Spiritual Life through Reflections, Meditations and Contemplations

Once upon a time, there was a teacher, a guru who had many followers. They came from all over to listen, to learn wisdom and enlightenment and to be liberated from their desires and needs. There were classes and one-on-one apprenticeships. At the end of the students’ teaching the master would send them out into the world to share their learning and knowledge with others as masters in their own right. And just before they left, he would give them a gift: the mantra of life and death. Phrase by phrase he would teach them until they had learned it by heart. Then he would tell them that as long as they said this mantra faithfully, they would be blessed; that its power would give them insight and clarity and allow them to discern the truth when all around them were lies and shadows; that its power would keep them from despair and give them hope in the midst of misery and hopelessness; that its power would strengthen their faith and one day save their souls and give them everlasting life. The disciples were grateful and humbled by the gift. Then he warned them never to teach anyone else the mantra; it was for them alone, those who had been enlightened.

And so for years and years students finished their studies, were given the mantra and went out into the world to share their wisdom and to pray their mantra in secret. One day a young man came to the master, ready to go into the world. He too was taught the mantra and humbled by the enormity of the gift he was given. However, when the master warned him not to share the mantra with anyone, he asked why. The master looked long and hard at him: “If you share this mantra with others, then what it was to do for you will be handed over to them. And you will live in darkness even when light is all around you. You will know only despair and misery of body and soul all your life. You will stumble over the truth and be confused endlessly. Worst of all, you will lose you faith, and you will lose you soul. You will be damned forever.”

The disciple turned white and shook visibly and nodded and left the master’s presence. But he was troubled in spirit. Finally, he decided what he had to do. He went to the nearest large city and gathered the multitudes about him, teaching and enthralling them with stories and wisdom. Then he taught them the mantra, line by line, phrase by phrase, just as his master taught him. There was a hush, and people left whispering the mantra to themselves.

A number of the master’s disciples were in the crowd, and they were horrified at the man’s actions. He had disobeyed the master. He had betrayed his community. He had given away the wisdom and the gift to the ignorant and unenlightened. They immediately went back to the master and told him what had happened.

They asked him: “Master, are you going to punish him for what he has done?” The master looked at them sadly and said: “I do not have to. He will be punished terribly. He knew what his fate would be if he shared the mantra of life with those who were not enlightened. For him it has become the mantra of death. He will live in darkness and despair, without hope or knowledge of the truth. He will live isolated, alone, without comfort or faith, and he will die terribly and lose even his own soul. How could I possibly punish him? He knew what he was choosing.” And with those words, the old master rose and gathered his few belongings and began to walk away. “Master,” one disciple asked, “Where are you going?” And the master looked at all of them sadly and spoke, “I am going to that man who gave away my gift of the mantra of life and death.” “Why?” they chorused. “Because,” he said, “out of all my students, he alone learned wisdom and compassion. Now that man is my master.” And he left them to follow the man who walked now in darkness and despair, who had chosen compassion over wisdom and knowledge.

Megan McKenna ‘Parables: The Arrows of God’ Orbis Books, New-York, 1994 pages 158-160.

Lady Camera and Mister Rosary

Between March and May 2010, when I was on a short sabbatical in Jerusalem, I used to admire the crowded narrow streets of the old city. It seemed to me that pedestrians could be divided into two different kinds: first the group composed of a devoutly religious population, mainly local Muslims, but joined by some pious Christian pilgrims. These people are commonly identified with a beads or a rosary in their hands for helping them pray. Then there is the second group which consists of visiting tourists from all over the world. These people frequently have a camera on their chest.

As I looked quietly in front of a shop, I saw a tall tourist lady making some business deal with an elderly shopkeeper. Gently, in order to free herself, the tall tourist lady dropped her camera onto the counter just beside the little rosary of the shop-owner.

Everybody got absorbed in the deal and so nobody noticed.

Nobody noticed what I saw and heard.

I just could not believe it, as the most incredible thing happened…

Lady Camera engaged a conversation with Mister Rosary!!!

And this is what I heard…

Lady Camera: Look at me poor little Mister Rosary! Don’t you see how charming I am? Look at my beautiful eye which takes in every delightful thing on this planet! I am also shining because of my precious metallic skin. My owner keeps me preciously inside a pure leather bag. You know she bought me dearly with quite a few large banknotes!

And as if this was not enough, lady camera in her arrogance and haughtiness felt like adding:

Lady Camera: I am so pleased I am not like you, poor Mister Rosary! Look at you! You never go out of this city, you commonly lick the dust and the rough wood you are made of is not worth much. I can hardly look at you, you know, and indeed my owner would never place my delicate eye in front of you, she would think you are not worth it, and rightly so I believe. I bet you have been purchased with a few very common petty coins. Indeed I am glad I am not you!

And at this, the tall lady took her camera and left the shop.

Needless to say, Lady Camera was not being very kind or sensitive. Poor little Mister Rosary! He felt hurt, lonely and sad. He could not say anything in reply anything. He just had no time to think about all that he had just heard, it was so new to him. When the darkness of the evening came, poor little Mister Rosary wept, feeling his worthlessness.

