We Belong To Each Other!

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten we belong to each other

Mother Teresa words can be interpreted in many different ways. We all have a sense of belonging. That fact is apparent in our families, friends, churches, and business structures. It's important to belong to someone or something; it gives us the comfort of knowing we are not in this life drama alone.

We have a physical connection with others who are similar to ourselves and connection brings us love, laughter, and rewards, as well as anger, pain, and judgment. We balance all these emotions within our individual consciousness and project our own type of peace into our world. Our lives have purpose; we have a sense of unity.

I took part in a writers tele-conference last night and there were some technical difficulties that prevented the moderator from connecting to the number. Graciously, one of the other participants took over the conference, and tried to help connect the person who was having problems getting in. Most of the people on the call(about 20) didn't know each other personally; we had each read something the others had written, but that was all we knew of each other. When the temporary moderator tried to get our original leader connected, the rest of us on the call were disconnected, and that happened twice. Rather than being frustrated, annoyed or angry about the situation, each participant called back to continue the conference. On the third attempt our original moderator was on line and we began our discussion, and had a wonderful meeting and learned some things that would have been missed if we would have just not called back.

This group of strangers wanted to connect and have a peaceful feeling of energy exchange. We belonged to each other and shared our well-being in the form of writing. We had formed a new family from that call and everyone benefited in some way.

Mother Teresa looked at the picture of who we are, and how we treat each other. It is easier to belong to the ones closest to you, but what about those we don't seem to understand? Those we are in physical conflict with?

We do belong everyone just as much as the strangers I met last night. We resolved our differences by communicating with patience, and we learned from the experience. We learned something new about each other and formed a respect that will continue, as we grow. Just by thinking outside of our range of comfort we change our reality at one point in time. Reality is shaped by our beliefs and influenced by notions of belonging.

The Elephant,The Candle, And The Eye Of The Sea

Andrew Harvey's book, Teachings Of Rumi, explains how we establish beliefs, by seeing only a part of reality. It shows the differences we see, looking at the same thing. It describes how we can learn to trust our inner feelings by focusing on them, rather than just seeing things externally.
The work shows us that we are capable of imagining anything, in the face of the unknown, and it becomes real to us. If you touched your spirit in the dark, what would it feel like to you? OK, how about when you shine a light on it?

The Elephant, The Candle, And The Eye Of The Sea

Some Indians took an elephant into a dark house to exhibit it. People entered the house to try and find out what it was like, but since it was too dark for them to see anything clearly, they each had to feel the elephant with their hands. One person put his hand on its trunk and said, "This animal is like a water pipe!" The hand of another brushed its ear; it seemed to him like a fan. Another seized its leg and declared, "The form of the elephant is like a pillar!" Another put his hand on his back and proclaimed, "The elephant is like a throne!"

Each time anyone heard a description of the elephant, he would understand it through the particular part he had touched. According to whichever section of the animal they had encountered, people's affirmations differed. If each of them had held out a candle in the dark, all differences between what they said would have vanished.

The eye of outward sense is only like the palm of a hand; how can you discover an elephant in its totality with just a palm? The eye of the sea is one thing, the foam another; leave the foam aside, and see with the eye of the sea.