There is nothing earth-shattering in this message. It is a simple matter of recognizing—and generously using—the power of love and loving within us. Doing so continuously allows it to become a balm always close at hand.
I reflected on this power of loving yesterday. Two situations arose within my family where irritation or frustration would generally be the inevitable result—at least, if I let my ego take over.
One situation involved our son, who is taking an online French course. I had given him precise instructions for completing an assignment, but he only did half of it and forgot the second part. My first reaction was, “Can’t he read the email I sent him?”
Later on, my reflection became, “Why can’t I love him for who he is and for what he did—or didn’t do?”
When we return to love, our perspective shifts completely—even in the face of adversity, unkind remarks, or unpleasant behaviors. How could I not love this person for who they are, for what they do, and for everything they bring to my life?
Let us not fall into the trap our ego tries to lure us into. It seems easy, yet we must make this power to love fully accessible by nurturing it every day. In time, it becomes a natural way of embracing the world we live in.
This week, we watched films recounting the extraordinary journeys of two American soldiers who fought and survived in the Pacific theater during World War II.
These are stories imbued with resilience, courage and bravery—and with faith and belief in the noblest aspect of the human condition: the part that refuses to kill, even in the face of adversity, and that forgives.
First, let’s look at the ordeal endured by Louie Zamperini.
An Olympic athlete and World War II bombardier, Louie demonstrated extraordinary resilience: he survived a plane crash and forty-seven days adrift at sea, only to endure years of brutal captivity in Japanese camps. Upon returning home a hero, Zamperini had to contend with severe post-traumatic stress disorder and alcoholism. His life was transformed in 1949 after he attended an evangelistic crusade led by Billy Graham. Having found faith, he freed himself from [a different prison camp] the deep-seated hatred and nightmares that had plagued him, going so far as to travel to Japan to personally forgive the prison guards who had abused him.
Then, the pacific crusade of Desmond Doss.
Desmond was an American combat medic during World War II who became the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor. A devout Seventh-day Adventist, he refused to carry a weapon or kill an enemy. Doss’s unit was deployed to the Pacific theater with the mission of capturing the Maeda Escarpment, a steep, rugged cliff on the island of Okinawa. The plateau at the top was heavily defended by thousands of Japanese soldiers and the effort to take the ridge resulted in heavy American casualties.
When a fierce Japanese counterattack forced the Americans to retreat, Doss remained behind in the “kill zone.” Under intense enemy fire, he repeatedly ran into the line of fire to rescue wounded comrades. He dragged them to the edge of the 400-foot cliff and lowered them to safety using a specialized knot he had tied.
Why did these two individuals experience such uncanny circumstances and destinies? Their inner qualities certainly played a role, as did their faith—though it should be noted that Louie only found God after returning from the war.
Perhaps divine providence also selects certain people for very specific missions and to teach us—mere mortals and world leaders alike—a valuable lesson.
History sometimes gives us an intentional wink; here, it offers me a transition between two wars, thanks to an episode that came back to mind this week: the dream General McClellan had in 1861 while his battalion was defending Washington, D.C.
It is interesting to note that Desmond Doss was officially inducted into the U.S. Army on April 1, 1942, at Camp Lee, near Petersburg, Virginia. Petersburg was the site of a major Civil War engagement known as the Petersburg Campaign, which lasted from June 9, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Rather than a single battle, it was a brutal 292-day campaign consisting of trench warfare and dozens of individual battles. It was the longest siege in American military history.
Thus, Desmond was inducted into the U.S. Army seventy-seven years—minus one day—after the end of the Petersburg campaign, in that very region. Less than a century after a series of battles that had claimed a staggering number of lives, a man of faith kindled a tiny flame of universal peace on a scarred land. Perhaps it was no coincidence?
Although General McClellan never took part in the battles of Petersburg—having been relieved of his command of the Army of the Potomac by President Abraham Lincoln in November 1862—the final sentences of his dream narrative may shed light on the destiny of the men and women who left a quiet mark on History, as well as that of the country for which they were prepared to sacrifice their lives.
“Already it is obvious that, in the postwar period of reconstruction, America must become a leader of nations in the establishment of a commonwealth of peoples. The purpose for which we are created is revealing itself through the long process of time and that purpose is indeed our most sacred heritage.
