Spiritual Guidance Blog
For-giving
by Robert Meagher on 06/20/13
There are some words in the English language that, when looked at from a different perspective, have a whole new meaning (pun intended). This simple ability to present a word so that we see things differently is only the beginning of how we can change our perception of the world around us.
One such word is ‘disease’. Dictionary.com defines ‘disease’ as “a disordered or incorrectly functioning organ, part, structure, or system of the body resulting from the effect of genetic or developmental errors, infection, poisons, nutritional deficiency or imbalance, toxicity, or unfavorable environmental factors; illness; sickness; ailment.” This, I suppose, is what most people think when they see the word ‘disease’. What happens when you see ‘disease’ as ‘dis-ease’? Hmmm…interesting. ‘Dis-ease’ suggests you may not be at ‘ease’ or peace. Spiritual and natural healers alike suggest that all ‘disease’ is of the mind. Heal the mind and the body will heal too. This may explain the extraordinary stories we hear about people who miraculously heal themselves from ‘diseases’ that are thought to be terminal, with little or no allopathic medical intervention.
And what about the word ‘everyone’, a commonly used word in the English language? For those who aspire to the spiritual concept of ‘oneness’, look at ‘everyone’ as ‘every-one’. When looked at as ‘every-one’, doesn’t the word ‘everyone’ bring on a whole new meaning?
This brings me to the word I want to focus on for this passage. Forgiveness offers us tremendous opportunities for inner peace, joy and love in our lives. From a spiritual perspective, forgiveness is essential for spiritual growth and unlocks a door—it is a key—to higher levels of consciousness.
I was recently having breakfast with a spiritual seeker and we began to talk about forgiveness, or forgiving people. My brother confessed the word ‘forgiving’ did not resonate well with him. He expressed that the word ‘forgiving’ was fraught with Christian dogma. Even though I think forgiveness is one of the great gifts Christianity has offered to humankind, I understood my brother’s apprehensions about the connection between the word ‘forgiving’ and Christian teachings.
We went on to talk about forgiveness and ‘forgiving’ more. He expressed concern that the concept of forgiveness assumed you had done something wrong to begin with and that he wanted to get past all that dogma to something more creative and healing-oriented. I certainly understood where my brother was coming from. A Course in Miracles teaches that forgiveness is the realization that what you thought happened in the past actually never did. Therefore, what you thought needed forgiving never actually needed it in the first place.
My brother went on to express joy that he saw ‘forgiving’ as ‘for-giving’. And light bulbs of joy went off in my heart. Indeed…’for-giving’. Yes, we are here on this great journey called life for ‘forgiving’. But what would happen if everyone focused on being here in this time ‘for-giving’? If we truly embodied and embraced ‘for-giving’, we would never have to worry about ‘forgiving’. Because we would be wired ‘for-giving’ instead of taking, we would create and manifest the conditions that would be devoid of any actions that would require ‘forgiving’.
Words are only words. But sometimes when we see things differently, we see a whole new perspective on life. And sometimes words are part of that new perception and perspective.
Can ‘forgiving’ be replaced with ‘for-giving'? I think so, my friends. For-in-giving we receive. And in giving and receiving we create and manifest our heart’s purest desire—joy, inner peace and love.
Shanti, Namaste, Agapé...
Stop Competing...Start Loving
by Robert Meagher on 05/29/13
Competition is ubiquitous throughout society. For many, competition is the backbone of our existence. “We have to work hard to succeed…to win!” How many times have you heard that statement? From the time we are brought into this world, we are bread and raised to compete. Survival of the fittest is engrained in our psyche.
Competition, in and of itself, is not bad. The means and results may, sometimes, to misplaced and removed from any heart intention. What if, perhaps, we have misunderstood the paradigm of competition:
Much of scientific theory, and consequently our model of the way things work, is going up in smoke. With every scientific finding, yet another cherished notion is overturned. A new scientific story is emerging that challenges our assumptions, including our most basic premise: the sense of things as separate entities in competition for survival.
