Understanding

"Each of us touches one place
and understands the whole in that way."

These lines are from the poet Rumi, as translated by Coleman Barks. They come from a poem where Rumi is talking about the story of The Blind Men and the Elephant. (If you are not familiar with that story, here is a quick synopsis: a group of blind men encounter an elephant, and each decides what an elephant is, based on his touching a small part of the animal. One who touched the ear said the elephant is like a fan, another who touched the trunk said like a snake. Each insisted his version of the animal was the correct one.)

I find this image of touching "one place' to be a great description of how we all approach Spiritual Truth. In our limitation, we touch one part of a much greater Whole. We get into trouble, or cause trouble for others when we believe that we have the Whole (and only version of) the Truth.

In my postings here, please understand they come from the "one place" I touch, and represent how I have come to view the Whole from that one place.