A River Runs Through It tells the semi-autobiographical story of the Maclean family and the two sons Norman and Paul. Norman is the more cerebral, whilst Paul is a daredevil, driven to challenge the world. This is the story of Hesse’s Narcissus and Goldmund set in 20s America, the one son living life at the edge and the other following the social code.  Each follows his own Truth. But their lives are equally beautiful. Their father is the local Presbyterian minister -stern but wise.  The three men have deep differences and antagonisms, but these are reconciled when fishing the Montana rivers. For them fishing is an art form which brings coherence to the relationships. Towards the end of this poignant and lyrical film the now aging father addresses the congregation with deeply meaningful and inspiring words.  Referring obliquely to his maverick son Paul, or possibly to both sons, he says "And so it is those we live with and should know who elude us.  But we can still love them. We can love completely, without complete understanding".

And so we may love completely our parents, our spouse or partner, our children or friends, but no matter how well we know them we cannot understand them completely;  to know them completely we would need to have had their genes, lived their life and had their experiences. So there is always a shortfall in our understanding.  But nevertheless we can still love them completely - with all our heart.

And it's the same with God, the divine, Source, Infinite spirit.  As human beings we cannot know the divine completely.  God is infinite. We can hardly conceive of the billions of planets in the universe let alone conceive of an infinite God, imminent and transcendent, omniscient and omnipresent. It challenges our two dimensional thinking too far.  But just as we can love others, so also can we love God  - completely, without complete understanding. And truly, understanding is not necessary.  When we love we do not need to know aboutlove, about what causes love or sustains love. We simply have the experience of love.  As Sri Prem Baba writes –knowledge is useful, but experience is what gives wisdom.

Too often our thinking minds are drawn outwards away from the truth of our inner selves. What silence and meditation do is still the mind so that you can experience the Truth .  And the truth is that you, yourself, are the source of all calmness, all peace, all goodness, all joy and all love.

In divine friendship

Stan


PS I'll be back in the UK at the end of March.  I hope to see some of you then.  I'll be sharing some of the techniques of Kriya Yoga meditation in the UK in September. As well as meditation there will be yoga practice, chanting, healing prayer, pranayam and much more. The workshops are in Inverary Sept 2-4th and at Lendrick Lodge in the Trossachs, Sept 16-18th.  More information to follow.  Let me know if you want to attend as space is limited for both workshops.