*Planet Earth, AraiGodai, Flickr
* * *
God has no religion.
*Mahatma Gandhi
* * *
It is in deep solitude that I find the gentleness with which I can truly love my brothers. The more solitary I am the more affection I have for them…. Solitude and silence teach me to love my brothers for what they are, not for what they say.
*Thomas Merton
* * *
Some children were playing beside a river. They made castles of sand, and each child defended his castle and said, "This one is mine." They kept their castles separate and would not allow any mistakes about which was whose. When the castles were all finished, one child kicked over someone else's castle and completely destroyed it. The owner of the castle flew into a rage, pulled the other child's hair, struck him with his fist and bawled out, "He has spoiled my castle! Come along all of you and help me punish him as he deserves!" The others all came to his help. They beat the child. Then they went on playing with their sand castles, each saying, "This is mine; no one else may have it. Keep away! Don't touch my castle!"
But evening came, it was getting dark, and they all thought they ought to be going home. No one cared what became of his castle. One child stamped on his, another pushed his over with both hands. They turned away and went back, each to his home.
* * *
Prayerful Silence leads us to the place of knowing we are all One. This is not merely intellectual, but confirmed within oneself intuitively, spontaneously, in the Solitude that lives within us.
The above story, from Buddhism, reminds us of the harm we can do, and do, as persons and peoples through possessiveness, through not realizing the things we divide over, and harm one another over, are impermanent, as our bodies are impermanent. Likewise, Jesus spoke, "What shall a person gain, if that person gains the whole world and forfeits his or her soul?" This is not speaking about an afterlife, this is talking of this life. In this life, we can miss life, we can lose life - life beyond existence, beyond functioning - through greed, through exploitation of others, through violation of our Oneness in insecurity, warring, and hoarding of resources.
Persons of true Prayer are deepened in the sense of Unity, for in opening the heart, one opens the heart to Love. The heart is the Solitude where one is alone and, in being alone, is with everyone. Only in my aloneness am I in togetherness with you, even as when together with you, I am alone. Aloneness and togetherness, our Oneness is.
* * *
*Sunset on the Andaman Sea, Cape Promthep, Pisit Koolplukpol, Flickr
* * * CLOSING BLESSING * * *
Grace and Peace to All
The Sacred in Me bows to the Sacred in You
*You are welcome to contact Brian at briankwilcox@yahoo.com .
The presentations at this site cover a long time period. Each one represents part of an on-going Pilgrimage, and the writer's ideas, practices, and experience have changed over time. This change is the quality of any living Journey. Please read with this in mind, allowing the inner Teacher to speak to you as you need at this particular time in your own living Journey. Thanks!
