you have to keep going.
have to keep going.
For some the world presents itself as more of a mystery than it does to others.
So take it as it comes.....with a nonchalant shrug and a smile.
You can maybe add in a sarcastic joke - just like Mr. Bond.... but more Zen like.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
The Zen master at church
Things aren't particularly rosy these days.
In ways more than one.
Struggling to handle a lot of thoughts that were threatening to bog me down even further, I decided to go to church.
After a long time.
I'm I have to admit, slowly becoming a liberal, loosely spiritual kind of guy with no firm religious rooting.
In american lingo tis called "secular"-one who believes in no particular religion/no firm religious convictions -its a negative term here - bandied around a lot by the republicans against the democrats/liberals.
That is strange, because coming from an Eastern orthodox church background, esp the indian syrian orthodox church - rituals (of which going to church is the least demanding) are everything. As is typical of all eastern religions.
Atheists like Dawkins have said that the "peace" that you feel in church - the "upliftment" of your spirits when you attend mass on sunday is a kind of a positive "mass hysteria".
But Hysteria neverthless - that being his point.
And I attend the St.Mary's catholic church here (once in a while).
For the very religious reason - that it is a stone throw away from my aptmt.
My point is that catholics too are often caught up in their rituals and rules - obsessively so....the priests I mean, not the people.
I'm wrong . The people are also as obsessive in their belief, or the public display of it- almost as obsessive they are in breaking it come friday night party time. But that's allright. One has to be young and foolish at some point and make mistakes. And I guess live upto the american way of life - which is "unlimited freedom" to do whatever it is one wants to do ? :P
Ofcourse I'm being sarcastic.
So the sermons aren't all that interesting - it mostly deals with the church and its customs - mostly it is light hearted banter. The kind of advice you wont feel too bad in breaking. And even if you do, you can come back next week. All this,ofcourse isn't the reason I dont go often . I'm not throwing the "Stone" in biblical terms without taking into account my failings.
I'm mostly lazy and now increasingly becoming "secular" if I'm a bit harsh on myself.
And the undergraduate kids holding hands, cuddling and kissing in church make me uncomfortable. Come on , I'm a smalltown Indian Kid(not any more) with tons of cultural baggage (indian+malayali+ orthodox christian) and added to that significant personal baggage too. :P
But isnpite of all this I went and the weeks sermon was idelightful - unusually so.
Not because of the speaker was good or intersting or inspiring or insightful. He was average, but the message itself touched me.
Now I cant quote the exact words, but Jesus asks his disciples to go out into the world and preach the gospel. And he tells them, travel lightly, lightly to the extent not even a change of clothes, not another pair of footwear, carry no worldy posessions. Preach the gospel. If they hear you and accept you, well good for them. If they don't, well, shake of the dust from your sandals and just continue.
As I heard it , I was deeply impressed, not because I had never heard of it before, but the almost zen like quality of the advice. Not to care about worldy posessions, to do one's job, and get on with it, not to worry about how people recieve you. To believe that things will work out as you go along and not get caught up in achieving ,earning, keeping score, worrying and planning.
It's a great message and I think it comes at no better time- not just for me , but for most of the world.
In ways more than one.
Struggling to handle a lot of thoughts that were threatening to bog me down even further, I decided to go to church.
After a long time.
I'm I have to admit, slowly becoming a liberal, loosely spiritual kind of guy with no firm religious rooting.
In american lingo tis called "secular"-one who believes in no particular religion/no firm religious convictions -its a negative term here - bandied around a lot by the republicans against the democrats/liberals.
That is strange, because coming from an Eastern orthodox church background, esp the indian syrian orthodox church - rituals (of which going to church is the least demanding) are everything. As is typical of all eastern religions.
Atheists like Dawkins have said that the "peace" that you feel in church - the "upliftment" of your spirits when you attend mass on sunday is a kind of a positive "mass hysteria".
But Hysteria neverthless - that being his point.
And I attend the St.Mary's catholic church here (once in a while).
For the very religious reason - that it is a stone throw away from my aptmt.
My point is that catholics too are often caught up in their rituals and rules - obsessively so....the priests I mean, not the people.
I'm wrong . The people are also as obsessive in their belief, or the public display of it- almost as obsessive they are in breaking it come friday night party time. But that's allright. One has to be young and foolish at some point and make mistakes. And I guess live upto the american way of life - which is "unlimited freedom" to do whatever it is one wants to do ? :P
Ofcourse I'm being sarcastic.
So the sermons aren't all that interesting - it mostly deals with the church and its customs - mostly it is light hearted banter. The kind of advice you wont feel too bad in breaking. And even if you do, you can come back next week. All this,ofcourse isn't the reason I dont go often . I'm not throwing the "Stone" in biblical terms without taking into account my failings.
I'm mostly lazy and now increasingly becoming "secular" if I'm a bit harsh on myself.
And the undergraduate kids holding hands, cuddling and kissing in church make me uncomfortable. Come on , I'm a smalltown Indian Kid(not any more) with tons of cultural baggage (indian+malayali+ orthodox christian) and added to that significant personal baggage too. :P
But isnpite of all this I went and the weeks sermon was idelightful - unusually so.
Not because of the speaker was good or intersting or inspiring or insightful. He was average, but the message itself touched me.
Now I cant quote the exact words, but Jesus asks his disciples to go out into the world and preach the gospel. And he tells them, travel lightly, lightly to the extent not even a change of clothes, not another pair of footwear, carry no worldy posessions. Preach the gospel. If they hear you and accept you, well good for them. If they don't, well, shake of the dust from your sandals and just continue.
As I heard it , I was deeply impressed, not because I had never heard of it before, but the almost zen like quality of the advice. Not to care about worldy posessions, to do one's job, and get on with it, not to worry about how people recieve you. To believe that things will work out as you go along and not get caught up in achieving ,earning, keeping score, worrying and planning.
It's a great message and I think it comes at no better time- not just for me , but for most of the world.
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