A frequent attendee to the Sage's talks asked, "Why do you give so much of your time and energy to help us?" "No why," said the Sage.
*Brian K. Wilcox. "Meetings with an Anonymous Sage."
* * *
Two monks were walking back to the monastery. It had been raining, and the road was muddy. They arrived at an intersection where a woman was standing alone. She was hesitant to cross the road because of the mud. Without thinking, one of the monks picked her up and carried her to the other side. 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 answered, "I left the woman there, it seems you're still carrying her."
* * *
An old Japanese haiku reads:
The old pond. A frog jumps in. Plop!
* * *
Meditation is bare attention. Learning to be in the moment, the only time and place we can experience Wonderful Presence, we grow into freedom to feel the texture of now. We become more aware, more sensitive to the liveliness of life.
This freedom of practicing Graceful Presence at the moment begins freeing us to act spontaneously, naturally. We grow into this experience slowly but surely.
Like the monk who helped the woman, we become less focused on right or wrong. Because we are growing into God, we act more out of the motive of Love, out of an empathic feeling for and with other beings.
* * *
We become what we give our attention to. One monk gave his attention to right. One monk gave his attention to compassion.
* * *
The frog jumps into the pond. Why? That is the nature of the frog. From the frog's perspective, there is no why. 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.
Living in harmony with Wonderful Presence helps us to be who we are, without additives to make ourselves appear or behave more presentable or acceptable. We feel at ease inside our skin, so we are at ease in the world. Harmony within means harmony without. Spontaneous action becomes our way of interacting with the world. Being kind takes priority over aiming to be right, do right, or get it right.
*Use of photography is allowed accompanied by credit given to Brian K. Wilcox and title and place of photographs.
*Brian's book, An Ache for Union: Poems on Oneness with God through Love, can be ordered through major online booksellers or the publisher AuthorHouse.
