by Joan Gattuso
A fearful/negative thought arises. Replace it with a thought of the serenity of the Buddha or Jesus or the Christ within.
A fearful/negative thought arises. Replace it with a thought of prayer or a thought from a sacred text. What I teach people experiencing great hardship is to pick up any spiritual book, open it at random and read for fifteen minutes. Peace will be found in your selection.
A fearful/negative thought arises. Replace it by speaking with your spiritual teacher or a prayer partner. Unity has prayer partners who are available to pray with you twenty-four hours a day. Call Silent Unity at 1-800-NOW-PRAY (1-800-669-7729). This powerful and wondrous prayer line has been operating continuously for almost one hundred years, and it is a perfect connection when you are in need of prayer support.
These are most meaningful and beneficial methods to utilize the power and truth contained within the Three Jewels.
2. Activate the antidotes previously shared and do so mindfully, consciously, practicing again and again and again. Do not grow weary of practicing. Say your current challenge is excessive attachment to your things and money. Practice opening up the purse strings of your life and give generously to organizations and causes you believe in—your sangha, your church, to a homeless person, to a child selling candy. I always give to the Girl Scouts, but if I am in a sugar-free stage of my life, I tell the little girls to keep the cookies themselves, or give them away, or keep them to sell a second time. Try it. It feels good and comes with no extra sugar guilt. Practice giving generously, and if you are doing so as a spiritual practice, you will soon begin to notice how good it feels and how many unexpected blessings come your way.
3. Practice eliminating all residue energies. Notice them and mentally sweep them away. We do not give attention to these energies so they will not ease their way back into our consciousness and manifest in our lives.
We must have a deep and abiding spiritual practice to be successful in this endeavor. Sometimes the Dalai Lama makes his point humorously. A few years ago while I attended his teaching, he said, “You can’t solve your inner problems with a big house, a good car and pretty colors painted on your face! Only through a warm heart and compassion can we solve our inner problems.” I enjoy our medium-sized home, my car and having makeup on my face, but none of that could ever define who I am. No lovely stuff can ever define who you are.
When we have these negative mental afflictions, they cause our minds to narrow, our energies to constrict. For example, if a major mental affliction is judgment, and we do not have room in our hearts for people different than we are, then we become very narrow-minded, constantly judging others. We think that for someone to be acceptable, they must be just like us—the same race, same education, same social status, etc. Such attitudes truly cut us off from the richness of a diverse life.
We can now take this teaching to a global level as the Dalai Lama does when he applies it to world peace. “World peace is not going to fall from the sky,” he said, “and world peace is not going to rise from the earth. World peace begins with the individual.” You are that individual.
When we experience the mental affliction of warring thoughts in our own minds, how can we possibly expect to have peace in our homes, peace in our community, peace in our nation, peace in our world? This is one reason it is so very important to resolve any personal conflicts we may have.
While doing extremely intensive inner soul work with a medical intuitive, my inner ferocious warrior emerged. “He” was quite frightful to my present persona and very different in expression. His modus operandi was to attack, to do battle, most often upon me. It felt like I was being stabbed over and over between the ribs of my back. I suffered from terrible physical afflictions and diseases beginning with the onset of this century. It all stemmed from the force and control “he” once wielded over me. This may seem a bit far out, as it once did to me, but my proof lies in my experiences. After landing in the hospital three times on both sides of the Pacific, after experiencing two hellacious episodes of pleurisy, and after having raging shingles that created a cruel semicircle of painful rash (both outside and in) around my left side, I was willing to take a fresh look at what was going on.
My medical intuitive doctor said it was the residue of a 500- to 600-year-old warrior, a stocky, muscular young man who still lived in me and presented himself in nasty ways, attacking from within and without. The doctor and I did months of work to convince him he had to go.
Where I had once carried warrior energy, it has now been cleansed from me. I no longer need to put on my armor and do battle with the dry cleaner for losing some clothes or with the carpet cleaner for doing a mediocre job. On and on my list could go. In every situation I still communicate what needs to be said and done, not from my warrior, but from a centered, composed part of me. If whatever happens doesn’t go as I would like, I now realize it just doesn’t matter. I realized I can live a full and happy life without my white cashmere sweater. When I reached that state of mind, the sweater returned!
Living without the warrior is very peaceful. My mind is not crowded with mental afflictions. While vacationing with friends of ours, both longtime warriors, I shared my experience, and they both “got it.” John Henry calls us regularly to report on their experiences and to tell us what a difference dropping the warrior is making in their lives.
Many of my generation had to awaken the inner warrior to do what we needed to do in our youth. And in our youth it often served many helpful purposes. The time comes, however, when more skillful means of living our lives emerge. Then the warrior must go.
Those of us in America live in a bountiful land of plenty. When we wage war in our thoughts, how can we expect Iraq to come to a peaceful accord? We expect the Israelis and the Palestinians to stop warring. But have we stopped warring in our thoughts? Have we stopped warring with our families, our colleagues, our friends, with those we dislike, or even with those we say we like or even love?
