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+--- Thread: Old book friend returns... Welcome back Brother Lawrence (/showthread.php?tid=20088)
Old book friend returns... Welcome back Brother Lawrence - Lonebro - 07-07-2022
In my 20s, when I was in a Catholic seminary, I ran across "the Practice of the Presence of God" by "Brother Lawrence". I thumbed through it out of curiosity to see what a 17th century French Carmelite lay brother would have for practical advice in the late 20th century. Not finding anything exciting within 5 minutes perusing, I put it down. Big mistake! I eventually left the Catholic church and Brother Lawrence to past history. But I in hindsight, should have latched onto Brother Lawrence. This short book is crammed with wisdom about living in the vibrant Green Ray at every moment.
Even if you are a follower of Ramana Maharshi (whose teaching brought me out of the Catholic fold) or Ra, this is a treasure chest of practical insights about putting faith and love into action in the humdrum of real everyday life. Yes, some of the suggestions are outdated and presuppose a monolithic Catholicism, but 90% might surprisingly ring true and as applicable to today as in 17th century France.
Brother Lawrence is teaching me again!
RE: Old book friend returns... Welcome back Brother Lawrence - flofrog - 07-07-2022
Thank you Lonebro… being a lover of Ramana myself, I’m gong to check Brother Lawrence.. all french can’t be bad,
RE: Old book friend returns... Welcome back Brother Lawrence - Lonebro - 07-10-2022
?? I guess 17th century French posed some translation challenges for many translation attempts. After checking some out on the Kindle, I finally landed on "The Practice of the Presence of God in modern English" translated by Marshall Davis. Some version looked like Google Translate exercises! (The 17th century was the middle period of French, like middle English Shakespeare is to us.)
What I appreciate in Brother Lawrence (as translated by Davis) is his enthusiasm and sheer drive to stick to this program come what may.
I picked that same "drive" up in LOO 10.12. "There are many among your social memory complex-distortion who, at this time/space, engage daily, as you would put it, in the working upon the Law of One in one of its primal distortions; that is, the Ways of Love". There are many others.
Just below this passage he has "However if this same entity - being biased from the depths of its mind/body/spirit complex toward love/light - were then to accept responsibility for each moment of time/space accumulation of present moments available to it, such an entity can empower its progress in much the same way as we described the empowering of the call of your social complex-distortion to the Confederation."
I'll bet Brother Lawrence would second this motion heartily!
He's very 17th century French in many ways but this energy of seeking Love is his strong suit. He's relentless! He mentions in the letters that he has a reputation for harping on this subject on every opportunity! Harp on, my friend!