I have spent my first Christmas ever, in 66 years, away from my family, in Chiang Mai, and I can now reflect on what I find truly meaningful about Christmas and what it was that I missed about being in solitude. For sure, it is not the presents or the Christmas cards which are important. I find it a chore to hunt endlessly around for unsuitable presents and to write soundbites on dozens of Christmas cards because that is what convention tells you to do. I prefer to give gifts and send cards spontaneously, not just because it's Christmas. Neither does being away from England in any way sadden me; with its dark days, cold winter weather and its cynicism it is a relief not to be there and to be instead in the warmth and smiles and sunshine of Thailand. I expect that Christmas in the wintry mountains of Europe would be a different story, too, as there is a mystical magic about Christmas in the mountains, a magic of a pagan sort where the Christmas story hangs on the tree of an older tradition. But in Thailand, as now in England, there is no true sense of the Christmas story. Just jingle bells and endless consumerism. So, I havn't missed the story of Christmas, nor its magic, as there was none of that in England either, at least not since 1995 when I last attended Midnight Mass at Westminster Cathedral which purveyed the true spirit of the message: an enlightened being, the Cosmic Christ, a baby born in poverty, who would show us the way to universal consciousness and to the divine within us that we might open our hearts to unconditional love and compassion. For that surely is the message of Christmas. And when I was going to the Cathedral, the deeply spiritual Cardinal Hume was proclaiming the message which made it meaningful. I doubt the present Cardinal is capable of doing that.
I feel that the best way to honour the true message is by spending Christmas in the company of our loved ones, particularly our family. That is what I have missed, my loved ones, because I have not had the company of any single one of them this Christmas. My beloved mother died in March and I spent 65 Christmases with her, latterly travelling back from Thailand just to do that (oh dear, my carbon footprint!). My cousins would also join us which made the day special and then my brother would leave his family and visit two days' later. But life is change and now the format has to be altered before next year as this year is a non-event, a sort of unplanned floating Christmas where there was no more than a visit to the Christmas mass although that was not as magical as the Midnight Mass at Westminster Cathedral in London which always set the stable aglow with the true meaning of Christ's birth. My only loved one in Thailand is a very dedicated nurse who has to work in the hospital many kilometres away. So, all my loved ones are far away, at least at the physical level. But at a deeper soul level maybe I can commune with them and sense their presence, both those living and those who have passed over. This, for me, will be the true meaning of Christmas 2007. Happy Christmas.
Tuesday, 25 December 2007
Tuesday, 11 December 2007
carbon footprinting a great opportunity
I wonder to what extent the future of our dear Mother Earth is being decided in Bali at the moment, at the world conference on Climate Change? After all, the way the global climate is changing and the prolific way we spew out carbon emissions into the atmosphere is something that affects each and every one of us, yes, every member of our enormous human family. Surely it is incumbent on every one of us to do what we can, in our infinitesimally small way, to play our part in reducing the level of carbon emissions. We must take note of and reduce our own carbon footprint. And we can.
Not only can we but it is a great opportunity for us. No matter whether I am in Thailand, Italy or the UK, I am aware that life is becoming ever more expensive, what with the rise in fuel prices, food prices, rentals, transport fares, you name it. It's all becoming more expensive. And everywhere tourism is down, house prices are in the doldrums and there is a general sense of despair and despond, especially as this year has been so malicious for so many people. It seems that even the stars are against us. So, what a great time for us to apply ourselves to saving money, and not only saving money but also cutting back on our own carbon footprint so that we can, in our own little way, help Mother Earth to start breathing healthily again.
How do we do this? Well, it's easy. We use water in a more economic way. We convert to energy saving bulbs and also use our electricity less by not being wasteful which we have been in the past. We use aeroplanes less and trains and boats more. We cut back on the use of our car or motor bike by 20% or 30% ... and walk more! We recycle our rubbish more carefully. We insulate our houses more thoroughly. We use biodegradable packing materials. We buy a reusable shopping bag and cut back on our use of plastic. There is a long list of things we can do and things we shouldn't do. And, if we add it all together, it becomes a campaign of saving which will cut back on our spending. Is that not a good thing?
