~How Wisdom Grows- Educating Hearts and Minds~

What is wisdom and is it something that can be taught or learned? Philosophers have debated this for thousands of years. Aristotle said that “educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” Put another way, intelligence that is not informed by our hearts- by compassion- is not really intelligent at all.
Looking around at our world today the human family is at a crisis point. Young people spending more time playing video games and texting then reading books, learning crafts or communicating with members of their family. Investment bankers and corporations seeking wealth and profit without concern for the health, happiness and well being of those who purchase their products or work for them. Consumers everywhere buying and throwing away materials in such a way that our planet is being treated like an all-you-can-eat buffet table and a garbage dump, simultaneously.

How did we get to this point in our “evolution” as the dominant species on the planet? Can humanity change course, solve the complicated problems we’ve created and become wiser? There’s no simple answer to this, but I will share a few thoughts on what I see as a primary cause of the problem and a possible solution.

In short, I think that we need to bridge the gaps that exist within many of us – between our hearts (compassion), our imagination (visual thinking) and the complex yet disconnected bits of knowledge we hold in our heads. Bridging those gaps is how greater wisdom arises, in my opinion.

Compassion means to care, to feel empathy and sympathy for fellow beings. That’s pretty straight forward. Knowledge is the complex information we teach our children and consider to be important as a culture. But what is imagination, and why is that so essential?

Most of us think of the imagination as something active only in creative people and artists, a tool for making ideas and things that do not yet exist. That is indeed one of it’s primary functions, but even more importantly, the imagination is the means by which we do visual thinking, how we mentally represent and understand the world around us. When used this way the imagination provides a kind of virtual landscape for organizing information and knowledge.

Our world view- our understanding of everything around us- makes use of mental models and visual representations of the world. We build these up over time, based on the information that comes in – from teachers, the internet, television, books, movies, friends- work, school, entertainment and play – all realms of human experience.

What is sometimes called “systems thinking” is a mind building such visual models so that they represent the complexity and interdependence of reality accurately, and then becoming skilled at using these understandings effectively.

In many tribal traditions the imagination seems to be used in this way, where visual thinking informed by the heart is the primary mode of reasoning, the basis by which wisdom is generated and shared. Unfortunately, in modern societies much of the information we have been taught in schools has been separated and divided up, compartmentalized.

As such our visual understandings do not accurately represent the connections between phenomena. People’s minds have become ignorant- they ignore- the interdependent nature of reality as it actually exists.

The psychologist Ellen Langer talks about this in terms of mindfulness and mindlessness. Mindfulness is thinking that stays open to input from our surroundings and generates a clearer representation of what is really going on. Mindlessness, as she uses the term, is thinking based on received knowledge from the past that does not accurately reflect the current situation.

Langer has written about how it’s a common trap of “experts” in all fields, who have been “well educated” and think they understand what they are doing, where in reality they don’t have a complete or clear picture of the situations they are dealing with.

In Eastern traditions such as Buddhism the term mindfulness is used in a related way. The term means nonjudgemental observation, carefully observing what is going on without conceptual ideas and judgements. There methods such as meditation are used to help a person train their awareness, to master a way of observing the world that is open to sensory input and free from the bias of dualistic and compartmentalized beliefs. As Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki put it, “in the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the experts mind there are few.”

Wisdom, in my opinion, arises when we bring together compassion, mindfulness, imagination and knowledge synergistically, so that we are developing more accurate understandings about the world around us, and then making decisions guided by all of these faculties together.

It’s what has given birth to the deeper forms of art, literature, myth, science, movies, poetry and music that people have created; and its what leads to wise decision-making by leaders in all fields of human activity. The imagination’s accurate representations of knowledge help us to understand the nature of situations, what is really going on. Feelings of compassion help us make wise choices, aware of (and caring about) how actions will affect others. Mindfulness allows us to stay in touch with what is really happening, to update our knowledge representations, and to become more skillful in our actions.

