Jealousy is one of the toughest feelings we come up against in our lives. There is not much worse than this aching sense that somehow life has been unfair to us, while amply rewarding someone else. It’s even worse if that someone else is present in our daily lives, making it difficult for us to get the space we need to feel and heal our pain. We may be jealous of a sibling, a dear friend, or even famous personalities. We may even face the challenge of feeling jealous of our spouse, our child, or one of our parents. Whatever the case, we can normalize our experience by understanding that, as painful as it is, jealousy is a common human feeling.

Nevertheless, it is important that we not revel in our jealousy for too long, feeding it with inner talk or gossip with others. If we do, we run the risk of losing ourselves to its negative power. Jealousy has something good to offer us, though, and that is information about our own heart’s desire. When we are jealous of certain people, we want what they have, and if we are to be conscious, we must acknowledge that. In this way, we discover what we want for ourselves, which is the first step to getting it. It may be a certain kind of relationship or a career. Whatever it is, it is possible that we could create it for ourselves, in our own lives, if we are able to honor our own desires.

Of course, there are times when we cannot heal our jealousy in this way, and then the lesson may be about acceptance and the understanding that our path is different from the paths of those around us. It may be hard to see now, but perhaps it will eventually be clear why our life has taken its particular path. In the end, the best cure for jealousy is the recognition that the life we have is full of its own meaning and beauty, utterly unique to us—a gift that could never be found in the life of another.

Posted by Susan@Healing Journeys at 5:22 AM EST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Because life requires that we interact with different personalities, it is not uncommon for us to encounter a situation where there is one person whose behavior may negatively impact the experiences of others. Someone who is loud and crass can interrupt the serenity of those who come together to practice peace. A disruptive worker can cause rules to be imposed that affect their colleagues’ professional lives. A team member who is pessimistic or highly critical may destroy the morale of their fellow members. And one “bad apple” in your personal life can be a potent distraction that makes it difficult to focus on the blessings you’ve been given and the people who love you.

There may always be people in your life who take it upon themselves to create disruption, foster chaos, stamp out hope, and act as if they are above reproach – even when, in doing so, they put a blight on their own experiences. But you don’t need to allow their negativity and callousness to sour your good mood. Often, our first impulse upon coming head-to-head with a bad apple is to express our anger and frustration in no uncertain terms. However, bad apples only have the power to turn our lives sour if we let them.

If you can exercise patience and choose not to respond to their words or actions, you will significantly limit the effect they are able to have on you and your environment. You can also attempt to encourage a bad apple to change their behavior by letting your good behavior stand as an example. If your bad apple is simply hoping to attract notice, they may come to realize that receiving positive attention is much more satisfying than making a negative impression. While you may be tempted to simply disassociate yourself entirely from a bad apple, consider why they might be inclined to cause disturbances. Understanding their motivation can help you see that bad apples are not necessarily bad people. Though bad apples are a fact of life, minimizing the impact you allow them to have upon you is empowering because you are not letting anyone else affect the quality of your experiences. You may discover that buried at the very heart of a bad apple is a seed of goodness.

Posted by Susan@Healing Journeys at 6:52 AM EST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

The circle is acknowledged as an archetype of wholeness and integration, with the center of a circle universally understood to symbolize Spirit - the Source. When a group of people come together in a circle, they are united. This unity becomes even more powerful when each person reaches out to touch a neighbor and clasps hands. This physical connection unites thought and action, mind and body, and spirit and form in a circle. Because a circle has no beginning and no end, the agreement to connect in a circle allows energy to circulate from one person to the next, rather than being dissipated into the environment.

Like a candle used to light another candle, the connection with spirit that results when one person joins hands with another is greater than if each person were to stand alone. People who take part in a circle find that their power increases exponentially while with the group. Like a drop of water rippling on the surface of a pond, the waves of energy produced in a circle radiate outward in circular motion. While one person may act like a single beacon that emanates light, a circle of people is like a satellite dish that sends out energy. There is power in numbers, and when the commitment is made by many to face one another, clasp hands, and focus on one intention, their circle emanates ripples of energy that can change the world.

Posted by Susan@Healing Journeys at 6:23 AM EST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

The universe can often relay messages to us through signs. Often, we are too busy to stop and consider what may or may not be a sign. We may ask the universe for guidance, yet fail to recognize the sign it sends us in response. Learning the subtle language of signs can help you interpret the guidance the universe sends your way. We all have been blessed with a connection that allows the universe to communicate directly with us. To be able to understand the information relayed over that connection, however, it is necessary that we learn to pay attention and know what to look for.

