Finding An Inner Priest
“ ‘Dhammapedia’ is the path of Dharma, the right path of life, of light and of love that leads to enlightenment. Turning the wheel of Dharma is a way of saying that as Buddha began to speak he gave the wheel of evolving consciousness a new turn, and so began an age in which Buddha turned humanity toward himself and religion became a deeply personal experience ungoverned by an outside priest.”
From Buddha by Manuel Dunn Mascetti.
Buddha was teaching his followers how to move within themselves, to find inner resource and comfort. His own evolvement and path towards enlightenment illuminated the awareness that people, things, practices outside oneself are not necessarily the way to find fulfillment.
I sit with this reading now, in my quiet moments after meditation. This was the page I randomly turned to. It rings true to me on so many levels. Most exquisitely, these words mirror my own personal path of discovery during my years of critical illness with Lyme disease.
The hours, months, years I spent alone, in stillness, on my sofa or bed, in contemplation, brought me to this very same awareness- “religion/spirituality became a deeply personal experience ungoverned by an outside priest.” I am a fuller,wiser, more aware and evolved being now, after my 10 year Lyme journey.
It is remarkable for me to actually say, that because of my Lyme disease experience, I have grown in spiritual depth and breadth. I have created my own internal sanctuary.
I learned how to successfully move within, toward my SELF. The inner riches and skills I developed, which in turn prompted a healing at a deeper, more energetic and cellular level, happened ONLY because of this path I took towards my soul’s center. It is with great reverence, I now personally care for this treasured space within, and the energy that is exemplifies.
It is a tricky juggling act, one I manage with alert consciousness daily, to avoid being drawn, pulled, stretched excessively by the busyness, demands, schedules, details of the exciting and sometimes overwhelming opportunities of the outer world, we so rampantly work and play in. I like it out there, I admit. As an extrovert, people lover and excitement “junkie” of yore, it is easy for me to be seduced by the amazing colors, feelings, events swirling around me constantly; the internet, media activities fueling it all exponentially. Plus, the PR phase of “Out of the Woods” has been so deliriously fulfilling for me, meeting and sharing with others. Sometimes I just have to say NO, to doing more.
And yet, I KNOW how essential it is I nurture and preserve my inner spiritual life. To be full (and healthy), I need to tend to the wellspring. Meditation, alone time, gratuities, creativity, beauty, personal blessings and intentions are my daily gestures for renewal, helping me follow Buddha’s message of life, light, and love. I am not a practicing Buddhist, per se, however, his messages that I read or glean, often resonate with a certain truth I just “get.”
I hope you can take this offering of mine today as a reminder to honor and nurture your own inner wellspring and sanctuary. You are too precious to neglect.
Katina I. Makris 