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Digging Wells, Swimming In The Source
By gartenfische | January 23, 2008
An excerpt from a 1977 dialog between Brother David Steindl-Rast and Ram Dass. Swami Satchidananda was also present. (”The occasion was a week-long meeting of forty monks, nuns, and lay people of differing religious traditions to discuss their mutual goals.”)
David Steindl-Rast: “The moment I came to know Buddhist and Hindu monks it became obvious to me that what we had in common was a methodical effort to deepen our awareness of that reality which gives meaning to life. We shared a radical dedication to search for the Source of Meaning and to drink from that source. This search and this drinking may be expressed and interpreted in a great variety of ways by the different religions. Yet, the experience as such lies deeper than all those interpretations. It lies at the basis of all religions and is their common root.”
Ram Dass: But if in fact as you go deeper in, they are not separate, and the differences disappear before your very eyes, the question is, is it productive once you know this to then talk about East and West any longer? Or is it better to find within the Christian tradition all the aspects and breathe life into those aspects that may have gotten lost in the shuffle rather than going and buying some other tradition and bringing it in? That’s all I’m asking at this moment.
Br. David: I know as a rule of thumb for myself that I stick to my own tradition first, and if it works I save myself a lot of heartache. Swamiji [Satchidananda] has said this many times. “Keep digging,” he says. “When you’re digging for water, keep digging where you are. If you dig long enough you will hit water.” You may be just one foot from water but you get frustrated and start another well. But it doesn’t yield anything, you think, so you dig another well, and another, and another. I like this image of digging wells. If you dig long enough, you will eventually hit water. Wherever you are planted, bloom where you’re planted. Whatever tradition you are in, follow that tradition. If you are a Christian you will find Zen and you will find Hinduism. Nowadays you can hardly bypass them, even practically they will somehow come up.
I’m digging my well. One day I hope to hit water. In the meantime, I get splatters now and then. Someday, God willing, my well will be deep, I will swim in the Source.
May we all dig our wells deep.
In peace.
Topics: religion, Christianity |
January 23rd, 2008 at 9:07 pm
I love David Steindl-Rast. Thank you.
January 24th, 2008 at 11:00 am
I’ve always been one of those “many shallow wells” people, but I am learning to dig deep. Thank you for this!
January 30th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Simply beautiful. Thank you. I will reflect upon this as I dig my own well!
July 8th, 2010 at 11:18 pm
Hinduism is a cool religion that is also oriented towards peace and prosperity.-*;