It’s interesting to notice the buzz words in the circles we walk. An essential part of my practice is to become intimate with the language I use. I like to explore how words respond and resonate in myself and other people. Lately I’ve been hanging out with the feeling, sentiment, expression, and presence of the word wisdom. Recently I asked here:
What is your experience when in the presence of wisdom?
How do you recognize wisdom’s presence?
Wisdom always expands my felt sense… The felt sense of life emerging. We know we are in the presence of wisdom when our whole being experiences an intensification of Life. I experience wisdom as a deep, quiet, powerful, slow-moving current. Wisdom is ever humble.
It goes right through me, and activates some energetic source of engagement. When I am in the presence of wisdom I can feel it animate my mind and spirit and most importantly, I can feel teachings arising within me. It’s amazing really.”
Mike:
I recognize wisdom both in my head and in my heart. Two or more seemingly very different things weaved into a new “third” thing.
I’ve been noticing how and when wisdom arises in groups. It percolates up from the cauldron of energy swirming together… A voice gives rise to words or other types of expression that burst within my being as an opening of Yes!, reverberating with a sense of gratitude, joy and awe. Possibilities immediately expand, space is freed, light twinkles.
What fascinates me in this wisdom exploration is how unpredictable it is when and where wisdom will show up. I am always learning from others, new information informing my being through interacting and engaging. There are some people whom I regularly experience as sharing wisdom; I honor these teachers, grateful for the flow of learning that pours forth in our interactions. With some others I don’t often find myself in a state of deep learning, but when wisdom shows up through them I feel a sense of reverence in my expanding understanding. Dissonant interactions often offer me jewels of awareness if I simply pay attention. I absolutely LOVE how nuggets of wisdom can fall from anywhere in the sky.
And I am especially coming to appreciate the unpredictability of wisdom surfacing in groups and the need for each person to honor the wisdom that is present in each other person. It is only from this place of deep mutual respect and willingness to accept whatever arises that collective wisdom will really find its voice.