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Motherhood as the Path to Enlightenment
A mother’s reflection on her children as her gurus
“Love children especially for they too are sinless like angels; they live to soften and purify our hearts and, as it were, to guide us.” — Fyodor Dostoevsky
There are many paths to enlightenment. Some people sit their butt on a cushion and meditate, learning to understand how their mind works. Others join a monastic order and take vows. Some go into months-long retreats.
I did not choose one of those paths to enlightenment. In fact, I did not choose my path at all; it chose me. My path to enlightenment began the moment I heard my son’s first cry. I did not know that I had just given birth to my guru, much as the Madonna gave birth to her savior. I only saw this beautiful, slightly blue baby with a misshapen head and thought “My life will never be the same.” What changed that day was not only the direction of my life, but the path that I was destined to take toward wholeness — wholeness that I did not know I didn’t possess.
To become enlightened, we have to set aside our small sense of self, otherwise known as “ego”. When I had my children, I did not recognize my need for enlightenment. I thought I was the one who was going to educate them, giving them insight and understanding into how to “do Life.” Little did I know…
