Words
to Ponder
A recent viewing of the dvd "Fierce Grace" about Ram Dass' life and work, left me in awe. It sent me back to re-reading works like "Compassion in Action," "Miracle of Love," and "Be Here Now." Plus I picked up a copy of "Still Here" to get a more fully conscious reading of all that was presented in the dvd. Also set me to digging up some old writings of my own about my experiences with hypnobirthing when I was pregnant with my son Dakota. I discovered Papaji in one of those sessions. Realize now that Papaji was showing up just in time to guide me through what has been the most difficult experience of my short life: the death of my son Dakota. Back then, I took it as a, "Oh, isn't that interesting event." Seeing "Fierce Grace" reminded me how very piviotal each moment is.
Wanted to share a few quotes from Ram Dass that really set me to thinking. These were from my listening to the dvd:
"The pain...it is a worthy adversary of my spiritual practices..."
"...Healing is not afterall the same as curing..."
"...Healing does not mean going back to the way things were before,
but rather allowing what is NOW to move us closer to God..."-Ram Dass
His talk of how healing is not curing also reminded me of something I read by Thomas Moore recently. Thought to share that quote also:
"A major difference between care and cure is that cure implies the end of trouble. If you are cured, you don't have to worry about whatever was bothering you any longer. But care has a sense of ongoing attention. There is no end. Conflicts may never be fully resolved. Your character will never change radically, although it may go through some interesting transformations. Awareness can change, of course, but problems may persist and never go away. Our work in psychology would change remarkably if we thought about it as ongoing care rather than as a quest for a cure."
-Thomas Moore, excerpt from the book Care of the Soul, chapter Honoring Symptoms as a Voice of the Soul, section Care vs. Cure, published 1992
These probably aren't any Earth shattering passages for anyone buy me. I just happened to be in a moment when they spoke to me like a scream that I could not ignore any longer. But wanted to share them here in case someone stumbles across this at just the right moment for them.
Grief is hard work. No matter what the details and circumstance of your particular situation. I felt these "words to ponder" reached across any divides that might come up in details. Take what speaks to you. Ignore the rest.
