Tongues in Trees

Tongues in Trees

Sweet are the uses of adversity,Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous,Wears yet a precious jewel in his head; And this our life, exempt from public haunt, Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, Sermons in stones, and good in everything. I would not change it. — Shakespeare, As You Like It

When seen through the lens of conscious evolution, existential questions are continually answered all around us in the classroom of life. There are no final answers, no single teacher, no moment better or worse than the last, and nothing needs to be excluded, because our being evolves, and our ripening conscious soul continues to seek out experiences that nurture our invisible development. To reach a point where I see “good in everything” and conclude that “I would not change it,” is an unusually high state of consciousness, indeed. In this state, which takes all the external encounters of our lives, including adversity, I can accept and embrace the whole.

Why “sweet” adversity as Shakespeare describes it? Adversity, misfortune and hardship generate the energy which propels me to look for deeper strength, and to reach into invisible space where I can hover above the storm. Then I see differently in much the same way that I look through a telescope and see the beauty of Jupiter’s storm. The eye of the hurricane is calm and centered. It is the precious jewel we wear in our heads.

Along with many other noteworthy aphorisms from scholarly people, the above quote from Shakespeare is written on the walls of The Library of Congress in Washington, DC. It is a reminder that we learn from the books of life, not merely from the shelves of a library. We begin to read the lessons in the running brooks and listen to the stones and trees. The world becomes a playground when we live in an awakened state. The heaviness of sleep truly lifts like a fog and yields to the lightness and warmth of the sun.

Conscious evolution is possible for everyone, regardless of circumstances. From slaves to emperors, we have examples of enlightened men and women throughout history. Living in Higher Centers, above the sleep of first and second states, is not only available to us but where we were intended to reside. Independence and freedom are internal states – third and fourth states – Happy Fourth!

The tree smiling at me.

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