HARMING THE OTHER

Perhaps the most important lesson ever, 'We are ALL ONE' is not just a few sweet and empty words strung together on a Facebook post....

A Metaphor on what actually happens 

when we seek to harm another being:

 It is rather like crashing your fist at the person smirking at you (seeing him/her as 'the other)   - - -  and then the mirror you were actually looking into falls to pieces scattering shards of glass everywhere  - - -  your hand (or worse) is now bleeding - - -   your hatred has maimed the true self.  Which is to say - has ultimately harmed all of us.

One of the most astounding gifts given is a heart capable of breaking wide open.  It is most often through pain and suffering that the opening begins. Initially that pain is for the small self and concurrent thwarted desire.  It has the potential to expand to include immediate family and from there has the potential to include tribe and those with mutual attitudes and goals.  We are broken down by the weight of suffering pressing in on us from all sides. 

 Then there comes a time when the scales tip. ALL melts into us.  What we thought was taking us only deeper into to sorrow and suffering - into our collective suffering which we sought thru legislation and 'good guy' organizations to relieve and heal - was actually creating an even grander opening.

 Here is truth: When the flood gates opened pouring misery into our life what we did not then realize was that a channel was being formed to also admit - JOY concurrent with LOVE.  

 This profound and all pervading Joy and Love, we realize, has been there all along.  Yes there is still an intense suffering of which we are aware, and often it is still a personal and painful suffering.  But, more and more includes the connection to Creator and Creation and so connection with ALL. 

 There comes a time when we become acutely aware - harming the other also harms the self. 

 This is our collective journey - a turning to what in the bible is called ATONEMENT.  a return to AT ONE MENT.

PRONOUNS

   by Karle Wilson Baker    

  O God, You said,

“Say, ‘We’”;

But I shook my head,

Hid my hands tight behind my back, and said,

 Stubornly,

“I.”

 

Again You said,

“Say, ‘We’”;

But I looked upon them, grimy and all awry.

 Myself in those twisted shapes? Ah, no!

 Distastefully I turned my head away,

 Persisting,

“They.”

Again You said,

"Say, 'We'",

and I

At last,

Richer by a hoard

Of years,

Looked in their eyes and found the heavy word

That bent my neck and bowed my head:

Like a shamed school child then I mumbled low,

"We, O GOD."

THE BREATH

The Breath may be a conduit for prayer.  Sometimes as a nurse standing at a patient bedside - in the midst of seeming chaos - for just a moment i find that quiet place.  I breath with or for the patient.  Some in prayer can move beyond the breath -  may use the breath as a jump off point to yet deeper prayer.  We do what we can offering ourselves in service to the people and to Creator.

I may not know what is needed.  

I may be helpless to create what I think or intuit the body needs at that moment. 

 However - even if i do not have the words it is possible to use the breath as a medium of transfer - 

sharing LIFE 

sharing LOVE  

sharing PEACE

 

... And then what some would call a miracle can happen....not FROM the small human at the bedside in prayer - but THROUGH that one who has merely stepped out of the way.

 

°˚°★*˚°。°*° CHANGE *★ °˚°★*˚°。°* ★ The One Constant in this Earth Life

The one constant in this EARTH LIFE is change.  You can be sure that nothing will stay the same.  Flowers will come and go with the seasons.  Even the rose bush who grows dormant for the Winter before returning in the spring - she will eventually go from the earth - die.  Anything that is born on The Mother also dies - eventually. 

I have been reminiscing on when I left the RoseBud Reservation last August 2013.  As much as I was looking forward to being with family of the heart and blood in California, I was also leaving family of the heart on The RoseBud. 

°˚°★*˚°。°*。°*★*˚°。CHANGES °˚°★*˚°。°*。°*★*˚°。

A few days before I left the reservation as I was packing up my trailer for the big move west a bird flew into my home.  It was early evening when there were still a few hours of sun light left. The sky was not yet changing to the reds and oranges of setting sun but was still carrying varying tones of blue.  It was a beautiful and peaceful time of early evening.  She was a beautiful, young and healthy bird.  She had an inverted V tail.  There were no distinctive male colors; rather she had the muted and protective colors of the female.  She did not call out.  She did not become frantic.  She flew into the house thru the garage and into the kitchen and then into the living room.  She made eye contact with me as she flew towards me.  I saw no fear in her demeanor.  Lady Bird was coming as a gift.  After she had flown around the house for a bit she flew back into the garage thru the connecting doors and roosted in the rafters.  I left the garage door to outside open for her but she seemed happy in the garage though the light was still shining thru the door to the outside and she knew how to leave if she chose.

In the morning when I woke she had gone.  Flown away and now it was time for me to fly away.  When I had left Florida a few years back, members of the dragonfly nation had come in a similar way to say ‘time to fly’.  Now Lady Bird had done the same. 

