Obedience, Stability, Conversion

HUGE day. 5:15 am- arise; 7:30 am- board plane; 12 noon- land and drive home; 1:30 grocery shop; 2:30 cook a week's meals; 4:30 hour and a half long-distance family crisis with drama (cont. from earlier this week); 6:30 attend talk at church by Fr. Laurence Freeman, very celebrated author in Christian meditation. Don't know how I did it.

Fr. Freeman's talk was on the Benedictine Rule (the rules of life in a Benedictine Monastery). Very, very inspiring. Will capture some key words, and then write more tomorrow. Brain full tonight.

1.This post title- the three pillars of The Benedictine Rule. The big AHA! was conversion in Christianity=impermanence in Buddhism, according to the Dalai Lama. Wow! This needs a whole blog entry. Several.
2. A must-see movie recommendation, INTO GREAT SILENCE. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgNj2Sf_mgo
3. The significance of being called to prayer by bells many times during the day: it is inconvenient having to drop everything, but it actualizes your priorities.
4. Small monastic living communities are part of the monastic set-up. Outside the monastery, Freeman says that 7-10 is ideal for a meditation group. More gets chaotic, less is too intense.
5. The meaning of archetype as applied to "the monk." Even as monasteries dwindle in number and size, the contemplative movement (like the diaspora I must add, ref. Jeremiah) continues on because the archetype exists independently of culture within the human spirit and cannot be extinguished. What a powerful thought.

Much to ponder. We left early- tired, but also completely satisfied with the talk, and not seeking any more in the discussion which was to follow. I have taken to doing that recently- savoring a limited amount of content and not getting stuffed and uncomfortable. It can happen with your brain just as with your stomach.