“Here, the charming, mature stories from the internationallly beloved monk are accompanied by original art. Like the parables of Jesus, these tales repeatedly unfold new levels of meaning if we are willing to sit with them.” By Publisher
I agree. One tale that keeps me in a meditative state is: “I sat there in awe as the old monk answered our questions. Thought I am usually shy,…I found myself raising my hand. “Father, could you tell us something about yourself? He leaned back. “Myself?” he mused. There was a long pause.
“My name used to be Me. But, now it’s You. “
thedailylily.com 
That is something to think about. One thing that it says to me is that the old monk had been transformed. His focus of attention and concern was no longer on himself. It was on ‘You” the Lord and others.
Compassion….when it’s no longer I but you! Years of applied wisdom to be an artist of light that always glows on another’s path.
I think the key to this tale is in the words, MY NAME! Still working on the process of discerning with patience and making right choices…have you heard the phrase, what’s in a name?
Juliet:
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”
Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)
“GOD’S WORD comes to us in many forms – voices of people, music, art, and written words….God may very well use a person you don’t normally listen to or someone you don’t even know to bring you a message. Sometimes a voice may be subtle. God does get our attention, although not always by means of a burning bush (see Exodus 3). God often chooses to use the still small voice (1 Kings 19).”
– Valerie K. Isenhower and Judith A. Todd
Living into the Answers
God is in the voices of many waters….Ezk 43:2 and other scripture.
How to identify an authentic rose. I am working on the study of “Dressing For His Glory” workbook with photos of roses and I see His (God, Jesus, Holy Spirit) ‘s name in each and every Rose and lesson. At times I see a glimmer of my name, fragrance and sunflower work. But, sadly, not as boldly printed in the embrace as the Beloved Monk that seems to have the characteristics to make a copy from the original.
Sara, Maybe as the Spirit of the Lord works on and in us [as much as we are willing to allow] to become like that famous Bloom,’he Rose of Sharon’….we become first one petal of the Rose, then another and another and eventually…as said above…as we will allow the Spirit’s working in us and not rebel……we eventually can become the full-blown rose, or the bells of the Lily of the valley. The rub? I must aspire to it
Interesting. This reminds me Revelation 2:17
New International Version (NIV)
17 Whoever has ears, let them hear(A) what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious,(B) I will give some of the hidden manna.(C) I will also give that person a white stone with a new name(D) written on it, known only to the one who receives it.
Just wonder with our life on earth and our struggle like Tammy mentions to become more and more like Jesus in character and less and less of me/ self life that when God gives the new name we will have a knowing in our being what it will be. (Probably the YOU as the Monk said, a character trait of Jesus.)
When I read “ears to hear” as quoted from Revelation by Rena above, I think about a crop in the field of ears of corn…. Time to harvest….better yet, when I think on the soil, kernel of corn entering the soil and after the process ears of plenty are telling and hearing a story. A great mystery it is. “And it came to pass, that he (Jesus) went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.”
When my Dad, who was a farmer, would have me plant corn or any seed he would tell me, Rena plant in one clump one seed for the Blackbird, one for the Crow, and one to Grow. So I planted three seeds a foot or eighteen inches apart and then three again. We were assured that at least one seed would grow a corn stalk with many ears of corn. He would also have me plant the corn near the chicken houses because the corn would grow extra tall. He said that the corn loved the talk of the chickens or talk/singing to them.
It was amazing how tall the corn was close to the chicken houses and as the rows were farther and farther away how short they got.
Plant the seeds and watch them grow…As Rena’s Dad advised; make them three in a hole! 🙂 Makes me think of musing from another wise old sage…we just don’t know!!!
“Just as you do not know how the breath comes to the bones in the mother’s womb, so you do not know the work of God, who makes everything.” (Eccl. 11: 5 RSV).
The more I think on the ear I think corn and grain and reproduction. I think on our divine gifts and a harvest for the King. Creativity may just be a corn seed planted in each of us. How does one acknowledge it as a divine gift and help it grow? Developing the divine life within us!
