Category: Soul Food: Quotations, Stories and Tales

Then said Almitra, “Speak to us of Love.” And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a stillness upon them. And with a great voice he said:
When love beckons to you, follow him, though his ways are hard and steep. And when his wings enfold you, yield to him, though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you. And when he speaks to you, believe in him,though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden. For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning. Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun, so shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth. Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself. He threshes you to make you naked. He sifts you to free you from your husks. He grinds you to whiteness. He kneads you until you are pliant. And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God’s sacred feast. All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life’s heart. But if in your fear you would seek only love’s peace and love’s pleasure, then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love’s threshing-floor, into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears. Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself. Love possesses not nor would it be possessed; For love is sufficient unto love. When you love you should not say, “God is in my heart”, but rather, “I am in the heart of God”. And think not you can direct the course of love, if it finds you worthy, it directs your course. Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself. But if you love and must needs, have desires, let these be your desires: To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night. To know the pain of too much tenderness. To be wounded by your own understanding of love; And to bleed willingly and joyfully. To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving; To rest at the noon hour and meditate love’s ecstasy; To return home at eventide with gratitude; And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

It was a small woman who came down the dusty dirt road. She seemed quite old, but her gait was light, and her smile had the fresh glow of a carefree young girl. Next to a huddled figure, she stopped and looked down. She could not recognise much. The being sitting in the dust at the road side seemed almost disembodied, resembling a gray flannel blanket with human contours.The little woman bent down a little and asked:“Who are you?”  Two almost lifeless eyes wearily gazed up. “I? I am Sadness”, the voice whispered so haltingly and quietly that it was barely audible. “Oh, Sadness!,” the little woman cried out as pleased as if she was greeting an old friend. “You know me?,” asked puzzled Sadness. “Of course I know you! Time and again you accompanied me along parts of the way. “” Yes, but … “, Sadness was suspicious, ” why do’nt you flee from me? Aren’t you afraid?, “” Why should I run away from you, my love! You know yourself only too well that you catch every fugitive. But what I want to ask you: Why do you look so discouraged?”” I…I am sad,” replied the grey figure with a broken voice.

The tiny old woman sat down beside her. “So, sad is what you are”, she said, nodding sympathetically with the head. “Tell me what is making you so depressed.” Sadness sighed deeply. Is it true that someone really wanted to listen this time? How often had she wished for that. “Oh, you know,” she began hesitantly and very astonished, “obviously no one likes me. It happens to be my destiny to go among the people and dwell with them for some time. But when I come to them they cringe. They are afraid of me and avoid me like the plague.” Sadness swallowed hard. “They invented phrases with which they want to ban me. They say: Shut up, life is serene. And their false laughter leads to stomach cramps and shortness of breath. They say , blessed is what makes you harder. And then they get heart pain. They say: You just have to get your act together. And then they feel the tearing in their shoulders and back. They say: Only weaklings cry. And the pent-up tears almost blow their heads. Or they numb themselves with alcohol and drugs, so they do not have to feel.” “Oh yes”, confirmed the old woman, ” I’ve often encountered such people aswell. ”

Sadness fell a little more into herself. ” And I just want to help people. When I am very close to them, they can encounter themselves. I help them to build a nest to nurse their wounds. The sad have a very thin skin. When suffering breaks open, like a badly healed wound, it hurts a lot. Only those who accept the sadness and cry all the unshed tears can really heal their wounds. But people do not want me to help them with this. Instead, they put on a makeup of harsh laughter on their scars. Or they put on a thick armor of bitterness . ” Sadness was silent. At first her crying was only weak, then more and finally full of despair. The little old woman held the crumpled figure comfortingly in her arms. “How soft and gentle she feels”, she thought, and gently stroked the quivering bundle. “Cry, Sadness,” she whispered lovingly, “rest, so that you can gather strength again. You shall not walk alone from now on. I will accompany you so that discouragement will not gain more power.” Sadness stopped crying. She sat up, astonished and looked at her new companion: “But … but – who are you?”

“I?” Said the little old woman with a smile, and then she smiled as carelessly as a little girl again. “I am Hope.”

(Source unknown)

 

The message, that Nelson Mandela went into transition last night, made me re-feel the gratitude and admiration I have for this great soul and all he has done for the world. It is said, that he cited the following quote attributed to Marianne Williamson, in any case he truly proved and lived it in my eyes. A great soul that all of us can learn from…thank you, thank you, thank you…

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”