WISDOM LINE
FRANÇOIS FÉNELON (1651 – 1715)
We must read according to our necessity and desire, but with frequent pauses, for the purpose of recollection. A word or two, simple and full of the Spirit of God, will be to us as hidden manna. We forget the words, but the effect remains; they operate in secret, and the soul is fed and enriched….
The essence of virtue consists in the attitude of the will. This is what the Lord would teach us when he said, "The kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:21). It is not a question of extensive knowledge, of splendid talents, nor even of great deeds; it is a simple matter of having a heart and loving. Outward works are the fruits and consequences of loving, and the spring of all good things is at the bottom of the soul.
JALALUDDIN RUMI (1207 - 1273)
Today, like every other day, we wake up empty
and frightened. Don't open the door to the study
and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground….
When you learn a craft, practice it.
That learning comes through the hands….
Talking about it, reading books, and doing practices
don't help. Soul receives from soul that knowing.
The mystery of spiritual emptiness
may be living in a pilgrim's heart, and yet
the knowing of it may not yet be his….
You have a channel into the ocean, and yet
you ask for water from a little pool.
