Tuesday, April 29, 2008
No significance whatsoever
There's no particular significance to the quotes in white boxes that appear in the following item. That's just how blogger decided to display them. I tried several times to make it change its mind on this matter, but it was determined to keep things the way they are. I give up.
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My Mom Made Me a Mystic
This evening I got the news that my Mother died. When I first heard about it, I felt both sad and relieved. Her life had not been an easy one. She’d had polio as a kid and was in pain all her life. But she raised five kids and we all loved her, perhaps for different reasons.
For the first hour or so after hearing the news I felt like being quiet, almost as though I was weighed down and couldn’t think. Then I started thinking about her and then about her and me. Then I started wondering what it would be like if the part of me that was like her had died, too.
What came to mind was that I’d probably be more like my Dad. They’re both wonderful people, but very different in some ways. Mom was, above all, a great story-teller. Dad is warm-hearted but much more quiet. In this frame of mind it became clear to me that what Mom had passed on to me was her gift for telling a story, and I’ve decided to use her gift. So, this is for you, Mom, with my love and appreciation.
Always upon a time, there is a Blue Buddha ...
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
It’s not at all obvious what the word, ‘mystic’, means. I’ve come to believe that it refers to someone who notices inner processes and, equally important, someone who regards his insights to be the primary source of self-knowledge, more so than the words of past or present teachers.
There are, no doubt, many who possess these qualities but tend to keep their insights to themselves. But those who possess both insight and a knack for story-telling are the ones from whom we hear. Every social mystic makes up his own characters, plots and metaphors to convey his insight to others. It seems clear to me now that I am such a person.
The Blue Buddha has two friends, the Red Buddha and the Green Buddha. Each of them is about as big as a single thought and lives at one of the main intersections on the cycle of self-knowledge. Each one speaks to me once during the life-cycle of every thought, and sometimes I hear them …
I do admire great spiritual teachers, and I also admire great scientists. One of my favorite quotes is from Kurt Goedel, a friend of Albert Einstein, who said, “Philosophers should have the audacity to generalize in a uniquely determined manner.” I also love Einstein’s comment that, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler.”
Each of the Three Buddhas always says the same thing. The Red One speaks to me right after the zenith of each waxing thought (when I really believe that I am my body or my mind) and asks, “to whom is this thought directed?” The Green One whispers to me right after the nadir of each waning thought (just as I’m beginning to fear the void) and says, “don’t worry, you’re still here to see the void”. And the Blue One, the mighty Sat Guru, shouts out to me quickly right after every tiny glimpse of mySelf – and right before the birth of the next thought - and says, “Look over your shoulder and see who you Are!”...
I’ve started a blog to tell some of my stories. I’m dedicating it to you, Mom, and thanks for a lifetime of stories.
please visit me at http://baxtsm.blogspot.com/
Michael,
Sorry to hear of the passing away of your mother. Your love and regard for her shines through your comment.
best wishes
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