Chapter 4: Guidelines for Christian and monastic good practice (paragraphs 1-2)
Renounce your own desires and ambitions so as to be free to follow Christ. (From para. 2 of Ch. 4 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry, OSB, 1997.)
Recently, in a discussion of my purpose in the universe, I joyfully announced: "Really, I'm not trying to accomplish much of anything!" This was a sacred moment for me, as I realized I was speaking the language of the teaching of meditation, the language of teaching how to be.
Watching the movie "Of Gods and Men", twice, I saw visually what is being said in the Rule reading for today. The movie and the actors captured the lives of the small Cistercian community of monks before their assassination. They lived their commitment to Christ in their daily prayer life,in their work and brotherly care for each other, and in their work for the neighbors of their small town. There was no separation. The love they showed was the love they lived even to death with such gentleness and humility.
ReplyDelete“Renounce your own desires and ambitions so as to be free to follow Christ”: how well this harmonizes with the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism. Suffering exists, comes from desire, disappears when desire disappears. Through meditation desire can disappear and freedom appear. Your grace and meditation teach me the real meaning of freedom, the freedom of being your child, Abba.
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