7 Kinds of Wisdom of the True Self
These seven types of wisdom are natural and present at all times, but are covered or obscured by thoughts, distractions and fears. You can practice them one by one to get a feel for them, or simply rest as your true self by letting go and just Be – without effort or attempt to change yourself. Ultimately, meditation practice uncovers these possibilities and helps them to flourish and shine in your life and in the world.
This wisdom is the constant letting go of attachment and clinging. The most obvious type of impermanence is the knowledge that we will all die, but there is a subtler type of impermanence of constant change at every moment. The person who starts reading this blog will not actually be the same person who finishes it. . Every moment changes and flows and flows. Being one with this wisdom is felt as being in the flow. This wisdom is natural, like all the others, but it is covered by our uncertainty that everything will remain the same or the fear of losing someone or something. It’s sometimes called the wisdom of uncertainty, and because life is a constant dance of motion, Alan Watts says the only way to make sense of it is to dive right in and enjoy the dance.
2) Mirror-like wisdom
‘Mirror-like wisdom’ is the ability of consciousness to reflect, like a mirror, things as they are. A mirror can reflect any object, beautiful or ugly, with equal clarity. In Zen, meditation is described as dusting the mirror to remove any impurities or impediments to seeing things “just as they are.” The mirror is a metaphor for your mind’s ability to know and reflect things clearly, without thoughts or judgments. This wisdom can be gained by practicing zazen or by meditating as an objective observer, also known as the ‘witness’. Just watching the breath or other sensation or the present moment without reacting helps access this wisdom.
3) The wisdom of equality
This is the ability of consciousness to regard all things and people as equal and therefore to remain detached, open and fully alert. Above all, the ability to see all people as equal expressions of enlightened consciousness, whether they are aware of it or not, and all equally valuable. This wisdom is the basis for true love and compassion. It is this wisdom of seeing all material things as an expression of the same universal conscious energy and it is also called seeing all things with that one taste of emptiness. This means that all things that appear to our senses have no meaning of their own and we give them meaning or preference because of our own relative positions, but ultimately all appearances are representations of the one source consciousness and are equal in nature. To enter this door of wisdom, consider all thoughts as ‘just thoughts’; neither good nor bad, neither wanted nor unwanted, every thought that arises is naturally regarded as exactly the same.
This aspect of consciousness is the ability to know everything, not in the sense of knowing what everything is called, which is a superficial level of knowledge, but the ability to become absorbed in objects and people and understand them intuitively and directly. Everything that consciousness looks at, it can come to understand; simply by silently observing – a knowledge arises about what you are looking at. This is why when you observe yourself during meditation, such as how you respond to thoughts or sensations, you come to understand yourself better or become “self-aware.” This is how great Masters and Mystics have found universal truths by simply looking at themselves with clear consciousness.
5) Everyone accepts wisdom
This is the ability of the mind to hold both good and bad objects in its sphere without reacting. It is an all-accepting consciousness, because it is able to accept and observe everything that arises without trying to change it due to fear or attachment. Fearlessly accommodate all experiences by radically accepting the present moment as your own. This wisdom also has the quality of spaciousness, there is enough space to handle and accept any situation. Ultimately, you can observe all things without fear or attachment to them, simply by noticing their coming and going. This is the essence of mindfulness training. You don’t have to train in mindfulness for years, but simply tap into that part of consciousness that already allows and accommodates the present moment. No effort is needed to accept.
6) Indestructible wisdom
This is the essential nature of consciousness. It is indestructible, just as the air or space is indestructible. The air is not affected by good or bad weather, it just persists and the weather passes through it. Or like the ability of a mirror to reflect beautiful or disgusting objects without ever being stained by them. This indestructible essential nature is stable and never changes. It never arises or decays, it is the core of your being and remains clear, pure and untouched by indirect events. Tapping into this wisdom can help you stay calm even in the most difficult of times and help you become steadfast and quietly confident. It is sometimes mentioned indestructible confidence.
7) The wisdom of love
Yes, love is a form of wisdom. It is the wisdom that can simultaneously contain relative appearance and ultimate reality. It is a bridge between Unity and individuality. It creates symmetry and harmony when it is present. Love is like the rays of the sun; it shines on everything and brings warmth, light and understanding in equal measure. Love by nature wants the best for everyone, because it deeply realizes that we are all one. To access this wisdom, you can repeat prayers for the good of others, or simply imagine being with someone without any judgment. Love is as natural as all other types of wisdom and is the radiance of your true self. As Rumi says, you don’t have to cultivate love, you just have to remove all the barriers you’ve built up against it. This also applies to all other wisdom. When you can remove the built-up resistance to the present moment, all seven wisdoms will emerge naturally.
Written by Chad Foreman
Chad Foreman is the founder of The Way of Meditation and has been teaching meditation since 2003, determined to bring authentic meditation practices into the lives of millions of people in the modern world. Chad is a former Buddhist monk who lived in a retreat hut for six years and studied and practiced meditation full-time. He now has over twenty years of experience teaching meditation. Chad likes regularly
Meditation retreats on the Sunshine Coast, Australia
Online meditation coachingprovides three online programs – The 21 Day Meditation Challenge to gradually guide people from the basic principles of mindfulness and relaxation to profound states of consciousness.
Breathwork to help manage stress and go deeper into meditation and
The bliss of inner fire This is a Buddhist tantric method to clear energy blockages and connect with the clear light of bliss. You can also get Chad’s free ebook now Insights on the go.