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Archive Number 3620 | ||
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Date: Sun, 25 Jan 2004 18:28:42 -0500
MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi Kathe, I am always looking for "surrender stories". Right now in my mindfulness practice I am thinking a lot about letting go of attachments, old woundings, needing things to be a certain way. The story that I am working with for support is called The Broom Master, and can be found in the collection "Kindness" by Sarah Conover, or as "Greatnest of Heart is the Most Important Thing, (not exact) in the The Snow Lion's Turquoise Mane by Lama Surya Das. It is about a young man who cannot learn to read or write but who follows his older brother to a monastery where the Buddha resides. He continually tries to learn scripture but fails. Then the Buddha assigns him to simply sweep the floors and clean the shows of the other monks, and to repeat the words, "Remove all dust, Remove all dirt." He is able to learn this and to do his task diligently. After a time he begins to think that perhaps the Buddha is referring to inner dirt, rather than outer dirt, and he begins to question what his inner dirt and dust might be. He talks to the Buddha and realizes that inner dirt and dust refer to those things that he clings to in his life and can't bear to give up, and those things that he longs and grasps for which he thinks will make his life complete, but that keep him from the present moment. (This last bit is not quite so explicit in the text). I am in the process of thinking of how to personalize this story so that I can tell it. At any rate this simple guy goes on to enlightenment with these realizations, and becomes one of the most revered monks around. (That part isn't so important to me.) I like the idea of picturing myself as the broom master, trying to keep this story in my mind as I go about my day. There are so many opportunities to notice grasping and clinging, and to choose to let them go. One other story that I tell relating to surrender is the Nasrudhin tale of the Walnuts and Watermelons in which he sits in his garden under a walnut tree, fantasizing about how he would change things if he were in charge instead of Allah. He thinks that the watermelon should grow upon the lordly walnut tree instead of the little walnuts. Then he closes his eyes, and dreams on as the wind rustles the branches above. A walnut falls on his head, and he realizes that it is better that Allah be in charge and not him. I hope you will let us know what over surrender tales come your way. Elisa P. ------------------------------- To Unsubscribe from Healingstory send the message: unsubscribe healingstory to: listserv@maelstrom.stjohns.edu ------------------------------- | ||