How beautiful his words are to me and I share his sentiment and his passion.  Thanks so much for sharing that passage.
Did you find that in one of his essays?  

Nice to meet you Alaok.  

Peace, Eliza

Percy!!  
You got to work at the hospital in Africa?  IM SO JEALOUS!!  It's been my dream to live and work there.  
I recently watched a documentary on DR. Schweitzer and I was so captivated by watching him that I could almost feel myself there with him!  
I would love to hear more stories about him.

A couple of years ago, I searched for books on Schweitzer and found very few that were available.  A friend of mine found some used books in an old thrift store in Wales and mailed them to me.  I was thrilled!  

Schweitzer seemed to be able to strike a very practical and realistic balance in his life between knowing what was necessary and what wasn't.  I follow this same general rule in my own life when it comes to preserving life.  But, I have a different standard for humans than animals and children.  I believe that humans should have the right to decide how and when they want to die.  But, animals don't and it's not up to humans to decide their fate by unnatural and unnecessary means.  

Your own definition of your personal ' threshold' is what I refer to as a cathartic moment of enlightment when all of a sudden our fragmented experiences in life come together and provide some profound understanding and wisdom.  Isn't it absolutely awesome when that happens?  

I am short on time again.  But, I wanted to share my immediate thoughts with you in response to your thoughts. But, I'm eager to learn more about your term with the Dr.  
I would also be interested to hear your thoughts about how society perceived him at that time and if you believe that people today perceive his philosophy any differently.  

I was also curious to know how involved Schweitzer was with his own family.  I didn't realize that he had children until I watched the documentary on him.  

I must run for now.  
Peace, Lizzie

Hi,

Dr. Schweitzer's fame became increasingly widespread over the years, and many journalists and other curious people flocked to Lambaréné to see him in action. But even -- perhaps especially -- here his ingenious individuality asserted itself. Dr. Schweitzer was frequently known to say that "everyone must find his own Lambaréné."

Where is my Lambaréné?

In the Primeval Forest?  In the fabelas "do Brazil"?  In Sabra and Shatila?

YES.!!

Percy,
I had the same curious thought about how each of us came to know about Dr. S and why we wanted to incorporate his philosophies into our own lives.  Before I share my own experience, I was wondering where the online store is?  I'm in the USA.
My first introduction to the Dr. was when I was a young child-about ten years old or so.  I had a sick dog who meant the world to me and I had my mom drive us to our veterinanarian who was a bit like the Dr....unconventiional and very passionate about caring for ALL animals. It was late at night when we visited his office on his home farm and I found him holding and nursing  a  fawn who's mother had been shot and killed.  He had no lights on -just a fire blazing in the fireplace and he and the deer sat quietly in the glow.  But, while I was there, I looked on his wall and saw a prayer for animals and Dr. Schweizer's name was on the bottom.  I scribbled it down on a piece of paper and kept it for years.   It was not the same exact prayer that Schweitzer wrote as a young boy.  But, you may know of this prayer for animals.  For years, I thought that Dr. Schweitzer was a Vet!  
My second encounter with the Dr. was in High School.  I must have been about 17 or 18 years old and I heard about the Nobel Peace Prize.  I was always an advocate of Peace and wanted to learn more about this honor.  I did some research and discovered that the Dr. had received this award.
The odd thing is that I still didn't know very much about the doctor or I should say begin to truly appreciate on a personal level, his philosophy until I was in my late thirties and early forties.  I had an absolutely dreadful and hearbreaking experience and turned to Schweitzer's words for comfort and completely integrated his words into my heart and life.
It was June 18,2003 and I had just finished my dinner when I heard my husband shout a curse word and throw our dishes in the sink and run outside.  The man who lives behind me was shooting and killing the wild rabbits that I treasured so much. I was panicked because they had a litter of babies and I knew they could not survive without their mother.  I stood there helpless unable to stop him in time.  I fell to the ground screaming as I watched this man stomp the rabbits to death with his bare feet after he had shot them.  Then, he proudly tossed their carcasses in his trash can.  Percy, I was so devastated by this heinous event that I couldn't speak for days and I have never felt such anger and disgust toward anyone in my life.  Tears would run down my cheeks all day long.  I felt as if my breath was gone.  Most of all,  I hated feeling all that anger. I felt that there was no hope for humanity and I didn't even want to look or speak to another human.  
But, I had the babies to care for and so I knew that I could not waste time loathing. I had to focus on their survival.  But, then, for what?  For them to grow up and this man kill them too?  
I came inside my office one day and started reading every bit of Schweitzer's words that I could find.  I talked to him, begged him to help me find the strength and courage to forigve that awful man and most of all to not lose a part of myself that was so loving, trusting and hopeful.  I had been a teacher , instructing people to create backyard habitats and I felt like I had lured these animals to their death.
Long story short.  All the babies died except for one.  I eventually named her Beatrice.  Two weeks after that horrible incident , I got up one night out of bed and discoved that the man's house was completely in flames!  Percy, I stood there watching this man's house burn to the ground and I felt horrible for him.  I asked God, ' Why would you allow this man to suffer such a loss when it will not cause him to reflect on killing those rabbits. ".  God said very clearly to me, ' Elizabeth, this fire is not to punish  this man, it serves to remind you that you are a loving woman who doesn't hate and who does not gloat on anyone's misery, even if they have hurt you".  My gosh, it was the most cathartic lesson of my life and to this day, I focus on being my true self despite the pain and suffering that others will inflict.  
That event caused me to study Dr. Schweitzer's words and life in much greater depth.  I felt that he was the only human that could relate to my suffering and help me recover and find a way to serve this earth and humanity.  I often refer to him as my spiritual mentor.  
Since Beatrice, I have had several generations of rabbits live here in peace and I keep a journal of them with pictures.  Right now, I have Beatrice's' grand daughter, Luna and her two kittens named Sola and Shasta ( after the daisy that she eats).  I still have to worry about my neighbor though. He kills just to kill.  He knows nothing else.  
Last year, I received a beautiful painting of Melangell by Jen Delyth, a Welsh artist.  Familiar with Melangell?  She's the protector of Hares.  I was VERY touched by this very thoughtful gift.  
I'm short on characters in this post but I will share more with you in future posts.  I've learned so much from the rabbits about patience, forgiveness, and when we should intervene and when we shouild allow nature to run her course.  
Peace and Joy, Lizzie

