Owen Waters, a spiritual researcher and author, speaks about his perspective for spiritual service through healing. In his own words, “ . . . By spiritually uplifting the world, you spiritually uplift yourself. People used to gain spiritual growth by becoming isolated from humanity. They would meditate in a remote cave or join a monastery in order to free themselves of the distractions of the world. However, with today’s emerging heart-centered consciousness, everything has changed. Instead of isolation from humanity, the key to progress is now service to others and that means living in the noise and information overload of the modern world.

               He believes every person has the ability to call on the power of spiritual energy to transform the world into a better place.

              This is part of his technique, “With every inbreath, see your lungs being filled with the vibrant white light of universal life energy. With every outbreath, recall your visualization or repeat your intention in your mind and send the power of this love and light out into the world. See this energy as a beam of brilliant white light coming from the focal point of your heart energy . . . Perform this as a series of inbreaths and outbreaths for as long as you wish, then relax and spend some time in the afterglow of a spiritual mission well accomplished.”

Here are more details about the Healing technique he proposes.

                As we give value to our experiences we encourage our own development.  They are symbols of our inner being.  The experiences we acquire through life become a source of personal counsel to guide our way and open up horizons for richer expression of our inner potential and personality in service to all.                

               These are my commitments as I move through life appreciating experience.  Through an expanded vision of humanity as ONE I acknowledge the ultimate good in all experience.  Today I am determined to find a constructive use in all that happens and see all situations as opportunities to expand understanding.  In the peaks and valleys of my journey I consciously focus on the way my choices affect my experience and shape my destiny.  In the face of sorrow and pain I stand serene.  I see the best in all things.  I welcome and accept experience as a source of prosperity and fulfillment and joyously listen and learn from others and share the fruits of my inspiration in the awareness of the present moment.” 

                I would love to hear your commitments.

     We are having the privilege of witnessing history today through the power of peaceful social transformation as group consciousness rises in need of social change conducive to facilitate the exploration of inner potential, a renewed sense of individual and group balance, an expansion of individual responsibility and commitment, and the opportunity for more fulfilling lives in pursuit of ideals.

     Mahatma Gandhi’s Prayer for Peace comes to mind in the context of recent social events, “I offer you peace.  I offer you love.  I offer you friendship.  I see your beauty.   I hear your need.  I feel your feelings.  My wisdom flows from the Highest Source.  I salute that Source in you.  Let us work together for unity and love.”

     Sometimes during my morning reflections I like to spend time in joyful silence, simply connecting with the source of universal energy, experiencing the bounty that is our gift to receive.  Bountiful opportunities for alignment, a renewed sense of commitment, opening up for deeper understanding, new vistas in social responsibility, a refreshed vision of mission ahead…  in such moments, connectedness manifests as the sun rises…

In the stillness of Meditation LOVE, PEACE and HOPE arise.
Be still and know that love, peace and hope are here!
Be still and know hope, peace and love…
Be still and know…
Be still…
Be….
Peace.   Peace.   Peace.

     A dear friend from Lancaster, Pennsylvania in the USA, my hometown, shared an interesting depiction of the meaning of Peace and here it is for you!

“There once was a King who offered a prize to the artist who would create the best painting of peace.  Many artists tried.  The King looked at all the works, but there were only two he really liked and he had to choose between them.  One was of a calm lake.  The lake was a perfect mirror, for peaceful towering mountains were all around it.  Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds.  All who saw this painting thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.  The other had mountains too, but they were rugged and bare.  Above was an angry sky from which rain fell and in which lightening played.  Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall.  This did not seem peaceful at all.  But when the King looked closer, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock.  In the bush a mother bird had built her nest.  There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest … perfect peace.

Which painting do you think won the prize?  The King chose the second.  Do you know why?

“Because,” explained the King, “peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work.  Peace means to be in the midst of all these things and still be calm in your heart.  That is the real meaning of peace.”

