WYSIWYG

What You See Is What You Get. This is a journal blog, an explore-blog, a bit of this and that blog. Sharing where the mood takes me. Perhaps it will take you too.

MenoSunday; Life Lived Lovingly

You were promised some very different posts for Sundays this year; more meaningful (hopefully), more thought-provoking (desirably), or at least, more encouraging that each and every one has something to offer when it is done or given with Love. Even thinking itself, provided it is wide and open and non-selfish, has a part to play in the manifestation and spreading of Love.

Some folk wonder at the point of contemplation. There can be a tendency to think that those who favour the contemplative life are, in fact, lazy, or avoiding life in some way. Those who have a strong drive to be active, struggle to appreciate the activity within contemplation; those who are genuinely of a lazy temperament also struggle in the contemplative life, for they discover there is work to do after all!

Within every  philosophical discipline, there are a few folk who apply themselves in the purely contemplative activity. Withdrawal is required, very often. Those who are this way in the academic world are often accused of sitting 'in ivory towers'. Perhaps. However, many of the great understandings and advancements for society come from those very towers! Some religious structures do not encourage (or actively discourage) monasticism, but will still have their advanced scholars who need to contemplate and eulogise upon the words of their scriptures and teachings and make sense of them for the rest of society. 

Those who follow the inner urge to understand more deeply, to see more keenly, and to connect more profoundly with the meaning of life are said, in Sanskrit, to be of Brahmin temperament. This applies to everyone in the world who leans towards the academic and contemplative… not just in India and not according to family lines. It is a great injustice that the description of personality types, abilities and talents became so mutated and abused within India's history. It is important to understand today, that we all have to find the key talent we have and work that to the very best of our ability, for it is given to us to play our part in society. Everything we do ought not just satisfy our selfish ends, but add to the greater pool of our community. If we are good strategists and organisers, then let us be the soldiers and managers of the world (Kshatriya); if we see the beauty or the sorrow and can express that in words or pictures or other creative way, we can aid others' healing (sub-Brahmin); perhaps we are good at production (farming or manufacture) and sales - very necessary in society (Vaishya); or we may even find that we are excellent at the tasks of life which are avoided by others - the cleaning, the labouring… (Shudra). In Western society, the lines are a little more blurred; sometimes we have to be all these things in one person - but few can truly be more than one or two of these.

Everything that we do, done with conscious awareness and capital 'ell' Love in the heart and mind, contributes to the positive energy of the community. This includes those who withdraw and contemplate on the higher values and the nature of 'God'.  Almost without exception, if asked, every successful sadhu, bhikku or monk who takes up the monastic path will say that the life came to them - that there is a sense of being taken there rather than actively making the choice to enter such a life. Being in it, however, they immerse themselves completely, surrendered to the will of a power mysterious. They are not running from, but running to something.

Here is a short film about such a group. They focus on prayer for the world. Our Blogville POTP page serves a similar purpose!  Be not glib in your prayer; carry the sorrowful and needful with Love in your hearts. Blessed Sunday to you all. 





9 comments:

  1. They are very peaceful people.
    Merle........

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  2. Crikey Yamini ..... you ALWAYS make Mum think when she reads what you have to say!! Sometimes she has to read it 4 or 5 times but she ALWAYS reads it and somehow makes sense of it. It's all double dutch to me but Mum says I sure know a lot about that LOVE stuff and as long as there's treats involved I'll do my share of spreading it around!!

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  3. if we do all things with our hands and our heart we do it right... and even mistakes caused by love can be forgiven easily :o)

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    1. Hari OM
      that is a very good point, Easy mon ami!!! Forgiveness is a huge part of healing towards a life lived lovingly... more on that in due course! Yxx

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  4. Hello, wishing you a blessed Sunday! Enjoy your new week ahead!

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  5. Having The Athenaeum of Ohio – Mount St. Mary's Seminary of the West in my backyard I often think of those who have dedicated their lives to such a calling but the older I get a cloistered life in pray and meditation seems not to be a thing that takes away but adds an inner strength. Easy's comment "if we all do well with our heart" appropriate and the way we all should live ~ doing well with out heart.
    Thanks for being a friend
    Sweet William The Scot

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  6. I find certain types of activity promote contemplation, so the two aren't mutually exclusive. My best 'thinking' time is when out walking Bertie or when enjoying the regular rhythms of pedalling my bicycle.
    Chhers, Gail.

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    1. Hari Om
      Indeed, 'walking meditation' is an ancient and venerable practice! All rhythmic work is also useful for keeping the mind single-pointed (the pottery of these monks is a fine example). Of course, this assumes that random and chaotic thoughts are not permitted to rage under the calm surface! Hope you are keeping warm and 'grounded' with all this wild wind - and more on the way it seems! Yxx

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  7. Yes, and forest meditation. I was deer antler hunting, and searching for owls. It's excellent for that. You have to look down and up at the vastness. Breathtaking!

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