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Thinking with Your Heart

By Priestess Jean

With all of our advanced technology and the fast pace of modern life, it's not easy for us to relate to the spiritual qualities of the Neolithic world in which our ancestors once lived. While in many ways it was a harsh and primitive existance, there were certain aspects of it that we would do well to remember and to preserve... the egalitarian nature of their society, their closeness to nature, and their ability to perceive things on an instinctive and intuitive level.

We've already discussed the peaceful, artistic nature of these early cultures on our main website, and remarked upon their apparent lack of social hierarchy, as well as their gender-equality... and of course archeological evidence leaves no doubt that they had recognized the existance of the Goddess, and had created a formalized religion to worship Her, beginning around 7000 BCE in the Near-East.

Our Neolithic ancestors experienced an enviable closeness and familiarity with the Goddess, in their ordinary lives. She was in the heavens above... but more than that, She was everywhere around them. The mountains and the rivers bore the marks of Her handiwork, as did the plants and the trees and the animals, in all of their majestic diversity. The song of the birds was Her voice, as was even the wind. Clearly, it was a time when life and nature were regarded as sacred, and as a gift from the Goddess Herself.

Even in death, the bodies of Her children were returned to the Goddess through nature. Frescoes found in the shrines of Catal Hoyuk portray the practice of excarnation. Afterwards, the bones of the deceased were buried in a small circular grave, in the fetal position. As they had entered the world, so they left it behind... without preparations for an afterlife, or any ostentatious monuments. These simple funerary proceedures speak to us of a profound recognition of the timeless cycle of nature, which every living creature is subject to.

What I hope to do in this essay is to propose a method for bringing some of this intuitive thinking back into our lives... for as words and logic have come to rule our world, something very precious has been lost. With all of our vast scientific knowledge, our civilization still fails to bring us spiritual fulfillment... logic can not explain the value or purpose of human life, tell us right from wrong, reveal the beauty of our lives in all their spiritual dimensions, or enable communion with the Goddess. Those things can be found only with our hearts.

The development of logic was, I suppose, a natural outcome as man tried to deal with various new and complex tasks. As a tool for solving routine mathematical and scientific problems it works well enough, however it is based on the notion that all the facts of a given situation are apparent to us... however, in many areas of life, that's not actually the case. One other anoying characteristic of logic is its obsession with proof. In case after case, we have been taught to mistrust our senses and demand empirical proof for things... and if that proof is not immediately available, then we simply default to the conclusion that the evidence of our senses must be mistaken.

Ancient peoples were not burdened by such a restrictive system of thinking. They trusted their instincts, and were better able to perceive the gifts of the Goddess, spirit-energies, and other metaphysical events. If we are to attain the sort of insights, sensitivity and awareness which they once possesed, some major modifications to our present way of thinking will have to occur.

This is not a recent discovery... in fact, several thousand years ago people began to realize the inherent limitations of logic, with it's artificial definitions and conventions. As a result of their desire to find a new and better way of thinking, a discipline which is known today as Zen evolved. I believe that this practice can be very useful to us, and so I would like to present some information on it. If you wish to pursue it, there are many good books on the subject, especially those of D. T. Suzuki.

Zen is an outgrowth of Buddhism, which originated in India. It quickly spread to China and Japan, and became very popular. Unlike some sects of Buddhism, Zen has no deities or metaphysical beliefs. It is therefore not a religion... it is a philosophy. It is based on the concept that life is in many ways ineffable and esoteric, and that things like logic can often obstruct our ability to perceive true reality and live fully in the moment. Consequently, Zen aims at attaining spiritual and intellectual harmony by transcending logic.

Zen is often associated with various sensational practices, such as monks sitting for endless periods of meditation, puzzling "koans" or riddles which defy logic, and stories of the great Kung Fu masters from the Shaolin temple. Fortunately, having studied Zen myself for several years, I can assure you that the essence of the philosophy can be absorbed quite easily, by simply reading a few good books about the subject. Putting it into action then requires only an unwavering commitment to the task, until such time as the new way of thinking becomes instinctive and natural.

