Thank you again for your insightful comments about Easwaran’s message for hope in difficult times. This week, Easwaran imparts a precious insight into how we can use our suffering towards the good of all, through our meditation practice. He guides us as we ponder our central question this month: How can we contribute to a sense of hopefulness in ourselves and others?
Let’s absorb Easwaran’s message of hope together by sharing in the comment section below:
Type a line or two that really stood out for you.
Share an overall message from Easwaran that resonates with you in some way.
Write any thoughts or questions that come up for you as you read Easwaran’s words.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on this timely conversation. Your contributions are very encouraging!
This message from Easwaran can be found on page 3 in the Special Issue Blue Mountain Journal, Winter 2018.
In the Sanskrit scriptures this world in which we live — of birth and death, good and evil, right and wrong, unity and disunity — is called karmabhumi, the land of karma, the land of work. When you feel oppressed by the burden of the world and the tragedies enacted on it, please remind yourself that it is only here, where we find the choice between the best and the worst, that the human being can discover the unity of life. Strangely, it is in this utter darkness that we begin to grope for light; it is in the midst of utter violence that we begin to yearn for love.
I keep in close touch with what happens in the world. And there are times when I feel deeply grieved by the suffering I read about, and I wonder why life has to be this way. But I never despair. At those times I go deep, deep into meditation until I reach the very source of love and wisdom that exists in each of us. When I do, I am reassured that all is well.
This is not merely some sentimental notion. I return from this awareness charged with the energy and vision I need to continue to alleviate this suffering.
So what I would tell all of you is this: meditate every day, throw yourself into some form of selfless work, and use your sense of suffering as a powerful motivation to help relieve the suffering of others.
It is a wonderful gift to give.
Below, we’ve also shared a short article by Christine Easwaran. In it, she shares how she has put Easwaran’s messages of hope into practice in her own life. You can consider Christine’s writing as her response to our month-long discussion on “How can we contribute to a sense of hopefulness in ourselves and others?” Perhaps her strategies can help you too, or inspire your own iteration.
This article “From the Depths of Our Heart” is written by Christine Easwaran and can be found in the Special Issue Blue Mountain Journal, Winter 2018.
The Blue Mountain Center of Meditation has often been asked, What would Gandhi do at this time? What would our founder, Sri Easwaran, do?
I have pondered these questions and I must admit that we have no way of knowing. But I do believe if we open our hearts to the wisdom of great souls, they will inspire our words and actions.
So when I asked myself what I should do, I came up with another question: Do I really think I must do something? Aren’t my thoughts and prayers more powerful than my actions? Then I began to wonder how many of us earnestly praying for peace and good will for all people everywhere would be needed to turn civilization from its self-destructive course.
Both science and religion work on the principle that intangible, unseen forces permeate and unite all things in the universe. All religions proclaim that there is a divine spark in everyone without which civilization would not have survived. When we pray from the depths of our heart, we tap forces greater than ourselves, a realm of experience in which all of us are one.
Whether you believe in prayer or not, I urge everyone who reads this to give it a try.
Pray for yourself, your family, your community, your country, your planet.
Pray for the earth and all creatures that live.
Pray for food, shelter, clothing, and the simple amenities of life for all people.
Pray for freedom from fear, anger, and greed for everyone everywhere.
Pray for leaders of all countries and faiths.
Pray for your enemies — as did Jesus, Muhammad, and all great spiritual leaders.
Pray for all men, women, and children everywhere to lay down their defenses and to look to one another with trust.
Pray for loving kindness, good will, respect, generosity, and hope to prevail.
Pray for peace on earth.
