Magic Doorways ~ Inspirations - You Are What You Watch
It has been said that the eyes are windows to the soul. When we are in love, we can sit forever staring into the eyes of the other. Lovers often say, “I’ve finally met my soul mate,” which is really just two people who have opened up enough to see the soul in another. Connecting at a soul level ought to be a normal part of life. But often our work and other worldly obligations subject us to a steady stream of superficial images, making soul communion a rare experience.
The images of “normal” life can cloud our true perception. The distractions of television, movies, fashion, sports, The Internet, and so on can obscure the mysteries of the soul. Our mind craves constant input and our poor soul has no choice but to watch endless dissonant images, thus missing out on the silence and beauty that sustain it. No wonder we have so much sadness in our world. Our soul is crying out for our attention, but we are continually sidetracked by the many desires of our mind.
Wherever we put our attention determines what we become. Sant Rajinder Singh, a contemporary spiritual master and leader of the organization, Science of Spirituality, often says that, unlike the mind, the soul is not in its home court in the earthly domain. The soul is like a player visiting from out of town; the crowd is far more inclined to cheer for the “hometown boy,” the mind. Sant Rajinder Singh has also said that the more the mind gets embroiled in anger, lust, greed and attachment, the more our soul’s brilliance is hidden from view.
A recent experience vividly brought home how profoundly we are affected by the imagery to which we subject ourselves. I regularly get together with friends to meditate and watch spiritual documentaries, and one evening a friend brought over a feature film that he thought would be uplifting because of its title, Angel Heart. But when the film contained successive murders of people being stabbed in the heart, we were all very disturbed. A dear friend, who had just returned from an extended stay in a spiritual sanctuary and had become very open and aware, not unlike a young child, was severely affected. When he removed his jacket, I was horrified to see a huge red stain on his white shirt, just like the victims in the movie. A red pen that he had had in his pocket had broken. We all acknowledged this as a metaphor for how deeply the violent scenes in the film had penetrated his psyche. We saw it as a potent reminder of how discerning we need to be as viewers. Like children, we really do become what we watch.
There is no question that the scenes of violence, sexual exploitation, and drug abuse that inform so much of what we call “entertainment,” have the effect of increasing aggression and self-destructive behaviour in those who watch them, especially young people. We are subjected to a constant barrage of stimulation that not only confuses us, but also influences how we look, act, feel, and think about reality. No wonder many of us become little more than robots doing the bidding of whoever or whatever grabs our attention. Our neglected soul wants nothing more than to be seen and heard, while the mind does whatever it can to keep the soul hidden and mute. If we were to directly connect with the truth or the essence of who we really are, then nothing could control us.
All problems arise from turning a blind eye to our soul’s wisdom and putting our attention onto the undiscerning desires of our minds. By giving our attention to our soul, which is in tune with God, we become the love, peace, and harmony that we yearn for.
The soul has been thirsty for so long, and often all we give it is a mere picture of a glass of water, not the water itself. Similarly, we give our soul a daily dose of computer light rather than spending time looking within and watching the light that lifts us beyond the mundane images of the world. Unlike the barrenness we feel when we immerse ourselves in worldly images, attending to the soul quenches our deepest thirst – the thirst for Divine Love. All power, joy and fulfillment come from putting our attention onto the soul.
Watching can be another word for meditation; we need to watch with the inner eye that sees the Truth that cannot be found in the outer world. Some spiritual disciplines designate the point above and between the eyebrows as the seat of the soul. This focal point is where we can begin to take an upward journey into realms beyond what we have ever known, beyond even death.
The notion of the eye being the window to the soul is more than a cultural truism but is also a great spiritual teaching, as this passage from The Holy Bible (Matthew 6:22) indicates: “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” By watching the vast and infinite light of our inner world, we nourish and feed our deepest Self, which is eternal and knows all of the Hidden Mysteries. We can then become one with the highest Truth. So let us choose to focus on our souls and in so doing, become the light, love, and peace that our world so desperately needs at this time.
Devrah Laval is the author of The Magic Doorway into the Divine. Please address any comments or questions to: devrahlaval@telus.net or visit www.themagicdoorway.com
Twenty-five years ago, Devrah Laval had a profound, enlightenment experience, and miraculous healing that changed the course of her life forever. Devrah was a busy fashion model; but courageously postponed her career when she was compelled to travel to India and train with many of the most revered teachers and spiritual masters as well as studies in New York. After extensive study, the true mystic inside Devrah was revealed. Today, Devrah is a gifted and vital teacher, who truly treads the mystic path. Her wisdom comes from direct experience. An innate understanding revealed to her the fact that God exists everywhere and in everything. The precious gifts of purification and a profound ability to integrate higher truths have culminated into a deep wisdom that Devrah uses to illuminate the way for all of us. The Magic Doorway into the Divine is an expression of Devrah’s life long study and the realization of our essence as soul.
