And the best sound is silence. And if we pay attention to listen to it, we will leave behind anxious, worried, foresighted, prejudiced ways of listening. 

And so, every time a silence is opened up, both from within the silence itself and through the path of sound our being commits itself to what is silent and what is heard. 

That commitment does not involve renunciation or resentment… but rather exudes convictions, conversions, trust, leaving behind demands, claims and complaints… to open up to disposition, to attitude, to the art of being, the art of living together, to the art of showing and knowing how to see beauty.

Individualistic egocentrism expands and grows, and does not listen. It posits, anticipates and “assumes” how circumstances, people and events ought to be… And to that extent, it enters into conflict, into anguish, anxiety, as it realises that the world has not been made to suit it, but rather that we must adapt to the world; that concept so abstract and yet so circumstantial of our surroundings: “our world”. Which is not ours –let’s get that strait-. 

And we assume and imagine that “this” must be this way, that way, and that it must work in this, that and the other way. And of course, when we get involved in “this”, we see that it isn’t like that at all. Then come the complaints, the anger, the confrontation, the easy criticism.

And so, time and time again, hedonistic individualism rarely finds its complacent embrace, except for that which it considers to be, and which it fertilizes and projects it; or unless the creation of favourable environments, that is to say, “slaves” applaud, consent to, or accept the individualism that power dictates.

This is how we have been taught and shown how to form ourselves; in reality, how to “deform”ourselves. Every now and then, charity comes along and performs some good deed.

But, whilst every being obeys a Mysterious Creation, with a process of resources to unfold, this is not a reason to boast and set itself up as the truth.

It is time to contemplate the waters of “others”; it is time to accept the fragrances of “the others”.

That insistent determination for things to be as one –“personally”- thinks, feels… –and believes them to be: absolute!- does not correspond to the expressions of life, which are based on alliances, on communions of different aspects and elements, on services provided without expecting any benefit in return.

The fabric of life is not individualistic.

Whilst each nucleus retains its own quality and has its characteristic, it is well aware that it must ally with this one, with that one, with the other, in order to “be able” –in inverted commas- to maintain its identity.

And so, to realise that the identity of every being is the result of communion, alliance, sharing, harmony, coexistence, accepting, giving, receiving. And all of this enables each person’s creativity to be expressed, revealed, contributed.

Yes. It is significant, within this intricate story of life –which is undeniable- to apply it to our own particular creation, and thus to ask ourselves about our “contribution”. Yes. It is very simple, very simple: “What do I contribute?’”.

We are not, of course, referring to the economic man. No. We are referring, prayerfully, to our contribution as creative, imaginative, deductive, intelligent, capable beings.

“What do I contribute on that journey? What do I contribute during that stay? What do I contribute in that circumstance? What do I contribute in my work? What do I contribute to my own development? What is my contribution?

What need is alleviated by my attitude, my presence, my words?

What capacity do I have to accept the service of others?

And what spontaneous willingness flows from my being towards those in need?”.

These are very simple… and very practical questions.

“I can contribute disappointment, I can contribute problems, I can contribute confusion, I can contribute complaints, I can contribute anger, I can contribute indifference, I can contribute rebuffs...”.

These are contributions, without a doubt; but let’s identify them, and see to what extent that contribution brings satisfaction, enriches, develops, helps, relieves, soothes…

And so, we usually expect someone else –that person, the other, the one over there- to remedy, sort out, or solve the problem, when in fact we are involved in it: we can help, we can solve it, we can collaborate.

The Healing Humanism meeting concluded with the word “respect”. It is a first step towards accepting the “other”, others, other ideas, other attitudes, other projects.

We often fail to realise that, through bitterness, criticism, rationalism and demandingness, we are not respecting our environment, our human environment: our colleague, the one who serves us, the one who speaks to us, the one who expresses its opinion…

Discovering new and different perspectives should not lead to rejection, criticism or disdain; much less to resentment over “how others are”, or “how others behave”.

As eternal apprentices –as the Prayerful Call reminds us-, we must move forward, learning from every step. As eternal apprentices, we never reach any peak, any maturity, any achievement. Anyone who thinks otherwise is bound to fail. It’s plain to see.

Insofar as we are eternal apprentices, we expand our awareness, because we keep adding details –humbly, as apprentices!-; we keep adding glimpses, innovations… small ones! But each time the world becomes more immense to us.

And we leave… –as eternal apprentices- we leave behind the harm, the prejudices, the complaints about ourselves, about what this person or that person does… How exhausting it all is!

Meanwhile, the apprentice becomes brilliant, cautious, careful, elegant.

He doesn’t aspire to dominate, control or manipulate; or to empower himself. He aspires to discover, to learn, to serve, to contribute, to gather, to admire.

The souled spirit of the being is the precious treasure we are entrusted to safeguard.

It must be radiant, translucent, elegantly beautiful.

It is something that has been given to us, entrusted to our care!

We must not mistreat it, we must not tarnish it, and we must not fill it with rage, sadness, anguish, anxiety… No!…

We are a gleaming of splendour alchemical flask. And as such, we must show it to be so. And if it is not, that is the task that falls to us: to polish it, to cleanse it, to remove any crust.

It is not a selfish flask; it is not an “important” requirement.

It is like that precious stone that possesses symmetry, balance, brilliance, radiance, the ability to gather light and reflect it.

Does a diamond lose its identity simply because it passes from proud, selfish hands into generous, complaisant hands…? Or does it remain a diamond?

And so, our alchemical, spiritual, animistic, soulful flask must remain in that boiling state, in that clarity, akin to the nucleus of this place of the universe where we are, where molten iron and nickel become effervescent, mobile, resplendent. And we do not see them. We know they are there.

And in the same way, that stellar panorama is revealed to us: impeccable, brilliant, astonishing, constantly renewed.

So, if we look up at the stars, if we know where we stand and what lies beneath our footsteps, and if we realise the vital alliance that must be forged to bring about the thrill of living, what is the point of that struggle, that war, that impact of constant demand?

When we see a simple green plant –whether it bears a flower or not, whether it bears fruit or not- if it weren’t for that earth beneath it, that effervescent crucible; if it weren’t for that light emanating from the universe; if it weren’t for that mysterious fluidity of water, would that plant even be there, present?

Have its chloroplasts not had to come to terms, to harmonise, to form, to converge with that light, with that water, with those nutrients in the soil…?

Would it have been fertile if it had declared itself independent of the light, the water, the soil, and had decided to command! to order!… to the flow of light?

Would it, at the very least, have existed?

Probably not.

The Prayerful Call urges us to be, to simmer in our alchemical flask, in our eternal learning, in our continuous contribution, in our constant admiration.

We must be mindful of our crucible, to reveal the origin of our presence through the Goodness of Creation. We must at the very least –through the experience of prayer- demonstrate our virtues: that contribution which will inspire others to admire and to learn.

That respect for who we are, and for all that surrounds us, gives us the elixir that allows us to polish our crucible, our resplendent gem… of our spirit, of our soulful presence. So that we may truly be a competent flow of love!... which, like water, does not disdain stones, mud, heights, depths… It adapts. And yet it remains water.

Do not allow what is brilliant to become clouded. Do not let what is admirable become tainted. Do not be deceived by any sense of supremacy.

Be willing to give yourself… as that eternal apprentice who polishes their gem so that it may serve as a light to those who seek.

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