Most important, as we start to apply ourselves to cutting back on our carbon footprint, so our awareness will grow and deepen and we will come to value our natural world and also our place within it. So, the whole exercise is not just practical and financial but it is also spiritual and it will help to place us where we belong, at the heart of nature. More and more, especially in the cities, we have lost touch with nature and so we have lost touch with who we truly are. If we can remedy this in our own lives, then learning to lessen our carbon footprint will become an exercise of great benefit to us all.
So, let's start walking more, let's get the bicycles out, and let's save all we can on those emissions.
Not only can we but it is a great opportunity for us. No matter whether I am in Thailand, Italy or the UK, I am aware that life is becoming ever more expensive, what with the rise in fuel prices, food prices, rentals, transport fares, you name it. It's all becoming more expensive. And everywhere tourism is down, house prices are in the doldrums and there is a general sense of despair and despond, especially as this year has been so malicious for so many people. It seems that even the stars are against us. So, what a great time for us to apply ourselves to saving money, and not only saving money but also cutting back on our own carbon footprint so that we can, in our own little way, help Mother Earth to start breathing healthily again.
How do we do this? Well, it's easy. We use water in a more economic way. We convert to energy saving bulbs and also use our electricity less by not being wasteful which we have been in the past. We use aeroplanes less and trains and boats more. We cut back on the use of our car or motor bike by 20% or 30% ... and walk more! We recycle our rubbish more carefully. We insulate our houses more thoroughly. We use biodegradable packing materials. We buy a reusable shopping bag and cut back on our use of plastic. There is a long list of things we can do and things we shouldn't do. And, if we add it all together, it becomes a campaign of saving which will cut back on our spending. Is that not a good thing?
Most important, as we start to apply ourselves to cutting back on our carbon footprint, so our awareness will grow and deepen and we will come to value our natural world and also our place within it. So, the whole exercise is not just practical and financial but it is also spiritual and it will help to place us where we belong, at the heart of nature. More and more, especially in the cities, we have lost touch with nature and so we have lost touch with who we truly are. If we can remedy this in our own lives, then learning to lessen our carbon footprint will become an exercise of great benefit to us all.
So, let's start walking more, let's get the bicycles out, and let's save all we can on those emissions.
Friday, 7 December 2007
Communicating face to face
I realise as I write this on the internet that it is a very useful way of letting you know my thoughts, that is, if you care to read them. You may or you may not. But, you know, I would much prefer to sitting down with you face to face on a hillsideand discussing our thoughts together. Somehow, it would be much more meaningful for us to have eye contact and to be communicating at soul level, for our eyes are the mirror of our souls. In this way, our thought processes would become animated and fully human and we would sense ourselves in touch. As John O'Donohue writes in "Anam Cara...": "When you really look deeply at something, it becomes a part of you. This is one of the sinister aspects of television. People are constantly looking at empty and false images; these impoverished images are filling up the inner world of the heart... Television and the computer world are great empty shadowlands." I do agree with this as I find, whenever I use the computer or television, that there is something missing, a sense of soul. And I think it is because whatever you are looking at is simply not real and certainly not human... "empty and false images". And that impoverishes our souls which in our modern world can feel very weak and unfulfilled anyway.
So, we must not forget the value of face to face communication. Nor must we forget when we are with others that we should read in their eyes what they are trying to say to us. In this way, we can sense our oneness at soul level and so communicate our thoughts in a truly meaningful way. The eyes talk.
