“The deepest need of the human heart is to be seen.”       — Desmond Tutu

From Solitude to Communion

What does it mean to go from being an individual alone in the world—to the recognition that you are the world, seen from a particular time and place?

It is not a small shift. The moment of awakening to one’s true nature is both vast and intimate. Vast, because the boundary of separation suddenly dissolves; intimate, because it is encountered here, in this body, at this moment, with these eyes looking out. Yet for many, this recognition of the formless shining through form can feel bewildering. How do I live this? How do I share it?

Without resonance from others, awakening can feel like exile. A new horizon has opened, but if no one sees it with us, doubt creeps in. Confidence falters. We may retreat into old roles and familiar defences, even while knowing something irreversible has already happened.

Recognition is the bridge. When another human being meets us beyond our surface identities, beyond history or status or masks, something essential is affirmed. It is as though the truth glimpsed within suddenly breathes in the open air. Alone, the insight may wither or harden; in communion, it becomes a living presence.

Listening for the Real