The Meaning of a Rose

Everything has meaning; and nothing has meaning.  At least, nothing has inherent meaning.  But when things pass through our minds and are colored by our memories, associations, and generalizations they become significant; suddenly they mean something.  A rose, for example, doesn’t mean anything until it is processed through a mind that has associated it with love and romance.  Then, suddenly, the rose is significant and full of implications.

Part of being spiritually aware is recognizing that the core of every person, object, or event is pure potentiality.  And this implies that objective meaning cannot exist.  A tree, for example, can’t be interpreted in the same way during autumn as it is in the spring.  A tree is potentially green, brown, bare, and full of fall colors.  If we choose to define it by one expression of that potential, we cannot be upset when someone else defines it by another.  Nor can we expect that they accept our definition.

When we are operating from a place of spiritual awareness, we don’t need to strictly define the meaning of the symbols we encounter.  We understand that no definition holds permanently true, because all things are in a state of flux.  Knowing this allows us the freedom to investigate the many ways that something can be understood, because we aren’t limited by a belief about how it should be understood.   And this freedom opens up new worlds to explore and helps us develop greater empathy.

Imagine if you could always see a rose in a new way; the experience of each rose entirely and exquisitely fresh and novel.  When we accept the potentiality of the things in the world around us and let go of the need to strictly define them, we get closer to this being a reality.  We can experience things as if they are new time and time again.   In addition to this, we will find that we better relate to others and understand the way that they perceive things, leading to more cooperation and growth.

Perhaps if we could each commit to reminding ourselves everyday that all things exist as potential, we could begin shaping a more exciting and friendlier world.  We could all wake each day knowing that we are bound to experience something completely new and will undoubtedly get to take a new perspective of something.  Let’s share our interpretations of that rose freely and without judgment; maybe we will bring a little more pleasure and a little more empathy to the world in the process.

More at cristenrodgers.com