Paddling
Your Own Boat
“It
is a rare being who can cross the ocean of existence without a boat.”
Ram
Dass (Journey of Awakening)
My
little sister, Missy, may be the only 'enlightened being' I ever
knew. I'm pretty sure she communed with the angels on a regular
basis. I had one friend, Clyde Wilhelm, who I think came pretty
close. He was a little guy from Brady,Texas, who, right into his old
age, wore a bolo tie and cowboy boots. He was always kind, could
disagree without putting you down, and never hesitated to express his
love when he felt it. I visited his hospital room a few days before
he died and found him fairly glowing—the light around him visible
for anyone to see. When I need help with something life has served
me, these are my go-to guides—Clyde and Missy.
Most
of us don't get to enlightenment at all, and certainly not without a
boat. We begin our voyage, usually quite without meaning to, using
the framework of our parents' boat—whether it be Christianity,
Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, psychology or, heck, dancing with wood
spirits. We may be quite content with that boat and sail it all our
lives. Some of us become infatuated with boats—we try out each one,
but only long enough to get the feel of it. Then we move on to the
next. Some of us put our boat together from spare parts, a little
meditation, a little earth ritualism, light a candle to a patron
saint, sing a hymn. Whatever we choose will become our personal
vehicle for liberating the ego if we stay with it long enough.
I've
known a few people who got through life without a boat, but I don't
know how they did it. I can't imagine what one falls back on when the
going gets impossibly tough. Where do they find the light, or the
strength, to face tragedy; what gives them hope enough to navigate
life's inevitable dark passages. I need the boat of faith, of trust
in the basic goodness of the universe; I need the wisdom of all the
holy books I can get my hands on. I need the belief that God was
there when I launched and will be there to receive me home when I
beach my boat on the other side. How about you? What kind of boat do
you paddle?
In
the spirit,
Jane
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