Finding the “Sage” Within

We live in a world overwhelmed by noise. Our daily lives are flooded with words—on social media, through emails, at work, on TV, and on our cell phones. This constant stream of words has grown into a tsunami, making it nearly impossible to escape.

Language is a blessing. Words help us express ourselves, hear others’ stories, and connect with one another. Yet, in our relentless pursuit of verbal communication, we often forget that we are more than speaking beings. We are living beings. Our bodies are not just equipped with tongues to speak; we also have limbs, sensory mechanisms, a heart, and a mind. These parts of us experience emotions and sensations that go beyond words. To truly understand these subtle yet significant experiences, we need to quiet the endless chatter and reconnect with our bodies through silence and reflection.

In moments of stillness, when we connect with our bodies, we find the "sage" within—the wise, inner guide that helps us navigate the complexities of our inner world. This inner wisdom is always there, patiently waiting for us to tune in and listen. The sage offers us guidance, especially when we are faced with uncertainty. But accessing this wisdom requires practice, patience, and solitude.

For those who have been disconnected from their bodies for a long time, it may take time and effort to re-establish that connection. However, once we reconnect with our inner sage, we can rely on it to guide us, particularly through life’s challenges and unfamiliar situations.

Tuning into our inner sage teaches us more about ourselves and reveals what is truly best for us. Each of us carries this hidden sage within, waiting to be discovered—if only we take the time to pause, embrace the silence, and listen.

Peace at the Heart of Fear

Many of our fears are baseless, but some are an essential part of being human. German monk Anselm Gruen (1999) identifies such fears as the fear of loneliness, loss, and death, with the fear of death being the strongest. While everyone experiences this fear, for some, it can be overwhelmingly intense. It often confronts us during times of sickness, the death of loved ones, old age, or may quietly linger in the background.

So, when the fear of death stares us in the face, what should we do? Gruen suggests we engage in a dialogue with it. We must look our fear in the eye. By honestly confronting the fear of death, we can acknowledge our mortality and the reality that one day—any day—we will die. Can we sit with this fear, which is connected to all other fears, whether small or large? When we have reached the depths of our fear and spoken with it at length, "we may sense in the middle of it a deep peace" (Gruen, 1999). Peace can be found at the heart of fear, not by running away from it.

Fear invites us to embrace our fragile yet beautiful humanity. Once we accept our fragility and mortality, all our fears lose their sting, allowing us to live with freedom, peace, and joy.

 

Notes

Gruen, A. (1999). Heaven begins within you: Wisdom from the desert fathers. A Crossroad Book (p. 85).

 

 

Learn from Fear

Fear is a universal human experience—an emotional, physical, and cognitive response to a threatening situation, whether real or imagined (Baptist, 2020). Often, our default response to fear is avoidance; we tend to run from it rather than face it. However, fear can also be a messenger, "trying to tell us something" (Gruen, 1994). To understand the message within fear, we must be willing to engage with it. One insight fear may offer is a revelation of our false or unrealistic outlook on life, often rooted in an ideal of perfection (Gruen, 1994). For example, fear of public speaking or performing certain tasks may stem from the fear of making mistakes or embarrassing ourselves. In such cases, "fear always points to exaggerated expectations" (Gruen, 1994).

Reflecting more deeply on fear can reveal that, at its core, fear often involves an element of pride. We may believe we are beyond human limitations and weaknesses, thus beyond mistakes. Engaging in dialogue with our fear can lead us to humility, reminding us that we are allowed to make mistakes, that it’s okay to be imperfect, and that we don’t have to excel at everything. 

Embracing and interacting with our fear can help us uncover our flawed perspectives on life and our deep-seated need for perfection and universal approval.

 

 

Notes

Baptist, J. (2020, June 28). Fear: An invitation to know oneself. 

Gruen, A. (1999). Heaven begins within you. A Crossroad Book (pp. 84-85).

The Inner Worm

It is not an exaggeration to say that negative and persistent thoughts often trouble us. These thoughts can involve our fears, passions, comparisons, or the drive for perfection. While such thoughts are common, letting them dominate our minds and drain our energy can significantly impact our lives.

Today, mental health practitioners' offices are busy, in part because many of us hesitate to speak openly about ourselves to friends and family. We often avoid discussing our negative feelings, fears, weaknesses, and guilt, which leaves us alone with our burdensome thoughts. In an attempt to cope, we try to hide and suppress these thoughts, but this often leads to feelings of guilt or pride. Suppression rarely works, and eventually, these negative thoughts resurface in harmful ways.

Monk Anselm Gruen (1999) uses the metaphor of a “worm” to describe these destructive thoughts, stating, “As a worm eats away wood, negative and evil thoughts destroy the heart.” These inner worms of negativity can erode our peace and affect our mind, body, and soul. Grün suggests that we handle these thoughts by bringing them to light through sharing. He asserts that talking about our thoughts and feelings removes their dangerous and destructive power: “We lure the inner worm out in conversation, the wood will stay healthy, and the heart can breathe again.”

Negative thoughts are like inner worms that quietly but persistently consume our peace and joy. It is important to recognize these inner worms and bring them into the light by discussing them with someone we trust, allowing us to reclaim our peace and health.

 

 

Notes

Gruen, A. (1999). Heaven begins within you. A Crossroad Book (p. 93). 

Healthy Heart, Mind, and Soul

Healthy Heart, Mind, and Soul          

Living a healthy life is all about finding balance. Balancing different aspects of life, even those that may seem contradictory, is crucial. Key elements requiring intentional effort to balance include sleeping and waking, eating and fasting, work and prayer, and solitude and togetherness.[1] These pairs are fundamental to maintaining a healthy life. Prioritizing one aspect over the other can lead to imbalance, addiction, illness, distress, and conflict, affecting physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual well-being.

A healthy life is not achieved by chance, nor is it inherited from wealthy parents. It requires deliberate management of time, food, work, prayer, rest, and relationships.[2] For example, it is important to regulate when we sleep and wake up, what we do before and after sleeping, how much time and effort we invest in relationships, and how much we engage in solitude.

Since people and cultures vary, there is no universal right balance for everyone. Each person must find and apply the right balance for their own circumstances. Living a balanced life fosters a healthy heart, mind, and soul.

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[1] Gruen, A. (1999). Heaven begins within you. A Crossroad Book (p. 101).

[2] Gruen, A. (1999). Heaven begins within you. A Crossroad Book (p. 101).