Enter Into Joy

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Nothing but God exists for you

All I See is Part of Me, by Chara M. Curtis
and Cynthia Aldrich


January 8, 2011

Starting December 27, 2010, I chose the following passage to “unpack” — line by line — as a daily practice to take me into the New Year.

And what is the “unpacking” process? It involves deep concentration on one line at a time, and then writing my response to that line – first with my dominant hand, and then with my non-dominant hand. There are plenty of references on the web to the process of dominant and non-dominant hand-writing. If you haven’t tried it, you may want to. I venture a guess that you will surprise yourself.

I’ll be interested to see what this passage has hidden for me.

Cast Aside What Limits You
— By Dov Baer of Mezherich

The human body is finite;
            the spirit is boundless.
Before you begin to pray,
            cast aside what limits you
            and enter into the world of the Infinite.
Turn to God alone
            and have no thoughts of self at all.
Nothing but God exists for you
            when self has ceased to be.

Dov Baer (d. 1772) was the chief disciple and successor of Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, the Baal Shem Tov or “Master of the Good Name,” founder of the Hasidic movement of Jewish mysticism, which places devotional prayer at the center of the spiritual life.

Right Hand:

Nothing but God exists for you

This past Thursday, I went to finish up the MasterPEACE LOVE Lesson at L.L. Hotchkiss Elementary School. Joe Stokes is the rock star art teacher there. Joe teaches five or six 50 minute classes every day, day after day, and has done this for years. To my eyes, he is still at the top of his game, but he has decided to retire and next week is his last at Hotchkiss. The children will be losing a gifted and committed teacher. So Joe is cleaning out his room and gave me some books. He read one of them to me – All I See Is Part of Me, Words by Chara M. Curtis and Illustrations by Cynthia Aldrich. Check it out – it’s the ultimate reality, the perennial philosophy explained for 7 year olds, and for all the rest of us who forget.

Left hand:
Nothing but God exists for you

. . . in the form of the oak tree, the boxer, the tumbling leaf, the beleaguered Mom, the sleeping child, and the jerk on the freeway.

All God.

So, every time I’m impatient, or angry, or ungrateful, I’m looking immature + thoughtless to God.

Thus the term ‘God fearing’. Aren’t we all a little afraid that God sitting next to us is getting too close a look?
— Karen Blessen

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