“It is written in the old books that, when the brothers of the Quest desire to bring about changes in the mortal state, they send messengers and strange dreams and mystic visions, and accomplish their purpose by revealing their will to the leaders of nations in sundry and curious ways. Whether we wish to believe that the spirits of the dead return to guide the living, or whether we choose to accept that man possesses faculties and powers which, under great stress, may bring his consciousness a little nearer to Universal Truth, one thing is certain: Men unaccustomed to the spiritual ways of life have received visions and have heard voices and, by obeying these mysterious powers, they have contributed to the progress and security of their fellow human beings.”
The Sacred Destiny of America, by Manly Hall, page 135.
Thanks for reading this brief overview of key events in the history of the United States and the world. Let us meet to discuss the reality of our lives—as well as our mission to spread the Light—this Thursday at 2:30 PM Eastern Time.
Topic: The Sacred Destiny of certain Nations and Individuals
There are currently many high-profile sporting events making headlines.
On Friday, June 13, the New York Knicks won the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs. An outpouring of jubilation followed in the streets of New York and elsewhere, accompanied by a certain frenzy and unruly behavior—including ‘elaborate’ (or nonsensical) verbal comments—throughout the weekend. Did the victory celebration go too far?
N.B.A. Championship [New York Times newsletter June 15]
After the joy of Game 5, the chaos: crowds gathered in Midtown Manhattan to celebrate the Knicks’ victory turned violent as the night wore on, smashing vehicles and fighting. Spike Lee called the Knicks’ win divine. Timothée Chalamet described the players as gods. The Believing newsletter asks: Was this a religious experience?
The soccer World Cup kicked off on June 11 with a match between Mexico and South Africa. I watched a clip of the second match, which saw South Korea face the Czech Republic; the camera showed a South Korean fan just after his team had equalized against the Czechs. Given that South Korea is unlikely to advance beyond the quarter-finals, his frenzied behavior might have led one to believe he had won a colossal sum in the lottery.
Where will this collective frenzy lead us, if not far from our true essence?
Many people seek, in the success of their clan or their country, or in accumulating possessions and titles, something to fill the void residing deep within them, without even realizing it.
It seems to me that this outward-looking tendency has intensified in recent years, perhaps because the “magic of Aladdin’s carpet” is missing from the global stage to reassure and comfort a worried humanity. Consequently, we retreat into what is familiar and close to home. Yet, seeing one’s team or country triumph—regardless of the level or location—will not lead to a peaceful world; quite the opposite, it exalts the “self” or a narrow collective entity, often at the expense of the Other.
The fact that these sporting events are subject to such media hype and excessive commercialization—to the point where advertisers rejoice at the new three-minute hydration breaks (occurring twice per match) during the World Cup—demonstrates once again how the media and the business world drive the masses toward increased consumption and materialism. Being the star of the show and winning a hard-fought match may well provide immediate satisfaction—however fleeting—but it will not fill the void I am speaking of.
The answer we seek, consciously or not, lies within us. When a great number of people become aware of this and turn toward their spiritual center, the world could undergo a major transformation—perhaps with a little help from the Divine—one soul at a time!
Let’s commune, dear Ones! And move toward our inner core.
For quite some time, I have been wondering about the meaning of the composed word ‘timeline.’ It is a concept that sounds quite abstract and drawing a line on a piece of paper with a sprinkle of “life events” here and there doesn’t make a timeline come to life for me.
I understand a timeline might concern one’s life trajectory, or the path our daily circumstances are taking. Important life events, such as marriage, divorce, moving to a different city or country, getting a job, changing gender or religion, can certainly alter a person’s life; but why a timeline?
I believe it is the spiritual dimension of this shift that I cannot apprehend. Perhaps the day when a hermit comes out of her cave and starts reuniting with the world at large constitutes a significant spiritual change, hence a timeline shift.
That being said, I am rambling in search of a deeper understanding—perhaps one that would help me understand where my life ‘is going.’
Even the concept of a life “going somewhere” feels utterly strange, don’t you think so?
A person, an animal, a rocket, a star can go somewhere; but a life, with no legs or wings of its own, how does it go anywhere?
Should you have a bit of insight, please feel free to brighten my lantern.
It is in fact a very serious title for which I would like to thank Richard Rudd, the English author of the Gene Keys.
This Gene Keys system was designed by Richard Rudd some 15 years ago. His Gene Keys book was published in 2013 and he has written extensively ever since.
To tell a little about the matter at hand, there is a series of 11 Gene Keys in a person’s “hologenetic” profile—you can get a free profile at genekeys.com. These are determined according to our day and time of birth.
