| ANNE WILLIAMSON |
Both my husband, Todd, and I love to sing our daughter to bed. Whereas I almost always sing "Edelweiss" from The Sound of Music, Todd's selections jump around. So, a few nights ago, I asked, "What did you sing to her?" Because he couldn't think of the title, he started singing to me, "... One song, a song about love. Glory, from the soul of a young man. A young man, find the one song...." He then added, "I'm pretty sure it's called 'One Song.'" Well, I was pretty sure it wasn't, "No, it's just called, 'Glory.' I'm fairly certain." (The unspoken here was we both knew it was from Rent, a love for which we've shared for 18 years and occasionally erupts into this kind of trivia sparring.) Todd, upping the pride ante: "No, it's definitely called 'One Song.'" Me: "No, it's 'Glory,' for sure." Todd: "Okay, let's look it up." Wait. Wait. Wait. A not-quite-gloating smile emerges on his face, "It's called, 'One Song... Glory." I smile ironically and say out loud, "Of course. Of course it is." LISTEN, LEARN, LOVE...
| "Everything can be 'that'; everything can be 'this.'"
- Chuang Tzu (399-295 B.C.), Chinese Taoist philosopher
Sit with these words a moment. Be still. What do you hear? Meditate. Pray. Wonder. Keep listening...
Jainism is an ancient Indian religion. Jain logic, as described by Rolf Sattler, is "seven-valued." He continues, "...Jain logic recognizes the complexity of reality. Since no single proposition can capture this complexity, every proposition should be prefixed by the term 'syad,' which in the context of Jain logic means 'in some ways' or 'from a perspective.' For every proposition seven forms of 'syad,' seven perspectives, seven logical values, have to be acknowledged. They are:
1. 'in some ways it is'
2. 'in some ways it is not'
3. 'in some ways it is and it is not'
4. 'in some ways it is and it is indescribable'
5. 'in some ways it is not and it is indescribable'
6. 'in some ways it is, it is not and it is indescribable'
7. 'in some ways it is indescribable'
...Since any one statement is not the full truth but only one of seven perspectives, it leaves room for the other six perspectives."
(Source: http://www.beyondwilber.ca/healing-thinking/both-and-logic.html)
Does this kind of thinking resonate with you? How so? Or, not? Share you wonderings, questions, etc. with someone. Keep listening. Then...
Do something with what's stirring in you. Actively love another, yourself, God by setting an intention for the coming week.
I'll offer this... I'm increasingly convinced life and faith are much more "both/and" than "either/or." Bring to mind a current decision, relationship, stranger interaction, etc. with which you're struggling. Then, use the Chuang Tzu quote or Jain logic described above, to stretch your perspective. What else might be true? How else might you view things? Then, love from there.