I was drawn to Barron and his books because of their focus on nature (at times, he is Tolkien in tone) and his attention to detail. Plum praise by Jane Goodall and Robert Redford didn't hurt either. Still, while those aspects of the books are appealing, I was more taken with his comments on prayer v. meditation and the environment.
These quotes are taken from The Great Tree of Avalon, Child of the Dark Prophecy:
"All right," she declared. "Try this. Prayer feels mostly like telling. Saying things to the gods - Dagda, Lorilanda, whoever. But meditation...that's different. Meditation feels less like telling, and more like, well, listening." (p. 44)
"Humans have great gifts, as Llynia said. And also great potential - not always realized, mind you, but there nonetheless - for helping other creatures less fortunate than ourselves. That means we need to apply our wisdom, inventiveness, and hard work to making the world a better place for all to live." (p. 228)
As I finished Book One, I was reminded to listen to what the Universe is trying to tell me rather than dump upon it all my recent worries and concerns.
As Hua Ha Ching once said:
The trick now is to spend time doing this and to be open to what I receive.
"Do you imagine that the universe is agitated? Go into the desert at night and look out at the stars. This practice should answer the question."
I'll keep you posted.
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