A world of limitless discovery
JANINA GOMES
Life is often a choice between risk and comfort, between following goals dictated by values and principles and running with the hounds, between living in an environment and creating an environment.
Abbe de Tourville said: "I wish so much that you could get hold of the idea of what perfection in this world consists of. It is not like going up a great hill from which we see an ever-widening landscape, a greater horizon, a plain receding farther and farther into the distance.
“It is more like an overgrown path which we cannot find; we grope about; we are caught up in brambles; we lose all sense of distance covered; we do not know whether we are going around in circles or whether we are advancing.
“We are certain of only one thing — that we desire to go on even though we are worn out and tired. That is your life and you should rejoice greatly because of it, for it is a true life, serious and real, on which God opens His eyes and His heart".
contd..
To take a risk is never easy. The act of migrating, for instance, is not a simple undertaking for a tiny bird. It must turn deliberately from solid land, food, shelter, a certain measure of security and fly across a vast ocean in the hope of finding its next destination.
The tiny bird, on wings of hope, commits itself with perfect confidence to the infinite ocean of air; where all familiar landmarks will vanish, and if its strength fails it must be lost. And the bird's hope is justified. There is summer at the other end of the perilous journey. The migratory bird follows its instinct when it takes off on its long journey.
Once there was a Brownie who lived in a forest. He had a wheelbarrow and spent the day collecting slugs and snails. At night, he slept under a cosy blanket that had once fallen off a passing fairy's chariot. The King of the World passed through the forest early every morning, making everything beautiful.
The Brownie had never seen him though he longed to. He often wondered why. A shepherd pointed out to the snug Brownie that the reason was not far to seek — he was just too wrapped up in his secure blanket.
As long as we cling to the only securities we know we cannot make any headway if we wish to experience the truth. Sometime, somewhere we have to let go. We have to choose between the familiar and the unfamiliar, between what makes us feel safe and what is truthful.
We will get worn out and tired along the way. We may run into many unfamiliar overgrown paths. Often we may not be able to see the way ahead at all. That is all right, because life is often like that.
Sometimes we are truly advancing, when to ourselves and the world around us we may seem only to be retreating. We must choose between a grander and better vision of ourselves and the world — and settling for the lowest level of consciousness in ourselves and our environment.
At some point, like the homing bird that has a sure instinct to fly across hostile landscapes and yet return safely, we will have to take the risk and fly to discover that we do have wings — and that the winds will bear us up into the sky. And that ultimately, we will touch down safely, to face the truth.
I am quite a risk taker
Why, just yesterday, i was busy smoking my menthol light when i walked past the kopitiam back door
saw three whoopass big tanks, labelled el-pee-gee
went closer to have a look, furiously smoking away
suddenly i have a vision of a homing bird flying upwards...home free
so i threw down my ciggy and walked away