Divining Hands

From The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have.

Until the heart becomes an inlet,
it cannot be free.

There is a beautiful Tibetan myth that helps us to accept our sadness as a threshold to all that is life-changing and lasting. This myth affirms that all spiritual warriors have a broken heart - alas, must have a broken heart - because it is only through the break that the wonder of mysteries of life can enter us.

There is a similar notion in Wicca and Shamanism, where, to be able to be a healer, one must be wounded. Perhaps it is the notion of knowing the power of opposites. In order to be able to achieve the one thing, one much know, experience, understand its inverse.

Is the the idea of some kind of universal empathy... where one is able to feel with the wounded, that one intends to heal? In order to save someone, must we ourselves be in need of saving? It's an interesting notion, and always has been to me. Through our humanity we are able to reach 'godhead' or divinity... The act of lighting a candle brings shadow.

Certainly from a personal point of view, I'm a more empathic person when there is a part of me that is needful. Maybe that's in part a selfish thing, maybe it's a thing that brings strength, I'm not at all sure... or even sure if I'm making sense.

In a more concrete example, and one that is in a way very useful... I practise Reiki, am in fact a Reiki master. I can usually tell if there is someone in a room that I'm in who might need healing (not necessarily of a physical kind), because my hands will begin to ache... just my hands - which of course are the instrument of 'connection' between healer and the one being healed. I noticed it some time ago. Unfortunately it doesn't tell me which person. It's not like some kind of divining rod, so my hands don't hurt more the nearer I get to the one in need, but at least it's a start.

At least it is a reminder of a part of me that I could once have called my inner 'spiritual warrior.'

A Wider Focus

From The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have.

If peace comes from seeing the whole,
then misery stems from a loss of perspective.

In actuality, misery is a moment of suffering allowed to become everything. So, when feeling miserable, we must look wider than what hurts. When feeling a splinter, we must, while trying to remove it, remember there is a body that is not splinter, and a spirit that is not splinter and a world that is not splinter.

Easier said than done, no?

For a long time, I feel as if I've been surviving on trying to do this, to look beyond the 'hurting;' to find the silver lining to the cloud, and it's difficult. After a while I can't help but get to the end of my rope. At such times it's not so easy to remember that exists a world outside my own personal pain, whether that pain is physical, emotional or spiritual.

Today, however, I feel able to do that. Here is a thought that is running through my head (and through my heart) as I read the words of today's meditation:

The backs of my hands hurt.

They hurt because one of the rats, (Beckett), when being fed tries to keep hold of your hand that had the food in it, and ratties have sharp little nails. So I have lots of scratches on the backs of my hand, and they hurt. But... the hurt is because I'm here with the rats. I can play with them, love on them... interact with them. This is a good thing. When I'm not here, I miss them. So yeah, my hands hurt, but I'm here with them at least. It's a chain of cause and effect and wider effect.

That's a simple example, there are others I could have given: saying goodnight on the telephone, for example. The world outside me goes on, and will bring another day when I am able to speak with the woman I love... the goodnight is only a temporary separation... within a greater separation, but even that will end.

My glass has to be half full, or else I'd not be able to cope, but that... sometimes, is a heavy burden. A glass is much lighter when it's half empty - which is a bit of a paradox really, because you'd think things were easier to deal with with a light, and not a heavy heart, wouldn't you?