What a beautiful childhood story. It's amazing how the humble pure-heartedness of the offering is something that has stayed in Neruda's heart for years. In my own life, I have similarly found that the gifts that come through the darkness and through the small holes in the walls that I have built up in myself are the ones that expand my sense of self and remind me time and time again of the profound inter-relatedness of all things. A week or two ago, I was feeling rather hopeless and upset at myself, as the anxiety and anger that I thought had waned over the past few years in which I have been meditating, had suddenly resurfaced, and as strong as ever. As hopeless as I felt, deep down, I wished for a sweet offering to come my way so that I could regain my energy and resolve to purify my anxiety and anger into something more positive. Wishing, wishing, and nothing was happening. Then I switched it around and thought, "What if I were to make a sweet offering? Or pay more attention to the sweetness that already exists?" And so I did, in the smallest of ways, like starting a friendly conversation with a stranger in the elevator at work. And seeing the goodness in the eyes of the people enveloping me in the subway at rush hour. Or even smiling at a furry brown dog happily trotting down the sidewalk on my way to the grocery store. I'm not sure how it works but I felt like the poetry of smiles, friendly hellos, and good wishes exchanged from the heart somehow opened me up to a renewed sense of possibility. I felt like we're all in this together, and that everyone and everything that responded or gifted me with something helped me to soften and feel steadier in the flow of things.
On Dec 14, 2013 Manisha wrote :
What a beautiful childhood story. It's amazing how the humble pure-heartedness of the offering is something that has stayed in Neruda's heart for years. In my own life, I have similarly found that the gifts that come through the darkness and through the small holes in the walls that I have built up in myself are the ones that expand my sense of self and remind me time and time again of the profound inter-relatedness of all things. A week or two ago, I was feeling rather hopeless and upset at myself, as the anxiety and anger that I thought had waned over the past few years in which I have been meditating, had suddenly resurfaced, and as strong as ever. As hopeless as I felt, deep down, I wished for a sweet offering to come my way so that I could regain my energy and resolve to purify my anxiety and anger into something more positive. Wishing, wishing, and nothing was happening. Then I switched it around and thought, "What if I were to make a sweet offering? Or pay more attention to the sweetness that already exists?" And so I did, in the smallest of ways, like starting a friendly conversation with a stranger in the elevator at work. And seeing the goodness in the eyes of the people enveloping me in the subway at rush hour. Or even smiling at a furry brown dog happily trotting down the sidewalk on my way to the grocery store. I'm not sure how it works but I felt like the poetry of smiles, friendly hellos, and good wishes exchanged from the heart somehow opened me up to a renewed sense of possibility. I felt like we're all in this together, and that everyone and everything that responded or gifted me with something helped me to soften and feel steadier in the flow of things.