A Hasidic Tale
In our church service we have consecutively; a spoken meditation, a silent meditation, then a hymn (Spirit of Life). The spoken meditation is meant to give us something deep to think about during the silent meditation, and the hymn is meant as a closing to this section of the service.
Today's spoken meditation went something like this: "A Hasidic Tale"
A Rabbi asks his students, "how can u tell when night changes to day?"
One student responds, "Is it when u can tell the difference between a dog and a sheep from a distance?"
To which the Rabbi tells them, "No, that's not it."
Another student asks, "Is it when u can tell the difference between a fig tree and a laurel from a distance?"
The Rabbi again tells them, "No."
Perplexed, the student ask the Rabbi, "How can u tell when night changes to day?"
To which the Rabbi replies, "Night changes to day when u can see a face as a friend."
The gist being we live in a dark time, and that will not chance until we learn to respect each other.
I get this. It is not that I understand the meaning of the words, although I do. I also understand the ideas and ideals behind the words. I can feel the connection I have to everyone and everything... and it hurts me.
For a long time I tried my best to feel all the pain I caused to everyone around me. I tried to feel the loss I created in others by meeting my needs and desires in daily life. And through these exercises I have learned to tread lighter on my fellow earthlings (all of them). I felt really good about it all. I felt like I was contributing to ALL humanity moving on and moving up...
...
...only now, mostly what I feel is taken advantage of. I feel like I am giving and giving and giving and not getting much back.
I understand I see something, understand something that most people don't get, an idea most have never given a first thought to (much less a second thought). I understand without at least SOME people living this ideal others will NEVER learn to understand it...
...
...but it's a HARD road to walk alone.
My truth now seems to be - For the most part, people will never learn to live this concept or even want to. Of course there will always be some people who get the ideal, but fewer still will desire to live it; and a scant few will actually try to make it their reality.
Today's spoken meditation went something like this: "A Hasidic Tale"
A Rabbi asks his students, "how can u tell when night changes to day?"
One student responds, "Is it when u can tell the difference between a dog and a sheep from a distance?"
To which the Rabbi tells them, "No, that's not it."
Another student asks, "Is it when u can tell the difference between a fig tree and a laurel from a distance?"
The Rabbi again tells them, "No."
Perplexed, the student ask the Rabbi, "How can u tell when night changes to day?"
To which the Rabbi replies, "Night changes to day when u can see a face as a friend."
The gist being we live in a dark time, and that will not chance until we learn to respect each other.
I get this. It is not that I understand the meaning of the words, although I do. I also understand the ideas and ideals behind the words. I can feel the connection I have to everyone and everything... and it hurts me.
For a long time I tried my best to feel all the pain I caused to everyone around me. I tried to feel the loss I created in others by meeting my needs and desires in daily life. And through these exercises I have learned to tread lighter on my fellow earthlings (all of them). I felt really good about it all. I felt like I was contributing to ALL humanity moving on and moving up...
...
...only now, mostly what I feel is taken advantage of. I feel like I am giving and giving and giving and not getting much back.
I understand I see something, understand something that most people don't get, an idea most have never given a first thought to (much less a second thought). I understand without at least SOME people living this ideal others will NEVER learn to understand it...
...
...but it's a HARD road to walk alone.
My truth now seems to be - For the most part, people will never learn to live this concept or even want to. Of course there will always be some people who get the ideal, but fewer still will desire to live it; and a scant few will actually try to make it their reality.