Boethius and banana skins

blessed boethius severinus

There was a Roman called Boethius who lived in the 6th Century.  He had everything; intelligence, fortune, estates and long established family.  He came from a long line of brilliant and well known men of the time and had two sons who just been promoted to high position.  He loved Greek philosophers and was planning to translate the whole of Plato into Latin.   He was charged with treason and everything changed.  No longer able to translate Greek Philosophy, he had to become Greek Philosophy.  That's the only choice when life lays down banana skins in your path, you are forced to live the things you aspired to, you either live them or you don't!

Boethius with Philosophy

In Prison, he had an imaginary conversation, or was it a real inner conversation with Philosophy, his long time friend and he wrote it down.  In it, he complained to her, he tried to rationalise and understand the things which seemed to have happened to him. She stood by his side and because the circumstances were so extreme and there was nothing to protect him from accusation and disgrace, no rationalising what had happened, he  had to listen, he had to nakedly keep going towards what was going to be an end to this life of success and then disgrace. He had to give up everything else!

Meditation,worth trying early!

What he didn't have was the complete addition to philosophy, he didn't have meditation, he just had to think it through and reason it.  Meditation gives just one more defence against the wretched cosmic banana skin, it means that every time a banana skin looms up in your mind, you have a friend, you have a mantra or a point of light to put your attention onto.  Now, it may not do more than give you a tool to keep going but underneath it develops a strength of being which will stand you in the only stead you can rely on when everything shouts it's compelling message of division at you.

If you are interested in meditation and why it is a positive step, come and hear from 3 marvellous speakers at St Martin-in-the-Fields on the morning of Wednesday, November 26th.  To find out more go to www.justthisday.org

feel familiar, banana skin!!