Blog 834 – 12.05.2017

Perspective

Seeing things not as we thought they were, nor as they might appear, but the highest and best they can be is one of the great secrets of getting the most out of our lives. I read a great little bedtime story about Buddha and how he did not like to talk to people about God. The story goes something like this:

One person runs up to Buddha and says, “I believe in God.” Buddha’s says, “That’s good.”

A second person runs up to Buddha and says, “I don’t believe in God.” Buddha says, “That’s good.”

A third person runs up to Buddha (They did a lot more running in those days I guess.) Anyway the third person says, “I don’t know if there is a God.” Buddha says, “That’s good. Let’s search together.”

Some of Buddha’s followers criticized him for agreeing with all three. He simply replied, “The first two had their minds made up and closed, only open minds can receive enlightenment.”

Sometimes the only thing needed to change a hell of a situation into a heaven of a one is just a small change in thinking. Sometimes we are tempted to despair and say things like, “One cannot change the world.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Each person does change the world every time they change their thoughts. The world only appears not to change for those who are stuck thinking the same tired old thoughts so many of which are way passed their expiration date.

I grew up in a very narrow and very religious culture where all truth was thought to be contained in the Bible and most believed a very particular translation was the only true and written Word Of God – The King James Version, 1611. You can check this out if you like, most English speaking people would not even recognize the Twenty-Third Psalm as it was printed in the 1611 King James Version. The wording in the King James Bible has been updated and modernized as many times as Tide detergent has been “New and Improved.” What is your point, Dave? Just this: The True Word Of God is written in every leaf, every cloud, every face and even according to the KJV: the living word of God is written in the heart not some dusty old book no matter how revered.

There are many wonderful lines from the Bible but then one of my favorite contemporary writers, Dean Koontz, has penned some pretty remarkable ones as well. Is the book truly closed? I don’t think so. But if anyone does then they have closed their mind to new enlightenment. Best you just nod agreement like Buddha with people who believe the have found “the Answer” but, me, I’d rather stay open and keep searching with those open minded people, still teachable. Life, to them is like simple but profound Forest Gump’s box of chocolates – “You never know what you are going to get” but you know it is going to be wonderful because you know from where and from whom it comes.

Think about it.

Your friend and fellow traveler,

David White