To see and correctly interpret a sign, you must open your heart and mind to the universe and invite its guidance into your life. Many of us are blind to the signs we receive because we expect angels or our spirit guides to speak to us in a booming voice and tell us exactly what we need to hear. But signs are usually of this earth and therefore easier to encounter. A song lodged in your mind or a number that seems to pop up everywhere you look after you’ve asked the universe for guidance can both be signs. Signs may come through the animal world, from strangers, or jump out of a book in the form of an insightful passage. A sign may be a direct answer to one of your questions. Other signs may point you in the right direction, warn of impending difficulties, or show you a different way. If you want the universe to send you a sign, tell it that you are ready and willing to accept its guidance.

Not everything you hear or see will be a sign. If you are receptive and patient, however, the signs you receive will become easier to recognize. It is important to listen to your intuition. A sign can mean many things to different people, and only you can decipher a sign’s meaning is for you. As you practice reading the signs and following their guidance, the universe will send more of them your way.

Posted by Susan@Healing Journeys at 6:16 AM EST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Mother Theresa is an outstanding role model for fulfilling the destiny of one's Sun sign. She was born in Macedonia on August 26, 1910, under the sign of Virgo, which rules service. As a Roman Catholic nun and missionary, she dedicated her life to helping the poor, the sick, the hungry, "all those people," she said, "who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society, people that have become a burden to the society and are shunned by everyone."

At age 12 she knew she would enter religious life as a missionary. Before her death in 1997, she was operating 610 missions in 123 countries. In 1979, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work. However, not everything in Mother Theresa's chart points to a natural inclination for sacrifice.

Poverty
On the one hand, the Sun-Mars-Mercury trio in Virgo gave her the will and humility to serve. It prompted her to leave the convent and live among the destitute in India. During her first year as a missionary, before she received permission from the Vatican to start a congregation, she resorted to begging for food and supplies because she had no income. She experienced firsthand the suffering caused by poverty.

Conflicted
On the other hand, such a life was completely at odds with her Moon in Taurus. Above all other Moon placements, Taurus craves physical and emotional comfort. Familiar surroundings are usually a necessity. As she reported in her diary, the initial difficulties and loneliness of her work made her long for the comfort of her former order. She saw this longing as a temptation. In an intriguing twist of fate, and helping to squelch this temptation, she also had Saturn in Taurus. Saturn is the planet of duty, karma and deprivation. It gave her the discipline to forgo creature comforts and material belongings so she could get on with her faith-based work. It also gave her a head for handling money, a valuable talent when heading a large network of charity organizations.

Lion heart
Another contradiction in her chart was her Venus in Leo, which would normally crave not only comfort, but luxury. And romance, no less - somewhat inconvenient for a nun. But here comes Saturn again - it forms a close square to Venus, which erected a karmic barrier against personal love and materialism. Such a challenging influence (for the rest of us, at least!) only helped to strengthen her purpose.

Earth mother
Mainly, the powerful Earth element in her chart, as indicated by Virgo and Taurus, says that Mother Theresa was not only a religious woman, but a deeply practical one, with a core of steel. She could also be incredibly stubborn and, some would say, short-sighted because of her traditional and religious views. Still, she had the unique ability to combine faith with practicality to help the needy. And there was a physical component to her work that was indeed "earthy." She didn't sit in the ivory tower of a convent and make decisions about the poor. Instead, she got her hands dirty, so to speak, and lived among the poor to ease their suffering.

The diplomat
During the Siege of Beirut in 1982, Mother Theresa joined the Red Cross in evacuating dozens of children from a war-zone hospital. To do this, she first had to negotiate a ceasefire between the Israeli army and the PLO. The diminutive nun's Earth-power was obviously at work, as was her Jupiter in Libra. Jupiter rules faith and fortune, while Libra rules relationships, fairness and cooperation. It's the ultimate mediator and a valuable asset if you find yourself at the center of a battle.

What began as a small congregation became the Missionaries of Charity, which grew into a worldwide organization that includes hospices, soup kitchens, counseling programs, orphanages and schools. All started by a nun with a "Virgo" mission, who clearly fulfilled her destiny.

Posted by Susan@Healing Journeys at 8:39 AM EST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

What you can do about it

Are you feeling cheerful, melancholy or irritable? How about the person sitting next to you? If they feel the same way, there's a good chance you may have caught their mood. Studies have emerged that indicate moods actually are contagious (just like the common cold) - and the worse the mood, the more contagious it is!

