To look or not to look – that is the question

 To see or watch or read the news-or not 

Recently I attended a wonderful conference. It was a Buddhist Counsellors and Psychotherapist conference. The theme of the conference was Inner Peace, Outer Action and the speakers, including Stephanie Dowrick, Venerable Robina and Dr. Eng Kong Tan were some of the best I’ve heard in a very long time. During a discussion one woman in the audience mentioned that she and her husband no longer  listened to or watched the news any more  as they saw it as a negative experience and they were choosing to have only positive feelings.  I have heard other people say the same thing.

This idea that if we avoid bad news we are not getting caught up in the negative energy doesn’t really make sense. What is avoidance if not in itself negative? It’s a bit like putting our head in the sand and pretending that if we don’t see it,  it is not really happening.

 Mass Consciounsness

Every family, community, culture and religion has it’s own mass consciousness.  Every country and indeed our whole planet exist beneath a web of energy that swells, and rolls and falls according to the energy of the masses. Our television and newspapers play a big part in manipulating mass consciousness, however, they also give us the opportunity to rise above it. Rising above mass consciousness, above the chaotic undulations of misery, suffering and confusion can only be accomplished by choosing to accept all that is. There is a big difference between accepting all that is and resigning to it. Accepting something as it is, leads us to making  positive choices about what we do next. Resigning ourselves to a situation is synonymous to shrugging our shoulders and saying there is nothing we can do about it. Resigning is all about being defeated where as accepting is about empowered choice. To accept something does not mean we have to approve it. It does not mean we have to surrender to it either. To accept all that is also brings us into balance. It opens our eyes and our hearts to the one great truth. Everything Changes. So how can we watch the news and read the paper and discuss the events of the world without falling into a black hole of negativity?

  Beyond Judgment

Stop judging what we see and hear as good or bad, right or wrong. It is what it is. And now what do you choose to do about it?

Knowing that whatever happens is part of a much, much bigger story and accepting there will always be part of the story we don’t understand is a good beginning. Since we were children we have been taught to judge our fellow human beings. She is being a good girl. He is being cheeky. She is popular. He is a bully. Be nice and share your toys. She is pretty. He is clever. These are all judgments.

We are given countless ways to judge ourselves also.

We SHOULD feel calm. We HAVE to finish the assignment on time. We OUGHT to visit our ageing grandmother. I MUST ring up my friend. I SHOULDN’T worry. I HAVE to calm down.

All these negative thoughts only cause us to feel more negative about ourselves and each other.

So the next time you see the news or read the paper see if you can lift up and out of your automatic emotions and know in the heart of your being that you actually don’t know. We don’t know why, or what is the higher purpose for anything.  Some things that happen are balancing Karma and trying to stop them may prolong or even intensify the Karma.

    A Meditation for our Planet

If you feel frustrated in not knowing what you can do to make a difference simply go into meditation. Surround yourself in whit light, breathing the light into every cell. Call upon your higher self, your guides or whatever feels right and ask to be protected in love and light. Imagine you are holding the planet in the palm of your left hand and with each breath surround the planet in soft white light. Don’t focus on any place specifically. Breathe love and light around the planet and then let it return to its rightful place in the solar system. It might seem simple but we often make things far more complicated that necessary. It is a powerful meditation.

Comment (1)

  • Pamela Baker

    Couldn't agree more Sharon. Compassionate awareness enables us to make empowered choices. Trying to see beyond the turmoil to find understanding can be challenging but being defeated benefits no one, least of all, oneself. Everything we think & say ultimately is a judgement but maybe what's more important is how we act on them & the imprint we create in the world. Pam

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