Percy,
I don't have time right now to cmplete all my thoughts.  But, I wanted to just say that I don't mind at all if you use any part of my story.  If my experience can empower or enlighten someone else, then it makes my tragedy worthwhile.  However, I would like to add a few things to it before you make any considerations.  Please send my thanks to Caroline for sharing her love and compassion with the animals.

Oh, in the meantime, you may want to do a little research on a fellow named Mark Bittner....the man from San Fransisco California who cared for the Parrots on Telegraph Hill.  He has become an acquaintance of mine and his story is so inspirational.  Mark has encouraged me to write a book about my experience with the rabbits.  There is a documentary on DVD called, ' The Parrots of Telegraph Hill'.  I highly recommend it!

I'll be back later today.  

Love, Peace and Joy,
Lizzie

Hi Megan!

I loved hearing about your experience.  It's hardly boring!  I remember the story about the ants too.  Isn't it interesting how those type of stories stick with us?  I think it's a measure of a person's spiritual character when they are touched by such stories.  

' Seek and ye shall find'

I think that any wise man, be it Jesus or Buddha or St. Francis, would agree that questioning is an essential element in spiritual maturity that never ends.  In my own opinion, as harsh as this may sound, anyone who believes that they have all the answers and that they know only one way to spiritual fulfillment is either a narcissistic kook or someone who is in denial or both!  

I've studied Buddhism, Christianity, Quakerism, and Judaism and even though I have carried many of their teachings in my heart, I have come to the conclusion that if anyone needs for me to define my religion for them, then I would have to say I'm Pagan because I really don't recognize any boundary between nature and anything Divine ( and I'm a tree-hugger..hehehe) and religions are ego-based.   I do believe in a Creator.  But, it is difficult for me to define my creator because I believe that it is a source of Divine universal energy that lives within each of us and is replicated in every living creature on a molecular level that manifests itself spiritually IF we choose to allow it to do so.  Of course, religion would not exist if it were not for our egos and that is why rabbits don't go to church!    I tend to believe that every living entity on this earth contains a Divine spirit even though they may not behave so Divinely.  Percy wrote about his threshold and I just realized that perhaps his threshold experience is a true spiritual experience where there is no ego, the mind is still, and we are completely as one with the universe and our creator.  If only we could experience that kind of alignment in all moments.
Megan, I can hear your passion for life in your words and I think that it is indeed, passion, that fuels our spiritual life.  A truly sincere passion isn't something that is manufactured by anything external and it can't be destroyed by anything external.  Sometimes I have felt that being so passionate was a curse, a burden that I didn't want to bear.  But, I've come to accept that it is the very source of life in me and it is wrong to deny it.  Just imagine all the things that would be different if Dr. Schweitzer had denied his own passion.  I wouldn't even be sitting here writing you.

The Zen Buddhists bow slightly toward one another, enough to show the top of their head...the crown of Divine light.... as a way of acknowledging the other person's Divinity.  I think that it's a beautiful and respectful and loving gesture.  

So, I will bow to you now  Have a good day and thanks again for sharing your story.

Lizzie

You were there Percy?? How cool is that!!

I don't know why that story has stuck with me for over 20 years but it seemed to sum up his philosophy perfectly. You were so lucky to be there to witness it first hand. I often imagine what it must have been like.

I look forward to your thoughts on religon too . I return your "Zen Bow" and say "Namaste" (which means "I bow to you" in Sanskirt)

Megan