But there's a bright side. Take laughter, for instance. When you're in the presence of laughter, it's almost impossible to keep from cracking a smile and laughing right along. An awareness of moods and their power can help you understand and even shift the dynamics of a tense or unproductive situation - at work and home, and with friends, family, partners and even perfect strangers. First, however, we have to understand how moods are transmitted.

Monkey see, monkey do!
When it comes to social interaction, it's monkey see, monkey do. Human beings are hard-wired for mimicry. Studies have shown that when people view images of happy and sad faces, they unconsciously mimic those expressions. We mimic not only facial expressions, but also gestures, movement and tone of voice. This mimicry is subtle and unconscious. Even if it isn't externally apparent, our body is responding on a neurological level, helping to create the mood of the person we're trying to understand and relate to.

Case in point
It seems like a normal day at work, but Jack notices he's feeling irritable. Examining why, he traces his irritability back to his boss Laura, who was short with him that morning. Now that he realizes her irritation was transmitted to him, he's able to work on changing his mood, and he also makes the decision to engage Laura with only the most important matters that day. By being conscious of how the mood created a negative dynamic, Jack was able to make a sound decision about how to best interact with Laura and shift his own mood.

Laura, on the other hand,  arrived at work ready to put together an important report for a meeting that afternoon, only to find her computer was infected with a virus. This put her in an irritable mood and as a result she snapped at several co-workers. She spent half the day trying to get her computer back in action. Just before her afternoon meeting, she realized her mood was doing nothing for her or her team members. By acknowledging her mood (and taking some calm, deep breaths) Laura was able to run a successful meeting - and she didn't bring her bad mood back home to her spouse and children.

Transmitters and receivers
We are all transmitters and receivers of other people's moods, but some of us are more one than the other. The more outgoing and expressive you are, the more likely you are to transmit your mood to others. Conversely, people who are sensitive observers are generally more affected by the moods of others. Knowing where your susceptibilities lie will help you manage moods more effectively.

Blessing or curse?
Mood interplay can be insidious, but it can also be a boon. Think about how many times someone else's good mood made a difference for you and you'll realize we really can't live without each other's moodiness!

Although it's not always possible to control our moods and emotions, being conscious of them can help protect us from our own moods (and from those of others), and potentially improve the dynamics of our lives.

Posted by Susan@Healing Journeys at 7:29 AM EST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

WHEN WE LOOK AT HAVING SUPPORTIVE, LOVING RELATIONSHIPS,
WHY NOT START WITH OURSELF?

    Relationships are how we relate to others. We have a relationship with everyone that we know and who are close to us. This is not reserved for our family or someone that we are involved with. Every interaction we have with another is the act of relating. If we have a problem relating to others, this effects our ability to have supportive relationships.

We have to ask ourselves if our relationships are supportive and if they are not, then ask ourselves why they are not. Everyone wants the perfect romance or marriage, but not everyone looks at the mechanics of how to have one. If we fail to have supportive relationships in our life, how can we have the "perfect love relationship"? 

Lets look at what is a supportive relationship.

The word support is very important. It means that our interaction supports another. This means more than supporting another in their decisions or actions, rather through the act of supporting, we honor and validate who the other person is. In turn, this validates who we are. Both are supported, no one loses, no ego's involved, and in so doing, we honor the relationship. This is what it means to have a supportive relationship. This is the desired goal.

Now, how do we accomplish it? 

There are several reasons why we may have problems relating to others. One primary reason is our behavioral patterns. These patterns are developed over a course of our lives.

It starts when we are children, through to our adolescence, and by the time we are an adult, we have established our behavioral patterns for our relationships.

These behavioral patterns either work or they don't. It is how we interact or respond in our relationships that determine whether these patterns work. In addition, we can have both positive and negative behavioral patterns.

Which is reflected in our life? The positive or the negative? 

What causes negative behavioral patterns?

If we look at a person's life, we can readily see which is negative or positive behavior. But we may not easily see the cause of the negative. The cause usually resides in the past in which a trauma or an event occurred that effects how we behave in the future.

If that event occurs again, or if something happens currently to cause us to experience that trauma again, that is when we respond to it. Situations can act as triggers, which may cause us to react to the person that is involved in the situation.  This causes a negative behavioral pattern.  Until we can identify the problem, we are powerless to do anything about it. 

