heart/mind horticulturists

George G Clark, 04 September 2009

Some people are more concerned than others about the inner workings of their hearts and minds. The concern can take many forms: we can think of heart/mind horticulturists, farmers, engineers, doctors and even policemen. Note that the images transform radically when concern shifts from one's own heart/mind to those of other people.

It is useful to split heart/mind concerns into secular and sacred varieties. There are overlaps between them (notably transpersonal psychology) but they help to map the territory.

On the secular side are the so-called neutral observers. These include psychiatrists, psychotherapists and psychologists, the less formal counselors, and the informal, everyday, wise friends. Here the main concern is with having a 'normal' and 'well adjusted' heart/mind such that you do not rock too many boats and thus disturb the status quo. Being normal is thought to be good for you personally and for society at large; it involves having a secure sense of self.

On the sacred side there are two main branches, the religious and the spiritual. The religious branch is often ritualised and bureaucratised and closely linked to the secular concept of being a normal and good citizen who knows their place and who is willing to stay in it. The spiritual branch, by way of contrast, embraces the abnormal and transcendent.

The spiritual branch is radical in pointing to uncommon sense and to counterintuitive appreciations of the heart/mind. Being radical in this way involves mind training through discipline and meditation. In its extreme form it might involve enclosure in a monastic setting or seclusion in ascetic retreat; in its everyday form it might involve belonging to a community of like-minded souls. Being abnormal in this way is thought to be excellent for you personally and for society at large. It involves cultivating stillness such that the chatterbox mind is calmed and clarity and peace of heart/mind results. It involves seeing through the illusion of an individuated and abiding 'self'.

The sacred and secular varieties of concern might thus be seen as irreconcilable. But there are common features. Both are based on the idea that 'reality' is not what it seems. An individual's reality is heart/mind-made and is due to a unique set of causes and conditions that come in part from nature and in part from nurture. By paying attention to what goes on in your heart/mind it becomes possible to transform reality as you know it. It is never too late to change your mind!

But, as we noted above, some people are more concerned than others about the inner workings of their hearts and minds. What chance (a) that the key global opinion leaders and decision makers are among the concerned, (b) that they might change their view of reality, and thus (c) that we move towards a more socially just, peaceful and environmentally sustainable future? In short, what chance of heart/mind horticulturists having the upper hand?

"Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed."
From the preamble of UNESCO's Constitution

 

 

dumbstruck dharma dabbling dilettante

George G Clark, 31 August 2009

Passing thought - dharma teachers, at least some of the time, will be playing a role rather than being totally genuine. Does this matter?

I extrapolate from my own experience of snapping into being Mr Clark the Science Teacher when stepping into school after a long summer holiday. After many years playing the part it came easily - but I knew it was not the real me. My self-image was as an aspiring, spiritual seeker rather than as an established, reductionist  brainwasher.

But there are many tales[1] of dharma teachers finding enlightenment and then losing it again. It would appear that there are no existential safe havens - other perhaps than those that embrace change and impermanence. But the embracing has to be heartfelt. Intellectual understanding is not enough.

I have 'known' for many years that the only constant thing is change and the only certainty is doubt but this did not prevent me seeking a solid viewpoint and worldview. As a spiritual seeker I was a dabbling dilettante.

It is thus perhaps worth noting that I have recently become acutely aware of the parallels between scientific and spiritual ways of knowing. Especially about particular flowers in the garden. Botanically I note their sepals, petals and reproductive bits and I appreciate how these ensure the pollination that is but one stage in a vast life cycle. But, beyond the botany, I am also dumbstruck by the notion that each species is a vibrant example of the life force converting air, sunshine and dung into impossibly lush vegetation, stunning floral displays, and emanating oxygen as a by product! It is awe-full and wonder-full.

So the dabbling dilettante is dumbstruck and begins to get real through appreciating that 'the reality that can be described is not the real reality'. There is a new humility and a sometimes heartfelt appreciation that knowledge (science) is about 'the best working hypothesis in the light of evidence presently available' ie it is not about a 'truth' that is out there.

The humility links to being dumbstruck. 'Those who know do not speak'. All the mystic traditions agree that reality is un-speakable but yet that it is 'knowable' by those minds that are suitably in tune. And this un-speakable knowing is beyond the grasp of linear language: it is all pervading and numinous; it is rooted in the Oneness. Words cannot do it justice.

So how might we do it justice? 'Be still and know.' Withdraw the tentacles that flail in second hand time. The chatterbox mind stirs up the mental mud - be still and let it settle.

For details on how, consult a dharma teacher. Even when flawed they can still offer assistance to spiritual seekers who would be more than dumbstruck dharma dabbling dilettantes!

"Times of great wisdom, deep compassion, and a real knowing of freedom alternate with periods of fear, confusion, neurosis and struggle. Most teachers will readily admit this truth." (Jack Kornfield (2000))

 

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[1] see Jack Kornfield (2000) "After the Ecstasy the Laundry"; isbn 0712606580