Brian’s Reflection: Wednesday, February 17, 2010

The sun shines down, and its image reflects in a thousand
different pots filled with water. The reflections are many,
but they are each reflecting the same sun. Similarly, when
we come to know who we truly are, we will see ourselves in
all people.

Amma [ the “Hugging Saint” ]


“ ….. to know who we truly are.” Now there’s a task, a Journey! Some would say that we were made by a deity in the “image” of that deity, and our task is to find a way most perfectly to reflect that deity. Christianity mostly takes that view. Today for Christians is Ash Wednesday. This day with its liturgy, and the season of Lent which follows, is a way to “know who we truly are” – and therefore be free to reflect the God of Unconditional Love and Compassion.

I don’t think it works that way.

Rather, there are limitless ways “to know who we truly are”. Limitless places to look, seek, imagine, internal and external. Ultimately I think we choose the raw materials from which we create ourselves, religion being one that many have chosen. But religions, and the deities they propose, are things that human beings created. And they can all mislead. And we humans very often choose to suit our “needs”.

“Who we really are” can only be discovered by looking deep within, with as much clarity and honesty as possible. This requires, of course, the rejection of fear, of outside definition, requires deep self-love and respect.

It is up to us to choose the “tools” we use in this task. And ultimately each of us must decide what a human being is essentially meant to be like. If we chose rightly, “God” appears. But whatever we choose, that is what we will see in “all people”. Friend, or enemy? Sister, or stranger?

When others are enemies, strangers, “other”, we have chosen wrongly. We have mis-defined ourselves.

Time to re-walk the path. Till we “see ourselves in all people”, all One in Compassion.

Brian+