We made it to the Library of Congress yesterday. It is one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever been in. If you have not been to Washington and ever have the opportunity I would not hesitate to recommend it, not for the politics but for the sheer beauty of what has been built here on the physical level. Indeed there are many problems and stuff we don't know about behind the scenes but that does not have to deter one from appreciating the awesome structures that have been built here. We also went to the Jefferson Memorial which is at one end of the tidal pool and even though they are doing some repair work in front of it the memorial and the view are awesome.
One point of interest for me as we were going through the library though was in their display about the beginnings of this country. Above one set of documents was something about beliefs (I can't remember the exact phrase) that really stood out for me given the work I do. Indeed the country was founded on a set of beliefs that was lofty and idyllic, and they have fallen short. Is that not the way of beliefs? It is no different from our own lives which are also founded on beliefs that for the most part we are unable to live up to because it is what's real, it's a step removed from that. We too have build monuments and structures that are beautiful (some not so much) and we tend to become deeply attached to them. Therein lies the trap. There is a difference between appreciating something and 'believing' in it.We can appreciate what has been, and if we are called to it, there is still a letting go that brings us to even deeper levels of appreciation that are not attached to any concept or belief but rather to what is. Makes the whole world shine with wonder.
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