, Father."
"And what was the result?" he asked.
"Feathers." she replied.
"Feathers." he repeated.
"Feathers everywhere, Father." she said.
The priest then told her: " Now, I want you to go back and gather up every last feather that flew out on the wind."
Well," said the woman, "it can't be done, I don't know where they went. They flew all over"
"And that," said the priest, "is Gossip!"
Great film. It also speaks to
3) Intolerance
(I don't remember who said it first, but it's worth remembering for oneself and repeating as a reminder to others.)
and
2) A story from the film "Doubt"
In the film, a priest is being hounded by a nun who imagines she knows something about him. After she accuses him of a heinous crime, he tells the following story as his next sermon to their congregation.
"A woman was gossiping with a friend about a man she hardly knew." The priest looks up at the congregation and says: " I know none of you have ever done this." and then he continues.
"That night she had a dream. A great hand appeared over her and pointed a finger down at her. She was immediately seized with an overwhelming sense of guilt. The next day she went to confession. She got the old parish priest and told him the whole thing. "Is gossiping a sin? she asked the old man. Was that the hand of Almighty God pointing a finger at me? Should I be asking your absolution, Father? Father, tell me, have I done something wrong?"
"Yes!", the priest answered. "Yes! You ignorantly badly brought up female! You've born false witness against your neighbor! You played fast and loose with his reputation and you should be heartily ashamed!"
The woman said she was sorry and asked forgiveness.
"Not so fast." said the priest. "I want you to go home, take a pillow off your bed, take it up to the roof, cut it open with a knife and return here to me."
So, the woman went home, took a pillow off her bed, got a knife from the kitchen, took them both up to the roof and stabbed and cut the pillow open. Then she went back to the priest and told him she'd done what he asked.
"Did you gut the pillow with a knife?" he asked.
"Yes, Father."
"And what was the result?" he asked.
"Feathers." she replied.
"Feathers." he repeated.
"Feathers everywhere, Father." she said.
The priest then told her: " Now, I want you to go back and gather up every last feather that flew out on the wind."
Well," said the woman, "it can't be done, I don't know where they went. They flew all over"
"And that," said the priest, "is Gossip!"
Great film. It also speaks to
3) Intolerance
14 April 2009
It Is Raining
Shhh...
I've been sitting here most of the morning working. It was cloudy this morning but became darker and darker as the day wore on and I had to turn on the lamp.
About two hours ago rolling thunder claps miles away announced the impending visit of the thunderstorms that just passed over. I love thunderstorms - provided they are polite enough not to overstep my boundaries and cause harm or damage. I even like hurricanes if they are not too naughty. This weather always brings an energy that is so different from the norm for me and it triggers memories I enjoy. It is like an energy cleanse.
When they finally arrived overhead, gallons of much needed water poured onto the flat roof directly over my head twice. After a short visit some of the big clouds moved on; a few smaller ones stayed behind. Like a crowd of teenage boys in a huddle after school, they rumbled in muffled tones punctuated by short loud clapping burst with heavier rain.
The rain hit the roof and flowed over the eaves like a big waterfall splashing onto my wood slatted balcony floor setting up a fast hard tempo. As they moved away, I began to notice other sounds: the lighter rain with it's own pace, the traffic on the big road outside - swish swish in one direction, swish, swish in the other as cars come and go through the water on the street. I could tell if a vehicle was moving fast or slow or if it was heavy or light. Honk, beep, sswishhh, swishhh, quiet hushed sounds, fingers tapping on the keys, the hum of the old refrigerator, the air conditioner switching on and off, my breathing. Everything was vibrating in this rain symphony; keeping it's own time, everything played its part.
Peace, enjoy your rain.
I've been sitting here most of the morning working. It was cloudy this morning but became darker and darker as the day wore on and I had to turn on the lamp.
About two hours ago rolling thunder claps miles away announced the impending visit of the thunderstorms that just passed over. I love thunderstorms - provided they are polite enough not to overstep my boundaries and cause harm or damage. I even like hurricanes if they are not too naughty. This weather always brings an energy that is so different from the norm for me and it triggers memories I enjoy. It is like an energy cleanse.
When they finally arrived overhead, gallons of much needed water poured onto the flat roof directly over my head twice. After a short visit some of the big clouds moved on; a few smaller ones stayed behind. Like a crowd of teenage boys in a huddle after school, they rumbled in muffled tones punctuated by short loud clapping burst with heavier rain.
The rain hit the roof and flowed over the eaves like a big waterfall splashing onto my wood slatted balcony floor setting up a fast hard tempo. As they moved away, I began to notice other sounds: the lighter rain with it's own pace, the traffic on the big road outside - swish swish in one direction, swish, swish in the other as cars come and go through the water on the street. I could tell if a vehicle was moving fast or slow or if it was heavy or light. Honk, beep, sswishhh, swishhh, quiet hushed sounds, fingers tapping on the keys, the hum of the old refrigerator, the air conditioner switching on and off, my breathing. Everything was vibrating in this rain symphony; keeping it's own time, everything played its part.
Peace, enjoy your rain.
07 April 2009
Finding Balance
It's always about beginning again isn't it?
