Friday, July 24, 2009

The Unobstructed Eye

I'm re-reading a nice little book by a Jesuit that makes some interesting and provocative points. The book is Awareness by Anthony DeMello. The thought for today comes from an Oriental sage that he quotes:

If the eye is unobstructed, it results in sight;
if the ear is unobstructed, the result is hearing;
if the nose is unobstructed, the result is a sense of smell;
if the mouth is unobstructed, the result is a sense of taste;
if the mind is unobstructed, the result is wisdom.

When I read that, I was reminded of the Middle Chamber lecture in the Fellowcraft Degree, where the five senses are described and explained, and that section ends with "on the mind, all knowledge must depend. What, therefore, can be a more proper subject for examination by a Mason?"

DeMello adds one more sentence to the ancient proverb:

If the heart is unobstructed, the result is love.