With one eye we can see the surface of things. With two eyes we have depth perception. With multiple perspectives we can see the true nature of things. That's wisdom. As we only have two eyes, to have multiple perspectives we need to see through the eyes of others. This is possible when we realize we and others are one. That's the essence of wisdom....
Every child has a father but needs to father itself to become an adult....
"The only source of knowledge is experience." Readings and conversations can bring us to certain understandings but knowledge comes by opening our eyes and seeing everything as never before. Those (Buddha, Moses, Lao Tzu and Jesus) who came to know did not have a teacher. Their experience of soul was later recounted and formed into doctrine and scripture, just words....
Years back, on a cold wet winter day, I met a native Indian man (dot, not feather) at Kennedy Airport. He was a security guard, walking around looking for anything suspicious. He said he also worked as a gas station attendant, maybe 70+ hours a week in total. He didn't work all those hours for the money as he made more than he needed in half the time. He worked because to him the only difference between working and not was getting paid while working and not otherwise; hanging out at home or walking in his neighborhood was no different than walking around Kennedy Airport. Moreover, getting paid meant he was helping others with no effort on his part. Our experiences are mostly a function of our attitude....
Every thing is the everything. Every thing is an aspect of one thing, the everything. Every thing that seems an independent thing is an illusion, as the everything is all there is....
Life is a ride on a zip line connecting pre-birth and afterlife. The ride at times feels scary, thrilling and even boring. As the ride nears its end, we feel the calmness of our pre-birth....
Eyes open, we see the indescribable beauty of creation. Eyes closed, we see a sad world our mind creates to manipulate us....
Only those who know they know nothing can ultimately know everything. Every thing is just a unique manifestation of one thing whose essence is nothing....
A recent question: "How can you assess how close to enlightenment you are?" Enlightenment is when we awaken to realize we and the light are one. What do we see everywhere but very rarely notice? Light. Superficially, everything we see is light reflecting off things. Moreover, below the surface of things (M=Mass), everything is essentially light/energy (E=Energy) that's been slowed down (C=Speed of Light) to assume tangible forms (E=M*C*C which is M=E/C*C). In other words, enlightenment is the realization that everything, including ourselves, is light. How close we are to enlightenment can be measured by what we see when we open our eyes. When we see not through our eyes but through our mind (seeing things in categories and meanings), we have a long way to go. When we see things as things (it is what it is whatever it is), we are getting closer. When we see everything as light, we’re closer still. The ultimate realization of enlightenment has nothing to do with light. Tangibly, the hallmarks of enlightenment are wisdom and compassion. When we see from many perspectives (not solely our own), that’s wisdom. When we treat others as ourselves, that’s compassion. When wisdom and compassion replace an otherwise self-centered life, we are like light, one with everything....
"The man who has no imagination has no wings." We cannot see what we cannot imagine. Without imagination we cannot see certain of our abilities or move quickly from and far beyond our immediate circumstances....