Sara, you are one of the inspirations for our aspiration of becoming that ROSE!
How about this? “Become a possibilitarian. No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see possibilities — always see them, for they’re always there.”― Norman Vincent Peale…I was thinking what names ring with “you”! I thought of Norman Vincent Peale as one! He gave the world many word roses!
How about Billy Graham?
“The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, ‘O God, forgive me,’ or ‘Help me.'”
Billy Graham
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/b/billy_graham.html#66yMvQZpAbhXrDLq.99
Dr. Billy Graham, surely has the name, “you” …his name has been all about humankind throughout the world. And his sons, daughters and grands own the ancestry name of “You”… I love Dr. “You Graham”… I pause even now to give thanks for him and whisper a prayer of strength for his day….
Sara, to waht you wrote above, “Creativity may just be a corn seed planted in each of us. How does one acknowledge it as a divine gift and help it grow? Developing the divine life within us!”, I was reading in one of your workbooks (The Four Bees, Finding Your Spiritual Gifts; Lesson 4, The Bee of Blooming -Perennial Profusion – Staying Power) and thought this related to ear of corn and our divine gifts.
“Beelieve in yourself – Beelieve in the little authentic voice deep down inside your soul that speaks to you. Let go of fears and let your gifts, skills, and talents shine through. This is your light and your light will dispel darkness. The poet, Anne Sexton says,”put your ear down next to your soul and listen hard”. This anchors your authentic self which provides the Beehive for your gifts, your artisitic expressions. Bee passionate with your gifts.”
Thinking also that in order for the corn kernal to grow and produce ears and more kernals, it must be planted in a block or group of several rows or the same variety, not just a long loner row. This will ensure good cross pollination so it can set its fruit. This reminds me of the scripture: “We should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are doing. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more as we see the day of the Lord coming.” (Heb 10:25)
Also, corn is pollinated by the wind. Sara spoke much about the wind on the ‘Daylilies’ blog. Wind sure is important.
“Thought I am usually shy,…I found myself raising my hand. “Father, could you tell us something about yourself?”
It appears that even being in the presence of someone like the monk whose name was now ‘You’ had a transforming effect on the other person, the listener/questioner, who was usually shy, but now found himself speaking up.
Nice to notice the writer originated the question and didn’t tag something onto another’s thought with no value to comment. They asked a good question and got a good answer that still pumps minds for thought.
My understanding the monk is Jesus…So based on Debi’s theory all that believe they are in the presence of a Jesus should have good questions and good answers…
Going first by your understanding, Sara…that the “monk” is Jesus…and Debi’s understanding it seems that the person asking the question was not me but Jesus. Because when asked the question the Monk/Jesus said “I am you’. Thus if Jesus/monk said He was really me, then I should have the question and the right answer because Jesus knows all things???
And, dosen’t the Word of God say He will help us…
Yes, indeed! The Word says that He will ‘ lead us into all truth’ But we must allow Him to.
“They asked a good question and got a good answer that still pumps minds for thought.”
The person who raised his hand to ask the question said he was usually shy. I wonder if even in the presence of Jesus (the Monk) he struggled to raise his hand? Did Jesus come to aid him in his weakness when He saw the effort of a hand raised and help him articulate a good question?
Jacob was left alone at Peniel, wrestling with God for a blessing. A Man there asked him his name and when he answered Jacob, he got his name changed. Then Jacob (now Israel) asked Him His name and was answered with a ‘why do you ask?”
So maybe even face to face with God there is struggle and effort to communicate.
I would think face to face would be the hardest for me! Gee, that might even feel like a storm had hit!
Might I propose another theory? Could the “monk” be The Holy Spirit? Then the auestion posed above…”Did Jesus come to his aid” might read, ‘Did Holy Spirit come to his aid?’ And we do know that that is what the Holy Spirit does when we don’t know how or what to pray, say, speak in the Spirit. Just a thought.