Whatever the situation was to trigger a reactionary response, the cause must be discovered in order to heal the original fracture. (Or stop the behavioral pattern.)

In Shamanism terms this is called a Soul Fracture. A fracture of the Self. Each self is part of the whole which comprises the soul. 

Soul Fractures occur for a variety of reasons and may or may not relate to this current lifetime. Trauma's have occurred in past lifetimes that may or may not have been addressed. The Soul holds the body of these life experiences.

  Furthermore,  the life process itself can be very painful for some. Past experiences that have dishonored, or invalidated who we are, cause us to close ourself off even more. These experiences build up over a matter of time and unless a clearing occurs, emotional or physical problems may develop.

We can go through life accruing more and more "garbage".  And we can bring this into our relationships.  These are just a few reasons why we can have problems in our relationships. Using this context , we can see the long road to having supportive and loving relationships. 

If a problem has been identified, what can we do about it?

One can try to clear it themselves, or one can go to a Practitioner who is adept at doing clearings. Either avenue can work. If someone is able to clear it themselves, it is more beneficial for them in how they will address  problems in the future.

This is a long process and one that is very involved. 

In order to clear, one must identify the original cause that created a behavioral pattern. Then, move through the experience of that situation, and experience the emotions that we have associated with it. Then, we must have closure or completion. (This is the doing part of it. We must do something about it.) This means completing it anyway that we are able. As long as, we feel that we have a sense of completion for the experience.

For example, if the experience has to do with a person or a loved one that has died, we may not have the ability to directly talk to this person.   But we can still communicate whatever is necessary to say to that person.  In this case, the communication will have to be enough.  

So, after we have identified the cause, moved through the experience, experienced the emotions associated with it,  received closure or completion, then we let it go.

We must let it go in order for the experience to clear.   When we let it go, we release it. This does not mean to forgive or forget, that is not what it is to release. The act of releasing is our readiness to heal. Only after the experience has cleared can healing occur.  

The healing process is a time when we must be very loving to ourself.  If we beat up ourself about the experience that had caused us harm or our past reaction to it, then we can not heal. In being loving to ourself, we validate what we experienced at that time and our emotions for it. Our emotions are always valid. So its important for us to do this self validation in order to heal. 

Love is the energy that helps us to heal, whether we give this love to ourselves, or we receive it from another.   When we look at having supportive, loving relationships in our life, why not start with ourself? Because that is where love comes from. Its not about what we can receive from love but what we can contribute or give to love.

This is what transforms our relationships and our lives. We must love the self first. And we can not do that until we have healed and become whole.

It must begin with you and then it will radiate out to others.  Loving yourself opens the door to loving others in a happy, healthy way and being able to accept their love in return.

Posted by Susan@Healing Journeys at 8:07 AM EST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

When we think about something, we are contemplating. Contemplating what to do next, what would be best, what course to follow.

Contemplation is a most useful skill to develop--as we usually make the wisest choices from forethought.

Before I go to sleep each night, I spend some time reviewing what happened that day, and how I wish to proceed on the issues for the next day. Contemplation is a way to mentally houseclean the day's activities--and prepares the space in thought, for tomorrow's unseen situations.

We can also contemplate on qualities we wish to develop in ourselves. By assessing the pros and cons about a quality, we can determine if it will uplift our lives through making us a better person, Because, as we grow in consciousness, we become more conscious of the greater plan for our life in the world. We attain a more universal overview of life.

Contemplation serves as a clearing house in our mind. We bring out a situation for review, process it, and then pass it on into usefulness or discard it as unusable for us. Or maybe send it back into our memory storage to be brought forward at another time.

Contemplation also buys us time to think over and digest new ideas that may come from outside sources--other people or the media.

Contemplation gives us the time to allow a good solution to come to mind. If we are in a hurry or pressured to make a decision quickly, we might not instantly come up with the most useful answer. But if we instead say--I'll think that over and let you know later--tomorrow or next week or whatever future date we choose, then our mind will have time to digest, mull over the situation, and come up with the most workable solution.

As we contemplate we can take notes on ideas that come to mind. Writing down my ideas while contemplating helps me evaluate the best course to follow. I look over my notes and decide the pros and cons of each idea before making an important decision.

As we progress in upgrading our consciousness through sticking to the virtues and truths we have decided to follow, we will more quickly be able to make the best decision when called upon to decide spontaneously.

