More notes on the different levels of worldly existence, the conventional that is ruled by external factors such as cold and heat, bodily discomforts or pleasures, that what we see and desire or run away from with aversion. This is the conventional reality in which our suffering resides. This is the home of dukkha.
Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. (Jn 6:26)
It is natural for hungry men to want a free lunch, me thinks. A starving man will not see the hand that offers the food, but only the food itself. A starving man, a hungry man, a man who knows only the reality of the daily grind and who dreams of getting rich quick as a solution to all his problems, might miss great wonders and signs.
Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal. (Jn 6:27)
Jesus clarifies and enlightens. He reminds those that would fill their bellies that they will always know hunger. That is the way the body works. Yet, if ruled by hunger, ones master becomes the body and all its whims, cravings and aversions. Thus enslaved by bodily needs and blinded by its sensations, any consideration of what is truly important is forgotten. The hand that offers the food is irrelevant. The blessing ignored. There is certainly no time for fluffy tales of a greater truth, a realm of Love and fearlessness here on Earth, the state of mind and grace of the Absolute Reality or Truth.
As if to make the point still clearer, it is also written :
Do not love the world or what is in the world. If anyone does love the world, the love of the Father finds no place in him, because everything there is in the world -- disordered bodily desires, disordered desires of the eyes, pride in possession -- is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world, with all its disordered desires, is passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains for ever. (1 Jn 2:15-17)
When the world is seen from Absolute Reality, indeed bodily desires become 'disordered'. Though the kingdom of the flesh is necessary and desirable to our species, such as the birth of babies, digestion of food for health, writing and reading and singing psalms of praise and preaching the wonder of letting go of the world to gain the world, a greater world, a holy world, we stand with our human feet on Earth. The apostle reminds us, however, to be very aware of how we stand. Do we stand in that lesser reality of hunger and aversion, taking bread to fill our bellies whilst believing only in staving off death for another day? Or do we stand here and now on Earth, yet fully in the Absolute Reality of fearlessness and compassion, of full knowledge that all shall pass, that all things change, that all of this Earth, however sweet, terrifying or glorious, is finite? Let it go and stand together with that which is eternal, he invites us.
I think of St. Stephan standing before his accusers, angry men, hateful, deceiving men, who would have this disciple killed and thus his threat to their way of life removed. What a life! Living in fear and intolerance. Living in hate and violence. Their life seems to be about taking free bread and ignoring the hand that offers it in grace. Theirs is the conventional reality, the small and immediate reality of existence that is so very close to animals: food, shelter, reproduction, always fear, always hungry. As we know, this existence is still predominant and rules most of humanity. St. Stephan stands before these men of influence and power unafraid. He now lives in the greater Truth of eternal Love. He knows that fear is an illusion, for even these men can see that "his face was like the face of an angel" (Acts 6:15). Most of the world lives in fear and clings to this lesser reality as truth. We still have much work to do for our brothers: it is the only work worth doing!
Deo gratias.
Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. (Jn 6:26)
It is natural for hungry men to want a free lunch, me thinks. A starving man will not see the hand that offers the food, but only the food itself. A starving man, a hungry man, a man who knows only the reality of the daily grind and who dreams of getting rich quick as a solution to all his problems, might miss great wonders and signs.
Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal. (Jn 6:27)
Jesus clarifies and enlightens. He reminds those that would fill their bellies that they will always know hunger. That is the way the body works. Yet, if ruled by hunger, ones master becomes the body and all its whims, cravings and aversions. Thus enslaved by bodily needs and blinded by its sensations, any consideration of what is truly important is forgotten. The hand that offers the food is irrelevant. The blessing ignored. There is certainly no time for fluffy tales of a greater truth, a realm of Love and fearlessness here on Earth, the state of mind and grace of the Absolute Reality or Truth.
As if to make the point still clearer, it is also written :
Do not love the world or what is in the world. If anyone does love the world, the love of the Father finds no place in him, because everything there is in the world -- disordered bodily desires, disordered desires of the eyes, pride in possession -- is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world, with all its disordered desires, is passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains for ever. (1 Jn 2:15-17)
When the world is seen from Absolute Reality, indeed bodily desires become 'disordered'. Though the kingdom of the flesh is necessary and desirable to our species, such as the birth of babies, digestion of food for health, writing and reading and singing psalms of praise and preaching the wonder of letting go of the world to gain the world, a greater world, a holy world, we stand with our human feet on Earth. The apostle reminds us, however, to be very aware of how we stand. Do we stand in that lesser reality of hunger and aversion, taking bread to fill our bellies whilst believing only in staving off death for another day? Or do we stand here and now on Earth, yet fully in the Absolute Reality of fearlessness and compassion, of full knowledge that all shall pass, that all things change, that all of this Earth, however sweet, terrifying or glorious, is finite? Let it go and stand together with that which is eternal, he invites us.
I think of St. Stephan standing before his accusers, angry men, hateful, deceiving men, who would have this disciple killed and thus his threat to their way of life removed. What a life! Living in fear and intolerance. Living in hate and violence. Their life seems to be about taking free bread and ignoring the hand that offers it in grace. Theirs is the conventional reality, the small and immediate reality of existence that is so very close to animals: food, shelter, reproduction, always fear, always hungry. As we know, this existence is still predominant and rules most of humanity. St. Stephan stands before these men of influence and power unafraid. He now lives in the greater Truth of eternal Love. He knows that fear is an illusion, for even these men can see that "his face was like the face of an angel" (Acts 6:15). Most of the world lives in fear and clings to this lesser reality as truth. We still have much work to do for our brothers: it is the only work worth doing!
Deo gratias.
No comments:
Post a Comment