The Guest House
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
By Rumi
—-
A lot of people feel threatened if they feel they are being asked to question their cherished beliefs or their perception of reality. This is a learning I embraced as I learned to live with life changes. Questioning is what keeps our minds supple and strong. Simply settling on one way of seeing things and refusing to be open to other possibilities makes the mind rigid and generally creates a restrictive and uncomfortable mindset. We all know someone who refuses to budge on one or more issues, even nature questions timing. Being open-minded for myself means that I am willing to question everything, including those things I take for granted at times.
A willingness to question everything, even things we are sure we are right about, can shake us out of complacency and reinvigorate our minds, opening us up to understanding people and perspectives that were difficult for us before. This alone is a good reason to remain inquisitive, no matter how much experience we have or how old we get. For me this practice builds my mind like you would a muscle for strength or healing. My first experiences of mindfulness and seeking truth was based on the Zen tradition. In the Zen tradition, this willingness to question is known as beginner’s mind, and it has a way of generating possibilities we couldn’t have seen from the point of view of knowing something with certainty.
When I became ill and as I sought after truth and healing, learning to question everything and also starting to look at “life” like I had never seen situations before “beginner’s mind” did give way to being open and being able to accept newness into my life. This included mind, body, spirit and soul. When you nurture and question these four specimens like a scientist would you are finding truth and healing for your entire being. The willingness to question everything doesn’t necessarily mean we don’t believe in anything at all, and it doesn’t mean we have to question every single thing in the world every minute of the day. It just means that we are humble enough to acknowledge how little we actually know about the mysterious universe we call home within our own being.
Nearly every change in the history of human progress came about because someone questioned some time-honored belief or tradition and in doing so revealed a new truth, a new way of doing things, or a new standard for ethical and moral behavior. Just so, a commitment to staying open and inquisitive in our own individual lives can lead us to new personal revolutions and truths, truths that we will hopefully, for the sake of our growth, remain open to questioning.
This kind of growth from questioning leads us to unshakable peace, compassion for our self and all beings in our vast universe, it also allows us to go deep within to find our authentic true self. What I have learned from questioning is what I thought was truth was not; many times it was my pesky Ego. In questioning my own beliefs and thoughts, I realized I have everything inside of my very being that is truth, love, joy and peace. I did not have to travel to India or Asia. I did not have to meet a master to teach me these things. As you practice questioning meaningful beliefs and thoughts, your reaction to life will also change. You will become more compassionate towards all beings, you will live with a wise heart and clarity of mind will become wisdom. You will live with equanimity and happiness. Isn’t that what we all want, YES…I believe it to be true!
