Hello Francis,
Can seeking be dangerous, can it come close to madness?
Like with the poet Rimbaud, or Nietzsche for example. The image of the sage is someone sitting peacefully and blissfully, and sometimes I get to thinking that some seekers are TRYING to be peaceful. It seems like the way can be very intense, uneasy, and passionate, more like the poets or artists. Can you comment on this?
Yes Nicholas, the way can be very intense, uneasy and passionate. It actually is always passionate, for passion is the engine that drives the seeker on the path. Without it, one remains stuck in the garage, a boring place to be in. The secret is to be at every moment where one wants to be, doing exactly what one wants to do, while at the same time fully welcoming the situation as it spontaneously arises. The image of the sage is just an image. Who wants to spend his or her life sitting? There is a time for sitting, and a time for running, singing, painting, chatting, cooking and many other *ings. The sage is neither this nor that, and also this and that. I like the passion that the artist and the poet bring to their art. They feel the Presence beyond the last thin veil of objectivity, the very same veil that causes their madness. When they glimpse beyond the curtain, like Rumi, Kabir and others, their mind and body relaxes, but their passion intensifies and merges with Love.
Sorry for the delay, I have a full plate.
love,
Francis
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