Dear friends,
Goodness gracious! The news has been challenging, to say the least: inflation, war, elections, recession, mortgage rates, hurricanes and warming, etc. etc. How can one hope to maintain equanimity and a cheerful disposition in the face of such things? I am glad you asked…
This ties in with something I have mentioned before: the question of what we are here for. Our birthright is joy. Our birthright is uplifted consciousness and a feeling of Spirit within us and guiding us. Yogananda said this world is here for our amusement and education. Clearly the news is not amusing or entertaining, so it must be here for our education. But what exactly is it we are supposed to learn?
There is a difference between emotions and feelings. The finer feelings are never about you. Joy is not about you, though “happy” is. Joy is deeper and more inward than that, and is not dependent on passing circumstances. Love is not about you. “I love you when you are nice to me” is not love. Empathy is not about you. Service is not about you.
Emotion is always about you. Anger, guilt, regret, worry, frustration… The list is long, and they all are some form of wanting things to go in a way that will make you happy. True detachment is not a closing of the heart. It is an opening of the heart, because when we put our own selves aside we feel more joy. More love. More of all of the finer feelings.
If you see someone struggling, why would you not help? “I don’t have time,” “I don’t like him,” “I worry it will not go well,” etc. Our natural state is to serve. It is self-concern and self-preoccupation that blocks the natural desire to serve.
When reading the news does your heart open with compassion, or does it make you tense, worried, and angry? The lesson for each of us is to develop the faith that the world is doing its thing, and our job is to move through it and help where we can. To do that we must put our self-concern aside. It is not about not acting; it is about acting from true centered heart feeling and not emotion or angst.
Even the most horrific things have a purpose we cannot see. But that is usually too much of a stretch for us to embrace. Fair enough. But do not start to absorb this by selecting the hardest of situations. No one starts weightlifting by choosing the heaviest barbell in the gym as a first attempt! Start with something smaller and try to embrace it as coming from Spirit. Even the attempt will yield positive fruit.
This is greatly worth doing. Too, Yogananda suggested going on a “news fast” from time to time. Most of what we read are things we can do nothing about and they are designed to agitate our nervous system. No real need for that.
And lastly, how about reading some good news? There is actually lots, but it does not make the press. Go to Good News Network for a nice, interesting, and uplifting daily collection.
But the lesson for us is to learn to be able to read whatever we read with a clear mind and an open heart. It is not easy, but directional improvement will stand us in good stead not only with the news but with all the challenges of our lives. May we grow in both understanding and compassion with whatever circumstances come to us.
Blessings,
David G., manager
for the Gang at East West