We are all called to imbue our thoughts, speech and action with the essence of "good."
This past week, I was shown an ancient Persian symbol that has a human being in the center of a circle. The ring has two wings attached to it. I was told, on the top of the right wing it reads "be good"; on the top of the left wing, it reads "say good"' and on top of the Man’s head it reads "do good"
The symbol intrigued me, especially because of the similarity of the core message that I was raised with, albeit in a different "religion"; We are all called to imbue our thoughts, speech and action with the essence of "good."
The "say good" intrigued me, because I just completed an esoteric lesson on the connection we make, when we verbally give gratitude before eating. On a practical sense, it is the blessings that I was taught to recite, and in the Jewish teachings, there are different blessings we say before eating different foods. But at a deeper perspective, making a blessing is taking a conscious step to connect to the "good" in what we are about to digest.
For me, the fact that we are blessed to have a Fig tree in the garden of Chabad of Malibu, allows me to visualize the growth process that I meditate on before I recite my words of gratitude. I see from up close, in real time, how the tree that was barren for the six months of the winter then sprouts from dry branches, in order to produce beautiful and delicious fruit which we are able to enjoy.
For me, the mediation, connecting to the Source of all things, and then verbally reciting words of gratitude, has turned from what some view as a religious ritual into an inspired moment of "good" energy.
Indeed, it makes sense - on a simply rational level - to use our gift of speech for words that are good. And gratitude is always a good thing.
It seems that the call of “doing good" requires a deeper understanding and is a bit more complex. That's because there is a great deal of disagreement on what the meaning of “doing good” may be.
Either way, by beginning a journey with “saying good” which is at our close reach, we open a new door to the world of good.