What moved me here is the distinction between leaving a form of practice and abandoning the thread of the vow itself. Across ordination, ministry, retirement, and writing, letting go appears less like erasure than another way the commitment changes shape. The final koan makes that continuity feel mysterious without making it vague.
Feel free to delete it, I'm just sharing! That's my Thai wife's voice at 4:27 at the end, and she's quiet! (just kidding). I walk between two religions, Buddhism and RC. Raised and beaten by Dominican nuns, and later SJ's! Oh what fun!!!! My distant relative Capt. Render Creighton has nothing on me, well he survived, and that's enough, but better to be courageous and walk the hard path! We all meet the big guy in the end! He has a remarkable sense of humor, "He made me!", and as a contrast "He made you!"
Rat, I am not, those Chinese said I was born in the year of the Rat! I may be the "rat catcher"! I've even eaten "rat" in Peru, and "it does taste like chicken"!
What moved me here is the distinction between leaving a form of practice and abandoning the thread of the vow itself. Across ordination, ministry, retirement, and writing, letting go appears less like erasure than another way the commitment changes shape. The final koan makes that continuity feel mysterious without making it vague.
Jim, I'm younger than you!
Here's the music appropriate at my mid 60's.
I hope I'm not offending you!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6LsYW2egjw&list=RDM6LsYW2egjw&start_radio=1
Feel free to delete it, I'm just sharing! That's my Thai wife's voice at 4:27 at the end, and she's quiet! (just kidding). I walk between two religions, Buddhism and RC. Raised and beaten by Dominican nuns, and later SJ's! Oh what fun!!!! My distant relative Capt. Render Creighton has nothing on me, well he survived, and that's enough, but better to be courageous and walk the hard path! We all meet the big guy in the end! He has a remarkable sense of humor, "He made me!", and as a contrast "He made you!"
Rat, I am not, those Chinese said I was born in the year of the Rat! I may be the "rat catcher"! I've even eaten "rat" in Peru, and "it does taste like chicken"!