Unclouded By Longing

Truth waits for eyes unclouded by longing. — Ram Dass.

Actually Ram Dass claims the above quote is part of the Tao, but since I heard the above from a dear friend who attributed these words to Ram Dass, I’ll do the same. What may be more important than the attribution is the question what does this saying mean to you.

Alvin Anderson says it means that if you become like a clear mirror and view the world exactly as it is — not how your desires (and fears) want it to be — you’ll see the truth.

I first heard it in the context of a man who loved a woman so very much that he couldn’t see the complete picture of their relationship. But since I love the phrase, “unclouded by longing” so much, I’ve thought about it a lot including my relationship with God.

I think we long for a God that fulfills our individual needs, we only see that God, and not the true God. We all have separate and unique longings that cloud our vision. For example, during Lent my longing for oatmeal raisin cookies clouds my vision from seeing Lent’s true purpose.

During this week’s meditation, consider concentrating on what longing clouds your eyes. Is your longing spiritual or material, and what truth is out there waiting to be seen?

 

 

 

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About the author

Webb Hubbell is the former Associate Attorney General of The United States. His novels, When Men Betray, Ginger Snaps, A Game of Inches, The Eighteenth Green, and The East End are published by Beaufort Books and are available online or at your local bookstore. When Men Betray won one of the IndieFab awards for best novel in 2014. Ginger Snaps and The Eighteenth Green won the IPPY Awards Gold Medal for best suspense/thriller. His latest, “Light of Day” will be on the bookstands soon.