How Do You See the World?
by Robert Meagher on 04/16/13
“…the world is a state of mind.”
Tom Carpenter from ‘A Dialogue on Forgiveness’
A couple of months ago saw us celebrate Valentine’s Day here in Ottawa, Canada. I am not sure if Valentine’s Day is cause for celebration worldwide, but the occasion is customarily observed here in North America.
This year Valentine’s day happened to coincide with my weekly visitation at a local nursing home. I thought it would be nice if I brought a few roses with me to hand out to some of the residents at the home. It was intended as a simple gesture to let some residents know that on this day that celebrates love—Valentine’s Day—they too were loved.
The first few roses I handed out were greeted with smiles and even a teary eye (the recipient’s and mine!). And then a surprise reaction from one of the residents. As she unwrapped the package to reveal the rose, she looked with bewilderment at the contents. She rummaged around the wrapping, fumbling through the greenery that accompanied the rose. Her seeming bewilderment then turned to a frown. She glanced up at me, and with her thick New-York-Jew accent said “What!? No card!!! Roses are supposed to come with a card!” I couldn’t contain myself and burst out laughing; as her reaction was so contrary to what I thought it might be.
I thought the experience was a beautiful reminder and metaphor for how powerful we are in creating the world we see. Our thoughts, how and what we think, have the power to allow us to see whatever it is we want to see, and to see the world in whatever way serves us best. It is Buddha who said “All that we are arises from our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make our world.”
Within the past year I have become acutely aware of just how powerful our thoughts are. I have come to realize that we truly do create the life we are living by our thoughts. I will fall short of suggesting we can do ‘anything’ we want with our life; but I will suggest that, with our thoughts, we can change our life. I am living proof of it.
Many spiritual and faith traditions speak of, and focus on, the importance of training our mind. Look no further than ancient faith traditions of Taoism or Buddhism for such tenets of spiritual training. Another spiritual discipline I follow, A Course in Miracles (ACIM), is clear in its teaching that it is “a course in mind training” (T-1.VII.4.1). ACIM offers the following insights on the topic of mind training:
Nothing external to your mind can hurt or injure you in any way. There is no cause beyond yourself that can reach down and bring oppression. No one but yourself affects you. There is nothing in the world that has the power to make you ill or sad, or weak or frail. But it is you who have the power to dominate all things you see by merely recognizing what you are.
My holy brother, think of this awhile: The world you see does nothing. It has no effects at all. It merely represents your thoughts. And it will change entirely as you elect to change your mind, and choose the joy of God as what you really want. Your Self is radiant in this holy joy, unchanged, unchanging and unchangeable, forever and forever.
ACIM W-190.5-6
You may be saying at this point, “That’s all fine and good, spiritual and faith traditions offer us opportunities to train our minds. But I’m living in the ‘real’ world and have no time for such practices.” Indeed, you may be correct—you may be living in the ‘real’ world. But whatever world you are living in, it is a product of the mind training you have invited into your life.
Not too long ago I entered an Executive MBA (Masters of Business Administration) program at a prominent Canadian university. I was at the height of my management career at the time and it was thought that having an MBA would be an invaluable asset/credential to possess moving forward in my corporate Canada career. Just one of things I realized, even then, and especially now, was how my mind was being trained to think a certain way. And the way I was being trained to think guided not only my actions but how I saw the world around me.
Needless to say I have taken a slightly different path since graduating from that MBA program, but I have come to learn that no matter what we are doing with our life, where we find ourselves, is a direct product of how we have trained our mind. The only questions that remain are: What are you training your mind to think? And how do you see the world?
Shanti, Namaste, Agapé,
