A Higher Self

This week, our beloved country will celebrate 250 years of independence. It is such a momentous milestone, and I could not be prouder that, like millions of people, I am an American, and a proud one at that. I wonder what the feeling was like 250 years ago, when the ragtag army of patriots defeated the most powerful military in the world. The joy that comes with throwing away the shackles of oppression is often incalculable.

The Revolutionary War reminds me that sometimes we do not need the most powerful weaponry to win a war. We only need people who are resolute and dedicated, who believe in a just cause and are willing to sacrifice their own lives in pursuit of it.

For me, the Declaration of Independence was the beginning of our march towards a Higher Self. Remember, the framers of the U.S. Constitution were not perfect people, but they understood the essentials of a Higher Self - that the Higher Self is what it takes to build a compassionate community, what it takes to nurture a community, what it takes to set a standard for a nascent community, and what it takes to create a culture of honor, decency, and selfless giving.

In the preamble to the U.S. Constitution is this line: “…in Order to form a more perfect Union.” I find that line quite intriguing. It is such a powerful line, which is premised on the deep recognition that the union was not perfect, for how could it be perfect when half of its citizens are enslaved? How could it be perfect when the Natives of the land were marginalized? How could it be perfect when women did not have the same rights as men? How could it be perfect amidst systemic injustice? How could it be perfect amid the myriad challenges? How could it be perfect? There was no way it could be perfect.

I believe that one of the most important gifts of the Founding Fathers is that they did not close the door to our collective longing for a country that could be eternally better than it was. And so they set in the Constitution this element of aspiration to which each citizen could yearn.

Whenever I think about the U.S. Constitution, I try to liken it to the Exodus story of the people of Israel, who, on their march to the Promised Land, were given the 10 Commandments to guide them on their path to a Higher Self.

Unlike the Ten Commandments, the U.S. Constitution is not our guide on the path to a Higher Self. It provides a framework that could help us govern ourselves. It is therefore not surprising that it is silent on values such as compassion, kindness, dignity, goodness, and some of the values that make for a Higher Self.

The Higher Self is not about seeing yourself as being higher or better than others. It is not about seeing yourself as being low or worse than others; it is about the recognition you give to yourself. A Higher Self is a radical way of looking at yourself. It is about authenticity. It is about your true nature. It is about who you truly are. It is about sincerity. It is about that part of you that encapsulates all that it means to be human. It is your esse. It is, as Samuel once said to Saul, “Always be small in your own eyes.”

Jesus also offers a similar piece of advice in the gospel of Luke when he says, “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited.”

A Higher Self is a compassionate way of looking at yourself and others with eyes infused with kindness and dignity. It sounds like this Indian prayer: This prayer highlights for me why this country was able to warmly welcome so many different people from across the globe for varied reasons, some of which were humanitarian. We never lost the yearning to be better, to build a more perfect union, not without challenges but despite those challenges.

Here’s a story for you: One night, a farmer discovered a fox inside his chicken coop. A chicken was already dead. Blood stained the ground. The fox didn’t try to escape. It simply stood there, breathing heavily as if waiting for its fate. The farmer lifted his stick and prepared to end it. But something made him stop. Instead, he lowered the stick and said to the fox, “Go and never come back.” The fox looked at him for a moment, then slowly vanished into the darkness.

Days went by, and nothing happened. No chicken was missing, and no strange voices were heard during the night. The farmer thought that the fox had learned its lesson. Maybe, just maybe, kindness had changed it. But one night the fox returned. This time it showed no mercy. By morning, the coop was shattered, blood covered the ground, and the chickens were gone. Even a sheep lay motionless nearby. Seeing the destruction, the farmer fell to his knees. The truth struck him with painful force. In a quiet voice, he whispered, ‘I thought kindness would change you.’

Kindness did not change the fox. But Kindness can change us because we are not foxes. We are human beings with burning desires, we yearn, we hope, and we aspire to build a more perfect union. We are human beings who can tap into a Higher Self.

I read a thought by Laura Bush, a former First Lady, who said, “Our nation has not always lived up to its ideals, yet those ideals have never ceased to guide us. They expose our flaws and lead us to mend them. We are beneficiaries of the work of the generations before us, and it is each generation's responsibility to continue that work.”

As we celebrate 250 years of independence, we can all attest that our country has come a long way. But we still have a long way to go because the task of building a more perfect union is an ongoing work that invites us into a much deeper relationship with each other. We carry the burden of knowing that each individual cannot do the work by themselves, and no single race can do the work by themselves alone.

The Higher Self recognizes our human limitations and therefore seeks collaborative interaction with others to build the kind of future we all want for ourselves and each other.

I'd like to conclude with a quote by Rumi: “Be like the sun for grace and mercy. Be like the night, covering others' faults. Be like running water for generosity. Be like death for rage and anger. Be like the Earth for modesty. Appear as you are. Be as you appear.” Be your Higher Self.

Happy Independence Day, America.



Blessed Summer, 

Manny+