Of course, if we're many miles apart then we cannot communicate in this way at that moment. And then, of course, the internet can become helpful up to a point. It is a useful tool. After all, how could I say what I am now saying without it, whether or not you ever read it. But if we use it to excess, then we use it at our peril as it will destroy our ability to communicate at soul level. And that is what is happening with so many children today: too much time spent on the television and the computer and too little time spent in communicating in a natural, social, human way. Yin and Yang, we need balance in all things.
So, we must not forget the value of face to face communication. Nor must we forget when we are with others that we should read in their eyes what they are trying to say to us. In this way, we can sense our oneness at soul level and so communicate our thoughts in a truly meaningful way. The eyes talk.
Of course, if we're many miles apart then we cannot communicate in this way at that moment. And then, of course, the internet can become helpful up to a point. It is a useful tool. After all, how could I say what I am now saying without it, whether or not you ever read it. But if we use it to excess, then we use it at our peril as it will destroy our ability to communicate at soul level. And that is what is happening with so many children today: too much time spent on the television and the computer and too little time spent in communicating in a natural, social, human way. Yin and Yang, we need balance in all things.
Sunday, 2 December 2007
Good and Bad
It seems that so many happenings in life are both good and bad. My most recent experience shows that clearly. The day before I was due to travel down to Bangkok to have a standard medical check-up, to meet up with my cousin who was there working for ten days, and then go off to an island for a few days of relaxation, the debris from my 1999 prostate operation began to cause problems, blood and blockage. The next day, I flew down from Chiang Mai, was admitted, and the day after that I had an emergency clear-out operation. This whole thing just came out of the blue and I felt shocked and sickened by memories of the first time back in the UK. But I was in good hands and both the cardiologist and the urologist who performed the operation were wonderful, friendly, caring medics. Not only that, but I was already due to be in Bangkok at that time meeting up with my cousin and my girlfriend who is a nurse and having an standard aneurism scan and so the timing was miraculous. Synchronicity. Or, the universe working in strange ways.
I feel that this whole episode was a physical manifestation of the clear-out that this mischievous monkey year seems to have been all about. What a year. And I am converted to the idea of regular future monitoring of heart, aorta, kidneys, bladder and prostate because as one gets older the body begins to fray at the edges and it's a good idea to keep tabs on where a potential problem may come from so that one can nip it in the bud. After all, it's my health, so my responsibility. And I can now try even harder to lead a life that will take account of my weaknesses and keep me healthy.
So, you see, out of this whole saga has come some good and hopefully life can now move onwards into a new year of home-building and creativity. First, some positive rest and recuperation.
I feel that this whole episode was a physical manifestation of the clear-out that this mischievous monkey year seems to have been all about. What a year. And I am converted to the idea of regular future monitoring of heart, aorta, kidneys, bladder and prostate because as one gets older the body begins to fray at the edges and it's a good idea to keep tabs on where a potential problem may come from so that one can nip it in the bud. After all, it's my health, so my responsibility. And I can now try even harder to lead a life that will take account of my weaknesses and keep me healthy.
So, you see, out of this whole saga has come some good and hopefully life can now move onwards into a new year of home-building and creativity. First, some positive rest and recuperation.
Wednesday, 21 November 2007
Plans for 2008
My dear Friends,
This is to let you know that I shall now be writing the Reikiway newsletter "The Light" on my blog and also keeping you up-to-date with any Reikiway courses and happenings that are in the offing. You can then just go into the website - www.reikiway.com - at any time and click on 'blog' to get the information. This seems to be a better way of doing things from now on. But let me know if you think otherwise.
One thing that has crystallized in my mind is that, from March, all my emphasis in 2008 will be on setting up a teaching and treatment venue somewhere in the mountains in Italy, as well as creating my home base there. This has been my dream for 6 years now. And I have a plan that, as well as courses in Reiki healing, the venue will also offer Thai Yoga Massage and, of course, wonderful walks in the mountains so that we can place ourselves where we should always be, in the heart of nature. This means that everything else, including the Thailand programme, will be put on hold until this plan is achieved, although I will still offer one or two courses in London (Willesden Green) in the spring and autumn if they are called for. I really hope to create a very wonderful setting for acquiring an understanding of the power and workings of Reiki healing in the midst of Europe's hills and mountains. And I hope that one day we will see you there.
