Dearest Friends:
As I watched “The Buddha” PBS special last week, I was reminded of the fact that everyone suffers. We all fall prey to its merciless grasp—often without warning— similar to a sudden hailstorm crashing down on streams of sunlight. Whether we are rich or poor, educated or non-educated, male or female—regardless of our race, age, ethnicity or religion, suffering does not discriminate. Thus, a human bond connects all of us: we suffer, but we wish to be happy, because happiness and our natural capacity to empathize with others is our true nature—our primordial beginningless-endless, joyous, indestructible reality often referred to as mind by Buddhists and by others as consciousness or spirit.
Paradoxically, however, we develop a personal “I” ego and a personality, the illusory identity created by the brain and sense faculties. We become so strongly attached to this ego personality that we lose connection to our true self and are motivated and driven to seek things, extrinsic phenomena, outside of ourselves in the search for enduring happiness. We believe, in our illusion, that this investment will yield a positive return. We emerge in modern society as human clocks, ticking and running, requiring that we keep pace as we grasp and become attached like super-glue to material success through the accumulation of money, possessions, education, and employment. We become preoccupied with our individual selves as we cling to our ideas, hopes, and dreams and become very attached to things as we also develop feelings, thoughts, and perceptions about them. We grasp at relationships with attachment, believing that we could never be happy in our aloneness because we need things, reinforced by societal advertising themes of “things go better with coke.” However, we fail to realize that all of these things, our relationships, and the feelings, thoughts, and perceptions about them come and go as floating clouds in the sky or dancing ripples on a pond. They are impermanent and imperfect and do not last, even if the termination is death itself; thus, we become frustrated and dissatisfied. In our delusion, we suffer in the conditioned world of samsara--the uncontrolled cycle of birth and death in which sentient beings, driven by unskillful actions and destructive emotions, repeatedly perpetuate their own suffering.
Ironically, because we often prevail in an egocentric ME rather than a WE generation, we live in a culture where solutions to our suffering often seem to lie in biological, psychological, and social dimensions outside of the self-realization of our spiritual true nature. We neglect, forget, or ignore the spiritual dimension. We seek “quick fix” solutions for our physical and emotional suffering, which are also impermanent and imperfect. We are caught in a perpetual cycle of frustration, dissatisfaction, and suffering. We seek doctors, therapists and anyone who will assist us in pursuit of the “instant gratification” that we demand, which has become a well-established and prevalent norm in our society. Across-the-counter drugs and prescription drugs are abused, and the use of psychiatric drugs among our children and adolescents increases at alarming rates. In addition to medicalizing ourselves, substances such as alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs are consumed, often to self-medicate, to the extent that addiction is a national epidemic. Other addictions plague us, i.e. shopaholics, foodaholics, chocolateaholics, coffeeaholics, workaholics, gamblingaholics, sexaholics, and televisionaholics.
For some enigmatic reason we are in denial that things, our relationships, feelings, thoughts, and perceptions and “quick fix” solutions are impermanent, imperfect, frustrating, and dissatisfying. We continue to suffer. We also become attached and addicted to the compulsive chattering of our thinking mind—the drama we create that becomes our all-important “I” ego identity—the drama that consumes us and robs us of connection to our true nature, which causes us to suffer even more. We have forgotten that we only become free to experience our true nature when we no longer identify with the limitations of the physical body and our “I” ego self.
“Make the suffering go away,” we say. Why? Again, we want to be happy. It is our true nature. Yet, happiness eludes us, and we wonder if lasting happiness is a goal we will ever attain because all of our “quick fix” attempts prove to be futile. We continue to grasp for this-and-that, here-and-there things that cause suffering because we don’t seem to understand and accept that they are suffering. With the exception of suffering due to natural, insurmountable causes, our suffering is primarily self-imposed and a symptom of our need for spiritual development. As stated by Seng Ts’an in “Trust in the Heart” (Suzuki, 1972):
To set up what you like against what you dislike—
This is the disease of the mind;
When the deep meaning of the Way is not understood
Peace of mind is disturbed to no purpose.
The Way is perfect like unto vast space,
With nothing wanting, nothing superfluous;
It is indeed due to making choice
That its Suchness is lost sight of.
There is an alternative view of existence in the conditioned world of samsara in which the limitations and confusion of our lives are transcended by our potential for self-realization, spiritual liberation, and enlightenment. A spiritual path is the avenue wherein we experience the truth of our existence. We reclaim the happiness and joy of our true nature, which has, and will, infinitely exist. Everyone, all sentient beings, have the seed of this true nature, waiting to unfold, just as the seed of a flower blossoms and the seed of a tree grows in majesty.
The Buddha discovered this self-realization and enlightenment as he meditated under the Bodhi Tree but admonished us to accept his discovery only through our own understanding and our own experience: “Be a lamp unto yourself”; however, it is challenging for us to understand the far-reaching implications of this truth. In the quest for greater spiritual realization, we are at a loss in knowing how to renounce the illusion of the conditioned world while existing in a conditioned world—experiencing and loving each moment of life at its fullest, with passion and fearlessness, but without super-glue attachment to our endless array of things that are in a constant state of flux.
There is a silver lining in the dark cloud of suffering. Suffering can be a gift when it motivates us and defies us to discover the deeper meaning, purpose, and truth of our lives as found in our true nature. If we fall and break a bone, it is the physical suffering that motivates us to take action and seek the help we need in order to heal. The same is true with emotional suffering. If we don’t feel the pain, we don’t realize that something is wrong, and we don’t take the action that is necessary to alleviate the pain. We often hear of those with addictions who won’t seek help until they hit rock bottom and lose everything—their job, their friends, their family, and often, their sanity. Therefore, when suffering is so unbearable that it is the catalyst that motivates us to seek greater spiritual realization, then suffering is a gift in disguise. Physical and emotional suffering is also a gift if our suffering is the debt we finally pay off for past karma—all of the wrongful deeds and hurts that we inflicted on others, including ourselves. The law of cause and effect escapes none of us; our every action will have a consequence, either in this life or in another life.
“There are no mistakes in life—only lessons, and we repeat the lessons until we learn.” We’ve all been there—repeating the lessons of suffering until we learn—finally asking the questions, “What is the lesson here? Why is the Zen Master of the universe hitting me with a stick? What do I need to learn? How will this lesson help me discover my true nature?” The challenge then lies in transforming the suffering into gratitude for having been given the opportunity to endure and transcend the lessons of suffering for our ultimate good. We also recognize that the outcome of suffering is often the development of our character, as reflected in a poignant statement made by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, renowned for her work with dying patients: “Should we shield the canyons from the windstorms, we would not see the beauty of their carvings.” We agree that suffering the perils of Job assists us in the development of wonderful character traits. However, at the time that we suffer, the development of those wonderful character traits doesn’t offer us much consolation.
We come face to face with the same reality that the Buddha faced: there is suffering. However, the Buddha didn’t settle for mere acknowledgement. Through his own experience, he discovered—and then taught—the truth of suffering, the cause of suffering, the cure for suffering, and the path one has to take in order to end suffering.
I bow.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Newsletter XXIII - The Moral of Groundhog Day
Dearest Friends:Happy Groundhog Day! I always enjoy this annual celebration, which is the precise halfway point between the Winter and the Spring Equinox, designating that Winter is now officially half over. We can almost feel the breath of spring. However, today also reminds me of the movie where Bill Murray plays Phil Connors, an egocenetric and arrogant weather forecaster who, during a dreaded coverage of the annual Groundhog Day event, finds himself repeating the same day over and over again. Stuck in what science fiction would call a "time loop", the movie focuses on correcting past mistakes or getting a character to recognize some key truth in order to escape from the loop.
From a Buddhist perspective, Connors is extremely negative, especially to other people, which creates a lot of negative causes. The effect of these causes is that people relate back to him from his own level of negativity, which causes him to have a miserable day. Thus, the next day, and on subsequent days, he experiences the same miserable day all over again. Desperate to escape this demise, he decides to commit suicide many times but the next morning, when he awakens, the date has not changed. He is in the same bed, in the same room, and with the same song playing on the radio, "I Got You Babe", by Sony and Cher. His attitude undergoes many changes and transformations until he finally spends most of his time trying to help people. As his inner attitude transforms to greater positivity, the days gradually get better until he is able to experience a new day.
The moral of the story, and its teaching, focuses on how we respond to our daily situations and life events. We can transform anything if we respond in a skillful way. Again, this is karma in action. If we greet situations with a positive attitude, we will eventually create a positive return. If we respond with a negative attitude, negative things will eventually come our way. Unlike the scenario in Groundhog Day, these changes do not always occur immediately. We can be wonderful people but still have difficulties. On the other hand, we can be acting terribly and have a wonderful day; however, it is just a matter of time before we receive the results of our conduct (the effect of the cause).
It is clear from this example that an individual is responsible for his own liberation. Not until Connor abandoned ego and began to live harmoniously among those around him did he escape the time loop that he alone had created for himself. I sometimes think of this loop as being stuck on the fast-paced freeway around Washington D.C. going around and around and around, forgetting to take the next exit. We all know the feeling....but the exit is always there, waiting for us to plant positive karmic seeds in order to create a new day that is always now.
Love-Light,
Carol
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Newsletter XXII - Happy Holidays 2009
Dearest Friends and Family:The big holidays news is that I signed a contract witih O-Books for the publication of my book HEALING POWER BEYOND MEDICINE, which is now in the hands of a copy editor; however, for the most part, 2009 was the “Year of the Family” with the birth of my first two grandchildren, Lindsey’s wedding, and three family moves. Chelsey and I are foregoing our annual Christmas Eve Nutcracker performance by Ballet West. Instead, I just returned from taking my parents to breakfast at Rembrandts Coffee House and Café in Eagle, Idaho. Rembrandts was once the old Boise Baptist church, which was moved to Eagle in the early 1900’s so you can imagine how charming it is as a restored coffee house. I believe that Eagle could boast of being home to the friendliest people in the U.S.; it is wonderful that my parents relocated here from Virginia.
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Cicily Diane was born on February 3 and was in intensive care for a week due to complications from Sarah’s protracted labor and delivery. Sarah underwent gallbladder surgery a couple of months later. Colby was then asked to open the Rich Haines Art Gallery in Jackson, Wyoming so I drove one of the cars (with Lola) for the move and helped them unpack for a few days. I awakened every morning in the upstairs guestroom to a breathtaking view of the Grand Tetons, which Colby and Sarah continue to enjoy in their nature excursions with Cicily, Bella and Lola. Cicily is a happy, sunshine baby who loves climbing, and is on the verge of walking.
Lindsey traveled to Siena, Italy in May for a study abroad. She and Peter Colby then taught art for the summer at a private school in Switzerland, which included visiting some amazing European cities. They returned from Europe in August--in a time crunch--having to find an apartment and plan their wedding, which was held on October 8 in Salt Lake City at Rose Sachs Gardens in Parley’s Canyon. An outdoor setting with autumn leaves and waterfalls was perfect for the two of them. Lindsey will graduate in the spring from the University of Utah with a B.A. in Art History. She continues to work at Montgomery Lee Art Gallery in Park City, Utah. Peter Colby is teaching his third year of art at a private school but is looking forward to beginning his Master’s Degree in Art; therefore, the two of them might not be residing in Utah much longer.
