Opening
When you want to lay yourself open for the divine,
like a snare that is hollowed out to its depth,
like a canopy that projects a shadow
from the divine heat and light
into your soul,
then go into your inner place physically,
or to that story or symbol that reminds you of the sacred.
like a snare that is hollowed out to its depth,
like a canopy that projects a shadow
from the divine heat and light
into your soul,
then go into your inner place physically,
or to that story or symbol that reminds you of the sacred.
Close the door of your awareness to
the public person you think yourself to be.
Pray to the parent of creation, with your inner sense,
the outer senses turned within.
Veiling yourself, the mystery may be unveiled through you.
By opening yourself to the flow of the sacred,
somewhere, resounding in some inner form,
the swell of the divine ocean can move through you.
The breathing life of all reveals itself
in the way you live your life.
~ Neil Douglas-Klotz ~
(Interpretive version of Matthew 6:6 in The Hidden Gospel: Decoding the Spiritual Message of the Aramaic Jesus)
posted by isaiah @ 1:33 AM
5 Comments:
Mmmm.
It's nice to get rid of the burdens of what self and others expect of one.
Julie, I think you're comment added as much to the understanding of this verse as Klotz's whole poem did.
How true. The soul's meeting w. God is always private, if it's real, no matter how many others are around.
Although this Divine search may work for you, it does not work for all. In addition, it reveals a preoccupation with yourself and an almost ambivalent attitude towards those we share this earth with. In this short “poem” I counted the word you or yourself 15 times.
When we look too hard for the parts in ourselves that ARE lacking we neglect the spirit of human reciprocity. It becomes “veiled” in the illusion that an answer can be found. Looking too hard neglects the idea that others may be able to see us better than we see ourselves.
Finally, life is a balance of opposing concepts-good-evil, wet-dry, rich-poor, light-dark etc; therefore, as a result, “the breathing life” that “reveals itself in the way you live your life” will, by default, reveal both sides of the self. And, Isaiah those that know you see both sides.
The rose colored glasses that the “self” uses when looking at its reflection must be removed, and until then, the “self” will be exposed for the critique of others.
Good Luck on this journey that you feel you are being forced to take. I’d like to know you again, but not until your search has ended and the unhealthy preoccupation with “self” has been released.
Hey James-
I don’t understand your post to the poem by Neil Douglas-Klotz. It’s an interpretation of Matthew 6:6: “ But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly.”
I posted Neil’s poem because, to me it speaks on a higher level about removing oneself from thoughts of important and into a place mostly unknown where all preconceived notions about who we think we are don’t matter. Your acrimony towards me; I can understand that, but how does that relate to Neil’s interpretation of Jesus’ words?
On some of the points you write of… aren’t each of us better human beings when we understand ourselves, often times by forgetting our importance, our good and bad and who we think we are, and letting life reveal itself through our being from this higher vantage point? How can we serve others without first working through our good and bad, light and darkness and emerging with a certain amount of clarity that enables us to get out of our own way? The most important thing one can do to help another is realize who we really are, as an individual fitting in with all of humanity. Can we reciprocate feelings we don’t know.
I’ve never claimed to know anything- look at the title of my blog. I’m so compelled to matters of spiritual development because I’m so lousy at living them. Just because I’m pointing at the moon doesn’t mean I’m the moon.
Quite interesting and accurate. The Sufi path is also in part to come to that point where your inner self matches your outer self. This takes a refinement and fearlessness few attain, alas.
Peace and Blessings!
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