The latest evidence from quantum physics offers the extraordinary possibility that all of life exists in a dynamic relationship of cooperation. Quantum physics now recognize that the universe is not a collection of separate things jostling around in empty space. All matter exists in a vast quantum web of connection, and a living thing at its most elemental is an energy system involved in a constant transfer of information with its environment. Rather than a cluster of individual, self-contained atoms and molecules, objects and living beings are now more properly understood as dynamic and protean processes, in which part of one thing and parts of another continuously trade places.
Lynne McTaggart. “No such thing as a thing.” ODE. Volume 8, Issue 3. July/August 2011. P. 36.
Sport is perhaps one of the most blatant displays of competition. As a competitive athlete in the past, I was trained to win, sometimes—perhaps frequently—at all costs. It was an international sporting competition I attended not that long ago that gifted me with the experience that competition can also provide a forum for love and compassion.
This international sporting competition I attended was of Olympic proportions. It was staged in a former Olympic venue with 1000’s of athletes from many countries around the world competing in dozens of sporting events—all watched by tens-of-thousands of spectators over many days. The event was complete with judges, timing equipment, and medal ceremonies. There were spectacular and spectacle-like opening and closing ceremonies. There were even world-class, elite athletes (former and current Olympians) competing at this event. However, there was something different about this event that made it different than your typical showcase for sport.
The organizers of this event went to great lengths to have this international sporting event be more about building community than determining the most proficient athlete competing in their respective sport. This was evidenced by such things as having men and women participating in the same events, having different categories of races (or heats) based on one’s proficiency in a given sport. Indeed, everyone from elite, Olympics athletes were participating in the same events as people who never even tried swimming, or volleyball, or basketball, or gymnastics, let alone competed against someone else. The organizers of this event shared as part of their Mission that:
Sport can bring people together in a way unlike any other activity. Sport has the power to transcend culture, nationality, religion, and most other barriers—in essence, sport has the power to transcend differences.
It was one particular sporting event I attended, and one particular race, that personified the spirit of these games and the demonstration that if we just stop competing against each other, our hearts and souls open up to love.
I was participating as an athlete in these games in the golfing competition. But because I was also an avid swimmer, I made a point of taking in, as a spectator, as much of the swimming competition as possible. On one particular morning that I watched the swimming heats, there was a full calendar/schedule of races planned. Early in the morning I had the delight and honor of watching a member of the United States Olympic swim team break the world record in the 200 meter backstroke. It was exhilarating and wondrous to watch the grace and ease that this swimmer cut through the water with precision and power.
Later in the morning there was the fateful race that put the entire theme of the games into perspective and reminded us all of how much more powerful love is than competition. This particular race featured some of the less experienced swimmers competing in the 200 meter backstroke. For those not familiar with how long 200 meters is, a swimmer must swim four lengths of an Olympic-sized swimming pool (each length being 50 meters) to complete the race.
With the swimmers at the starting blocks, the starter’s pistol was fired and the swimmers dove into the water. The capacity crowd (likely close to 5,000 spectators) in this venue started cheering for their friends and loved ones competing in the race. Very quickly, however, before most of the swimmers even finished one length of the pool, we knew this race was going to be different.
In lane 1 (closest to the side of the pool) was a swimmer who clearly was not proficient at the backstroke. Actually, there were moments when I wondered if this was the first time this person ever attempted to swim the backstroke.
As the other 7 swimmers in the pool finished their first 100 meters of the race (2 lengths of the pool) the swimmer in lane 1 had not even finished ½ a length. By the time the swimmer in lane 1 had finally made it to the end of the pool (finishing only 50 meters of the 200 meter race), all the other swimmers finished their entire 200 meter race (in approximately 2.5 – 3 minutes).
The swimmer in lane 1 continued swimming his race. While many spectators in the stands did seem to wonder what was happening (including me), we all stayed put and watched things unfold. The organizers of the event piped music over the PA system to keep people entertained as this swimmer (soon to be hero) continued his journey.
By the time the swimmer in lane 1 had completed 2 lengths of the pool (with still 2 lengths to go), 10 minutes had passed and he looked exhausted. I can remember wondering if he was even going to try to finish the race. Afterall, it had taken him about 10 minutes to complete the first 2 lengths of the pool and he had another 2 lengths to go.
