The Pretense of Accident
PeaceBang's experience of running into a veterinarian congregant when her kitty was so sick prompts this reflection:
I'm just home from church, where I conducted an intergenerational service based on Sharon Salzberg's story (told to the ministers at GA last summer) about following "the pretense of accident." It was about intuition, following up on hunches, paying attention to our dreams, trusting our gut... things like that.
I wouldn't attempt to weigh in on whether it's God's hand or Pure Dumb Luck or something else, but I will say that WHEN it happens, follow through! Go there!
Right after the Buddha was enlightened, the first person who saw him was so taken with the radiance of his face and the power of his being that he asked "Who are you?" The Buddha replied "I am an awakened one." (Or perhaps "I am awake.") The person shrugged his shoulders, said "Well, maybe," and turned away.
That guy missed out! What if he had followed through, said "No, really, who are you?" or "If you're awake now, what were you before?" or "Am I awake?" or "How did you get that way?" Think how his life might have been changed if he stuck with his hunch that the Buddha was someone really interesting and special and he should stick around.
Listen to me--I"m inspired by my own sermon. Guess that's a good thing, eh?
I'm just home from church, where I conducted an intergenerational service based on Sharon Salzberg's story (told to the ministers at GA last summer) about following "the pretense of accident." It was about intuition, following up on hunches, paying attention to our dreams, trusting our gut... things like that.
I wouldn't attempt to weigh in on whether it's God's hand or Pure Dumb Luck or something else, but I will say that WHEN it happens, follow through! Go there!
Right after the Buddha was enlightened, the first person who saw him was so taken with the radiance of his face and the power of his being that he asked "Who are you?" The Buddha replied "I am an awakened one." (Or perhaps "I am awake.") The person shrugged his shoulders, said "Well, maybe," and turned away.
That guy missed out! What if he had followed through, said "No, really, who are you?" or "If you're awake now, what were you before?" or "Am I awake?" or "How did you get that way?" Think how his life might have been changed if he stuck with his hunch that the Buddha was someone really interesting and special and he should stick around.
Listen to me--I"m inspired by my own sermon. Guess that's a good thing, eh?
posted by Berrysmom at 1:30 PM
3 Comments:
I remember laughing so hard at Sharon S's story about trying to make the leaves turn for her friend who was making a New England keaf-peeping visit.
Glad you're inspired by your own sermon! Erm says hi!
Actually, buddha- in Sanskrit is just a past passive participle
from the verb stem budh- which means "awaken, regain consciousness, become aware, perceive" etc. So it is translated as "awakened, fully awake, . . enlightened, wise, known, observed" etc. according to the Sanskrit dictionary I use most often. Here, of course, it is specialized as a name based on a
participle.
LinguistFriend
Good reading your ppost
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