Numbers 3:23-26: The clans of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle on the west, with Eliasaph son of Lael as head of the ancestral house of the Gershonites. The responsibility of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting was to be the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting, the hangings of the court, the screen for the entrance of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords—all the service pertaining to these.
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Nobody reads Numbers. Why would they? In the deep mythology of the Judeo-Christian tradition, we have the tabernacle or arc of the covenant wherein unfathomably dwells the Source/Creator/Great Sacredness in all its majesty and terribleness (see also Exodus 25). Imagine having the Mysterium Tremendum in the box; the seed of the Big Bang in a jar.
In Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior, it says that there is this Tremendous Power belonging to no one, but available to everyone. To access this sacred power requires meticulousness. One has to pay attention to personal details: the way one turns on the tap, combs their hair, brushes their teeth. All the details matter. This Power is like a great typhoon that can create tidal waves and knock down huge buildings but “the personal experience of this wind comes as a feeling of being completely and powerfully in the present” (Shambhala, p. 114).
If the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh know and largely dwell in Deep Compassion and Vast Joy, it is because they lead incredibly disciplined lives of mindfulness and meditation. Did not the Buddha and Jesus dwell in meticulous discipline? How would the Buddha move his hand? How might Jesus walk? Thich Nhat Hanh’s movements have been described as “a cross between a cloud, a snail, and a piece of heavy machinery.” Presence. Mindfulness. Meticulous attention to the details.
The Book of Numbers continues: The head of the ancestral house of the clans of Merari was Zuriel son of Abihail; they were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle. The responsibility assigned to the sons of Merari was to be the frames of the tabernacle, the bars, the pillars, the bases, and all their accessories—all the service pertaining to these; also the pillars of the court all around, with their bases and pegs and cords.(3:35-37) What is required of those who would dwell with the Great Sacredness? Meticulous attention to the details. Deep presence.
The disciplined lives of the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh may seem like too much for us. Why would we even want to lead such disciplined lives of mindfulness and meditation? We don’t even have the patience to read about disciplined lives in the Book of Numbers, let alone lead them. Why would anyone read Numbers? Nobody reads Numbers.
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We want ease and a lack of constriction in our lives, but the ironic truth is that this requires discipline. Recall that Thay is described as both a cloud and a heavy piece of machinery. Today, give yourself five minutes to enjoy meticulous focus. We see this concentration of attention in children all the time: As they watch a bug crawl or draw a picture. Take five minutes and attend totally to the way your hand turns, or pick one bird in the backyard and follow its every move, or hold that hammer with all your mindfulness as you pound that single nail. Move like the sons of Gershon on the west side of the arc, working responsibly, meticulously handling the cords for the screen for the entrance of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar with the discipline of their full mindfulness.
(Music: Courtesy of Adrian Von Ziegler, “Circle of Life.” )