The Brown Book Commentaries

―A child‘s Love is like a whisper; given in little ways we do not often hear … They do
not say it loudly but rather in how they come to you -- the many ways they tell you changes as
they grow … It is never ending; a blessing from Above.‖ ~ S. E. Chan
First & foremost, this quote harkens to the Wisdom of ―become again as a child‖ – and yet not
in the way traditionally considered. For we are most certainly not to mimic the neediness of
elementary-age children or the harshness of teen-age adolescents. For these are the youths still
searching to find their way amidst the fear & the chaos – these are the ―children‖ still searching to
find themselves – these are the pre-adults still searching for the very same things most adults still
search for to this very day. And those things are found not in mere ―children‖, but rather – as
Jesus says in Matthew 18:3-4 – ―very young children;‖ the infants whose lives are effortlessly
soaked in wonderment and awe (who continually see everything witnessed as if for the first time),
and the toddlers thereafter whose every encounter is ladled with a Love innocent & full & humble
& true (who treat every stranger & every passerby as though they were a long-lost Soulmate) …
For like every infant – even though we have temporarily forgotten – we too still know that
everything witnessed is a miracle filled with Beauty – indeed, that conscious witnessing itself is
miraculous & Beauty-full. And like toddler – even though we have temporarily forgotten this as
well – we too still know that every sentient being (human or otherwise) encountered is a member
of our Greater Family – that every being encountered merits Love & Caring & Kindness, and that
it is our privilege & indeed our honor to
give them the same openly & freely –
especially in those times when we least
wish to do so, and especially for those
seemingly ―least deserving‖ of the same.
Image 471 (Page 166b) … This picture shows Duncan & Opus in the ―Steeb
Street Sanctuary‖ (Feuerbach, Germany). It reminds me of the Truth that
being a Good Family requires none of what is traditionally mandated –
neither ―stability‖ nor ―abundance‖ nor ―safety‖ nor ―normalcy.‖ A Family
only needs one thing to be truly Good – and that thing is LOVE …
―Only men can make men.‖ ~ Margaret Mead
Actually, when men try to make men (and when women try to make women, for that matter)
what is lost in the instruction is how to Be Human – how to appreciate women if male, how to
appreciate men if female, how to appreciate all other genders if merely male or female, how to
appreciate & cherish all other non-human beings if merely human … If men are going to make men,
then they need to make Humane Men – for all other versions of mankind are destroyers of Peace &
Justice & Compassion. And if women are going to make women, they need to make Humane
Women – for all other versions of womankind are the bane of Freedom & Harmony & Love.
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