Try

You don't have to try so hard!
(Colbie  Caillat, Try)

The other day a woman at the Spiritual Networks community remarked that she always feels so tired when she meets old friends. When I asked her why, she revealed that she always tries to help everyone and that this often leaves her exhausted. The Way doesn't work like that. Sure, we are encouraged to help friends in need just like everyone else is, yet the amazing realization along the Way is that we in fact are lifting ourselves up as we help others. Healer and the friend to be healed both grow spiritually as the healing unfolds, and both are always matched up perfectly, as is the time of healing. So when the healing actually takes place, very little effort is required.

There are also the friends who need healing but at times they may not be ready to receive it. Everyone learns at their own pace. Be patient for God is! You always get signals when to step in and when to mind your own business. Just fellow these signals. Who knows why things happen the way they do. Perhaps we ourselves are not ready to perform the required healing at that particular time with that particular friend. So if you feel exhausted, take a step back and find out what's going on.

Walking the Way is at times hard too. We are encouraged to overcome demons of our own making and that is hard work indeed. Yet the moment we awake to this fact, the tension immediately releases. Wake up at this moment of fatigue from your slumber and the Way will always show you the opportunity to transcend all this. You don't have to try so hard - just listen to the Way and you will know what to do!

There Must be Another Way

The Course in Miracles was born when the head of a psychology department got fed up with the quarreling of  his colleagues and one fine decided, "There must be another way!" A working group to find a resolution was formed and Helen Schucman volunteered to participate. Around that time she heard voices in her head. A couple of years later 700 plus pages of deep spiritual insights formed the book.

It is a little hard to stomach the idea that Jesus Christ channelled his updated message to the world with the help of a modern day psychologist, but it is not hard to see that Helen Schucman's mission is yours as well. You must have seen for yourself that well-meaning people get lost in their aspirations and career strive, or that seemingly healthy friends suddenly have to face life- threatening diseases; that some of our parents disintegrate in front of our eyes, or that even some of our children have to face the harsh realities of life well before they are supposed to. Why should we accept any of this stuff. There must be another way!

The Course in Miracles has become a religion for some, but you can test its main premise like any scientist would. In sum it claims, "There is no miracle you cannot have when you desire healing." Well, try and see whether it works in your vicinity of influence. When you see dysfunction, and when you are sufficiently fed up with the situation that you are willing to let go of your agenda, try to see what happens when you approach your environment with the goal of healing instead.

The surprise you will be in is the realization that our minds and fates are entangled in way beyond your comprehension. As you seek compromise, so will your friends, colleagues and so-called foes. As you drop your guard, so will they. Try this conjecture, what exactly do you have to lose? The good thing about dysfunction is that there is little downside in trying something new, but lots of upside if you succeed.

There must be another way! The truth of the matter is that there always is, but the change has to start with you. Make healing your hypothesis for a while and let us know what happens. A new prospective is well worth the try!

The Master is Serene in the Midst of Sorrow

Failure is an opportunity.
If you blame someone else;
there is no end to blame.

Therefore the Master
fulfills her own obligations
and corrects her own mistakes.
She does what she needs to do
and demands nothing of others.
(Tao Te Ching)

An important lesson plan of life is to take ownership for everything we are going through. Experience all emotions whole-heartedly, stop looking for comfort from others and for solutions from the outside. Stop drowning the void you are feeling deep inside with pleasures rides and stop blaming others about what comes your way. When we are willing to look inside we are sure to find a fountain of energy, a pillar of strength, and for the first time we have a shot at understanding what is truly happening to us.

All your heartbreak, all your hurt and all your wounds are really not new.  They are just old injuries coming back to the surface. Think back and try to remind yourself of similar patterns in the past. There is only one way to stop this pain, face it wholeheartedly this time around. The pain you are facing today is a perfect opportunity to look at yourself deep inside. As you are willing to do that, and as you are bold enough to face the burdens of the past, healing will surely come your way. Get it done with, for once and for all. But if you are too scared to look at the demons inside, the pain and suffering is sure to come back.

What applies to us must apply to others as well. Let other people deal with their own fate. Just like we gained strength by facing our demons, let them conquer theirs by going deep inside themselves.

The Master remains serene
In the midst of sorrow.
Evil cannot enter her heart.
Because she has given up helping
she is people's greatest help.
(Tao Te Ching)

We all need to walk through this dark valley alone to realize that we have the inner strength to face everything that comes our way. Every emotional turbulence faced with courage and resolve can be transformed into joy and love. Be brave!  When you are ready to be healed, all the help is coming your way!

