Christopher Hansard:[To Receive]

A holy man was brought food each day by people for him to eat.

After receiving this food he would give it all away to those

he regarded as less fortunate than himself

after a while the holy man died

on his way through the inbetween relams

of life and death and life

a passing god grabbed him firmly by the shoulder and said

‘You, you are trying to make your way to heaven aren’t you?’

‘Yes’ , said the holy man

‘Well,’ said the god,’you won’t get in,

don’t you know

that?’

‘What do you mean,’ replied the astonished holy man

‘In order to find heaven you have to know how to receive,’ replied the impatient god

‘I received all that I was given,’ said the holy man

‘No!,’ said the god, ‘as soon as you were give you gave it away again, you did not receive the givers

just what was given, you did not partake in what they gave you before you passed it on’

said the god looking at the bemused holy man

‘I understand,’ said the holy man, ‘What now?’ he said to the god

‘Go back and life your life over as yourself and learn to receive truly ,

learn to receive as if you were those who gave..’said the god

..and that is what happened…