The Eyes of the Heart

The eyes have been imbued with symbolism for millennia, along with the sense of sight. It is said that the eyes are the gateway to the soul. It’s possible to tell a great deal about a person by gazing into their eyes for a while. Except, it’s not something we’re entirely comfortable with - as if we’re intruding, when we begin to see past the physical exterior, and wander into the mystery of a person’s interior realm. Only with loved ones is it deemed appropriate.

This is interesting, particularly during the past 13 months of a pandemic in which mask wearing has practically directed us to look into the eyes of strangers. The unexpected intimacy awaiting there, is oddly a comfort, and a source of interconnectedness.

In a global culture of busyness, we had lost that somehow. Our expressive eyes started to speak for us, above the masks that covered our mouths. Whether shielding, self-isolating or during lockdown, we started to notice and appreciate what had been right in front of our eyes. The beauty and serenity of Nature surrounded us. Significantly we also started to look within, and instead of contemplating with our minds, we began to intuit with our hearts.

In the stillness of the sacred heart, we meet our true self, who is paradoxically aware that We Are All One. The pulse of the universe is the pulse of the Earth, is the pulse of the rainforest, the pulse of our humanity - when we align with our destiny and cast self-doubt aside.

When you see someone’s face light up, a glimpse of ‘the eyes of the heart’ is being revealed. They are illuminated, shining because of something that resonates with their sacred heart. It could be for bird-watching, singing lessons, cake-making or their child. Most people are masked, without wearing a mask, while they are in public at least. They may look but not see. So much loveliness, the little things that bring joy, can be missed. The heart stores these.

With all that happened last year, my blurred peripheral vision was the beginning of an incurable degenerative eye disease. It was only diagnosed this year. There are a multitude of ways to see though. My preference is to see with the eyes of the heart. How do you see?