Nevertheless, we are stuck with it, and all the impressions it gives, groups we are associated with, lifestyles and camps we claim. For although we are bombarded, like no generation before us on this silly planet, with mountain ranges of information on a constant basis, we still make our initial reflections, our observations, and sometimes accepted judgments based on what that head looks like instead of what is inside.
This container houses contraptions to facilitate our senses, some of which, on our fellows, are not as functional as ours. Vision's sense removed, hearing, sense of smell or taste gone, and still astounding accomplishments can be mapped out and created due to the contents, our brain. A friend recently shared that our brains have the ability to grow and change based on what information they are fed. A diet of music can cause the grey matter to grow and create folds, holding the new data in ways that are observably different from brains that have not been trained in this study. The beautiful mind!
John Nash ~ 1928-2015
And why not, countless hours and monies are spent to shape and sculpt the body so it is pleasing to others, but what are we doing to re-craft and embellish our thoughts, superstitions, prejudices, assumptions, and sometimes unmovable Teutonic plates of arrogance and stupidity?
How much more important what is inside this container than how it appears on the outside! Matthew 23:27 contains a hint to that when the teacher, Jesus cited the Pharisees as being like white washed graves, righteous and beautiful on the outside, but inside wicked, hypocritical, full of dead men's bones.
Meditation teacher in the arts of Theravada Buddhist tradition, Gina Sharpe notes that: "The basis of a beautiful life is a beautiful mind." When asked to expand on that statement she said: "A beautiful mind is a mind that integrates everything, whether full sail or no wind. It can be buoyant despite conditions. It’s trained to be so. Our minds left untended are not careful. We have to be careful about what grows up in the garden of the mind; careful about what needs tending, feeding, and what needs cutting back. The quality of care is what makes a garden beautiful, as much as the particulars. Similarly, anytime you try to narrow things down to a particular definition—or when we try to make huge decisions—we get bogged down. It’s more beautiful to see with care how every small response is made, and how it makes a kaleidoscopic pattern." (complete interview link: http://www.parabola.org/the-beautiful-mind.html)
How much more effective to begin a conversation with the question: "So what's on your mind?" in lieu of a boring statement as to how the container holding such a precious object appears somewhat different, due to new glasses, jewelry or even a haircut. These external appearances define us according to bias and pigeonholing. They create boundaries, that if were crossed, may lead to combined collective thought processes or life solutions created between otherwise appearance separated individuals.
My container image may toss me into the LBGT box, where the dreadlocks on another may denote a careless life, possibly with drug abuse. And so what if I am or not or he is or not. Why does it matter? Should we care? And what is that?!? Is it some kind of evolutionary instinctual GPS? It's annoying! We all need to look past those containers, the styles, the scars, the disabilities, the beauty, the bling and see: THE MIND! It's imperative we do so. Our world is growing smaller every day due to technology and travel. We have and are suffering genocides due to this splayed pattern of thinking. We truly need to work on our gardens, the ones in our minds. Cultivate the beautiful thriving and strengthening thoughts and pluck the weeds of bias and hate to the side. What a more beautiful place the world would be if we composted and regrew these ingrained tendencies through mediation and reflection. It is certainly a more productive way to spend time in a line other than reliving an uncomfortable moment over and over again. Turn the garden shovel inward and dig deep!
My husband and I have stopped eating loafs of bread due to the body's easy capacity to add pounds as one enjoys middle age. We use whole wheat wraps for most of our 'bread' needs. As becos means bread, and bread is sustenance, as knowledge is sustenance: how much more fitting in our times of a ever changing world to have a flexible bread? One that can wrap around what ever ingredients life throws our way. A bread to feed us, nourish us, with a comfort and fullness that we truly care about what is on someone's mind, and not just what is on their head.
