When We Look Closely

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“Who sees all beings in his own Self and his Self in all beings, loses all fear.” – The Isa Upanishad

The other day my son was nose to nose with our cat then turned to me and said, “I see me in kitty’s eyes.“

It reminded me of a story from the Talmud that I read in Mark Nepo’s Book of Awakening:

A Rabbi asks his student, “How do you know the first moment of dawn has arrived? After a great silence, one pipes up, “When you can tell the difference between a sheep and a dog.” The Rabbi shakes his head no. Another offers, “When you can tell the difference between a fig tree and an olive tree.” Again the Rabbi shakes his head no. There are no other answers. The Rabbi circles their silence and walks between them, “You know the first moment of dawn has arrived when you look into the eyes of another human being and see yourself.”

The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo

I was talking with a friend the other day about Monsters, Inc. which is my son’s favorite movie these days. She asked the question, “Wouldn’t it be great if we as humans figured out how to harness laughter & love instead of screams & fear?”  

To me, it feels with almost 8 billion people on the planet like an almost overwhelming task for the dawn to break so that we can all see we are all different yet we share the same aches and pains of life. But then I breathe and remember, it happens one person at a time. It happens when I remember to be open and take the time to look into someone else’s eyes and gather the power of laughter and love.

And maybe when we exercise gentleness and closeness, it happens too between species like with my son and the cat. That is hopeful too.

35 thoughts on “When We Look Closely”

  3. Horses mirror people which is why they work so well with traumatized people. They have a way of connecting with your inner feelings and knowing things about you that you didn’t know about yourself. I want to believe the best in humanity and to connect with others but the more I learn about people… the less I like them. Your thoughts here make me wanna try harder 😅

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    1. What an interesting comment about horses, LaShelle. They are such magnificent creatures that make an impression in so many ways. I know as an animal person you connect with so many creatures and it’s beautiful. Humans are a difficult breed, aren’t we? Thank you for adding this comment to the discussion – it’s beautiful!

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  4. Love the story from the Talmud Wynne. Thanks. If affirms the age-old adage . . . “The eyes are the window to the soul”

    Would that, in this sadly ever more devise world, everyone would pause to look deeply in each others eyes, and listen less to the cacophony of all the lies surrounding us.

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  5. Seeing others in ourselves is a powerful tool for developing empathy. While I try to do this with people, lately, I’ve taken to trying to imagine being one of my dogs (she is often nervous and anxious)…trying to see the world as she sees it. It must be a bit scary to only weigh 15 pounds and have everything around you be so much bigger! Great post, Wynne 🙂

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    1. What a lovely comment, Grace. Yes, adapting the idea to take in our precious pets is such a wonderful perspective too. Thank goodness that sweet dog has you on her side! ❤

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  7. Beautiful! May we each have the inner strength to raise children who will be loving to others and find joy in their joys! This is a great gift to give the world!

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  8. Thank you for sharing!!.. hopefully with today’s technology everyone will get a better understanding about one another and can share thoughts and love, to aid the children to dispel old myths, prejudice and hate and in the end build a better world!!.. 🙂

    Until we meet again….
    May love and laughter light your days,
    and warm your heart and home.
    May good and faithful friends be yours,
    wherever you may roam.
    May peace and plenty bless your world
    with joy that long endures.
    May all life’s passing seasons
    bring the best to you and yours!
    (Irish Saying)

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  9. Ahh—your post reminded me yet again that the most important eyes to look within are my own. When I can see myself through the eyes of love, there will be no division between myself and others.

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  11. What a sweet and wonderful moment between your son and cat – and love the photo you captured of the moment.

    Isn’t it amazing how children are often the ones able to have these moments more innocently because of their openness and innocence?

    You’re right, one person at a time – and perhaps we can draw inspiration from how our children can do it seemingly effortlessly than most adults can!

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    1. Oh, you are so right that our kids have that openness and innocence so that they make it look easy. Yes, may we all draw inspiration from them. Thanks for adding that wish to this post because it’s so true!

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