To evolve my understanding of the world and people, I regularly attend a meeting of twenty or so who gather at a community center two or three times per month. It’s called Socrates Cafe where we select and discuss a topic of common interest. 

I’m often reminded that Socrates proclaimed his total ignorance, saying that the only thing he was aware of was his ignorance, implying that the recognition of one’s ignorance is the first step in philosophizing and wisdom gathering. Socrates, was convinced that he knew nothing. He also concluded that no one else knew anything and that he only appeared wiser than others because he recognized his own ignorance. 

During this last session, I sat purposely silent (a rarity) listening carefully during the hour plus long discussion about the meaning and practice of ‘Freedom.’ Silence allows me to stretch and refine my listening capabilities, to observe, to honor and connect with each speaker. 

On this day, I observed other attendees emphatically proclaiming their views and beliefs as well as their eagerness to defend the rightness of their views on the subject of ‘Freedom.’ Our discussion initially focused on the idea that: ’Freedom’ is the authority of governments and institutions to be handed down to citizenry because humans intrinsically require external authorities to enforce a collective civility. A thought occurred to me immediately: This concept assumes that humans are incapable of behaving in any way other than self-interest. Therefore humans require external authorities to impose limits on and/or govern personal ‘Freedom’ to provide for the common welfare.  My life path has taught and shown me otherwise.

I was not critical of my fellow attendees, but I was aware of the ‘Socratic irony’ in their emphatic proclamations of knowledge and truth. I wondered: Were they wiser than Socrates? Did they really know more or were their proclamations made from their sense of separation from each other, I/ME fear-based idiosyncrasies? I witnessed bantering and jockeying for superiority of rightness. It left me squirming in my seat. But I held my silence to advance my listening. Maybe I’d hear something different?

I’ve been very fortunate to have been broken (for the most part) of the learned habit of focusing on I/ME through a cultivated relationship with my wise Soul, advocate for my expansion. Once broken, I was gently encouraged to find a balance between focusing my thoughts, feelings and actions on I/ME with the collective interest of ‘WE/US.’ Interestingly, with this transformation in focus, my own need for externally imposed civility was replaced by the strong inner guidance system of my Soul’s loving ESSENCE, tenderness and compassion. With practice, my fear of expressing these ESSENCE qualities towards all life diminished accordingly and a personal civility enveloped me.    

Further, many years ago, I was exposed to the Taoist wisdom: In our dualistic world, the opposite is also true. By observation in my life’s travels, I can testify that two fundamental concepts (up and down, this/that, right or wrong…) appear to be a common theme among the people of Earth. But why? I wondered and would Socrates consider this question worthy of investigation? Yes, perhaps he would. 

Back to the discussion, the energies of competition for rightness were palpable on this day. To me, this indicated that only minds (home to contentiousness) were engaged. This discussion left me feeling empty and longing for the heart’s acceptance and honoring of all views. I was reminded that attempting to convince another of the rightness of my views is at best a fool’s errand. This practice results in stresses I prefer not to have in my body.

After this discussion, I reflected further. I had learned long ago from Socrates: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” I was fortunate to have made this a central theme for my life’s journey for nearly four decades. Along this road less traveled I learned and applied many universal principles, one of which is that the external world is a reflection of my inner world of thoughts, feelings and actions. Then Pablo Neruda taught me that: “Changing the world is an inside job.”  Thus, if there is something in my external world I’d like to alter, changing my thoughts, feelings and actions about it will yield a more preferable reflections.  

Following this protocol, I learned a few things about the mysteries of human existence on Earth. Paramount among these learnings are: 

• Humans are made in the image and likeness of the all-loving Creator of all that is. 
• Our Creator has endowed us with the free will to think, feel, and act as we choose in each moment.
• We are ‘Free’ to separate ourselves from one another, which often creates mayhem in our wake.
• We also have the option to apply our thoughts, feelings and actions to cultivate and express our loving ESSENCE, our inherently loving nature to live honoring both the I/ME and the WE/US to remember our unity. 

I’ve experienced many instances to express my ESSENCE. During my travels, I’ve also experienced ESSENCE to be alive and well in many a human heart. I suspect it’s inherent to all but its expression is often blocked by our life’s experiences in the illusions of separation. When we remember it and express our ESSENCE fearlessly, we are able to live (more easily) in this dualistic world but not of it. Then, we have rediscovered authentic ’Freedom,’ where there is no doubt of the human capacity to remember our union and honor our place in the sacred origin with all things. When we consistently hold this ’Freedom,’ we give birth to the experience of Heaven on Earth within ourselves. Then, it can be reflected in the external world.

The aphorism ‘Silence Is Golden’ was made tangible within me as our discussion ended. I paid tribute to Socrates by looking within to examine my thoughts, feelings, and actions. I honored my wholeness by listening to both my mind and my heart. I honored each speaker. My self-knowing expanded. I gained wisdom because I now understand myself on deeper levels. I found a light within me that I can trust to guide me along my life’s path. I grabbed a fist full of courage; I took time-out from the daily motion of modern life to strip away the thoughts, feelings, and actions that inhibit me from reaching the clarity in my Soul’s loving ESSENCE and its full expression. An authentic ‘Freedom’ rang out from within my very Soul to take root in my body. It said:                

• Practice honoring all things.  Refrain from comment,  judgement, or interference.
• Own my ESSENCE, practice tenderness and compassion.                                                        
• Love more. Forgive more. Embrace more, Live calmly with intensity.                         
• Ask: Where do I force self-serving outcomes in my life?                                               
• Surrender to the divine plan for my life.                                                                          
• Trust that the universe is on my side and has my back.                                                          
• Leave the rest in the hands of the All-Loving Creator.

Upon reflection on that day’s discussion, I remembered my interconnectedness with all and that I am playing a role in a much bigger picture (a divine comedy) than I’m able to see. I gained authentic ‘Freedom’ from ego’s traps: fear, guilt, self-righteousness and self-doubt. All these gains occurred by virtue of my newly expanded understanding that all my perceptions are limited if they are dictated by the illusion of my separateness from anything. Undertaking the advice of ‘self examination’ from Socrates ensures my alignment with the purpose of the Universe – To Expand.

Thank you Socrates!