online Holy Nights Journal |
Group / Sharing |
Group Sharing / Submissions for January 02
2025/2026
What does it mean to die? I once met a Chinese poet who did not believe there was an afterlife. We had a very warm and interesting discussion about his work (his work on display at the time was about bonsai plants and how the roots are cramped by special tools to prevent the plants from growing). There was a translator to help us as he did not really speak English and I don't speak Chinese. Our discussion was animated and in the 30 to 40 minutes of our conversation, we really had a sense that we were exchanging our thoughts on his work, on his notions of death being the end, that the translator at one point stopped translating and just listened. The translator eventually said she was not needed but instead, she enjoyed listening to the discussion. The Chinese artist gifted me a book of his poems after our conversation.
The lecture last night covering the passing away of the different beings that prepared the way for the Christ, and other beings coming together, both on earth and in the cosmic realm, brought this encounter I had with the Chinese artist back to mind. Somehow, somewhere, we had a meeting, and that meeting somehow, somewhere, imbued both of us with a moment of true magic, of genuine encounter. Whether what transpired between him and me is what the lecture referred to, I may never know. But what I do know is that something happened, and both of us were enlivened in that meeting.
May all our encounters with other human beings be always filled with such magic that we can only turn our gaze upward. - Raphael (Philippines)
The lecture last night covering the passing away of the different beings that prepared the way for the Christ, and other beings coming together, both on earth and in the cosmic realm, brought this encounter I had with the Chinese artist back to mind. Somehow, somewhere, we had a meeting, and that meeting somehow, somewhere, imbued both of us with a moment of true magic, of genuine encounter. Whether what transpired between him and me is what the lecture referred to, I may never know. But what I do know is that something happened, and both of us were enlivened in that meeting.
May all our encounters with other human beings be always filled with such magic that we can only turn our gaze upward. - Raphael (Philippines)
|
On our camping trip, this picture down by a beautiful creek. Happy new year to everyone. It was so lovely to be in the quiet woods and the campground was lovely and peaceful. - Kathe (Australia)
Ninth Holy Night - Physical: I taught my first group of students with passion and excitement, but also with apprehension, as I really wanted to succeed. LCCA felt like a good place, and I loved that it was close to Tower Hill and to the oldest church in London, All Hallows-by-the-Tower, with origins possibly dating back to the 7th century. Jonathan and I went to Broadstairs, a seaside town where Charles Dickens used to spend his summer holidays. That felt quite special. I collected shells and hagstones from the shoreline.
Soul: There was an intense desire to succeed in the new job. The students brought me doughnuts, which was marvelous. I taught myself law, studying nonstop in the evenings, as I absorbed an entirely new language. Spirit: I recited mantras to feel protected. One Divine Name made my heart ache, but it felt good and real. I marveled at the power of these beautiful spiritual practices. During the weekend holiday in Broadstairs, it felt special to be close to a place where the spirit of Charles Dickens once was. - Maria (England) |