Dear Caminoheads,
After reading the blessing Ron’s received before setting off to the Camino a number of times, I have the feeling we would all benefit from some discussion about and around it… And I think it would make sense to flake the blessing and give a thought to each intention in separate; however, I will start with a “general” thought which must be taken as “my own experience” and nothing else.
I must say that I am in strong disagreement with the idea of the “learning by comparison”. Let me try to explain a bit more: I don’t think I can understand the rationale behind “the need of the opposite experience to appreciate the good experience”. I am not even sure if the reason why I can’t understand it is because of the need to “compare” experiences and make a value judgment, or if it is because I cannot understand the reason for asking for purposeful suffering, so we can appreciate what is “better than that”.
But, this blessing is not that, it may take some re-readings to grasp it -it definitely took me- but they are worth anyway. The thing is that the statements in the blessing aren’t praying (asking) for suffering to then compare, instead I think that this blessing is asking for awareness…
Here is the first:
As you follow the Way
May God bless you with discomfort at your own easy answers, half truths, superficial relationships, so that you will learn to live deep within your heart.
To me, this is an invite to go deeper, to feel uncomfortable when aren’t committed with life… and honestly, very much aligned with Thiago de Mello’s poem we read a few days ago…
Could you share your thoughts too? I would love to read what you feel about this.
Thank you loves,
Cris
Oh yes! An exhortation to be uncomfortable with a life half lived, uncomfortable with leaving ill-considered that which matters most on the path to knowing and defining who we are, the path to authentic joy. Being happy isn’t being joyful. A giggle isn’t a joyful laugh.
Some may, I suppose, find it impossible to find satisfaction in a superficial life, to be incurious, while others may not be provoked to wonder, seek or explore. I have no idea how that could be, but for the incurious there can be no introspection. The Torah says the purpose life is self definition, which follows from self awareness. Thus, if I understand it right, the High Holy days are Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah- a time of self examination and repentance and a time for Teshuva, a “turning”. A time for course correction to live a good life, to know and live as our own unique, best selves.
I suspect from there springs a well of kindness, compassion, strength and joy.
So yeah. I think you nailed it Cris. Again.