"At the center of your life," she said,
"is a central, sacred question
That question guides everything you do,
your goals, your relationship…everything."

"But what is the question?"
he asked.

"That's just it," she said.
"It's different for each of us.
Some state it without hesitation;
others stumble through life
unaware that they're driven to live it out."

"For example?" he asked.

"What is truth?
How do I express compassion?
Where is love found?
For Confucious it was,
How do I live wisely and well?"

"And how do I discover my sacred question?"

She was silent for a moment.
"Stop long enough to assess
    what you want,
    where you're heading,
    where your passion lies.
Around what do you organize your life?"

He, in turn, was silent.
Finally he thought to ask,
"And what is the sacred question
at the center of your life?"

She smiled.
"I think that I am here
to help other find their sacred questions."

"That wasn't a question,"
he chuckled.

"True enough," she responded.
"How do I help others discover
their unique, core questions?"

Again a pause. Then he said,
"I think I know mine."

"Oh?"

"How do I find stillness?"

"Ah, that's a good one,
a worthy one."
She smiled contentedly.
"Now I have a request for you."

"Yes?"

"The next person you see–
ask them,
What is your central, sacred question?"

Text and image © 2011 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.