- Author Unknown

     Every once in a while I like to publish another of the poems written by a friend who made his transition a few years ago.  On this occasion, I am joyful to share with you another of his artistic expressions, now highlighting inner communion, in peace and unity.

In Touch

Silence, a communion with God
And those who share it.
In contemplation, peace flows,
Essence of the divine.
In fellowship, the practice
of brotherhood,
In the unity that is the All.

Jonas Mather
Pennsylvania U.S.A.

     Have you read the book, “The Tao of Inner Peace” by Diane Dreher?  This book has had a special place in my personal library for many years and today I would invite you to consider some of Dianne’s reflections on the pursuit of the inner way and meaningful conversations.

     Returning to center requires discipline, she says.  To simplify conversations this week, consider:

• Am I communicating honestly?  Do I mean what I say?
• Do I listen to others aware of their body language as well as their words?
• Can I be present with someone without talking constantly?
• Do I respect the importance of silence in my life and in interactions with others?

     And from my experience, I would like to add:

• Do I look directly into the eyes of those I talk with?
• Am I receptive to the points of view of others even when they differ from mine?
• Do I make an effort to enter into their own perspective?
• Can I enter the experience with the whole of myself, with full concentration?

     I would enjoy knowing your reflections on this topic!

     During one of my recent trips, my husband and I spontaneously decided to attend a talk by Karen Armstrong at the Hall of Philosophy, erected in 1900, located on the grounds of the Chautauqua Institution in the southwest corner of New York State, USA.

     Karen Armstrong is an original thinker on the role of religion in the modern world.  She is a former Roman Catholic nun who left a British convent to pursue a degree in modern literature at Oxford.  She has written more than 20 books about the common threads in Islam, Judaism and Christianity and shares her perspective about their effect on world events.  Karen founded the Charter for Compassion, a cooperative effort to restore compassionate thinking and compassionate action to the center of religious, moral and political life.

     The Charter for Compassion includes: “The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves.  Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honor the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.”

     Karen Armstrong’s talk at the Chautauqua Institution was: “Empowering the Future: An exploration of the World’s Religions – The Mystery of Compassion” and I was deeply touched by the intensity of her belief system:

• “Make a place for the other in your mind and your heart.”
• “You must accept death as part of life.”
• “Build a world society that embraces all religions, living in peace and harmony.”
• “Feel compassion for yourself – love your neighbor as yourself.  Then understand everyone feels the same compassion for themselves.  As you do so, you become concerned for everyone, embracing everyone.”
• “Reach out to each other to learn to live with each other!”

     Karen closed her presentation by saying, “Shalom!” – which for the Jews means Peace, Wholeness and Completion.

One of my dearest friends in the United Kingdom, Anthea Mitchell from the Heart Centre in Glastonbury, shared with me the depths of understanding from John O’Donohue and I am inspired to pass this mosaic of beauty on to you today.

“Behind each face and voice lies the silence of the heart.  This silence is as old as the universe.  It holds within it a time before vegetation clothed the Earth, or animals walked, or sound echoed.  This silence waits quietly under thoughts, beneath actions, relationships, behind days, nights and names. … it is in this sanctuary that experience is sifted and transfigured.  It is where our vanished day secretly gathers.  This silence is the home of memory and identity.  It houses the spirit which coheres, articulates and shapes each human life.”

I invite you to see through the eyes of your soul a glorious place in the midst of Glastonbury in the United Kingdom.  Entering the Chalice Well Gardens can be a powerful experience in its manifestation of profound inner harmony.  It is a timeless and sacred place full of legend, symbolism and an atmosphere of unity.  The spring at the Chalice Well is considered a symbol of the continuous and unbounded nature of the life force.  Here, many are touched by the inner peace and joy of the Spirit — a celebration of universal peace.

The Earth energies around Glastonbury are experienced by many people to be very powerful.  In the gardens it is possible to feel these earth energies from the moment of entering the cobblestone path under the archway of plants.  In this extraordinary place it is possible to “appreciate the interconnected and vibrant forces that sustain life upon our Planet.”