“I take my vows seriously.” Well, harrumph! Is there an aggrandizement more ponderous and self-justifying than this one? It’s frequently employed to deny fear, avoid responsibility, rationalize inaction, and rally support for the status quo. Perhaps that’s why Jesus’ instruction was so categorical and explicit: “Take no vows.” Hidden agendas aside, why do we take life so seriously? It’s a lila, after all.
Love does not apologize. Or make mistakes. Jesus never said, “I’m sorry.”
Life is a play about love. We are currently watching what happens when love is thwarted, repressed, personalized, nationalized, militarized. When love is turned in on itself, when it becomes selfishness, it explodes.
A quiet mind is not an end in itself. It clears the stage.
Life is the actor; we are the acted upon. Or, per Eckhart Tolle, Life is the dancer; we are the dance. So, no, we’re not driving the bus. And there are no coincidences.
Men's Work 