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Posted: August 23rd, 2007 at 1:50am By: Anne E. Ulvestad
A secret place, a safe place,
dark and warm
Suddenly illuminated by a shaft of light,
of love.
... distance drains ...
And what is left?
Mossy, verdant, vibrant love
Replacing, restoring, recognizing
Growth, goodness and grace.
A spark of inspiration, a flash of insight, and my feelings fall into place for the moment. Rumi, who celebrates his 800th birthday this year, puts it thus: "To be or not to be is not my dilemma. To break away from both worlds is not bravery. To be unaware of the wonders that exist in me, that is real madness."
I have a friend who tries to deal with the fact that his feelings are often non-existent or not present. He minimalizes his existence by denying his feelings. I, on the other hand, have the opposite predicament — my feelings are frequently too close to the surface. I find myself having to deal with them far too regularly to live an ordinary life.
I often need help to define my feelings. I will read a book, and one word or sentence will jump out at me. "It is possible to give a very convincing portrayal of a life even with one's soul in exile. Only the meaning is missing" (Pat Allen in "Art Is a Way of Knowing"). I have spent all of my life searching for meaning or the path my soul wanders.
Thus, I have found that the path and the meaning of life are one and the same. This is the essence of the Tao, or the Way. "Losing the weight of the Tao means you lose your root. ... Be like a stream for the earth ... and channel it, so it flows — to the sea" ("The Illustrated Tao Te Ching"). Walking and staying in one place at the same time offers the opportunity for wholeness.
Oh, so much easier said than done! Sometimes I can find that quiet place inside me that comprehends these mysteries, or at least acknowledges that I am part of the mystery. When I find that place in myself, I can possess it only if I let it go. I believe that's why God made so many different forms of life — finding Himself over and over again gives meaning to His Wholeness. Being reborn, moment by moment, opens our soul to the reality and evolution of love's embrace.
Ah, that's it, isn't it? Hafiz, another Sufi poet, says, "I know the way you can get when you have not had a drink of Love. ... That is why all the Great Ones speak of the vital need to keep Remembering God. ... All a Sane man can ever care about is giving Love!" Love is the Way, the Truth and the Light.
The only thing that has consistently brought me back to the Path and let me flow in the stream of life has been finding another way to love. Whenever I feel that I haven't been given enough, I realize it is only in the creating that I am created. "The future is not some place we are going to but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found, but made, and the activity of making them changes both the maker and the destination" (John Schaar, political scientist).
And in the course of making the Path, I recognize that I am part of the mystery, as well as part of the process. Not only can I create, but also, in taking delight in creating, I am learning and growing and changing. When I offer joy in the loving, the purpose of life is fulfilled. "The most beautiful experience in the world is the experience of the mysterious" (Albert Einstein).
In my passion to learn and grow, I will see the beauty of the sunset, hear the intricacies of the birdcall, smell the rich dampness of the soil, and feel the Beloved's kiss in the early morning mist. I will leave the darkness behind every morning and find the way to remember God. For it is in the remembering that we stay put, and it is in belonging that we join the oneness of life.
— — —
Anne E. Ulvestad is a free-lance writer residing in Maryland. She has her masters in earth literacy, and is available for public lectures and group presentations and rituals on Spirituality and the Environment. Anne can be reached at {email anne@ourplaceintheuniverse.com}anne@ourplaceintheuniverse.com{/email}. © Copyright 2007 by Anne E. Ulvestad.
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A secret place, a safe place,
dark and warm
Suddenly illuminated by a shaft of light,
of love.
... distance drains ...
And what is left?
Mossy, verdant, vibrant love
Replacing, restoring, recognizing
Growth, goodness and grace.
A spark of inspiration, a flash of insight, and my feelings fall into place for the moment. Rumi, who celebrates his 800th birthday this year, puts it thus: "To be or not to be is not my dilemma. To break away from both worlds is not bravery. To be unaware of the wonders that exist in me, that is real madness."
I have a friend who tries to deal with the fact that his feelings are often non-existent or not present. He minimalizes his existence by denying his feelings. I, on the other hand, have the opposite predicament — my feelings are frequently too close to the surface. I find myself having to deal with them far too regularly to live an ordinary life.
I often need help to define my feelings. I will read a book, and one word or sentence will jump out at me. "It is possible to give a very convincing portrayal of a life even with one's soul in exile. Only the meaning is missing" (Pat Allen in "Art Is a Way of Knowing"). I have spent all of my life searching for meaning or the path my soul wanders.
Thus, I have found that the path and the meaning of life are one and the same. This is the essence of the Tao, or the Way. "Losing the weight of the Tao means you lose your root. ... Be like a stream for the earth ... and channel it, so it flows — to the sea" ("The Illustrated Tao Te Ching"). Walking and staying in one place at the same time offers the opportunity for wholeness.
Oh, so much easier said than done! Sometimes I can find that quiet place inside me that comprehends these mysteries, or at least acknowledges that I am part of the mystery. When I find that place in myself, I can possess it only if I let it go. I believe that's why God made so many different forms of life — finding Himself over and over again gives meaning to His Wholeness. Being reborn, moment by moment, opens our soul to the reality and evolution of love's embrace.
Ah, that's it, isn't it? Hafiz, another Sufi poet, says, "I know the way you can get when you have not had a drink of Love. ... That is why all the Great Ones speak of the vital need to keep Remembering God. ... All a Sane man can ever care about is giving Love!" Love is the Way, the Truth and the Light.
The only thing that has consistently brought me back to the Path and let me flow in the stream of life has been finding another way to love. Whenever I feel that I haven't been given enough, I realize it is only in the creating that I am created. "The future is not some place we are going to but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found, but made, and the activity of making them changes both the maker and the destination" (John Schaar, political scientist).
And in the course of making the Path, I recognize that I am part of the mystery, as well as part of the process. Not only can I create, but also, in taking delight in creating, I am learning and growing and changing. When I offer joy in the loving, the purpose of life is fulfilled. "The most beautiful experience in the world is the experience of the mysterious" (Albert Einstein).
In my passion to learn and grow, I will see the beauty of the sunset, hear the intricacies of the birdcall, smell the rich dampness of the soil, and feel the Beloved's kiss in the early morning mist. I will leave the darkness behind every morning and find the way to remember God. For it is in the remembering that we stay put, and it is in belonging that we join the oneness of life.
— — —
Anne E. Ulvestad is a free-lance writer residing in Maryland. She has her masters in earth literacy, and is available for public lectures and group presentations and rituals on Spirituality and the Environment. Anne can be reached at {email anne@ourplaceintheuniverse.com}anne@ourplaceintheuniverse.com{/email}. © Copyright 2007 by Anne E. Ulvestad.
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