In my last newsletter, I introduced the story of Jacques Lusseyran, who accomplished a great deal in his 47 years of life — 40 of which were spent without the ability to see. While we can learn much from his achievements in his outer world — it is his achievements in his inner world that hold the most richness, for me. For in his blindness, Jacques ended up seeing so much more than what most of us see every day.

The greatest gift from the loss of his outer sight was his gain of an inner sight.

“I still wanted to use my eyes. I followed their usual path. I looked in the direction where I was in the habit of seeing before the accident, and there was anguish, a lack, something like a void which filled me with what grownups call despair. Finally, one day, and it was not long in coming, I realized that I was looking in the wrong way. It was as simple as that…I was looking…too much on the surface of things.

Immediately…I was aware of a radiance emanating from a place I knew nothing about, a place which might as well have been outside me as within. But radiance was there, or, to put it more precisely, light. It was a fact, for light was there. I felt indescribable relief, and happiness so great it almost made me laugh…I found light and joy at the same moment, and I can say without hesitation that from that time on light and joy have never been separated in my experience. I have had them or lost them together. I saw light and went on seeing it though I was blind.

There were times when the light faded, almost to the point of disappearing…When I was playing with my small companions, if I suddenly grew anxious to win, to be first at all costs, then all at once I could see nothing. Literally I went into fog or smoke. I could no longer afford to be jealous or unfriendly, because, as soon as I was, a bandage came down over my eyes, and I was bound hand and foot and cast aside. All at once a black hole opened, and I was helpless inside it…Anger and impatience had the same effect, throwing everything into confusion.

But when I was happy and serene, approached people with confidence and thought well of them, I was rewarded with light. So is it surprising that I loved friendship and harmony when I was very young? Armed with such a tool, why should I need a moral code? For me this tool took the place of red and green lights. I always knew where the road was open and where it was closed. I had only to look at the bright signal which taught me how to live…there were two possibilities [open to me]: to reject the world — and that meant darkness, reverses — or to accept it, and that meant light and strength.

…From numerous meetings with blind persons, and numerous questions put to them, I have learned that others have had similar experiences. Yet most do not talk about them.‍”

How can you, like Jacques, develop this sensitive attunement to your inner world, where you notice the light within becoming steadier or dimmer based on whether you’re experiencing serenity and love, or anger and impatience?‍

Warmly,
Hitendra

“If there is one realm in which blindness makes us experts, it is the realm of the invisible.” 

– Jacques Lusseyran

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