The Heart Thinking.
In Memories, Dreams, Reflections (1973) Jung described his encounter with Native Americans he met in New Mexico in 1925. This event, though brief, had a profound effect on Jung, and he referred to it many times in his writings. He commented that his experience in New Mexico made him aware of his imprisonment “in the cultural consciousness of the white man” (Jung, 1973, p. 247).
At the Taos pueblo, Jung spoke for the first time with a non-white, a Hopi elder named Antonio Mirabal (also known as Ochwiay Biano and Mountain Lake), who said that whites were always uneasy and restless:
“We do not understand them. We think that they are mad. Their eyes have a steering expression, they are always seeking something. What are they seeking? The whites always want something. They are always uneasy and restless. We do not know what they want. We do not understand them. We think they are mad.” (Jung, 1973, p. 248).
Jung asked him why he thought the whites were mad, and the reply was:
“They say that they think with their heads”.
Yes of course Jung surprised replied, what do you think with? The Chief reply:
“We think here”‘ he said, indicating his heart.
Impressed, Jung said he realized that Mountain Lake had unveiled a significant truth about whites, that we are blind, that we are perceiving reality with concepts in our head driven by fear where there is a possibility to experience life with a very wise heart.
How can we make that move from this addiction to our looping thoughts to a wise heart?
With presence.
And the essence of the meditation training is to be aware of our thinking instead of being lost in our thoughts.
Ohh, thought’s happening, just a thought. That is the biggest take away from the practice of awareness: I do not have to believe my thoughts. I can believe instead to what the Sufi tradition calls “the voice of your beloved“. It dwells in your heart center and it never lies to you.
That voice is not the voice of hate. It is the voice of love, compassion and sameness.
Sasy
Thanks to Tara Brach’s talks and JungPage.org for giving me inspiration for this post.