On the other hand, the meaningless, destructive, selfish and manipulative activities of humanity represent people’s imaginations cut off from deeper wisdom and accurate understanding. Knowledge and imagination that is not grounded by mindfulness and rooted in wisdom creates fantasy worlds that can quickly become nightmares. Without basic common sense and wisdom we have been unable to solve our problems and continuously create new ones.

This is the “modern” world we live in, a world we have created together. It is the result of minds that have been compartmentalized, where different areas of society and the brain are not communicating with one another. To bridge these gaps we all need to grow more connections between the various areas of our bodies and brains, and in society as a whole. We need to listen to our hearts, re-learn what we think we know, and encourage our children to think and behave differently, to live more in synch with Nature.

If we do this successfully we can become wiser as a species, more “eco-logical.” We and the planet that gave birth to us can be happier and healthier, healed and transformed.

~Christopher Chase
The Art of Learning/Creative Systems Thinking
Feb. 20, 2013

The Flow supports mindful service

When you embrace the flow of the universe, you automatically are aligned to give to others, and also to receive. The flow will take you seamlessly to those opportunities. It takes the guess work out of how to navigate your life expression because when you are embracing the flow, you are working with the universe and are assured that everything that presents is for your highest good. So, if you have issues with receiving from others, and the flow brings you something, instead of resisting, why not accept, open-heartedly? If the flow brings you to someone in need, why not give open-heartedly? You see, the flow will always keep you in the balance and appropriateness that many of you seek and have trouble finding. By embracing the movement, as it presents, you become an instrument of the universe, and will experience many opportunities to both give and receive. Surrendering to that movement supports mindful service, Dear Ones, and it is one of the great gifts of the flow. ~Archangel Gabriel

Thrive: What on Earth Will it Take?

THRIVE is an unconventional documentary that lifts the veil on what’s REALLY going on in our world by following the money upstream — uncovering the global consolidation of power in nearly every aspect of our lives. Weaving together breakthroughs in science, consciousness and activism, THRIVE offers real solutions, empowering us with unprecedented and bold strategies for reclaiming our lives and our future.

Have a look inside…

A beggar had been sitting by the side of the road for thirty years. One day a stranger walked by.

“Spare some change?” mumbled the beggar.
“I have nothing to give you,” said the stranger. Then he asked: “What’s that you’re sitting on?”

“Nothing, ” replied the beggar. “Just an old box. I’ve been sitting on it for as long as I can remember.

“Ever look inside?,” asked the stranger.

“No,” said the beggar. “What’s the point, there’s nothing in there.”

“Have a look inside,” insisted the stranger. The beggar, reluctantly, managed to pry open the lid. With astonishment, disbelief, and elation, he saw that the box was filled with gold.

I am that stranger who has nothing to give you and who is telling you to look inside. Not inside any box, as in the parable, but somewhere even closer: inside yourself.

From The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle

The Law Of Attraction?

The Law Of Attraction is sometimes known as or referred to as ‘The Law Of Vibration’. Everything around us is vibrating and every person and thing is made up of one thing – energy.

You attract to your life whatever you give your attention, your energy to – whether its positive or negative – you bring about what you think about. Think of yourself as a magnet, although you are not in full control of what happens to you, you are however, in total control of how you react to these things.

Having a positive outlook and attitude can dramatically change and influence the course of your life. Like attracts like. So be  prepared to change your attitude, I’m not promising this will be easy, but I can promise it will be worth it. Share this post to help open the eyes of others. You can and you will have an abundant life, full of happiness and love

The Celestine Insights

Well over a decade ago I read the Celestine Prophesy by James Redfield. The book was written in a way that made it very easy for me to hear the messages he was delivering. I read the book at least four times.

Reading this book and it’s sequels launched me on a new spiritual path.