By Christian and Su Zhen

On True Happiness

Clean up, clean up,
everybody, everywhere.
Clean up, clean up,
everybody do your share!
(Nursery Rhyme)

There is the belief in the spiritual community that we all have the right to live in peace, love and happiness, and sure enough, we have many of these moments. But there is also the realization that all the people who are struggling in our vicinity are very much part of us. Whatever struggle our soul sister is facing may just be the issue we are not quite facing ourself. Whatever our children go through may just be the homework we still have to do. Who knows which party caused the pain and who knows who exactly is helping whom in the recovery process. We are all in it together and we have to lift ourselves out of the hole we once dug.

Cleaning up can be a lot of fun. Standing by others and being part of their healing process brings happiness.The secret of the Tao is to be open to all experiences and accepting them whole-heartedly. Yesterday my six year-old son sat next to me and started reading what I had written up to this point. I figured that he would remember the nursery rhyme quite well, but that the section about the struggle of our friends would be over his head. Nevertheless, I asked him afterwards what title he would give this note and he responded "happiness". He is right. Happiness is the knowledge that you have a job you love, a mission that you live for; that you are surrounded by people you love, and knowing that everything that comes your way will make perfect sense to you one day. May peace, love and happiness accompany you no matter what!

Meeting the Guardian Angel Along the Rocky Road

She is so young and beautiful.  With her shiny black hair, slim long legs and amazing figure it is not hard to imagine that the boys line up to be with her. And  looking at her sweet and shy smile, with her cute boyfriend sitting next to her, it is difficult to imagine what she had gone through.

 Her parents divorced when she was eight years old. She felt like her safe and trusted world was ripped apart that day and afterwards she drifted like an abandoned ship.  For almost a decade she was looking for her lost love and innocence. An unsettled soul looking for a harbor to put down her anchor. Given her vulnerability,  it was no surprise that she changed lovers like others change clothes.  All these unsuccessful attempts to find love only added to her burden of sorrows. From there is was only a small step to drugs, magic pills and injections. At least for a few moments she was able to experience heaven that way. As you can imagine, her life spiraled down fast. It was hard to see much hope for her.

It turns out that God is always ready to provide a helping hand. Along every rocky road there is an angel looking out for you.  When she experienced her worst slump, a family member arranged a therapy for her.  Magically, her life made a dramatic turn afterwards. A young life saved for good. She was able to walk away from the drugs and the bad company she was in. For the first time in her life she got a job and made a living for herself; for the first time she bought a new car with her own money, and the first time, she settled down with a decent young man.

You never know why things work out the way they do. In the therapy session the girl was asked to work with an alcoholic of 30 years. Perhaps they inspired each other; by the end of the session he too had managed to beat his addiction. No situation is hopeless and it is never too late to turn your car around. Don't fear the rocky road, a guardian angel always sits nearby.

By Su Zhen

On Healing the World

What is a good man but a bad man's teacher?
What is a bad man but a good man's job?

Accept the world as it is.
If you accept the world,
the Tao will be luminous inside you
and you will return to your Self.

Do you want to improve the world?
I don't think it can be done.

The world is sacred.
It can't be improved.
If you temper with it, you'll ruin it.
If you treat it like an object, you'll lose it.
(Tao Te Ching)

Can we really say who heals whom? Who exactly is "bad" and who is "good"? The only thing that matters is that there is a loving interaction of two friends. Wherever there is love there is natural healing. The bible says, "wherever two or more are gathered in My name, there I will be." It is the mind set that matters as you approach a person or a situation. Meet someone with an open mind and a loving heart and a miracle is bound to happen. Approach someone with an attitude of superiority and the environment will be tainted. A Tao traveler is down to earth not because he is special in any way, and not because he is a saint, but because he has seen the truth of the Way: On planet earth there is no up and down, no here and there, no me and you. Along the Way there is only another priceless opportunity to receive love, healing and a glimpse of our Self.

Falling Down

Some of you may remember this sad movie from the 80s in which Michael Douglas plays the role of a recently laid-off character who also suffered through a divorce in which his wife got a restraining order against him, keeping him away from his child. As the movie progresses you see his tensions rising and - in his perception - the world increasingly turning hostile on him. Eventually it all erupts and he loses his life over it.

Yes, we are able to fall that much. Little psychological cuts are part of our life; we all have to endure them whether we are spiritual or not. These wounds might be some karmic debt, some repressed hostility or insecurity that begs expression, or simply some random acts of unkindness. In small doses we have no problem absorbing them. Perhaps you can compare yourself with a lake. If a near-by plant releases small toxic doses from time to time, the environment absorbs it all and cleans itself in the process. If the pollution becomes a steady stream instead, there will be a level that kills the entire lake. Our situation is not that different.

We always enjoy observing little children as they play.  When they have just lost a soccer game they feel distraught; offer them an ice-cream afterwards and they forget all about it. That is how things ought to be if you had a bad day at work. You go home, relax, put your mind on something else and after a good night's sleep you are your old self the next day and everything about yesterday is water down the bridge.

