“Dispositional Equivalence”

‘Pages from the Life of a Sufi’

Journal

Sunday 7^th April

Last night dreaming/awake – thinking quite clearly about “Dispositional Equivalence” (from some months ago in a dream/experience of the “shrimp” broach with the pink diamond eye – which gave rise to the piece called “Facets of Unity”/seeing through the eyes of another).

This element of ‘Dispositional Equivalence’ came up as the resultant line – if one could (and one actually can) see with the eyes of anotherthen one would be able to literally feel what they felt in relation to whatever it was they were experiencing – in other words one’s ‘disposition’ would change according to the clarity of one’s vision such that one could feel the equivalent state of mind/body as they (thus one’s ‘disposition’ would be ‘equivalent’ to theirs).

Such dispositional shifting is not just a nice thought but is rather the potential outcome of this process of looking such as to deeply feel with another, where such efforts are based on real compassionate consideration of this/these ‘other than self.’ However, this dispositional shifting is no mere ego-centred ‘helping hand’ kind of response, far from it, for such is a pale shadow of the reality that occurs here. The real is much more seismic than this, affecting the body’s make-up in some way. There are several layers to this disposition shifting such that we may talk about physical, emotional, or psyche/soul changes that occur. On the lowest, but most observable level such changes manifest in our outer, physical level of being in the world – it may be seen (if not necessarily understood) by others. Likewise, changes that may occur at the emotional level may be witnessed by others simply because one’s response to certain situations are amplified and effect the day-to-day manner in which one approaches life. At the deepest (or perhaps highest) level comes the psycho-spiritual realm where we are aware of knowing and responding to the call or claim of others upon us, not mediated through the rational and/or reasoning self, but spontaneously erupting within the expression of our daily lives, forming (or perhaps re-forming) the way our manifesting life is lived day to day, minute by minute.

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It is perhaps pertinent to point out the connection between the above and other words/phrases used to share with one another our sense of ‘well-being’ that is implied here, for example: ‘disposition,’ how we are in ourselves; ‘Indisposed,’ for when we feel different in a negative sense in relation to ourselves or perhaps an indication of our attitude towards others/another, in terms of our unwillingness to hear or help them etc.; ‘Ill-disposed’ towards others, being a more unkind or unfriendly attitude (in a more clearly defined way) such that we may both actively dislike, despise, or otherwise hold negative views about/towards one or more others; ‘Disposed’, used often to suggest that we are (or maybe) inclined towards helping others… and so on.

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Potentially our ‘disposition’ comes from some deep well of kindness, of love and/or compassion within our hearts [a combination of ‘com’ = ‘to be with,’ ‘joint’, and ‘passion’= to feel deeply with or about something] that moves us in some deep sense when ‘events’ in our world experience come into contact with our ‘being-ness’ in this world. However, this state or disposition can also be mediated by the will which itself may be moved by dogmas or ‘social-justice’ initiatives that we may have aligned ourselves with through a more ‘reasoned’ or ‘rational’ approach. In this latter case, such ‘dispositional manifestings’ occur at a lower level of our being and may be subject to changes or even over-ridden altogether. This is not the case in the higher realms of change. In this case we find behaviour/action that is unmediated by outer, emotional, or rational concerns, action that is much more reminiscent of the kind or ‘opening of the word’ from the inside (spoken of elsewhere). In this final case a more lasting claim on us is made changing our very structures as-it-were.

Given what has been talked of above, when one ‘gives oneself over’ in such a fashion such as to ‘be moved by the situation or plight of another’ (whether human or otherwise) takes on an entirely new meaning and significance. It is, in this instance, a literal process, not merely an intellectual, emotional, or rational response to an outer stimulus. On a mystical level one comprehends the difference that is spoken of here, however, to convey the full implications of such a difference is ultimately beyond the power of words alone.

One must “taste the strawberry” to know the difference that is spoken of here. And that makes all the difference.