Island
Thurman Quote: “The only hope for surcease, the only possibility of stability for the person, is to establish an Island of Peace within one’s own soul. Here one brings for review the purposes and dreams to which one’s life is tied. This is the place where there is no pretense, no dishonesty, no adulteration.... How foolish it is, how terrible, if you have not found your Island of Peace within your own soul! It means that you are living without the discovery of your true home.”
Citation: “An Island of Peace within One’s Soul,” in Meditation of the Heart, p.17.
Description: Thurman uses an island as a metaphor for a grounding place within oneself that is far away and isolated from the hectic mainland of our daily lives. It is a place where the stresses, anxieties, and worrisome pests of our circumstances, lie far beyond the horizon. This our oasis is where we reconnect with our innermost selves, our dreams, and desires. There we are grounded and secure, fully able to connect with whom Thurman calls the “God of one’s heart.” All our desires and dreams are already known within our sacred haven.
Reflect on: Where do you find respite from stress? How do you encounter the Divine? How might you reinforce those practices in your life?
