I was going through some files on my computer and found this article I had written quite a while ago and I wanted to share it with you. Just some food for thought. Happy May Day.

My Hawaiian Aunty, my spiritual teacher says, “Everything is pono
(perfect) until we think otherwise.” I know that to be true but when
events like the shooting at Virginia Tech happen it is often difficult
to see the perfection. Once again I watched the news and was struck by
the confusion, pain and fear I saw in people’s faces. My mother was
killed in a car accident so I know well the shock of sudden loss. I feel
the same way when I watch the news and see a woman crying over the body
of her child that was just blown apart by a car bomb. How do we make
sense of human cruelty? How do we see murder and mayhem as perfect?

Those were some of my thoughts when I sat down to meditate this morning.
What came to me were some thoughts about great spiritual teachers like
Buddha and Jesus and how we focus our attention as a species. For many
years I believed my mission was to help create a world that would be
safe for children and animals. I figured if they were safe the rest of
us would be golden, but then I began to realize the world was perfect
just the way it is. I still wonder how we can be so cruel at times but I
have come to realize that seeing something as cruel is my judgment. I
have now found greater peace and the capacity to be more loving.

Let me explain. When I look at people like Buddha and Jesus I see people
who have had a direct spiritual experience. They connected with God or
their spiritual essence at a profound level and lived their lives from
that loving and expansive place. They did whatever was necessary, on a
daily basis to deepen and maintain that connection. They lived from a
place of love, free of judgment and a sense of separation. They knew the
only thing that is real is God and that the external world was an
illusion. They knew that, “You are me, I am you and we are one.”

When I listen to the ramblings of the Virginia Tech gunman, the news and
people in the grocery store, I hear a common theme – OUT THERE. We want
to blame someone or somethings. They treated me badly, the government
needs to do something, they are the problem, and something out there is
the problem. I do the same thing at times. I can make statements like,
“That really upset me.”

Life is, then we tell ourselves a story, and then we have an experience
based on the story. My hunch is Buddha and Jesus looked within, to their
connection with spirit more often than they blamed out there for their
experience.

Moment by moment we are either deepening our connection with our spirit
or our beliefs agreements and assumptions. We are either deepening our
connectedness or our sense of separation. We are either focusing within
or allowing our attention to be hooked by out there.

In a society that focuses the majority of its attention on externals
events, like the shooting at Virginia Tech unfortunately make sense.
They are part of the paradigm that embraces blame and judgment rather
than encouraging self-exploration and personal responsibility. Even most
of our religions teach us to focus externally. God is out there. We get
our message from God from someone or something outside of ourselves –
the minister, rabbi, the Bible or Koran tell us what to believe and how
to find God.

What do you suppose would happen if more people began focusing within?
What would happen if each of us did as Jesus, Buddha, and Mohamed? What
if each of us did whatever was necessary on a daily basis to have a
direct and profound inner connection to God?

Would we be able to judge one another? Would we choose to physically
assault one another? Or blame someone else for our internally generated
emotions?

I think not. If each of us learned to love, really love and live as
Buddha, Mohamed and Jesus, violence would be a rare occurrence rather
than an everyday event. Perhaps Cho Seung-Hui would have been able to
reach out for help rather than think violence was the solution.

As long as we persist in judging anything or anyone we can’t experience
our oneness. It is our belief in separation that engenders violence.
When I make myself see the perfection in everything my heart expands and
I can love. By loving I can live life in a more loving fashion and my
sense of oneness grows.

Love or fear are our only two options. We know what kind of a world fear
has built isn’t it time to see what kind of a world love can build?

With love and aloha,
Susan

Angels are everywhere just open your mind and your heart to the signs.

Make Angels on Your Shoulder part of your daily routine and share it with a friend!