Reflection:
Treasures in Heaven
In this reflection we explore the image of treasures in heaven, as taught about by Jesus, and what this may apply to in our lives.
Opening music:
Listen to the following as an opening prayer.
Readings:
Read the following passages through twice or three times, and listen for any word or phrase that seems to be inviting you to linger with it.
Reading 1: 2 Corinthians 4:18
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,
since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
Reading 2:
"Detachment is not a sour withdrawal from life. It is the liberation of the heart from the tyranny of things. It is the power of loving all things, yet being dependent on none of them." - Evelyn Underhill
Reading 3:
“Try to accept the changing seasons of your soul.
Do not hoard the treasures of this world,
for they vanish like shadows at dusk.
Seek instead the wealth that cannot be lost,
the jewel hidden in the heart.” - Rumi
Quiet Prayer:
Spend some time in quiet prayer, gently letting go of any thoughts that enter your mind, and surrendering yourself to the stillness of being held in God's embrace.
End the time of quiet prayer by listening to the following song:
Lyrics:
Come now child, lay it down,
Just breathe, just be
Come be cradled in the arms of love,
Just breathe, just be
For Further Reflection:
Below are quotes from the talk for you to take this theme further.
Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Thich Nhath Hanh:
One day the Buddha was sitting in the wood with thirty or forty monks. They had an excellent lunch and they were enjoying the company of each other. There was a farmer passing by and the farmer was very unhappy. He asked the Buddha and the monks whether they had seen his cows passing by. The Buddha said they had not seen any cows passing by. The farmer said, "Monks, I'm so unhappy. I have twelve cows and I don't know why they all ran away. I have also a few acres of a sesame seed plantation and the insects have eaten up everything. I suffer so much I think I am going to kill myself.
The Buddha said, "My friend, we have not seen any cows passing by here. You might like to look for them in the other direction."
So the farmer thanked him and ran away, and the Buddha turned to his monks and said, "My dear friends, you are the happiest people in the world. You don't have any cows to lose. If you have too many cows to take care of, you will be very busy.
"That is why, in order to be happy, you have to learn the art of cow releasing. You release the cows one by one. In the beginning you thought that those cows were essential to your happiness, and you tried to get more and more cows. But now you realize that cows are not really conditions for your happiness; they constitute an obstacle for your happiness. That is why you are determined to release your cows."
Ramana Maharshi: “Let what comes come, let what goes go, find out what remains.”
Ram Dass: “In simplicity lies the space in which one can plumb your own depths of being.”
Evelyn Underhill: “The surface-self, left for so long in undisputed possession of the conscious field, has grown strong, and cemented itself like a limpet to the rock of the obvious; gladly exchanging freedom for apparent security, and building up, from a selection amongst the more concrete elements offered it by the rich stream of life, a defensive shell of “fixed ideas.” … That old comfortable clinging life, protected by its hard shell from the living waters of the sea, must now come to an end.”
Ending music:
Lyrics:
Ever so gently your Spirit calls to all who hear
Ever so gently the sound of your voice quiet yet clear
Day and night, to the ends of the earth
The skies pour forth speech
There's no place, your voice isn't heard
Your patience astounds me
Your voice is the sweetest of sounds
It's the purest of life-giving rain
Your voice is the calm in the storm
It's the whisper of love that remains
Ever so gently I hear your voice pulling me near
Ever so gently your word of life stronger than fear
If I turn, away from your heart
Try to hide in my shame
You speak truth in love's patient way
Your gentleness breaks me
Your voice is the sweetest of sounds
It's the purest of life-giving rain
Your voice is the calm in the storm
It's the whisper of love that remains
Ever so gently; … Ever so gently.
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Sharon's book that was previously called "Contemplative Living" has been republished by AnamChara Books under the title "Deeper: Finding the Depth Dimension Beneath the Surface of Life". The Kindle version is available from Amazon, and the hard copy version can be ordered from loot.co.za or Takealot, or from your local bookshop through Ingram Distribution.