If we heal ourselves we heal more than ourselves.
According to the film The Age of Stupid, 1% of scientists doubt the theory that global warming is directly related to our consumption of fossil fuels. 60% of the general population doubt it. The film pointed out that the same company behind the publicity which helped the tobacco industry to counter claims that tobacco caused disease was working for the major oil companies to plant seeds of doubt about climate change.
It seems nonsense to me, when we all know the effects of burning too much coal in cities, for example, to deny that pollution is a massive problem. And it does seem strange to choose apathy, which might well destroy the planet, over action, which might well save it.
So if the majority of people are buying these doubts, how does the minority who believe that we need to change our behaviour, all of us, make the difference that could save the planet from destruction?
I think the problem is denial karma. Denial energy can be about anything. It is simply a pattern of energy that prevents us from looking for the truth. In terms of climate change, it is more comfortable for us to think there are doubts, so that we can burn a bit more oil to make our lives easier and it won't really matter. When the stakes are this high, it seems insane to base our choice of behaviour on doubt. Denial stops us from assessing the options properly and allows ostrich syndrome to take over.
It can apply in all areas of our lives. If, for example, we work insane hours over many years, we may use denial to justify continuing in the same vein, even in the face of health problems. Or you could procrastinate endlessly, putting off a job you don't want to do and coming up with excuses, when just doing it would clear the problem.
These are just two examples, but there as many examples as there are illusions. Wherever we are pretending that there is no problem when there is one, or that something is not as it is, we are playing out a pattern of behaviour which is caused by denial karma.
So one positive and constructive thing we can do for the planet from a healing point of view is to find and deal with any denial energy we encounter in our own energy fields.
Every time we process and nullify dark energy, there is less of it in the world to obscure the truth. Each person who heals self in this way increases the ability of all of us to see the truth.
So here's my suggestion: Let's start meditations this week with the request: Let me find and release the energy I carry which prevents me from seeing the truth. Then trust our meditations to open us up, without judging the information that comes to us.
If it's uncomfortable, let it be. We hide in denial when we perceive a threat in the truth. When we face the things we have avoided it's always uncomfortable, but it's also always worth it in the end.
Saturday, 19 December 2009
Saturday, 12 December 2009
A definition of forgiveness
Forgiveness is the realization in every molecule of our body, every pulse of our energy field, that there is nothing to forgive.
It is not something that "good people" generously bestow on "sinners". It is far more profound than that.
We come to this realization when we see the light in our supposed enemy, and when we see their attitudes and actions in ourselves.
We fight this realization because the person or people who seem to be out to get us can't possibly be just like us. Or can they?
Judge me only when you have walked a mile in my shoes, as the wise man said.
It is not something that "good people" generously bestow on "sinners". It is far more profound than that.
We come to this realization when we see the light in our supposed enemy, and when we see their attitudes and actions in ourselves.
We fight this realization because the person or people who seem to be out to get us can't possibly be just like us. Or can they?
Judge me only when you have walked a mile in my shoes, as the wise man said.
Sunday, 29 November 2009
Wisdom and popularity
When we begin, we see things from our own point of view. We interpret the world according to how it affects Self. Gradually, gradually, gradually, as our awareness expands, we start to understand the world from a broader perspective. We start to see things according to how they affect our social group - the people who are allied to us, joined to us in some common purpose, whether that's family, friends, or through shared interests.
When consciousness really starts to take off, we make a leap of understanding into a territory that shows us how groups outside of our experience might be affected. And then we start to see that we are all the same, even if we express ourselves differently, and our interests appear to be different.
But our interests are the same. We all want wellbeing. Until we can make that leap of understanding, though, we won't necessarily understand that we can have that wellbeing without costing the wellbeing of another, and that the other can have wellbeing without costing our own.
When enough of us understand this, wars will cease.
If you believe this, or that the environment really can be saved through coming together, or that poverty can be brought to an end through common action, it can be very hard to deal with people who see it a different way. It can be tempting to cling to the "rightness" of your argument.
