The World Mirrors The Soul And The Soul Mirrors The World, by Alan Watts

El mundo es el reflejo del alma y el alma es el reflejo del mundo
--by Alan Watts

Si te sientas quiet@ por un rato, completamente relajad@, y dejas que tus pensamientos continúen, dejas que tu mente piense en lo que quiera, sin interferir, sin hacer sugerencias y sin levantar ningún tipo de obstáculo al libre flujo de pensamientos, pronto descubrirás que los procesos mentales tienen vida propia. Se llamarán unos a otros a la superficie de la conciencia por asociación, y si no levantas barreras, pronto te encontrarás pensando todo tipo de cosas, tanto fantásticas como terribles, que normalmente mantienes fuera de la conciencia.

Durante un tiempo, este ejercicio te mostrará que tienes en ti la potencialidad de innumerables seres diferentes: el animal, el demonio, el sátiro, el ladrón, el asesino, para que con el tiempo puedas sentir que ningún aspecto de la vida humana es extraño para ti: humani nihil a me alienum puto ["Creo que nada humano es ajeno a mí", del dramaturgo romano conocido como Terencio].

De forma ordinaria, la conciencia interfiere para siempre con las aguas de la mente, que son oscuras y turbulentas, ocultando las profundidades. Pero cuando, por un tiempo, les dejas que se cuiden a sí mismos, el lodo se asienta y con creciente claridad ves los cimientos de la vida y todos los habitantes de las profundidades. Puedes ver otras cosas también. "Dos hombres miraron hacia un estanque. Dijo el uno: "Veo una cantidad de barro, un zapato y una lata vieja." Dijo el otro: "Veo todo esto, pero también veo el reflejo glorioso del cielo".
Porque el inconsciente no es, como algunos imaginan, un pozo de basura mental; es simplemente una naturaleza desenfrenada, demoníaca y divina, dolorosa y placentera, espantosa y adorable, cruel y compasiva, destructiva y creativa. Es la fuente de heroísmo, amor e inspiración, así como de miedo, odio y crimen. De hecho, es como si lleváramos dentro de nosotros un duplicado exacto del mundo que vemos a nuestro alrededor, porque el mundo es un espejo del alma y el alma un espejo del mundo. Por lo tanto, cuando aprendes a sentir el inconsciente, comienzas a comprenderte no solo a ti mism@ sino también a l@s demás, y cuando consideras el crimen humano y la estupidez, puedes decir con verdadero sentimiento: "Si no fuera por la Gracia de Dios, ahí estaría yo".

Preguntas semilla para la reflexión: ¿Cómo te relacionas con la noción de que el mundo es un reflejo del alma y el alma es un reflejo del mundo? ¿Puedes compartir una historia personal de una vez en la que sentiste profundamente que ningún aspecto de la vida humana te era extraño? ¿Qué te ayuda a desarrollar el sentimiento de que si no fuera por la Gracia de Dios tú estarías ahi?'

De "El Significado de la Felicidad: La Búsqueda de la Libertad del Espíritu en la Psicología Moderna y la Sabiduría de Oriente".

From "The Meaning of Happiness: The Quest for Freedom of the Spirit in Modern Psychology and the Wisdom of the East."

Seed Questions for Reflection

How do you relate to the notion that the world mirrors the soul and the soul mirrors the world? Can you share a personal story of a time you deeply felt that no aspect of human life was strange to you? What helps you develop the feeling 'There but for the Grace of God go I?'

Moved by this reading? Join a live Awakin Circle to discuss in community.

Join this week

More ways to connect

Join a Metta Circle

Practice loving-kindness meditation together

Explore peer-learning pods

Small groups diving deeper into shared themes

Start your own local circle

One living room, one intention — we'll help

Add Your Reflection

7 Past Reflections

Aliya

Oct 1, 2018

This reminds me of how we don't choose our parents, our upbringing or our youth experiences. So when1 kid is killing things its not entirely their fault. We have to help and intervene, it may or maynot work but it is all of our responsibilty!

sandip sheta

Sep 26, 2018

The reason so many people miss out on their blessing is because they decide to settle for a microwave dinner instead of waiting on the feast God has for them.