THE FIRST INSIGHT . . . A CRITICAL MASSA new spiritual awakening is occurring in human culture, an awakening brought about by a critical mass of individuals who experience their lives as a spiritual unfolding, a journey in which we are led forward by mysterious coincidences. THE SECOND INSIGHT . . . THE LONGER NOW This awakening represents the creation of a new, more complete worldview, which replaces a five-hundred-year-old preoccupation with secular survival and comfort. While this technological preoccupation was an important step, our awakening to life’s coincidences is opening us up to the real purpose of human life on this planet, and the real nature of our universe. THE THIRD INSIGHT . . . A MATTER OF ENERGY We now experience that we live not in a material universe, but in a universe of dynamic energy. Everything extant is a field of sacred energy that we can sense and intuit. Moreover, we humans can project our energy by focusing our attention in the desired direction…where attention goes, energy flows…influencing other energy systems and increasing the pace of coincidences in our lives. THE FOURTH INSIGHT . . . THE STRUGGLE FOR POWER Too often humans cut themselves off from the greater source of this energy and so feel weak and insecure. To gain energy we tend to manipulate or force others to give us attention and thus energy. When we successfully dominate others in this way, we feel more powerful, but they are left weakened and often fight back. Competition for scarce, human energy is the cause of all conflict between people. THE FIFTH INSIGHT . . . THE MESSAGE OF THE MYSTICS Insecurity and violence ends when we experience an inner connection with divine energy within, a connection described by mystics of all traditions. A sense of lightness–buoyancy–along with the constant sensation of love are measures of this connection. If these measures are present, the connection is real. If not, it is only pretended. THE SIXTH INSIGHT . . . CLEARING THE PAST The more we stay connected, the more we are acutely aware of those times when we lose connection, usually when we are under stress. In these times, we can see our own particular way of stealing energy from others. Once our manipulations are brought to personal awareness, our connection becomes more constant and we can discover our own growth path in life, and our spiritual mission–the personal way we can contribute to the world. THE SEVENTH INSIGHT . . . ENGAGING THE FLOW Knowing our personal mission further enhances the flow of mysterious coincidences as we are guided toward our destinies. First we have a question; then dreams, daydreams, and intuitions lead us towards the answers, which usually are synchronistically provided by the wisdom of another human being. THE EIGHTH INSIGHT . . . THE INTERPERSONAL ETHIC We can increase the frequency of guiding coincidences by uplifting every person that comes into our lives. Care must be taken not to lose our inner connection in romantic relationships. Uplifting others is especially effective in groups where each member can feel energy of all the others. With children it is extremely important for their early security and growth. By seeing the beauty in every face, we lift others into their wisest self, and increase the chances of hearing a synchronistic message. THE NINTH INSIGHT . . .THE EMERGING CULTURE As we all evolve toward the best completion of our spiritual missions, the technological means of survival will be fully automated as humans focus instead on synchronistic growth. Such growth will move humans into higher energy states, ultimately transforming our bodies into spiritual form and uniting this dimension of existence with the after-life dimension, ending the cycle of birth and death. THE TENTH INSIGHT . . . HOLDING THE VISION The Tenth Insight is the realization that throughout history human beings have been unconsciously struggling to implement this lived spirituality on Earth. Each of us comes here on assignment, and as we pull this understanding into consciousness, we can remember a fuller birth vision of what we wanted to accomplish with our lives. Further we can remember a common world vision of how we will all work together to create a new spiritual culture. We know that our challenge is to hold this vision with intention and prayer everyday. THE ELEVENTH INSIGHT . . . EXTENDING PRAYER FIELDS The Eleventh Insight is the precise method through which we hold the vision. For centuries, religious scriptures, poems, and philosophies have pointed to a latent power of mind within all of us that mysteriously helps to affect what occurs in the future. It has been called faith power, positive thinking, and the power of prayer. We are now taking this power seriously enough to bring a fuller knowledge of it into public awareness. We are finding that this prayer power is a field of intention, which moves out from us and can be extended and strengthened, especially when we connect with others in a common vision. This is the power through which we hold the vision of a spiritual world and build the energy in ourselves and in others to make this vision a reality. THE TWELFTH INSIGHT . . . James has recently completed writing his latest book, The Twelfth Insight: The Hour of Decision, which was published by Grand Central Publishing and is available at your local book seller.