To him who asks, give. Do not turn away the beggar. Give freely as you have been given freely. Then you will find that no matter how much you give, there will always be a need. No matter how much you sacrifice, there will always be more asked of you. No matter what you do, it may not be returned. For to him who is asked, more will be asked. To him who sacrifices, more will be demanded. To him who surrenders all, even more will be taken away. No one said it would be easy. No one said it would be just. Human notions of justice are the last refuge of those who have not fully committed. How fortunate the ones who have not done so, for they may live their lives in self satisfying comfort, never fully risking anything and always able to stand on their own accomplishments.
Lincoln freed the slaves, and for it he was shot dead.
Moses brought his people out of bondage, and for it they rebelled.
Jesus accepted all the brokenness of the world, and for it died like a criminal.
How fortunate the man who gives nothing. And so enjoy your lives of comfort. Enjoy your world of positions and objects. Enjoy the people you have, just stop trying to own them. You have your reward. You have your time.
For those who ask for more the path is narrow and the gate is hidden. Some say it looks like submission and obedience. But doesn’t everyone know about that? Doesn’t everyone feel guilt? At east those who take the path of vanity have some enjoyment with their guilt before they die.
The other path is much harder to find even though it is all around us. It is much harder to follow even though it is always calling us. It calls us to give up far more than our earthly pleasures. It asks for far more than our worldly positions. It calls us to give up even our identities. But to those who have done this you already know that all I have said is only a riddle and an illusion. Dust and shadows. That is what all you have amounts to. I’m looking for something far more real. I am looking forward to never passing away. I’m looking into eternity.
I don’t look for detachment. I don’t want to escape samsara. My Dharma is to continue on. The wheel keeps turning and I turn with it. But a Light shines on my course and I cannot turn away. Follow this Light and remember the darkness no more. This leads to the world beyond illusions.
The comforts and pleasures of this world are their own reward, but look beyond them to something that will never pass. Then you know that regardless of what sacrifice you are to make, what offering you are to give and what blessing becomes a curse, you have the choice to let your actions stop here, or echo in eternity.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Always forgiven
It doesn’t matter how many times you fall. You can transgress 100,000 times over and it still won’t leave you.
It doesn’t matter how many times you turn away. You can run as for as you want and it will always follow you.
It doesn’t matter how much you don’t know. You can never have heard the name and it has still always known you.
All these actions come from the conscious mind. This is only a small part of who we are. The Lord is beyond this and embraces all that we are as He transforms the most lowly and twisted elements into the corner stones of glory.
His work is so complete that when you look back on your failures, they are as only small distractions on a course that was ever leading to the Light. For as it is the valley of the shadow of death for some, it will be remembered as the valley of the shadow of life for us when we step fully into such life as awaits even beyond our dreams.
The designs of eternal love are beyond the small perspective of deceit spoken by this world. Thus know that to the Divine, all your sins are as nothing. How could Light be troubled by a small shadow, which its shining glory causes to be no more? How can compassion turn away from brokenness? How can a mother ignore her child?
All these is the Lord, and infinitely more. So again embrace the beloved as it has always done so to you. Find safety and hope in that comfort and draw strength for eternity to come.
It doesn’t matter how many times you turn away. You can run as for as you want and it will always follow you.
It doesn’t matter how much you don’t know. You can never have heard the name and it has still always known you.
All these actions come from the conscious mind. This is only a small part of who we are. The Lord is beyond this and embraces all that we are as He transforms the most lowly and twisted elements into the corner stones of glory.
His work is so complete that when you look back on your failures, they are as only small distractions on a course that was ever leading to the Light. For as it is the valley of the shadow of death for some, it will be remembered as the valley of the shadow of life for us when we step fully into such life as awaits even beyond our dreams.
The designs of eternal love are beyond the small perspective of deceit spoken by this world. Thus know that to the Divine, all your sins are as nothing. How could Light be troubled by a small shadow, which its shining glory causes to be no more? How can compassion turn away from brokenness? How can a mother ignore her child?
All these is the Lord, and infinitely more. So again embrace the beloved as it has always done so to you. Find safety and hope in that comfort and draw strength for eternity to come.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Empire to come
It has been evident throughout history that religion is power. Moses lead his people to the promised land by the call of God. The teachings of Buddha informed empires. The followers of Mohammad carved out an empire.
Many wars have been fought in the name of a god or the God or some other spiritual truth. Many good things have been done also in the name of the same truths. However all such actions have only been pail attempts at reaching the divine at best and shallow and even evil power plays at worst. But none the less, such religion brought power to the hands of those who could effectively use it.
There was another who was so blessed with power. He, however never called his people to war or brought fame to himself in any way. Instead he died, but in so doing won a greater victory than any prophet or god kind before or after ever did, will or could. The empire set in motion of expansion at his death is not one that will pass. It's not one that can pass. The twisted and broken cannot fight against something so real.
The real embraces all regardless of past loyalty. Every good thing you did was in his name. His memory is pervasive and his spirit promiscuous. So shall it be for here to come. He isn't dead anymore. And he didn't leave. He lives in you and me.
Many wars have been fought in the name of a god or the God or some other spiritual truth. Many good things have been done also in the name of the same truths. However all such actions have only been pail attempts at reaching the divine at best and shallow and even evil power plays at worst. But none the less, such religion brought power to the hands of those who could effectively use it.
There was another who was so blessed with power. He, however never called his people to war or brought fame to himself in any way. Instead he died, but in so doing won a greater victory than any prophet or god kind before or after ever did, will or could. The empire set in motion of expansion at his death is not one that will pass. It's not one that can pass. The twisted and broken cannot fight against something so real.
The real embraces all regardless of past loyalty. Every good thing you did was in his name. His memory is pervasive and his spirit promiscuous. So shall it be for here to come. He isn't dead anymore. And he didn't leave. He lives in you and me.
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