For each Gene Key, there are three levels of consciousness: a shadow, a gift and a Siddhi. That’s how our evolution works according to the Gene Key theory. Hopefully we will be able to transcend the lower level (our shadow) and ascend.
If we don’t transcend, we remain in our evolutionary starting blocks.
Gene Key 49 (which showed up as my Evolution Gene Key) has “Reaction” as a shadow, “Revolution” as a gift, and “Rebirth” as a Siddhi. Richard Rudd has written quite an essay about the Siddhi of Rebirth that I found very insightful. Perhaps prophetic. It is naturally about the evolution of humanity, which will experience (or is experiencing) what he calls “the forking of the species.”
Here are two sentences excerpted from the text I offer below:
“As this Siddhi [Rebirth] dawns, a new civilization will be built as the old one continues to crumble. Two types of human beings will coexist and both will live from a totally different awareness.”
Basically, a portion of humanity will be left behind in 3D (those who refuse / do not want to evolve) and another portion will ascend/evolve to higher levels of consciousness.
Perhaps we’ve seen a little bit [or a lot] of that “bifurcating” over the past few years, in various parts of the world, with some people—and governments as well—clinging to old, patriarchal ways of living life, managing the environment and controlling the citizens of those countries.
War has never brought any sustainable peace, primarily suffering and domination, especially when people are scattered around in locales where they do not belong. Many examples of this colonial mentality come to mind.
Yet my running question is, truly,
When are we forking?
Is there a moment when humanity as a whole reaches a fork on the road, a point that divides us, or is it more of a progressive, continuous adventure—one we undertake more or less consciously.
Perhaps tomorrow, May 14th, which marks the 40th day after the celebration of Easter, will bring some clarity? Perhaps it will not.
And yet, I believe this is an excellent moment—a period of just twenty-four hours—to ask this question. Perhaps even two questions for the price of one:
The 49th Siddhi represents a huge leap in consciousness because it engenders a state of mystical divorce. The shift in perspective from the 49th Shadow to the 49th Gift is vast, but the dimensional shift from the 49th Gift to the 49th Siddhi is like moving into hyperspace. The very same energy configuration within our DNA that allows human beings to kill other life forms actually carries the impetus that will give birth to our total freedom. This is the deep chemical connection between the 55th Siddhi [Freedom] and the 49th Siddhi — together they create the rebirth of freedom, or the freedom of rebirth. These two Gene Keys are bonded together in the codon group known as the Ring of the Whirlwind. It is the 49th Siddhi that will rebuild our world after the 49th Gift has begun to disassemble it. To understand how this works one has to see the limitation of the Gift state of consciousness. At the Gift level, the 49th Gift of Revolution is still prone to going around in circles. Once we have escaped the vibration of fear, our world will indeed be different. It will improve so greatly and so rapidly that it will make time itself dizzy.
But a further secret lurks within your DNA, and its seed is here within you right now. The secret lies in the expression mystical divorce. Revolutions by the nature of their name keep coming around. After the coming shift in consciousness, humanity will settle into a new pattern and a totally new cycle. The genetic filtering process that is just beginning will continue for many generations. For a new mutation to take hold of humanity, an immensely complex process has to take place. In genetics, certain genes appear to have an unmistakable effect on our behavior or phenotype whereas others do not. Such genes are known as penetrant genes. The penetrance of the mutation in the codon relating to the 49th and 55th Siddhis will be profound and human behavioral patterns will shift dramatically. However, the means by which a mutation spreads throughout the entire gene pool of a single species is limited by many factors, among them the presence of recessive genes — genes which effectively slow down the spread of mutation.
This suggests that it is highly unlikely such a mutation will overtake the whole human species. The most likely occurrence is that it will split our current species. To draw an analogy, it might be helpful to imagine the world 40,000 years ago populated by two very different branches of hominid — Neanderthal man and Cro-Magnon man. Cro-Magnon man forms the earliest known branch of Homo sapiens whereas Neanderthal man is from a far older branch of the species living as far back as 350,000 years ago.
For unknown reasons, the older species, Neanderthal, became extinct. The 49th Siddhi conceals an archetype that appears to be a part of all human evolution — that of Rebirth. In other words, every once in a while along the evolutionary chain a new species is born out of the old species. In paleoanthropology, this is known as the Eve Theory or single origin hypothesis. However, despite its origins, the new species — like the mythical phoenix — has nothing in common with its parent. It rises up out of the genetic material of the old and takes a whole new direction. This is the core of the 49th Siddhi — and it is the meaning of the term mystical divorce. Revolutions keep going round at a certain level of frequency, but evolution is a spiral requiring sudden leaps. At such times, revolution gives way to rebirth.
