[Vedanta and Mysticism] (no subject)

[Guest guest]

>

> " It was said of Abba Macarius the Great that he became, according to

> the writings, a god on earth, because in the way God protected the

> world, so Abba Macarius would hide the faults he saw as though he had

> not seen them, and the faults he heard about as though he had not

> heard of them. "

> ( " Sayings of the Desert Fathers, " on Macarius the Egyptian)

> ---------------

> What say you about this?

> Jody

 

 

i for one like this so much...is there anything more of Abba

Macarius...tell us more is what i say about this...!

 

 

reminds me of the Father Confessor by Herman Hesse...has anyone read

it...if not please permit me to share the story with you all...

 

it is a touching warm story about a sage who lived in the city of

Gaza...Gentle and mild was Joseph Framulus who listened to the

confessions of people wishing to unburden their sins and lighten

their cares. Joseph Framulus would listen and without even a mild

rebuke for even the direst of crimes would kiss the confessor on the

forehead and share their wounds. No accusation, no demands, no

reprimands would ever flow from his being. He would merely listen and

lighten their loads. For years he was such a solace to one and all in

the city of Gaza. As the years rolled on, however, Joseph grew tired

of hearing of sins. He felt incapable, suddenly, of washing others

of their sins, especially when he himself was prey to temptations.

 

The burden on himself grew so large , that one day he decided to flee

his cave and seek the counsel and the feet of another sage...Father

Don Pugil, in another city called Ascalon. Father Pugil was elderly

more advanced in years than Joseph but one who would deal with his

confessors by rebuking them, reprimanding them, punishing them.

Despite his harsher methods, he was no less wise and no less popular.

People flocked to him for counsel and for unburdening their cares,

just as the city of Gaza flocked to Joseph Framulus.

 

As Joseph trekked through the heat and the dust of the desert land in

search of Don Pugil, he sought rest with a group of hermits who also

seemed to be breaking journey. Among the hermits, one strikingly bold

and upright individual with a hoary beard seemed to stand out. Joseph

approached him and asked him whether he would be able to direct him

to Ascalon and the abode of Don Pugil. The elderly individual said he

certainly could as he knew Father Pugil well and asked Joseph why he

sought Pugil. Joseph answered that he wished to confess and seek

advice and learn and do Don Pugil's bidding...

 

It so happened that the elderly one was Don Pugil himself, who was in

turn seeking to confess to Joseph. He too had undergone the same

pangs of conscience, knowing that he, a sinner in thought, was forced

to stand on a moral pedestal and absolve the sins of others. When Don

Pugil heard the same story from Joseph, who he thought would be a

Rock for him, he was devastated internally. However, he kept his

feelings to himself and realized during the course of that night that

even if his care was not lightened he could be an instrument and a

cause for the lightening the burden of Joseph. He forgot his own

needs and sought to alleviate the burden that Joseph carried. For if

he did not, he reasoned, both of them would feel they have spent

their lives in vain, a thought that would surely kill both of them of

any meaning in their lives. By curing Joseph of his pain, by trying

to understand the mind and heart of Joseph, he knew he would also

understand his own. For years Don Pugil let Joseph stay with him as

his understudy. It was only very near his death that Don Pugil

unburdened the Truth to Framulus who wept ...and wept... and....

wept....when he heard. That same night Pugil who had helped Framulus

dig a spot of earth for his grave died peacefully in his sleep.

Before doing so had also requested Joseph to plant a palm tree on

that grave.

 

" Perhaps you will live to eat its fruit " he had said. " If not another

will "

 

Joseph did live to see the year in which the tree bore its fruit.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++\\\

 

 

the only thing sad about such retelling of stories is that the person

hearing it misses out on the thrill of reading it for the first time

and as written by the author...in this case...Hesse. i do feel for

anyone who is in that same boat..for Hesse always casts a weaving and

a blinding spell....and this story is a short one...yet it

conveys the highest wisdom for me personally...

 

pranams to all

jairam