Lindsey traveled to Siena, Italy in May for a study abroad. She and Peter Colby then taught art for the summer at a private school in Switzerland, which included visiting some amazing European cities. They returned from Europe in August--in a time crunch--having to find an apartment and plan their wedding, which was held on October 8 in Salt Lake City at Rose Sachs Gardens in Parley’s Canyon. An outdoor setting with autumn leaves and waterfalls was perfect for the two of them. Lindsey will graduate in the spring from the University of Utah with a B.A. in Art History. She continues to work at Montgomery Lee Art Gallery in Park City, Utah. Peter Colby is teaching his third year of art at a private school but is looking forward to beginning his Master’s Degree in Art; therefore, the two of them might not be residing in Utah much longer.
In June we had a scare when Chelsey developed severe preeclampsia and was rushed to Utah Valley hospital in an ambulance from her OB/GYN’s office. Delivery was delayed for two days but Chelsey still had an emergency c-section and Braxton Paul was born at 1 pound 13 ounces. He remained in intensive care for nearly two and a half months and was named “Little Rock Star” because of how he thrived. Like Colby, Brian is a hands-on dad and refers to Braxton as “little man.” It was a day of celebration when Braxton was discharged from the hospital, just in time for Chelsey to be Matron of Honor at Lindsey’s wedding. Understandably, Chelsey is taking time off from her job as a Federal Investigator for Hill Air Force Base.
I am still teaching and enjoying my wonderful students and friends. I am anticipating a return to India and Nepal in the near future; thus, perhaps next year you’ll be receiving a holiday card from me with a picture of the Himalayas!
MUCH Love and Happy Holidays To All of You,
Carol
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Newsletter XXI - A Tribute to Fran Brown
Dearest Friends:
The autobiographical information that Fran shared with the world is as follows:
“The winter of 1973 Hawayo Takata was invited to the San Francisco Bay Area to teach a class in Reiki. I was in that class. She taught Reiki to many people here. In 1977 I took Second Degree Reiki and in the first week of January, 1979 I took my master's training with her as her seventh master and began teaching Reiki anywhere people want to learn Reiki as taught by Hayashi and Takata. These thirty years of teaching have taken me to many parts of the world. In 1997 I was asked to come to Japan and teach Hayashi's system and in 1999 it was my privilege to meet with members of the group founded by Usui as well as students and masters taught by Chujiro Hayashi. We compared teachings and initiations and were delighted to find them to be similar. Hayashi organized the hand placements taught by Usui so that it was easier to teach Reiki. Takata says that he never changed any of the teachings and asked her not to change them either, nor have I.” Fran attuned 22 of her students to Mastership and retrained 15 other students to be Masters, for a total of 37 Masters. Her book LIVING REIKI: TAKATA’S TEACHINGS is on my student recommended reading list.
Mrs. Hawayo Takata’s 7th Reiki Master, Fran Brown, transitioned on April 12, 2009. She had just celebrated her 85th birthday. I am sorry I didn’t realize this sooner and did so because I was going to make a follow-up phone call to her. She and I had talked about her coming to Salt Lake City to talk with my students about Mrs. Takata as she had known her. Fran wasn’t going to charge a fee, telling me that she was always willing to talk about Reiki when it was requested of her. She only asked that her husband travel with her because of age. Fortunately, because of conversations I had with Fran on the phone, I share some of her comments in my forthcoming book, HEALING POWER BEYOND MEDICINE, which will be published in 2010 by O-Books.
The autobiographical information that Fran shared with the world is as follows:
“The winter of 1973 Hawayo Takata was invited to the San Francisco Bay Area to teach a class in Reiki. I was in that class. She taught Reiki to many people here. In 1977 I took Second Degree Reiki and in the first week of January, 1979 I took my master's training with her as her seventh master and began teaching Reiki anywhere people want to learn Reiki as taught by Hayashi and Takata. These thirty years of teaching have taken me to many parts of the world. In 1997 I was asked to come to Japan and teach Hayashi's system and in 1999 it was my privilege to meet with members of the group founded by Usui as well as students and masters taught by Chujiro Hayashi. We compared teachings and initiations and were delighted to find them to be similar. Hayashi organized the hand placements taught by Usui so that it was easier to teach Reiki. Takata says that he never changed any of the teachings and asked her not to change them either, nor have I.” Fran attuned 22 of her students to Mastership and retrained 15 other students to be Masters, for a total of 37 Masters. Her book LIVING REIKI: TAKATA’S TEACHINGS is on my student recommended reading list.
.
Another great one has passed—one who was as devoted to Reiki as Mrs. Takata. Let us celebrate that devotion and her life with such gratitude.
Love-Light,
Carol
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Newsletter XX - Voices of Angels and Archangels
Dear Friends:
Last Sunday another group of wonderful people attended my archangel workshop, and once again, the experiences we shared were intense and healing. My strong wish is that you will be touched in some way by these celestial entities--angels and archangels--whose strong desire is to assist us in our many efforts in the journey we call life. Perhaps you will hear a whisper, sense a nudge, or feel a spark of awareness that removes all rigid frames around our existence--a frame that separates us from others.
I am probably motivated to write this blog entry because one of my students telephoned me recently and informed me that she hasn’t taken my workshop “because archangels and angels are for Christians.” “Archangels and angels are non-denominational”, I replied. “They are as non-denominational as Reiki. They are limitless nonphysical beings. They can help everyone who calls upon them simultaneously. They are here for everyone, and they honor all spiritual paths.” I also remember a blunt comment that a woman made once at a healing circle when another women mentioned her angels. "I don't believe in angels", she said.
The first conscious experience I had with an angel was nearly ten years ago when I was lying on a table at a Tibetan healing center, trading a Reiki session with a Reiki Master friend of mine. The room was filled with Buddha images and Thangka paintings of Buddhas on the walls but yet, about half way through my session, I saw an angel at the end of the table, raised above my feet. I said, “Beth, there’s an angel in here.” She nodded in the affirmative. Two more times I said, “There’s an angel in here.” I was in a state of disbelief that an angel would manifest in such a setting, particularly since, as a Buddhist practitioner, I focus much of my work in the Buddha realms. However, I later drove home, logged onto my email account, and there it was--an email---an email with a time stamp within ten minutes following my experience with this particular angel. Another friend of mine nearly 2,000 miles away had channeled a message from her guardian angel who expressed that he had just attempted to give me some information but I didn’t hear it…I had only visually seen him. (This is yet one more example of how I tend to shut down my clairaudience. I jokingly tell my students, "Because of my clinical training, I simply do not want to hear voices!") I found this email of his message to be even more unbelievable so I drove back to see Beth and asked her, “Did I see an angel?” She replied, “Yes, you saw an angel.” I knew that the manifestation, information and guidance from this guardian angel was a profound act of love because I had not solicited this guidance from him. I also came to realize that angels exist. Soon I was no longer “blown away” by such manifestations. I had crossed a threshold that is there for all of us—a threshold where one is no longer a tourist in the metaphysical world but rather, in the city--a city in which these occurrences are part of one's daily life. No more "WOW." No more "OH MY GOSH." No more disbelief.
In the meantime, I learned of Jonathon Goldman’s experience with Shamael, the angel of sacred sound. Jonathon told of how he was meditating in his crystal grid on his birthday because birthdays are a day of personal power. Shamael appeared to him and asked him to be a conduit for sacred sound. Soon afterwards, I was singing “Om mani peme hung”, the mantra of Avalokiteshvara (the Buddha of Compassion), for a student of mine who had tragically died. I was singing this mantra for her for 49 days while she was in the bardos but at one point in time I stopped singing after I went into the bathroom and closed the door. Suddenly, I heard a choir of angelic voices singing above me, the harmonics beyond anything I could express in words. At first I thought that they were taking over the singing of the mantra because I had stopped but then I realized that they had been singing with me all along. This experience touched me so deeply that it was months before I could talk about it.
I cannot identify the event or moment when I was guided to offer a workshop about angels and archangels but the workshop continues to evolve and develop, based on the experiences of my students and based on direction that I receive. For example, at the first workshop, I spent two hours talking about the angelic realm. One of my students asked if I would provide that information in writing, and he would take the workshop again! However, before I developed my hand-outs, I was drawn to Barnes and Noble as if I were a magnet. There I was in the corner of the bookstore with a book about Archangel Raphael staring me in the face, and without hesitating, I purchased the book while thinking, “So, Raphael feels I have missed something.”
Raphael was making a bold entrance into my life. At my next workshop, one of my students canceled at the last minute, and since we end the workshop by working in pairs giving and receiving a healing session, I filled in for my missing student and became the partner for another student. As a preface, I must say that over the years I have often heard people tell me that my hands are not the only hands felt when I channel Reiki during a healing session. Therefore, I have known for many years that another entity often works with me. However, I had never personally experienced the phenomenon of physically feeling another set of unseen hands on my physical body. Not until now. Janet had been at my heart, her hands off my body, calling forth Archangel Raphael in relation to his role in the Kabbalah Tree of Life. When she moved down to my feet, there were hands that remained on my heart. I opened my eyes and whispered, “Janet, where are you?” She said, “I’m down here by your feet.” Two more times I opened my eyes and rose up to see where she was, and sure enough she was nowhere near my heart. Everyone participating in the workshop saw and heard me. Raphael’s presence was undeniable, and Raphael, whose focus is healing, let me know of his eagerness to assist in the healing work of my students and I. It was as if he was saying, “I want to be included in all of this so please do not forget me.”
Last Sunday a couple of young women were communicating with the many archangels whom we called forth during our workshop. One of them couldn’t talk about it, initially, but the other young woman said she was joking with one of the archangels who reminded her, “This is serious.” Yes, they do take their work seriously. I am amazed at the organized manner in which they operate within Universal Law. No mistakes….no coincidences…..
I could write volumes about the experiences that my students have had during this workshop. For example, Archangel Metatron stroked the forehead of one young woman who was experiencing great trials in her life. The stroking was the manner in which her now deceased mother used to comfort her when she was a child. We actually saw the hair of her bangs moving as tears trickled down her face. Or, Archangel Michael sent a healing bolt of energy so forcefully through an elderly woman’s arthritic knee that she shifted three feet on the table she was laying on (nearly falling off the table). However, what is even more compelling are the stories I hear after the workshop. For those who knew nothing about angels and archangels, suddenly they have a strong connection to these Divine beings, and their presence is felt and appreciated. Dee shared with me how, in a car accident, her car swerved from one side of the road to the other, missing every car on the road. As her car was on the edge of its tires, ready to roll, the car would suddenly right itself, and the scenario repeated itself…nearly rolling on the right and then nearly rolling on the left until the car came to a halt. Witnesses saw this as impossible but Dee knew during the entire experience that her angels were in charge, and she was fully protected.