As we upgrade our consciousness

our conscious decisions become more spontaneously

for the best

Time spent in contemplation

uses our mind optimally

Stirs our thoughts and sifts out the dross

Leaving just the right answer for us

each time

Posted by Susan@Healing Journeys at 7:17 AM EST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

It's A Miracle!
by Brooke Medicine Eagle

Recently several close friends and I made a pilgrimage to the little town of Janesville, Wisconsin. We took a country lane out to a small farm just across the road from slowly flowing river, and there, on a quiet and misty day, visited Miracle - a female white buffalo calf, born long after the usual spring calves on August 20, 1994. Her nose is black, her eyes are black, the tip of her tail is black, and the rest a totally rare white. She looks as though her mother had intimate connection with an ermine in his beauteous winter coat! Such a white coat is even more rare than an albino, which would display pink nose and light eyes.

There has not been such a one born for sixty years or so; the most famous and long-lived (many have very short lives) was a male called Big Medicine who spent his years on the Allard/National Bison Range near Moise, Montana. Big Medicine died years ago and is on permanent display in the Montana Historical Museum in Helena.

Fulfillment of Prophecy

The real miracle is not just her rare whiteness; she is a powerful spiritual symbol to many native peoples. She is the completion of an old, old prophecy which was given when White Buffalo Calf Pipe Woman made her mysterious and profound visit to the Lakota people, bringing the sacred pipe and giving seven sacred rites to help two-leggeds live well upon this sweet Mother Earth. This happened long, long ago when the Lakota people lived a rather settled existence in forested areas east of the Great Plains. White Buffalo Calf Pipe Woman taught that each day and all things are sacred, blessed by the great Mother Life; and that we should therefore respect, honor, and commune with all things in the Circle of Life. She spoke of walking in a holy manner - a way of wholeness and vital integrity with all things and beings in all the realms of life. She reminded the people that whatever we do to any other thing or being in the Circle of Life, we do to ourselves - for we are One. Her message was that of a deep sacred ecology - through which consciously working together, all things are assured of continuing and vital life. She reminded us that without this communion, cooperation, sharing, and unity, we would not be able to move through this old time into a new one. Before leaving those Lakota people, she prophesied that she would return, and bring the message of peace, unity and wholeness again.

Now, as we stand in the midst of immense destruction, brought about by our lack of good relationship with all things, her message is especially poignant. And voila! Miracle appears, to urge us to walk in White Buffalo Calf Pipe Woman's ways before it is too late for much of the beauty of Mother Earth to remain-when we two-leggeds are in danger of removing ourselves from this sweet planet with our cancerous overpopulation and our ravenous, disrespectful appetites.

Message For All People

It is very interesting that she was born to a non-Indian farm family in the Midwest who own about 14 buffalo - who'd a thunk it!! This is itself was part of the message of unity and coming together across racial lines. If Great Spirit had so intended, she could easily have been born in the great herds of South Dakota or on one of the reservations - then the Native American people could have felt some "private ownership" of her and her message. But no, she was born to a wonderful, simple family who did not even know of her symbolic stature; yet they have found it in their hearts to keep her, protect her, open their small farmyard to as many as 2,000 people a day for months-even after being offered many thousands of dollars for her!

The native elders who came flocking to visit were overjoyed to see her, and deeply moved by the message she brought: now is the beginning of the new time of peace, and we must all make it real by learning to respect each other across not only racial lines, but lines of kingdom and realm. From the "highest" spirit to the deepest stone, all must be respected-all are alive with creator's intelligence, and other kingdoms and realms (spirit, deva, animal, plant . . . . .) are anxiously awaiting for us as two-leggeds to step fully conscious into the Circle of Life. When we do, more miracles than a little white buffalo calf await us!! There is magic afoot, waiting only upon our willingness to cooperate.

Living The Oneness

For me, seeing her reinforced the ideas I shared in Buffalo Woman Comes Singing, especially in the final chapter "Carrying Her Pipe Of Oneness." Her presence encouraged me to live more fully what I know of the harmonious, magnificent way of life White Buffalo Woman portrayed for us. She underscores the importance of unity across racial lines rather than fighting over "spiritual property"; of actually getting down to work with the spirit/devic realms as people like Machaelle Small Wright is doing at Perelandra and Dorothy McLean reported at Findhorn; of awakening to sustainable living and building as Bill Mollison shares in his Permaculture work , Michael Reynolds through his Earthship building , all those working with materials like straw bales and systems of solar and wind power , and Tim Binder who, along with many others, researches a new and sustainable science/technology .

Is She Real?

