You tell me that there are words that a wise mind on the spiritual path would do well to be wary of:
– “The Heart,” “Truth,” “Grace,” “Authenticity”…
Words are tools, and they are like technology. They are neither good nor bad in themselves, but everything depends on how they are used, on the spirit that animates the mind that wields these tools.
Other words, moreover, can be used for the purest and most beneficial purpose, even though initially they might seem to have negative connotations. So, if you think there are certain words to be wary of, I invite you to be wary of all words.
“Knowledge without conscience is but the ruin of the soul.” (Rabelais)
Words without conscience are just as much so.
While sacred texts may be perceived as a collection of dangerous words, as soon as we ride the Spirit that blows through them, the Word that underlies the word, these words combine to form a teaching.
Just as wisdom is not in the finger, truth or danger is not in words.
Words in themselves are merely heaps of letters, and texts millions of strokes piled high.
Connecting with the spirit that animates them, while allowing us to perceive their profound direction, renders these heaps of signs that are words equally useless.
When the grace of truth touches the heart of the wise, the wise person passes through words. The words coalesce into a series of sleds that we ride. They lead us along tracks of space and time.
But it is only when we truly connect with the spirit underlying these words that we step off the sled and experience the destination, whether spatial or temporal. Without this, we remain like tourists in an amusement park, for whom the entrance ticket guarantees access to the rides, but who never leave the park.
The wise person does not seek the allure of words, the sensation of action they can provide;
He dedicates himself to seeking the spirit behind the words.
They understand the forest of signs; they address the spirit of the woods. From what do these signs emanate?
Forests of words, attitudes, thoughts,
a jungle of colors, sounds, emotions.
The word “refuge” is not a refuge.
Those who come seeking shelter will stammer a few words on the tracks, but will be protected from nothing, nor will they be able to welcome any refugees from these parks of illusion.
The wise man, guided by the spirit of refuge, will, while remaining silent, open the gates of this place to those that words have exhausted.
Notes & Silence 