Inner Vision

by Gregory Allen Butler

Do you ever think about inner vision and how important it is?

Yesterday I had my eyes examined. I received some good news and some not so good news. And although the results I learned are important to me, it’s also important for me to keep those results in perspective. After all, with my eyes I see the outer world. Important yes, but not as important as that faculty that allows me to see the inner world to the extent that I do. For this is the vision that I take with me when I leave this physical realm.

To get a new set of eyes, I only have to die and reincarnate into a new body. But inner vision, that is the totality of one’s spiritual growth spanning lifetimes. It’s the spiritual equivalent of a person’s net worth. It takes time to create, but unlike money, it’s not relinquished upon death.

Wouldn’t it be interesting if there were spiritual or inner vision ophthalmologists? Can you imagine an inner vision test? Perhaps a test could be created to determine if the inner field of vision has any blind spots? Or perhaps to determine if a person was spiritually near sighted or far sighted. Can the big picture be seen? Is the focus on oneness or duality? Is the perception primarily that of bliss or suffering? Is the vision of illusion or Reality?

Without inner vision we are blind to who we really are. The man or woman without inner vision cannot see the humanity in other people or the inhumanity in themselves. The blind person with inner vision is more fortunate than the person with 20/20 vision who is blind to the inner world that connects us all. Sometimes what we see outwardly is the source of inner blindness. And sometimes outer blindness leads to an increase in inner vision.

Case in point is a man I knew who was losing his eyesight. His name was Lyn Ott, and he was a professional painter. Lyn went to India in 1965 to see the spiritual master, Meher Baba. What is interesting is that Meher Baba said that Lyn was more fortunate than many in that he didn’t see so much of the illusion. I guess Lyn accepted that because I never once heard him complain about it. Years later I was roommates with his son and he never complained about it either.

Although he lost his eyesight, and his profession as a painter, he didn’t lose his inner perception. It probably became greater after his physical blindness became complete. He wasn’t thrown into a world of darkness or depression. And he never lost his sense of humor.

I don’t know if Lyn experienced his loss of vision as good fortune or not, but he obviously knew he was fortunate to have his capacity for inner vision. He embraced that with all of his being. Perhaps it was an inner gift from Meher Baba.

Lyn was a joy to visit. He was always talking about the inner path with contagious enthusiasm. He passed away a few years ago, but I can still see his smile and hear the exuberance of his voice. He was an epitome of personal magnetism, shining forth light for the benefit of others.

Do you have a special gift for inner vision? Your comments would be much apprerciated.