HE WAS IN NO OTHER PLACE
Cross and Christians, end to end, I examined. He was not on the Cross. I went to the
Hindu temple, to the ancient pagoda. In none of them was there any sign. To the uplands
of Herat I went, and to Kandahar. I looked. He was not on the heights or in the lowlands.
Resolutely, I went to the summit of the fabulous mountain of Kaf. There only was the
dwelling of the legendary Anqu bird. I went to the Kaaba of Mecca. He was not there. I
asked about him from Avicenna the philosopher. He was beyond the range of
Avicenna…I looked into my own heart. In that, his place, I saw him. He was in no other
place.
by Jalaludin Rumi
From The Way of the Sufi by Idries Shah
Now what it means to look into your own heart might be a little ambiguous and my take on it is that we aren’t just talking metaphorically. The heart can be a real gauge to our emotions, measuring how disturbed or how much at peace we are. My meditations sometimes lead there and the direction I want to go in is towards greater ease and peace. In tantric yoga there is a center at the heart called the Bliss Root (ananda kanda). Open it and know God (bliss is another name for God). I assume this God does not reside in heaven nor listens to prayers nor rewards the virtuous nor punishes the sinful. I always assumed this God is fully retired from such tasks and glad to be rid of them.