" When in doubt just be...
present and your authentic self."
- Unknown
"Follow your Bliss"
- Joseph Campbell
"A small group of explorers were guided through
the Himalayas by one compassionate
sherpa helping the companions on the
journey. He would sing, raising and taking down
the traveller's tents , cooking meals , carrying and pulling
supplies and equipment, navigating the
small collective through the dangerous terrain
of the infamous mythical mountains.
One of the group was consistent sharing
his gratitude to the sherpa for his care and service.
The sherpa humbly explained it was just his job,
"no reason to be thanked," he said softly.
One night a most fierce winter storm
devastated the group's encampment.
Lives and equipment lost - destroyed.
The sherpa missing , one sole survivor,
the grateful explorer.
The survivor - weak, hungry and
in pain collapsed unconscious.
He woke covered in in multiple blankets
with group of monks carrying him to
a distant hidden magnificent Buddhist monastery.
There the man was bathed ,
fed and dressed with a fresh monk tunic.
One young contemplative gently invites
the man to meet the great guru,
the Abbot of the monastery .
On their way to the audience the man was told
all of this was a gift from the Guru who was
thankful that this adventurer
had graced their home, their temple.
When the Abbot unceremoniously entered the chamber
the refreshed traveler stood up ,
eyes wide opened ...smiling ear to ear
recognizing that this Guru
was the same sherpa who had been servant caring
for the man and his companions on their passage.
- A Zen Story by Anthony DeMello SJ (Adapted)
Inspiration :
Seasons roll on and questions grow deeper. Beliefs are challenged,
old baggage and wounds explored. New roads and rivers
along unending mountains appear.
No easy choices. No easy answers. Desiring something more
lasting than the worldly promise of brass rings and rewards.
Sometimes a guide, a sherpa, a voice in the wilderness suddenly
surfaces at unexpected cross roads.
The journey enters a restrained metamorphic season .
Seeds of purpose , authenticity , relationships , presence ,
and letting go begin to flourish . Lucky ?
Synchronicity.
The Writing:
Lucky: The Pilgrim and The Sherpa
As leaves turn brown some creatures become concerned
about the wind and the rain . Memories of the birth of the
once-budding trees and flowers,
and streams being relieved from spring
rain are not forgotten.
Walking into the dimly lit waiting room -
adorned with paintings of European Cathedrals -
the pilgrim had no idea his expectations
were about to be changed forever.
What followed was an unexpected
emotional, intellectual , spiritual
and psychological transformation.
Kirk , the therapist , welcomed the seeker
into an unmapped Odyssey.
Their conversations -- on poetry, music,
books, spiritual fabric of the universe -
led the pilgrim into
a rabbit hole of discovery.
Kirk was more of a navigator than captain,
more Sherpa than sailor.
One navigates the sea,
the other the soul.
Kirk gently advised:
"A helmsman can weather rough
seas and right the vessel by letting go. "
The pilgrim was a good student but slow learner.
He grew more comfortable with the idea of
egoless expectations and silent desires.
The two set out sailing into the deep.
Kirk, slowly peeling back the layers,
shared the story of his own passage..
The walls separating the heart from the soul, the intellect
and body began to crumble .
The reason for their relationship faded into yesterday.
A new chapter began:
Conversations on spirituality .
Attending The Dodge Poetry Festival, where their soulmate
philosopher-poets welcomed searchers
into their cosmic fold.
Lake sailing .
Zen tea ceremonies.
Musical jam sessions.
This spiritual journey - infused with wisdom,
art and silence---
was not what the pilgrim expected .
It was, however, exactly what both needed.
Kirk had shared a draft of his autobiography , Lucky.
The pilgrim noticed something missing:
the story of the "Failed Retreat."
Kirk, a lapsed Catholic, had once been invited by
his Jesuit Priest-Roshi (Buddhist monk) to an
interreligious retreat.
After a day or so ,Kirk told his priest friend ,
"I'm leaving.I don't get it.".
The sun set and rose a few more times.
Then, on a memorable morning Kirk woke
thinking ---
I get it!
When the pilgrim first heard that story, he thought
of the cathedral paintings in Kirk's office.
"You can take the boy of the church",he mused,
" but you can't take the church out of the boy.
Smiling , Kirk advised, "Write that down."
The seasons began to roll by faster .
The lives of the two friends drifted apart,
leaving space for occasional messages and calls.
One night after returning from a weekend with
his family the pilgrim checked his home phone.
It was the voice of Kirk's son.
The friend who helped him with solving
life's puzzle ---his guide --- had passed.
The Jedi in training now on his own.
At the wake in Kirk's home a heartbroken
daughter welcomed the somber seeker.
"My father spoke of you," She said,
"and I know some of your secrets."
Looking into the pilgrim's eyes, she shared something else:
On his deathbed ,
Kirk had looked up and said ,
"Help me pray."
Tears slipped down his face.
He was momentarily puzzled ---
then came his "ah-ha" moment.
- His life was his prayer.
And his prayer, his life.
- JF Sobecki
--------
Poetry: some words and ideas to contemplate
A few selections from a couple of Kirk's favorite Poets.
(Please click on links underneath the video)
News of Death
Last night they came with news of death
not knowing what I would say.
I wanted to say,
"The green wind is running through the fields
making the grass lie flat."
I wanted to say,
"The apple blossom flakes like ash
covering the orchard wall.
I wanted to say,
"the fish float belly up in the slow stream,
stepping stones to the dead."
They asked if I would sleep that night,
I said I did not know.
For the loss I could not speak,
the tongue lay idle in a great darkness,
the heart was strangely open,
the moon had gone,
and it was then
when I said, "He is no longer here"
that the night put its arms around me
and all the white stars turned bitter with grief.
- David Whyte
The Layers
https://youtu.be/wk6xW41EFoA?feature=shared
Everything is Waiting for you - D. Whyte
https://youtu.be/MgQf5tx1hi4?feature=shared
Music: and such for your listening inspiration
and reflection
(Please click on links underneath the video)
One Of These Days - N. Young
( Consider this an apology and a start)
https://youtu.be/XtRTA4u5QkU?si=6OgQc-WZV9LUC8-B
Rivers and Roads - Head and Heart
https://youtu.be/2gQLzoy5Jts?feature=shared
Any Road - G. Harrison
https://youtu.be/KCOFOWwCZdc?si=UXZc3vgIyR_A67z_
Simple Gifts- Yo Yo Ma/Allison Kraus
https://youtu.be/baNueuDCue0?feature=shared
Coda: Some additional considerations for your reflection..
Remember who touched you while on your busy passage.
Hope - Bill Moyers ( R.I.P.) w Wendell Berry
(For Kirk [R.I.P.] Thank you for introducing me to B.Moyers- w The
Power of the Myth and The Dodge Poetry Festival and
your guidance and friendship)
https://youtu.be/2j_r4jb9AYw?feature=shared
The Holy Longing -J.W. VonGoethe (Favorite Poem Project)
https://youtu.be/8YWoOj5mJMo?feature=shared
And we always need and benefit from a healthy laugh ....
(Kirk would have laughed)
Dalai Llama Walks into a Pizza Shop
https://youtu.be/WZy02_OFErk?feature=shared
AMDG
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