Envisat image of a plankton bloom of the coast of Spain. Image credit: ESA.
Spirituality is
Applied poetry.
Metaphysics is
Applied metaphor.
All the methods that we have for knowing Tao came from observing the outside world and then applying it to the human dilemma. In the past, the body was seen as a microcosm of the universe, spiritual energy was compared to the sun, the duality of the body was matched to the duality of day and night, the habits of animals were copied for their innate wisdom, and the psychic centers of the body were imagined as opening flowers. Even if we apply these ideas today, they yield results.
Metaphor is essentially a way to shape thoughts. The insights of poetry can often guide us out of our problems; the imagery of an opening flower is often used in meditation. Yet poetry is only a sensation of the mind and there is no opening flower inside of us. Human beings take objective reality and absorb it partially through a poetry of the mind. Without this, there could be no sense of humor, no creativity, and no spirituality. For until we make the connection between all things, we have no way out of the isolation that often infects us.
Row, row, row, your boat
Gently down the stream,
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream….
Who knew that little ditty we learn as kids was life’s best little instruction?
If we just go with the flow, merrily down the stream of life, won’t we be happier?
Poems are indeed great little metaphors for how we live. The Japanese love to write haiku, little short poems, about nature and life.
So what is the metaphor for my life today? A photo, a bit out of focus, of a sunny day interrupted by spring showers…..
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