The Path of the Heart

When I was in seminary, I had a lot of questions about the nature of the divine, and the meaning of life. Fortunately, my advisor was Rev. Bob Kimball, the professor of theology. I would ask my questions with some angst, and often he would change the subject to my sweet little dog Waldo whom I loved so much. My husband and I had adopted him when we first moved in together. My husband had never had a dog before, and though I grew up in a family with dogs, this was the first dog who I was fully responsible for. We were constantly amazed at how wonderful he was, and how much we loved him. When Professor Kimball would bring up Waldo, I thought he was just trying to cheer me up, to give me something positive to think about. As I grew spiritually, I began to understand that he was trying to show me a path to the divine. I had been using my reason, my mind to try to figure out the Divine, and he was suggesting I use my heart. He was suggesting that in my search for the divine I should go towards whatever felt like the sensation of Love I had for little Waldo.

Have you ever loved someone like that? I sure hope you have had a chance to love someone with your whole heart, which to me felt tender and sweet. Sometimes our love for the people in our lives is complicated. Sure, I love my husband, but often amid the complexity of living together, taking care of a household together, there are lots of feelings and textures that make up that love. The love we had for our Waldo had a simplicity and a clarity to it that was easy to follow. I’ve heard grandparents often feel that way towards their grandchildren. I know my love for my son, though also complex, is strong and unconditional.

Recently I have once again found myself with a lot of questions about God, about the meaning of life, and our role as humans within it. The questioning only leads to more questions. I remembered my old teacher’s advice -- to set aside the questioning, and focus instead on love- the simple love we had for Waldo. I am learning to use that feeling, that particular quality an almost physical sensation of unconditional love, as a homing beacon, to notice where else that feeling is available, where it is evident. This inquiry of the heart helps us find our way back to love, and love leads us to the divine.

This path of the heart is not something my professor invented; it is present in many religious traditions. In the Christian scriptures Jesus, when asked what the most important commandment is, invites us to “love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” (Mark 12:30) . In the Uddhava Gita from the Hindu tradition, Uddhava asks his teacher Krishna: “Which is the best path in man’s journey to God?" Krishna answers, “Uddhava, my child, there are many ways to attain the Supreme. Each of them leads to the knowledge of God beyond scriptures or creeds. By love, or by inward control of the mind, by faith, or by wisdom, by serving mankind—all these have been taught as the way to reach God, but the best way of all is devotional love.”

It is not uncommon in such tumultuous times as we are living in to question beliefs that have served you your whole life, to find even basic meaning making structures no longer serve. If you find yourself in a quagmire of questions and doubts, know that the path of love is always available. It is simple and profound, challenging but open to every seeker.