The three stages of flowering! This sight held my attention every time I visited this bush in our garden!
This becoming process is a symbol of 'human becoming'.
The transformation of a bud to a flower, which takes about four weeks in this bush, speaks of three realities.
First, the plant forms the bud. Second, the bud is endowed with the potential to be a flower. The third is that a flower opens with colourful petals and gives nectar.
This formation process is a mystery because there is a coming together of many favourable conditions for this to happen.
I have had enough time recently to consider different aspects of becoming an 'elder' from being a senior citizen.
During the internal exercise, I came across an experience of two realities.
One is physical. The body is changing with indications of biological and biochemical changes.
The other reality is an inner awareness of a vocation what one is growing older.
From being a senior citizen to becoming an elder, involves a change of optic. One can be occupied as a senior citizen with biological and biochemical changes taking place in the body. During a recent eye check up for refraction, the Ophthalmologist mentioned that there is an early change in the lens, which can become a cataract over months or years. She added, 'this needs no attention for a while'. I felt encouraged by her optic of understanding the psyche of a senior citizen. She diffused any unnecessary attention on something which needs no active attention.
The inner awareness of the vocation when one gets older is worth more attention. To transcend from being a senior citizen to an elder, it is important to have a focus or attention on what is beyond oneself. In the book, Spirituality and the Awakening Self, David G. Benner earnestly pleaded for living beyond the body-centred self. He elaborated on how an integration of mind centred, soul centred and spirit centred living can become a process towards becoming the whole being that we are. His remark on page, xii, in the preface, 'Genuine transformation occurs only within a communal and interpersonal context' awakened me to realise the seminal feature of an elder. He or she is a person, who is interested and involved in the lives of others. His other comment on page xiv, 'Transformation is movement towards wholeness' made it obvious that becoming an elder from being a senior citizen is a calling worth pursuing!
A bud becomes a flower. A human being becomes a wholistic person. A senior citizen becomes an elder.
The lure of the fashion world is to draw our attention to the body and appearances. The glamour created in all forms of media of the body centred view of life projecting body sensually, attire, luxury of conveniences, stylish and lavish indulgences in materiality, wealth creation... entices people to make that as a social requirement to remain relevant.
The call of the soul is to be inwardly transformed. One statement from the book of Romans in the New Testament of the Bible in chapter 12, verse 2, brought more clarity to this process of becoming: 'And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect'.
The collection of photographs above led me to ponder on 'being and becoming' to pursue to an elder !
How do I live in the garden of life relationally!
Becoming open is normal, when we view life metaphorically as a flower!
M.C.Mathew ( text and photo)
No comments:
Post a Comment