As I flew off to vacation in California a few weeks ago, I was craving simplicity and groundedness.  I’d come off of 3 tough work weeks and wanted to be reminded of the magic of life — my hectic schedule felt anything but magic!

It was apt then that I picked up Sue Bender’s, Everyday Sacred to read on my journey.  There’s no accident, right?  I immersed myself and read it cover-to-cover on my 5 hour flight.  It was made to order.

A series of vignettes and observations built around the metaphor of the Begging Bowl, the book is an excellent perspective shifter. 

Wandering monks take their simple, and inherently imperfect ceramic bowls out into the world and allow others to fill the bowl with sustenance.  Whatever comes is welcomed without expectation or judgment.  Bender approaches her exploration of the sacred in our everyday as would the monk.  Allowing experiences and stories to come that fill up her understanding, the book, and the reader — without expectation or judgment.  It is good practice to try reading the book in this same spirit.

Allowing the stories to flow over you, trust that just what you need will be delivered.  In my reading I received many powerful questions that got me thinking.  I think that’s the genius of this little book:  you are offered different ways of seeing even the most mundane objects.  If you are into metaphors and symbols like I am, you’ll find this rich.

For example: Appropriate to the recent discussion on this blog about addiction to self-help books, and my experience on a self-help diet, is this particular passage from the book:

"In many religious traditions a monk sets out with his begging bowl and an exchange is made," he began.  "Food is placed in his bowl and he accepts the offering gratefully.  The offering gives him strength to do his work and, in return, he gives guidance and wisdom.  Who gives? Who receives?  Both are giving and receiving."

"What does a monk do when he’s feeling deluged?" I asked

"The monk puts is bowl away when he is finished eating," he answered.  "If he ate all the time, there would be no time to digest."

"Even when I am doing things I enjoy," I tell Mel, "I don’t leave time to digest or savor what is happening.  I almost never pause before going on to the next ‘doing.’"

"Put a lid on the bowl," he said with the smile of a sphinx.

Isn’t this exactly what drove the self-help diet?  A need to stop eating and take time to digest! 

This is one of those books that will give you something metaphorically no matter when you pick it up.  A keeper to return to again and again whenever the hunger strikes.