We have to become mindful of everything we do, because everything we do matters. Our manner of living has an enormous effect on our planet to either continue war or to bring forth peace.
“The concept of war is out of date,” said the Dalai Lama, who received an enormous ovation when he made that statement. Earlier he said, “War is organized, legalized violence.” Ponder that thought. It is the concept of killing people to bring forth peace that is outdated. We are not living in the dark ages but we so often act as if we were.
Let us remember that the enemy is not “out there.” The only true enemy is in us, as our mental afflictions. “We have met the enemy, and he is us,” as the cartoon character Pogo stated many years ago. In order to have outer peace, we must have inner peace. When we have inner peace, it leads to peace in our families. When we have inner peace, it moves in our society. When we have inner peace, it moves into our government leaderships. Then we can begin to have global peace. The focus required to bring about such vast transformations is almost indescribable.
Lama Chonam, the young Tibetan monk who so often speaks to my heart, says, “We Americans [he has become a citizen] expect our political leaders to act like they are our spiritual leaders.” They are not our spiritual leaders. There may be a spiritual side to some of them, but when they live and act solely from their political natures they often disappoint us. I have expected our political leaders to act as conscious beings, and I used to get quite perturbed when they did not. They do not because they cannot at this point in time. They have not yet discovered who they truly are. May the words of Lama Chonam bring peace to you as they have to me.
At one session I attended, the Dalai Lama asked the twenty thousand people in attendance to join with him in setting a long-term goal. Many of you, along with many in the audience that night, are familiar with setting goals. He asked us to set a long-term goal for demilitarization, for disarmament, for the end of war. If we would join him in setting that goal, then we would end unnecessary suffering, if not in our lifetime, then in the
lifetimes of our children or their children.
If we are to have an end to war, be it in ourselves or upon our global stage, we must start within our minds and hearts. That is where peace begins. It doesn’t fall from the sky, but rather it emanates from within us. This is where we have disarmament. This is where we have peace.
Om, Madna, Padna, Hum
—CLASSICAL MANTRA
THE ETERNAL CONNECTION
THERE IS AN eternal connection between the mantras of the East and the affirmations of the West. Here East meets West.
Mantras are found not solely in Buddhism but in Hinduism and other Eastern religions such as Sufism as well. Mantras are said to be protectors of the mind. Affirmations and their use have become very popular in the West, having grown out of the late nineteenth-century metaphysical movement. An example is, “Every day and in every way I am getting better and better.” Over the years that particular affirmation has been altered to say, for example, “healthier and healthier,” or “stronger and stronger.” Now they are popular in mainstream America as a spiritual tool, as well as a tool to better performance in athletic pursuits and increasing self-esteem, to name two uses.
AFFIRMATIONS — MANTRAS
An affirmation acknowledges the truth in us. Said Charles Fillmore, cofounder of the Unity movement, “When we affirm, it is to hold steadfast in mind or speak aloud a statement of truth.” We don’t make the statement true by affirming it over and over again. We affirm it over and over again because it is true. The repetition is about steadfastly establishing it in our minds.
The key word here is “steadfast,” when life appears to be going to hell in a handbasket. One holds steadfast to the truth of his or her being. This is connecting with the inner essence that is never altered by circumstances. We hold steadfast and do not waver, because when we waver we get wavering results. We remain “strong like a tree.”
This establishes in our own consciousness the truth. We do not, cannot, make something true by affirming. But by affirming we are calling forth that within us which is already the truth. Affirmations are the “yes” action of the mind. They lift us out of false thinking into the consciousness of spirituality. In a like manner, a mantra clears the mind of monkey-mind chatter so that the clear mind of truth is available. Deeper knowings and truths then naturally rise into this consciousness.
Science says we can only focus on one thought in any given moment.
As I wrote these words in Hawaii, my husband rushed into the room and said, “Sorry to disturb you, but you must look out the side window.” When I looked I saw in all its perfection the full arch of a bright and clear rainbow, all its seven colors delineated. In Hawaii we see many rainbows, and I am so grateful each time that each one holds wonderment and appreciation for me. A rainbow is a visual affirmation of hope of the innate rightness of our world. A bow in the sky is a promise of God’s eternal presence.
When we chant a mantra or declare an affirmation, we bring our minds to one-pointedness. One point of focus clears the mind of all the extraneous contaminates. The chatter ceases, and we can pause and exhale and feel peace and calm. I have become quite committed to using mala beads and repeating a mantra the suggested 108 times. One favorite is “Om, Madna, Padna, Hum,” which truly clears my mind. If I am feeling troubled or disturbed, I hold the prayer “I seek refuge in the Buddha, dharma and sangha” in my mind. To make it less Buddhist and still engage the same potency, I say, “I seek refuge in the Christ [or God], the spiritual law and my spiritual community.” Gandhi’s constant mantra for more than forty years was “Rama, Rama, Rama” (God, God, God). These were the final words on his lips as his life force slipped away.
