It seems my lesson this week is about reaching out.  In my lesson a couple of days ago in “The Book of Awakening,” there was a parable about the spider and the sage.  In it, a wise old man sees a spider struggling in the water and rescues him, placing him safely back on the earth.  Just as he is releasing the spider, it bites him. The next day, the man again sees the spider struggling, again rescues him, and again the spider bites him.  After the third time this has happened, the spider finally asks the man, “Why do you keep saving me? Can’t you see that I will bite you every time because it’s what I do?”  The sage answers him, “Because it’s what I do.”

The lesson is that although there are many reasons to reach out in kindness, the most compelling is that it is our spiritual nature.  Which I understand conceptually. But it is not my experience right now.  After having been bitten several times recently, I unlike the wise sage, feel like withdrawing from picking any spiders up.  I have lost contact, temporarily, with my nature to reach out in kindness.  Sometimes it feels as if reaching out is a mistake.

Is it?

The lesson in the book says that the reaching out is more important than the bite.  The author says he’d rather be fooled than not believe.  Deep in my heart I know the same is true for me - that I can’t and wouldn’t want to change my optimistic, see what’s good in people nature.  It is my nature too. However, I don't think it wise to keep picking up the same spider that has bitten me before.  Isn't there another parable about that????

So then, what is my lesson?  Maybe it’s about forgiveness and acceptance of others exactly as they are, bites and all. Maybe it's about learning whom to trust and forgiving the rest.  Maybe it's about looking at my expectations and lowering them, at least here in Sao Paulo.