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Holiness In The Present Moment

"Buddha was once asked, “What makes a person holy?” He replied, “Every hour is divided into a certain number of seconds and every second into a certain number of fractions. Anyone who is able to be totally present in each fraction of a second is holy.” The Japanese warrior was captured and thrown into prison. At night he could not sleep for he was convinced he would be tortured next morning. Then the words of his Master came to him: “Tomorrow is not real. The only reality is now.” So he came to the present — and fell asleep. The person over whom the Future has ‘lost its grip: How like the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. No anxieties for tomorrow. Total presence in the now. Holiness!" from the book  "Song Of The Bird"  by  Anthony de Mello ...in truth,  OdiliaCarmen

The Turtle

The Emperor of China sent ambassadors to a hermit living in the northern mountains. They were to invite him to become Prime Minister of the Kingdom.  After many days of travel the ambassadors arrived. The hermitage was empty! But nearby in the middle of a river was a half-naked man, seated on a rock, fishing with a line. Could this be the man the Emperor thought so highly of? Enquires at the village proved it was. So they returned to the river bank and, as respectfully as they could, attempted to attract the fisherman’s attention.  The hermit waded through the river and stood before the messengers barefoot, arms akimbo. “What is it you want?”  “Honoured sir. His Majesty the Emperor of China, having heard of your wisdom and your holiness has sent us with these gifts. He invites you to accept the post of Prime Minister of the Realm.”  “Prime Minister of the Realm?”  “Yes, respected Sir.”  “Me?”  “Yes, respected sir.”  “Is His Majesty out of his mind...

The Formula

"The mystic was back from the desert. “Tell us,” they said, “what God is like.” But how could he ever tell them what he had experienced in his heart? Can God be put into words? He finally gave them a formula — inaccurate, inadequate—in the hope that some might be tempted to experience it for themselves. They seized upon the formula. They made it a sacred text. They imposed it on others as a holy belief. They went to great pains to spread it in foreign lands. Some even gave their lives for if. The mystic was sad. It might have been better if he had said nothing." from the book  "Song Of The Bird"  by  Anthony de Mello ...in truth,  OdiliaCarmen