Another powerful part of her message is being expressed through her turning brown as she loses her baby coat. Some have taken this to mean that she wasn't "real" and we can disregard her message. Lots of attention is paid to her genes and her lineage, all the while ignoring the clarion call of her message-peace and unity for all. This ignorance is even more poignant when you realize that when White Buffalo Calf Pipe Woman came originally, she was a white buffalo calf for only a few minutes at most, yet her message still echoes down through time to people all across the globe . In her form as a woman, she shared with the Lakota people; then upon leaving she turned several different colors and ages and sexes of buffalo-each one for only a brief moment in time.

So don't bother to worry yourself with whether she is "real," spend your precious time and energy attending to your own walk in the world each day. If you are creating separation, competition, fear, division, conflict or discord, you are living in an old time that is rapidly passing. If you are living in oneness, harmony, cooperation, sharing, unity, sister/brotherhood, respectfulness and good relationship, you are in the new time. And that's a Miracle.

I have spoken. Brooke Medicine Eagle

by Brooke Medicine Eagle
Brooke Medicine Eagle is a Native American Earth wisdom teacher, ceremonial leader, sacred ecologist and author of Buffalo Woman Comes Singing. Her dedication is to bringing forward the ancient truths concerning how to live a fully human life in harmony with All Our Relations as we approach the crossroads into a golden age. At home in the beautiful Flathead Valley of Montana, Brooke is the creator of Eagle Song, a series of spiritually-oriented wilderness camps; and is the founder of both the FlowerSong Project, which promotes a sustainable, ecologically-sound path upon Mother Earth for seven generations of children.
y also access her web site from our Links Page.

Posted by Susan@Healing Journeys at 7:01 AM EST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Note
Although the article was written specifically for Asian readers with a Buddhist background, you will find that true wisdom translates well into any language or circumstance. So much of what is being published about Earth Healing has a Western bias- but in fact, there is much being done in all parts of the world. In the Far East - as this article demonstrates - there is deep understanding, and much is being accomplished.
In the very few spots which may present a little difficulty for Western readers, we have, with the authors assistance and permission, clarified some of the terminology within [brackets] so that all may learn equally from this informative and inspiring work.

Birthing The Fifth Dimension

By Rev. Sadharma (Helen Jandamit)

Only months ago, nobody really believed that the value of the baht [a unit of money] could depreciate to 50 to one US dollar. At one point recently it fell to 56. Not only the baht but all the currencies of Southeast Asia have been adversely affected by the financial situation in the region. Here are some contemporary newspaper quotes:

‘Hong Kong based Peregrine Investments Holdings plc. has just lodged an application for liquidation ... ... Every Asia-Pacific Stock Market has nose-dived ... ... ‘Share prices fell a hefty 8.7% yesterday - Singapore.

The causes are manifold and difficult to define but the effects are evident. The old economic and political systems no longer work, they are collapsing around us.

People are being shaken awake. Sometimes it takes a kick in the pants to wake us up. The kick in the pants here has so far been the loss of jobs, salary cuts, closure of finance companies and less crowded shopping malls. Unlike in Indonesia where there has been rioting, Thai tolerance and adaptability have served us well. What happens here and in South-east Asia generally will be the model for a new way of life. Thai people have vast agricultural resources and a deeply ingrained sense of community spirit together with a healthy regard for the sovereignty of each person. Add to this a centuries-old tradition of accessing the inner wealth of the spirit and you have the elements necessary to generate a new way of being.

Looked at from a wider perspective, what we are experiencing are the birth pangs of the fifth dimensional consciousness. The three spacial dimensions of length, breadth and height together with the fourth dimension of time are familiar concepts. But what is the ‘fifth dimension’?

The fifth dimensional consciousness is a way of living in the world that perceives and understands the physical universe both within and beyond the limitations of linear time and is also fired by compassion and the sense of being one with all. While it accepts the right of each to determine his or her own destiny, it also sees how we are all interdependent in terms of natural resources and in terms of the deep empathic mind link between beings.

What we think and what we believe determine how we live and ultimately affects our environment. Each person sets his or her own energy resonator in motion whenever he or she thinks, speaks or acts. Groups working together magnify those energies to many times the sum of the individual contributors.

At present we are undergoing profound changes and each of us is trying to survive. The existing power groups are also trying to survive.

