Raven 21: Inspiration

"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I; send me!'" (Isaiah 6:8)

And there you are! Coming forth at every moment a Buddha, making your unique noise unto the world. You are sent. With all your bitching, moaning and "grousing," you are sent -- sent to do and be the very thing that you cannot help but do and be.

Case

Raven took her perch on the Assembly Oak and said:
"Some folks say that you must find your inspiration in your own heart. In a way that's true; you must find the place of peace and rest and carry out your life on that ground. It is also true that inspiration comes from somewhere else. The Buddha Macaw looked up from the branch of her Jobo tree and noticed the morning star. With that she had her great realization. What did she realize? That's what we have to get at. Buddha Macaw gave a broad hint about her new understanding when she said, 'Now I see that all beings are the Buddha.' All beings, all that exists, each and every thing, precious in itself, coming forth saying, 'Here I am!'"
Grouse muttered something, and Raven said, "Grouse, did you have a question?"
Grouse said, "Here I am, but I don't think I'm so precious."
Raven said, "Cluck for us, Grouse."
Grouse clucked.
Raven croaked.

Verse

Peekaboo! Where are you?
There you are! Here I am!
The inspiration in your own heart. Where?
From somewhere else. Where?
Peekaboo. There it is.
Parent and child convulsed with giggles.

Case by Robert Aitken; introduction and verse by Meredith Garmon

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