Monday, July 21, 2008
Walk a mile in her shoes
In the past, I've wondered where all of the "enlightened" people have gone. We all reference Christ and the Buddha, but that was sooooo long ago. Many make reference to more recent luminaries like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, or Mother Theresa. But for those that are household names, the list is very short, don't you think? And we can use all the help (pointing the way) we can get.
Well here is one more that I just stumbled across the day before yesterday. The gentleman in this video (which is just my "teaser" -- I liked the short video) mentions a woman called Peace Pilgrim. Strange name, perhaps, but a fascinating story of modern-day enlightenment (at least that's how I see it). There is no doubt in my mind that she was in tune with that which prophets and sages and gurus and yogis describe. Her words and actions illustrate the results of attaining inner peace (loving-kindness, boundless energy, unbridled joy).
For those that wonder what modern-day, western-oriented enlightenment might look like ... what expressions it might result in ... what actions one might take ... what are some practical repercussions in the work-a-day world ... and the like, I commend this story of her life. It's really just a collection of her thoughts and insights, both written and spoken, pulled together in one place by some of her friends along her journey.
Read it with an open mind, and see if any of these messages resonate somewhere deep inside. I suspect we'll talk more about Peace Pilgrim in the future.
Namaste.
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2 comments:
Everywhere I go, everything I do - surrounded by beauty and love.
But this is hard to bear! Why? It is hard to bear that others around you can not see it. Perhaps it is not there...perhaps you are insane and the others are sane? Doubt creeps in. It is hard to bear until suddenly thanks to some mercy, some gift of grace, it appears again, and again there is no doubt. You are not insane after all. Beauty and love...Washed over by it, submerged in it; refulgent, inscrutable - and no way out but complete surrender.
Anon, thank you for such a profound comment.
It is interesting the concern you raise: perhaps the beauty and love do not really exist because others cannot see it.
I suppose this could make sense in our world of co-creation. That we need others to really have any sort of shared humanity.
But I think instead this just reflects the doubts of your ego. He needs outside confirmation. Validation of the mental construct. Pish-posh I say.
What you really need is an internal "knowing". Which one could say you receive by grace. But once recognized, requires no validation. Indeed, its very nature is an individual experience, that cannot be shared except through flawed translations into mental concepts.
But you know that. After all, the wave comes and washed over you, and submerges you. Body surf, my friend. Enjoy the ride!
And thanks for the visit.
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