Looking at the not-too-distant past, Somdej Phra Phuttajan [A descriptive combination of title and name displaying vereration to the second highest rank of monks in the Thai Theravadan tradition] Arj Asokmahaten, who later became the acting Sangharaja, [the highest rank for a monk] was jailed from the April 20, 2503 [1959 in the Gregorian calendar] to August 30, 2509 [1965] for helping people to discover the truth within themselves. He sent monks all over the country and abroad to promote Vipassana meditation. That was one of the most subversive things he could do, because it enabled people to go within and find the deepest truth within themselves. When people can centre like this they are not easily manipulated by the powers that be. Their votes cannot be bought. Their hearts cannot be bought. They are not swayed by media manipulation or peer pressure because they have recourse to inner peace. A mind that is centred and peaceful has a spontaneous uprising of joy and compassion. Such people will not react to adversity with fear or panic. Inner wisdom is their guide. When many people countrywide started to practise in this way, it was seen to be a threat to the status quo. Somdej Phra Phuttajan was accused of being a communist and was sent to jail. When I met him years later, his radiance filled the Viharn of Wat Mahadhatu [the ceremonial hall of the temple Mahadhatu in Bangkok] The incredible power of the peace radiating out from the then Acting Sangharaja was palpable. The power of the truth cannot be stopped. And the power of the transformation that is arising within the hearts of the Thai people cannot be stopped.

When jobs in the factories disappear how do the young Thai people from the provinces react? Here is an observation from Canadian sociologist and long-time resident of Bangkok, Andre McNicoll on a recent visit to the northeast:

"The next day I set off to visit my friend’s family. They live in a tiny hamlet 25 kilometers from Khorat. It was fascinating to see all the nephews and nieces who had returned from lost jobs in factories now building simple shelters around the parents' home. The place was teeming with children and the sound of laughter. Everyone was also pitching in bringing in the rice harvest. Thailand's rural diaspora appears to have gone into reverse."

People are being laid off. Many who have been too busy to take any time out for themselves can think about what is really important in their lives. They do not have to force themselves to follow a pattern dictated by others. They have time to breathe.

Educationalists are seeing a difference in the way that would-be university students are applying for courses. Students are no longer applying for fashionable subjects such as mass communications or engineering. Instead they are applying to study biology and agriculture, subjects based on the real basic needs of the community – not the emphemeral creations of fashion.

When you know what your real needs are and you are in tune with your own balance, you will not act in a way that will harm yourself or others. Thailand is a Buddhist county and most people are familiar with the Five Precepts. The Five Precepts not only tell us what not to do. They also show us how to live harmoniously with others. They are built upon the universal principles of harmlessness and loving kindness.

When keeping the Five Precepts we not steal and we also give Dana. Not only do we not tell lies, but we also speak out in a way that is inspiring, supportive and helpful.

We do not simply avoid committing adultery, we show our love and caring through our most intimate relations with our partners. This enables us to grow together in the wondrous expression of reciprocal sharing in sexual communion. Through this deep sharing many energy blockages can be released, enabling us to develop emotionally and spiritually. It can only happen in a situation of mutual trust.

Not only do we not take drink and drugs that cloud the mind, but we live in a way that promotes our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being. In the same way as we avoid food that contain carcinogens and toxins, we also avoid mental input that can disturb the mind.

The mass media may be controlling how you think and feel, by simply filling your awareness space. How many people do you know who turn on the TV almost as soon as they arrive home? Their attention is continuously filled with broadcasted sights and sounds.

Generally, the mass media are controlled by those who have money (eg. big businesses) or power (eg. government agencies). It is in their interests to create desire for their products or services via the media.

Now with development of user-based communications technology, people have greater control over where they access information and are able to verify that information from many sources. Some examples of user-based communications systems are mobile phones, the Internet, and faxes. Central control limits opportunity: we can only receive what someone else has decided we should receive. When we use systems such as mobile phones or the Internet, we can bypass central control.

Even if controls are imposed, there are other ways to communicate and the Thai people with their long tradition of Bhavana or mental development are uniquely placed to make use of these. There are mind links between people and a group vision is emerging that is to be felt in the heart centres of the Earth first. Thailand is one of the heart centres. And here and simultaneously all over the world, individuals and groups, some religious, others environmental or concerned with healing in many forms, are pooling their mental and spiritual energy to promote peace on Earth.

Stated in Buddhist terms, they seek to bring the essence of the Lord Buddha alive in the hearts of all people. They wish to manifest the great qualities of the Lord Buddha, wisdom, purity and compassion in their daily lives. Stated in Christian terms, they wish to provide suitable conditions for the arising of the Christ consciousness in the hearts of all people.

