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Rose of Gratitude
Inn Along the Way/Chapman Farm; Damariscotta, ME
Heart, "that you are, True Self, the soul, spirit, the one Self, Self, that-of-God in everyone, buddha nature, essence, ...; Sufis, the aspect of the self that is the opening, or gateway, to the Absolute. No words can tell us what the heart is, but they can point us in the direction of what the heart is. The heart reveals itself - that is the sole way to know the heart. To be known by the heart is to know the heart.
An aged pilgrim was walking to the Himalayan Mountains in the bitter cold of winter. An innkeeper asked him, "Sir, how will you ever get there in this kind of weather?" "My heart got there first, so it's easy for the rest of me to follow," answered the pilgrim.
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The above story, adapted from Anthony de Mello, Taking Flight, reminds us of the power of aspiration. To aspire means, literally, to breathe to, out toward, or upon. Accordingly, aspiration has the sense of out-breathing or out-spiriting. Something within you is released, is given away.
This aspiration is part of the natural movement that includes inspiration. You, therefore, do not lose anything by the giving. Without aspiration, we lose inspiration. If we do not breathe outward, we die physically. We must have aspiration and inspiration. We spiritually die, if we hold life within us, in the cage of ego, rather than releasing it, breathing outward into the world.
Desire, often suspect in religion, is a powerful motivator. Sometimes, people say something like, "I'm trying, but my heart just isn't in it." If our heart is in something, we will find fidelity to it easier than if only our head is in it. Aspiration arises from the heart. The aspiration of the heart is much more important than the intent of the head; love trumps willpower.
There is a difference between saying "I should …" or "I need to …" and saying "I want to…". When we should or need but do not feel the desire, we can pray for the spontaneous arising of aspiration. With aspiration, our will is enlivened, and we will enjoy acting from desire. Even a simple, brief prayer can arouse aspiration.
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Meditation and mindful living are not just about being present; they are about fully being present. To what? The heart. If one says, "No, to God." I say, "To be present with the heart is being present with God. To be present with God means God is present to you." To be present fully to any one thing means all of you is present. Spirit is in the details, and everything is in Spirit.
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Last, this being-fully-present is invitational. Your true being is welcoming. When you are entirely available to the other, you are saying, "I welcome your reply." This reply is not verbal. The response is the heart the other is to the heart you are - we are, God is. In this communion, you discover there is one heart. This heart-with-heart is a connotation of monotheism: there is only one heart. So, seeing God desires God, our most profound joy is this heartful connection arising from aspiration and returning to us as inspiration.
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*©Brian K. Wilcox, 2022.
*Use of photography is allowed accompanied by credit given to Brian K. Wilcox, and title and place of photograph.
*Brian's book, An Ache for Union: Poems on Oneness with God through Love, can be ordered through major online booksellers or the publisher AuthorHouse.
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