Our Trinity College Interfaith Fellows learned and practiced a new skill a few weeks ago called “Following the Meaning.” The basic idea is to listen closely to what someone is sharing and then to ask a follow-up question that expands the conversation by allowing the speaker to share more of what they want to share, not necessarily what the hearer wants to hear. We “follow the meaning” by paying attention to intentional and unintentional cues like a change in voice pitch or volume, facial expressions, hand gestures, and more. These cues might indicate that there is something salient in what the speaker is sharing and, if we follow the meaning, we might open up a rich dialogue to help us better understand one another. This sort of practice requires us to be present enough in a conversation to allow us to pick up on the often subtle expressions of joy and sorrow that come across in normal conversations. When we inhabit our ordinary interactions with one another with extraordinary intention, we might encounter what we least expect: connection, solidarity, shared interests, and friendship.
Joan Chittister relays a story from the Zen masters. One day a new disciple came up to the master Joshu and said, “I have just entered the brotherhood and I am anxious to learn the first principle of Zen. Will you please teach me?” Joshu replies, “Have you eaten your supper?” The novice answers, “Yes, I have eaten.” “Then,” Joshu instructs, “go and wash your bowl.” The wisdom from a variety of spiritual traditions points us to the awareness that God, nirvana, heaven, enlightenment, Zen, whatever language we call it, is not found beyond us in ecstatic religious ritual. It is found in the extraordinariness of ordinary things.
It is easy to sleepwalk through life, never searching its depths for wisdom and experience. This is especially true in college, where there is never a shortage of lectures, competitions, classes, club meetings, volunteer opportunities, concerts, parties, and other commitments that demand our time. If we aren’t mindful and intentional, it is possible to never really be where our feet are because we’re focused on the next opportunity. If we apply the wisdom of the Zen masters to our lives, it is possible for us to gain new insight. Bring a commitment to scholarship and learning to the mundane task of studying for the next test. Bring a spirit of love and gratitude to your next volunteer project in the Frog Hallow neighborhood. Bring a commitment to kindness and friendship to your next club meeting. A simple change in mindset can go a long way towards improving our mental health and experiences.
Poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning writes,
Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God,
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes,
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries,
And daub their natural faces unaware.
Imagine how much we walk over each day completely unaware to the divine fire within. Elsewhere, Joan Chittister writes “God is found in doing common things with uncommon conscientiousness.” Every opportunity—rehearsal, dinner with a friend, study session, concert, solo walk along the Long Walk—is an opportunity to stumble across God simply by being present.
