Wisdom for All

At its most enjoyable, meditation has brought me sublime experiences of

open-hearted joy. But it has also brought some nasty surprises.

On a silent meditation retreat, I noticed that I had taken a dislike to another participant. This struck me as odd. I had never spoken to her and knew almost nothing about her. Why the antipathy? Then the penny dropped. In appearance, she reminded me of a girl at school I'd found difficult. Without realising, I had attached the old dislike to a complete stranger. There was something shocking in this. It was unfair and unjustified. I wondered how often I allowed such assumptions to go unchallenged at other times in my life. Unconscious bias masquerading as conscious truth. A cursory look at the world around us suggests that I am not alone in this tendency! Treating unfounded assumptions as fact is the opposite of wisdom.

Am I stuck with this kind of bias - whether arising from my own past, or the society I'm part of? Research in psychology tells us that bias is part of the human condition. We pick up unfounded assumptions from family, school, the media. But, more than this, evidence shows we are prone to a 'bias blind spot'. This is where we recognise bias in others but imagine that we ourselves are free of such ignorance. Consider this as a general human trait. What a sad irony!

But research also tells us that we can learn to be wiser. We may imagine wisdom to be the preserve of the old or of 'special' people like philosophers and saints. Not so.

Some of this research relates to mindfulness. The purpose of this practice is to develop two core abilities. The first is the ability to calm the mind, especially when stressed. The second is to see the bigger picture, understanding how the mind works. It is well known that mindfulness helps us to be calmer. But we hear less about the second ability: the intention to know ourselves.

'Know Thyself' is the famous maxim inscribed on the Temple of Apollo at Delphi in Greece. Mindfulness helps us to do just this; especially during meditation. When we sit with our thoughts and emotions, we see ourselves with more clarity: for better or worse. At its most enjoyable, meditation has brought me sublime experiences of open-hearted joy. I didn't know I was capable of such positivity! But it has also brought some nasty surprises. Times when I have seen the pettiness and ignorance of my own mind. I could add plenty of examples to the story of my unfounded dislike of the woman on the retreat! It has been painful to witness such foolishness. But acknowledging one's lack of wisdom is the first step towards being wiser. In Shakespeare's words:

“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.”

Insight into our own deeper drives - including our shadow sides - makes it easier to empathise with others. Knowing ourselves also helps us be more compassionate towards others. With self-knowledge we are more able understand the mind of another person. A Tibetan saying describes wisdom and compassion as two wings of a bird. They work together. But how does mindfulness practice promote wisdom?

Carolyn Drake* and I have developed the Mindfulness-based Wise Awareness course. It sits alongside various courses focusing on mindfulness and compassion, offering ways to cultivate wisdom. Chichester University has evaluated the course with positive results. Their tests showed an increase in people's scores in both mindfulness and wisdom, following the course.

One of the ways mindfulness promotes self-awareness is through the skill of 'decentering'. We learn, metaphorically, to step back from the immediate situation and observe the workings of our heart and mind with curiosity. To identify less with ever-changing thoughts and feelings. To be less caught up in stories of the mind and judgements about ourselves and others. Decentering helps us to see things more clearly and make better choices. We are better able to understand the concerns of others. This is wisdom in action. We can see what we need to do to ease a difficult situation.

Alongside core mindfulness skills, we draw on modern psychology and ancient philosophy. In particular, we explore the rich field of contemporary 'wisdom science'. Among its many practical insights is the concept of 'self-distancing'. Decentering stems from mindfulness meditation, while self-distancing comes from research in psychology. They are similar in that both seek to reduce emotional turmoil. Self-distancing involves exercises designed to widen our perspective on events. One technique is to imagine looking back on a current difficulty: “How would I feel about this one year from now? Ten years on?” Often, the answer to that question is “It wouldn’t be a big deal”. Mentally creating distance allows the issue to become less charged. Evidence shows it to be effective for wiser decision-making.

We also explore Buddhist teachings on the nature of existence. We seek to understand and accept that everyday life is unsatisfactory in many ways. We can see it is possible to desist from repeating behaviours that cause us to suffer. We see that life is in constant change, most of which we cannot control, but that we can learn to go with the flow. We learn that nothing - least of all ourselves - is as solid and fixed as we imagine it to be. This is a shift in perception that can free us from the tendency to grasp and hold tight to things and ideas. We start to see the freedom available in letting go and relaxing into life as it unfolds.

So, wisdom is not out of reach. It is a kind of awareness we can develop in our lives right now. And in doing so, we see how wisdom and compassion can work together towards a lasting happiness.

*Karuna Hridaya