I think we all have a wise person like this inside of us, someone who can see things from many different perspectives, not just our own. Some people tap into their wise person though yoga or meditation, others, though simply listening regularly to that still, small voice inside of them.
Regardless of the method, I believe that wisdom is something we gain from looking inward rather than searching for something outside of ourselves. If we practice listening to that small voice, and we are truly honest with ourselves about what we hear, eventually what we do hear will become loud and clear, replacing all those negative thoughts that would otherwise cause us to respond emotionally. And so the more we practice this mindful behaviour, the more grounded and calm we become. For me, the time between initial emotional response and calm understanding is becoming less, and I look forward to a day when it takes up as little time and space as a thoughtful pause.
The question, however, remains, where does that still small voice that enables us to find such wisdom come from? Is it something that each of us carries around within us, like a seed that grows when we water it with our attention; or is it a window to a greater consciousness, collective or otherwise? Regardless of what we may believe, somehow when we listen to that voice the conclusions we arrive at about what is right and good, and about how we should treat each other, end up being remarkably similar.
For me the fact that the Mystics of the past and everyday people like you and I can come away with comparable wisdoms after meditating on life's questions, is proof enough to me that there is something more, something greater, something that through our inward seeking connects us all to each other and to a source that is true and good, in ways that science has not yet, and may never be able to explain.
A wise person inside for sure! It is always pleasant to find a kindred spirit who is unwilling to put a definitive label on that connection to wisdom we all seem to have. My uncle calls his "Jesus" and it makes him very happy. Who am I to tell him differently, and yet it seems to me so much more wondrous to say what you said: something more, something greater that connects us all to each other and to a source true and good!
ReplyDeleteHalle; I can't take all the credit for not choosing to define my something greater; I am a member of a Unitarian Universalist Church here in Victoria BC, and it is a common practice not to put a name to this mystery, and I am beginning to understand why. There are so many negative interpretation of religious words, that if we use them without defining them, it distracts from the message we wish to share. I may call my source God, but that doesn't recognize that someone else may call it something totally different. Besides, I don't think what we call it is as important as recognizing that it exists. Even if, like I said in my post, it is something that exists just inside of us that grows if we give it our attention, in my opinion it still is something we all share, and it connects us to each other in ways we haven't begun to understand. :)
ReplyDeleteI love this. I like to think about slowing down in order to become aware of the music of the spheres.
ReplyDeleteThat's a lovely way to see it. :)
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