May your days be bountiful and your joy unbounded and, in spite of all the darkness and suffering that surrounds us, I pray that your heart will be open to the light and that you will know the divine within you.
This is to let you know that I shall now be writing the Reikiway newsletter "The Light" on my blog and also keeping you up-to-date with any Reikiway courses and happenings that are in the offing. You can then just go into the website - www.reikiway.com - at any time and click on 'blog' to get the information. This seems to be a better way of doing things from now on. But let me know if you think otherwise.
One thing that has crystallized in my mind is that, from March, all my emphasis in 2008 will be on setting up a teaching and treatment venue somewhere in the mountains in Italy, as well as creating my home base there. This has been my dream for 6 years now. And I have a plan that, as well as courses in Reiki healing, the venue will also offer Thai Yoga Massage and, of course, wonderful walks in the mountains so that we can place ourselves where we should always be, in the heart of nature. This means that everything else, including the Thailand programme, will be put on hold until this plan is achieved, although I will still offer one or two courses in London (Willesden Green) in the spring and autumn if they are called for. I really hope to create a very wonderful setting for acquiring an understanding of the power and workings of Reiki healing in the midst of Europe's hills and mountains. And I hope that one day we will see you there.
May your days be bountiful and your joy unbounded and, in spite of all the darkness and suffering that surrounds us, I pray that your heart will be open to the light and that you will know the divine within you.
Wednesday, 14 November 2007
Impermanence - no two days are the same
When I woke up this morning I realised that I felt differently from yesterday and that the energy of the day felt different, too. In fact, it seems that no two days are the same... they don't start out the same, nor do they finish the same. Each day has a different character from the one before. Now, is this just my perception, based on how I am feeling as I drift up out of the dream state into waking consciousness? Or is there something external to me with its own energy and changing character within which I exist at every moment of this day, cultivating all those new experiences which will accumulate while I am in this wakened state and which will cause me to say before I nod off to sleep again at the end of the day: "Oh, that was a good day!" or "Oh dear, what an awful day!"? I feel like a wave in the ocean that is the day, changing shape, playing with other waves, and rolling ever onwards towards some distant shore. And when I break on the shore, will that be that? Is this how our life is, like a wave in the ocean of time?
Of course, we know that nothing stays the same, not even the chair we sit on. We know that good times pass too quickly, as when we are with the person we love with all our heart and then we must part. And we should also know that the bad times, the times of suffering, will also pass for us in one way or another. This is why it is helpful to accept things as they are at this moment in time because, however they are, they will not stay this way and we need to be able to flow with the unpredictable currents of life. This is what it means to go with the flow, or to bend wth the wind. It doesn't mean to opt out of life or of decision-making but, rather, to have an open and flexible mind which can cope with every hand that life deals us.
However, none of this answers my question about whether or not each day has its own character and set of circumstances with which we have to cope. It seems that in some sense we have to slot into the day we are presented with. We can never be entirely in control. So, yes, we are waves in the ocean of time.
Of course, we know that nothing stays the same, not even the chair we sit on. We know that good times pass too quickly, as when we are with the person we love with all our heart and then we must part. And we should also know that the bad times, the times of suffering, will also pass for us in one way or another. This is why it is helpful to accept things as they are at this moment in time because, however they are, they will not stay this way and we need to be able to flow with the unpredictable currents of life. This is what it means to go with the flow, or to bend wth the wind. It doesn't mean to opt out of life or of decision-making but, rather, to have an open and flexible mind which can cope with every hand that life deals us.
However, none of this answers my question about whether or not each day has its own character and set of circumstances with which we have to cope. It seems that in some sense we have to slot into the day we are presented with. We can never be entirely in control. So, yes, we are waves in the ocean of time.