Mantras definitely clear out the mental confusion and return one to one’s center. Tibetan monks chant particular mantras, often a sutra, so that their minds do not drop into mental sinking. We in the West affirm, so that our minds do not drop into negative thinking, which is our way of saying mental sinking. This prevents our minds from dropping into the Five Aggregates.
A sutra can be likened to a beautiful prayer that, when chanted over years, can bring enlightenment. When a group of monks chant a beautiful sutra, they really are, we could say, affirming the truth of that sutra in their lives and in the lives of all sentient beings. For this is how they pray, always including all others.
When I feel stressed, a favorite affirmation of mine is, “I abide in the light and joy and peace of God.” This is the truth, and when I feel stressed I affirm it often. Let’s suppose you are having a really difficult day, one filled with stress and upsets. Instead of declaring “I am stressed” over and over, simply affirm, “I abide in light and joy and peace” over and over. Repeating this will create a shift in consciousness and in your perceptions and experience. Your focus has shifted from the stress to the inner truth of your being, which is light and joy and peace.
We can see the similarities found in the two seemingly different paths. When we look deeply, we can see the common vein of truth running through various spiritual teachings. Of course there are differences in the language and the practice, but the nugget of truth within both is identical.
One of my favorite affirmations that my husband and I have practiced throughout the years is “I love you, God,” affirming our love for God, our connection with God. It stills the chatter and reconnects us at any moment we choose to focus on the Divine.
A frequently chanted sutra from the Heart of Wisdom Sutra is:
Form is emptiness.
Emptiness is form.
This sutra is something the Buddhists focus on extensively. I used to not have a clue as to what it meant. Form can be defined as anything in this world of appearance, everything that is impermanent: your clothing, the chair upon which you sit, the table, the floor, the house, the door, etc. The Buddhists tell themselves this and retell it constantly in order to fully come to an understanding that form is empty, empty of any intrinsic meaning. Buddhism suggests you not invest your life or your treasures here, because it is empty.
When an experience feels empty for you, check this out. Have you not attempted to fill it with form, and the whole situation came up lacking? It is empty of inherent meaning. It does not mean anything. On this earth plane we can get so easily confused when we think we are our possessions, our degrees, our lifestyle, our careers, our wealth. The Buddhists keep saying they are all empty. Don’t be tricked. Form is emptiness. Flip it over and Emptiness is form. They are the same.
Anything that does not endure forever is empty. How incredibly freeing this sutra has been for me. It has enabled me to shift my relationship to things. I am not an ascetic in this lifetime, nor have I any desire to be one. I enjoy beauty and creature comforts, but I know from the depths of my being that they do not define me. I have learned in the letting go of my attachments has come the greater and easier flow of blessings and miracles in my life.
Here is a recent example from my life. We had lived in our Ohio residence, a condo on Lake Erie, for fourteen years. My husband, David, said he had a “less than zero desire to move.” On the other hand, I had wanted to move and have a home and garden for several years. Then we purchased a second residence in Hawaii. Well, I got my home, even if it was six thousand miles away. I simply let go of the thought of moving. Form is Emptiness. Emptiness is form.
Then three years passed, and on a fluke a realtor from my congregation and I were going to take a look at a nearby home that was on the market. She knew we were not in the market to buy because of David’s “less than zero” interest. So we were going to see this house just out of curiosity, and just as we were about to leave, David came home and announced, “Oh, I’ll go along. I don’t have anything else to do right now.”
We arrived at the house for sale, and it was absolutely beautiful, filled with light, with high ceilings, skylights, brightness, openness, airiness, soft colors . . . and David fell for it! He immediately said, “Let’s buy it.” I was stunned. And to make a not-too-long story shor
ter, in ten days the deal was closed. We didn’t spend six months of our lives looking at possible homes. We did not look at dozens of homes. There was no inner struggle, no angst at leaving our old and lovely condo. There was no attachment, going or arriving.
Our new home is beautiful, inviting, nurturing, serene . . . and it is form. And David and I know it is form. As a metaphysical teacher, I know the principle well. We can have whatever we want. And while having it, we might as well make it pretty and enjoyable. But we don’t get attached to it, for therein lies the pitfall.
Jesus said not to lay up your treasures where moths and rust will destroy them. Do not lay up your treasures (those that are truly valuable in your life, in the impermanent, in the illusionary), for they will prove to be empty, and the day will come when we all see the emptiness of form. For some this realization does not come until the moment of death. Often I have witnessed those filled with remorse or still in denial while on their deathbeds. This is truly sad. What were their lives all about? Don’t miss your soul’s growth in this lifetime by overlooking the truly valuable.
Here is a great shopping exercise. As you are browsing through merchandise, and the thought rises that you have to have some particular thing, just stop yourself and silently affirm, “(Name this thing you want) Form is emptiness. Emptiness is form.” Use this mantra to shift your internal perception.
Understanding the union between emptiness and form leads us to an understanding of ultimate truth. This is what it takes to wake up—ultimate truth. Ultimate truth leads to nirvana—a pretty, happy life of love, joy, service, peace, compassion, equanimity, knowing, fulfillment and bliss.