Understanding Is A Gift Of God

Wisdom is not in words, it is in understanding.

Bowl of Saki, by Hazrat Inayat Khan

 

What a great thing is understanding!
It is priceless.
No man can give greater pleasure to his fellow man than by understanding him.

What can one wish for more in life than understanding?
Understanding gives one harmony in the home with those near and dear to one and peace outside the home with so many different natures and characters.
If one lacks understanding, one is poor in spite of all that one possesses of the goods of this world; it is understanding which gives a person riches.
... A life without such understanding is like a dark room which contains everything you wish -- it is all there, but there is no light.

If there is no understanding between two persons, words are of no use.
They may talk and talk, and discuss and discuss, and it will only go from bad to worse, for argument will never end.
As it is said in the Vadan, 'Why? Is an animal with a thousand tails. At every bite you give it, it drops one of its curved tails and raises another.'
Can argument bring about understanding?
Never.
Argument only increases argument, and so one can go on till two persons turn their back upon one another.
Understanding is a gift of God, understanding is a soul's unfoldment, and understanding is the greatest fortune one can have in life.

 

 

Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan

But A Sympton

Though our decision was a vital and crucial step, it could have little permanent effect unless at once followed by a strenuous effort to face, and to be rid of, the things in ourselves which had been blocking us.

Our liquor was but a symptom.

So we had to get down to causes and conditions.

Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 64

 

Once we understand ourselves, 

the rest of living falls in line.

 

B A T H = Behavior, Attitude, Thinking, Habits.

 

~~ @@ ~~

Fear Less

Nothing in life is to be feared,

it is only to be understood.

Now is the time to understand more,

so that we may fear less.
Madame Marie Curie

www.gratefulness.org

Irritations

Everything that irritates us about others can lead
us to an understanding of ourselves.

--Carl Jung

Shining Through the Clouds -- Grumps

When we’re in a good mood, we shine like the sun.
But if we find ourselves in the presence of a person, or people, in a grumpy mood, it can feel like a dark cloud approaching to dim our radiance and block our positive way of seeing the world.
We can remind ourselves that clouds pass, while the sun and stars continue to shine above.
Then it’s easier to think of these "grumps" affectionately, knowing that they only have the power to affect our mood if we allow it.
With the power of change firmly in our hands, we can choose how to respond to a grumpy person, or a grumbling group of people, with confidence and understanding.

Like a lighthouse, we can continue to shine through the darkness, offering our light to help others find their way back to their own.
We can send them a silent prayer of peace or a sympathetic smile.
We may sense that reaching out to offer a comforting touch or hug can ease their frustrations and cause the clouds to dissipate.
If they need understanding, we can sympathize without reinforcing the negativity they may be experiencing by directing their attention someplace more positive. Helping them find the humor in their situation might be appropriate and is a great way to lift spirits, or a logical approach may help them see all the good in the situation, in their lives and in the world.

We might find that someone we encounter often seems to be in a perpetual state of gloom.
Our tendency in such cases may be to try to avoid them, but instead we can make the choice to offer support that comes from the heart.
We may be inspired to ask if they would like some help or to offer suggestions that have helped us in the past.
We can include thoughts of their health and happiness in our times of prayer and meditation.
When we lend our energy to uplift another in any way, we improve our own lives while making the world a better place for all of us.

DailyOM

Compassionate Action

Compassionate action starts with seeing yourself
when you start to make yourself right and
when you start to make yourself wrong.

At that point you could just contemplate the fact
that there is a larger alternative to either of those,
a more tender, shaky kind of place where you could live.

Pema Chodron

What We Are Taught

In the end we will conserve only what we love.

We will love only what we understand.

We will understand only what we are taught.

Baba Dioum,

Senegalese conservationist (b. 1937)

An Open Heart

As one can see when the eyes are open,
so one can understand when the heart is open.

-- Hazrat Inayat Khan
The Bowl of Saki