Mystic Musings: Lent 3/28
Having lunch in a field one day, I troubled an ant with a question. I asked of him humbly, “Have you ever been to Paris?” And he replied, “No, but I wouldn’t mind going.” And then he asked me if I had ever been to a famous ant city. And I regretted that I hadn’t, and was quick to add, “I wouldn’t mind, too!”
This led to a conclusion: There is life that we do not know of. How aware are we of all consciousness in this universe?
Meister Eckhart, a 13th-14th century Catholic monk and mystic
What does an ant know of our world? What do we know of the ant world? What does your neighbor really know about your world, your inner desires and thoughts, and your unconscious motivations? What do you know about your neighbor’s world, their inner desires and thoughts, and their unconscious motivations?
Photo by Juan Pablo Mascanfroni @juanmascan1978
Years ago I remember deciding that no matter how much I might disagree with someone, I didn’t question their sincerity and integrity. I know you might react to this statement, but I have come to believe even when a person’s actions don’t align with their words, their actions always align with their inner motivations. It’s just that those inner motivations aren’t always apparent to the observer and, unfortunately, often to the actor as well.
I may step on ants on my way to Paris. And ants may ruin my beautiful flower bed with their dogged determination to build an ant city. Some level of destruction will result from both our decision and their decision. But no one is doing anything wrong. Both of us are acting with sincerity and integrity. Both of us are acting with good intentions within our worldview. Nonetheless, beings will be affected. Beings will be hurt.
When we see that there is an essential goodness to the Universe our hearts begin shifting to a position of curiosity rather than self-interested protection. We discover that this world is marvelously made even as we learn to accept the reality that we will both hurt and be hurt by others.
Sit quietly. Breathe deeply. Try this exercise and ponder these questions:
Pick an animal, an insect, a reptile or a bird—preferably in your sight. Take ten minutes and try to enter their world by pondering these questions:
What gives them pleasure?
What worries them?
What motivates them?
What do you think they know of you?
Now pick a person in your life and answer the same four questions.