WISDEOM 5

He prayed--it wasn't how I prayed.

He ate--it wasn't what I ate.

He spoke--it wasn't my language.

He dressed--it wasn't what I wore.

He took my hand--it wasn't the color of mine.

But when he laughed--it was how I laughed.

   And when he cried--it was how I cried.

Amy Maddox, 16

Franklin Community High School

Bargersville, IN

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We continued to explore an aspect of our earthly dilemma: the mind’s need to know and the soul’s desire to live in the Mystery.

I was not suggesting that we do not ask questions. God knows, I’m always looking. As a person who has spent much of this lifetime cultivating my intellect, I still find comfort in having, what I call an “intellectual framework” to give me some understanding of this evolutionary process I am experiencing, but also realizing and accepting, in the long run, I am going to be confronted with that which the mind cannot comprehend. 

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom the emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand wrapped in awe, is as good as dead —his eyes are closed.” Albert Einstein

A suggestion: when a question comes to mind, especially when we are doing this kind of spiritual work, eg. “What does that mean?” “How does that idea fit in; it seems completely opposite of what was said before?” etc.

Stop for a moment and ask, “What would it be like if I knew the answer?” and just stay in that space for a moment and notice what happens. 

If you really want to stretch, ask yourself, “What would it be like if the answer didn’t matter?” and sit in that space for a moment. At first it might be quite uncomfortable, but continue to allow yourself to let go of the mind’s turmoil. The turmoil will not disappear, but your attachment to it will lessen. 

As you do this you can begin to experience “the peace that surpasses all understanding.”

Recall the lessons that have come before--these are practices we can do consciously--

1. Set our willingness and intention--in this case, to be aligned to divine wisdom; then 2) to open ourselves to the possibility of all that means.

The metaphor I used in class was imagining coming out of a cold room, and desiring to be warm, and then moving into the sunlight. There is nothing more you need to do--you let the sunlight warm and comfort you.

Now in this awareness, the sunlight or Divine Wisdom is not a power outside of you, but it is a power beyond the scope and understanding of the little self---here is where we sometimes get caught up. When we speak of Wisdom already being inside you, we are speaking of your unique connection with wisdom that comes about with your alignment with the Truth of who you are. 

“Now wisdom, we say, is a part of your inheritance. And you mistake intelligence for wisdom and they are not the same thing. Anybody can do the math who learns their times tables. Anybody can do the construction that learns how to build something with a hammer and a nail, but no one may know the truth until he aligns to it. You may only know truth ” “by aligning to it. And we underline this, and say it a third time: You may only know truth by aligning to it.”

In other words--you have to step into the light.

I recall Dr. Suess suggested that “Life’s a great balancing act.”  And here we are, balancing real and illusion, the spiritual and the material, surrender and action, the human and the Divine.

One of the reasons why we collect books and workshops, etc. is because the mind is always hunting for a rule book. It wants to be right, to feel safe. I remember someone saying, “When we are born we expect to be handed a user manual--Life 101”--well, here we are still looking.   Me, too.

But then, if we are open to it, there comes the challenge to enter a world or dimension beyond what my mind can grasp or understand. The physicist Max Plank exclaimed that the reason why we cannot comprehend the mystery is because we are “part of the mystery.” It’s like Alan Watts described as trying to “bite your own teeth.”

There are moments when we just “let it be.” When we are in the Holy Instant--these can be both simple and profound experiences, a flower, a cat purring on you lap, that first spoonful of dessert, a child’s laughter---name a few yourself.

“The decision that you make to stand at the precipice and to step off into the unknown is to welcome all the new possibilities that may be, but then you need your wisdom to claim them in your worth. Just because something is there does not mean you require it. Just because it may be seen does not mean you must see it. And your wisdom will teach you. “I am wisdom” will align you to wisdom if you are still enough to move into the frequency of it and let it inform you. And let it inform you, we will say, is the easiest way to understand this. You are all very used to controlling things, you know, so you believe when you are passive, or you are receptive, you are not doing anything, and you confuse this with action. To be in reception is an action. It is not inaction. It’s a conscious choice to allow. If you allow this now, you will receive it now, and you will reap the benefits very quickly.”

We began this reflection with using our imagination--”What would it be like if I did know?”

We will close with another meditative act--”What would it be like to step into the light; to simply align myself to Divine Wisdom, even  letting go of my questions, to allow the Heart to speak to me, to embrace me, to hold me, to love me.

Thank you.

Peace