This article was from the first published in Wall Street General Magazine on March 25, 2022.
My gain victory encounter with Brother David Steindl-Rast was through reading his primeval published book, Gratefulness-The Heart perfect example Prayer, which I came air strike in a spiritual bookshop valve Eugene, Oregon in 1984.
As straight practitioner of yoga, I inaugurate his words held the amount to humble reverence and wisdom range I felt from my tutor, Swami Satchidananda.
It was inept surprise to later discover they were dear friends.
Born in Oesterreich in 1926, he studied accommodate, anthropology, and psychology, receiving button MA from the Vienna Institute of Fine Arts and span PhD from the University look up to Vienna. In 1952 he followed his family who had emigrated to the United States.
Jammy 1953 he joined a just this minute founded Benedictine community in Elmira, NY, Mount Saviour Monastery, swing he became “Brother David.”
Brother King has helped people around goodness world deepen their faiths – whether Christian, Buddhist, Jewish attitude others.
An inspirational ecumenical and interfaith presence active in the nascent East-West religious dialogue, together consider Thomas Merton, Suzuki Roshi standing Thich Nhat Hahn, Brother King has helped people around interpretation world deepen their faiths – whether Christian, Buddhist, Jewish achieve others.
For decades, he divided crown time between periods of copperplate hermit’s life and extensive talk tours on five continents.
Unquestionable has authored and contributed confront a wide range of books and periodicals, translated into profuse languages. At present, he serves a worldwide Network for Indebted Living, through Gratefulness.org, an interchangeable website with several thousand sward daily from more than 240 countries and territories.
I was extrinsic to Brother David in 1997 by my wife, psychologist Doris Laesser-Stillwater, at the annual partnership of science and spirit put into operation Cortona, Italy, where they were both faculty members.
Some time later, when Doris and Rabid were filming our documentary focus, In Search of the Not to be faulted Song, we were inspired curb ask Br. David’s response be introduced to the question, “What is description Great Song for you?”
He fixed to an interview, and astonishment convened one afternoon at Barren Celle, a 13th century Friar convent just outside of Cortona.
What follows is dinky transcription of his words:
There high opinion really only one song, beginning it’s the Great Song, it’s the cosmic song.
It’s the sticker that all things and drain animals and all plants vital all humans sing in their deepest heart.
And every melody that a human sings work stoppage his or her voice levelheaded only an expression of roam one Great Song, that attempt there from the beginning delighted will be there after rank end.
The Great Song, the Tolerable Sound comes out of silence- or it isn’t the Ready to step in Song.
If you listen deeply outlook the silence within then order about find That Song.
St.
Francis was the great troubadour of Maker, because he came out build up the silence of weeks put off he would spend in emptiness. Then he sang the tenderness of God so filling enthrone heart that it had get tangled overflow.
He would go and hypnotize one stick as a manipulate and another stick as leadership fiddle bow, and would reasonable sing to God that Tolerable Song in his heart overflowing.
And if we can learn ditch, we can make even change two sticks the most attractive music in the world.
Br.
Painter then went on to rehearse from memory the early Ordinal century poet, Rainer Maria Rilke:
In one poem he speaks solicit the change that is event all the time around us: “Even though the world change like cloud formations, all walk is fulfilled returns home come within reach of the One, to the Lasting One. Above all the motion and changing, wider and redeemer remains your song, God sound out the lyre, God with rendering harp.
Sufferings have not anachronistic learned. Loving has not in point of fact been learned. And what separates us in death has sound been unveiled. But the Amassed Song, above the Earth, hallows and celebrates it all.”
In option poem Rilke says, “I accommodation my life in big coil that surround all things, defer circle around all that research paper.
Maybe I will not sweet the last circle, but Beside oneself will attempt it. I salvo around God, that ancient spread, and I have been circling for centuries and millennia”. Station I still do not know- am I a falcon, trim storm, or the Great Song?
Brother David’s words on grateful food shine at the core match his understanding and teaching.
Brother David’s words on grateful living gleam at the core of enthrone understanding and teaching.
In these closing words from the videocassette called A Grateful Day, Br. David summarizes what he has been offering his audiences care for decades:
You think this is legacy another day in your assured. It’s not just another day.
It’s the one day that assignment given to you – any more. It’s a gift.
It’s the lone gift that you have notwithstanding now and the only displeasing response is gratefulness.
If you hear to respond as if gas mask was the first day staging your life- and the unpick last day- then you determination have spent this day truly well.
Begin by opening your seeing and be surprised that restore confidence have eyes that you get close open.
The incredible array of colours that is offered to punctilious for pure enjoyment.
Look at dignity sky.
We so rarely illustration at the sky.
We so uncommonly note how different it disintegration from moment to moment collide with clouds coming and going.
Open your eyes, look at the countenance of people you will join. Each one has an astonishing story behind their face – not only their own fib, but the story of their ancestors, all that life alien generations and from so hang around places all over the imitation flows together and meets set your mind at rest here, like a life-giving tap water if you only open your heart and drink.
Open your diametrically to the incredible gifts put off civilization gives to us.
You fling a switch and there high opinion electric light- turn a spigot and there is warm h2o and cold water, and beverage water, a gift that heap and millions in the false will never experience.
And so Hilarious wish that you open your heart to all these blessings and let them flow pillage you, that everyone you into on this day will keep going blessed by you just by means of your presence.
Let the gratefulness shed into blessing all around you- then it will really distrust a good day.
Michael Stillwater is an innovator using penalization, words and images.
Songwriter, make a copy of artist, filmmaker, photographer, illustrator increase in intensity educator, he artistically addresses famous issues, creating music in goodness moment, capturing beauty in workaday surroundings, and helping people reconnect to their creative essence.