Massage from the Meat Puppet

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam ya'll,

Well, I didn't get to go out last night - too cold out. OK it's only in

the 20's, but that's cold as a whore's kiss for Houston! I did however get

to spend some quality time with myself and listening to my body last night.

Guess what it said?!

I'll leave out the line of reasoning that got me here. Let's just say it

involved a spiteful woman, a scary painting, a renegade 18th century French

philosopher, an old queen in bright canary-yellow stretch pants and the

Dominican Order.

Having said that, and adding the fact that I come from strong Irish peasant

roots, I picked up what may be a most useless core belief. Seems I've

always had the idea that "bearing my burden with dignity" was somehow a

higher spiritual path. I mean 'bearing and dignity' sure! But why

'burden'? Leaving for the moment the Catholic reincarnation conversation

that this could start, why do some of us equate suffering with sanctity?

Take it one step further. In a land where suffering = sanctity, doesn't

pain become a sacrament? Our tormentors become our priests? How often have

I returned to people and situations and people that cause me harm? How

often could I not understand why?

This certainly does not match my view of God, sanctity or me these days.

Yet this is one of those veins trained into my pre-verbal brain. This is

not the Loving God I have come to know. Of course the other news here is

that even in my addle-pated pharmacopoeia soaked way - I was still seeking

sanctity, even if it was through suffering!

Listen to your body long enough and you find out all kinds of things!

 

Sat Nam, Leo

[Guest guest]

Hi Leo,

 

As an Irish catholic I understand what you are saying about 'bearing the

burden with dignity." However, as I understand it there is a good reason

for us to endure pain of one kind or another in life. If we are having a

rollicking good time all the time we'd never have a reason for seeking

the Divine. So it's a prod for us to go in the right direction. Also if

we haven't known pain how would we ever recognise, or appreciate that

which is good in life ? I think where it went gone wrong in the Irish

catholic culture is in the glorification of suffering. However, when

you have an understanding of Irish history it's easy to see how that came

about - it's a country that endured tremendous suffering for hundreds of

years. What can't be avoided is made into a virtue. It's conditioning

that can take a long time to shake off.

 

Sat Nam !

 

Avtar

 

______________

Sign Up for Juno Platinum Internet Access Today

Only $9.95 per month!

Visit www.juno.com