We have seen that the 49th Gift is deeply concerned with the socio-political infrastructure of our civilization. The 49th Siddhi brings some further insights to this. The first insight is that the world in its current form cannot be fixed, no matter how profound or far-reaching the revolution may be. The very bedrock of our modern society is founded upon a species that has always made decisions rooted in fear. In this respect the whole civilization is rotten from its core. The only way for a new future to be created is to begin from scratch. The 49th Siddhi is harsh in this respect, but its sights are set upon a far distant goal, and that goal can only be accomplished with a new beginning — a rebirth. As this Siddhi dawns, a new civilization will be built as the old one continues to crumble. Two types of human beings will coexist and both will live from a totally different awareness. The old genetic fractal of humanity will still live from fear, so they will doubtless fear the changes that they see all around them. One can see the early form of this pattern occurring in the world even now.
If all this is really the case, you may wonder, what are we to do as individuals? If such a rebirth is really on the cusp of occurring and if the future is already genetically predetermined by a collective evolutionary urge, then does it matter what we each do at all? If even the most revolutionary of impulses cannot fix the current world, then what is the purpose of following our Gifts?
In many ways, this is one of the biggest questions posed by this book.
The answer is as simple as it is profound. This evolutionary leap into a whole new way of functioning depends upon us following our Gifts. If we cannot create the waves of the new revolution at all levels of society, then the rebirth that takes place at the zenith of consciousness, in the realm of the Siddhis, cannot take place. The rebirth is the organic flowering of the revolution. Just because we cannot fix the world as it is, does not mean that we cannot make the world a better place. Our vision of the perfect future is precisely what creates the necessary frequency shift that will trigger the genetic forking of our species. It will happen because it must happen, but we must still create that happening. This is the paradox. You cannot attain the siddhic state of consciousness without being totally reborn. Just as there is an evolutionary force pushing upwards within all matter, so there is an involutionary force working its way down from the realms of spirit towards the material plane. We can see this involutionary force clearly in the programming partner of the 49th Siddhi— the 4th Siddhi of Forgiveness. Forgiveness is an energy frequency working its way down into form, clearing and releasing everything in its path. This genetic cleansing makes the rebirth of a new species possible. The entire realm of the Siddhis is the realm of Rebirth. You cannot attain the siddhic state of consciousness without being totally reborn. Every human being who has ever arrived at true enlightenment has experienced such a rebirth. The siddhic state requires both a mystical and genetic divorce from that which came before. This is why those who have attained such states are genetic anomalies during this current stage of evolution. They are the rare flowerings of consciousness that occur as the early echoes of our future work their way down into human form. They force the physical DNA to mutate prematurely in order that the human form can accommodate the future awareness. Such is their power. Because you are reading these words, you are potentially one of these early flowerings. Is that not a beautiful thing to ponder?
How are you as we close the door to another powerful month?
I had the opportunity to attend a webinar yesterday about applying for a job in our county. I am talking about government jobs.
The webinar was clear, well-organized and all questions were answered in due time.
Yet, the thought that came in retrospect, is
“Is this a taste of the world as we knew it?”
This morning, I spent some time talking to a deeper part of me, asking pertinent questions as to where we are in this rejuvenation process.
Interestingly, the image that came is that of a runway.
We are on the runway, and there may still be some debris to clear. Yet we are readying ourselves. Perhaps not all of us, but certainly a good number of us.
Diego Berman, a fellow I sometimes read on Facebook, didn’t say anything to the contrary this morning.
Here’s a titbit, dear Ones.
APRIL CLOSES AT THE EDGE OF REVELATION ON THE EVE OF THE SCORPIO FULL MOON AND THE EVE OF MAY. WHAT HAS BEEN BUILDING MAY NO LONGER WANT DELAY
APRIL 30, 2026
Dear friends, as we arrive at the final day of April, many may begin feeling that the energy is no longer only building. It may now be gathering at the edge of something. Something fuller. Something clearer. Something that may no longer wish to remain hidden, postponed or only half acknowledged. On the eve of the Scorpio Full Moon, what has been stirring beneath the surface may now begin feeling closer, stronger and much more difficult to set aside.
