After reading this lovely post, the first thing that came to mind was an old hymn (I used to be a choir director), that I’m sure crossed your way when you were doing your research, as it is along the same lines of your subject: “It Is Well With My Soul.” written by Horatio G. Spafford in 1873. Legend has it that he wrote this hymn when travelling by Ship over an area where he lost four children in a shipwreck at sea, as well as a rash of other tragedies within his family. It is used at many funerals and is considered to be soothing to those getting old, those who suffer from the maladies of life, and is also a “Come to Jesus” call.
If we look at a more progressive and century appropriate point of view of “shit happens”, we have discovered that life is always trying to convince us that we are vulnerable and subject to suffering as a result. However, looking at a more contemporary perspective, the truth isn’t really about being spared from harm, but knowing we are complete and perfect in the first place. When we look for ways to keep protecting ourselves and our loved ones we deny our omnipotence, our all powerful origins. When we accept (from time to time) that we are as perfect as we were created to be, it takes us to a place that will hurt us the least, if at all. A spiritual pain killer, so to speak, from past and future occurrences of despair, remembering that we are beautiful, whole, and complete to begin with, whether we are in this life or the next, or physical or mental/emotional, we move out of the disbelief that we can be harmed and we are already perfect to begin with, and the belief of imperfection fades. That, to me, is seeing God in my real self.
There is another hymn I am reminded of, “Farther Along We’ll Know All About It, Farther Along We’ll Understand Why.”
We don’t always have to find answers to the things we don’t understand, but we can know we are perfect, whatever that is, and will end up exactly where we need to be.
Yes it is fascinating isn’t it? You could go out and do something for one hour a day and really pay attention for that hour and then spend the next 23 hours just writing about what happened in that one hour like Proust more or less did. You could describe everything and what you were thinking and doing and what your intention was and describe the people and actions around you and speculate what they are thinking and who they are and write about memories that the smell of something reminds you of and what the light and environment look like and the history of the location and what’s happening in the news and on and on. And that is just one hour of life.
Nice response Christine. I am probably going to have to think out a third essay in this series that talks about how to understand our experience in this life and who we are in it and accept the nature of things and that if we can figure out that. Yes, we have a built-in instinct as all living things do, to protect our own survival, nourish our own uniqueness into flourishing and at the same time see ourselves as a temporary manifestation like a cloud and that we only can expect so much agency out of things and at the same time know and have faith in the fact that our whole experience is within a vast living singularity for the purpose of experiencing itself through the instruments of us living things and that is our function. That would mean the best thing we individually can do is be a well tuned instrument, clear, experiencing life with fidelity, and following our deepest intuition which is where we feel that deep connection to the livingness of being. In that sense we have to develop a very stoic, spartan-like attitude toward our own limited egos and see life as an ongoing adventure in which we can aspire to be the hero of our own story in our own unique way and see all others as our companions in that odyssey. and at the same time seeing all others as another version of ourselves as well as all other living things. It is a lot to take in as an individual and we have to orient ourselves and mature into it so that we can actually enjoy life in a deep way without the fear or despair or arrogance or self-righteousness that gathers in the ego like barnacles. Using that metaphor, we have to keep ourselves in 'ship shape' the best we can. Well, maybe this is the seed for that article. The point is, it is really about figuring out how to approach life and the things that happen in it in a way that we can navigate our way through the storms at sea and the treacherous coastlines, how to repair after disasters, learn the lessons, map trail, keep our 'captain's log' star date whatever and develop wisdom and, if possible, leave a record for future wayfarers. That seems to be what we are all here to do - an expeditionary team exploring the unknown in service of the unknowable.
When I was doing some editing on my book, I was thinking that the time span seemed to cover quite a lot of years, about 25 or so. I realized the whole time-span I wrote about was nothing but a tiny sliver of my life's experience. I would occasionally think of other experiences I have had and think to myself, I can also plot a story on this or that section of my life, again seeing it as a tiny sliver over many years. It came to me that we actually have such a vast experience, larger than we can recall all at once. There is no way to see how huge our lives really are, like a book turned back on itself, each page representing an era, or situations in our lives. It was really astounding to realize that our experiences are vast and endless until our incubation in this world has readied us for our next birth, perhaps in a more spiritual realm. It could also be that our collective physical experiences are the diamond, and the spiritual experiences shared are the shine and shape from the endless unique facets we create individually.
This is an article I will read again and again for it offers great reminders of Life itself. And all the "twins" of sorrow and joy, cry and laughter, suffer and healing, struggling and resting that you mentioned.......each a yin and yang that is needed for each to appreciate the other for what it brings to that balance. Somewhere in the bible it states that we must thank God for when we are suffering.......something I struggle with until that suffering is past and the fog dissipates so I can realize finally. And while suffering is relative to each person's situation, it's important to know that 'things could always be worse', and to give gratitude for what is still "all is ever well, profoundly well beyond measure." "And we can rest assured in that.” Thank you for this much needed read.