In this moment and this moment and this moment - from wherever I am. That is the beauty of this inner work. Even if I fall off the inevitable cliffs I can trust that if I keep moving and come back to this inner attention and awareness of the sensation of my body, I will find my way back to balance again; sometimes by myself, and sometimes with (as those famous Beatles once said) with a little help from my friends.
Ain't life grand?
Peace
In this moment and this moment and this moment - from wherever I am. That is the beauty of this inner work. Even if I fall off the inevitable cliffs I can trust that if I keep moving and come back to this inner attention and awareness of the sensation of my body, I will find my way back to balance again; sometimes by myself, and sometimes with (as those famous Beatles once said) with a little help from my friends.
Ain't life grand?
Peace
06 April 2009
Jealousy
Jealousy
At Best
Is an ugly, shriveled,
Little,
Thing.
Give it a drink of water.
Heal its wounds.
Peace,
Lalo
At Best
Is an ugly, shriveled,
Little,
Thing.
Give it a drink of water.
Heal its wounds.
Peace,
Lalo
03 April 2009
Let Go
Let go that idea
Come
Bring fullness to the moment
Even sorrow
Even joy
Cannot take away
Your birthright
When you stand whole
In your own shoes.
L.
Come
Bring fullness to the moment
Even sorrow
Even joy
Cannot take away
Your birthright
When you stand whole
In your own shoes.
L.
Where Is My Friend?
Snagged and snagged again
On this and that
Things of consequence
and things of no consequence
She is lost
Wandering
Unknowing
Where is my friend?
She is gone too long;
I miss her company.
I sit quietly
Re membering
Ahh, here she is.
She slips in
Bringing the sun.
Peace,
L
On this and that
Things of consequence
and things of no consequence
She is lost
Wandering
Unknowing
Where is my friend?
She is gone too long;
I miss her company.
I sit quietly
Re membering
Ahh, here she is.
She slips in
Bringing the sun.
Peace,
L
01 April 2009
Faraj's Wedding Night
A good friend recently had a dis-appointing experience. This is for him.
"..... This is true of all world pleasures.
They look delightful before you test them out.
The world looks like a delicate bride,
but be more patient than Faraj!
The eminence you think you want, the power
over others, let all that go.
It's better not to ride on other people's backs.
That's how we arrive at the grave.
Tend to just what is yours.
If you drop your whip, dismount and pick it up.
Don't ask someone else to do your work.
Ask within, and when that Presence directs you,
whatever you do will be right, even though
externally it may seem wrong. Don't curse the oyster
for having an ugly encrusted shell. Inside
it's all pearl. There's no way to say
how we are with phenomena.
Like a moth with a candle, we singe our wings
and then forget and come back to do the same thing.
Like children, we spill the salt,
and then we spill it again.
Like Faraj, we put up both our hands and say, "No!
Your face is very lovely, but in bed
you're something totally different.
I won't be fooled again!"
But he will. We make resolutions,
and we forget. Paper flares up,
and then goes out.
RUMI ~
Excerpt from: Mathnawi, VI,
Peace my darling friend,
L
ANONYMOUS COMMENT:
HI this is very nice poem. I was wondering if you were able to grasp what he means by: like children we spill the salt and then we spill it again" ? Thanks on.....
Dear Anonymous:
You asked if I was "able to grasp" the meaning of this line. If you are having difficulty grasping it yourself. I suggest you fill a cup of with salt, place it near the edge of a table then swipe it with your hand so it falls to the floor, then do the same again a few days, weeks or months later and observe what happens. Between the spilling of salt see how you do something repetitive like that in your life. Keep doing this until you understand what " like children we spill the salt and then we spill it again" means. Let me know if still have trouble "grasping" the meaning.
"..... This is true of all world pleasures.
They look delightful before you test them out.
The world looks like a delicate bride,
but be more patient than Faraj!
The eminence you think you want, the power
over others, let all that go.
It's better not to ride on other people's backs.
That's how we arrive at the grave.
Tend to just what is yours.
If you drop your whip, dismount and pick it up.
Don't ask someone else to do your work.
Ask within, and when that Presence directs you,
whatever you do will be right, even though
externally it may seem wrong. Don't curse the oyster
for having an ugly encrusted shell. Inside
it's all pearl. There's no way to say
how we are with phenomena.
Like a moth with a candle, we singe our wings
and then forget and come back to do the same thing.
Like children, we spill the salt,
and then we spill it again.
Like Faraj, we put up both our hands and say, "No!
Your face is very lovely, but in bed
you're something totally different.
I won't be fooled again!"
But he will. We make resolutions,
and we forget. Paper flares up,
and then goes out.
RUMI ~
Excerpt from: Mathnawi, VI,
Peace my darling friend,
L
ANONYMOUS COMMENT:
HI this is very nice poem. I was wondering if you were able to grasp what he means by: like children we spill the salt and then we spill it again" ? Thanks on.....
Dear Anonymous:
You asked if I was "able to grasp" the meaning of this line. If you are having difficulty grasping it yourself. I suggest you fill a cup of with salt, place it near the edge of a table then swipe it with your hand so it falls to the floor, then do the same again a few days, weeks or months later and observe what happens. Between the spilling of salt see how you do something repetitive like that in your life. Keep doing this until you understand what " like children we spill the salt and then we spill it again" means. Let me know if still have trouble "grasping" the meaning.
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