I once read
“You cannot know the truth, you can only be it.”
It’s easy to think you know the truth and we can have all kinds of ideas of what is true and what is not.
That’s helpful, but limited.
Being is a word and an ‘action’ that I’ve greatly struggled with over the years. As I’ve always said, the most simple things are often the most profound. But now that I have the hang of it, I understand that it provides us with a felt sense of connection. It’s totally different to knowledge. When we are long gone, it’s unlikely that those who were around us will remember the great advice we gave them, but they’ll likely remember our the way we were, our ‘being’. They will remember how it felt to be around us.
We lose access to this state when we identify with our thoughts and point of view.
Try this..
The next time you are in a debate over ideas or concepts, see if you can switch to a state of being. You do this by connecting to your breath and noticing the space in the room. Be aware of people around you, but also be aware of the space itself – feel into it. Make being present your priority and your thoughts secondary.
When we live in this presence, it’s powerful. Those around us can feel it. A few weeks ago I attended a talk by Satish Kumar – the environmentalist (and so much more). His presence and his way of being was gently powerful. I still feel it now.
Yet we are no different. We each have this same capacity and if cultivated, we have the ability to positively impact those around us with a gentle, yet powerful presence.