No surprise that I started the morning feeling shocked and sad, struggling to understand, to even slightly comprehend.
But then I remembered reading a quote that said something along the lines of “when agitated turn to nature” and decided to go for a walk. I immediately found myself focusing on (and taking even more photos of) beautiful autumn-leaved trees.
And as I started breathing more deeply and relaxing just a little bit, what popped into my mind was a prayer I learned during the seven years I attended a Unity church. When I gave birth to a stillborn baby boy in 1995, this prayer was the lifeline that kept me from drowning in grief and repudiating God: There is only One Presence and One Power active in all the universe and in my life: God, the Good, Omnipotent.
I’m not saying that the situations are exactly comparable, only that I found it extremely helpful to remember this truth at this time.
As I continued my walk, I was thinking about the importance of living my dharma; of being a warrior of light in this world; and of how important it is to stay centered in love while keeping my energy high. And of how it’s all part of the Divine Lila (God’s play).
When I reached the midpoint of the walk and took yet another photo of a beautiful tree before I headed for home, I was surprised to find myself mentally singing one of my favorite Thanksgiving hymns from childhood: For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies, for the love which from our birth over and around us lies; Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.
But then I realized it was entirely appropriate to think about all that I still have to be thankful for, regardless of what is going on in the wider world. As the scripture says: “In every thing give thanks.” But note well that it says “in every thing,” not “for every thing.” HUGE difference.
For the rest of the way I sang Swami Kriyananda’s song, “I Live Without Fear” (lyrics below) and arrived home feeling much calmer and centered in myself.
After breakfast, Ramesha, Mike, and I gathered in the recording studio for the absolutely FINAL listen-through of the Christmas album. It felt like perfect timing because our dharma is to help get Swami Kriyananda’s music into as many ears as possible in order to raise the consciousness of the world, and I believe this album is really going to help make that happen.
And finally, as I left the studio I looked at and (for once) really saw the big old cedar trees across the road from where I was parked. Looking at how big around they were, and thinking about how long they’ve been there, made me think of the “Trees” verse from Swamiji’s song “Channels”: Trees, standing firm, hold the secret of inner pow’r. Give us, when tested, strength to endure.
What a great reminder to stand firm in our inner strength and power, so we can stay the course through the longer rhythms. 🙏
I LIVE WITHOUT FEAR Though green summer fade And winter draw near, My Lord, in Your presence I live without fear.
Through tempest, through snows, Through turbulent tide, The touch of Your hand Is my strength, and my guide.
I ask for no riches That death can destroy. I crave only Thee: Your love, and Your joy. (repeat)
The dancers will pass; The singing must end: I welcome the darkness With You for my friend.
My town errands took all afternoon and into the evening, so I arrived back at the Village just in time for the beginning of tonight’s Spiritual Renewal Week kirtan.
Ramesha organized it this year, so I really wanted to attend. However, I couldn’t stay for more than two chants (also because I had perishable groceries in the car).
But I’m really glad I made the effort. Largely because it was nice to simply sit in the audience and feel the joy and devotion without being in charge of any of it.
The kirtan is almost always Monday night, with the concert following on Tuesday. So, I’m usually up to my eyeballs in preparations and find it hard to make the time to go. But I’m going to try and change that next year.
Devotional kirtan and chanting to God truly is a wonderful thing.
This really spoke to me today. Such an important reminder…BE KIND. Not just to others, but also to OURSELVES!
Me: Hey God.
God: Hello, My love.
Me: The world is completely out of control!
God: I know. It’s such an adventure, right?
Me: No! It’s like being on a runaway train! I need to feel like I am in control of my life.
God: You want to be in control?
Me: Yes!
God: You are living on a spinning wet rock of a planet that resides next to a constantly exploding fireball in the middle of an ever-expanding universe that is filled with mysteries beyond your wildest imagination.
Me: Um, okay….
God: And on this planet that you are hurtling through the great expanse in — you are coexisting with billions of other people who have free-will and their own experiences that shape their perspectives and beliefs.
Me: Yeah…?
God: And while all this is going on your soul is residing in a physical body that is such a miracle of delicate engineering that at any given moment could produce its last heartbeat.
Me: Right…
God: What is it about your existence that you think you have any control of?
Me: Um…
God: Come on — you know the answer to this. What can you control?
Me: How kind I am to people?
God: Yep and one other thing.
Me: What’s that?
God: How kind you are to yourself. Aside from that — most of everything else is a bit outside of your design.
“Everyone discusses my art and pretends to understand, as if it were necessary to understand, when it is simply necessary to love.” — Claude Monet
This quote reminds of Nayaswami Parvati’s beautiful talk at Sunday service this morning.
She was sharing about Brother Lawrence, telling us that his way of practicing the presence of God was absolutely just love. He simply loved God!
He became a lay member in a monastery, but when he tried to tune into the dogma of the church (being a sinner; heaven and hell; etc.) it made him feel bad. So he just continued loving God instead!
He wasn’t educated and his service was very humble, but he was filled with deep wisdom and his spiritual life was dynamic.
Brother Lawrence died in 1691 but his insights and teachings continue to inspire us more than 300 years later.
Thinking of his life, I don’t think he would mind if I adapt the above quote by Claude Monet in his honor:
“Everyone discusses God and pretends to understand, as if it were necessary to understand, when it is simply necessary to love.”
A dear friend, who is one of the wisest people I know, sent an email update about some challenges.
The update contained the assurance that she herself was doing fine, as well as a reminder of how — again and again — the spiritual teachings carry us through.
And then she wrote a sentence that I’m going to save because it’s so deeply and helpfully true. She said:
The answer is always the same and it always works: expand our consciousness beyond the body, beyond the present challenge, bring God in, open our heart to God’s grace in all, and in that moment we are carried across oceans of delusion.
Yes, after months of preparation and reflection, today was the day that we took the plunge.
In other words, we took nayaswami vows, which means complete dedication of our lives to the search for God.
Outwardly, we’ll wear blue — the color of the Nayaswami Order — but the main work is inward. We’ll have our same jobs, see our same friends, live our normal life, but all in the ever-increasing awareness that we are living our lives for God.
