Entering Deeply Into True Understanding

Photo by Tom Gainor on Unsplash

"When we want to understand something, we cannot just stand outside and observe it. We have to enter deeply into it and be one with it in order to really understand. If we want to understand a person, we have to feel his feelings, suffer his feelings, and enjoy his joy...To comprehend something means to pick it up and be one with it. There is no other way to understand something." 

--Thich Nhat Hanh in his book Peace Is Every Step

We find ourselves saying we want to understand, but we fall short or are unwilling to go as deeply as it takes to truly understand. True understanding can be painful at times. Yet, it is by walking through the pain that we find healing and freedom from the pain.