But as it happened, his sleep that night brought the sweet consolation of a dream to poor little Mister Rosary. What was in the dream belongs to Mister Rosary alone, and what I can tell you is only what I heard a few days later as I happened to pass by in front of the same shop, which had the same tall tourist lady engaged in a heated conversation with the same shop-owner. Perhaps the deal was not so easy after all, and nobody noticed.

Nobody noticed what I saw and heard.

I just could not believe it, as the most incredible thing happened…

Mister Rosary engaged the conversation with Lady Camera!!!

And this is what I heard…

Mister Rosary: Look at me Lady Camera! Don’t you know, I have for each and every one of my beads, a name, a prayer, a wish and a blessing. My owner cherishes me and holds me often in the warmth of his hand, because I bring him a little help to reach the marvellous world you can never see with your beautiful seducing eye. Through me, my master gets a bit closer to the kingdom of the King. In my company, he even sometimes feels protected and strong. I do not envy you any more. The small coins which purchased me are of the kind we see in houses of prayer, in the collection box, unlike the large bank notes which purchased you. Perhaps, it is one more reason why I am so precious.

And as if this was not enough, Mister Rosary in his vengeful mood felt like adding:

Mister Rosary: And look at you Lady Camera, don’t you know that your metallic skin is cold, that your single hungry eye is lonely and leads straight to a huge empty belly, which is nothing else than a big, dark, silent and cold box! And you are never satisfied, as nothing can please your big belly. Indeed you travel all over the world in order to see many beautiful things, but you do not keep anything for yourself and your home remains empty and void. You are always restless, constantly on the move. It seems to me that your owner is in such in a hurry that she cannot listen or read properly. She always mispronounces or confuses things. When the King talks about ‘worth’, she just thinks about ‘wealth’. Or when it is about ‘meaning’, she understands nothing but ‘money’! She also confuses ‘goodness’ with ‘goodies’ and ‘good’ with ‘goods’. No, I do not envy you anymore. Please the King you will find rest with yourself, even if it is for one day only!

And on this, the tall lady took her camera and left the shop.

Needless to say, Mister Rosary was not very kind or sensitive. Poor Lady Camera, perhaps she deserved it, but all the same it was quite hard for her. In front of Mister Rosary, she kept her appearances, but she was very hurt and wounded inside. She started to doubt about herself, about her worth and for the first time, when the darkness of the evening came, she could feel her big, huge, dark belly which is never satisfied, which is the home of nobody and of nothing. And she wept, feeling her emptiness and restlessness.

But as it happened her sleep that night brought the sweet consolation of a dream to Lady Camera. What was in the dream belongs to Lady Camera alone, and what I can tell you is only what I heard a few days later as I happened to pass by in front of the same shop, which had the same tall tourist lady engaged in a peaceful conversation with the same shop-owner. Perhaps the tall lady was ready to depart and now she came to say bye to her friend the elderly shop-owner, because now they were simply sharing some tea together.

 Nobody noticed what I saw and heard. You can imagine how eager I now was to know how the quarrel would end.

And so I just could not believe it, as the most unlikely happened…

Lady Camera was again placed besides Mister Rosary, and this time nobody was in a hurry to talk. Instead, they looked at each other for quite a long while. And then, hesitantly Lady Camera engaged the conversation,

And that is what I heard…

Lady Camera: Forgive my insolence the other day, little brother. As for me, I have already forgiven your harsh words towards me. I just want to make peace with you. Because I am very grateful to you as you opened my understanding.

You were right I have a big empty belly which is never satisfied with anything. I am very poor indeed, but this poverty enables me to receive the whole world. Besides, am I so different than your beads? Because, unless your beads are pierced to their very hearts, every single one of them, they would not be tied together with a string. And look at you, little brother, your beads gently draw a circle, but do you see what is in the middle of the circle? Tell me are we so different after all? I wish to depart in peace with you, because you are my brother.

Mister Rosary could not say much, as it was true that there was a hole in every one of his beads. He had never really thought about it that way. He looked at Lady Camera and said:

Mister Rosary: Thank you for your apology, I understand there is something true in what you say. Perhaps you are my sister after all. I know you will now leave us and it is most likely I will never see you again. I wish you well sister. Let us depart from each other in peace. I also forgive your harsh words for me, because with you I understand things a little bit differently now.

And they looked at each other. And they embraced and blessed each other. They were both quite emotional, but suddenly, the tall tourist lady, having just bid farewell to the shop-owner, took her camera and left the shop. She was not to be seen again in the streets of the old city of Jerusalem.

But since then, somewhere in a shop of the old city of Jerusalem, there is a little Mister Rosary who is dreaming of his sister Lady Camera. How dearly he would have wished to see her beside himself as his special friend. She would help him to explore the world which is elsewhere, the world beside, in other cities and in other lands under the sky. It seems to him that it would even help him to pray more fervently.

And since then, in the restlessness of the luggage of a hurried lady, there is a smart Lady Camera who dreams of her brother Mister Rosary. How dearly she would have wished to see him beside herself as her special companion. He would help her to explore the world which is elsewhere, the world beyond, above cities and lands, the world which is within the sky, the world which she is not allowed to contemplate, or so little. It seems to her that it would even help her to produce some more beautiful images.

And, somewhere, above in the sky, the King smiled…