A Quiet Mind Reflects Our Higher Self

Pack a mirror on your spiritual journey.

Mirrors reveal what we usually can't see.

When we look at our faces in a mirror, we see our reflection — precisely as we are. All the bits we like and the stuff we don't too.

The cleaner the mirror, the clearer the reflection.

We need mirrors to put on our makeup and lipstick, shave, and brush our hair before we go out or hop onto a Zoom call. Without them, we're guessing where the eyeliner goes or where to part our hair.

But we aren't just physical beings.

We've got an inside world, too, and if we want to know our higher self, we need a mirror too. Otherwise, we're guessing who we are or believing whatever we think about ourselves.

And to clarify, by the higher self, I mean our consciousness — the spark of life within us, our soul. Our spirit. Not our talkative mind full of ideas, opinions, judgments, and endless chit-chat.

When we look in our inner mirror with a quiet and still mind, we don't see someone who needs a shave or is bothered about the emerging crow's feet around the eyes. We don't see someone who wants to lose weight or work out more. We don't see someone who wishes they made more money or regrets the much-deserved promotion they didn't get.

Nope.

We see our essence — the warm, radiating gentle light that gives us life, opens our hearts and reminds us we're perfect just as we are.

The inner experience of our higher self reveals our true nature to be kind, loving, big-hearted, confident, and peaceful. We're pure consciousness, a drop of the immaculate life juice, a streaming river of cosmic energy.

That's us, the real us.

What enables us to see our higher self? Not a mind that's racing about, judging, commenting, and worrying, but a mind that is at rest.

A quiet mind becomes our inner mirror, reflecting our higher self.

If you're on the spiritual path, you know quieting the mind begins with turning the senses inward and connecting with your mantra, breath, or whatever technique you're using. Eyes closed. Going within.

Some people believe that closing their eyes is the gateway to darkness. My experience is quite the opposite.

It's not pitch black in there.

There's endless light in that darkness. Closing our eyes and going within is the pathway to the soul. A wise teacher once told me fifty years ago the secret to meditation. He said, "Close your eyes, go inside, and don't do anything."

You know something, I tried it then, and it worked. And I've been testing it every day for fifty years, and it still works.

Here are three quotes celebrating the quieting of the mind and looking into our inner mirror.

“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.”

— Matthew 6:22

When we look into our inner mirror with a single focus, we can see our true selves — we're a being of light living within a human body. The person who goes deep within doesn't imagine the light; they experience the light. It's as real as the sun in the sky.

Theresa of Avila was a 16th-century Spanish nun and mystic. She said,

“This magnificent refuge is inside you. Enter. Shatter the darkness that shrouds the doorway. Be bold. Be humble. Put away the incense and forget the incantations they taught you. Ask no permission from the authorities. Close your eyes and follow your breath to the still place that leads to the invisible path that leads you home.”

Throughout the ages, saints, mystics, gurus, mystics, and seekers of the Truth from all religions have written that breath is a pathway to the soul.

Kabir, one of my favorite poets, was a 15th-century mystic born in Northern India around 1440. He wrote,

“Are you looking for me? I am in the next seat. My shoulder is against yours. You will not find me in the stupas, not in Indian shrine rooms, nor in synagogues, nor in cathedrals, not in masses, nor kirtans, not in legs winding around your own neck, nor in eating nothing but vegetables. When you really look for me, you will see me instantly — you will find me in the tiniest house of time. Kabir says: Student, tell me, what is God? He is the breath inside the breath.”

How do we discover who we are? Not by going to holy places, being a monk, or mastering yoga postures. We find our true selves by going within into "the tiniest house of time" — the present moment.

Final thoughts.

Looking in a mirror takes no effort at all. You merely open your eyes and observe what's there.

The same thing applies to meditation. Even though your eyes are closed, your inner eye is open. You gaze ahead and observe. There's nothing to do except return your awareness to whatever technique you're using if you wander off into thought.

No need to try to see anything or struggle. Just be patient with your heart and be open to receiving whatever gifts you come your way.

Let the mirror do the work for you.

If you’re new to my work, here are some other articles on meditation and spirituality you might enjoy.