Open to Them

Summary

Clare Rosenfield’s poem, written under the pen name ‘Brahmi’, explores the paradoxical truths discovered on a spiritual pilgrimage. She exhorts readers to be ‘open to them’—the laws of nature and the virtues they embody—and explains that in bowing down we are raised up, in stepping back we come forward and in giving up we receive. These reversals capture the essence of spiritual humility: by surrendering ego and material desires, one gains insight and abundance. The poem praises the laws of nature as just and fair and identifies four immortal virtues—amity, appreciation, compassion and equanimity—that arise when one lives in balance and truth. Rosenfield suggests that one does not need to ask for blessings; they flow automatically to those who align themselves with higher principles. The final stanza is an encouragement to live inspired, to fully receive in order to give, and notes that the poem was composed after a pilgrimage to India with a revered teacher. The autobiographical note grounds the abstract reflections in lived experience, signalling that the insights were gained through travel and spiritual practice. The poem resonates with Jain and broader Indian philosophies that stress humility, reciprocity and harmony with the universe. It calls readers to trust that letting go leads to receiving and that openness to life’s laws fosters inner peace.