But conflict doesn't end through the creation of more conflict. The key is to find the others who are out there of like mind, and work with them to demonstrate your point, rather than to dig yourself into an entrenched argument with people who have no means of seeing it your way (yet). It takes a leap of faith to reach the viewpoint that sees beyond the conflict. People don't make that leap of faith if they feel angry or afraid.
The job of the person with the greater view is not to preach to the person who can't see it. The job is to help them to see it, through how we act, what we do and how we behave.
This path doesn't make for popularity. Not in the short term. It can, in fact, leave you feeling rather lonely and out on a limb - even disliked. Then another temptation arises - the temptation to not make any waves at all because you fear disapproval.
But disapproval goes with the territory. If you are to lead, if you are to do your bit to create a better world, then you have to let go of the need for approval from others.
Here's where faith comes in handy. If you can build faith in yourself, in the people around you, and in whatever spiritual force you feel comfortable with, then you can find your approval from within. And then you won't get blown off course by disapproval from people who don't yet understand what you're saying to them.
It makes no sense for the wise to be distracted by those who haven't yet found wisdom.
When consciousness really starts to take off, we make a leap of understanding into a territory that shows us how groups outside of our experience might be affected. And then we start to see that we are all the same, even if we express ourselves differently, and our interests appear to be different.
But our interests are the same. We all want wellbeing. Until we can make that leap of understanding, though, we won't necessarily understand that we can have that wellbeing without costing the wellbeing of another, and that the other can have wellbeing without costing our own.
When enough of us understand this, wars will cease.
If you believe this, or that the environment really can be saved through coming together, or that poverty can be brought to an end through common action, it can be very hard to deal with people who see it a different way. It can be tempting to cling to the "rightness" of your argument.
But conflict doesn't end through the creation of more conflict. The key is to find the others who are out there of like mind, and work with them to demonstrate your point, rather than to dig yourself into an entrenched argument with people who have no means of seeing it your way (yet). It takes a leap of faith to reach the viewpoint that sees beyond the conflict. People don't make that leap of faith if they feel angry or afraid.
The job of the person with the greater view is not to preach to the person who can't see it. The job is to help them to see it, through how we act, what we do and how we behave.
This path doesn't make for popularity. Not in the short term. It can, in fact, leave you feeling rather lonely and out on a limb - even disliked. Then another temptation arises - the temptation to not make any waves at all because you fear disapproval.
But disapproval goes with the territory. If you are to lead, if you are to do your bit to create a better world, then you have to let go of the need for approval from others.
Here's where faith comes in handy. If you can build faith in yourself, in the people around you, and in whatever spiritual force you feel comfortable with, then you can find your approval from within. And then you won't get blown off course by disapproval from people who don't yet understand what you're saying to them.
It makes no sense for the wise to be distracted by those who haven't yet found wisdom.
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
OK to be me
One of the phases in the evolution of a soul is the one where other people's needs take precedence. It is an important phase, because it marks a transition from self interest to the interests of the whole. However, it brings with it certain loops of behaviour that can be hard to break out of.
One of those loops is the idea that what everyone else wants takes priority, and that our own wants are not at all important, because we are somehow not deserving. Now, this particular loop can be expressed in a huge variety of different ways, but it all boils down to the same thing.
People in this loop might always criticise their own actions, looking for their flaws and trying to overcome them by fighting against them.
They might always give in to a more dominating partner, and then feel guilty for having been "in the wrong."
They might apologise for expressing their views, or feel the need to be silent about something they would dearly love to speak about.
They might do things they don't want to do, because they deem themselves to be at fault for not wanting to do them.
They might try to conform to what "normal" people find acceptable, and end up feeling like more of an outsider than they did when they started.
They might do any number of things, the common underlying theme of which is, "I am not good enough as I am."
Now, I'm not saying that the right course of action from this place is to have the attitude that everyone else is wrong, or that our own interests should take precedence over everybody else's. That would be a retrograde step. But to move forward, perhaps deciding that it is OK to be me might stir the person out of the loop she has fallen into.
