lm nguyễn trung tây

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□ Nguyễn Trung Tây, SVD
Meditation On Being

Walking by myself

through the darkness of the night,

looking at the sky

with a full moon

lighting the half of the earth

and the stars twinkling above of my head,

I think about the existence of Being[1]

and of myself

as a being[2].

Whether or not I accept the notion that I exist, I consciously realize that I, a being, am walking on my feet and meditating on the subject of Being and beings. Whether or not I accept that the moon exists, this being is lighting the way that I am walking on. Whether or not I refuse the existence of the trees on my right and my left, their withered leaves are falling upon my head. I could refuse to believe that the existence of Saturn since I myself never sense it in a manner that I experience Earth-I am walking on Earth. However, through satellites, scientists have photographed all planets in the solar system, thus make me be aware that undoubtedly, there are beings that I myself cannot sense as I sense this earth.

Walking by myself

through the darkness of the night,

I meditate on Being and beings.

Something must come from something. I was conceived in my mother's womb after my father's "the knowing" of my mother. With my "co-operation," my future wife will give birth to my possible children.

Nothing can come to be by itself.

There must be Being, that causes all beings come to be and to exist. This first Being makes the second being or the second beings to appear. The second beings in turn cause the third beings come to be and so forth. However, I have just said, something must come from something and nothing can come to be by itself. If so, from what being does Being come to be? Does Being exist itself? If so, I am contradicting myself through the being's statements.

I have to rephrase these two statements as something must come from something except Being, and nothing can come to be itself except Being.

So, what is Being?

Being is Being.

But how is Being characterized?

A dog is a being, a kind of animal, that know how to bark and is friendly to human beings. The last characteristic, friendly to humans, distinguishes a dog from the rest of animals, which know how to bark. A human being is a being, which walks on two feet and has a rational and intellectual mind. The last characteristic distinguishes a human from the rest of beings, which are also able to walk on two feet; for instance, ape.

So, what is Being?

I am conceived by both my mother and my father. The "knowing" of my parents caused my physical existence come to be. Someone tells me that I have my father's face. Some says that I have my mother's eyes. Some says I am moody like my father. After an argument with a friend, he, who knows my mother, angrily concludes that I am stubborn just as my mother. In general, in some degrees, I have carried the body and owned the attitudes of either my father or my mother, or both. I am characterized as moodiness, that is one of my mother's characteristics; as stubbornness, that is one of my father's characteristics. However, I am neither my father nor my mother. I am their son. Moreover, I am described under another categories, which both my parents do not possess.

Walking by myself

through the darkness of the night,

I meditate on Being and beings.

Being is the cause of all beings. From Being, all beings, under many different forms and essences, come to be and exist. Being must be infinite.

Human beings possess rational minds; however, the rest of beings do not. Rational mind is the essence, that distinguishes human beings from the rest of beings.

As human beings, we know how to think rationally. As human beings, we are creative. As human beings, we love. As human beings, we exercise goodness and evilness as well. Human beings are characterized under two categories: being good and being evil.

Human being is created from Being.

Being must be love and good.

What is Being?

Being is self-existence, infinite, love, and good.

Goodness and evilness are two different categories. Where there is good, there is not evil.

Human being is come from Being. From where do human beings possess evilness and exercise it along their own lives?

Are there two Beings? One is benevolent Being. The other Being is not.

Walking by myself

through the darkness of the night,

I meditate on Being and being.

Whether or not I refuse that I am existing, I am aware that I am walking on my feet and the moon is lighting the way I am walking on.

Being and all beings come to be through my thought and my sensation. With my rational and intellectual mind, everything can come to be. I imagine a pretty girl, who I know, and she automatically appears in my mind. If I stop my imagination, she is gone. I see a dog. I know it is a dog because I see it. With my rational mind, I think I hear a song, not a screaming.

If I shut off all my thoughts and disconnect myself from my sensation, I no longer think and sense anything, all Being and beings will be gone.

Walking by myself

through the darkness of the night,

I meditate on Being and beings.

(Ex-Mid, published by the Vietnamese Students at St. Patrick's Seminary, Menlo Park, CA in 1994, 33-36).

□ Nguyễn Trung Tây, SVD

____________________________

footnotes

[1] The notion of being denotes a self-consciousness. Being in this particular case is God.

[2] This being is a person.

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