I recently posted a “Metaphysical Moment” video on social media that was even more “metaphysical” than most of my videos/meditation streams/blog posts have been. I addressed my personal spirituality a bit more clearly by affirming my belief that the Divine Source most of us were raised to view as external to us, or, more specifically ABOVE US, is actually the Deep Self that resides WITHIN US.
The brief reflection that I did was to tap into that inner voice or guidance system, and to discover its Truth, and then to apply that Truth to our material, daily human situations and experiences. I also encourage even those who may not believe in a “higher power” or a “Divine Source” to attune to that Voice as a source of authenticity and Truth, even if you don’t believe in a deified Source of all things. That Voice, that Truth, is part of all of us. We tap into it every day, whether we acknowledge it or not. My feeling is that acknowledging it, and proactively accessing it, helps us get into the flow of our own authentic selves, and can help us envision, and create, our best, most authentic life.
I was inspired to make that brief video reflection, and this blog post, by a beautiful passage that I recently read in Paolo Coelho’s book Hippie. This recent fictional work from one of the world’s most beloved spiritually-reflective authors centers around the 1970 bus ride pilgrimage of several young, contemplative enlightenment seekers (deemed “hippies” by sources in the culture of the time) from Europe to Katmandu, Nepal.
In this passage that moved me, one of the central characters has an epiphany on one of the bus’ many stops along the way, in Istanbul, where he joins a wise man in afternoon prayer. While gazing on the sun in prayer, …“he saw the sun was speaking with him—it wasn’t trying to teach him anything, merely permitting its light to flood everything around him…”***
The entire passage, and its revelation, is profoundly moving. The parts that really hit me said:
“But the Supreme Gift, called Love, will make you an instrument of My words—the words I’ve not spoken but which you understand…The silence will teach you if you give yourself up to the Great Silence. This silence may be translated into words, because this will be your destiny, but when this happens, seek no explanations, and urge others to respect the Mystery…“Temples, churches, and mosques are full of people afraid of what’s to be found outside—and end up indoctrinated by lifeless words. My temple is the world, do not leave it. Though it may be difficult, remain in the world—even should you be the target of others’ laughter...Walk hand in hand, drink and be merry with life…”***
For me, that character’s conversation with the sun is the perfect expression of my own experience of the divine, (or, if you don’t subscribe to divinity, the metaphysical) voice, that lives both within us and around us.
So today, in our world that on the surface seems to be overloading us with chaos, greed, and discord, I encourage all of us to find that Voice of Truth within AND around us whether you consider it divine or not. In our hearts, in our awareness, and in our gratitude, we can discover and affirm all that is good in our lives, so that we can BE the peace that we seek in our crazy human world.
Because if I can’t find and be the peace that I long for, how can I expect others to do it for me?
PEACE! IN YOU. AND ME. AND EVERYONE.
***Excerpts From
Hippie
Paulo Coelho
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