Saturday, 10 November 2007
learning through our experience
During the past few years I have been making a big mistake. I have always felt that we have made modern day life too complicated which is why it is so stressful for so many people, and that I must make every effort to simplify it by cutting out all those things which seemed to me to be irrelevent and wasteful of my effort and energy. So, in an effort to achieve what I felt was simplicity I turned my back on opportunities and, in a sense, negated life in all its rich hues, falling into a hole of stagnation and negativity. In fact, I rather turned my back on life itself which is a dreadful sin to commit as I feel we have been given life to live it. John O'Donohue writes (in "Spiritual Wisdom from the Celtic World") "... we were never told that one of the greatest sins is the unlived life. We are sent into the world to live to the full everything that awakens within us and everything that comes towards us... We should never allow our fears or the expectations of others to set the frontiers of our destiny." And then later he quotes the 2nd century philosopher, Irenaeus, who said: 'The glory of God is the human person fully alive'. This all makes me shamefully realise that I have not really embraced life in recent times. Why? Well, fear, apathy and a silly misunderstanding that in order to simplify life I must turn my back on many of the things that would have allowed it to flourish and prosper. After all, there's no good without bad and sometimes we must experience both in order to find out which is which. I now realise I was turning my back on both.
One test on whether or not one is really living life with a passion or just allowing it to scrape along is whether or not one is bored and having to think of things to do. If you are living life, you are buzzing and you never have to think of something to do in order to pass the time as there is always something you want to be doing. After all, by nature we are creative beings. Maybe this blog is a good example. For 5 months I wrote nothing as my spirit ('shen') was stagnant and I had no motivation to put fingers to keyboard. Life was dead and I had nothing to say, or at least that is what I felt at the time. I now realise it was quite wrong. If we are awake, there is always something to say as life is such a rich tapestry which can always inspire comment.
I now realise that the way to a fulfilling, simple life is the path of mindfulness and the giving up of dislike and desire. Be where you want to be, do what your heart tells you to do, and love everybody. That seems to be the recipe. I'll try it.
One test on whether or not one is really living life with a passion or just allowing it to scrape along is whether or not one is bored and having to think of things to do. If you are living life, you are buzzing and you never have to think of something to do in order to pass the time as there is always something you want to be doing. After all, by nature we are creative beings. Maybe this blog is a good example. For 5 months I wrote nothing as my spirit ('shen') was stagnant and I had no motivation to put fingers to keyboard. Life was dead and I had nothing to say, or at least that is what I felt at the time. I now realise it was quite wrong. If we are awake, there is always something to say as life is such a rich tapestry which can always inspire comment.
I now realise that the way to a fulfilling, simple life is the path of mindfulness and the giving up of dislike and desire. Be where you want to be, do what your heart tells you to do, and love everybody. That seems to be the recipe. I'll try it.
Sunday, 28 October 2007
energy follows our focus
For the past few months I have been wallowing in a heavy sea of life change which has created great confusion in my mind. So, no blogging (what an ugly word!). Yes, it has been a testing time. However, that has given me experiences which are worth drawing from, so I can now start to fit some more pieces into the jigsaw of life. Or, put another way, perhaps I should see this as a new beginning, a rebirth into another stage of life. Yes, life has changed and so have I. Or, so must I!
This all makes me think of what Rob Nairn ("Living, Dreaming, Dying") said to us in July: that "energy follows our focus" - what we are thinking about now will evolve into our future karma. I now feel this is so important: if I am thinking positively now I will receive a positive outcome; but, if I am thinking negatively then the outcome for me will be negative which will cause me suffering. So, if I can draw positive conclusions from these past few months, then I can enhance my future life and build and grow upon what has gone before. Maybe that's obvious but it is certainly worth the effort to try and overcome those negative thought patterns which have plagued my life in the past. Memories and thoughts have energy, after all, and that energy can be healthy and uplifting or it can be heavy and debilitating. And it affects not only me but also those around me. So, every single thought and memory I have is very important for my health and well-being. That's a salutary thought, isn't it, something I need to remember as I live each moment of each day seeking happiness and fulfilment. And, if it is true for me, then surely it is true for everyone.
