Michael Meade: Living In Truth

An excellent piece by Michael Meade, one

of my longtime teachers. ― Molly

The old Greek word for a sudden and complete change of awareness and intention is metanoia. More than a simple switch of attitude or a shift of interest, an experience of metanoia calls for an about-face, a complete change in the direction of life. Meta means “beyond,” as in metamorphosis or metaphysical, while noia carries the sense of a “true understanding.” A genuine turn-around in life moves us beyond our current understanding of both ourselves and the world in which we live.   The human soul is capable of such a radical sense of change that we can suddenly reach a place of understanding that had previously been beyond our comprehension. Such a thorough awakening involves not just a change of mind, but also a change of heart, which leads to a greater understanding of one’s essence and reason for being. A thorough change of mind, one that also moves the heart, is often needed at critical moments in life. This kind of awakening moves the mind closer to the heart; especially closer to the thought and image that waits within our heart to be discovered. For, there is a thought in the heart, just as there are feelings in the mind. To truly know something by heart includes feeling it as well as thinking it.   This ancient sense of transformation assumes that there is something essential within us that we can turn to and learn from; that we can draw upon repeatedly and grow from continuously. Besides involving a change in consciousness, such a deep inner change also includes a process of self-healing that can occur in moments of wholeness arising from the source of the deep self and soul within us. The old reason for not giving up on someone, even if they have failed repeatedly, is because a genuine turnaround in life is possible at any time and at any age. Because such moments are timeless, when it comes to waking up and turning things around, it is never too late.   A meaningful change requires a genuine surrender to something that is mostly unknown. We must let go of what we thought our life was about in order to allow a new vision and a greater presence of spirit and soul to live within us. We must find ways to surrender to something greater than our usual sense of self, no matter how unsettling that can feel, no matter what others might think of us or expect from us.

"The struggle to awaken from the sleep of the daily world was there in ancient times, just as it can so commonly be found today. The greatest challenge has always been the risk of becoming ourselves in a world that is trying to turn us into everyone else."

The problem now is that mass cultures diminish the very idea of the uniqueness of the individual soul. Even if we somehow manage to catch a glimpse of the kind of truth and beauty trying to enter the world through us, we can wind up feeling more alone, not less so. Only those friends who have managed to open to the spirit of their own lives can be able to relate to the ways in which we might struggle at the edge of genuine surrender. Even then, what we see and long for must be unique to us alone, and therefore can be confusing for others.   Despite the growing confusions and distractions of the modern world, we are the current inheritors of the deep human longings for truth and beauty and the life-sustaining capacity to transform. Each time we allow ourselves to be touched by the beauty of the world, to be stirred by the fleeting spirit of life, or be moved by something or someone that we love, we become the spiritual hunter at the edge of awakening. The question is always whether we will recognize what appears before us, beckoning us to change our lives. If we allow ourselves to be captured by the living imagination and surrender to it, we take another step on the path of the soul. Each time we take another step in the search for meaning and purpose, we are living in truth.   The ancient Greek notion that truth means “not to forget” indicates how easy it can be to simply forget what is important in life. When the ideals of humanity are in danger, it is important to remember the old idea that, “Nothing but truth can hold the truth.” In other words, we can only hold to ideals like truth, beauty and justice if we find ways to embody the truth of our own lives. Finding antidotes to the epidemic of lies, misinformation, and falsity means being willing to be open to radical changes while finding practices for living in truth.      ― Michael Meade From Awakening the Soul

https://www.amazon.com/Awakening-Soul-Michael-Meade/dp/0999634593

https://www.mosaicvoices.org/