Deciding it's OK to be me takes a leap of faith. Changing any belief takes such a leap, because we are venturing from the known into the unknown. For a dove to fly, it must first jump into the air.
The ego responds to leaps of faith by trying to pull you back to the ground. So it may respond by heaping all manner of different sensations of guilt on the person. Circumstances in her life will conspire to "prove" that she is wrong to make the change. People might get more upset with her, feeding her fear of conflict, or her fear that she doesn't conform, or isn't acceptable.
Resistance to change comes from within and without. The body may go through unsettling sensations as old anxieties rise to the surface. And other people may cling to the status quo, making life uncomfortable.
It's important to remember, whenever we allow ourselves to evolve, that the truth is out there. We may not be able to see it while all the turmoil is in the way, but it is there, throughout. And the truth is always that you are OK to be you. Always. The "improvements" come through greater acceptance of self. Always. It is always OK to love yourself. It is always OK to accept yourself as you are, even if everyone around you has a different view.
Sometimes, when we make a change in our lives, the changes that are stirred around us can feel uncomfortable. They can make us reach for the old habit, because it makes sense to us. But the old habit will only serve you as far as keeping you stuck. A new habit, one of self acceptance, will never imprison you. It will only set you free.
The dove can only stay airborne if its wings are unencumbered, and nothing encumbers a set of wings quite like the decision that it is not OK to be me.
One of those loops is the idea that what everyone else wants takes priority, and that our own wants are not at all important, because we are somehow not deserving. Now, this particular loop can be expressed in a huge variety of different ways, but it all boils down to the same thing.
People in this loop might always criticise their own actions, looking for their flaws and trying to overcome them by fighting against them.
They might always give in to a more dominating partner, and then feel guilty for having been "in the wrong."
They might apologise for expressing their views, or feel the need to be silent about something they would dearly love to speak about.
They might do things they don't want to do, because they deem themselves to be at fault for not wanting to do them.
They might try to conform to what "normal" people find acceptable, and end up feeling like more of an outsider than they did when they started.
They might do any number of things, the common underlying theme of which is, "I am not good enough as I am."
Now, I'm not saying that the right course of action from this place is to have the attitude that everyone else is wrong, or that our own interests should take precedence over everybody else's. That would be a retrograde step. But to move forward, perhaps deciding that it is OK to be me might stir the person out of the loop she has fallen into.
Deciding it's OK to be me takes a leap of faith. Changing any belief takes such a leap, because we are venturing from the known into the unknown. For a dove to fly, it must first jump into the air.
The ego responds to leaps of faith by trying to pull you back to the ground. So it may respond by heaping all manner of different sensations of guilt on the person. Circumstances in her life will conspire to "prove" that she is wrong to make the change. People might get more upset with her, feeding her fear of conflict, or her fear that she doesn't conform, or isn't acceptable.
Resistance to change comes from within and without. The body may go through unsettling sensations as old anxieties rise to the surface. And other people may cling to the status quo, making life uncomfortable.
It's important to remember, whenever we allow ourselves to evolve, that the truth is out there. We may not be able to see it while all the turmoil is in the way, but it is there, throughout. And the truth is always that you are OK to be you. Always. The "improvements" come through greater acceptance of self. Always. It is always OK to love yourself. It is always OK to accept yourself as you are, even if everyone around you has a different view.
Sometimes, when we make a change in our lives, the changes that are stirred around us can feel uncomfortable. They can make us reach for the old habit, because it makes sense to us. But the old habit will only serve you as far as keeping you stuck. A new habit, one of self acceptance, will never imprison you. It will only set you free.
The dove can only stay airborne if its wings are unencumbered, and nothing encumbers a set of wings quite like the decision that it is not OK to be me.
Sunday, 13 September 2009
The problem with religious texts...
When we try to read spiritual and religious texts literally, we get into all sorts of problems.