My life has been and continues to be full to overflowing with Love from Both Creator and Creation, full to overflowing with beginnings and endings.  All the seasons move within me.  Spring gives me new beginnings and renewals.  Summer gives the fullness and richness of youthful seeking to be.  Fall brings a riot of colors and reminiscences.  Then comes Winter, a time to move inside to that place beyond Creation.  The seasons interchange – come and go – within the Universe of my consciousness in much the same way the season changes and moves over the face of The Earth.  A peace can come – an assurance; being at-one with the changing seasons of my soul juxtaposed to the seasons of The Earth. 

thinking about the concept of DESERVING ...

 

 

********

Yesterday at a local gas station a man respectful - smelling of alcohol - came up to me and asked me for money.  He called me gramma/Unci (I am pretty sure he called me this just to 'soften' me up).  I told him I would not give him money but I would get him a cup of coffee - which I did.  After I did this, a young man about 30 years younger than me who worked at the gas station came out of the gas station store and called out to me.  He called me little girl/Wincicila (I am pretty sure he did this to wound me).  When I turned, he told me I was foolish and that this man was a drunk and did not deserve (his word - 'deserve') the coffee. he then pointed to another man who was talking with another patron of the gas station and suggested I should have helped this one as his family had fallen on hard times. 

 

I did not know - Grandfather/Tunkasila was working at this local gas station in the form of a young man  and deciding who deserved compassion.  The truth is - if the 'deserving' man had approached me, I would have given him a cup of coffee also. 

 

Every one - every one - has the spark of Creator and Creation inside of them - I do not have the wisdom to know who deserves compassion so it is just my intention to give compassionate care to all . . . . . .

DOGMA

“They came with a bible and their religion, stole our land,

crushed our spirit and now they tell us

we should be thankful to the lord for being saved.”

-Pontiac  (1718-1769)

DOGMA is a human created concept or interpretation of the Creator's intention.  Much harm has been done by those who think they know 'the will', the intention of Creator and believe it to be their purpose to ‘share the good news’ or impose it on others.  My heart opens to the one who carries The Christ Medicine.  Sadly many who have come claiming to be his people have done great harm.  Since before recorded history there have been religions seeking to control how we think and feel.  What happened to the indigenous people of Turtle Island has happened many times before wherein outsiders come in claiming they must no longer follow the ways they presently believe but accept the usurpers belief system.  It is not just those who carry the bible who have done and continue to harm. Many dogmatic religions have sought to impose their constructs on others.  Please do not misunderstand my intent.  People of like mind gathering together to become at-one (atoned) to Creator is a wonderful thing.  It is when they thump their bible or their Koran or other ‘good book’ and tell the people they MUST follow their particular way to God to be saved from suffering that dogma slips his greasy head into the picture.

I was fortunate to have a father who never dictated what I was to believe or the path I was to follow.  At the same time, Dad and I often had lively discussions of philosophies, concepts and constructs related to potential pathways to the Heart Center of Creator and Creation.  This is the way I have sought to help my daughters to find their own personal pathway.  This is the way I intend to be there for my grandchildren as they find their way through life.  This opening of the heart and nurturing of the intuition to KNOW TRUTH on a personal level is in my construct (cannot speak for others) a powerful pathway to the center of Creator / LOVE. 

When someone says ‘I believe’ this is truth or ‘I believe’ this is the way God wants me to live, this is not a bad thing.  It is a good start point in our walk through life.  When a child is little, the mom may say, “Do not touch the hot stove.  It will burn you.”  The child may ‘believe’ what the mother says is true even though she does not ‘know’ this is true.  This believing the words of the Mother saves the little one from harm.  However, there comes a point in life, whether by intent or circumstance, the little one comes to “know” through personal experience: this is hot.  This will burn you.  This is what a burn does to you. The child has moved from believing to knowing.  

When I was little, I had a book of bible stories with many bright paintings on the pages.  The one that fascinated me more than any other was a painting of “God” sitting on a throne in the clouds above the Earth.  The God in this painting was a massive human male, dwarfing the Earth.   I pondered this picture over and over for a period of time in my life. I do remember I was in elementary school.  I was probably about 8 to 12 years old at the time, I do not remember my exact age or the length of time involved but I certainly went to this painting over and over and over.    In my child’s mind I was pondering the size of God.  At some point, I came to the conclusion that this painting could not be an accurate rendition of God, as God was much too huge to be depicted in a painting.  I also came to the conclusion that even the human form may be incorrect.  I did not know if a ‘form’ could even contain this power I called ‘God’.   This event in my personal experience depicts for me the very beginning of transitioning from belief to knowing at the core of my being. I was coming to know a personal truth versus a taught dogma.

