Separateness. That means that when I think I can do anything I want, thinking it doesn't affect anyone else, then I am living an illusion. In other words,
When I hurt you, I hurt me.
When I am not caring about you, I am not caring about me.
Until we are all free, none of us are free.
Until we can all realize the interconnectedness of all living beings, we will never live in harmony and peace. Until I can become a steward, a servant of life, then I cannot fully live in the world. I believe this to be true of the way I love (or don't love) my neighbor and of the way I trod upon the planet. Of the way I treat animals and the way I treat the people I don't agree with. Do I walk around with anger and fear in my heart, or do I try to take this life one minute at a time, seeing the beauty and awe in each and every thing ? Can I be where my feet are? Or am I always living in tomorrow or next week or next year?
Can I look at you, or him or her, and see myself? Can I see the beating heart and feel the breaths you take as if they are my own? Do I delight in Creation, or am I too busy trying to get more more more for myself...thus missing all the incredible beauty in the dew on the spider web outside my door?
Can I have empathy and compassion for the person whose actions annoy me or whose behavior just pushes me over the edge? And what is that anyway but fear? Am I so afraid that I cannot allow another to be who they are for this moment in time? So afraid that I cannot see that the fear which drives one to lash out, or grasp onto, or live in isolation and scarcity...should be cause for my compassion, and not my anger? And what is anger anyway? Fear turned outward. If I am afraid I will not have enough, I become angry and dissident. Is this not what happens worldwide...am I not wired the same as my brother in Angola, or my sister in London or anyone in the whole world who is hungry or cold or homeless or thirsty? Or afraid...for their lives, their property, their family.
Can I see that we are all on our own journeys, sometimes nearer and sometimes farther away, sometimes holding steady and sometimes faltering and stumbling...but always trying to make our way home ? Home to that place of love, where peace resides. Home to love...always a return to love.
A place where fear is not the commonplace, where all is well. Where everyone has enough and no one has to steal or kill or beg. When the world becomes a sanctuary...and we all sigh, contentedly, in the cradle of the Mothers arms.
A world where we care for one another as ourselves. Where there is no scarcity, no lack. A place where fear has no purpose, and does not give life to anger and war and all the bigotry and hurtfulness. Where those who cannot take care of themselves are loved and nurtured and those who can help others- do. A place where I feed you and you feed me. A place where the hand of friendship is always extended.
Quantum physics tells us that all matter is comprised of Energy and the dance of this energy is constant....swirling, moving, creating, ...and I think of the Beatles song, I Am The Walrus..."I am you and you are me and we are all together..." dancing particles of LOVE, swirling about the Universe. And I am one with everything. The same atoms that were in you minutes ago are in me and moving on to others...and so we are all connected in the river of life..
And thinking and believing this, I find it vitally important to walk more softly and be more kind and live with all the love I can muster. For me as much as for you. And to continue to try to be a better person. I am so quick to judge sometimes...so quick with a sharp word or a heartless retort. My work here can only be to strive to be the most compassionate, caring Annie I can be. To learn to see past the masks and facades people carry with them. To learn to see with my heart, as it were. To remember that forgiveness of anothers shortfalls applies to myself as well. I must forgive myself for being human, and stay the path towards a better tomorrow.
It begins with me. Peace begins with me.
8 comments:
So very profound. I felt like I was reading an inspired communication directly into my heart. I felt this viscerally and can only say thank you for arranging the Universal Energy so that it came across the Ether and into my own being. I am enriched.
I so agree with you Annie!
We are all in this together.
Wonderful, Annie. Thank You.
Namaste.
Excellent post Annie!
This brought tears to my eyes, Annie! I am so there with you!! My entire life I have been striving to stay as close to that path as, in my own human weakness, I have been able to. The human race needs to realize that we are all in this together, whether we want to believe that or not...and that includes the earth and all the life upon it. Lovely! Elegantly spoken from the heart.
Best thing I've read all week.
Be well, sober sister.
to realize this concept, to personalize it, and ongoing river of life is exciting.
great post, great truth.
thank you so much for sharing this Annie.
Great post Annie.
I've been thinking a lot about this subject lately. I have been trying harder to make bridges. To address the fears and concerns of my conservative friends instead of seeing them as ignorant and easily led. I try to show them that just because I am liberal does not mean I'm an insane hippie who knows nothing about the way things work. I'm trying to humanize people who think like I do, to my friends who do not.... and trying to see them in a different light as well and really hear them when they speak their truth.
It is so very hard sometimes to keep my mouth closed and let them finish their thoughts when I believe those thoughts to be so unbalanced and even mean spirited at times, but I strive to do it... because I really believe it's the only way we can change this course we are on as a world society/family.
I was turned on to a great documentary called Ethos. You can find it in 5 parts on youtube. It's hosted by Woody Harrelson. I highly recommend it.
Cheers to you Annie.
Peace,
m
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