I caught myself casually saying something recently along the lines of "I trust that
It seems to me -- and I'm opening this up -- that trust is the seedling to knowledge, the latter being cultivated by repetition of the idea. In order to trust, I have to first accept an idea as plausible, even likely, before putting it into my spiritual rotation. The hint of doubt is suggested when I'm not stating with authority that I have experienced x to be true. Indeed, stating "I trust..." requires an amount of faith, but is faith kinda like pregnancy -- you're either with child, or w/not? (Ooh I like "w/not"!)There is no middle ground? I don't know.
The miracle it seems is when what began as "I trust" morphs seamlessly into "I know" and it appears this happens simply by trusting enough times. A Course says that we teach what we want to learn and I'm finding that when I teach something (and I'm only able to teach something after an idea has scrolled through my own mind repeatedly) it becomes my own truth. The more I teach, the truer it becomes, until the idea is as known to me as my own name. It's almost like a miracle machine in which an idea or a product starts out on a conveyor belt in a raw, unbridled mess, and after being sent through the Socratic process it comes out in a New! and Improved! package, ready for my digestion. What makes it a miracle – in case I left you hangin’ – is that this is a process for healing. The unknown is made known, a light has been shone, truth has been revealed – the result of which is a piece of freedom. Eventually, I trust that those pieces will add up to the whole. Eventually, I trust that those pieces will add up to the whole. Eventually, I trust… okay, not clever anymore.
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Today I went to MIT to begin collaboration on a project my friend Dan is working on. He's a lecturer at the Media Lab and a brainchild of his is called Online Yogi. It's in its infant stages but the possibilities are really cool. Today we got little accomplished, in large part b/c it's Sponsors' Week which means all the grad students are busy trying to finish being students, though I did get to see some really cool inventions. Shocking, but the place is teeming with smarties. Actually what I was shocked about was the number of hot grad students/PhD candidates. I'm embarassed to say that I've stereotyped MIT students to look like younger Bill Gates (no offense, Bill) and had no idea that brains could look so adorable.
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April and my friend, Terry, stepped in this week as a guest columnist at the Dear Brutal Truth desk. He answered fearlessly and truthfully, which are our only requirements. And he's funny - something I consider to be pure bonus. Making chocolate chip cookies from meatloaf ingredients?! Classic.