“Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your
understanding.
Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its
heart may stand in the sun, so must you know pain.
And could you keep your heart in wonder at the daily
miracles of your life, your pain would not seem less wondrous than your joy;
…Much of your pain is self-chosen. It is the bitter
potion by which the physician within heals your sick self.
Therefore trust the physician, and drink his remedy
in silence and tranquility:
For his hand, though heavy and hard, is guided by the
tender hand of the Unseen.”
Kahlil Gibran (The Prophet, 1923).
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| Melanie 2012 |
As the year draws to a close, Light Tree has been
reflecting upon the nature of the challenges that have arisen in our collective
lives recently. Like many of you, we have felt deeply into the discomfort that
arises from participation in daily life. It is clear that In order to deepen
our experience of love, we inevitably feel pain too.
We have found that the way
to transcend pain, (fear, guilt or anger) is to turn and face it squarely. As
long as we turn away from our unseen hurts, the healing power within them
remains evasive. Self pity often serves as a distraction to the unfolding of
this process.
Instead, we must approach
them with equanimity, neither avoiding nor clinging to their seeming selves.
Yes, this takes real courage and sometimes we are gripped by confusion, but if
we stand firm and keep affirming our innocence, it’s surprising how quickly we
can move through it.
If we can hold an attitude
of love and gratitude in our hearts while affirming that we forgive ourselves
for buying into an illusion, we make room for the miracle to occur.
Deep down, if we are
committed to remembering our true nature the dross of unreality falls away and
we intuitively know what to do. The hand of the Unseen guides our actions and we
are amused when we view the dramatic comedy that we have created to render our
unhealed parts visible.