For Colleen’s Writer’s Quote Wednesday
Teillhard de Chardin was an unusual man… a palaeontologist and geologist who was also a Jesuit priest. A man of great, if unorthodox faith whose views caused something of a stir in the Vatican. He saw the unfolding of both human consciousness and of creation itself as a spiritual process and wrote with great warmth and love for humanity, even though that love was not blind to its habit of fallibility.
One of my favourite quotes is usually attributed to de Chardin, although it has also been attributed to Gurdjieff, whose work with the symbol of the enneagram formed the foundation the Silent Eye. The two, at first glance, would seem to come at the spiritual journey from completely different directions yet a deeper look would show them to be approaching the same centre of understanding… and the closer two points get to any centre, the less distance there can be between them, no matter where they start from. Both men would have been able to say from their own conviction, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.”
I like this quote, yet there are so many others from this one writer I could have chosen. “Love,” he said, “is the only force which can make things one without destroying them.” Yet he spoke of a greater Love than our often all-too-human passions that may wax, wane and give birth to so many negative emotions. The Love of which he wrote is that unconditional giving without thought of return, without desire to shape or own…simply to love. It is a rare concept, a diamond amongst glittering crystals that attract with their sparkle yet prove to be of little worth.
To ‘spread your sails to the winds of earth’ implies a degree of letting go of the control we so jealously guard over our lives and letting the currents of life itself show us the way forward and fill us with its breath. The same thought can be applied to love and takes it from the human to the higher and unconditional. That way, in both life and love, lies the freedom of the ‘open seas’.
Sue Vincent's Daily Echo 
Love this post. No truer words Sue
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Thanks, Alesia 🙂
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Teillhard de Chardin is someone whose writing keeps well on the bedside to be read more than once and savored in quiet moments. Well done.
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I find something more with each re-reading, Jamie. Thank you.
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Sue, I hope you will join us at “The BeZine” on 26 September 2015. I’m sure you and your friends have thoughts to share that will enrich the experience of 100TPC and friends on peace, sustainability, and social justice, especially as these relate to poverty (our theme this year). Directions for linking in your blog posts (they don’t have to be recent one, just relevant ones) will be offered in our blog post for that day. Many blessings, J.
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Thank you, Jamie. I had seen the original posting on your website and will certainly come over.
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Wonderful. You’re work will certainly be embraced. xo
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Thank, Jamie 🙂 x
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Reblogged this on Barrow Blogs: and commented:
Words to ponder over. Thanks Sue.Jx
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Thanks, Judith x
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Reblogged this on oshriradhekrishnabole.
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Thank you 🙂
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I recently read an article about Teilhard de Chardin and it was interesting to learn that the Church forbade his publishing his work. He bequeathed his papers to his secretary who published them posthumously. Thank heaven for his foresight as the world would have been the lesser without his wisdom.
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There was a lot of controversy about his work… I too am very glad it was published.
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Love that quote. It makes perfect sense. 🙂
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Does to me too 🙂
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I read a little of Teillard de Chardin years ago. The loving, gentleness of his spiritual insights was and is inspiring. A lovely post, Sue.
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Thanks, Diana. I do not follow the way of his, or any, orthodox church… but some souls, such as he, seem to see beyond such boundaries.
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As a sailor, I was instinctively drawn to the title and images, but I also love the “spiritual beings having a human experience” quote. I think the first time I heard it was from Wayne Dyer. Can’t in all honesty say I believe that to be true, but it’s probably the most attractive way of viewing life. Great post, Sue
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Attractive, perhaps… but it carries a whole load of responsibility in its wake…
Thanks, Graeme.
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Sue, I am so late getting to your quote, but I think it was meant to be that way. Today, I read this quote and felt the wisdom of the words enter me and fill me with a calmness. Your words, “To ‘spread your sails to the winds of earth’ implies a degree of letting go of the control we so jealously guard over our lives and letting the currents of life itself show us the way forward and fill us with its breath,” really spoke to me today. I think I need to let go… ❤ ❤ ❤
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We all need that, Colleen… sometimes more than others 🙂 ❤
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Pingback: Writer’s Quote Wednesday Weekly Wrap-Up from 9/16/15 | Silver Threading
Great quote and image Sue, letting go is quite a romantic notion and that appeals to me. 🙂
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Thank you, Marjorie 🙂
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