Thursday, June 22, 2006

A Summer Walk


Now that the summer solstice has passed, the longest day dawned, and the hours of daylight once again descending, spiralling, turning towards darker days, I relay some incidents of a recent walk in the sunshine.



I began by following the river wide, as it ran and sparkled through the fields. Sounds of dancing song, birds skipping in air streams, perfumed currents swaying as I stepped along grassy paths, thoughts both rambling and quiet. Trying to silence the mind. I stopped by a tranquil opening on the river.



The water was almost still here: it waited to collect its thoughts, memories, remembrances of its past places. A river carries all its history in the cells of its water, each molecule a celebration of a moment. I stood still too, embracing moments in no time, yet neither timeless. Simply sharing a space together. Then I walked on.



I passed through a path in the woods, shaded by the shelter of trees from the gaze of the glorious sun. I am a son. You are a son. Sons to the sun, I knew expectations would not serve me. Perhaps there are two paths: one is fate, the other is desire. And somewhere down the road they join and mingle like the meeting of two rivers. I stopped at a bridge to gaze myself.



Life is a field of intersections, lines of crossing paths, crossroads after crossroads, and choices after choices. There is never an insignificant decision, nor a permanently blocked choice. All movements merge, then separate. I left the bridge behind and went to find a place in the sun...



I permitted myself to be swallowed in gaze, absent yet present...perhaps waiting for the revolution of a self... or the revelation of some way...?

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Perfection

Nasrudin was talking to a friend:

'So, have you ever thought of getting married?' said the friend.

'Yes, I have' answered Nasrudin. 'In my youth I decided to look for a perfect woman. I crossed the seas, I arrived in Istanbul and met a very spiritual and beautiful woman; but she didn't know anything about this world. I went on travelling and arrived in Cairo; there I met a woman who knew the material and spiritual kingdom, but she wasn't beautiful at all. Then, I decided to cross the open lands and go to Damascus, where I had dinner at a beautiful, religious young lady's house who knew the material world very well.'

'Why didn't you marry her?' his friend asked.

'Oh, my friend, unfortunately she also wanted a perfect man'