Heart and Reason
I love how the messages we are meant to hear make themselves present in our lives at the right time (if we are willing to see and listen). As for example, the quote by Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), which I had heard many times before but not paid much heed to until it came up in a YouTube talk on wellbeing a few days ago.
The heart has its reason of which reason knows nothing.
A day later, my attention was captured again when listening to an online talk by nuclear and quantum physicist Hans-Peter Dürr (1929-2014).
We can experience more than we comprehend.*
Personal reflection
For someone like me who is rationally and analytically minded both sentiments are beautiful reminders to
pause ... trust ... let go ... and be open to the unknowable.
They remind me that my carefully formed opinion or analysis of a problem might not be the whole truth, and that sometimes it might be better to simply wait and see, allow things to unfold naturally rather than trying to force a solution.
They remind me to rest in myself, be playful and look for the wonderous rather than the logical.
And they reminded me how essential it is to replenish myself—not through information, but through stillness, creativity, and quiet moments of connection.
Questions for You
In which areas of your life could you benefit from pausing and letting things rest for a while?
Where or how could you trust your heart (or gut) a little more without needing everything to be explained?
*Originally in German: Wir koennen mehr erleben als wir begreifen.
Food for Thought
This is a story about Amma, the “Hugging Saint” from India. I first heard it many years ago at a talk in Christchurch given by one of her close associates (whose name, unfortunately, I no longer remember). He had written a book about his experiences with Amma and served as her translator during public events.
Amma is known around the world for offering blessings in the form of a hug. People travel great distances and wait in long lines to receive one. But it’s not just hugs—many come with personal questions or requests for help, which are usually translated by a close associate.
At one event, a man approached Amma in great distress. He explained that he had recently lost his job and was struggling to provide for his wife and two young sons. Despite this, he asked Amma to pray for him to have a baby girl—his deepest wish. Amma quietly affirmed that she would.
Later that evening, the translator, puzzled by her response, asked Amma why she would agree to pray for a child when the man could barely support the family he already had. It didn’t make sense to him.
Amma replied that when she looked into the man’s soul, she saw the purity and depth of his longing. She knew that if he were granted this wish, everything else in his life would align and fall into place.
And so it did.
A few years later, while on tour in the man’s city, they met again. He was beaming with pride, introducing his daughter to Amma with joy in his eyes. He was healthy, employed, and providing well for his family.
This story has never left me. We simply can't understand the bigger picture. This story has helped me many times to refrain from judging other people's decisions no matter how irrational they appear to me at the time.
May we all learn to soften our judgments, trust in life’s unfolding, and honour the quiet wisdom of the heart.