Here to Learn

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 are 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 whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

-- Jelaluddin Rumi,
    translation by Coleman Barks

I discovered this poem by Rumi in Gary Zukav's book Heart of the Soul. I am starting to fully realize that it is all an inside job. What goes on outside in the world is just a reflection of what I need to grow within. There are so many levels of understanding, of insight. I think I know, and then I keep looking deeper and more unravels before me. What I have found is that it all has to do with love. Sometimes I might be afraid of looking at myself because of what I might see, but then I realize that fear has nothing to do with truth. Malik used to repeat, FEAR, False Evidence Appearing Real. So very true. What we think we will see is something ugly and disgusting, but those are just the thoughts we have about ourselves. The thoughts are not the reality.

Thich Nhat Hanh talks about embracing our anger like a mother embraces her child. Zukav is saying the same thing. What is happening on the outside, the people, the circumstances, are not the cause of our emotions. They are the ones bringing those emotions to our attention. So Hanh is right. When we are angry at someone, the other person is not the cause or the one who needs to receive our wrath. We need to look inward to see what that emotion is trying to tell us. It is either that we are coming from  love and trust or fear and doubt. I am just beginning to look deeply at this, but I am excited about the lessons I will learn.