Welcome to Inamorata Center!
Someone recently asked me —“What’s right about not being open-minded?” It was meant to be a provocative question. I decided to reflect on when in my experience I have felt “right” or justified in closing my mind or heart to another person’s perspective. A few recent experiences came galloping in. Surprisingly, they weren’t even political!
I saw that it “feels right” to defend my position when something is at stake, when something I believe in is being threatened. I noticed I was not very open-minded, but protected my position. When I am afraid that what I hold dear will not be supported or appreciated by others the openness of my soul closes with a mighty “whoosh”. I want to protect my “loved ones”–my treasured people, things, places, ideas and principles.
Being open to new ideas, new beliefs, or new perspectives can be quite exciting and expanding. Just as easily we can become frightened and protective. When I am open-minded I feel secure enough to listen to another—to be curious about what they are actually offering, I am also in touch with what is true for me. It takes a lot of courage to stand in what we know and to be open to what we don’t. For me, open-mindedness means there is room to be impacted. I am open to being touched or influenced. I am open to what you may offer me and I am willing to offer you myself as well.
Becoming open as a spiritual practice reminds me of a poem by Rumi, the Sufi mystic, teacher and poet:
Zero Circle
Be helpless, dumbfounded,
Unable to say yes or no.
Then a stretcher will come from grace
To gather us up
We are too dull-eyed to see that beauty.
If we say we can, we’re lying.
If we say No, we don’t see it,
That No will behead us
And shut tight our window onto spirit.
So let us rather not be sure of anything,
Beside ourselves, and only that, so
Miraculous beings come running to help.
Crazed, lying in a zero circle, mute,
We shall be saying finally,
With tremendous eloquence, Lead us.
When we have totally surrendered to that beauty,
We shall be a mighty kindness.
By Rumi (Translated by Coleman Barks)