Angels and Archangels understand the Law of Free Will; thus, they will not interfere with our free will and will not intervene without our permission. We must ask for their assistance, and they respond to our requests, whether our requests are spoken, in writing, or in thought. Interestingly, however, I have noticed that they know when I am going to ask for their assistance before I actually make the request. They are also compassionately loving, and because they are egoless, they can be trusted. Many of you know this, and many of you have your own stories to share, which I would love to hear. My next workshop is Saturday, December 5 (1-5:30pm).
Love-Light,Carol
http://www.carolwilson.org/
Last Sunday another group of wonderful people attended my archangel workshop, and once again, the experiences we shared were intense and healing. My strong wish is that you will be touched in some way by these celestial entities--angels and archangels--whose strong desire is to assist us in our many efforts in the journey we call life. Perhaps you will hear a whisper, sense a nudge, or feel a spark of awareness that removes all rigid frames around our existence--a frame that separates us from others.
I am probably motivated to write this blog entry because one of my students telephoned me recently and informed me that she hasn’t taken my workshop “because archangels and angels are for Christians.” “Archangels and angels are non-denominational”, I replied. “They are as non-denominational as Reiki. They are limitless nonphysical beings. They can help everyone who calls upon them simultaneously. They are here for everyone, and they honor all spiritual paths.” I also remember a blunt comment that a woman made once at a healing circle when another women mentioned her angels. "I don't believe in angels", she said.
The first conscious experience I had with an angel was nearly ten years ago when I was lying on a table at a Tibetan healing center, trading a Reiki session with a Reiki Master friend of mine. The room was filled with Buddha images and Thangka paintings of Buddhas on the walls but yet, about half way through my session, I saw an angel at the end of the table, raised above my feet. I said, “Beth, there’s an angel in here.” She nodded in the affirmative. Two more times I said, “There’s an angel in here.” I was in a state of disbelief that an angel would manifest in such a setting, particularly since, as a Buddhist practitioner, I focus much of my work in the Buddha realms. However, I later drove home, logged onto my email account, and there it was--an email---an email with a time stamp within ten minutes following my experience with this particular angel. Another friend of mine nearly 2,000 miles away had channeled a message from her guardian angel who expressed that he had just attempted to give me some information but I didn’t hear it…I had only visually seen him. (This is yet one more example of how I tend to shut down my clairaudience. I jokingly tell my students, "Because of my clinical training, I simply do not want to hear voices!") I found this email of his message to be even more unbelievable so I drove back to see Beth and asked her, “Did I see an angel?” She replied, “Yes, you saw an angel.” I knew that the manifestation, information and guidance from this guardian angel was a profound act of love because I had not solicited this guidance from him. I also came to realize that angels exist. Soon I was no longer “blown away” by such manifestations. I had crossed a threshold that is there for all of us—a threshold where one is no longer a tourist in the metaphysical world but rather, in the city--a city in which these occurrences are part of one's daily life. No more "WOW." No more "OH MY GOSH." No more disbelief.
In the meantime, I learned of Jonathon Goldman’s experience with Shamael, the angel of sacred sound. Jonathon told of how he was meditating in his crystal grid on his birthday because birthdays are a day of personal power. Shamael appeared to him and asked him to be a conduit for sacred sound. Soon afterwards, I was singing “Om mani peme hung”, the mantra of Avalokiteshvara (the Buddha of Compassion), for a student of mine who had tragically died. I was singing this mantra for her for 49 days while she was in the bardos but at one point in time I stopped singing after I went into the bathroom and closed the door. Suddenly, I heard a choir of angelic voices singing above me, the harmonics beyond anything I could express in words. At first I thought that they were taking over the singing of the mantra because I had stopped but then I realized that they had been singing with me all along. This experience touched me so deeply that it was months before I could talk about it.
I cannot identify the event or moment when I was guided to offer a workshop about angels and archangels but the workshop continues to evolve and develop, based on the experiences of my students and based on direction that I receive. For example, at the first workshop, I spent two hours talking about the angelic realm. One of my students asked if I would provide that information in writing, and he would take the workshop again! However, before I developed my hand-outs, I was drawn to Barnes and Noble as if I were a magnet. There I was in the corner of the bookstore with a book about Archangel Raphael staring me in the face, and without hesitating, I purchased the book while thinking, “So, Raphael feels I have missed something.”
Raphael was making a bold entrance into my life. At my next workshop, one of my students canceled at the last minute, and since we end the workshop by working in pairs giving and receiving a healing session, I filled in for my missing student and became the partner for another student. As a preface, I must say that over the years I have often heard people tell me that my hands are not the only hands felt when I channel Reiki during a healing session. Therefore, I have known for many years that another entity often works with me. However, I had never personally experienced the phenomenon of physically feeling another set of unseen hands on my physical body. Not until now. Janet had been at my heart, her hands off my body, calling forth Archangel Raphael in relation to his role in the Kabbalah Tree of Life. When she moved down to my feet, there were hands that remained on my heart. I opened my eyes and whispered, “Janet, where are you?” She said, “I’m down here by your feet.” Two more times I opened my eyes and rose up to see where she was, and sure enough she was nowhere near my heart. Everyone participating in the workshop saw and heard me. Raphael’s presence was undeniable, and Raphael, whose focus is healing, let me know of his eagerness to assist in the healing work of my students and I. It was as if he was saying, “I want to be included in all of this so please do not forget me.”
Last Sunday a couple of young women were communicating with the many archangels whom we called forth during our workshop. One of them couldn’t talk about it, initially, but the other young woman said she was joking with one of the archangels who reminded her, “This is serious.” Yes, they do take their work seriously. I am amazed at the organized manner in which they operate within Universal Law. No mistakes….no coincidences…..
I could write volumes about the experiences that my students have had during this workshop. For example, Archangel Metatron stroked the forehead of one young woman who was experiencing great trials in her life. The stroking was the manner in which her now deceased mother used to comfort her when she was a child. We actually saw the hair of her bangs moving as tears trickled down her face. Or, Archangel Michael sent a healing bolt of energy so forcefully through an elderly woman’s arthritic knee that she shifted three feet on the table she was laying on (nearly falling off the table). However, what is even more compelling are the stories I hear after the workshop. For those who knew nothing about angels and archangels, suddenly they have a strong connection to these Divine beings, and their presence is felt and appreciated. Dee shared with me how, in a car accident, her car swerved from one side of the road to the other, missing every car on the road. As her car was on the edge of its tires, ready to roll, the car would suddenly right itself, and the scenario repeated itself…nearly rolling on the right and then nearly rolling on the left until the car came to a halt. Witnesses saw this as impossible but Dee knew during the entire experience that her angels were in charge, and she was fully protected.
Angels and Archangels understand the Law of Free Will; thus, they will not interfere with our free will and will not intervene without our permission. We must ask for their assistance, and they respond to our requests, whether our requests are spoken, in writing, or in thought. Interestingly, however, I have noticed that they know when I am going to ask for their assistance before I actually make the request. They are also compassionately loving, and because they are egoless, they can be trusted. Many of you know this, and many of you have your own stories to share, which I would love to hear. My next workshop is Saturday, December 5 (1-5:30pm).
Love-Light,Carol
http://www.carolwilson.org/
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Newsletter XIX - The Power of Wishes
Dearest Friends:
Happy 4th of July. After reading this newsletter, please note that the July distant healing requests were posted on July 1, and please add requests by clicking on the comment link.
For years I have talked about the power of intention and how essential it is that we set our intention in order to manifest a desired outcome. Wayne Dyer has written extensively about the Power of Intention. Intention is merely the process of creating, or bringing into existence, that which we desire; thus, when I discuss the many healing modalities that I integrate, I acknowledge that all of those healing modalities were created by someone with the high intention to heal, and there is power when we add intention upon intention upon intention upon our own intention. It sounds simple; yet, for some reason, it is difficult for many to comprehend, much less attain. Unfortunately, I believe that some of this difficulty lies in the fact that the words “intent” and “intention” have been imbued with a negative connotation. How many times have we heard a suspicious person say, “What is your intention?” We have also heard that one cannot be convicted of murder unless motive is established. In this respect, one’s intention is used to determine underlying motivation for cause of action.
We have also heard much discussion about the The Secret although it is no secret that the ancient Universal Law of Attraction is based on the teachings of Abraham. This law basically states, “That which is like unto itself, is drawn.” We attract everything that shows up in our life experience because the Law of Attraction is responding to the thoughts we are offering. Every thought, feeling, word, and action carries a vibration and because it attracts other like vibrations, it is crucial that we are aware of the vibrations that we emit. For example, a woman was trying to decide on a location for the purchase of a home and an important criterion was how long it would take to get to the nearest hospital via an ambulance. I responded, “You don’t want to be sending that wish out to the universe!” I don’t think she realized that she was planting a negative seed thought for a quick ambulance ride to the hospital. This is what many of us do if we are not aware of our thoughts. We sometimes make a wish that we actually do not want to manifest, not realizing the second universal law, The Science of Deliberate Creation. This law states, “That which I give thought to, and that which I believe or expect—is.” Essentially, we get what we are thinking about whether we want it or not. In this respect, we create of own reality, which is more easily understood as the Law of Cause and Effect or the Law of Karma. We plant seeds or impressions (effect), and when conditions arise, they come to fruition (cause). As true as these concepts are and as simple as they sound, most of us are confused or challenged by them.
We grow up making wishes. We place our wish in a wishing jar and toss a coin with a wish into a water fountain full of coins where others have made their wish and tossed their coins. We wish upon a star:
“When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true.”
(Washington & Harline, 1940).
We make a wish before we blow out candles on a birthday cake, and we make routine New Year’s Resolutions, which are wishes that we will accomplish certain goals. These wishes may seem childish but there is prudence in returning to some of the childish ways that we seem to lose in adulthood. For example, it was been reported by Albert Klein that children laugh 400 times a day whereas adults laugh 15 times a day. Yet, healthy people laugh 100 to 400 times a day.
Some may consider making wishes as not only childish but superstitious; however, from a Buddhist perspective, “Wishes based on wisdom and made without selfish motives are by no means superstitious acts. Such wishes may be made before a Buddha image or any other object which represents noble ideals and virtues, such as a Bodhi tree (a symbol of enlightenment), a shrine, or a pagoda. Such wishes are not mere wishful thinking or idle prayers, but positive resolutions for wholesome actions. They are necessary for the accomplishment of certain desired goals; thus, a person may make a wish before a Buddha image saying, "May I have the strength to help others in need. May I have the opportunity to do more good every day." Or an aspirant to enlightenment may make determined wishes before a Buddha to attain Buddhahood in some future life in order to benefit all sentient beings. Certainly, there is a great difference between such wishes and someone wishing for a beautiful new car or wishing to become a millionaire. My teacher, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, Trinley Thaye Dorje, once stated that wishing for candy is not meaningful as compared to wishing that all sentient beings will accumulate merit and never be met by obstacles. He explained that wishes have no form and because they are an act of the mind, wishes can dissolve a bad mental state and shape the mind in a pure way. “The more we wish good things continually, the more free will be the state of our mind—more perfected, more free. When we wish deep from the bottom of our heart, it shapes the perspective of mind.”
