Have you ever looked at something so long you no longer see it? Then, someone or something awakens you and you see whatever it is as if for the first time?
That happened to me recently through the work of Mark Nepo, the very popular spiritual writer and poet. He described the story of Aladdin, the age-old tale most of us have heard many times, then suggested a new way of looking at the story. His suggestion is one I want to share with you.
As you know, Aladdin is a story of a man in search of a special lantern. His search leads him to a big, dark cave where he eventually finds what he is looking for. Once found, he rubs the lamp and releases the genie within.
Yes, the story is well known, but Nepo suggests we look at the story from a new perspective. What if, he asks, the lantern is not some object but ourselves? It took me a moment to adjust to his perspective, but now I see the powerful insight it provides.
Like Nepo, I believe we are all in search for something. Yes, we may think it’s something like a perfect job, spouse, or house, but I think our search is deeper than that. I believe we are all in search for our true selves. The search is not easy, which is why we settle for things like jobs, people, or things, instead of doing the work to find what we are really looking for.
While I suppose each of us can find our true self in the clear light of day, more often I believe we need to go into a place of darkness, a place hidden like a cave, to find who we are looking for. Like a lantern tucked away, we put our true self out of reach of the world and all its dangers to protect it. Making the journey into such a space takes effort and courage, but can lead to the discovery of what we truly desire.
The story does not end there, however. Like Aladdin, the lantern has something very special inside. In the story, it is a genie, but in our lives it is a divine spirit. To release it, the lantern must be rubbed. Rubbing, I guess, can be gentle and loving, as if to draw the spirit out, but more often the rubbing comes through pain and hardship. The loss of a loved one, a job, one’s health or reputation can all be forms of rubbing the lamp, and I would not wish any such things on anyone, and yet I think of those I have known who have endured such hardships and remember the divine spirit that so often emanates from them. They shine with a spirit not found in this world and offer that spirit to the world around them.
It did not come to them easily. They had to search, be willing to go into the dark places, and be willing to expose themselves to life’s sometime brutal hands. In the end, however, something deep within their true selves awakened and their lives, as well as ours, are better for it.