Compassion for All of Humanity

Yesterday I had the unique and wonderful opportunity to participate in something amazing. I have long respected the work of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama and was fortunate to be able to attend his 80^th birthday celebration in Orange County, California on July 5, 2015. The things I took in from the moment I arrived are still being processed within my being. His Holiness is an amazing and wonderful teacher and the lessons are not just in the words that he speaks but also within everything that happens around him.

As soon as we pulled into the venue you could hear the chants and drum beats of the anti-supporters. I just observed them and the commotion they created without reacting realizing that in all likelihood, His Holiness would hold the same compassion for them as he does everyone else. After we parked the car and made our way to the venue, there were the real supporters, the every day people and those who silently explained what the anti-supporters were about. There was no hatred for the anti-supporters in return and I’m reminded that here in the U.S., we do have freedom of speech. Although why we would speak out against compassion is still something I struggle with a bit. I have much learning to do.

The events within the event we witnessed were simply put, amazing. Wonderful performances of various kinds in celebration of our having the Dalai Lama with us here for 80 years! Truly it is a blessing. If there is anything I’ve learned in this life it is to reach for compassion no matter what you face for in so doing you can alleviate much self-imposed suffering as well as beginning to ease the suffering of others.

The event presented wonderful and famous leaders, entertainers, academics and fellow Nobel Peace Prize Laureates. Again, I’m reminded that while His Holiness is a great supporter and leader of Buddhist doctrine, he is also the head political leader of his nation, Tibet. It is interesting how politics and religion seem always to clash and yet here we have it in one individual and this individual supports and holds compassion for those who follow all paths whether or not they are his own and whether or not he personally believes in those paths. His personal belief is not forcefully imposed on people. His compassion seems endless and that is miraculous in this world. Yet another lesson learned.

We are faced with choices in everything we encounter. For a very long time I have tried very hard to stay A-political publicly. I do have my own opinions and have been called an “F-ing liberal” on more than one occasion with much ire. I don’t begrudge the labelers as long as they do not force me to live against my truth (and I fully understand that my free will ends at my person – a personal rule of thumb). I try instead to understand their perspectives whether they are name-calling, belittling or attacking. 

I’ve tried to stay quiet mostly because I’ve seen people torn apart by religion and politics and frankly I just wasn’t strong enough to deal with it. Now I realize it isn’t a matter of strength so much as it is a matter of holding compassion no matter what you face or how it comes to you. So, I had to think very hard about what it is that I truly stand for because I can no longer silently just think and wish or hope that things will change. As I learned yesterday, we have to take action.

The things I care about most in this world relate to humanity and providing for it despite borders, cultures or religious beliefs. I’m an American by birth but in my blood there are so many countries, Ireland, Scotland, England, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, India, Slovenia, Slovakia, German and that is just one side of my family. You see, although I was born in North America, I cannot find myself saying just “God Bless America” and be satisfied with that. Why not “Bless all of Humanity?” I’m grateful to have been born where I was born, I’m incredibly grateful for all of those who help us maintain the constitutional freedoms we enjoy here and I deeply respect every single soul who fought for freedom throughout the ages against any form of oppression. I willingly pay my taxes even if sometimes a bit begrudgingly because I don’t necessarily agree with the majority in terms of how that money is spent. I’d prefer it not be spent on so many wars I’m not behind but I’m part of a country and I must stand with it or decide to find peaceable and compassionate ways to influence more positive outcomes.

I think no matter where you were born you will find good things and not so good things about the soil on which you were born. “Be grateful any way,” is how I think. But I go back to something that I learned again and I go back to what I stand for again. I stand for humanity. I stand for all cultures. I stand for equal rights. I stand for freedom of speech and freedom of expression. I very strongly stand for uplifting rather than degrading human beings in any way shape or form.

I realize that every human being across the planet has their beliefs and all will take action on those beliefs as they see fit. I believe in protecting humanity, uplifting humanity, healing humanity, feeding humanity, sheltering humanity and supporting humanity. So now I think enough with good thoughts alone. It is time now for action. I write, I inform, and try to point out that no matter what degree of a circle you stand upon with your belief, there are 359 more degrees. I prefer to teach people to look at their beliefs and truly understand them, all of them. If we could learn about and understand what blocks our ability to love ourselves and each other, hold compassion for ourselves and each other and to support ourselves and each other, I think we could change the world.

The Dalai Lama wants to see compassion in this world – much more of it. I have to say that I stand with him with every cell of my being and every shred of all that comprises my consciousness. The events of the day yesterday, his words and presence, and the love inspired in the thousands in attendance were proof to me of just how effective and powerful love and compassion can be. It doesn’t require any dogma or money and it doesn’t require blood. It just requires an openness of heart and spirit. To me that is something that seems so simple. I wish that every human could feel this beautiful thing and realize no matter what soil you were born upon, no matter your culture or your beliefs, when you can find the heart of compassion you have become among the richest of human beings in the world. When you find it, share it. That’s what I learned in all of my years and saw summarized in a wonderful tribute to a great spiritual/political leader yesterday. I’m just in awe and will be forever grateful for the opportunity. Thank you His Holiness the Dalai Lama for all the compassion you embody and for sharing your special day with us in the West. We love you. Blessings of great love and compassion for all.