I make strong wishes every day of my life. I wish for you, and for those I do not know. I wish that you will not be met with obstacles in these challenging and perilous times; however, when obstacles do present, I wish that they will be transformed into great wisdom. More importantly, I wish that our inherent happiness will not be obscured by the confusion and illusion of the conditioned world. Whether we recognize it or not—the sun is always, always shining.
Love-Light,
Carol
http://www.carolwilson.org/
Copyright © 2009, Carol A. Wilson
Happy 4th of July. After reading this newsletter, please note that the July distant healing requests were posted on July 1, and please add requests by clicking on the comment link.
For years I have talked about the power of intention and how essential it is that we set our intention in order to manifest a desired outcome. Wayne Dyer has written extensively about the Power of Intention. Intention is merely the process of creating, or bringing into existence, that which we desire; thus, when I discuss the many healing modalities that I integrate, I acknowledge that all of those healing modalities were created by someone with the high intention to heal, and there is power when we add intention upon intention upon intention upon our own intention. It sounds simple; yet, for some reason, it is difficult for many to comprehend, much less attain. Unfortunately, I believe that some of this difficulty lies in the fact that the words “intent” and “intention” have been imbued with a negative connotation. How many times have we heard a suspicious person say, “What is your intention?” We have also heard that one cannot be convicted of murder unless motive is established. In this respect, one’s intention is used to determine underlying motivation for cause of action.
We have also heard much discussion about the The Secret although it is no secret that the ancient Universal Law of Attraction is based on the teachings of Abraham. This law basically states, “That which is like unto itself, is drawn.” We attract everything that shows up in our life experience because the Law of Attraction is responding to the thoughts we are offering. Every thought, feeling, word, and action carries a vibration and because it attracts other like vibrations, it is crucial that we are aware of the vibrations that we emit. For example, a woman was trying to decide on a location for the purchase of a home and an important criterion was how long it would take to get to the nearest hospital via an ambulance. I responded, “You don’t want to be sending that wish out to the universe!” I don’t think she realized that she was planting a negative seed thought for a quick ambulance ride to the hospital. This is what many of us do if we are not aware of our thoughts. We sometimes make a wish that we actually do not want to manifest, not realizing the second universal law, The Science of Deliberate Creation. This law states, “That which I give thought to, and that which I believe or expect—is.” Essentially, we get what we are thinking about whether we want it or not. In this respect, we create of own reality, which is more easily understood as the Law of Cause and Effect or the Law of Karma. We plant seeds or impressions (effect), and when conditions arise, they come to fruition (cause). As true as these concepts are and as simple as they sound, most of us are confused or challenged by them.
We grow up making wishes. We place our wish in a wishing jar and toss a coin with a wish into a water fountain full of coins where others have made their wish and tossed their coins. We wish upon a star:
“When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true.”
(Washington & Harline, 1940).
We make a wish before we blow out candles on a birthday cake, and we make routine New Year’s Resolutions, which are wishes that we will accomplish certain goals. These wishes may seem childish but there is prudence in returning to some of the childish ways that we seem to lose in adulthood. For example, it was been reported by Albert Klein that children laugh 400 times a day whereas adults laugh 15 times a day. Yet, healthy people laugh 100 to 400 times a day.
Some may consider making wishes as not only childish but superstitious; however, from a Buddhist perspective, “Wishes based on wisdom and made without selfish motives are by no means superstitious acts. Such wishes may be made before a Buddha image or any other object which represents noble ideals and virtues, such as a Bodhi tree (a symbol of enlightenment), a shrine, or a pagoda. Such wishes are not mere wishful thinking or idle prayers, but positive resolutions for wholesome actions. They are necessary for the accomplishment of certain desired goals; thus, a person may make a wish before a Buddha image saying, "May I have the strength to help others in need. May I have the opportunity to do more good every day." Or an aspirant to enlightenment may make determined wishes before a Buddha to attain Buddhahood in some future life in order to benefit all sentient beings. Certainly, there is a great difference between such wishes and someone wishing for a beautiful new car or wishing to become a millionaire. My teacher, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, Trinley Thaye Dorje, once stated that wishing for candy is not meaningful as compared to wishing that all sentient beings will accumulate merit and never be met by obstacles. He explained that wishes have no form and because they are an act of the mind, wishes can dissolve a bad mental state and shape the mind in a pure way. “The more we wish good things continually, the more free will be the state of our mind—more perfected, more free. When we wish deep from the bottom of our heart, it shapes the perspective of mind.”
I make strong wishes every day of my life. I wish for you, and for those I do not know. I wish that you will not be met with obstacles in these challenging and perilous times; however, when obstacles do present, I wish that they will be transformed into great wisdom. More importantly, I wish that our inherent happiness will not be obscured by the confusion and illusion of the conditioned world. Whether we recognize it or not—the sun is always, always shining.
Love-Light,
Carol
http://www.carolwilson.org/
Copyright © 2009, Carol A. Wilson
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Newsletter XVIII - The Meaning of Mindfulness
Dearest Friends:
We have heard the phrase a million times, “Be mindful. Be present. Be in the NOW.” However, what does it mean? More importantly, how is it possible to achieve mindfulness in a world in which clocks are ticking as we run, multi-task, and swing to past and future thinking as if we're an untamed monkey in the trees?
Frankly, I never understood the concept of mindfulness until I was forced to experience it about 20 years ago while on a snowy ski slope in Park City, Utah. I was in a group skiing class with three other men and two women. The wind was scattering powder-like snow, similar to my scattered thoughts that were being tossed around regarding the events of yesterday and what I needed to accomplish tomorrow; thus, I didn’t really comprehend the instructions that my ski instructor was directing at me. I couldn’t seem to concentrate on what he was saying when he corrected the way in which I was swinging my arms and body from side to side when I skied. Finally, in exasperation and with a raised voice, he blurted, “Just do this ONE THING. Imagine that your belly button is a flashlight shining the way straight down the hill. Think of NOTHING ELSE.” I was embarrassed but motivated to accomplish whatever it was he expected me to do---but focus on ONE THING? I wanted to ask, “Are you kidding?”
I seemed to instinctively inhale and exhale a few deep breaths that grounded me to the earth beneath my feet, and then I rehearsed the words aloud before I proceeded down the hill, “Belly button—flashlight—belly button—flashlight.“ My thoughts of yesterday’s events and tomorrow’s tasks and worries dissipated as if they were zapped away by a bolt of lightning. Determined, I pushed off down the hill, focused only on my belly button that was a flashlight while repeating “belly button—flashlight—belly button—flashlight.” I was able to visualize the flashlight shining its beam ahead of me—leading me straight down the hill and not from side to side. As a result, my arms and body were no longer turning and swinging. Soon, this exercise was not external to me but rather, one with me. There was no distinction between me as the subject, object and action. I was acutely aware, conscious and awake, and the experience was so fully lived, exhilarating and penetrating that I seemed to feel it vibrating in every cell of my body. I also realized, much to my chagrin, that I had compromised most of my life experiences by thoughts that distracted me from experiencing the moment.
We only have this wondrous moment that is here and NOW. The past is gone. The future may not come. To miss the moment of NOW is to miss out on the experience of living. For example, how often have we eaten a meal and not experienced it because we were distracted by our past and future thinking about other things? How often have we walked or traveled and not seen the beauty around us because we were past and future thinking? How many accidents or other tragic events occur because of this obsessive past and future thinking? How often are we simply not mindful about what is in front of our face?
Mindfulness takes practice; fortunately, we can immediately begin to practice mindfulness without formal training, which is of benefit to everyone, regardless of race, class, gender, age, and spiritual or religious affiliation. Our children, in particular, need to learn mindfulness before they develop a scattered and undisciplined mind. We should also honor their mindfulness, rather than constantly distract them. We all benefit by the practice of being conscious and awake in our daily lives, and thus, it is prudent to practice mindfulness. One of the first things we need to learn to do is to move calmly and slowly, never in a hurry to achieve an outcome. For many of us, this is an arduous task, and we need to re-learn our fast paced behavior as if having to get out our bike with the training wheels.
For example, I was considered to be, at one time, a speed walker. My son, Colby, who was an ODP (Olympic Development Player), grabbed me by the back of my shirt more times than I can count en route to a soccer game in an attempt to slow me down. He simply couldn’t keep up with me! Because I was outcome oriented, focused on “arrival” at the soccer field in as little time as possible, I missed the step by step process of the journey. I was nearly deaf, dumb and blind to each moment and to the world around me. What if my thought, instead, would have been, “I am on the path to the soccer field?” Think of all the beauty I would have experienced with my son along the way!
Mindfulness is present moment by moment awareness and noticing change in one’s inner self. It is nonconceptual, unbiased observation without judgment or criticism. It is mirror-thought and reflects exactly what is happening now. In order to be mindful, we need to forget about future outcome and focus on the moment. We choose to BE instead of DO. In other words, we do not hurry and wash a cup so we can drink a cup of tea. We wash the cup to wash the cup. We experience what it is like to wash a cup and become one with the experience. We see every detail of the cup and how we care for it by washing. If our mind starts to wander to past and future thinking, we simply bring ourselves back to washing the cup by saying, “I am washing the cup now.” We do not hurry and take a 5 minute shower so we can get dressed to dash out the door and go to work. We take a shower to take a shower. We experience what it is like to take a shower and become one with the experience. We experience the wonder of it, and if we have hot water, we savor it even more. If our mind wanders to past and future thinking, we bring ourselves back to taking a shower by saying, “I am taking a shower now.” (I once needed to take a shower and wash my hair in an outdoor shower in the Himalayas in 0 degree weather. Since that time, I have absolutely savored hot water.) We take a bath to take a bath. If our mind wanders to past and future thinking, we simply return to our bath by saying, “I am taking a bath now.” By practicing mindfulness in this way, the feeling that a task is a bother or a nuisance will disappear.
It is wonderful to believe that the moment is our friend, no matter what the circumstance. The here and NOW moment is all we will ever have, because it truly is all that we have. Every experience we had in the past was experienced in the NOW. Everything we experience in the future will be in the NOW; thus, it behooves us to make NOW the primary focus and joy of our life. After all, nothing could be more perfect than right now---this very moment.
Love-light,
Carol
http://www.carolwilson.org/
Copyright © 2009, Carol A. Wilson.
We have heard the phrase a million times, “Be mindful. Be present. Be in the NOW.” However, what does it mean? More importantly, how is it possible to achieve mindfulness in a world in which clocks are ticking as we run, multi-task, and swing to past and future thinking as if we're an untamed monkey in the trees?
Frankly, I never understood the concept of mindfulness until I was forced to experience it about 20 years ago while on a snowy ski slope in Park City, Utah. I was in a group skiing class with three other men and two women. The wind was scattering powder-like snow, similar to my scattered thoughts that were being tossed around regarding the events of yesterday and what I needed to accomplish tomorrow; thus, I didn’t really comprehend the instructions that my ski instructor was directing at me. I couldn’t seem to concentrate on what he was saying when he corrected the way in which I was swinging my arms and body from side to side when I skied. Finally, in exasperation and with a raised voice, he blurted, “Just do this ONE THING. Imagine that your belly button is a flashlight shining the way straight down the hill. Think of NOTHING ELSE.” I was embarrassed but motivated to accomplish whatever it was he expected me to do---but focus on ONE THING? I wanted to ask, “Are you kidding?”