With caution I must note that what I “KNOW” changes from day to day as the experiences of life continue to mold and change me.  I am reminded of the words of the Great Mahatma:

“I am not at all concerned with appearing to be consistent.

In my pursuit after Truth I have discarded many ideas

and learnt many new things.”  

-Gandhi (1869 - 1948)

When we feel joy in our relationship with Creator and Creation it is natural to want to expand that joy through sharing that joy with others.  It is perhaps even commendable that we wish others to also feel the expansive joy of relationship with LOVE that we possess.  It is however a cautious balance we must seek.  We must be careful to not stand in the way of freewill.  Those who know me, know that I will often follow a statement related to my concept of truth with …. “This is the world according to Cretia and may have nothing to do with your reality.”  I mean these words sincerely.  It is not my place to impose on you beliefs of HOW THINGS ARE.  Perhaps I add a bit more spice to the soup of your consciousness.  I certainly know you do this for me and I thank you for this addition of spice to my consciousness soup. 

Much Love . . . .

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YOUR WISHES FOR 2013

Thinking about making wishes for the New Year as 2013 fast approaches. 

I used to have a bumper sticker for my car.... My KARMA ran over your DOGMA.... i loved that sticker.

DOGMA is man's concept of the laws of Creator / Creation and KARMA is Creator/ Creation's actual laws governing how the universe really works.

 The Christian People would quote 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth'.

So ... thinking about this and thinking/feeling about what karma you want to incur in the New Year ... what do you want to come back to you and maybe bite you in the behind or gently kiss your cheek?  Every choice has repercussions!   

*****

For your pleasure, here is a sweet little visual on how karma works…

 posted just to give you a giggle:

 

KAI and RAJA

What do you think goes on in the mind of a human baby? What do you think goes on in the mind of a member of the cat nation? I would expect Raja (the cat) to want nothing to do with (the little human boy of 10 months of age) Kai. I would expect the little boy Kai to pull Raja's fur. However that is just not the case. The cat actually seeks Kai out. The cat will call to Kai to get his attention. Kai did not need major teaching to understand the importance of being gentle with this old gramma cat (Yes, Raja though a typically male name is a female cat. You need to ask Starr about the naming process here).

Kai's mom, Starr was one who has always been comfortable with life. I remember taking her to an ashram when she was about 5 or 6 years old. In a quiet side garden there was a coy pond. She became quiet looking at the coy. she put her little hand in the water making an upturned cup with her hand and fingers under the water. numerous little fish swam into her hand and just sat quietly. The fish were not nibbling at her fingers. They were just sitting quietly. Others in our party tried the same 'trick' but none of us obtained the same response from the fish. So.

When Starr was about two years old and just learning to express herself well i thought i would ask her about her memories of being born. i was a la leche league leader surrounded by conversations on birth and nursing and so had an interest in her perception of birth. Also she had been exposed to pregnancy and birth so i was cautious of blindly believing her story (if she had one) of what it was like to be born. What she told me stunned me ... in a good way.

We were sitting on the couch in our living room. Just Starr and i - no one else around to distract us.

i asked starr, "Do you remember what it was like being born?"

Starr nodded and said, "Yes."

"What was it like?" i asked.

She held her head in her hands and said, "Hurt."

"It hurt being born?" i asked.

Starr nodded yes.

i asked, "So, what did you want to do?"

She responded, "i wanted to go back."

i assumed where she wanted to 'go back' was to the womb, but i asked her, "Where did you want to go?"

Starr became very still and she looked at me with the eyes of an ancient being. Then without a word while maintaining focused eye contact with me she very carefully placed her index finger at the point of the third eye.

Maybe there were more questions to be asked. But the ancient eyes looking at me with powerful focused intention stilled my tongue. My little daughter had said it all. I interpreted her actions to tell me she wanted to return to at-one-ment with Creator and Creation.

So perhaps Starr's children will have a similiar understanding of Creation and Creator. Maybe.

i do think, little 10 month old Kai hanging out with the gramma cat is a good start.

DARING It is NOT about clean edges. It is NOT about keeping safe. It is about daring to be real and authentic. It is about throwing away the morays of right and wrong set by society and flying the colors of Creation and Creator. This scares me more than i have words .... and that being said .... at this point NOT following the dictates of spirit scares me even more. Basically flying blind with unfolding from moment - to moment - to moment. Do i hear Creation clearly? This one likely misses the target numerous times. i just keep resetting and adjusting direction and intention over and over and over.

I didn't trust it for a moment, but I drank it anyway, the wine of my own poetry. It gave me the daring to take hold of the darkness and tear it down and cut it into little pieces.

--Lalla, Contemporary of Hafiz