Maintaining the Inner Connection

James Ray was just indicted on three counts of manslaughter.  As the story unfolds, it seems that he stood by while people were throwing up, calling for help, and losing consciousness.  According to news stories neither he nor his staff went to the hospital to see how participants were or to name those who had no identification so family members could be with them.  It seems that he continued to hold introductory sessions to bring more people to his retreats and workshops without first dealing with the tragedy of what had just happened. How could that be with a man who teaches self responsibility and spiritual growth?  As I pondered his situation, I felt his disconnection with his heart, which is a disconnection with Inner Spirit. 

Isn’t that a wake up call for all of us?  If the principles we speak are words without heart, they become lifeless.

I often remind people to become observers of life, stepping back long enough to see the full picture.  That kind of observation brings you closer to the heart, not more distant.  As you see with detached involvement, you know clearly when you and others are lost in the human perspective and you also feel when you are aligned to the deeper part of yourself.  So from this observation point you may see that people who were part of Ray’s retreat chose to be there for their own spiritual growth, even to the point of dying.  Yet, you feel the fear from them and others in that tent.  You acknowledge the grief of family members who must deal with the fall-out from this experience.  You pay attention to the human reality while still knowing there is a bigger picture.

For me, the Dali Lama embodies that kind of detached involvement.  He radiates love in the midst of cruelty to his people.  He recognizes the human potential for greatness and the potential for cruelty.  He observes, he cares, and when he acts, it comes from that inner space of connection.

What strikes me is how vigilant we must be, paying attention as the observer so we notice when we become disconnected.  It is not enough to hold certain “truths.”  These “truths” must be lived from the heart.  We are always both human and divine, that’s why we call ourselves human beings.  Perhaps we could write human-beings with a hyphen to remind ourselves of the connection.  Either human or being by itself is a disconnection.  The wholeness is ever present.  The connection is never lost.  Yet, our human filters can often lead us to see just part of the picture causing us to act from that limited human perspective.  This opens the door to cruelty, power trips, and so much more.

As you reflect on this story, notice how James Ray vividly shows us what disconnection can look like.  Step back from your life and see it for what it is.  Where are the places of disconnection—even seemingly insignificant places in your life?  Use your intention and attention to bring alignment into those places. 

Complementary Color Therapy is a simple way to facilitate that connection between the human and the being.  http://www.TransformationalTools.com/training