So, I have now lost both my parents and I have moved my home to another country. That's why it's time for a new beginning.
This all makes me think of what Rob Nairn ("Living, Dreaming, Dying") said to us in July: that "energy follows our focus" - what we are thinking about now will evolve into our future karma. I now feel this is so important: if I am thinking positively now I will receive a positive outcome; but, if I am thinking negatively then the outcome for me will be negative which will cause me suffering. So, if I can draw positive conclusions from these past few months, then I can enhance my future life and build and grow upon what has gone before. Maybe that's obvious but it is certainly worth the effort to try and overcome those negative thought patterns which have plagued my life in the past. Memories and thoughts have energy, after all, and that energy can be healthy and uplifting or it can be heavy and debilitating. And it affects not only me but also those around me. So, every single thought and memory I have is very important for my health and well-being. That's a salutary thought, isn't it, something I need to remember as I live each moment of each day seeking happiness and fulfilment. And, if it is true for me, then surely it is true for everyone.
So, I have now lost both my parents and I have moved my home to another country. That's why it's time for a new beginning.
Monday, 4 June 2007
Synchronicity and good teachings
More and more I come to believe in the wondrous power of synchronicity. How so? Well, from experience. For one good reason, when I am seeking further wise guidance along the rocky path of spiritual awakening, the channel opens and exactly the right author and book title seems to appear. In this way, I can constantly feed my thirst for understanding.
And now, being an enthusiast and having this amazing blog thing, I'd like to pass on to you my two latest finds which I am reading as a joyous diversion from the stresses and strains of packing up many years of life in England, and also my dear mother's house, in preparation for my relocation to Italy. Funnily enough, the general message of both books is to keep things simple. How appropriate!
First, a guide to meditation by Adyashanti, his new book "True Meditation" (ISBN 1-59179-467-6). His many years as a Zen Buddhist have brought him to the point where he can tell us that "Enlightenment is, in the end, nothing more than the natural state of being" and that "In True Meditation, we start from the foundation of letting everything be as it is". The first part of the book is guiding us to meditate in such a way as to realize this. Then, having meditated in a 'letting go' way, he explains his method of meditative self-enquiry, of 'how to ask a spiritually powerful question - and determine the real answer' based simply on your own true experience. And then there is a CD which can help you through both the meditation and the self-enquiry. Great stuff!
The second of my diversions is the new book "The Translucent Revolution" by Arjuna Ardagh (ISBN:1-57731-468-9), originally British but now living in The States. There are now so many wise spiritual teachers in The States offering books and teachings that it seems amazing the Americans can elect such an unawakened one as George Bush as their president. Duality, Yin and Yang. The 'cultural creatives' are not in the majority, of course, so there is more need than ever for the work of these purveyors of spirit... and Arjuna Ardagh is such a one. As Lama Surya Das says about this book, "Arjuna has penned a luminous contribution to the individual and collective awakening of us all. I heartily recommend this book to anyone seeking inner knowledge, self-realization and enlightenment". And Arjuna himself describes what his book purports to put over to us thus: "How people just like you are WAKING UP and CHANGING the world". There are many quotes from many aware people and the book in general is an easy read. It even has an introduction by Ken Wilber whom some believe to be the most awakened of the awakened.
Anyway, if you enjoy reading spiritual books, these are both worth spending time on. Enjoy them.
with love,
Wrio
And now, being an enthusiast and having this amazing blog thing, I'd like to pass on to you my two latest finds which I am reading as a joyous diversion from the stresses and strains of packing up many years of life in England, and also my dear mother's house, in preparation for my relocation to Italy. Funnily enough, the general message of both books is to keep things simple. How appropriate!