I seemed to instinctively inhale and exhale a few deep breaths that grounded me to the earth beneath my feet, and then I rehearsed the words aloud before I proceeded down the hill, “Belly button—flashlight—belly button—flashlight.“ My thoughts of yesterday’s events and tomorrow’s tasks and worries dissipated as if they were zapped away by a bolt of lightning. Determined, I pushed off down the hill, focused only on my belly button that was a flashlight while repeating “belly button—flashlight—belly button—flashlight.” I was able to visualize the flashlight shining its beam ahead of me—leading me straight down the hill and not from side to side. As a result, my arms and body were no longer turning and swinging. Soon, this exercise was not external to me but rather, one with me. There was no distinction between me as the subject, object and action. I was acutely aware, conscious and awake, and the experience was so fully lived, exhilarating and penetrating that I seemed to feel it vibrating in every cell of my body. I also realized, much to my chagrin, that I had compromised most of my life experiences by thoughts that distracted me from experiencing the moment.
We only have this wondrous moment that is here and NOW. The past is gone. The future may not come. To miss the moment of NOW is to miss out on the experience of living. For example, how often have we eaten a meal and not experienced it because we were distracted by our past and future thinking about other things? How often have we walked or traveled and not seen the beauty around us because we were past and future thinking? How many accidents or other tragic events occur because of this obsessive past and future thinking? How often are we simply not mindful about what is in front of our face?
Mindfulness takes practice; fortunately, we can immediately begin to practice mindfulness without formal training, which is of benefit to everyone, regardless of race, class, gender, age, and spiritual or religious affiliation. Our children, in particular, need to learn mindfulness before they develop a scattered and undisciplined mind. We should also honor their mindfulness, rather than constantly distract them. We all benefit by the practice of being conscious and awake in our daily lives, and thus, it is prudent to practice mindfulness. One of the first things we need to learn to do is to move calmly and slowly, never in a hurry to achieve an outcome. For many of us, this is an arduous task, and we need to re-learn our fast paced behavior as if having to get out our bike with the training wheels.
For example, I was considered to be, at one time, a speed walker. My son, Colby, who was an ODP (Olympic Development Player), grabbed me by the back of my shirt more times than I can count en route to a soccer game in an attempt to slow me down. He simply couldn’t keep up with me! Because I was outcome oriented, focused on “arrival” at the soccer field in as little time as possible, I missed the step by step process of the journey. I was nearly deaf, dumb and blind to each moment and to the world around me. What if my thought, instead, would have been, “I am on the path to the soccer field?” Think of all the beauty I would have experienced with my son along the way!
Mindfulness is present moment by moment awareness and noticing change in one’s inner self. It is nonconceptual, unbiased observation without judgment or criticism. It is mirror-thought and reflects exactly what is happening now. In order to be mindful, we need to forget about future outcome and focus on the moment. We choose to BE instead of DO. In other words, we do not hurry and wash a cup so we can drink a cup of tea. We wash the cup to wash the cup. We experience what it is like to wash a cup and become one with the experience. We see every detail of the cup and how we care for it by washing. If our mind starts to wander to past and future thinking, we simply bring ourselves back to washing the cup by saying, “I am washing the cup now.” We do not hurry and take a 5 minute shower so we can get dressed to dash out the door and go to work. We take a shower to take a shower. We experience what it is like to take a shower and become one with the experience. We experience the wonder of it, and if we have hot water, we savor it even more. If our mind wanders to past and future thinking, we bring ourselves back to taking a shower by saying, “I am taking a shower now.” (I once needed to take a shower and wash my hair in an outdoor shower in the Himalayas in 0 degree weather. Since that time, I have absolutely savored hot water.) We take a bath to take a bath. If our mind wanders to past and future thinking, we simply return to our bath by saying, “I am taking a bath now.” By practicing mindfulness in this way, the feeling that a task is a bother or a nuisance will disappear.
It is wonderful to believe that the moment is our friend, no matter what the circumstance. The here and NOW moment is all we will ever have, because it truly is all that we have. Every experience we had in the past was experienced in the NOW. Everything we experience in the future will be in the NOW; thus, it behooves us to make NOW the primary focus and joy of our life. After all, nothing could be more perfect than right now---this very moment.
Love-light,
Carol
http://www.carolwilson.org/
Copyright © 2009, Carol A. Wilson.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Reiki in the News/Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP)
Dearest Friends:We are seeing much needed healthcare reform in progress not only when we turn on the television. I have a couple of updates as they relate to Reiki, and yes, you can be an active participate.
1. I was invited to become an ACEP (Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology) CE provider, listed on their website at http://www.energypsych.org/ I discovered this organization through Dr. George Pratt, Chair of the Psychology Dept. at Scripps Medical Center in La Jolla, CA. George was among several healthcare professionals who enrolled in my Reiki classes last year in San Diego, which resulted in Reiki Master Teacher (RMT) in January 2009. It is always thrilling for me to train healthcare professionals who have a deep appreciation for Reiki, and we will certainly see this appreciation continue to grow. For those of you who are mental health professionals, ACEP might be of great interest to you so please check it out.
2. Pamela Miles informed me last week:
"Last week was HUGE for integrative health care, with two groundbreaking events in Washington, DC. The Summit on Integrative Medicine and Public Health was cohosted by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the Bravewell Collaborative. While that was happening, physicians Andrew Weil, Mehmet Oz, Dean Ornish, and Mark Hyman testified before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. The meeting was led by long time integrative health care advocates Senators Tom Harkin (IA) and Barbara Mikulski (MD). You can watch some of the summit by clicking here or access the presentation slides here. The Senate committee meeting can be viewed here.
There is much to celebrate in these meetings, a level of savvy and wisdom regarding health care that is unprecedented. Reiki was specifically mentioned twice. One of the summit's planners, Elizabeth Goldblatt, PhD, listed yoga teachers and Reiki teachers among the health care professionals who are involved in wellness and self-care. And Mehmet Oz, dubbed the "surgeon general of the airwaves" by Sen. Mikulski, mentioned Reiki in the O.R. when testifying to the Senate committee.
Let's take this powerful opportunity to co-create integrative health care. Contact your senators and representatives. Ask them to truly reform our system to promote health and wellness, rather than only managing disease. Sen. Harkin specifically requested that the American public do this. Our legislators need to know that we want to create a culture of wellness."
I have always loved the words of Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
Aren't these changes absolutely wonderful?
Love-Light,
Carol
http://www.carolwilson.org/
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Losar - 2/25/2009 - Year of the Earth Ox - Prayers
Dear Friends:
The New Year for Tibetans has begun, and for the next month all postive and negative actions are multiplied 100,000 times; however, because the situation in Tibet has worsened, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has asked that the usual Losar celebrations be curtailed. Please see a letter that he sent out in regard to this at http://www.dalailama.com/news.348.htm
In response, Ven. Thubton Chodron has sent out a request for prayers until March 10 in 7 languages; thus, I will post the English version. Please join if you can, and send Reiki, also. The situation in Tibet is collective karma, and impacts all of us. The prayers:
1) NETWORK OF PRAYERS FOR TIBET. If you are a practicing Tibetan Buddhist of any tradition, or a supporter of the Tibetan cause, or in general anyone who appreciates the values of love and compassion in this world, please read this and pass it to your friends and contacts as soon as possible.We are a group of international students of Tibetan Buddhism from different countries all over the world concerned about the future and the preservation of Tibetan Buddhism, Tibet, and the Tibetan culture.We have been inspired to take action after reading His Holiness the Dalai Lama's New Year message to the Tibetan people on 24/2/09 (see http://www.dalailama.com/news.348.htm
THE PRACTICE OF TONG-LEN (Taking and Giving)
This is a method for cultivating love and compassion by taking on the suffering of others and giving them the positive energy and happiness that they need. It is a mental exercise that trains the mind and heart in these qualities.There are various ways to do Tong-len; here is a simple version of the practice:First, imagine at your heart a dark ball, which represents your negative energy: attitudes such as anger, attachment, ignorance, and selfishness, as well as sickness and other problems. Then think of people and beings who are suffering; you can think specifically of the Tibetan people, as well as people and beings in other places who are oppressed, hungry, sick, frightened, and so forth. Generate a feeling of compassion: “how wonderful it would be if they could be free from their sufferings and the causes of suffering.” Then imagine drawing all the sufferings out of these beings in the form of a dark stream of light or smoke, coming out of their right nostrils and entering into your left nostril. It goes straight down into the dark ball at your heart, completely destroying it. Imagine that you have completely freed all those beings from their suffering, and the dark ball of your selfishness and negative energy, which was at your heart, has been completely destroyed. Next, imagine giving away your happiness, possessions, merit, and positive energy to those beings. Visualize these positive things in the form of a stream of white light, which goes out from your right nostril and enters through their left nostrils, filling them with happiness. Let your mind rest for a few moments in a state of peace and joy that you have been able to relieve others of their suffering, and give them happiness. Then dedicate the merit you have created that all beings may attain enlightenment as quickly as possible.
Love-Light,
Carol
http://www.carolwilson.org/
The New Year for Tibetans has begun, and for the next month all postive and negative actions are multiplied 100,000 times; however, because the situation in Tibet has worsened, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has asked that the usual Losar celebrations be curtailed. Please see a letter that he sent out in regard to this at http://www.dalailama.com/news.348.htm
In response, Ven. Thubton Chodron has sent out a request for prayers until March 10 in 7 languages; thus, I will post the English version. Please join if you can, and send Reiki, also. The situation in Tibet is collective karma, and impacts all of us. The prayers:
1) NETWORK OF PRAYERS FOR TIBET. If you are a practicing Tibetan Buddhist of any tradition, or a supporter of the Tibetan cause, or in general anyone who appreciates the values of love and compassion in this world, please read this and pass it to your friends and contacts as soon as possible.We are a group of international students of Tibetan Buddhism from different countries all over the world concerned about the future and the preservation of Tibetan Buddhism, Tibet, and the Tibetan culture.We have been inspired to take action after reading His Holiness the Dalai Lama's New Year message to the Tibetan people on 24/2/09 (see http://www.dalailama.com/news.348.htm
THE PRACTICE OF TONG-LEN (Taking and Giving)
This is a method for cultivating love and compassion by taking on the suffering of others and giving them the positive energy and happiness that they need. It is a mental exercise that trains the mind and heart in these qualities.There are various ways to do Tong-len; here is a simple version of the practice:First, imagine at your heart a dark ball, which represents your negative energy: attitudes such as anger, attachment, ignorance, and selfishness, as well as sickness and other problems. Then think of people and beings who are suffering; you can think specifically of the Tibetan people, as well as people and beings in other places who are oppressed, hungry, sick, frightened, and so forth. Generate a feeling of compassion: “how wonderful it would be if they could be free from their sufferings and the causes of suffering.” Then imagine drawing all the sufferings out of these beings in the form of a dark stream of light or smoke, coming out of their right nostrils and entering into your left nostril. It goes straight down into the dark ball at your heart, completely destroying it. Imagine that you have completely freed all those beings from their suffering, and the dark ball of your selfishness and negative energy, which was at your heart, has been completely destroyed. Next, imagine giving away your happiness, possessions, merit, and positive energy to those beings. Visualize these positive things in the form of a stream of white light, which goes out from your right nostril and enters through their left nostrils, filling them with happiness. Let your mind rest for a few moments in a state of peace and joy that you have been able to relieve others of their suffering, and give them happiness. Then dedicate the merit you have created that all beings may attain enlightenment as quickly as possible.