One basic teaching of Zen concerns the subject of ego, which is the cause of most human conflict and injustice in the world. After some study, we discover that almost all ego is false, and is detrimental to ourselves and those around us. It is especially dangerous when found in persons who hold power. By eliminating false ego, we begin to see ourselves (and others) in a more realistic way... and that leads to much better decision-making and personal happiness.

Another primary teaching of Zen relates to our view of the world. Most of us have developed (or were taught) certain prejudices, biases, and other preconceived ideas, which interfere with our ability to see things as they really are... and this "disconnection" from reality is yet another cause of unhappiness and poor decision-making. By eliminating these biases we can begin to judge people and events on their real merits, and this brings us much closer to the world around us, in many ways.

One other noteworthy teaching of Zen concerns patience. It is something which does not come naturally to us as human beings, so it must be developed. We should remember that any significant endeavor will take time... and without patience, we will greatly limit ourselves, and cause unnecessary frustration and unhappiness. Unfortunately, our "fast food" culture is based on the idea of doing things quickly, rather than doing them well. This is yet another faulty paradigm which we would be wise to correct.

Of course, changing our ways is much easier said than done. In certain Asian countries, young people typically undergo some training at one of their local Buddhist temples, where experienced teachers work with them. In addition to lecture and study, they also employ methods such as contemplating koans and sitting in meditation. Although most of us don't have access to experienced teachers, we can still learn a great deal from private study, and perhaps play with a few koans and do some meditation.

The benefits of meditation are much greater than most western people might expect. The mind works somewhat like a computer, with many tasks in progress, and some which are backed-up and awaiting attention. This has the effect of skewing our priorities, and leaving us with a vague stressed-out feeling. Meditation not only relieves that stress, but it helps us to get our priorities in order and keep them there.

Anyone can learn to meditate. You don't need to sit on the floor in lotus-position. It simply involves a brief period of absolute peace and quiet, during which time you make every effort to think of absolutely nothing. Of course that's not as easy as it sounds... but by shutting down the conscious mind for a short time, those mental resources are made available to the subconscious, which is then able to catch up on it's back-log of work. The result is feeling very refreshed and clear, and being much better able to deal with the challenges of daily life.

Through proper study and meditation, a person may rid themselves of ego-driven behaviors, dispense with prejudices and preconceived ideas, and acquire a high level of patience. Once that is done, we are well prepared to leave our old way of thinking behind, and begin to "think with our hearts". Of course, without this preparation, thinking with our hearts could simply mean behaving in a selfish and childish manner... but after this preparation, such an outcome has been precluded, and only creative, positive, and socially beneficial results should occur. In Zen, when such a state of mind is achieved, it is called "enlightenment".

Enlightenment does not mean the abandonment of logic. Logic can still be used to solve those problems for which it is well-suited. However, we must always remember that although logic can be an excellent servant, it makes a terrible master, for it lacks morality, compassion, and humanity... without which, good decision-making is impossible.

Moreover, we should understand that enlightenment is not simply a goal to be achieved... rather, it is a journey, which has no end. None of us are perfect, nor will we ever be... each time we believe that we have arrived at the top of the mountain, we discover another mountain yet to climb.

In addition, as we proceed on our journey, we may find ourselves taking a collective view of humanity. We may begin to see that enlightening others is just as important as enlightening ourselves, for we must all share this world and coexist. This duty is no different for a Priestess than for a Zen master.

Finally, there is the deep and profound satisfaction which comes through an enhanced ability to perceive the Goddess, in all Her beauty. Once the mind is enlightened and our hearts allowed to guide us, this can be achieved. When all of the intellectual conventions, logic, and other artificial contrivances of western society are put into their proper place, we may return once again to the unfettered state of consciousness enjoyed by our ancient ancestors... and like the tin man in the Wizard of Oz, find that we've had a heart all along.

Bright Blessings,

Priestess Jean