On Sunday at church, Rev. Tony gave a talk about the concept of “what I see in other people is actually something active in myself.”
He spoke of “form vs. content,” a concept in A Course in Miracles, and gave this example: Two people are at a party, both of them feeling unworthy. One might retreat into a corner and hope no one notices them. The other, having the same sense of unworthiness might feel the need to call all the attention to themselves, wearing a lampshade on their head, etc. The “form” is different, but the “content” is the same.
He went on to say, any time you feel an emotional charge around a person or a situation…whatever you dislike about them, is active in you. You might express it differently, but the underlying emotions are there. The classic example which came to mind for me is the bully/victim relationship. Both feel weak and afraid. The bully deals with feelings of weakness, by picking on someone else who appears vulnerable.
And isn’t it always the cheaters who are the jealous ones? Show me a very jealous person and I’ll show you someone who can’t be trusted. Hello mirror.
The following video is the meditation which followed Rev. Tony’s talk. He asks you to picture someone you hold a grievance against. It starts out dark, for meditation, and then lights go up as the music starts.
A year ago Riley helped me overcome my fear of singing. Around seven minutes in, Riley and I get up on stage with our friend Kathy and sing a song we heard while taking part in Ohio treasure Hal Walker’s Intergenerational Peace Choir a few months ago. Walker wrote it based on a Mayan greeting, En-lak’ech Ala-kin, which means, “I am you, and you are me.”
I am your self.
The great news is, it works both ways. It’s not just grievances. The good you see in others is active in you. The beauty you see in others is the beauty in you. The kindness is your kindness. The love is your own love reflected back.
Come meditate with us, won’t you? Come here us sing. It’s not perfect, but I guarantee, what you see in it will be the perfect reflection of you.
Love.
* You can download Hal Walker singing this song and more Hal Walker music at CD Baby. Or visit his website for more info on Hal and his music.
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing this wisdom and light. I experience this most profoundly in my relationships with my kids; the things that make me the craziest in them are the things I hate most about myself.
Love.