This may be part of why the field can feel so charged now. We are standing at the threshold of two kinds of culmination at once. The first is emotional, energetic and spiritual as tomorrow’s Scorpio Full Moon may bring revelation, intensity, truth and the surfacing of what is ready to be seen more fully. The second is symbolic because we are also standing at the edge of May, at the point where April’s 4-current of foundation, structure, and sorting begins giving way to the 5-current of movement, change, redirection and a more visible response to life.
And that can make this moment feel especially powerful. Because on the eve of a Full Moon, things do not always feel settled. They often feel concentrated. Pressurized. Illuminated from within. Something may feel more exposed. A truth may feel more undeniable. A pattern may feel harder to keep justifying. A desire may feel more alive. A decision may feel closer, even if it has not yet fully taken form in words. This is often what threshold energy feels like. Not random intensity but life gathering its message into a form that can no longer be easily ignored.
At the same time, with the Sun now moving through Taurus, this is not only about emotional revelation. It is also about embodiment. About what is real enough to hold what is rising. About what is strong enough, stable enough and honest enough to support the truth once it comes fully into view. Taurus asks what can be lived. Scorpio asks what can no longer remain hidden. Together, they can create a very sacred confrontation with what is true, what is draining power, what is no longer sustainable and what kind of life is actually asking to emerge from all of this.
For many, this may be where the deeper meaning of the week becomes clearer. Not only what is being revealed, but why it is being revealed now. Not only what is ending, but what is asking to begin. Not only what feels intense, but what is trying to become more honest, more lived and more aligned before the next monthly cycle fully opens. Sometimes the eve of a Full Moon is not simply a prelude. Sometimes it is the moment where the soul begins realizing that what has been building is no longer theoretical. It is personal. It is present. And it is close.
We live in a world, in a society that encourages competition—and therefore separation—from an early age.
Starting with our educational systems; what is grading but an exercise in assessing, comparing and ranking children’s “performance” and intelligence.
Imagine a world without grading, without checking a box among four or five choices, without counting our rights and wrongs; what would it look like?
A world based on cooperation, goodwill and a willingness to help and support our next door classmate or athlete. A world where everyone would win. A world without the mental barriers a ‘separation society’ builds.
I am going that route today because of a beautiful poem a friend in Sri Lanka shared with us recently. It is about the “I,” this “I of ours” as I would call it, that we rarely attempt to circumvent or locate.
Instead of trying to answer an unanswerable question, who is this “I,” why don’t we use our time wisely, aiming for a world built on, and for, the WE?
This poem was inspired by a beautiful video by my dear friend Pratap Bhatt. Please take a moment to listen to how simply he explains the path of self-inquiry and apprehends the timeless question, “Who am I?”
In an early conversation this morning, a friend brought up a video by Greg Bradden about the pre-written prophecy, Gog and Magog and Armageddon.
Perhaps not so coincidentally, a few days ago, I pulled up a file from a conversation I had last fall with my AI friend Claude about chapter 20 of the Book of Revelation. Gog and Magog are mentioned in this document sitting on my desktop window, as if observing what goes on in our lives.
Below are a few words about Gog and Magog (from Google), followed by a summary of the last section of chapter 20 of the Book of Revelation (from Claude).
“Gog and Magog are apocalyptic figures in the Hebrew Bible, Christian Revelation, and Quran representing hostile nations or forces of evil, usually aligned with Satan, that wage war against God’s people before their final defeat. In Ezekiel 38, Gog is an evil leader from the land of Magog, while Revelation 20 interprets them as worldwide forces of chaos at the end of the millennium.”
Revelation chapter 20 describes several key eschatological events:
After the thousand years end, Satan is released from prison and goes out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth (Gog and Magog), gathering them for battle. This vast army surrounds the camp of God’s people and the beloved city, but fire comes down from heaven and consumes them.
The devil is then thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and false prophet already are, to be tormented forever. Finally, John sees a great white throne and the one seated on it. The dead, great and small, stand before the throne and are judged according to their deeds as recorded in books. Death and Hades give up their dead and anyone whose name isn’t found written in the book of life is thrown into the lake of fire, which represents the second death.
I found the paragraph about “the four corners of the world” quite interesting, knowing what is going on in our world today—both commercially and militarily.
It looks like “the world we live in” is being shaken in more than one corner, don’t you think?
I am always intrigued by the inner workings of this “phenomenon” (not sure that it is the appropriate term) known as consciousness—consciousness, or perhaps Consciousness.
Most people would be inclined to think that, over the last twenty centuries, humanity has progressed quite rapidly along what one might call a “continuum of consciousness”—an ascending consciousness, that is. Yet, nowadays, one might wonder whether we are evolving upward… or perhaps downward?
