the Oneness within
a poem by Hadewijch II
Today I have a brief poem by the Beguine mystic Hadewijch II. She was a Christian mystic in a community of women who were not permitted to join convents and thus formed their own religious community. This is a theme that runs through monastic life through the centuries, of creating community when existing religious houses are a letdown.
You who want knowledge, see the Oneness within. There you will find the clear mirror already waiting. Hadewijch II (Antwerp, 13th century) [translated by Jane Hirshfield] (from "Spiritual Poetry" by Jane Hirshfield at Poetry Foundation)
The Oneness within - isn’t that beautiful? And there’s more than one type of oneness that we carry within ourselves. Oneness with yourself is not the easiest thing to achieve. We have many faces that we show to others, and each reveals only part of what is within us. I don’t know about you, but I don’t even like all of these faces and what they reveal. There are parts of me that I’d rather just stay down in the corners where they won’t be noticed; I’m sure you have these as well, maybe fears or frustrations, sarcasm or snarkiness, discomfort with those who are different, concern that maybe you’re not quite enough to handle your responsibilities. But Hadewijch says we find knowledge when we see all of these in Oneness. I’m not sure that means that all of our parts must always be unified, but that when they come together, that is when we can find learning.
There you will find the clear mirror already waiting.
The clear mirror waiting for us is a lovely image as well. When the creation story in the book of Genesis says that the first humans were made in the image and likeness of God, does this mean our physical faces? Or perhaps is this what we find in the clear mirror waiting within? Maybe when we seek the Oneness within, and we find the clear mirror, that is when we see the image of the Divine one that we carry.
This resonates powerfully with the concept of capacity, of cultivating a sense of space within us. I’m not going to be able to bring together all the disparate and conflicting parts of myself unless I can create the space within myself for them to be. Maybe my ambition isn’t going to sit peacefully next to my nervousness about taking certain risks, so I can’t just line up a tight grid of chairs. If my inner space is only just able to hold the aspects of myself, then parts of me just aren’t going to show up. No, I need more capacity in this room to hold these parts of me so that Oneness can come to be. This inner spaciousness may even hold a few shadowy areas, so that the parts of me that I don’t like to display can feel safe with the rest of me. But if I don’t intentionally create this space and nurture it, then there can not be Oneness for me to find. I will not see the clear mirror that waits for me.
My hope for you today, my friend, is that you will seek your Oneness, that you will cultivate this inward spaciousness, that you will find the clear mirror waiting for you, and that you will see the beautiful image the Divine longs to show you.