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"Markings" was the title used by Dag Hammarskjöld for a work he called "a sort of white book concerning my negotiations with myself -- and with God".
It seems to me that this title also has a further connotation which takes on added meaning for me due to my deep and abiding interest in wolves and that is the markings of a trail or a territory which is clearly identified.
For almost as long as I can remember I have felt a kinship with all canids but especially with my brother Wolf.
St. Francis, a wonderful Franciscan monk, became so engrossed in reality as a manifestation of the Godhead that he referred to " our brother fire". While I have never been so enchanted, I think I glimpse a little of what he understood when I look into the eyes of a wolf and sometimes when I look into the eyes of a dog.
There is an intelligence there; a understanding of a reality which, while it nudges up against ours is very different from ours.
It is at this nexus where we look across the chasm from one mind to another, one species to another that there is available to us the opportunity to communicate in peace, in understanding, in trust; to learn, from another dimension, the meaning of such concepts as family, loyalty, fear, trust, caring, humour, dignity, sacrifice ...
Our development of more and more advanced technologies is not proof that we have the right to plunder and destroy our world. One of our purposes is to learn to control those violent and aggressive tendencies which we discover in ourselves; to nourish and encourage the natural love and caring in ourselves; to reach out to the other creatures with whom we share this beautiful universe; and to appreciate the incredible opportunity we have to be incarnate.
Ram Dass speaks of our bodies as our space suits. I find this to be a very helpful metaphor to describe the feeling I have about my existence. It is a remarkably visual metaphor with which to remind ourselves that "we are not our body".
These are some of the thoughts which I would like to explore further in these pages. I have attempted to bring some sort of order by somewhat arbitrarily dividing the subject matter into three categories - the spirit, the mind and heart, and the body. These are not meant to be ridged categories and while it is arguable that some subject matter might better be represented in a different category, this is how I have chosen to organize the material and, after all, this is my web page.
I add to these pages as matters come to my attention to which I wish to respond or on which I just feel like commenting.
As this seems to be a very organic process I will be adding items from time to time. I have attempted to bring some sort or order to these pages so if you scroll down you will find the headings I have found useful in organizing the collection of "my musings with myself -- and with my God".
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Introduction
