A Path for Resilience
Often in my writings, I talk about vibrations and how important it is to keep our vibrational field high, above 200 according to David R. Hawkins, as shown on The Map of Consciousness in Letting Go The Pathway of Surrender. While courage is right at 200, further up we reach the realms of joy and peace 540- 600, respectively. These are stages of growth and development that have implications for our health and well-being and require interior work that includes living a life of love and forgiveness.
I’ll be the first to admit that the work is challenging, however not impossible as evidenced by mystics, saints, and brave citizens in our midst today. Letting go of personal perceptions and outcomes avails us of a great deal of freedom and opportunities for more growth and change. Since we have no idea of the grand design, amid current events our myopic vision often interferes with steady progress creating fluctuations on the map of which Dr. Hawkins speaks.
The Ukrainian people are an inspiration: models of freedom and courage. For centuries they have maintained their independence and faith. They have not fallen under despots and tyrannical regimes. They have stood strong, but who’s to know how their current situation will play out.
Uncertainty is a stimulator for fear and hate. However, how we respond to everything around us is totally our responsibility. Wrapping our brains around controlling our thoughts and actions is the work of a lifetime. There are tools that aid in that endeavor of self-purification: prayer, meditation, chants, service, exercise, spiritual studies, and music. The work is ultimately ours to do.
Brother Lawrence (17th Century) had this to say:
Those whose spirits are stirred by the breath of the Holy Spirit go forward even in sleep. If the vessel of our soul is still tossed with winds and storms let us wake the Lord, who reposes in it, and He will quickly calm the sea.
We are not abandoned in a world of endless woes and suffering—although sometimes it appears that way—where we are relentlessly tossed around with no help in sight. We are participants in a space, planet earth that needs transformation and we are the transformers. Perhaps that’s why we should remember the words of Francis of Assisi:
Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.
The work he is referring to is not a job that we go to, but the internal work of embracing our connection to the divine and presenting that side of ourselves to a world that is often resistant to simple, kind, noncompetitive ways of interacting with the people we meet or situations we find ourselves facing. And believe me, I know that sometimes the outer terrain can get bumpy and downright ugly from time to time but the ability to function with hope and grace eventually leads to harmony.
Apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians said:
. . . we have the mind of Christ.
All sacred traditions have similar phrases that suggest stepping into something greater, a force more capable beyond our comprehension and understanding. Paraphrased these phrases include words such as to sit with ourselves, find the light within, tune into the essence of our being. Without attentiveness to spirit we are lost and end up in the dark places of guilt, shame, and blame. I’ve experienced them just like anyone else. So what does “the mind of Christ” even mean? How is that even possible? With all the uncertainty arising from this global evolution not only in terms of the speed of change but the technological advancements, we are left wondering what is real. At the beginning of this essay, I mentioned some tools to avoid lapsing into moments of temporary forgetfulness in our longing for peace. Today I offer this prayer for peace from The Book of Common Prayer:
Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
And a musical selection “Luminous” for your rest and contemplation from the artist Ludovico Einaudi.