Some scientists are beginning to realize that observation cannot be completely objective. The mind which observes has an effect on the object being observed and the quality of that mind colours the observation. In Vipassana meditation both the observer and the observed are seen in their ongoing constantly changing interrelationship. The practitioner observes the body and mind in the dynamic ever-changing vitality of present experience. He comes to see how experiences, sensations, feelings and thoughts, together with their reactions within the sense of self, arise and pass away. He sees how every fleeting moment of consciousness is dependent upon others and how all is interrelated and interdependent.

The doctrine of Paticcasamupada (Dependent Origination) details the process of the arising of each moment of consciousness dependent upon conditions. It also shows how the process can be cut so that freedom from ignorance can be attained. It is ignorance that causes unsatisfactoriness in its myriad forms to arise in our experience.

In the Avatamsaka Sutra, the image if Indra’s jewelled net is used to show "the infinite variety of interactions and intersections of all things. The net is woven of an infinite variety of brilliant gems, each with countless facets. Each gem reflects in itself every other gem in the net, and its image is reflected in each other gem." In each moment of consciousness all the other mind moments are reflected.

Within each moment of consciousness we affect the consciousness of others. In the same way that the resonance of a pure high note can set glasses singing, so our thoughts and actions set up waves of conditioned reactions within our environment. Each inner transformation affects the wholeness of being.

People who live in contact with Buddhism grow up with an understanding of the laws of cause and effect. A good action will eventually produce a beneficial result and vice versa.

It is a principle of physics that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. Energy can only be transformed from one form into another. Everything we think, everything we feel, everything we say and do constitutes a form of energy. "Each of us is a powerful energy emitter in every waking or sleeping moment". The way in which we emit that energy attracts people and experiences that are resonating on the same frequency. Like attracts like. When we are in a state of vibrant balance and vital peace, we will attract to ourselves more of the same.

Many groups are working together for personal transformation and world healing. Many of those groups synchronise world healing sessions to magnify the effect. This is not new. Since 1945 groups worldwide have synchronised their meditations with the exact time of the full moon. They use the "Great Invocation" that focuses on the reemergence of love, light and divine will on Earth. What is different now, is that the coordination network of groups has expanded tremendously in the speed of communication, the breadth of contact and the urgency of the task.

Through Internet links, fax links and satellite technology, healers in Australia coordinate with native Americans in Rochester New York, psychologists in Bali and monks in Bangkok. Whenever peace is threatened or there is a disaster, energy is sychronously directed to that place. Each positive thought resonates through the jewelled net of world consciousness.

Each time you listen with openness to those around you and you dare speak out about how you feel in the ‘wake up’ situation of financial instability you find yourself in, there is the potential for the beginning of a new ‘group’. Each action done to help or support others as well as yourself constitutes the first stirrings of a new way of life.

Those actions need not relate directly to improving the financial situation or creating employment. Each action which arises from an impulse of caring and openness will have a positive effect, eg. smiling at fellow travellers; letting another person who is obviously in a hurry go ahead of you in a queue; carrying something heavy for a person who needs help; spending time listening to your friends and neighbours or starting a car pool with other parents at your child’s school. The overall effect of the good intentions and simple caring actions can set a wave of positivity that can transform the country and set an example for the world.

When groups of like-minded people come together to meditate for improved conditions on the earth, the effect is magnified. How does it feel to be part of such a group? Here a member of a world healing group attempts to convey something of the vastness of the interaction being effected on a world scale.

"After the initial calming and alignment of attention within the group, we consciously connected with the centre of the Earth and the energy fields surrounding the Earth. I become simultaneously aware of the microcosm of personal being and the macrocosm of the interconnections within a universal oneness. I was observing the alignment of the planets of the solar system, the galaxy and even our universe from a place beyond yet within those..... yet I was also rooted in the body - and the whole permeated with love. That love was self arising from the little girl's heart within me, and within the hearts and awareness of all those who participated. It is our separation which defined and gave consciousness to the oneness. We sent the light of Loving Kindness (Metta) to areas currently under great stress. Together we focussed our awareness and directed loving kindness to all the sentient beings of the Earth."

Which newborn child does not feel love for his mother. And which mother would not willingly and joyfully undergo the labour of birth for a loved child? What we are experiencing here and now in South-east Asia are the birth pangs of an enhanced consciousness that is born from the love and wisdom of awakening humanity.

Posted by Susan@Healing Journeys at 6:19 AM EST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink