Reflection Questions
Welcome to the Wisdom of the World - Joan Chittister

Chapter 6 -  “Would I Do It All Again?”

Buddhist Teachings from Chapter

 With regard to looking back over our life decisions, questioning if what we did was the right thing for us to do, the wrong thing to do, the only thing to do, the good thing to do, we must understand that it wouldn’t have made much difference whether we did it or not.  For we would be the same person doing it and we would have the same things to learn.  The lessons are the lessons and we are who we are wherever we go.

•  Learning to be more than what we have or do is the real beginning of life.

•  Life is not a task at all. Life is the process of coming to see what is not seeable, to hear what is not said, to become what we are but never knew we were.

• Life has something to do with accepting impermanence, learning to move on in both mind and body, accepting who we are and forgiving ourselves for who we are not – then we begin to be happy.

•  Learning to live in the now, seizing it, realizing its value, honoring its presence in our lives makes for fullness of life. 

• Life is the process of becoming awake to what is really real, to what is good, to the foolishness of calling anything final or permanent or necessary or imperative. 

 In my life today, which teachings do I tend to incorporate in my life?  Which challenge me the most?

 How could I benefit from these teachings in my ongoing journey as a Christian and as a Secular Franciscan?