I was talking to a friend last week about the Bible, and about channeling. Channeling works through the co-operation of two sets of energy: the energy of the channel, the person on this Earth, and the energy of the guides in spirit who transmit the information. The two sets of energy vibrate at very different levels, making direct communication very difficult. The guides who work with us light up circuits in our brains, delivering meaning, but using our brains as the medium for that meaning. So thoughts come through and we speak those thoughts, and the more we learn to trust the process, the more we are free to express the thoughts that come through.
However, the instrument through which the thoughts are expressed - the channel- is a human being and subject to all the conditioning that human beings are subject to. The more we can overcome our conditioning, the purer we channel, but we have to be aware that there may be a blind spot we just don't know is there.
The people who channeled the books of the Bible had a certain understanding, borne of their education and conditioning. They had a number of prejudices about how people should live that came from the culture they lived in. And their education took them so far and no further. They had vocabulary for certain things, but not for others. They had no vocabulary for evolution, and yet, if read without the tyranny of a literal interpretation, Genesis describes the process of evolution, from dust through the things that creepeth and crawleth and on to humans.
If we place all our faith in the literal interpretation of a religious text, we are limiting ourselves to an attempt at understanding something through somebody else's understanding. If we learn to read a little more loosely and allow the meaning to come to us through contemplation and meditation, then we'll find our own understanding.
If we go down the route of seeking our understanding of things through other people's understanding, we can end up in all sorts of bother. The most extreme outcome occurs when fundamentalists of any religion commit acts of violence against people who don't share their beliefs. For if we believe something because we are told it, and not because we have built our faith - our own direct connection with the divine - from within ourselves, then any challenge to our belief may seem devastating. And that's when violence ensues.
The people of pure faith don't go round bombing or maiming other people. They're way too busy loving them.
I was talking to a friend last week about the Bible, and about channeling. Channeling works through the co-operation of two sets of energy: the energy of the channel, the person on this Earth, and the energy of the guides in spirit who transmit the information. The two sets of energy vibrate at very different levels, making direct communication very difficult. The guides who work with us light up circuits in our brains, delivering meaning, but using our brains as the medium for that meaning. So thoughts come through and we speak those thoughts, and the more we learn to trust the process, the more we are free to express the thoughts that come through.
However, the instrument through which the thoughts are expressed - the channel- is a human being and subject to all the conditioning that human beings are subject to. The more we can overcome our conditioning, the purer we channel, but we have to be aware that there may be a blind spot we just don't know is there.
The people who channeled the books of the Bible had a certain understanding, borne of their education and conditioning. They had a number of prejudices about how people should live that came from the culture they lived in. And their education took them so far and no further. They had vocabulary for certain things, but not for others. They had no vocabulary for evolution, and yet, if read without the tyranny of a literal interpretation, Genesis describes the process of evolution, from dust through the things that creepeth and crawleth and on to humans.
If we place all our faith in the literal interpretation of a religious text, we are limiting ourselves to an attempt at understanding something through somebody else's understanding. If we learn to read a little more loosely and allow the meaning to come to us through contemplation and meditation, then we'll find our own understanding.
If we go down the route of seeking our understanding of things through other people's understanding, we can end up in all sorts of bother. The most extreme outcome occurs when fundamentalists of any religion commit acts of violence against people who don't share their beliefs. For if we believe something because we are told it, and not because we have built our faith - our own direct connection with the divine - from within ourselves, then any challenge to our belief may seem devastating. And that's when violence ensues.
The people of pure faith don't go round bombing or maiming other people. They're way too busy loving them.
Monday, 7 September 2009
Trouble meditating?
I seem to have had a lot of conversations this week about meditations. The common theme seems to have been that a busy inner voice implies "having trouble" with meditations.
I'll agree, those meditations where the inner voice is quiet often feel very wonderful. But the ones where the inner voice keeps chuntering away are just as useful.
