Gregg Braden posted a quote from Paolo Coelho (below) on Facebook that was very synchronistic and inspired the comment that follows.
“We can never judge the lives of others, because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation. It’s one thing to feel that you are on the right path, but it’s another to think that yours is the only path.” Paulo Coelho
This quote inspired me to write the following comment on his post:
This quote is soooo appropriate and timely for me this morning. I was just listening to someone who had an awakening experience and is now telling everyone how it happened and her way is “THE” WAY (as in the ONLY way) to achieve an awakening. And, I see myself in her, because whenever I experience something so fantastic I want everyone to experience it, too. For me, it was only in hindsight that I realized, no matter how good intentioned I may have been, my evangelism was misguided by a masked egoistic desire.
Instead of trying to pull everyone onto MY “train to awakening,” I would have served people much better by visiting the platform of every train headed to the “Awakening Mountain,” and used my excitement to wish everyone who jumped aboard their chosen trains, a heartfelt, “Bon Voyage.”
~Namaste~
June 2nd, 2011 at 4:26 am
Beautifully put, Irene! This reminds me of all the people who hear that someone else is going on vacation to somewhere they themselves have been, and begin telling the upcoming vacationer exactly what to do and to be sure and see. I always laugh and say, “No thanks. I think I will take my own vacation and have one unplanned, spontaneous experience after another.” I have learned it works best to take our own journey.
This is hard won wisdom, however!
September 26th, 2011 at 7:20 am
Essays like this are so important to brdeoaning people’s horizons.