magpie mind

"Suffering cleanses us of the falsities that have accumulated in our hearts.

So often our minds are like magpies.

We pick up and take on everthing that glitters,

even though it may have no substance. 

In a magpie's nest, one finds random collections of colourful but useless debris.

The fire of suffering cleanses completely the falsities

to which our longing has attached itself. 

This liberates us from the emptiness of false belonging and

 allows us to belong in a real and truthful way in our lives again."

 

from John O'Donohue's "Eternal Echoes - Exploring our Yearning to Belong"  p.162