After reading this lovely post, the first thing that came to mind was an old hymn (I used to be a choir director), that I’m sure crossed your way when you were doing your research, as it is along the same lines of your subject: “It Is Well With My Soul.” written by Horatio G. Spafford in 1873. Legend has it that he wrote this hymn when travelling by Ship over an area where he lost four children in a shipwreck at sea, as well as a rash of other tragedies within his family. It is used at many funerals and is considered to be soothing to those getting old, those who suffer from the maladies of life, and is also a “Come to Jesus” call.
If we look at a more progressive and century appropriate point of view of “shit happens”, we have discovered that life is always trying to convince us that we are vulnerable and subject to suffering as a result. However, looking at a more contemporary perspective, the truth isn’t really about being spared from harm, but knowing we are complete and perfect in the first place. When we look for ways to keep protecting ourselves and our loved ones we deny our omnipotence, our all powerful origins. When we accept (from time to time) that we are as perfect as we were created to be, it takes us to a place that will hurt us the least, if at all. A spiritual pain killer, so to speak, from past and future occurrences of despair, remembering that we are beautiful, whole, and complete to begin with, whether we are in this life or the next, or physical or mental/emotional, we move out of the disbelief that we can be harmed and we are already perfect to begin with, and the belief of imperfection fades. That, to me, is seeing God in my real self.
There is another hymn I am reminded of, “Farther Along We’ll Know All About It, Farther Along We’ll Understand Why.”
We don’t always have to find answers to the things we don’t understand, but we can know we are perfect, whatever that is, and will end up exactly where we need to be.
Indeed
Yes it is fascinating isn’t it? You could go out and do something for one hour a day and really pay attention for that hour and then spend the next 23 hours just writing about what happened in that one hour like Proust more or less did. You could describe everything and what you were thinking and doing and what your intention was and describe the people and actions around you and speculate what they are thinking and who they are and write about memories that the smell of something reminds you of and what the light and environment look like and the history of the location and what’s happening in the news and on and on. And that is just one hour of life.
Nice response Christine. I am probably going to have to think out a third essay in this series that talks about how to understand our experience in this life and who we are in it and accept the nature of things and that if we can figure out that. Yes, we have a built-in instinct as all living things do, to protect our own survival, nourish our own uniqueness into flourishing and at the same time see ourselves as a temporary manifestation like a cloud and that we only can expect so much agency out of things and at the same time know and have faith in the fact that our whole experience is within a vast living singularity for the purpose of experiencing itself through the instruments of us living things and that is our function. That would mean the best thing we individually can do is be a well tuned instrument, clear, experiencing life with fidelity, and following our deepest intuition which is where we feel that deep connection to the livingness of being. In that sense we have to develop a very stoic, spartan-like attitude toward our own limited egos and see life as an ongoing adventure in which we can aspire to be the hero of our own story in our own unique way and see all others as our companions in that odyssey. and at the same time seeing all others as another version of ourselves as well as all other living things. It is a lot to take in as an individual and we have to orient ourselves and mature into it so that we can actually enjoy life in a deep way without the fear or despair or arrogance or self-righteousness that gathers in the ego like barnacles. Using that metaphor, we have to keep ourselves in 'ship shape' the best we can. Well, maybe this is the seed for that article. The point is, it is really about figuring out how to approach life and the things that happen in it in a way that we can navigate our way through the storms at sea and the treacherous coastlines, how to repair after disasters, learn the lessons, map trail, keep our 'captain's log' star date whatever and develop wisdom and, if possible, leave a record for future wayfarers. That seems to be what we are all here to do - an expeditionary team exploring the unknown in service of the unknowable.
When I was doing some editing on my book, I was thinking that the time span seemed to cover quite a lot of years, about 25 or so. I realized the whole time-span I wrote about was nothing but a tiny sliver of my life's experience. I would occasionally think of other experiences I have had and think to myself, I can also plot a story on this or that section of my life, again seeing it as a tiny sliver over many years. It came to me that we actually have such a vast experience, larger than we can recall all at once. There is no way to see how huge our lives really are, like a book turned back on itself, each page representing an era, or situations in our lives. It was really astounding to realize that our experiences are vast and endless until our incubation in this world has readied us for our next birth, perhaps in a more spiritual realm. It could also be that our collective physical experiences are the diamond, and the spiritual experiences shared are the shine and shape from the endless unique facets we create individually.
Thank you for posting these beautifully smithed hymns of an ultimate understanding.
Your son (and yourself) are Buddhas ;-)
This is an article I will read again and again for it offers great reminders of Life itself. And all the "twins" of sorrow and joy, cry and laughter, suffer and healing, struggling and resting that you mentioned.......each a yin and yang that is needed for each to appreciate the other for what it brings to that balance. Somewhere in the bible it states that we must thank God for when we are suffering.......something I struggle with until that suffering is past and the fog dissipates so I can realize finally. And while suffering is relative to each person's situation, it's important to know that 'things could always be worse', and to give gratitude for what is still "all is ever well, profoundly well beyond measure." "And we can rest assured in that.” Thank you for this much needed read.