Rabbi Ted Falcon heads the Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue. He is known for his interfaith belief system. He speaks at the Center for Spiritual Living in Seattle at least once a year and was with us last week. The theme of the month has been forgiveness. As a guest speaker Rabbi Ted said he realized that he always speaks on forgiveness when he visits CSL. So this time he chose the topic: "what's after forgiveness?"
Here's a story he shared. Forgive me if I didn't take great notes - let's just say this is what I took away from his story. A father is challenged to have his pre-teen son live a responsible and virtue based life. The father had a beautiful library at home with ornate wooden bookshelves built into the wall with amazing engravings on it. Every time the son would be out of integrity the father would pound a nail into the wall. Over time there were over a hundred nails in this beautiful bookshelf wall. Then the son started to make a turn. Every time he was in integrity - the father would remove a nail. Soon all the nails were gone. When the son realized that the whole lovely wood panel was now full of wholes - he was sad. So he filled the holes with wood-putty, and finished them to look even better than before.
The father noted to the son that the wood paneled wall was now stronger than it was before, thanks to his son's lessons learnt.
Rabbi Ted - if you read this, apologies for not getting the story "right" but again - what I took from it is: "a Saint is just a sinner who fell down, but now gets up." It is through our trials and tribulations - when we are awake, aware and alive to them that we make amends in such a way that it makes the world a better place. Aho!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Wood-putty my way to strength
Rabbi Ted Falcon heads the Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue. He is known for his interfaith belief system. He speaks at the Center for Spiritual Living in Seattle at least once a year and was with us last week. The theme of the month has been forgiveness. As a guest speaker Rabbi Ted said he realized that he always speaks on forgiveness when he visits CSL. So this time he chose the topic: "what's after forgiveness?"
Here's a story he shared. Forgive me if I didn't take great notes - let's just say this is what I took away from his story. A father is challenged to have his pre-teen son live a responsible and virtue based life. The father had a beautiful library at home with ornate wooden bookshelves built into the wall with amazing engravings on it. Every time the son would be out of integrity the father would pound a nail into the wall. Over time there were over a hundred nails in this beautiful bookshelf wall. Then the son started to make a turn. Every time he was in integrity - the father would remove a nail. Soon all the nails were gone. When the son realized that the whole lovely wood panel was now full of wholes - he was sad. So he filled the holes with wood-putty, and finished them to look even better than before.
The father noted to the son that the wood paneled wall was now stronger than it was before, thanks to his son's lessons learnt.
Rabbi Ted - if you read this, apologies for not getting the story "right" but again - what I took from it is: "a Saint is just a sinner who fell down, but now gets up." It is through our trials and tribulations - when we are awake, aware and alive to them that we make amends in such a way that it makes the world a better place. Aho!
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