I loved this book! It was well written, deep, winsome, and I felt as if the author (Elizabeth Gilbert) was putting on paper what's been going on lately inside of my head and heart.
Even though I am not at a place in life where I can take a year off to go to Italy, India & Indonesia to discover God... the level of her almost desperate intensity in searching for the best that life has to offer is at the same intensity that mine has been for the last seven months.
This excerpt made me laugh. How often have these conversations taken place inside my own head, as I've tried to do my devotions. And though mine entailed kneeling in my living room, not a dark temple in India, my mind would "help" just as much as hers tried to.
Enjoy!
Me: Ok, we're going to meditate now. Let's draw our attention to our breath and focus on the mantra. Om Namah Shivaya. Om Namah Shiv -
Mind: I can help you out this this, you know!
Me: Ok, good, because I need your help. Let's go. Om Namah Shivaya. Om Namah Shi -
Mind: I can help you think of nice meditative images. Like - hey, here's a good one. Imagine you are a temple. A temple on an island! And the island in in the ocean!
Me: Oh, that is a nice image.
Mind: Thanks. I thought of it myself.
Me: But what ocean are we picturing here?
Mind: The Mediterranean. Imagine you're on of those Greek islands, with an old Greek temple on it. No, never mind, that's too touristy. You know what? Forget the ocean. Oceans are too dangerous. Here's a better idea - imagine you're an island in a lake, instead.
Me: Can we meditate now, please? Om Namah Shiv -
Mind: Yes! Definitely! But try not to picture that the lake is covered with... what are those things called -
Me: Jet Skis?
Mind: Yes! Jet Skis! Those thing consume so much fuel! They're really a menace to the environment. Do you know what else uses a lot of fuel? Leaf blowers. You wouldn't think so, but-
Me: OK, but let's MEDITATE now, please? Om Namah -
Mind: Right! I definitely want to help you meditate! And that's why we're going to skip the image of an island on a lake or an ocean, because that's obviously not working. So let's imagine that you're an island in... a river!
Me: Oh, you mean like Bannerman Island, in the Hudson River?
Mind: Yes! Exactly! Perfect. Therefore, in conclusion, let's meditate on this image - envision that you are an island in a river. All the thoughts that float by as you're meditating, these are just the river's natural currents and you can ignore them because you are an island.
Me: Wait, I thought you said I was a temple.
Mind: That's right, sorry. You're a temple on an island. In fact, you are both the temple and the island.
Me: Am I also the river?
Mind: No, the river is just the thoughts.
Me: Stop! Please stop! YOU'RE MAKING ME CRAZY!!!
Mind (wounded): Sorry. I was only trying to help.
Me: Om Namah Shivaya... Om Namah Shivaya...Om Namah Shivaya...
Here there is a promising eight-second pause in the thoughts. But then -
Mind: Are you mad at me now?
6 comments:
Hey, I am reading this book right now.
How'd you get a transcript of my thoughts??
This book is on my list of books to read, which always grows at a faster rate than what I'm actually able to read. But maybe I'll get to it soon. :)
Tell me your thoughts on this: I thought about reading the book, and then in a review somewhere, these words turned me off: "...left a perfectly unobjectionable husband to go..." Is she a self-centered brat or should I read this book?
Valid question, Lori :) Her divorce is not what we would call biblical in any nature, and even though I was left with some questions (b/c she doesn't go into a lot of details about it) she is far from a self-centered brat.
She is a woman who is on a very serious mission to discover who she is, who God is, and ultimately, who she is in God.
And I think that's what resounded so deeply inside me as I read, b/c I'm on the same passionate mission.
Now granted, we are going about it very different ways, and her interpretation of God is not mine... but I loved the book... and I think you would too.
If you do end up reading it, I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts!!
Okee dokee then! We'll do a blogging book club! :)
Post a Comment