To my surprise, and to the surprise of many in the stands, the swimmer in lane 1 pushed off from the wall to continue his odyssey and complete his race. The music continued playing over the PA system. People continued watching in amusement at what was unfolding in front of them. Some, like me, did become nervous at moments when the swimmer in lane 1 did not even seem to be moving through the water. His arms were flailing, but he didn’t seem to be going anywhere. I can remember thinking at one point, “is there a life guard around?”… “’cause this guy is gonna need one!”
With each passing minute, and each passing stroke that seemed to advance the swimmer so little through the water, the atmosphere in the building started to change. This energy shift was the result of one remarkable event. As the swimmer in lane 1 neared the completion of his 3rd length of the pool, one of his fellow competitors from the same race, who had finished the race many minutes earlier, came over from the bleachers where all the other swimming competitors were sitting, chatting and watching the scene unfold, and began to cheer the swimmer on. A minute later another swimmer competing in the same race joined him and then there were 2 swimmers cheering on the man in lane 1. By the time the swimmer in lane 1 finally touched the wall to complete his third length of the pool, there were about 10 swimmers standing on the pool deck cheering him on.
As the swimmer in lane 1 started his ‘home’ lap, his last length of the race, in a steady stream of support, all the swimmers competing in all the morning’s heats came in procession to the side of the pool (hundreds of them) to show their support and cheer him on. With about half a length to go (25 meters), and with all the swimmers on the pool deck chanting in unison “stroke, stroke, stroke”, the spectators in the building started to clap in unison to show their support for the courage being displayed in front of them.
In was a divine moment: to hear all the swimmers supporting their fellow competitor; to hear the unified applause of the spectators. When that fateful swimmer finally, some 20+ minutes after he started his race, touched the wall and finished his race, a roar went up from the crowd that was deafening. He clung to the wall, too weak to even acknowledge, perhaps even be aware of, what was happening around him.
His fellow competitors lifted him out of the water and embraced him. I watched as every single swimmer (and there were hundreds of them) waited their turn to hug him. I watched as those in the stands wiped tears of joy from their eyes (through my own tears). I watched as the euphoric energy in the building rose to a crescendo of love and compassion. And it did not stop there.
Within an hour of that amazing scene, there were the medal ceremonies. In order of the heats that took place that morning, the medals were handed out for the 1st (gold), 2nd (silver) and 3rd (bronze) place finishers in their respective races. When it was time to hand out the medals for the race where the swimmer in lane 1 took a little longer to complete his race than the other swimmers (stated with a compassionate smile), the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers accepted their medals. Then, there was a pause…
The announcers came over the PA system and shared that the community of athletes had approached the judges/organizers of the event and wanted to honor the courage shown by the swimmer who finished last in the race mentioned above. He was asked to come forward and was honored with a gold medal for his courage and for personifying what the entire event was about. There was not a dry eye in the entire building.
Competition is not a bad thing. It can bring out some amazing things in us. It can help us to realize the vast potential that resides in each of us. Competition can raise us to new heights of achievement and performance. I might suggest that love has the equally-powerful potential to tap the vast potential that resides in each of us. Love, too, can bring out the best in each of us.
In love, gratitude, compassion and forgiveness…
What's In A 'Thank You'?
by Robert Meagher on 05/08/13
We sometimes lose sight of the meaning of the words and phrases we speak. One such phrase is “thank you”.
My chaplaincy work invites me into places that most hope they never have to visit, let alone a place they end up calling home: senior citizen homes; nursing homes; half-way houses; and mental health institutions. I am continuously reminded that, sometimes, a simple touch, gesture, or kind, heart-felt word can mean the world to a person; especially to someone who has been institutionalized and thinks the world has forgotten about them, their grief and their plight.
On a recent visit to a nursing home, I was walking through a corridor enroute to the wing where I was planning to visit some residents on this day. I passed a man sitting in a wheel chair, stretching and grasping for a chair that was positioned in front of a computer. As I passed by this man I sensed he could use some help to do whatever it was he was trying to do.
I was not more than a few feet past the man and it was as if the hand of God stopped my gate—I felt a heavy blockage in my chest; in my heart. I turned around and could see the man still pawing at the chair.
