Friday, July 16, 2021

Morning Salute

 

The Universe in Your Eyes

“I salute the light within your eyes where the whole universe dwells. For when you are at that center within you and I am at that center within me, we shall be one.”

Crazy Horse

          I ran across this quote by Crazy Horse, leader of the Oglala Sioux in the 19th century, on Facebook this morning. Think about that—a native man, a warrior in the 1800’s, who spoke with such dignity, spiritual understanding and deep human compassion. It reminded me of Rumi’s poem, “Beyond”:

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing,

there is a field.

I’ll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass,

the world is too full to talk about…”

(Translation by Coleman Barks)

          Rumi, a Sufi dervish in the 12th century, was also spiritually advanced. I wonder how much we’ve lost of that wisdom by confining ourselves to one set of beliefs and then focusing on making anyone who didn’t agree with them out to be “a savage,” or a “heretic.” Do you ever wonder what the world would be like if we respected other religions and embraced the spiritual beliefs and rituals of each? Imagine where we might be now—how many wars might be avoided, lives saved, differences settled peacefully.

          Rather than constantly competing, what if we were to open our hearts to each other, see the universe in one another’s eyes, give up judging right and wrong. Would we be one? How would it feel to lie down in that grass? It’s something to think about today, and if possible, to put into practice. I’m going to give it a try.

                                                  In the Spirit,

                                                  Jane

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