When we meditate, we raise the level of our consciousness, which means that we are shining a brighter light on ourselves. When we shine a brighter light we see what's there more clearly. If what's there is a jumble of thoughts and feelings, then those are the things we will become aware of. Shining a light on them helps them to be resolved. It draws them out and frees us up. The more we practise, the less we will engage with the thoughts, and the more we will be able to let them go.
So each meditation is valuable in helping us to make progress spiritually.
Yesterday I noticed I was being a bit snappy and angry. Today my meditation was busy and noisy. And now I'm not snappy or angry.
If we judge our meditations we do ourselves a disservice. The very act of meditating is helping us to evolve. Sometimes they'll be peaceful, sometimes they won't. Either way, they are helping to heal and resolve things.
Knock, and the door will be opened. Seek and ye shall find.
Judge not thy meditations!
I'll agree, those meditations where the inner voice is quiet often feel very wonderful. But the ones where the inner voice keeps chuntering away are just as useful.
When we meditate, we raise the level of our consciousness, which means that we are shining a brighter light on ourselves. When we shine a brighter light we see what's there more clearly. If what's there is a jumble of thoughts and feelings, then those are the things we will become aware of. Shining a light on them helps them to be resolved. It draws them out and frees us up. The more we practise, the less we will engage with the thoughts, and the more we will be able to let them go.
So each meditation is valuable in helping us to make progress spiritually.
Yesterday I noticed I was being a bit snappy and angry. Today my meditation was busy and noisy. And now I'm not snappy or angry.
If we judge our meditations we do ourselves a disservice. The very act of meditating is helping us to evolve. Sometimes they'll be peaceful, sometimes they won't. Either way, they are helping to heal and resolve things.
Knock, and the door will be opened. Seek and ye shall find.
Judge not thy meditations!
Saturday, 29 August 2009
A muse on yearning
When we yearn for something, we put a lot of energy into longing for something we haven't got. The longing not only takes us off balance, it also reinforces the notion within us that we haven't got what we long for. It makes the lack a self fulfilling thing, which feeds itself through more lack.
The only way out of this self perpetuating cycle of lack is to let go of the need for the thing we are yearning for. And the way to do that is to develop faith in the all rightness of things just as they are. If we can take ourselves, even for a brief moment, out of the thought pattern that says, "I need...", then within that brief moment, we can create space for wellbeing. The more we create space for wellbeing, the more we can dissociate ourselves from the notion of lack.
Then, perhaps, we might direct our attention to the thing for which we were yearning, and see it differently. If it is still something that we find we want, then we can use that faith we have so carefully built to direct our attention into the belief that it is coming our way and, crucially, that if it doesn't come our way that's because there's something else out there which will serve our purposes better, but which we haven't yet encountered.
When we create with our thoughts, and our thoughts tell us we lack, we only create more of that thought. It is a much more powerful starting point to know absolutely that we are just fine as we are and to believe in the benevolence of the universe to create greater levels of wellbeing.
Changing from one mode of thinking to another takes practice, patience and persistence.
But then, doesn't every skill that's worth acquiring?
The only way out of this self perpetuating cycle of lack is to let go of the need for the thing we are yearning for. And the way to do that is to develop faith in the all rightness of things just as they are. If we can take ourselves, even for a brief moment, out of the thought pattern that says, "I need...", then within that brief moment, we can create space for wellbeing. The more we create space for wellbeing, the more we can dissociate ourselves from the notion of lack.
Then, perhaps, we might direct our attention to the thing for which we were yearning, and see it differently. If it is still something that we find we want, then we can use that faith we have so carefully built to direct our attention into the belief that it is coming our way and, crucially, that if it doesn't come our way that's because there's something else out there which will serve our purposes better, but which we haven't yet encountered.
When we create with our thoughts, and our thoughts tell us we lack, we only create more of that thought. It is a much more powerful starting point to know absolutely that we are just fine as we are and to believe in the benevolence of the universe to create greater levels of wellbeing.
Changing from one mode of thinking to another takes practice, patience and persistence.
But then, doesn't every skill that's worth acquiring?
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