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Two monks were walking back to the monastery. It had been raining and the road was very muddy. They arrived at an intersection, where a beautiful woman was standing alone. She was hesitant to cross the street because of the mud. Without thinking, one of the monks picked her up and carried her across the road. The other monk stood aghast. Later that night, the second monk, unable to restrain himself longer, said, “How could you do that? We monks are not to look at females, and certainly not touch them.” The first monk replied, “I left the woman there, it seems you are the one still carrying her.”
An old Japanese haiku reads:
The old pond.
A frog jumps in.
Plop!
Meditation is practice in bare attention. Learning to be fully in the moment, the only time and place we can experience the Wonderful Presence, we grow into freedom to feel the texture of the moment. We live more in the present, in the now. Then, this freedom of practicing the Graceful Presence in the moment slowly begins to free us to act more spontaneously, more naturally. This is a process, and we grow into this experience slowly, but surely. And, like the monk that helped the woman, we become not as focused on what is called right or wrong. Rather, because we are growing so into the Love of God, we act more out of the motive of Love itself, out of an empathic feeling for and with the other person.
This compassion and empathy is made possible by the bare, open attention we are with the other person. Openness to the other person, then, creates a safe space for reciprocity, or like empathic compassion. This compassion is not a feeling sorry for someone; rather, it is an empathic identification, of subject-to-subject, with him or her.
The frog jumps into the pond. Why? That is the nature of the frog. The water goes “Plop!” Why? That is the nature of the water. The monk helps the woman. Why? That is the nature of the monk. Meditation, the practice of the Wonderful Presence, helps us to be naturally whom we are to be and be becoming, being conformed to the image of Christ, Who is Divine Love and Bliss.
Quote of the Day
By affirming that love is our priority in a situation, we actualize the power of God.
Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love
Spiritual Practice for Today
Stop throughout your day. Breathe deeply. Speak internally, with a smile on your face, too: Wonderful Moment, Precious Moment. Repeat this, synchronizing the mantra with the breath, several times. Enjoy!
OneLife Ministries is a pastoral outreach and nurture ministry of the First United Methodist Church, Fort Meade, FL. For Spiritual Direction, Pastoral Counseling, spiritual formation workshops, Christian meditation retreats, or more information about OneLife, write Rev. Dr. Brian K. Wilcox at briankwilcox@comcast.net.
Brian's book of mystical love poetry, An Ache for Union, can be ordered through major bookdealers.
Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors
Merry Christmas 2005!
Brian K.
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