The Inner Light

In 1968, George made history by recording the first Beatles song entirely outside the UK. While in Bombay studying sitar with Ravi Shankar, he gathered local musicians to record "The Inner Light," a meditation on wisdom drawn from the Tao Te Ching. The song appeared as the B-side to "Lady Madonna," but its message carried far more weight than its chart position suggested.

Nothing could have prepared Beatles fans for George's radical message: stop seeking externally and look within. The lyrics, adapted from ancient Chinese philosophy, suggested that authentic understanding doesn't come from traveling the world or accumulating knowledge. Instead, wisdom emerges when we quiet the noise and turn our attention inward.

Never had a Beatles song so directly challenged Western material values. George understood that the corporate ladder, the packed schedule, and the endless pursuit of more can actually distance us from the clarity we need.

Eastern philosophy had captivated George during a period when Western culture obsessed over achievement and acquisition. His exploration of meditation and spiritual practice revealed a counterintuitive truth: the answers we frantically search for outside ourselves have been within us all along.

Refocusing our attention to inner-growth provides the key to unlocking truth. That is not to say that George stopped caring about others, as is shown by his spearheading The Concert For Bangladesh and other charitable endeavors. His point was that in this hectic world, oftentimes the most productive thing we can do is simply be still.

Today, I will create space for stillness, trusting that my inner wisdom has answers my busy mind keeps overlooking.

What would change if you spent less time seeking answers externally and more time listening to your inner voice? When did stillness last reveal something your constant motion had hidden?