Love-Light,
Carol
http://www.carolwilson.org/
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Newsletter XVII - How Faith Can Heal
Dearest Friends:
Last week I received an email from Nicole Friedman, PhD, giving me a heads up about a mind & body special issue of TIME magazine: “How Faith Can Heal” by Jeffrey Kluger; thus, I immediately dashed over to Barnes and Noble to purchase a copy. It was gloomy and raining outside but I found myself not avoiding the puddles on the upper Gateway mall plaza. Instead, I was hitting them with my UGGs and making big splashes---childlike, perhaps, but I do recall what Albert Siebert, Ph.D. defined as the “The Survivor Personality”:
Last week I received an email from Nicole Friedman, PhD, giving me a heads up about a mind & body special issue of TIME magazine: “How Faith Can Heal” by Jeffrey Kluger; thus, I immediately dashed over to Barnes and Noble to purchase a copy. It was gloomy and raining outside but I found myself not avoiding the puddles on the upper Gateway mall plaza. Instead, I was hitting them with my UGGs and making big splashes---childlike, perhaps, but I do recall what Albert Siebert, Ph.D. defined as the “The Survivor Personality”:
1. Aimless playfulness for its own sake, like that of a happy child.
2. The ability to become so deeply absorbed in an activity that you lose track of time, external events, and all your worries, often whistling, humming, or talking to yourself absent mindedly.
3. A childlike, innocent curiosity.
4. An observant, non-judgmental style.
5. A willingness to look foolish, make mistakes, and laugh at yourself.
6. Open-minded acceptance of criticism about yourself.
7. An active imagination, daydreams, mental play, and conversations with yourself.
2. The ability to become so deeply absorbed in an activity that you lose track of time, external events, and all your worries, often whistling, humming, or talking to yourself absent mindedly.
3. A childlike, innocent curiosity.
4. An observant, non-judgmental style.
5. A willingness to look foolish, make mistakes, and laugh at yourself.
6. Open-minded acceptance of criticism about yourself.
7. An active imagination, daydreams, mental play, and conversations with yourself.
Perhaps we can benefit with more childlike behavior during these challenging times. I often say that never before have we not sung as we do not sing. Never before have we not chanted as we do not chant. Never before have we not laughed as we do not laugh.
I couldn't wait to dive into my newly purchased TIME magazine and agreed with Kluger’s premise (although understated), “Science and religion argue all the time, but they increasingly agree on one thing: a little spirituality may be very good for your health.” This is one of the reasons why I have focused on spirituality as it relates to health and healing rather than religion. Religion can too often focus on the differences in belief among people of various religions, and most of us are cognizant of conflict and wars fought as a result of those differences. I prefer to transcend those dualistic concepts and embrace our commonality, not our differences. Among other things, we are of the same essence, with the same unlimited potential, and our bond is that we wish to be happy. We all want to avoid suffering. Even an insect will run from suffering.
It is interesting, as Kluger notes, that our parietal lobe is active in matters of spirituality (located at the top of the head, aft of the frontal lobe, fore of the occipital lobe, north of the temporal lobe). The parietal lobe is a mass of tissue, centrally located, that processes sensory input. We put this center to work when we pray, chant, meditate, or travel on pilgrimage in search of a miracle. According to brain scan research conducted by David Newberg, MD, who has focused on the neurobiology of different religious and spiritual practices, when people engage in deep prayer or meditation, the frontal lobes take the lead because they govern focus and concentration; however, the parietal lobe powers down, which allows us to experience the sense of losing our earthly attachment. Previous research has demonstrated that changes in the brain become permanent with long-term meditators, appearing to have thicker frontal lobes than nonmeditators. According to Newberg, people who describe themselves as highly spiritual tend to exhibit an asymmetry in the thalamus—a feature that other people can develop after just eight weeks of training in meditation skills.
What positive outcome are we seeking more than any other outcome when we pray, chant or meditate? HEALTH. Kluger states, “So we convince ourselves that while our medicine is strong and our doctors are wise, our prayers may help us too.” In fact, prayer is considered a Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) as defined by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In a survey analysis conducted a few years ago, the use of CAM’s in the United States showed a prevalence rate of 62%; however, in a more recent analysis, prayer was eliminated as a dependent variable, and the CAM prevalence rate was reduced to 36%. Hang in there, everyone, as we continue to do a two-step dance with scientists who are in a quandary as to what to do with integrating spirituality with conventional medicine! I elaborate upon this in my book Healing Beyond Medicine in Challenging Times. I have to believe that progress is being made; however, we need to continue to be pioneers in a movement that will improve the healthcare crisis that exists today. Kluger says, “Speak up! More than 85% of cancer patients would not be offended if their doctors asked them about their spiritual needs---but doctor’s don’t ask.” Furthermore, “94% of patients said it was perfectly all right for doctors to ask them about their religious beliefs. Plenty of doctors have no quarrel with this---though they are less sure how to raise the topic. Still, they agree that if health-care providers suggest complementary care like acupuncture to some patients, why not faith and prayer to others?”
I have read three pages of the TIME special issue article, “The Biology of Belief”, and now I see a three page advertisement for AMBIEN®! After two more pages of reading I see an advertisement for AMGEN Wyeth followed by a three page article on “Faith and Healing: A Forum”, followed by a two page advertisement on VIAGARA®! This special mind and body issue ends with a two page advertisement by Merck for SINGULAIR®. Therefore, this special 15 page issue on faith and healing is saturated with 8 full pages of advertishing from pharmaceutical companies. Hmmmmm---Are pharmaceutical companies funding TIME magazine? The more powerful I see these companies become, the scarier it gets. They are even educating our physicians. Or shall we, perhaps, call it mis-educating? More two-steps; fortunately, we recognize the dance and continue to be relentlessly optimistic in matters of integrating spirituality into health and healing and what we know to be effective. Speak up, yes, and at the same time continue to do what we can do something about—ourselves--which will automatically impact others in a positive way. Our spiritual essence is waiting to be discovered and reclaimed, and we have the tools to assist us--tools that are inherently spiritual in nature: prayer, meditation, sound healing, Reiki, Karuna Reiki, aromatherapy, yoga….the list goes on.
AND---don’t forget to laugh and make big splashes when you hit those puddles.
Love-Light,
Carol
http://www.carolwilson.org/
Copyright ©2009, Carol A. Wilson
I couldn't wait to dive into my newly purchased TIME magazine and agreed with Kluger’s premise (although understated), “Science and religion argue all the time, but they increasingly agree on one thing: a little spirituality may be very good for your health.” This is one of the reasons why I have focused on spirituality as it relates to health and healing rather than religion. Religion can too often focus on the differences in belief among people of various religions, and most of us are cognizant of conflict and wars fought as a result of those differences. I prefer to transcend those dualistic concepts and embrace our commonality, not our differences. Among other things, we are of the same essence, with the same unlimited potential, and our bond is that we wish to be happy. We all want to avoid suffering. Even an insect will run from suffering.
It is interesting, as Kluger notes, that our parietal lobe is active in matters of spirituality (located at the top of the head, aft of the frontal lobe, fore of the occipital lobe, north of the temporal lobe). The parietal lobe is a mass of tissue, centrally located, that processes sensory input. We put this center to work when we pray, chant, meditate, or travel on pilgrimage in search of a miracle. According to brain scan research conducted by David Newberg, MD, who has focused on the neurobiology of different religious and spiritual practices, when people engage in deep prayer or meditation, the frontal lobes take the lead because they govern focus and concentration; however, the parietal lobe powers down, which allows us to experience the sense of losing our earthly attachment. Previous research has demonstrated that changes in the brain become permanent with long-term meditators, appearing to have thicker frontal lobes than nonmeditators. According to Newberg, people who describe themselves as highly spiritual tend to exhibit an asymmetry in the thalamus—a feature that other people can develop after just eight weeks of training in meditation skills.
What positive outcome are we seeking more than any other outcome when we pray, chant or meditate? HEALTH. Kluger states, “So we convince ourselves that while our medicine is strong and our doctors are wise, our prayers may help us too.” In fact, prayer is considered a Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) as defined by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In a survey analysis conducted a few years ago, the use of CAM’s in the United States showed a prevalence rate of 62%; however, in a more recent analysis, prayer was eliminated as a dependent variable, and the CAM prevalence rate was reduced to 36%. Hang in there, everyone, as we continue to do a two-step dance with scientists who are in a quandary as to what to do with integrating spirituality with conventional medicine! I elaborate upon this in my book Healing Beyond Medicine in Challenging Times. I have to believe that progress is being made; however, we need to continue to be pioneers in a movement that will improve the healthcare crisis that exists today. Kluger says, “Speak up! More than 85% of cancer patients would not be offended if their doctors asked them about their spiritual needs---but doctor’s don’t ask.” Furthermore, “94% of patients said it was perfectly all right for doctors to ask them about their religious beliefs. Plenty of doctors have no quarrel with this---though they are less sure how to raise the topic. Still, they agree that if health-care providers suggest complementary care like acupuncture to some patients, why not faith and prayer to others?”
I have read three pages of the TIME special issue article, “The Biology of Belief”, and now I see a three page advertisement for AMBIEN®! After two more pages of reading I see an advertisement for AMGEN Wyeth followed by a three page article on “Faith and Healing: A Forum”, followed by a two page advertisement on VIAGARA®! This special mind and body issue ends with a two page advertisement by Merck for SINGULAIR®. Therefore, this special 15 page issue on faith and healing is saturated with 8 full pages of advertishing from pharmaceutical companies. Hmmmmm---Are pharmaceutical companies funding TIME magazine? The more powerful I see these companies become, the scarier it gets. They are even educating our physicians. Or shall we, perhaps, call it mis-educating? More two-steps; fortunately, we recognize the dance and continue to be relentlessly optimistic in matters of integrating spirituality into health and healing and what we know to be effective. Speak up, yes, and at the same time continue to do what we can do something about—ourselves--which will automatically impact others in a positive way. Our spiritual essence is waiting to be discovered and reclaimed, and we have the tools to assist us--tools that are inherently spiritual in nature: prayer, meditation, sound healing, Reiki, Karuna Reiki, aromatherapy, yoga….the list goes on.
AND---don’t forget to laugh and make big splashes when you hit those puddles.