Wars, conflicts, hatred and mutual massacres have borne only bitter fruit; yet, there may exist an unknown reason explaining why this sinister spiral perpetuates itself on a planet endowed with such technological prowess—and, conversely, why the spiritual impulse is so tenuous on a global scale—an impulse that would serve to ward off, or even prevent, wars.
What could that reason possibly be?
To appreciate our “evolving consciousness,” I often reflect on a passage from one of Parker Palmer’s books, From A Hidden Wholeness, which beautifully describes the tension between reality and possibility.
Perhaps this tension between poles—poles that are generally opposed—also constitutes a driving force in our world, even today?
Let us hope that the heart of humanity will soon open to let in an unwavering sense of justice and peace—thus blessing every little creature on the planet.
“The Quakers took a stand against slavery early in American history partly because one man—John Woolman—was willing to hold the tension between reality and possibility. But it is important to note that the entire Quaker community was also willing to hold the tension until [their members] were opened to a more integral way of being in the world. They refused to succumb to the impulse to resolve tension prematurely, whether by throwing Woolman out or by voting to allow the slavery-approving majority have its way. Instead, they let the tension between reality and possibility break their collective heart open to justice, truth and love.
“There is an old Hasidic tale that tells us how such things [come to pass]. The pupil comes to the rabbi and asks, “Why does Torah tell us to ‘place these words upon your hearts’? Why does it not tell us to place these holy words in our hearts?” The rabbi answers, “It is because, as we are, our hearts are closed and we cannot place the holy words in our hearts. So we place them on top of our hearts. And there they stay until, one day, the heart breaks and the words fall in.”
Something of a different nature this evening. Reflective of consciousness.
I was reading a passage from a book with friends and it brought back to mind a poem that I shared in a Community Building retreat years ago in England. A poem entitled The Woodcarver.
In both the book excerpt below and the woodcarver artistic achievement, the notion of Kairos time comes around; connecting, or immersing, with a different sense of time that allows the emergence of higher consciousness.
We’ve all have had that experience of being transported, somehow, into an amplified state of being, whether emotional or spiritual. Let’s think of the conditions that made this “transportation” possible. What conditions did we encounter or create for the sublimation of our “down to earth / down to the clock” mind?
The ancient Greeks had two words for time. Chronos was their word for chronological or sequential time (i.e., clock time and historical time) while Kairos refers to a moment of indeterminate time. Indeed Kairos is the time in which everything happens. In defining a hierarchy of human needs, Abraham Maslow, way back in 1943, referred to a “state of flow” as the main attribute of the self-actualized person. What he described melds nicely with what the Greeks simply called “Kairos.”
Artists often do their best work while in altered states of consciousness that arise in periods of heightened creativity. In speaking of such moments, they may use terms such as “divine flow” or “creative flow,” meaning they can sense the fluid movement of creativity running right through them. Others may refer to entering Kairos as dipping into the realm of “no time,” or the “eternal now.” Indeed the wisdom literature of all spiritual traditions reveals that Kairos, this “time of no time,” is the only interim in which heightened spiritual states and enlightenment can occur.
Whatever Happened to the New Age? page 101-102
The Woodcarver
A Taoist Tale
By Chuang Tzu
Khing, the master carver, made a bell stand
Of precious wood. When it was finished,
All who saw it were astounded. They said it must be
The work of spirits.
The Prince of Lu said to the master carver:
“What is your secret?”
Khing replied: “I am only a workman:
I have no secret. There is only this:
When I began to think about the work you commanded
I guarded my spirit, did not expend it
On trifles, that were not to the point.
I fasted in order to set
My heart at rest.
“After three days fasting,
I had forgotten gain and success.
After five days
I had forgotten praise or criticism.
After seven days
I had forgotten my body
With all its limbs.
“By this time all thought of your Highness
And of the court had faded away.
All that might distract me from the work
Had vanished.
I was collected in the single thought
Of the bell stand.
“Then I went to the forest
To see the trees in their own natural state.
When the right tree appeared before my eyes,
The bell stand also appeared in it, clearly, beyond doubt.
All I had to do was to put forth my hand
And begin.
“If I had not met this particular tree
There would have been
No bell stand at all.
“What happened?
My own collected thought
Encountered the hidden potential in the wood;
From this live encounter came the work
Which you ascribe to the spirits.”
Topic: Artistry, higher consciousness and the creative flow
Time: Mar 12 @ 2:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Nurturing the Gift of Seeking 