Memories
Just a few days before my beloved brother went through transition in an automobile accident, the two of us had an unbelievable flight in a vintage WWII aircraft. He looked at me and said “Life is about Memories”. It had never dawned upon me the scope of his statement until a few days later when his physical presence was so abruptly taken from me. It was so great a loss.
One of the first recorded statements of the Buddha after his Illumination under the bodhi tree, was that “All Life is sorrowful “. It is sorrowful because with life there is always death, and loss. We simply can not have one without the other. All things in the phenomenal universe come in pairs of opposites, and shall pass in time . Consequently our participation in life ultimately brings sorrow. There is however an antidote to this situation in a little Buddhist story of a man who went to a doctor in the hopes of finding a cure for his great sickness. He told the doctor of his great sorrow. The doctor said, I can help you !! The cure for your sorrow is nirvana. Nirvana is that psychological state that transcends all pairs of opposites. However it is much more: It is the taking on of the Mind of Christ.
A Bodhisattva in the Buddhist tradition, is one who has attained enlightenment and nirvanic bliss and has chosen the path of “The Joyful participation in the sorrows of the world” rather than complete release from this world of polar opposites; thus he has chosen to return to function through the heart center and thus has one foot in the world, the other in eternity. In our western traditions we might say that he/she has taken on the mind of Christ, as we must do also. Christ consciousness indeed extends Beyond all categories of knowledge and thought and logic.
As I continue upon the path, and enter the later stages of this great life cycle, I revel in the treasure trove of rich memories I have been given; many of which for me seem to transcend time and space. Likewise, I believe the memories we have all been given are indeed dynamic and eternal and glorify our Creator. They continue to work their alchemy in this world and the world to come.
This new solar cycle renders once again many great opportunities for us all to bring to the forefront of our consciousness the living dynamic memories of our journey, and that of the Cosmic Christ. I do believe we have been specially blessed on our path with the vision, experience and remembrance of the Holiness and glory of our great Spiritual Brotherhood.
Might all of our sorrows and Joys, be lifted up into the radiance by our crystal clear memories of our Lord Jesus Christ as he overcame the world on Calvary.
Thank-you Jesus.
Rev. James Kalstad