I walked over to the man and asked, “Can I help you?”. “Yes”, he responded. Not knowing what it was he wanted help with, I asked “Are you wanting to use the computer?”. “Yes”, he responded. I moved the chair out from the workstation and rolled the man and his wheelchair into position so that we could reach the computer keyboard. His right leg and foot hit the floor-standing central processing unit (CPU) as I was moving him into position. “Sorry ‘bout that”, I said. I heard him grunt. “There, are you okay?”, I asked. “Yes”, he responded. I was beginning to think “Yes” was the only word this resident could speak.
I patted him on the shoulder, said “Enjoy your day.”, and started to turn and walk away to continue my visitations, when I heard the man utter “Thank you.” I froze on the spot and tears started to well up in my eyes. I turned around and saw the man trying to turn his head towards me. I moved to his side and leaned over so I could see his face. He was trying, with all his energy, to curl the muscles in his face upward so that he could smile, as pools of water started to gather in his eyes.
I smiled, with tears in my eyes, leaned over and gave the man a hug, and said, “Thank you for making my day. Please, enjoy your day.” He tried to smile again. I walked away and went on my way to visit with other residents.
The Huna tradition (i.e., ancient spiritual tradition of the Polynesian peoples of Hawaii) has a word for ‘thank you’, and that word is “Mahalo”. ‘Mahalo’ is not just any ‘thank you’, however. Mahalo is ‘thank you imbued with blessings and gratitude’. Mahalo is not used lightly. It is a heart-felt sharing of one’s appreciation for something someone has done for you.
On my visit to the nursing home on the day described above, I had lost sight of what it meant to say “Thank you”. That blessed man reminded me of ‘Mahalo’ and how we are sometimes not aware of the meaning we give to the words we speak.
What is in the meaning of the words you speak? What is in your “thank you”?
Mahalo…
Shanti, Namaste, Agapé
How Do You See the World?
by Robert Meagher on 04/16/13
“…the world is a state of mind.”
Tom Carpenter from ‘A Dialogue on Forgiveness’
A couple of months ago saw us celebrate Valentine’s Day here in Ottawa, Canada. I am not sure if Valentine’s Day is cause for celebration worldwide, but the occasion is customarily observed here in North America.
This year Valentine’s day happened to coincide with my weekly visitation at a local nursing home. I thought it would be nice if I brought a few roses with me to hand out to some of the residents at the home. It was intended as a simple gesture to let some residents know that on this day that celebrates love—Valentine’s Day—they too were loved.
The first few roses I handed out were greeted with smiles and even a teary eye (the recipient’s and mine!). And then a surprise reaction from one of the residents. As she unwrapped the package to reveal the rose, she looked with bewilderment at the contents. She rummaged around the wrapping, fumbling through the greenery that accompanied the rose. Her seeming bewilderment then turned to a frown. She glanced up at me, and with her thick New-York-Jew accent said “What!? No card!!! Roses are supposed to come with a card!” I couldn’t contain myself and burst out laughing; as her reaction was so contrary to what I thought it might be.
I thought the experience was a beautiful reminder and metaphor for how powerful we are in creating the world we see. Our thoughts, how and what we think, have the power to allow us to see whatever it is we want to see, and to see the world in whatever way serves us best. It is Buddha who said “All that we are arises from our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make our world.”
Within the past year I have become acutely aware of just how powerful our thoughts are. I have come to realize that we truly do create the life we are living by our thoughts. I will fall short of suggesting we can do ‘anything’ we want with our life; but I will suggest that, with our thoughts, we can change our life. I am living proof of it.
Many spiritual and faith traditions speak of, and focus on, the importance of training our mind. Look no further than ancient faith traditions of Taoism or Buddhism for such tenets of spiritual training. Another spiritual discipline I follow, A Course in Miracles (ACIM), is clear in its teaching that it is “a course in mind training” (T-1.VII.4.1). ACIM offers the following insights on the topic of mind training:
Nothing external to your mind can hurt or injure you in any way. There is no cause beyond yourself that can reach down and bring oppression. No one but yourself affects you. There is nothing in the world that has the power to make you ill or sad, or weak or frail. But it is you who have the power to dominate all things you see by merely recognizing what you are.