Kristin Pedemonti

Sep 23, 2018

We Become the Stories We Tell and those we consume. So, it makes sense that the world mirrors our perceptions and our perceptions mirror the world. What we focus on we see and this becomes our world view and then impacts our feelings. The beauty is we have agency each day to choose a new story: what do we see when we look at that pond? Are we focusing only on that mud and debris or also on the beauty of the sky reflected within? As we focus on the world: are we seeing the challenges AND the beauty in our fellow human beings? How might we look at the other and see ourselves? I find what helps me do this: is to imagine that person as a child, their innocence, their vulnerability. And then in seeming them as a child to also see them as not so different from me. Example, someone who's belierfs are far different from mine, if I think of them as an innocent and vulnerable child, I can dig under that belief to a value they hold, maybe it is security. When I think of that value, I see m... View full comment

Jagdish P Dave

Sep 23, 2018

I love reading Aaln Watts. This writing evokes many wonderful memories of listening to his talks. As I understand we have two levels of consciousness-superficial and closed and deep and open. We are so much used to the first level of conscioubness that we miss the inner landscape with muddy and clear waters, all manner of things fantastic and terrible. When we let the free flow of thought letting whatever come up and go, we are able to feel that no aspect of life is strange to us. To quote the Roman playwright Terance," Nothing human alien is alien to me." And when we let the waters settle down, we relate to the changing world with growing clarity and see the foundation of life. Then the world mirrors the soul and the soul mirrors the world- a state of mental clarity. Practicing Mindfulness meditation has been helping me to see the inner landscape and the outer landscape clearly. When i pay my full attention to watch a child working with me, I see the display of many emotions in... View full comment

david doane

Sep 23, 2018

I've come to know that I am in the world and the world is in me, the forces that operate in the world are the same as the forces that operate in me, and I and the world are made of the same stuff. More than the world mirrors the soul and the soul mirrors the world, the soul and the world are one. At this point, I know always that each of us has in us every aspect of human life, including the good, the bad, and the ugly. I have it in me to be a saint and a sinner, a nurturer and a killer, a giver and a taker, a helper and an abuser, compassionate and hostile. What I am has to do with my choices, and my choices have to do with a multitude of factors most of which are beyond my comprehension. I've been fortunate -- I have enjoyed many positive circumstances. As for any and every option, "there but for the grace of God go I."

Rajesh

Sep 21, 2018

For many years now, I have experiemented with watching the mind. A few things stand out for me.

- It's a scary thing to do and to discover the "denizens of the deep". Which is perhaps why many of us (unconsciously) refuse to take on this adventure.
- You begin to see more and more of human folly in yourself. Allows you to be more emphatetic and understanding of what one sees in oneself and in the world "out there".
- Its a very fruitful and interesting endeavour. Just like a diver in the deep ocean discovers all sorts of beautiful things, a diver of the psyche gets insight into all sorts of psychological and spiritual phenomena. Feels like a very rich experience, though one can barely articulate it to someone not aquatinted with this kind of inquiry.
- I feel very grateful for having this opportunity in this lifetime.

Clive Sep 25, 2018

When one watches the mind, it is impossible, it seems to me, not to come upon the question "what, or who, is the watcher?". And the growing realisation that the watcher is not different from the watched is the realisation that ..... transforms (if I can use that word), everything.

The very labels that we use to describe or delineate what is seen in the watching - like scary, folly, beautiful, rich .... good, bad, etc, all all projections of the watcher,

And in this realisation that the watcher is the watched it is seen that the mind is changing all the time. So I AM changing all the time. There are no fixed points. Yes, watching the mind is indeed interesting, fascinating - and life changing.