Let me begin today on a lighter note than I seem to have been this last week or so. Let me share a tale about a man who made an alarming discovery. Here is how he told of the event.
Just this morning I opened up a tub of margarine, and what do I see but the face of Jesus.
I was so astounded, I took it over to show my next door neighbour, Mr Ngyuen. I said, "Look, here's the face of the saviour in a tub of margarine!"
He took one look at it, and said, "I can't believe it's not Buddha!"
Then there was the lad who thought there was something missing from his life.
He decided life would be more fun if he had a pet. So he went to the pet store and told the owner that he wanted to buy an unusual pet.
After some discussion, he finally bought a talking centipede, (100-legged bug), which came in a little white box to use for his house. He took the box back home, found a good spot for the box, and decided he would start off by taking his new pet to church with him.
So he asked the centipede in the box, "Would you like to go to church with me today? We will have a good time."
But there was no answer from his new pet. This bothered him a bit, but he waited a few minutes and then asked again, "How about going to church with me and receive blessings?"
But again, there was no answer from his new friend and pet. So he waited a few minutes more, thinking about the situation. He decided to invite the centipede one last time.
This time he put his face up against the centipede's house and shouted,
"Hey, in there! Would you like to go to church with me and learn about God?"
This time, a little voice came out of the box, "I heard you the first damn time! I'm putting my shoes on!"
Here was somebody who obviously thought that going to church was of some importance. I remember a time in life when I thought it was the most important thing in life, to the extent that for a time I became rather judgemental of those who did not.
If I saw somebody out running on a Sunday morning I thought, "Looking after the body and forgetting the soul."
Thankfully that attitude did not last very long in my life. I soon realised that we each had different ways of looking at life and what might be correct for me was not necessarily so for others and they might have a spirituality I lacked.
Christianity, Zen, Tantra, Islam, Sufi, Kabbalah, Yoga, Hinduism and tao and many others. Each secretly treasured by their adherents. Each shares a sense of mystical communion with a spirituality or divine source.
Meditation, searching, seeking is not something peculiar to one.
All know a mystical core with something greater than themselves. At this point in my life, I call this the tao. Others call it by something else. What does it matter what people call the thing that matters most to them?
When they discovered this special something they called Holy, they reacted in different ways often affected by their culture, but they all discovered something precious. The all discovered for them the importance and meaning of life.
No matter where in the world you are or on what path you are at this moment travelling we should all remember that it is correct to assist and encourage each other but to do as I once did and jump to judgement is not the road to travel.
Rejoice in what it is that brings you joy and peace and rejoice with others in what they have found.
Have a peaceful day.
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