169. Past
Principles
Law of reconciliation
The cheetah
I saw a documentary about a cheetah mother with 4 or 5 cubs that were going hungry. Suddenly there was a herd of wildebeests and the mother cheetah took a chance and attacked a male. The weakened cheetah battled, but the wildebeest was too tough, strong and resilient. The battle lasted 20 seconds or so, and the cheetah walked away with a limp. In the wild this is a sure death sentence. Her cubs were still playful, not sensing the weight of what happened. The mom limped to a small hill, her cubs around her, and with a quiet dignity awaited her and her cubs’ fate.
There was no complaining. No whimpering. No crying. She and her cubs were doomed. For a mom to see this is horrible. Not only for her, but for her offspring which would face starvation and death. How overwhelming. She accepted her fate with dignity and silence. To think of all the nurturing that went into her cubs, the care, the love, the hunting, the sacrifice. People do the same. We sacrifice not only for children, but for ideas, accomplishments, excellence, to just be good, to be competent. To see all that, aside from just dying, to come to no avail is beyond heartbreaking. So the biggest perspective is needed. The largest reconciliation is needed, and all the suffering and pain is part of a bigger picture. The end results are often beyond our grasp. Yet it is all part of living. Our broken dreams, and broken selves serve a purpose too.
Reconciliation helps us rise above ourselves. To see that just to exist, and to participate and to accept, and even to trust, no matter what the outcome, is close to the essence itself.
Principles
Law of reconciliation
The cheetah
I saw a documentary about a cheetah mother with 4 or 5 cubs that were going hungry. Suddenly there was a herd of wildebeests and the mother cheetah took a chance and attacked a male. The weakened cheetah battled, but the wildebeest was too tough, strong and resilient. The battle lasted 20 seconds or so, and the cheetah walked away with a limp. In the wild this is a sure death sentence. Her cubs were still playful, not sensing the weight of what happened. The mom limped to a small hill, her cubs around her, and with a quiet dignity awaited her and her cubs’ fate.
There was no complaining. No whimpering. No crying. She and her cubs were doomed. For a mom to see this is horrible. Not only for her, but for her offspring which would face starvation and death. How overwhelming. She accepted her fate with dignity and silence. To think of all the nurturing that went into her cubs, the care, the love, the hunting, the sacrifice. People do the same. We sacrifice not only for children, but for ideas, accomplishments, excellence, to just be good, to be competent. To see all that, aside from just dying, to come to no avail is beyond heartbreaking. So the biggest perspective is needed. The largest reconciliation is needed, and all the suffering and pain is part of a bigger picture. The end results are often beyond our grasp. Yet it is all part of living. Our broken dreams, and broken selves serve a purpose too.
Reconciliation helps us rise above ourselves. To see that just to exist, and to participate and to accept, and even to trust, no matter what the outcome, is close to the essence itself.
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