Have you ever noticed that you can watch your own thought process? Have you ever noticed that you often react to a situation before your thoughts have coalesced to interpret it? How about calming and quieting busy thoughts? Ok, so who is this master controller, this 'you' that is superordinate to your thoughts? These are questions worth answering, questions that should be essential in our quest of being human and alive! At the very least, if we begin to conscientiously observe and discipline our own thought process, we really do commence on a grand adventure.
Before contemplating this grand adventure, there are a few more questions to consider. Do you want a mind filled with every wild imagination? Do you want a mind permeated with fear and dread? Do you want a mind that is dull and bored? Does the word 'discipline' imply punishment, or management to you? And, finally, is a creative mind one that has no constraints, or is it one that has focus and organization?
We hear about 'open-mindedness' and 'narrow-mindedness', usually in context with judgmental labels. How does a creative mind compare to these two characterizations? So many questions, yet this whole adventure is one not to be taken lightly. Each of these questions deserves serious consideration.
Throughout the span of mankind there have been those who stepped aside from the distractions of the day to examine their own identity and relationship with the world around them. Said to be the wisest man of his time, King Solomon (who reigned over the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah from 967-931 BC) examined these very questions and bequeathed us his thoughts:
Before contemplating this grand adventure, there are a few more questions to consider. Do you want a mind filled with every wild imagination? Do you want a mind permeated with fear and dread? Do you want a mind that is dull and bored? Does the word 'discipline' imply punishment, or management to you? And, finally, is a creative mind one that has no constraints, or is it one that has focus and organization?
We hear about 'open-mindedness' and 'narrow-mindedness', usually in context with judgmental labels. How does a creative mind compare to these two characterizations? So many questions, yet this whole adventure is one not to be taken lightly. Each of these questions deserves serious consideration.
Throughout the span of mankind there have been those who stepped aside from the distractions of the day to examine their own identity and relationship with the world around them. Said to be the wisest man of his time, King Solomon (who reigned over the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah from 967-931 BC) examined these very questions and bequeathed us his thoughts:
"For if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding...Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity and every good course. For wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will guard you, understanding will watch over you, to deliver you from the way of evil." Proverbs 2:3-12
Interesting that Solomon, who had a reputation for wisdom, and proclaimed the benefits of disciplining thoughts, failed in this very capacity! It was common practice in his day to seal treaties by having a lesser king give his daughter in marriage to the greater king. Since that greater king was Solomon, every time a new treaty was sealed, he ended up with yet another wife. These wives were considered tokens of friendship and “sealed” the relationship between the two kings. Solomon's problem arose from the dichotomy of practice versus belief.
Instead of engaging the moral standards that proclaimed the dangers he pursued, and that he certainly understood, he allowed his attention to be captivated by territorial acquisition, wealth, and conflicting belief systems that he encountered amidst his seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines. A thousand women in a man's life could certainly be a bit distracting! The result of Solomon's folly was that end of his days were not as bright as the days of his youth. Adversaries rose up against him until he was not such a happy man, and evetually the United Kingdom he reigned over for forty years fell into conflict and division.
This looks like something of an object lesson, right? So, this is probably a good time to take a break and consider the ramifications. Remember the question about open-mindedness versus narrow-mindedness? How judgmental do you really want to be about these two concepts? Is one bad and the other good? Or, is there a time and a place for one or the other?
Instead of engaging the moral standards that proclaimed the dangers he pursued, and that he certainly understood, he allowed his attention to be captivated by territorial acquisition, wealth, and conflicting belief systems that he encountered amidst his seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines. A thousand women in a man's life could certainly be a bit distracting! The result of Solomon's folly was that end of his days were not as bright as the days of his youth. Adversaries rose up against him until he was not such a happy man, and evetually the United Kingdom he reigned over for forty years fell into conflict and division.
This looks like something of an object lesson, right? So, this is probably a good time to take a break and consider the ramifications. Remember the question about open-mindedness versus narrow-mindedness? How judgmental do you really want to be about these two concepts? Is one bad and the other good? Or, is there a time and a place for one or the other?
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