A student follows my command and tells me two numbers and a direction. I walk over to the book shelves in the library and using his numbers and direction it takes me to a hardcover book, which I hand to the student and say, "read this for 10 minutes."
He protested when told to read Gay-neck by Dhan Gopal Mukerji. He settles down and five minutes later is telling the rest of us that it is a book about a pigeon and that he has no interest in reading further. Class ends and we put it back on the shelf, but before I do I notice that in 1927 it won a Newbery prize. To some in my anatomy class, this will be what they remember for the year. Especially since I tell them a week later that I checked the book out of the library.
I read the book as part of my effort to do enjoyable reading and in its midst I found some spiritual wisdom passed on by Buddhists to the pigeon and the owner of the pigeon. Twice the pigeon is crippled by fear-- predatory birds and later delivering messages in WWI Europe. The first healing is what moved me to continue on with the book and thus I read....
the final paragraph...
"whatever we think and feel will colour what we say and do. He who fears, even unconsciously, or has his least little dream tainted with hate, will inevitably, sooner, or later translate these two qualities into his action. Therefore, my brothers, live courage, breathe courage and give courage. Think and feel love so that you will be able to pour out of yourself peace and serenity as naturally as a flower gives forth fragrance. Peace be onto all!"
as naturally as a flower.....
Met a couple years ago who did midnight shift janitorial work at the railroad. For sometime I was the sole clerk on that shift and a friendship developed, especially since he and I loved to read. He introduced me to Merton via a copy of "The Palace of Nowhere". We talked and talked. I learned that both had a Christian background, but both had left such upbringing. Now, feeling a pull to return to their original faith, he nonetheless had a "fear" of leaving behind much he had read along the way within the beliefs of oriental religions. He seemed shocked to hear me ask him who had told him he would have to abandon it all. That link on my sidebar to "Whiskey River" takes you to a site where you can find daily quotes from many sources. I long ago found it doesn't have to be Bible to feed your soul...
ReplyDeleteJim---- a post about singing bowls may be in the future.... I think I am drawn to passages in the Bible that call us to be mindful because of the bit of Buddhism I have studied.
ReplyDeletewill travel to Whiskey River.