Your mind fell on these words, yet you do not know why...

As I write the title, I have no clue what will happen in this thread. My plan is simple. Open the first book I see, then walk my library opening to random pages, showing you what I find. Am I bored? Not at all. I know a secret to non-attached seeking. Without a plan, the universe takes you on a journey. Tonight, we find out what happens.

6:38pm CST

--Dictionary of Word roots and Combining Forms - Donald J. Borror

Xen - A Stranger, Guest

6:41pm CST

The Teachings of the Buddha, Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai - p. 476

The Harmony of the Brotherhood

"Let us imagine a desert country lying in absolute darkness with many living things swarming blindly about in it. Naturally, they will be frightened and as they run about without recognizing one another during the night, there will be frequent swarming and loneliness. This is indeed a pitiable sight. Then let us imagine that suddenly a superior man with a torch appears and everything around becomes bright and clear. The living beings in the dark solitude suddenly find a great relief as they look about to recognize one another and happily share their companionship.

By "a desert country," is meant a world of human life when it lies in the darkness of ignorance. Those who have no light of wisdom in their minds wander about in loneliness and fear. They were born alone and die alone; they do not know how to associate with their fellow men in peaceful harmony, and they are naturally despondent and fearful.

By "a superior man with torch," is meant Buddha assuming a human form, and by His wisdom and compassion he illuminates the world. In this light people find themselves as well as others and are glad to establish human fellowship and harmonious relations. Thousands of people may live in a community but it is not one of real fellowship until they know each other mutually and have sympathy for one another. A true community has faith and wisdom that illuminate it. It is a place where the people know and trust one another and where there is social harmony. "

6:49pm CST

My own thoughts are in awe right now. Do you see what I mean by a walkabout of the mind showing something wonderful? Although I have more books right here around me, I will walk into the study and drag one from the shelf at random.

6:51pm CST

The Book of Equanimity - Gerry Shishin Wick, p. 176

"Who can be turned beyond what is and what is not?
Though all persons want to leave the ever-flowing stream, each
returns to sit among the coals and ashes.

6:57pm

Nag Hammadi Scriptures - Marvin Meyer, p. 124

"With a sacred command the Mother-Father sent five luminaries down upon the place of the angels of the first ruler. They advised him so that they might recover the mother's power."

J.R.R Tolkien - Silmarillion, p. 304

'Take now the ring,' he said; 'for thy labours and they cares will be heavy, but in all it will support thee and defend thee from weariness. For this is the Ring of Fire, and herewith, maybe, thou shalt rekindle hearts to the valour of old in the world that grows chill."

7:06pm CST

The Eternal Way - The Inner Meaning of the Bhagavad Gita - Roy Eugene Davis, p. 216

"22. The Spirit [soul] in relationship to the body is called the witness, that which gives conscent, the supporter, the experiencer, the ruler of the mind and senses, and the Supreme Self.

In relationship to the cosmic body (the universe) God as the Oversoul is the witness of all that transpires and plays various roles. It is the reality that is supreme above all manifested aspects of nature. The soul is the witness, the consenter, the supporter, the experiencer, and ruler of mind and senses in the body because it is individualized Spirit. Even when we are intent upon right living endeavors and spiritual growth practices, inwardly we should know, "I am pure consciousness."

7:16pm CST

Plato Complete Works - John M. Cooper, p. 880 (MENO)

"As the soul is immortal, has been born often and has seen all things here and in the underworld, there is nothing which it has not learned; so it is in no way surprising that it can recollect the things it knew before, both about virtue and other things. As the whole of nature is akin, and the soul has learned everything, nothing prevents a man, after recalling on thing only--process men call learning--discovering everything else for himself, if he is brave and does not tire of the search, for searching and learning are, as a whole, recollection.

7:26pm CST

RUMI - Big Red Book - Coleman Barks, p. 66

Unfold Your Own Myth

Who gets up early
to discover the moment light begins?
Who finds us here circling, bewildered, like atoms?
Who comes to a spring thirsty
and sees the moon reflected in it?
Who, like Jacob blind with grief and age,
smells the shirt of his lost son
and can see again?
Who lets a bucket down and brings up
a flowing prophet?
Or like Moses goes for fire
and finds what burns inside the sunrise?

Jesus slips into a house to escape enemies,
and opens a door to the other world.
Soloman cuts open a fish, and there's a gold ring.
Omar storms in to kill the prophet
and leaves with blessings.
Chase a deer and end up everywhere!
An oyster opens his mouth to swallow on drop.
Now there's a pearl.
A vagrant wanders empty ruins.
Suddenly he's wealthy.

But don't be satisfied with stories, how things
have gone with others. Unfold
your own myth, without complicated explanation,
so everyone will understand the passage,
We have opened you.

Start walking toward Shams. Your legs will get heavy
and tired. Then comes a moment
of feeling the wings you've grown,
lifting.

a reply to: DayAfterTomorrow

"Who lets a bucket down and brings up
a flowing prophet? "

I crossed paths with that statement as I typed it, but WOW how amazing! My bucket is brimful right now. Amazing night to experience such profundity!

a reply to: DayAfterTomorrow

Ummm...actually I do know why...It was boredom...boredom...insomnia...and scrolling through the new thread page...

Sorry...your thread just happened to juxtapose with my insomnia...and it's place among the new threads...

Perhaps that's the only significance one needs to ascribe...


YouSir

Nice collection of verses and thoughts for reflection.



Fun fact:

It's called Bibliomancy.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary,[1] the word bibliomancy (etymologically from βιβλίον biblio- "books" and μαντεία -mancy "divination by means of") "divination by books, or by verses of the Bible" was first recorded in 1753 (Chambers' Cyclopædia). Sometimes this term is used synonymously with stichomancy (from στίχος sticho- "row, line, verse") "divination by lines of verse in books taken at hazard", which was first recorded ca. 1693.

(wikipedia)

Interesting...

a reply to: GENERAL EYES

There's a new one for me. Very interesting concept. What I know about most seeking of this nature is that our mind attracts the path is seeks. I have heard of asking a question, then opening a book randomly to find the answer. I can't remember where I read it. When I did this thread, I literally opened books at random to find the passages that caught my eye. The last poem was ironic for me. I remember outlining it a few years before, which is about the last time I had opened the book.

What did you take from the 'thread' of information presented? I was pretty blown away at the idea of the guest, stranger as the opening line. What I should have done is open one of the 1000 books on my desktop and search the word stranger. Maybe I'll try that next time. Follow the one word.

a reply to: DayAfterTomorrow

I tend not to eavesdrop on other peoples messages....forgive me if I don't try to analyze your received communication, my head is already overloaded with my own studies and philosophies right now and anymore and it'll explode.

I'm sure it's very beautiful, but it was meant for you.


Also, another term in some circles is Stichomancy for the same phenomenon.