INTRODUCTION
Anne Lamotte writes: "You can safely assume you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do." Sometimes we don't realize that we see the world through our glasses. When we are unaware, it brings suffering within ourselves and to those around us. Perhaps it might be worth taking off our glass and investigate to see if there are any dirt or scratches clouding up our eyesight.
Anne Lamotte writes: "You can safely assume you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do." Sometimes we don't realize that we see the world through our glasses. When we are unaware, it brings suffering within ourselves and to those around us. Perhaps it might be worth taking off our glass and investigate to see if there are any dirt or scratches clouding up our eyesight.
The World Mirrors the Heart
(This story is adapted from a story is told by Qigong master, Jihui "Robert" Peng, The Master Key: Qigong Secrets for Vitality, Love and Wisdom [Sounds True, 2014], pages 223-224.)
An arrogant young person, who prided himself on being religious, wanted to debate a wise monk. One day he challenged a monk peacefully sitting in meditation and prayer. “Ha, people think you are an enlightened sacred monk, but to me you just look like idiotic worthless clown sitting on your pillow all day long.”
The arrogant person leaned backward and crossed his arms slyly.
The monk placed his hands in prayer position, “But to me, you are a beloved child of God, so I am filled with gratitude for you.”
The young person grinned and bid farewell to the monk.
(This story is adapted from a story is told by Qigong master, Jihui "Robert" Peng, The Master Key: Qigong Secrets for Vitality, Love and Wisdom [Sounds True, 2014], pages 223-224.)
An arrogant young person, who prided himself on being religious, wanted to debate a wise monk. One day he challenged a monk peacefully sitting in meditation and prayer. “Ha, people think you are an enlightened sacred monk, but to me you just look like idiotic worthless clown sitting on your pillow all day long.”
The arrogant person leaned backward and crossed his arms slyly.
The monk placed his hands in prayer position, “But to me, you are a beloved child of God, so I am filled with gratitude for you.”
The young person grinned and bid farewell to the monk.
When he got home, he was wearing a triumphant smile. His sister asked him what happened.
“Today I outsmarted the monk,” he replied, then recounted the events to her.
“Oh no, brother! I’m sorry to tell you this, but you lost badly,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t you realize that the world mirrors the heart? The monk sees you as a beloved child of God because he believes that he is a beloved child of God. On the other hand, you see him as a worthless clown. What does that make you?”
The young one turned beet red. Then, all of a sudden, he became enlightened.
“Today I outsmarted the monk,” he replied, then recounted the events to her.
“Oh no, brother! I’m sorry to tell you this, but you lost badly,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t you realize that the world mirrors the heart? The monk sees you as a beloved child of God because he believes that he is a beloved child of God. On the other hand, you see him as a worthless clown. What does that make you?”
The young one turned beet red. Then, all of a sudden, he became enlightened.
