One of the things the East has to offer us westerners is their acceptance of death. It is a part of life. Everything that takes birth dies. Here we avoid aging, and the natural cycles of life. And I think this avoidance is connected to our avoidance of the realities of life. I like the quote from Buddha that says, when we see someone suffering, do we ever stop and see our connection to that suffering too. Or when we see or hear of someone dying, do we stop and say "One day my time will come too." That practice brings us healing and compassion.
One of the greatest healing modalities I heard was on KCRW. It is O' Pono Pono. (I am spelling it phonetically). It is the practice of looking within when something disturbing happens. It is along the lines of what Bill Wilson (A.A. Founder) had written: whenever I have a problem with someone else, it is a spiritual axiom that there is a problem with me. The practice of O' Pono Pono, is a tool we can use to look within. With the upset in mind we say to our innermost selves, "I am so sorry this happened to you." We bring compassion to bear on ourselves and the situation. That simple practice brings about a profound shift. It brings us back to a state of love, acceptance and equality. It brings healing to our world.
It reminds me of what my yoga eskimo told me years ago, "That which you resist persists, and that which you love (accept, forgive) you gain mastery over."
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