Saying 50: Jesus said: If they say to you: Whence have you come?, tell them: We have come from the light, the place where the light came into being through itself alone. It [stood], and it re- vealed itself in their image. If they say to you: Who are you?, say: We are his sons, and we are the elect of the living Father. If they ask you: What is the sign of your Father in you?, tell them: It is a movement and a rest.
In Leloup’s translation, the commentary shares a passage from the Upanishad’s, “The light which shines from beyond the sky, beyond the highest of the highest worlds, beyond everything that is, is in truth the same light that shines inside human beingness.” I like this a lot. These complimentary passages remind me to look for that of God in all people.
Saying 59: Jesus said: Look upon the living One so long
as you live, that you may not die and seek to see him, and be unable to see.
A good reminder to live in the moment, to appreciate and savor this life. A reminder that I have been given this life in which to run after God, and not to waste that time I’ve been given. Again, this reminded me of something I’ve read, a poem. If you will forebear it, I’d like to share it here. It’s written by Kabir.
Friend, hope for the truth
while you are alive.
Jump into experience
while you are alive!
Think ... and think...
while you are alive.
If you don't break your ropes
while you are alive,
do you think
ghosts will do it after?
The idea that the soul
will join with the ecstatic
just because the body is rotten
-that is all fantasy.
What is found now is found then.
If you find nothing now,
you will simply end up with
an empty apartment in the City of Death.
If you make love with the divine now,
in the next life you will have
the face of satisfied desire.
4 comments:
In saying 50, it delights me that Jesus said; "We have come from the light, the place where the light came into being through itself alone..." Further, Jesus says that we are the children of this light, this living light. The sign of this in us is “movement and rest.” The light is such a wonderful metaphor for this powerful warming and illuminating presence that surrounds us at each moment. I once read that an additional translation of spirit is breath, that spirit is in the breath, as close as our breath. Therefore, our breath is holy, life sustaining and most certainly, of God. The breath is movement, and when we realize God is within it and as close as it, a feeling of great peacefulness (rest) is the natural effect.
Regarding the quote from the Upanishad’s, “The light which shines from beyond the sky, beyond the highest of the highest worlds, beyond everything that is, is in truth the same light that shines inside human beingness,” this is so beautiful. “This light shines from beyond the sky…” not just from our sun, but from beyond our sun, beyond the “highest of high worlds” and it also shines within us, within our “beingness.”
Thank you Twyla for posting this wonderful poem by Kabir - I love it, too.
That's a thought provoking poem :-).
I often have the feeling I'm supposed to hurry up and figure out the mysteries of the universe before it's too late. And I worry that it's all up to me to make things right before the end. But what if I can't?
Crystal, my dear, it's not up to you, it's not to me, it's not up to anybody, it's up to God and our trust is there.
And you "can't; I can't; only God can. That's our trust, for he/she is ever loving.
And finally it's not too late; it will never be too late, because you live in eternity, which (among other things) means you have more time than you could possibly imagine.
Relax, dear girl; you are God's chosen one, very special; there is a wonderful future for you-- for all of us children.
Thank you, Larry :-)
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