Religion

2 min

And an old priest said, Speak to us of Religion.

And an old priest said, Tell us about Religion.

And he said:

Have I spoken this day of aught else?

Have I spoken of anything else today?

Is not religion all deeds and all reflection,

Isn't religion all actions and all reflection,

And that which is neither deed nor reflection, but a wonder and a surprise ever springing in the soul, even while the hands hew the stone or tend the loom?

And also what is neither deed nor thought, but a wonder and a surprise always springing up in the soul, even while the hands cut stone or tend the loom?

Who can separate his faith from his actions, or his belief from his occupations?

Who can separate their faith from their actions, or their beliefs from their daily work?

Who can spread his hours before him, saying, “This for God and this for myself; This for my soul, and this other for my body?”

Who can lay out his hours and say, “This time is for God and this time is for me. This time is for my soul and this time is for my body”?

All your hours are wings that beat through space from self to self. He who wears his morality but as his best garment were better naked.

All your hours are wings beating through space from one self to another. Anyone who wears morality only as their finest clothing would be better off naked.

The wind and the sun will tear no holes in his skin.

The wind and the sun will not tear holes in his skin.

And he who defines his conduct by ethics imprisons his song-bird in a cage.

And anyone who governs their behavior by ethics locks their songbird in a cage.

The freest song comes not through bars and wires.

The freest song does not come through bars and wires.

And he to whom worshipping is a window, to open but also to shut, has not yet visited the house of his soul whose windows are from dawn to dawn.

Anyone who sees worship as a window to open and shut has not yet visited the house of their soul. Its windows are open from dawn to dawn.

Your daily life is your temple and your religion.

Whenever you enter into it take with you your all.

Whenever you enter it, bring all of yourself with you.

Take the plough and the forge and the mallet and the lute,

Take the plow, the forge, the mallet, and the lute,

The things you have fashioned in necessity or for delight.

The things you have made out of necessity or for pleasure.

For in revery you cannot rise above your achievements nor fall lower than your failures.

For in daydreams, you cannot rise above your achievements or fall below your failures.

And take with you all men: For in adoration you cannot fly higher than their hopes nor humble yourself lower than their despair.

And take everyone with you. For in worship, you cannot fly higher than their hopes or bow lower than their despair.

And if you would know God be not therefore a solver of riddles.

And if you want to know God, do not try to solve riddles.

Rather look about you and you shall see Him playing with your children.

Instead, look around you, and you will see him playing with your children.

And look into space; you shall see Him walking in the cloud, outstretching His arms in the lightning and descending in rain.

And look into space. You will see him walking in the cloud, stretching out his arms in the lightning and descending in rain.

You shall see Him smiling in flowers, then rising and waving His hands in trees.

You will see him smiling in flowers, then rising and waving his hands in trees.