Julia Griffin - author
Spring Newsletter 2018
I was struck recently, whilst transcribing a meditation that Paddina had given in 1995, with the words "Learn to look for God in all Men and in everything, no matter how much evil seems to be on the surface. Yes, this is difficult but it can be achieved."
So, how do we try and have these thoughts naturally? Are we saying that we need to be more generous with our thoughts? Are we saying we need to focus on why something is done or why someone is the way they are? I know that the Great Mind is within each and every one of us, and that for everything there is a reason and a purpose. And yet, as Paddina says, it is difficult to look for God in all Men; and I think especially at this time when there is so much evil.
So, perhaps we should ask ourselves why there is so much evil, and why there is so much that might cause us to forget that God is in all Men and in everything. Evil exists because it has been allowed to exist and grow strong through our collective weakness over time. Evil feeds on weakness and is only filling a void where our mind should be.
Without the full use of our mind, with all the strength and clarity that brings, are we not making ourselves vulnerable to being repressed by fear? This fear can stem from a history that is unique to each and every one of us. But, surely we have some responsibility? At a given time in our life, there may be the chance, the thought, to think a little about ourselves. If we can find courage and strength to consider how we are and what is the real you and what is not, then this is healing and rewarding for the Spirit that is within us.
So, if we are to look for God in all Men, I believe we need to have found some inner peace. Because only after battling through our own inadequacies and flaws, making mistakes and coming to some understanding, can we have a quietude that allows for a clearer vision and a greater understanding as we consider others and their lives.
More silence and listening enables more thinking. More thinking allows us to see the God in everything and in everyone.