First, a guide to meditation by Adyashanti, his new book "True Meditation" (ISBN 1-59179-467-6). His many years as a Zen Buddhist have brought him to the point where he can tell us that "Enlightenment is, in the end, nothing more than the natural state of being" and that "In True Meditation, we start from the foundation of letting everything be as it is". The first part of the book is guiding us to meditate in such a way as to realize this. Then, having meditated in a 'letting go' way, he explains his method of meditative self-enquiry, of 'how to ask a spiritually powerful question - and determine the real answer' based simply on your own true experience. And then there is a CD which can help you through both the meditation and the self-enquiry. Great stuff!
The second of my diversions is the new book "The Translucent Revolution" by Arjuna Ardagh (ISBN:1-57731-468-9), originally British but now living in The States. There are now so many wise spiritual teachers in The States offering books and teachings that it seems amazing the Americans can elect such an unawakened one as George Bush as their president. Duality, Yin and Yang. The 'cultural creatives' are not in the majority, of course, so there is more need than ever for the work of these purveyors of spirit... and Arjuna Ardagh is such a one. As Lama Surya Das says about this book, "Arjuna has penned a luminous contribution to the individual and collective awakening of us all. I heartily recommend this book to anyone seeking inner knowledge, self-realization and enlightenment". And Arjuna himself describes what his book purports to put over to us thus: "How people just like you are WAKING UP and CHANGING the world". There are many quotes from many aware people and the book in general is an easy read. It even has an introduction by Ken Wilber whom some believe to be the most awakened of the awakened.
Anyway, if you enjoy reading spiritual books, these are both worth spending time on. Enjoy them.
with love,
Wrio
Friday, 1 June 2007
another step for keeping in touch
I have now taken another step and connected my blog with the Reikiway website so that I can keep in touch with everybody much better. It is like coming out of the mist of solitude and into the oneness of our global human family so that we can be there for each other. Welcome world, we are connected. Or we can be if we wish to be. At least we have the choice.
At present, I am packing up in preparation for my relocation to Italy. So, it is a time for action and not for reflection. However, once I am settled I will get working on this new 'toy'. In the meantime, I wish everybody inner peace and joy... and abundant health based on a sense of well-being and fulfilment.
with love,
Wrio
At present, I am packing up in preparation for my relocation to Italy. So, it is a time for action and not for reflection. However, once I am settled I will get working on this new 'toy'. In the meantime, I wish everybody inner peace and joy... and abundant health based on a sense of well-being and fulfilment.
with love,
Wrio
Monday, 22 January 2007
The need for compassion
It's time for a change. Another year has sunk into the mists of history, a million new stories have been told and now we must remember to write 2007 on our correspondence. More than that, we need this mid-winter time to renew our energies, reflect on our past experiences and decide how to take our lives forwards. This is a great opportunity because, if we are clear in our intentions, we can set our new resolutions for the highest good of ourselves and others. Is not that a good way to start the New Year?
I ended my year with a very meaningful few days of retreat at Samye Ling, the Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Scotland. It was a pleasure to be part of a community which values the environment so much and indeed, whilst there, we watched Al Gore's film "An Inconvenient Truth", together with a large party of school children who are studying Buddhism. What are we doing to our beautiful planet? How much time do we have left? And what can we do to help turn things around? Well, it transpires that there are many things we can do, including realising that we can a role to play even if only driving our cars a little less. We need to wqake up and accept our responsibility as custodians of our Mother Earth because it is coming to the point when she can no longer sustain us. As a result to seeing this film, that was the message some of those young students planned to take back to their school, too. The door to their awareness had opened. Me too, I realised that I need to become more aware and less careless; we all do, if we are to play our part and value our planet.
