The Brown Book Commentaries

―Wisdom is the realization of how little we ‗know‘, coupled with the releasing of all
convictions we think we‘ve ‗learned‘ …‖ ~ anonymous
This is true, with the obvious exceptions being all the deeds we know that have consistently
brought various degrees of Peace to times of conflict, coupled with all those choices we have
experienced that have always
brought the awesome Light of
Love to moments of anger,
sadness, frustration, or fear.
―When the Soul rises into the lips, You feel the kiss you‘ve always wanted.‖ ~ Rumi
Of course, as long as the ego is longing for any kind of kiss, its foundational Soul can never
rise to any of the lips that eventually do that kissing. For the Soul only seeks to Love; only seeks
to give embraces of affection – never to take or cherish the same, much less to tempt or harbor or
in any way possess the givers thereof. As such, this quote only becomes deeply True when the
―You‖ therein becomes a ―you‖ (the ego) and the ―you‘ve‖ therein becomes a ―You‘ve‖ (the Soul)
– i.e. when it is the ego that experiences the deeper Joy that comes from Giving a kiss of Love,
which is the only kiss ever desired by the Soul therein.
“It is to Peace that God has called us.” ~ Paul (1 Corinthians 7:15)
Paul, as was so often the case, is actually speaking of bringing the ―peace‖ of comfort and
convenience to his audience (in this case first telling his listeners they should avoid divorcing their
marriage partners, and yet then essentially excusing divorce in almost the same breath immediately
thereafter) … That having been said – and while duly noting that it is indeed a Good Thing to
ameliorate all conflict that exists between individuals, groups &/or even nations – two important
points need to be raised: A) that it is not a Good Thing to ease any conflict via any form of
compromise (certainly not a compromises of one‘s basic values or moral foundations – as Paul
himself was often wont to do &/or encourage, and B) that Jesus was often not speaking of this kind
of ―peace‖ in the Gospels, but was instead affirming the deeper, more profound, and far more
transformative Peace that comes from treating the opponent as a Soulmate; from Loving the
enemy as a Friend (see Matthew 5:40-44, Matthew 11:28-30, John 14:27 & John 16:33 et al).
―I allow myself the freedom of vulnerability to all that is worthy & good … I wrap myself in
clothes of Self-knowledge. I rest in the Light of forgiveness, [both of] myself and [of] others – [both]
for that which was done (& better left undone) and that which was not done (& better if done). I give
myself permission to enJoy this moment without analysis. I release all uncertainty, regret and fear. I
hold tenderly all those I Love. Compassionately, I touch those I have harmed and those who have
harmed me. I celebrate the will of my Self. I sing of my [interconnectedness] and bask in the shine of
all I Am … This Life is not an isolated experience, but rather one of mutuality. In comprehending this
– my adventure begins‖ ~ Mary Anne Radmacher
Here are a few Important Thoughts on this wonderful quote – 01) The ―vulnerability to all that is
worthy and good‖ is essentially another way of saying ―the vulnerability to Love All Out‖ … 02) True
―Self-knowledge‖ requires an enlivenment of one‘s deepest, most self-sacrificial expressions of Love –
and as such, it is appropriate for Mary Anne to follow this with ―the Light of Forgiveness‖ … 03) It is
also true that we can only truly ―enJoy this moment without analysis‖ in those times when we are
reaching out to radically Care for others in some way. This is, after all, the only way for us to truly
―release all uncertainty‖, prevent all regret, and cleanse all fear … 04) This kind of living indeed cocreates
a ―Life of mutuality‖ – and only this kind of Life truly allows the Adventure of Living to truly &
fully commence.
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