I was going through some files on my computer and found this article I had written quite a while ago and I wanted to share it with you. Just some food for thought. Happy May Day.<\/p>\n
My Hawaiian Aunty, my spiritual teacher says, \u201cEverything is pono
\n(perfect) until we think otherwise.\u201d I know that to be true but when
\nevents like the shooting at Virginia Tech happen it is often difficult
\nto see the perfection. Once again I watched the news and was struck by
\nthe confusion, pain and fear I saw in people\u2019s faces. My mother was
\nkilled in a car accident so I know well the shock of sudden loss. I feel
\nthe same way when I watch the news and see a woman crying over the body
\nof her child that was just blown apart by a car bomb. How do we make
\nsense of human cruelty? How do we see murder and mayhem as perfect?<\/p>\n
Those were some of my thoughts when I sat down to meditate this morning.
\nWhat came to me were some thoughts about great spiritual teachers like
\nBuddha and Jesus and how we focus our attention as a species. For many
\nyears I believed my mission was to help create a world that would be
\nsafe for children and animals. I figured if they were safe the rest of
\nus would be golden, but then I began to realize the world was perfect
\njust the way it is. I still wonder how we can be so cruel at times but I
\nhave come to realize that seeing something as cruel is my judgment. I
\nhave now found greater peace and the capacity to be more loving.<\/p>\n
Let me explain. When I look at people like Buddha and Jesus I see people
\nwho have had a direct spiritual experience. They connected with God or
\ntheir spiritual essence at a profound level and lived their lives from
\nthat loving and expansive place. They did whatever was necessary, on a
\ndaily basis to deepen and maintain that connection. They lived from a
\nplace of love, free of judgment and a sense of separation. They knew the
\nonly thing that is real is God and that the external world was an
\nillusion. They knew that, \u201cYou are me, I am you and we are one.\u201d<\/p>\n
When I listen to the ramblings of the Virginia Tech gunman, the news and
\npeople in the grocery store, I hear a common theme \u2013 OUT THERE. We want
\nto blame someone or somethings. They treated me badly, the government
\nneeds to do something, they are the problem, and something out there is
\nthe problem. I do the same thing at times. I can make statements like,
\n\u201cThat really upset me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Life is, then we tell ourselves a story, and then we have an experience
\nbased on the story. My hunch is Buddha and Jesus looked within, to their
\nconnection with spirit more often than they blamed out there for their
\nexperience.<\/p>\n
Moment by moment we are either deepening our connection with our spirit
\nor our beliefs agreements and assumptions. We are either deepening our
\nconnectedness or our sense of separation. We are either focusing within
\nor allowing our attention to be hooked by out there.<\/p>\n
In a society that focuses the majority of its attention on externals
\nevents, like the shooting at Virginia Tech unfortunately make sense.
\nThey are part of the paradigm that embraces blame and judgment rather
\nthan encouraging self-exploration and personal responsibility. Even most
\nof our religions teach us to focus externally. God is out there. We get
\nour message from God from someone or something outside of ourselves –
\nthe minister, rabbi, the Bible or Koran tell us what to believe and how
\nto find God.<\/p>\n
What do you suppose would happen if more people began focusing within?
\nWhat would happen if each of us did as Jesus, Buddha, and Mohamed? What
\nif each of us did whatever was necessary on a daily basis to have a
\ndirect and profound inner connection to God?<\/p>\n
Would we be able to judge one another? Would we choose to physically
\nassault one another? Or blame someone else for our internally generated
\nemotions?<\/p>\n
I think not. If each of us learned to love, really love and live as
\nBuddha, Mohamed and Jesus, violence would be a rare occurrence rather
\nthan an everyday event. Perhaps Cho Seung-Hui would have been able to
\nreach out for help rather than think violence was the solution.<\/p>\n
As long as we persist in judging anything or anyone we can\u2019t experience
\nour oneness. It is our belief in separation that engenders violence.
\nWhen I make myself see the perfection in everything my heart expands and
\nI can love. By loving I can live life in a more loving fashion and my
\nsense of oneness grows.<\/p>\n
Love or fear are our only two options. We know what kind of a world fear
\nhas built isn\u2019t it time to see what kind of a world love can build?<\/p>\n
With love and aloha, Angels are everywhere just open your mind and your heart to the signs.<\/p>\n
\nSusan<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n