I mentioned a couple of days ago that I am reading, “Going Home – Jesus and Buddha as Brothers” by Thich Nhat Hanh. I love to read him. He is so peaceful I can hear his gentle voice in my head and it is a bell of mindfulness all it’s own. I heard someone once describe him as someone who wrote with the “voice of the Buddha.” One of the chapters I read tonight dealt with spiritual ancestors. I began to think of all those people who I would say are my spiritual ancestors. Jesus is certainly one, but then too is St. Francis of Assisi, St. Patrick, St. Jude, St. Paul, St. Matthew, Thomas Merton,Mahatma Gandhi and the Buddha too. In the past ten years or so I have come to think of myself as an accidental Buddhist. Much of what really drives me is found in what Thich Nhat Hanh, D.T. Suzuki, the Dalai Lama and others have written of their own Buddhist journeys and insights. One of my favorite books and one I recommend to young athletes is “Sacred Hoops:Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior” by Phil Jackson. I don’t know if Phil could be an ancestor, but some of what he has written has shaped my path. Who are your spiritual ancestors?
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I started a comment here, but found myself writing so much that I moved it to my blog. One thing that never fails to amaze me is how many teachers there are in this world. A few are formal teachers, rabbis, ministers, whatever, but most are simply “just folks” who seem to radiate love in what they do. What a blessing it is to meet them.