The Color of the Soul

“Inside us there is something that has no name,

that something is what we are.” 

(José Saramago, Blindness)

I have heard it said that humans are composed of body, soul, mind, and heart. Body I understand; this miracle of cells and biochemical processes, urges and needs. Feed it, rest, work it, and all is well. The other three, however, confound me. Where is a mind located? Is it thoughts or neurons? Likewise, where are emotions generated, and what is the locus of the heart, or the soul? Is there some little yet-unknown-gland that houses such ephemeral extensions of humanness?

Soul in particular is a tough one to nail down. Some use the terms "spirit" and "soul" interchangeably, references to some immortal essence that is particular to the human race. Innumerable authors have written about the soul and its properties: 

“What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies.”
(Aristotle)

“Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes.

Because for those who love with heart and soul

there is no such thing as separation.” 

(Rumi)

"You shall love the Lord your God

with all your heart

and with all your soul

and with all your mind."

(Matthew 22.37)

So what is soul? Can it be seen, touched, heard, or in any way sensed? Can it be experienced? Do those who do bad things have a soul? Can you lose your soul? Religious traditions vary in their understanding of the soul's properties and purpose, though they agree on this: the soul is our core, and it defines our spirituality and humanity. 

“Prayer is not asking.

It is a longing of the soul.” 

(Mahatma Gandhi)

I am not really sure what soul is. This, though, I do hold as true - that you and I have the possibility of being brilliant, of doing amazing and miraculous deeds in our lives, of inspiring others, of exceeding our perceived limitations. We are a gift to the earth, filled with Divine Light and Love, born to serve all of creation. We are more powerful than we understand, far more beautiful than we presently discern. 

Paradoxically, and perhaps somewhat as an oxymoron, we are capable of immeasurable destruction and cruelty. We suffer the most petty of thoughts, the darkest emotions, and generate needless amounts of negative energy. One creature, two very different aspects. 

So which part is soul? Which is mind? Which is heart... What do you think? What is the soul, and what is its role in your life? Send me a note with your thoughts.

I leave you with this to ponder: regardless of what soul is, or is not, you have the power to choose to be your best today. Love fills and surrounds you, speaking words of encouragement, whispering in that quiet way through your wise self. Seek to grow in faith and Love; seek to know the Divine within; seek to be Christ to a world full of need; seek and it will be so.

I leave the last word to the Psalmist:

"He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name's sake."

(Psalm 23.3)

The color of the soul...

we see through a mirror but dimly.

Trunk

branches and leaves

we know

roots

in myth

lay

buried below

pull up the tree

and the

roots will

show

Death

reveals

all

Laugh

Love

Listen

To Ponder Further:

- From the Bible: "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26)

- From Judaism: "The body is the sheath of the soul." (Talmud, Sanhedrin 108a)

- From Confucianism: "The union of seed and power produces all things; the escape of the soul brings about change. Through this we come to know the conditions of outgoing and returning spirits." (I Ching, Great Commentary 1.4.2)

The Color of Contentment

“It isn't what you have or who you are,

or where you are or what you are doing

that makes you happy or unhappy.

It is what you think about it.” 

(Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People)

Anna and I were camping in Kananaskis over the long weekend; us and thousands of other leave-regular-life-and-escape-to-the-mountains folk. The weather was spectacular, the back-country scenery delicious, and the neighbors... well let's just say they are the impetus for this week's writing. Occupying campsites on either side of us were families who enjoyed playing their music loud enough for many campsites to enjoy, throughout the day and into the night. It was not simply music, though; it was a local radio station - commercials and all.

I appreciate that we don't all migrate to the mountains with the same purpose in mind; I gladly give space for the expression of other's needs. Hours of pounding music, however, erodes my experience of calm and the renewal which I was seeking. Fortunately Anna and I had aspirations beyond sitting in our campsite, and so we readied our day-pack and headed off into the wilderness for some solace with the sounds of nature. Nineteen kilometers later we arrived back at our trailer with the sights, sounds, and aromas of the high mountain meadows filling our senses... and the gift of the neighbors' music. 

“For after all,

the best thing one can do when it is raining

is let it rain.” 

(Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

I thought about going down to the camp manager to complain; I considered going over and asking the neighbors (nicely) to turn their music down a bit; I thought a few other much more unkind things that would not have been desirable to act upon; mostly I just stewed about the inconsiderate actions of others. Stewed, that is, until the wise voice within reminded me about the nature of peace.

I wondered what Christ, or Buddha, or any other enlightened one might do in this situation. Perhaps they would simply have used it as an opportunity to go over and say hi, to begin a conversation; maybe. Perhaps the conversation would have wiggled its way to the topic of music volume; maybe. The thing is, though, peace is not about manipulating our external world to fit the vagaries of our ego; peace is about being okay with our whole selves no matter what is going on outside of ourselves.

“The greater part of our happiness or misery

depends upon our dispositions,

and not upon our circumstances.” 

( Martha Washington)

What was needed was for me to discover the path to calm in the midst of the chaos of noise. Is Christ only the Christ with the sound of water laughing over a waterfall, the cry of a hawk overhead, the wind caressing the tall pines? Is the Buddha only the Buddha when meditating in a high alpine temple in Tibet? Of course not. The Christ within us is Christ whether we be crossing a busy New York street, shopping at Costco, or picking Saskatoon berries in some secluded stand of bush. 

It was me that needed to change, not the neighbors. And so, rather than sit and be frustrated I did the work of letting go and found calm (well, a bit of calm - I'm still working at this) in the midst of the Rock 101.9 FM coming from the meditation retreat to the west of us. It was a good learning, and I blessed the neighbors as a consequence, sending them Light and Love.

Sometimes we can change the world around us, and sometimes we cannot. We can, however, always intend to grow the world within us, the world where Spirit whispers, where Love nudges, where wisdom ferments. Change the world today by changing you; in so doing Love brings healing and renewal to all of creation.

I leave the last word to author, Elizabeth Gilbert:

“At some point,

you gotta let go,

and sit still,

and allow contentment to come to you.” 

(Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love)

The color of contentment...

stillness in motion.

They say

the eye of the tornado

is a center

of

calm

Be

the

eye

Pray

listen

laugh

To Ponder Further:

From the Bible: "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4.12-13)

From Taoism: “Because one believes in oneself, one doesn't try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn't need others' approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.” (Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching)

From Islam: "Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured." (Ar-Ra'd 13.28)