My holy brother, think of this awhile: The world you see does nothing. It has no effects at all. It merely represents your thoughts. And it will change entirely as you elect to change your mind, and choose the joy of God as what you really want. Your Self is radiant in this holy joy, unchanged, unchanging and unchangeable, forever and forever.
ACIM W-190.5-6
You may be saying at this point, “That’s all fine and good, spiritual and faith traditions offer us opportunities to train our minds. But I’m living in the ‘real’ world and have no time for such practices.” Indeed, you may be correct—you may be living in the ‘real’ world. But whatever world you are living in, it is a product of the mind training you have invited into your life.
Not too long ago I entered an Executive MBA (Masters of Business Administration) program at a prominent Canadian university. I was at the height of my management career at the time and it was thought that having an MBA would be an invaluable asset/credential to possess moving forward in my corporate Canada career. Just one of things I realized, even then, and especially now, was how my mind was being trained to think a certain way. And the way I was being trained to think guided not only my actions but how I saw the world around me.
Needless to say I have taken a slightly different path since graduating from that MBA program, but I have come to learn that no matter what we are doing with our life, where we find ourselves, is a direct product of how we have trained our mind. The only questions that remain are: What are you training your mind to think? And how do you see the world?
Shanti, Namaste, Agapé,
Welcome to the New World!
by Robert Meagher on 03/27/13
“As the sun is not sullied by the defects of external objects, so the inner soul of all beings is not sullied by the misery of the world”.
The Upanishads
Well…here we are! December 21, 2012, has come and gone and we are still here…right here! What happened? According to Hollywood and some scientific communities’ portrayal of the Mayan prophecies, weren’t we all supposed to have exploded or morphed into some new enlightened being? Weren’t the chosen ones supposed to have ascended to a new state or level of consciousness while those souls who were asleep were destined to eternal misery and damnation? I sort of feel jipped! NOT!!!
I have never felt so positive, uplifted and optimistic about our future as right now!
Without anyone really knowing what cosmic or energetic portal we just passed through from mid-late December, it is undeniable for many that ‘something’ did take place throughout 2012 that has forever changed the consciousness—and evolutionary trajectory—of humankind. And I believe, as a human race, we have passed through a sort of gate to a new world order.
My optimism is rooted in the very reality that may appear, to some, to be death, destruction, misery, war and strife. Indeed, one doesn’t need to look very far to see unprecedented upheaval and unrest on our planet. All of our major worldly systems appear to be teetering on the brink of collapse—environmental systems; economic and financial systems; geo-political relationships; religious and faith institutions; education systems; and medical / health-care systems. All of these pillars of our world appear to be in some form of decay. Or is this decay really something else? It is in looking this potpourri of chaos straight in the eye, that I have started to see reason for great hope, joy, and optimism.
A dear soul friend, Rev. Dr. Doug Henderson, writes in this newsletter about “The Caterpillar—Butterfly Metaphor”. In his thought-provoking article, he writes about the transformation of the caterpillar into the butterfly as an evolutionary process. The caterpillar greedily gorges itself until it becomes so grotesquely overweight it cannot move anymore. The caterpillar goes into a sort of hibernation and, through a process of disintegration, a new, beautiful creature emerges—a butterfly.
I believe that at this time in human evolution and transformation, we are experiencing what the caterpillar—butterfly metaphor offers us—transformation to a new, beautiful existence and world order. All of our systems mentioned previously are in a state of transformation. The way we have operated through these systems will no longer work. A new way of ‘being’ is emerging. And it is the emergence of this new world order that I intend and trust will be of ever-lasting peace, joy and love.
As a human race we have learned our lessons well. We are coming to know the old ways of greed, competition, self-preservation at all cost, and capitalism will no longer sustain our planet and humankind. Through these lessons we have emerged, like the butterfly, from hibernation and are opening ourselves to new and unlimited possibilities as we take flight. Fasten your seat-belts! While it’s going to be a bit of a bumpy ride, it’s going to be the ride of your life! All aboard! Welcome to the new world!
Shanti, Namaste, Agapé,
