Some High Heaven

It has taken the form of a man on a beach regarding the waves.

“Ever since I was a young boy, I have known of the existence of this power and of the barriers that separate man from it, and I searched until I found the way of breaking through them.

This is the greatest secret that man can discover about human nature.

Many people are convinced that they wish to be free and to know reality, but they do not know the barrier that prevents them from reaching reality. They come to me for help, but they are unwilling or unable to pay the price. It is not my fault if I cannot help them."

G.I. Gurdjieff

The real challenge has always been to become oneself in the midst of all the conflicts and confusions of the outside world.

The old saying that, “nothing but the truth can hold the truth” means that we can only hold to ideals like truth, justice and unity if we find ways to embody the truth and meaning in our own lives. The inner truth for each person involves a conscious connection to a deeper sense of self, which can truly become the unifying factor in each life.

Another old idea suggests that history is not something coming from outside ourselves that simply defines who we become. Rather, history is made in the depths of the individual soul. In that sense, the point behind the current loss of truth and social unity may be a collective calling to awaken the deeper sense of self within us all.

Great crises and impossible tasks often provoke the inner wisdom and hidden resources of life. Modern cultures, so dedicated to the outer world, may find more solace, more genuine inspiration and greater unity through revelations of the deeper self within each person.

At this critical time on earth, the real work of humanity may depend upon finding a greater sense of meaning and truth within ourselves that can connect us to the underlying wholeness and hidden unity of life.

All people have access to their True Self from their very first inhalation and exhalation, which is the very sound of the sacred.

The American poet, William Stafford (1914-1993) described the True Self in his poem, “The Way It Is”:

There’s a thread you follow. It goes among
things that change. But it doesn’t change.
People wonder about what you are pursuing.
You have to explain about the thread.
But it is hard for others to see.
While you hold it you can’t get lost.
Tragedies happen; people get hurt
or die; and you suffer and get old.
Nothing you do can stop time’s unfolding.
You don’t ever let go of the thread.

This thread is the True Self. And your True Self is who you are and always have been in God. At its core, your True Self is love. Love is both who you are and who you are still becoming, like a sunflower seed that becomes its own sunflower.

Most of human history has referred to the True Self as your soul. The great surprise and irony is that “you,” or who you think you are, had nothing to do with your True Self’s original creation. All you can do is nurture it, which is saying quite a lot. It is love becoming love in this unique form called “me.”

We are allowed to ride life and love’s wonderful mystery for a few years—until life and love reveal themselves as the same thing, life morphing into a love that is beyond space and time.

Stafford doesn’t instruct you to not let go of the thread; rather, he offers a promise, foretelling the future: “You don’t ever let go of the thread.” Why? Because you can’t. Love has you. Love is you. Love, and your deep need for love, recognizes Love itself.

Remember that you already are what you are seeking. Love finally overcomes fear. Your house is being rebuilt on a new and solid foundation. This foundation was always there, but it takes us a long time to find it; remember, “it is love alone that lasts”.

And now one of my latest poems.

Some High Heaven 

The sea waves settle on a form,
they are locked with the land,
the beach a still life, 
I the perceiving witness,
of this eternal moment. 

There is nothing ‘to do’
but be with it, empty
of desire, perception
as clear as crystal.

Behind this scene
something connects, an immensity
that seems more than alive,
an ‘always’ and an ‘almost’ surprise.

I say, ‘Why are you hiding?’
the  reply, ‘I am always present - 
although hidden in time.’

It has taken the form of a man
on a beach regarding the waves.
A call and answer reaching
some high heaven.

Thanks for reading as always,

David

#thebrazieroftruth