Truth

In my middle school mediation class, our instructor used a rock to illustrate an important idea.

It wasn't an ordinary rock. Shaped roughly like a half sphere, one side of it was boring (grey and unremarkable), and the other side of it revealed the interior, which was stunningly beautiful, full of purple crystals that reflected light.

The exercise was simple: We all sat in a circle around the rock, which was covered in a cloth so that when it was revealed, we could only see it from one angle.

Each of us took a turn describing what we saw. Roughly a quarter of the room saw something extraordinary, a quarter saw something dull, and about half could see that this rock had two very different sides.

You've probably guessed the metaphor: Our perspective of others is unique. From our individual vantage points, everything looks different.

When we have the humility to recognize that our truth is not the only Truth, we can embrace others with eyes open and hearts wide.

See also: Reality is an Illusion