© 2015 Jaie Hart (photo/words)

Contemplating Purple

I sat quietly on my patio tonight.  To my immediate left was a small terracotta pot that I planted a tiny deep purple daisy bush in many months ago.  The poor plant barely made it through the winter and was looking so frail and lifeless.  I spent a lot of time with that plant over the past few months just sending my appreciation for it’s beauty.  I watched it come back from the brink of death and it began to bloom again.  Not satisfied, I continued to spend more time in the evenings sitting next to it, sending it love and all of the blissful thoughts and energy I could muster.  I noticed tonight that the purple color of each of the flowers has deepened.  It’s also so full of life and blooms that you cannot see the little pot it’s planted in at all.  I was captivated by just how beautiful it was and I gently stroked a few petals here and there.  I suddenly wanted to meditate and did for a few moments.  I felt so much peace and the amazing thing is that peace seemed to emanate much stronger on my left side than my right.  Even more amazing was that I suddenly felt my left arm tingle as if one of the flowers was stroking my arm.  Okay, I know it’s a stretch but it was a beautiful thought just sitting there deeply entranced in shear appreciation and then feeling it come back to me.  

I wonder about the application of this very simple concept.  If we spend a lot of time nurturing ourselves, others, situations and whatever else is our focus, if we send love and expect nothing in return, if we gave just for the joy of giving and felt nothing but gratitude just for the opportunity to give and to witness transformation…what might we discover in this world in terms of our power to consciously create?  Hmmm, for now I’m sticking with plants.  I’ve got a little ficus tree that isn’t looking very happy.  I’m going to move it over to my flower garden next to the beautiful purple daisies.  That plant is so filled with love I’m just certain we can bring the little tree back to life too.  I love it when I feel a deep appreciation for anything in nature and then it responds with a glorious display of color, light or even simple peace. ~sigh~  I love this world.  I just love it so much.  I don’t care if it’s hard.  I don’t care if the lessons sometimes make me cry.  I don’t care if sometimes it feels like I’m on my own with not another soul in sight who understands me and my crazy mental meanderings.  I laugh at these thoughts realizing they are just an illusion.  The truth is that my feelings only stem from thoughts that I create and allow to exist.  So, I think that I shall acknowledge the challenging thoughts and thank them for showing me such beautiful contrast to joy and peace and I will do the same for pain, emptiness or that feeling of alone.  These are more beautiful things to teach me in contrast to look higher or deeper for the truth.  Love is such a powerful tool and gratitude the beginnings of love at it’s core is just, well, amazing.

Find something wonderful to love and if its not wonderful, make it so and love with all your heart.  Experiment with this feeling and notice just how truly powerful the emotion is in terms of creation in this beautiful world.  Your results, no doubt, will be pleasing, amazing and undeniable joyful!  Be blessed dear souls.  I’m off to go sit in my garden some more and contemplate the beauty of the color purple!

(c) 5/2012 photo/words Jaie Hart

Dream in Love, Dream in Light

Oh this dream grows ever more interesting…the sights, the sensations, the knowledge and experience gained.  I shake my head sometimes in awe of the connections and confirmations everywhere I turn.  The design of life is both beautiful and tragic, seemingly.  It truly is a matter of perspective.  We can focus on demons and darkness or shadows.  We can focus on angles and light or love.  It’s all up to us and the way we wish to dream as well as what our soul dictates we most need to learn while we’re dreaming here.  What I think I love the most in this world are those moments between daylight and night or night and daylight – where every energy, breath and thought hangs in perfect balance.  When that perfect moment of equanimity strikes,  it has an unmistakable impact on the soul, the mind and even the heart.  In those rare moments of balance and clarity, we know that everything is truly perfect.  I love life so much and this dream, well, goodness.  All I can seem to say is that it is truly, sincerely, divinely perfect in every step and breath, experience and sensation.

In those very quiet moments in which I feel I am most alone, I reach out with my soul and I can feel how much I am a part of everything and then, if I really let go and tune in, I begin to really comprehend that I am never alone.  In quiet moments of stillness and peace I can feel the heart beats of all those I love both on this side of the veil and beyond.  It’s true what they say that love—once you find it or it finds you, it is never ever lost. 

 Love is the one thing that we take with us where ever we go.  It’s essence is more valuable than all of the gold and other precious elements of this Earth and among all the stars and planets in existence.  The soul is made for love and compassion to both give it and receive it.  We need only open up to it and let it flow.  It’s so simple.  All of the drama we create to divert our attention and create our lessons—I laugh sometimes.  We are like master programmers of the most amazing games and dreams we can imagine.  We set the pace, the time-frame, the keys and levels –all of it.  We are the master planners, gatekeepers and dreamers.  It’s so funny how much fog we create to obscure our own divine vision.  But rest assured that you are the architect and as much as you create diversions and walls, shadows and smoke, you always retain the power for mastery and clarity of your own designs.

We are so powerful.  Our words give off so much magnetic energy.  We draw to us those things we need born of the very thoughts we think.  We drive and yet we do not know we are in the driver’s seat.  We create unimaginable things and start to think, “this is too much for me, hand it over to God, let God deal with it” – always seeking rescue.  We are children of Source and our benevolent Creator has empowered us with the gift of creation in our own lives.  If we have created something that is too much for us, we need only clear our minds, our hearts and our thoughts and create anew, create more cleanly with greater love, compassion and understand.  We hold the tools and the powers to manifest our divine destiny.  We just unconsciously wield those tools and power.  Step into your light and Source given love and strength.  Master your world in clear confidence that it is perfect, you are perfect and your brothers and sisters dreaming here with you are also perfect.  See the truth through the illusion of small-minded thinking.  You are better than that.  So much better than that.  Be the love and the light you want and need most in this world.  Heal the pain from the illusions you have created with your own minds…see your experiences from a macro view point instead of the micro view of an ego wounded and fearful and you will be free.  You will learn to control the elements of your dreams.  Step out of the shadows and shine your lights. Give yourself permission to throw off unnecessary mind-created limitations and step more closely into the Mind of the All of Everything.  Life is beautiful and precious.  Enjoy your dreams in love and pure light.  ~Blessings dearest souls.

(c) 2012, Jaie Hart (photo source imprinted on photo and is not mine - I just love it.)