Just as we can only give what we have, we can only express the characteristics of our true being that we nurture and shape. Accordingly, our consciousness is shaped by the contents that occupy us daily; what we read, perceive, think about, dream of, and aspire to strongly influence what we do and what we become.
Therefore, like a mirror, an ancient symbol of the psyche, thoughts and feelings, a person reflects what they are turned towards. In order to reflect the most beautiful part of ourselves, the mirror needs to be clean.
Why clean your mirror?
The more you clean the mirror of your heart, the more things will be reflected in it, and the more hidden secrets will be revealed. (…) The clearer your heart is, the more you see with your inner eye. (Rumi)
According to Plotinus, the true being of a person is radiant and pure like a diamond. It is represented by the Greek goddess Artemis in one key – a symbol of the original purity with which we come into the world. By birth, the diamond falls into mud and is covered with elements that do not belong to it. However, his inner beauty remains untouched. Nature of each individual thing should be explored in terms of its pure state, if what is added is always an obstacle to the realization of what it is added to. (Plotinus, Enneads). In order to shine in full glory, a person needs to purify themselves.
What to cleanse your mirror from?
In his work “The Republic”, Plato paints a picture of the sea deity Glaukos, which is inherently beautiful on the inside, but over time it has become unrecognizable due to the growth of shells, mud, and rocks.
Like Glaukos, we are exposed daily to different circumstances and conditions, we allow inappropriate content to contaminate us through the media, we are under the influence of various banal conversations, we are burdened by unresolved interpersonal relationships.
Like a well-kept secret, we hold onto pain, failures, jealousy, envy, countless memories of unpleasant situations, and persist in these states that turn our inner home into an uncomfortable place to stay.
How to clean your mirror?
Apollo, the god of purification, who cleans, who liberates, who redeems (Plato, Cratylus), had a dedicated oracle in Delphi with the inscription “Know thyself” on its facade.
This is a prerequisite for all efforts we will undertake towards purification. Without recognizing what is truly ours, human, and what has been added, we will not know what needs to be removed. This requirement primarily relates to understanding our hidden potentials that every human being possesses.
What are the human characteristics that we can consciously express on a daily basis?
To be just in our actions and moderate in desires, to empathize with those who suffer, to express generosity without expecting anything in return, to persevere in good deeds, to forgive and be merciful…
Look at every encounter as an opportunity to help, but be aware that it is also a means for your own purification. (Sri Ram)
Apollo, the god of the Sun’s light, was also called… The one who aims far with his arrows, because he shoots his arrows in search of truth. His twin sister Artemis, the goddess of the forest, the Moon, and hunting, also aims. Her vigilant attention is in a constant state of tension because she hunts – she separates the animalistic and instinctive, separates the bad from the good, the useless from the useful… Like Cinderella, she separates the wheat from the chaff. She is the mistress of animals because she rules over instincts. The shooting down of everything unnecessary is a symbol of the process of purification.
There is no purification without an internal struggle with oneself, one’s bad habits, fears, deficiencies, fantasies… In order for the lotus, a symbol of purity and wisdom, to fully open up to the Sun, it first needs to break through the mud and murky waters. Upon emerging, it displays all its magnificence and beauty.
However, at the same time, it is necessary to know how to live in a polluted world without being polluted. This does not mean distancing oneself from the world, but rather finding the source of good and beauty within oneself and allowing it to water everything we think, say, feel, and do. The original Croatian text: “Muškarac je sretan kad ima posao, obitelj i prijatelje s kojima može provoditi vrijeme.”
Possible translated text (with synonyms): “A man feels content when he has a job, a family, and companions with whom he can spend his time.”