Emergence of the "Happy Monk" and the Devotional Version of the Pathwork Lectures
I have not posted for some time, but it’s not because nothing in my life has been worth sharing. Quite the contrary! So much is going on that there is no time to share. I am reminded of the quote from the musical Company: “’An unexamined life is not worth living.’ So true. But also true is: ‘An unlived life is not worth examining!’” The line instantly became a “keeper” for me, and in all my “examining” I try to keep this balance with “living” in mind. But for now I can assure you my life is not unlived and is certainly not unexamined!
So what have I been up to? Many things. In this post I shall speak to one of them: my emergence as a “Happy Monk.” This title was given to me by one of the Senior Pathworkers with whom I work. It was feedback after looking at what I have been up to: the emergence from within me of what I call the Devotional Version of the Pathwork Lectures.
For three or four months now I have been working on this project and have completed nine lectures in this new poetic format. I have bounced this version of these nine lectures off a few fellow Pathworkers, and literally all of the feedback I have received, all from experienced and committed Pathworkers and Senior Pathworker Helpers, has been quite encouraging for this project. Let me share some of this feedback so that you might be inspired to check out the Devotional Version of the Pathwork Lectures for yourself sometime.
1) I read your extraordinary presentation of lecture #248. In its brilliance, it offers a clear and transparent way to look deeply into what the Guide’s profound teachings offer. The way you present it is like a whisper of love into the ear. You pluck out of density the brilliant jewels so necessary for this Work with Evil in our personal and collective soul Work. Thank you so much for sending it. May I pass it on to our students? Then after my “Yes!” Thank you so very much for sending me this next lecture. I have not surprisingly already received rave reviews from our students about #248.
2) I hope you will give us many more of these Gary. They really are a divine ray, an evolved way of transmitting the lectures now. I can feel the Guide and Eva filled with delight at the “Yes” that is allowing this new form for them. 3) What a great idea! It’s almost like poetry. I will definitely be using these. 4.) Wow Gary! This looks great! … Seems very poetic to me! I loved it. 5) This is really wonderful Gary! And you do deserve much recognition! 6) I found the link to your paper with the teachings of #248. I am so grateful for this amazing work , Gary. 7) It’s like Christmas! Another devotional lecture under the tree. I see a whole new set of lectures being made available Gary! With deepest gratitude. 8] What a beautiful note from a Senior Pathwork Helper to celebrate your creativity. And finally, 9) Gary, I said to a friend the other day in the wake of this great work you are doing with the lectures, that you are like a happy monastic monk pouring over the ancient transcripts.
It felt like a rush to take in all this encouraging feedback — and very humbling, a sense of being used by Spirit in some small but yet significant way. AND I found that I could say “Yes” to this being the “Happy Monk!” I do so love “pouring over” these lectures with such regularity, at first starting 8 years ago creating and listening to the audio recordings of the lectures, now evolving the Devotional Version, AND most importantly, applying the Pathwork wisdom to my life, individually, to my life with Pat, and to my life with others; and supporting others in applying Pathwork wisdom to their own lives. In consistently working with these Pathwork Lectures I am truly at HOME with my Self. Yes, I am a “Happy Monk” — and I can find fulfillment in this identity.
As I sit with this “new” identity I feel at ease. I realize for the first time that I do not have to get involved in all the organizational roles that have so challenged me my entire life, and most recently with Mid Atlantic Pathwork. I realize that these leadership roles were NOT the real me — I was forcing myself into something I was not. Somehow being a Happy Monk did not occur to me as an appropriate and legitimate identity. Leadership, yes, but NOT LEADERSHIP ROLES. Leadership roles are just not me!
To go much further with this project I shall of course be working with the International Pathwork Foundation – eventually this could be something of use on the Foundation website. Such was the path for the audio recordings which for a few years now have been available on the Foundation website. For now this Devotional Version of the Pathwork Lectures is “a work in progress” — I am playing with the format, trying different styles, and getting responses and ideas from others, and, of course, doing a few more lectures to see how it works for me. I am careful to keep all copyright to the original lectures with the Foundation. When the time feels right I shall contact the Pathwork Foundation concerning the possibility of expanding this project, if the Foundation is interested. In the meantime I am playing in my Happy Monk sandbox!
Here is how I introduce each lecture in the Devotional Version:
This lecture is given in an expanded poetic format, what I call a Devotional Version of the lecture, and in that sense this is my interpretation of the intent of the lecture. I may have interpreted portions differently from you, and I ask you to ponder the words for your own interpretation.
I did this Devotional Version so I can take the words into my heart, phrase by phrase, much as I would in reading poetry — devotionally.
The blessings to me in developing this version have been truly profound, and my wish is that this Devotional Version will be a blessing to others. I invite you to slowly read and ponder this version of the text – with an open heart to experience the Guide’s Presence and Love emerging from among the words such that the wisdom comes to live you.
For clarity: The original text is in bold, sometimes italicized. [My adds of commentary/clarification are in brackets, italicized, and not bolded.]
So there you have it. For those of you who enjoy the lectures, I invite you to try one of these nine lectures in the Devotional Version, spend a week with a lecture and see what happens. Feedback welcome! Here is the link to what I have completed. (Note: on my website this link is in a drop down menu under “Quotes.”)
Shared with gratitude and love, Gary