Love-Light,
Carol
http://www.carolwilson.org/
Copyright ©2009, Carol A. Wilson
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Thank You
Dearest Friends:Happy Valentine's Day. My son just completed his first photo shoot of Cicily Diane, born on February 4 at 6 pounds 12 ounces. Cicily sends gratitude for your thoughts, prayers, wishes, and Reiki during her extended hospital stay in NICU. (I found the headband at Magical Child in Encinitas, CA.)
Love-Light,
Carol
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Reiki in the News
Dearest Friends:
This is a story of a 7 year old boy with neuroblastoma. He underwent chemotherapy for seven months for 11 cancerous tumors and was sent home to die. His father and grandparents opted not to try an experimental drug, Tapotecan, that could damage his kidneys and heart, meaning he would have only a 50 per cent chance of surviving the treatment. Instead, they choose alternative treatments, including Reiki! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1136870/The-boy-11-tumours-sent-home-die--survives-grandparents-alternative-therapy-treatments.html?ITO=1490
As you read the reaction of modern medicine to his "healing", those reactions are against our healing rules. If we listen to that kind of pessimism, we allow modern medicine to force "their" predictable outcomes onto people.
Love-Light,
Carol
As you read the reaction of modern medicine to his "healing", those reactions are against our healing rules. If we listen to that kind of pessimism, we allow modern medicine to force "their" predictable outcomes onto people.
Love-Light,
Carol
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Newsletter XVI - Archived Newsletter - The Ferris Wheel of Life
Dearest Friends:
I just returned from viewing the Monet to Picasso Exhibit at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts from the Cleveland Museum of Art. I have heard that the University of Utah spent $5 million for this exhibit to be shown here, and it ends this Sunday; thus, I wanted to write this newsletter now because a few of you might be inspired attend this event. I doubt that we will see one like it again here in Utah. For more information visit www.umfa.utah.edu
I love to visit cemeteries. I used to teach my Death and Dying class at the cemetery near Ft. Douglas on the University of Utah campus. Some people thought it was rather strange, and at the time I didn’t realize why I was compelled to do such a thing. It was only years later when Evans-Wentz mentioned a yogi practice called “cemetery frequenting” that it made sense to me. Yes, “cemetery frequenting” is an exercise in the Law of Impermanence, reminding us that all extrinsic phenomenon is impermanent. If we realize and understand this on a very deep level, we will not grasp or cling or become attached to those things that have no lasting permanence. The big pay-off in avoiding this attachment is that we will avoid a lot of suffering from what we perceive as loss. Here in the west it is quite easy to get stuck in this phenomenon called loss without acceptance--all part of what we call life.
I realized how difficult it was for people to accept loss when I showed the movie “Fall of Freddy the Leaf”, designed for elementary school children as a tool for death education. During the movie, the audience grew fond of animated Freddy through his birth in the spring and his joy in the summer. However, as autumn came and the leaves on Freddy’s tree started to fall, which included his friends and family and neighbors, there was a hope that Freddy would not fall but rather, that he would hang on and and remain the happy, animated Freddy that we had grown to love. Yet, the leaves on Freddy’s tree continued to fall one by one, and sometimes in clusters. Finally, Freddy, all alone, clung to the limb that he had called home. It was difficult to accept that he, too, would fall to the ground even when suddenly, a huge gust of wind came and threw him upward, past the highest limb. Freddy fell…and fell….and fell….until he finally rested on the ground. As I observed the sadness of the audience in seeing this, I saw how pervasive it is in our society to deny the certainly of death rather than honor and celebrate the cycle of life where death only brings rise to re-birth.
Thus, with this discourse as a prelude, my son, Colby, and I, attended the exhibit of Monet to Picasso at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts on the campus of the University of Utah. Many years ago, as an English teacher, I knew that many of our greatest writers were true Bodhisattvas in that they gave us messages to awaken and enlighten and thus, help to alleviate what is known to us as suffering. I also feel the same way about so many of our great artists who never experienced fame and fortune during their lifetime as Hollywood celebrities or successful entrepeneurs. They were not motivated by, nor did they experience this fame and fortune but rather, they were driven by purpose through their own passionate expression. When this expression portrays the cyclic nature of the human condition as a ferris wheel going around and around and around and around, it can actually motivate us to step off---and in an "ah-ha" moment--hold a higher and thus, liberating view.
I might as well have been in a cemetery yesterday, with the Law of Impermanence staring me in the face. Not only did so many artists experience an untimely death but their deaths represented a spectrum of how one leaves this existence. My favorite artist, Paul Cezanne (French, 1839-1906), died of pneumonia. It can be comforting for those who have lost a loved one in this manner to know that illness and disease cuts across all culture and ethnic groups and does not discriminate the rich and poor, male and female, young and old----
I studied “LaVie”, a painting nearly 2 meters tall, which depicted the onset of Pablo Picasso’s (Spain, 1881-1973) melancholy “blue period”. Picasso, at the age of 21 painted this when a dear friend of his, Carlos Casagemas, committed suicide after being rejected by his girlfriend. This piece portrays a woman holding a baby, Casagemas and his girlfriend, a nude couple and a single, grieving woman---I saw it as representing a cycle of life. I remembered that despite Picasso’s life of much hardship, poverty and desperation, which included the devastating death of his 7 year old sister, Conchita, who died of diphtheria, Picasso died while entertaining friends with his wife, Jacqueline. He seemed to be celebrating his life in death, and this is what I admire the most about Picasso.
I could actually feel the emotion in the canvas of “The Red Kerchief Portrait of Mrs. Monet” by Claude Monet (French, 1840-1926). Isn’t that what makes art so great---when it arouses emotion? Mrs. Monet is outside, walking in the snow and glancing in through a window. Claude Monte never sold this portrait of his wife but kept it close to him throughout his life after she died 18 months after giving birth to his second son. What is the message as she is passing by this window? She is doing exactly that---passing by. But the intriguing question is--did he know on a clairvoyant or claircognitive level that their time together would be brief in their present incarnation?
I have been amazed at how many artists were botanists as was Odilon Redon (French, 1840-1960) prior to painting "Vase of Flowers". True, Gary Young has brought essential oils out of the dark ages, but so many artists love plants and flowers and trees and nature, and thus, they share their beauty and meaning with us. These artists recognize the power of the earth, water, fire, wind, and space elements and depict them in their art. They don't call themselves healers or Shamans but their art exudes some undeniably shared fundamental and universal truths. If you have an opportunity to see “The Poplars at Saint-Remy” by Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853-1890) you will feel the communication between the poplar trees in the foreground and catch a glimpse as to why Van Gogh was so moved by their spirit. It is he who stated, “The way to know life is to love many things.”
I was surprised to see so many sculptures by Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), including “The Thinker.” Throughout his tenure as an artist, he was criticized and rejected for his work, but he never changed his style. He was true to himself, despite the unfavorable opinion of others.
I have only mentioned a few of the deeply moving pieces I was fortunate to see yesterday. And, although I certainly do not claim to be an artist, I do appreciate those who came before us and those who will come after us---those whose experience and expression offer insight into the many lessons we are here to learn.
Love-light,
Carol
www.carolwilson.org
Copyright @ 2008, Carol A. Wilson
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Archived Newsletter XV - July 7, 2008 - Believing In What You're Doing
Dearest Friends:
I will never forget my father saying, “If you can’t do it right the first time, don’t do it at all.” I used to think that his perfectionist attitude was the result of attending military schools his entire life —first at Georgia Military College in Milledgeville Georgia, which included all grade levels, and then at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland where I was later born when he was teaching physics there. However, I have recently found myself telling students, clients and friends: “If you don’t believe in what you’re doing, don’t do it at all.” Hmmmmm---
The truth is that I’ve been in the healing trenches with people long enough that I have accumulated some anecdotal observations. One of those observations is that when people believe in what they’re doing, the outcome is positive. However, it is often difficult for people to believe in much of anything when it comes to healing, particularly if they have had negative experiences in regard to their health care, which is often impacted by their own painful life experiences. So, they “kind of” hope and “kind of” wish and “try”---but believing---well, believing can be such a stretch.
As for myself, I concluded a long time ago that I wasn’t going to waste a minute of my time doing anything that I didn’t believe in---as in “be true to yourself”. It also didn’t matter what people thought about that, either. I am making an analogy here because I honestly see people who are concerned and even fearful about what their family, friends, doctors and peers will “think” if they realize they are into “alternative” and “complementary” methods of healing such as Reiki. After all, they might think Reiki is rather whacky despite the fact that Reiki has gone mainstream medicine.
I actually believed in Bhutan’s Drukpa Kunley (1455-1570) fertility wang (blessing or empowerment) when, in 2005, I asked for a fertility blessing for a student of mine who had just experienced her 5th miscarriage. I believed that this blessing would result in a child, and 11 months later she delivered a healthy baby boy. Thus, when my own son and daughter-in-law were unable to have children after nearly four years of marriage and beginning to accumulate some serious medical expenses for infertility work-ups, I wanted to return to Bhutan earlier this year and ask for a fertility blessing for them, also. Believing in Reiki and some other healing modalities is rather conservative when compared to appreciating the life mission of the beloved Drukpa Kunley, also known in Bhutan as “The Divine Madman”, an enlightened Master, recognized as the reincarnation of the great Mahasiddha, Saraha, and from the Kagyu Buddhist lineage of Tilopa, Niropa, Marpa and Milarepa. Born in Tibet, Drukpa Kunley was precocious as a child and had a full memory of previous incarnations; however, after his father was killed in a family feud, he became disillusioned with the world and became a monk, dedicating himself to a spiritual life. Then, in his early 20’s he discarded his robes and became an ascetic wanderer or neljorpa (yogi) who discovered and gained control of his spiritual power. His behavior, exploits, songs and humor were outrageous, wild, and often obscene--an example of the Tibetan tradition of “crazy wisdom”--but never for personal gain or self-aggrandizement, but rather with a spontaneous desire to benefit and Enlighten others. Often viewed as irreverent when he mocked “the establishment” and man-made rules and prescriptions, he developed an unorthodox teaching style that shocked people out of hypocrisy, greed, stiff and rigid ideas, religious dogmatism, attachment, and egoistic self-possession—things which he felt kept people from learning the Buddha’s true teachings. His miracles were undeniable; i.e. turning a small quantity of tea into amounts for thousands to drink; exorcising evil spirits, transforming demons, and instantaneously transporting himself to far away locations. He never killed an animal for meat without restoring the animal back to life. He is even credited for the creation of a species of animal, the takin, by putting together the remains of two different animals (a goat’s head and a cow’s body)!
To honor Drukpa Kunley, Drukpa’s cousin built a yellow-roofed monastery in 1499, known as Chimi Lhkhang, near the town of Punakha, Bhutan in the valley below Metshina, which was dedicated to fertility. Each year hundreds of childless couples come from Bhutan (and now from around the world) to pray for children and receive a fertility blessing, which includes having a lama bless the couple on the head with a large wooden and bone phallus. Yes, I want you to know that I went through this ritual in proxy for my student and more recently for my son and daughter-in-law, making a donation and giving the lama their names written on a piece of paper.
