Wednesday, November 9, 2011

A Fly in my Tea


Kids, I woke up this morning thinking of this story I read in one of my books a few years back. The writer was attending a silent meditation retreat in a monastery. He was at the table, eating in silence as the group listened to readings, when he discovered a fly in his tea.

Leaning to the monk seated on his right, he quietly whispered, "There's a fly in my tea." The monk startled and very quickly took the cup and rushed from the room.

Being a westerner, the writer assumed the monk's distress was embarrassment at the fact of the fly in the guest's tea. But his thinking expanded by 180 degrees as the monk returned, smiling, sat down, leaned over and very comfortingly reassured him, "The fly will be okay."

Whatever the fly in my tea is today, whatever the fly in yours, may we cherish each being's right to live out its destiny. May we help those little flies out of the milky tea, so they can fly once more.

9 comments:

  1. A sweet sentiment and fresh perspecitive. Thank you.

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  2. I love it!
    One of the very few endearing things about Old Whatsisname, my first husband, was his habit of shooing flies out the door instead of killing them.

    Kay, Alberta, Canada
    An Unfittie’s Guide to Adventurous Travel

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  3. I love that!

    Wonderful story Sherry. x

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  4. Such a good story, Sherry. So many ways to look at different situations.

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  5. Baloney. Mr. Fly gets in my tea, it's curtains.

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  6. Nice one...good to remind us that we are not the center of the universe.

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  7. Nice story Sherry..
    Thank you very much for your visit and your heartfelt comments....

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  8. This is a beautiful post Sherry....one we should read everyday. :-)

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