It would be exciting to read a chronicle by a highly
developed soul that began with his first few meditations and recorded each
significant development as it happened. It would be exciting for many
reasons. Among other things, we would sense the tremendous increases in
energy that would fill the author periodically, take hold, and then be
succeeded by an even greater burst of power. We would see neurotic
patterns disappear slowly, emotional disturbances die down. We would see
shifts in literary style and rhythm. New vocabulary would appear.
The person’s relationship to his personality would change: he would stop
being buffeted and battered by his own nature and the forces around him, begin
climbing out of his confusion, and eventually we would feel him basking in
light so profound that all descriptions would disappear, and we would be left
only with expressions of joy, accompanied by a complete lack of desire to write
anything at all; for the more liberated a person becomes, the more inadequate
is language. Advanced souls have to speak of union with the infinite in
language more suitable for automobile repair manuals, and all we have to go on
ultimately is a hint of their energy, or descriptions written about them by
friends or disciples.
---Alan Arkin
Halfway Through the Door: An Actor’s Journey Toward
the Self
My goodness, yes, yes, yes, WOULDN'T it be exciting to read
such a chronicle, Mr. Arkin?? However, newcomers to this lil' corner of
th' blogosphere are not likely to find it here (at least, not YET [and, be ye
warned, perhaps not e'er...]). However I myself halfway through
a door, as I have recently been accepted as a Candidate to the Order of Saint Francis,
a contemporary expression of the Franciscan Tradition within the
Episcopal church. What this means is I have taken my very first (baby) step to
eventually becoming a Franciscan friar. A real, vow-taking, poor-helping,
habit-and-cowl wearing, be-sandaled friar.
Part of me is terrified at this prospect.
Most of me is delighted!
An announcement like this no doubt begs a thousand-and-one questions, like th' opening sequence of Santa Claus is Comin' to Town:
::children's voices::
- Dear Scotland, what's a friar? is that th' same thing as a monk?
- do you wear your habit all th' time?
- how often do you have to pray?
- hey-- ain't you married??
- you're not going to have to cut your hair into a tonsure, are you?
- Who's the Franciscans?? Are they th' same as th' Carmelites??
- how long is this going to take??
- Wait-- since when have you been a Christian or an Episcopalian?? When did this whole thing start?
- are you out of your mind?!
My goal here is to answer some of these questions (and
others) and send back postcards from th' journey along this new spiritual path,
if you will. I'm not sure where th' road leads (other than off into
th' distance) but if you are curious and want to follow along, all are
welcome!
