Day 068u: Honoring the greater Sacrifice … (June 21, 2019)
Beautifully reminiscent of Michaelangelo’s Pieta (still on display in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City), this particular sculpture in the Lectoure cathedral caught both my eye and my heart – more so for its gentle revelations than its more obvious artistic majesty. There was simple something so powerful about the way Mary is holding Jesus here (along with the facial expressions of them both) – as though Jesus knew at that moment that his bold mission had indeed finally been fully accomplished, and as though Mary knew just as certainly that Jesus in truth wasn’t dead at all, but rather that he had quite literally sacrificed everything (and endured quite incredible discomforts) to symbolically awaken others to his teaching’s selfless Way …
“While it is true that a purification of virtue allows for a purification of mind – and that a purification of mind allows for a purification of view – and that a purification of view allows for a purification of resolve – and that a purification of resolve allows for a purification of vision of what is the path and what is not the path, there is no substitute for having the courage to walk that path boldly. In truth, one can possess great clarity as to what the path is and how and when and for whom it must be tread, and yet true redemption only comes to those who have the wherewithal to leap bravely upon its course and walk its route faithfully; especially when they are uncertain as to their view or vision or knowledge of the same. The Kingdom of heaven – what some call also call Nirvana – can only be attained in this lifetime, and yet the same can only be attained when its attainment is never the goal of one’s walking theretowards.” ~ inspired by Gautama Buddha
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