I believed in what I was doing. I hiked once again for about 20 minutes across rice fields to the monastery that sat afar on a hill…past many modest, Bhutanese homes in Pana with a white flag on the roof swaying in the breeze—an indication that their home had been blessed by their lama, past a white chorten with prayer wheels, following a tiny stream downhill to Yoaka (“in the drain”), across an archery ground, past more wind tattered prayer flags jutting more than 40 feet into the air, and finally, finally—a short climb to Chimi Lhakhang monastery with monks playing in the yard without a care in the world. Once inside, we were able to view a central statue of Drukpa Kunley with his beloved black dog, Sachi.
Not once did I “hope” or “wish” that this blessing would be effective, nor did I want to “try again to see what happens.” I never even considered that it was quite absurd for an educated person as myself—trained to respect reason and rational order---to travel thousands of miles once again and go to such lengths without concern for any one’s opinion. I just believed in what I was doing….totally....100%….not even half a bubble off.
My dear friend, Elka, from Bulgaria, also received a fertility blessing for her youngest son. And yes, just so you know---both Elka and I are both going to be a grandma in February---11 months after our sons received a fertility blessing from Chimi Lhakhang, the monastery of Drukpa Kunley near Punakha, Bhutan.
Our lives are blessed with miracles; yes, I love the word miracles (considered Judeo-Christian) even when I hear people say that they cannot stand the word. I say that I love the word miracles because it is the world in which I live. But, we need to believe in order for them to manifest, even when our lives get so chaotic and complicated that the simplicity of that principle gets lost somewhere. Another wonderful miracle in my family this month is that my youngest daughter just returned from a trip to Italy with her boyfriend—ENGAGED. Yet, before she believed this could happen, she joked about writing a sequel to the book How To Lose a Guy In Ten Days.
Finally, to those of you (over 200) who attended Lama Ole’s teaching and received so many blessings here in SLC, thank you. There are many of you whom I wanted to visit with but I was multi-tasking beyond my capabilities, I’m afraid. I was fielding phone calls from Europe and doing dozens of other things that I hadn’t planned on, including the fact that I needed to be the tech person during the lecture even though I had hired a tech person for the evening.
Boundless Love-Light
Carol
Copyright @ 2008, Carol A. Wilson
Monday, March 24, 2008
Archived Newsletter XIV - March 23, 2008-Pilgrimage
Dearest Friends:
Happy Easter. I am safely home. A few of you were closely following the international news while I was gone, and a couple of you emailed me with great concern. I regret that I did not have access to my group email address book or I would have sent a group email to assure everyone that I was fine. It is true that a helicopter crashed in Kathmandu, and everyone was killed. I had mentioned to a few of you that I would be going to a Himalayan region from Kathmandu in a helicopter; however, it was a United Nations helicopter that crashed, and the loss of life was tragic. Also, the New Delhi airport strike was horrific but ended a couple of days before I was to depart although the strike affected some of our group members. The hotel I was to check into in New Delhi had to shut down because of a roof collapse or other problem but those of us who were scheduled to stay there managed to find other accommodations. However, the biggest concern was the situation that is ongoing in Tibet. Two days before I left New Delhi I came across a protest near the Tibetan market, and I am including a 182 picture slideshow of that protest. Picture 66 is Erin, my roommate from Norway, who is holding a sign “Stop Killing in Tibet.” As you watch these pictures, try to understand the frustration that the Tibetan people feel after near 50 years of Chinese rule in Tibet http://www.pbase.com/khandro68/delhi_tibetan_protest&view=slideshow
I would like to ask you to please join the growing world support to take action against the atrocities committed by the Chinese. I have been closely following this situation for years, and I do not believe there is one living Tibetan who feels there has been any advantage to Chinese rule in Tibet. A few months ago the Chinese military shot and killed a young Buddhist nun who was bringing children to Nepal so they could live in religious and cultural freedom, which was captured by mountain climbers on film. I believed at the time that this event that would be a catalyst for action; however, more recent events and just prior to the Olympics in Beijing, has created a momentum that might truly see some positive outcome results. Please take a few minutes of your time to complete the following petition, and I thank you in advance from the deepest place in my heart: http://www.avaaz.org/en/tibet_end_the_violence/
With a pilgrimage comes endless blessings, and it was such a joy to see Maggie again and my friends who went on pilgrimage with me in 2005—Elka and Nikolay from Bulgaria. As far as the challenges and obstacles I faced and the suffering I experienced, it was a wonderful opportunity to purify karma. I want to share this with you because so many of you suffer, and it is a difficult concept to understand the fact that we live our karma. There are no stray bullets that strike us, and we are not victims. There really is fairness in the universal law of karma or as John stated, “As ye sow, so shall ye reap.”
While our pilgrimage group of 51 people was in Bhutan, a man from Argentina discovered that he had a very large tick on him that was embedded underneath his skin. I didn’t realize what a serious situation this can be and that people can die when a tick is not completely removed; thus, Maggie and a few of us took him to a hospital in Bhutan. I have several pictures of this tick, and I thought it was a rather gross situation. We were at the hospital for quite some time, and a 74 year old medical doctor from Germany proceeded to remove the tick. Of course, by that time I was thinking that any tick that got near me was asking for death….so of course, there was one near me in my room that night, and in human response, I did kill it. I was already sick from an all day trek that we had taken in the snow and rain to the Tangui Gompa of Tulku Tenzin Rabaye Rinpoche, whom I met two and a half years ago in Bhutan when he was with Je Khenpo, the spiritual head of Bhutan. When Tenzin Rabaye Rinpoche was just two years old he began talking about historical events of 15th century Bhutan and was recognized immediately as a reincarnation (parents—just imagine what this would be like). Now he is about 14 years old and not only received us in his private quarters but also gave each of us an individual blessing. Any way, the trek was not ordinary climbing. We were climbing up rocks, and I had no rain repellent gear on (only a shower cap, and yes, it did look ridiculous).
That night I could hardly move from physical pain and discomfort but the itinerary moved forward, and that night I was at the home of the Princess of Bhutan, Asi Sonan, in a dress and tortuous high heels. It was an evening of tea, food, and conversation but what was most special was that we were invited to sit in the beautiful gompa in their home where monks and their lama chanted special prayers for us. Their lama also did individual MO divinations for us until midnight. Please understand that Maggie is very close to the Royal Family of Bhutan, which is why we have seen Bhutan from the inside and visiting places owned by the Royal Family that are not on the tour circuit. A couple of you have asked what tourist agency I have worked with, and there hasn’t been a tourist agency. For both of my pilgrimages to Bhutan, I was invited by Maggie who was the personal translator of Lopon Tsechu Rinpoche for 15 years, who was the Uncle to the Queen of Bhutan.
Back to the tick. The lesson I have learned from this is to travel with a jar to “catch the insect in.” There was also a spider in the toilet in Bhutan. My roommate, Erin, had gone to the bathroom and noticed a spider in the toilet so she ran into the room to tell me. We stood over the toilet as she tried to build a bridge with toilet paper so the spider would come out but it was not an effective strategy (he went in the opposite direction) so we both starting saying mantras for this spider. I have to tell you that it was probably the most humorous thing that happened because everyone was waiting for us at the dinner tables, and we were standing over the toilet saying mantras for a spider. Finally, I looked at Erin and said, “Let’s not think about this now”, and I closed the lid. I truly experienced some karmic suffering for both the tick and the spider. I not only got “near pneumonia”, suffered from altitude sickness (we were at 10,000 feet but I have never had altitude sickness before), but also got carbon monoxide poisoning from riding in an open 3 wheeler for a few hours in New Delhi, a very large city with much traffic). One night I decided that I either had to call Maggie, go to the hospital or come home to America. I ended up doing none of those things but I will say that I have never been so ill. My attitude, of course, was that karmic seeds I had planted had now come to fruition, so I did what I could, with all of my tools, to alleviate as much pain as I could and embraced the process with gratitude because I was paying a debt now that I wouldn’t have to pay later.
When some of my friends and students have karmic diseases, they often tell me that they have done nothing wrong to deserve such suffering so I am here to tell you how imperfect I am in that I, too, suffer from unvirtuous actions such as killing a tick and giving up on a spider; however, I will never do such a thing again because I will be prepared with my insect jar.
The highlight of my pilgrimage was to spend eight days with His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, Trinlay Thaye Dorje, at the Karmapa International Buddhist Institute (KIBI). After meeting with our group and giving us each an individual blessing, he gave a four day teaching on the “37 Practices of a Bodhisattva”. He first taught it in Tibetan and then translated the teaching himself in perfect English. He said that he first received this teaching when he was 12 years old and talked about how precious this teaching was to him and how much it has helped him. We also received teachings from Khenpo Tsering Samdrup, the main instructor at KIBI and also, Professor Sempa Dorje, a renowned Buddhist scholar, who has been teaching the Karmapa in Kalimpong since he was 10 years old. The Karmapa told us that it has been a “luxury and a joy” to learn from him; thus, for Professor Dorje to teach to another audience was such a blessing for us. Also, Tsultrim Namgyal gave several days of teachings about his experiences with His Holiness the 16th Karmapa. Tsultrim Namgyal is often seen in pictures holding the Karmapa’s Black Crown. The Karmapa then gave three days of initiations (empowerments), and when I learned that one of those initiations was Medicine Buddha, I realized why I was there since Medicine Buddha greatly enhances the healing work that I do, and I had only received the lunge from Lama Ole a few years ago.
What was most meaningful to me, however, was when the Karmapa talked about all of the blessings we had received and then said, “These blessings will remain with you until you reach Enlightenment.” Because all extrinsic phenomenon is impermanent, and the happiness that we cling to in this world is a temporary happiness, to know that those blessings would remain with me was deeply meaningful. For more information and 48 wonderful pictures, please see http://www.karmapa-news.org/?id=443
In many of the sacred and powerful holy places on our pilgrimage, Maggie told us to make strong wishes; thus, I made strong wishes for all of you---that you will be free from suffering and that you will have devotion to your spiritual path, whatever that spiritual path might be---Buddhist or non-Buddhist.
Finally, those of you who asked that I purchase singing bowls or malas for you, yes, my luggage was lost but it was delivered to me at 2 am this morning. Please email me and let me know if you can come by this week. Those items traveled with me on my entire pilgrimage, and the malas were blessed by His Holiness the 17th Karmapa (I have a dozen extra for those of you who want one, and in fairness to everyone, it is best that I include that information in this newsletter rather than pick and choose whom I might wish to have one). The weight of the singing bowls (85 pounds) was not easy to work with as far as transporting, including the ride back to my hotel on a motorbike. My purse was swinging on this kind man’s motorbike, and I was holding 85 pounds of singing bowls between myself and his back. As you know, the traffic is quite crazy in Kathmandu, and at one point in time, we were trapped between a car and a bus, and just as I thought the bus was about to take off my right leg, he HIT the side of the bus very hard. I learned that hitting the side of a vehicle is an emergency signal for “STOP.” I am very grateful for that.
A few of you have asked me to give a talk about my pilgrimage; thus, I will not share further stories here but will hopefully plan for a presentation sometime in the near future.
Boundless love-light,
Carol
www.carolwilson.org
Copyright © 2008, Carol A. Wilson
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