“If I have lost confidence in myself, I have the universe against me.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
I am always intrigued and interested in writers and philosophers of the near and distant past and their undeniable illumination and wisdom; wisdom and insight that rises above the threshold of dogma and ignorance that besieges much of our more recent history. Take the dark ages for instance: The intellectual gains of ancient Greece and the contributions of great thinkers like Plato and Aristotle were blurred and forsaken when Christianity inherited Europe. Even Galileo was accused of blasphemy for his theories in astronomy. Imagine where science and technology would be today if we continued to build from where ancient Greece left off, instead of backsliding into blind faith and stifled forward thinking for hundreds of years.
One such writer and poet that continues to intrigue me is Ralph Waldo Emerson. Born in 1803, Emerson is considered one of the great transcendentalist writers of his time. His literary influences were seen as a reflection of individualism and a steward for challenging the dominant and dogmatic pressures of society:
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
“Life consists in what a man is thinking of all day.”
His essays and quotes talk about God not as a man but other things. His connection with nature was also interesting:
“There I feel that nothing can befall me in life, — no disgrace, no calamity, (leaving me my eyes,) which nature cannot repair. Standing on the bare ground, — my head bathed by the blithe air, and uplifted into infinite space, — all mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eye-ball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God”
Fellow blogger, Kirk McElhearn offered this insight: “He understood that the world is not simply that which is outside of man, but also that the world is something that we create from our own experiences and feelings, a concept which the great Zen teachers have espoused for centuries.”
I find it empowering that in a close minded world, there are visionaries from our past that have awakened and it is reflected in their writings. Ralph Waldo Emerson saw the world as something special beyond just pulpits and scripture. He saw a world where energy and nature are the paying currency; mans actions and thoughts, its driving force:
“Man is the creator of his world.”
God enters by a private door into every individual.”
When you read deeper into Emerson’s contributions you see a man bathed under the illumination of clarity and awareness. Nature was his meditative sanctuary where he found further insight and healing energy. Within his writing you see this connection with the universe, but also a connection with himself – there is almost a Buddhist quality to his message and his writing shows us that serenity, silence and inner wisdom are paths to enlightenment.
John C. Bader
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Just wondering……..I think our greatest self to become is there at birth for us but, we must find it, and understand how to utilize that greatest self. Perhaps, that is the purpose of meditation? To discover not only the moment but, this moment of purpose of existence in the universe?
Interesting question Dave and I am not sure I have the full answer. At birth we are born without an ego… yet, through social evolution the ego is what defines us at an early age. As we mature and see this rift between True Nature and Ego, we are left with a choice: Connect more to our True Nature (this energy, love and wisdom that arises from the within and without – the essence of God as it relates to the Universe) or we can continue to be led by blind reactions and blind faith; fear, materialism and false-self – all facets of the ego. Meditation slows down the thoughts within our head. Over time, meditation stretches those gaps between thoughts. It is there within those gaps that a beautiful silence arises from within; the ego is then powerless. From that silence wells our inner wisdom – our True Nature. That authentic energy and insight should be our guiding light to self-discovery and illumination. I think our purpose in this Universe is to live closer to our True Nature and live farther away from ego. I think we tend to over think our purpose in life (me included!) when everything we need is already there in the palm of our hand. Formal meditation is great but think of our entire daily life as a meditation – let that energy that arises from formal meditation transcend all thoughts, actions and reactions. It is not a perfect process, but the more mindful you are at work, with family and during your own meditative silence; the more you will grow and prosper. New doors will open and your actions and reactions will be born from compassion, love and gratitude – there lies the gift in life…? I think this is my next blog 🙂
– JCB
Hope you can get a chance to check out my new meditation page added to my blog. Had a new revelation this morning, if you will, it probably relates to this thought at some juncture. it is specifically contained on my journal of meditation progress.
You have given me an answer here with understandable points relating to meditating to true nature while containing the ego. That is actually huge, and makes a big difference.
In any case I hope you will visit, and inform me of any objection or comment you might have to my blog presentation as I did find your radio interview on You tube, and posted it there.
I think it’s important that people understand there is no life situation that cannot be dealt with, as you have certainly demonstrated.
http://groovydocs.wordpress.com/meditation-inspiration/
Dave.. I think you are doing an amazing job… you mentioned the connections in your post (as referenced above) and those little nudges, signs and notions are part of the synchronicity. The more mindful you become in meditation and in daily life the more hints and shifts in perspective you will receive. We truly live in a Responsive Universe and the positive energy, karma, gratitude and compassion we project outward does return as gifts. Imagine where you will be in 12 months… how about 5 years… Self-Discovery is a life long chapter but each day is new and empowering when you are centered and self-actualized… JCB