At the monastery, the first and last meditations of the day focused on compassion. We are talking here of the pure, unconditional compassion which radiates from our hearts to every being on earth when we are at peace within ourselves, even if they have committed the most heinous of crimes. Revenge and retributions are simply not options. The early morning meditation focused on Tara, the divine Bodhisattva of compassion, and then in the evening we sought guidance from Chenrezig, or Avolokitesvara, who is the lord of compassion. To focus in this way, every day, on our need to develop our sense of compassion touches the heart. It reminds us of our connection with every living soul and how each one of us acts radiates out into the ether and brings either light or darkness into the lives of others. We are all waves in the ocean of humanity. So, the more compassion we can all bring into our lives, the more we can diminish suffering and find happiness in our own hearts. This is something for us all to work on and become more aware of in our lives... another possible resolution for the New Year!
For the Reiki practitioner, compassion is an essential attribute which allows for the Reiki to flow in abundance. In a sense, Reiki is unbounded love and compassion. Cultivating it becomes a part of our daily life, although it is in fact a natural attribute that simply grows with our expanding awareness. Compassion radiates from the heart and the more we awaken our hearts and give out to others, the greater the contentment we will find in our own lives as well. We are talking here of wanting to be happy and of finding peace within our hearts. This is what we wish for ourselves and is surely what we also wish for others. There are so many ghastly things that humans are doing to each other in this world, right now, and yet all we want is peace! Isn't it crazy? All we can do is meditate and pray and have love and compassion for all. In that way, we can bring peace and some happiness into our own immediate world. That is a good start.
Wishing you a warm and wonderfully abundant New Year filled with love and compassion.
I ended my year with a very meaningful few days of retreat at Samye Ling, the Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Scotland. It was a pleasure to be part of a community which values the environment so much and indeed, whilst there, we watched Al Gore's film "An Inconvenient Truth", together with a large party of school children who are studying Buddhism. What are we doing to our beautiful planet? How much time do we have left? And what can we do to help turn things around? Well, it transpires that there are many things we can do, including realising that we can a role to play even if only driving our cars a little less. We need to wqake up and accept our responsibility as custodians of our Mother Earth because it is coming to the point when she can no longer sustain us. As a result to seeing this film, that was the message some of those young students planned to take back to their school, too. The door to their awareness had opened. Me too, I realised that I need to become more aware and less careless; we all do, if we are to play our part and value our planet.
At the monastery, the first and last meditations of the day focused on compassion. We are talking here of the pure, unconditional compassion which radiates from our hearts to every being on earth when we are at peace within ourselves, even if they have committed the most heinous of crimes. Revenge and retributions are simply not options. The early morning meditation focused on Tara, the divine Bodhisattva of compassion, and then in the evening we sought guidance from Chenrezig, or Avolokitesvara, who is the lord of compassion. To focus in this way, every day, on our need to develop our sense of compassion touches the heart. It reminds us of our connection with every living soul and how each one of us acts radiates out into the ether and brings either light or darkness into the lives of others. We are all waves in the ocean of humanity. So, the more compassion we can all bring into our lives, the more we can diminish suffering and find happiness in our own hearts. This is something for us all to work on and become more aware of in our lives... another possible resolution for the New Year!
For the Reiki practitioner, compassion is an essential attribute which allows for the Reiki to flow in abundance. In a sense, Reiki is unbounded love and compassion. Cultivating it becomes a part of our daily life, although it is in fact a natural attribute that simply grows with our expanding awareness. Compassion radiates from the heart and the more we awaken our hearts and give out to others, the greater the contentment we will find in our own lives as well. We are talking here of wanting to be happy and of finding peace within our hearts. This is what we wish for ourselves and is surely what we also wish for others. There are so many ghastly things that humans are doing to each other in this world, right now, and yet all we want is peace! Isn't it crazy? All we can do is meditate and pray and have love and compassion for all. In that way, we can bring peace and some happiness into our own immediate world. That is a good start.
Wishing you a warm and wonderfully abundant New Year filled with love and compassion.
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