Without opening your door,
You can open your heart to the world.
Without looking out your window,
You can see the essence of the Tao.
(Tao te Ching verse 47)
I am writing this article surrounded by the tropical lushness of Sri Lanka, where I am leading a small group through a meditative journey in a land rich with ancient spirituality, traditions and beauty.
This morning we had the privilege of serving breakfast to monks living in a nearby monastery, then meditating underneath a Bodhi tree that is a direct descendent of the original tree underneath which the Buddha achieved enlightenment.
Yesterday we hiked to the top of the famous Sigiriya rock, and the previous day we climbed through the mountainous remains of the 2,000 year old Ritigala monastery, ending with a meditation deep within this sacred forest.
Intentional travel, where the desire is to appreciate, experience, and offer our reverence to the people and places we visit, is a beautiful and expansive space. And yet, as the verse above reveals, we don’t have to leave home in order to create this for ourselves.
The world isn’t divided into the good vs the bad, or the exotic vs the ordinary. The only thing that distinguishes something as more exciting than something else, is the judgment we place upon it. We can see goodness, value and holiness wherever we are, and sometimes the best way to begin doing it, is within ourselves. Opening our heart to the world means opening our heart to all our experiences, even the most ordinary.
Seeing the essence of the Tao means recognizing all is sacred – even when clothed in the most mundane appearance. Travel is a wonderful opportunity to expand our boundaries and borders – but staying at home offers equal opportunities for intentional expansion.
A process to open your heart wherever you may be right now
To open our heart to the world first means opening our hearts to ourselves; so right now, try this:
Place both hands on your heart, and close your eyes. If you are a visual person, you might imagine that there is a closed door in front of your heart. Just sit, focusing on your heart, and imagining this closed door in front of it. As you do this, open up to feeling some kind of reverence.
Truly, you are standing before deep holiness. Your heart is your connection to far more than a healthy flow of blood; it pumps your very life force, your very Divinity, your connections far beyond the surface appearance of your physical self.
Settle into this focus, in front of this door, feeling whatever appreciation or reverence is natural. Don’t force anything beyond what feels true, but don’t shut yourself down, either. Take your time; this is not to be rushed. Then, only when you feel ready, allow yourself to open the door. Open it, and be still.
Notice what you are feeling. You may want to walk through the open doorway, or you may feel comfortable simply sitting, present to what is beyond. The entranceway is open; let yourself be led by whatever feels appropriate. You are the Master of your experience, so do whatever feels right.
What does it feel like to have opened this door into your own sacred self? This is for you to feel, for you to honor. No matter what your experience, you are of infinite importance, of infinite value. Within you lies Divinity. Stay with this for a few moments. Without opening your outside door, you can open your heart. To Your Self. You are worthy beyond anything you can imagine. Be present to your expansive, infinitely precious, Self.
No matter where you may be, whether you are opening your physical door and venturing out into the world or staying firmly at home, explore what it is to live with an open heart: to yourself, and then ultimately, to the world.