The truth is, it rarely works that way. There are periods when it doesn't rain but pours and as you get really wet you also catch a cold; you can't sleep at night and are consequently caught in a long period of elevated stress, sadness or aggression. This is ok too. Everything that comes your way has spiritual meaning. Perhaps you can try to remember similar periods of struggle in the past and try to focus on the time when you rebounded from it. As a spiritual traveler you will learn quickly that you can always recover from whatever it is that bothers you today. A spiritual path is an ongoing healing opportunity; for you as much as your environment.

The most important part of the healing process is that you recognize the cuts for what they are. Don't try to negate or repress them and don't get caught in a negative feed-back loop in which you either strike back or endlessly review the occurrences in your head. Aggression will always hurt you, as will guilt and regrets over things of the past. The power of positive thinking is to find the silver lining in everything that comes your way and focus on that. Along a spiritual path you can literally think of everyone as your friend. Most friends love you, while some friends are a little rough around the edges; yet, everyone has a message for you. When you feel the anger, frustration or fear rising in you, focus on the upside in every situation instead.

The way of the Tao is really the understanding that we are all one. The environment just mirrors back to us the tension that builds in us. When we heal ourselves, our environment heals with us. Being a spiritual traveler does not prevent us from experiencing stress, fear or unpleasantness, but it will help us in our recovery once we decide on it.  Does it really make sense to be mad at ourselves over stuff that happened in the past? In the same vein, does it really make sense to get mad at someone who is just the mirror image of our own being? Discover those simple truths and realize that along the Tao you can never fall down.

The Healing of the Way

It is really hard for most of people to imagine that there are invisible masters and angels who walk with us and are ready to help us when we ask for it. Like with every prayer, we may not perceive this help right away, but happen it will without fail. Look around, chances are that there is some whisper ready to connect with you. Communication with the beyond is something you can learn, and the longer you walk a spiritual path the clearer the communication channel will become.

The difference between spirituality and religion may quite be that willingness to ask. Being spiritual these days means you are cool. You talk about concepts everyone can resonate with such as peace, love and serenity. But chances are that once you start on a spiritual path you soon will also understand what all of our religions have talked about. Being in contact with ancient masters and guiding angels is part of it. Their help  is very real and everyone who believes has access to it.

Metaphysics is as real as all other physical occurrences, but you have to be willing to look for it. As you keep on walking your path you come along so many amazing healing stories. It may not be real to everyone, but whenever you are looking for it you  experience peace, wisdom, love and light; you are well guided and protected. So if you have access to this healing force every step of the way, why on earth would you not believe in it?

Living is giving. It turns out that we have access to that healing force whenever we heal others. Right now you might be on the perceiving end of this force or you may have had your first successes as a healer yourself. Either way, enjoy this creative force in action and stand ready to develop your unique gift and share it with the world.

A spiritual path is a journey home, back to our origin. So naturally healing is part of the Way.  Wherever you walk know that people are ready to receive your energy and messages just as you are ready to receive theirs. Silence will equally be part of the Way since especially in these moments you are able to hear the whispers of your guides. Walking a spiritual path takes a little getting used to but once you connect it is almost impossible to stray from it, and wherever you walk, healing is along the Way.

By Christian and Su Zhen

Let the Tao Heal Your Pain

Every situation properly perceived becomes an opportunity to heal the Son of God.
(A Course in Miracles)

We all have a pain body. Who knows where exactly it came from and why it does to have to come to the surface when it does. Yet we all feel that something is slumbering inside of us that hurts. We may even have a pretty good feel for what trigger could bring it to the surface, and when it pops up, we witness an explosion helplessly. Yet after the thunderstorm, after we have cleaned up the broken China on the floor, everything miraculously returns back to normal.

A pain body can be healed.  A spiritual path is all about bringing what lies beneath to the surface. The Tao is working hard to get your sanity back. Your pain body may have played its part to launch you on your journey, may even have defined the person you have become, yet the Way will build on that and make you whole. As you connect with the Way you can suddenly see how life encourages you to drop the baggage of the past by the wayside. The Tao will also teach you how to stay always connected to the Way, and as you do, you will not accumulate new injuries in the process. So it is just a question of time before your pain body has shrunk into nothingness.

 Most of the psychological cuts that slumber hidden inside were caused by our ego. We seek comfort, love, recognition and the glory of the world.  Our ego wants us to be special.  We seek out the stuff and the people to prove to us that our island is bigger and more elevated than everyone else's; so we spend a career and lifetime to cement these differences. And as we do we break a lot of China without even realizing it. Of course, all this happens subconsciously. We rarely admit our quest to ourselves and consequently don't like the few who do very much. The Tao knows what we truly need. She knows that we are all one and that the cry for being special will always hurt us. But just learning this concept in a spiritual community doesn't help, we have to get this struggle out in the open. Only then are we just one step away from dropping it for good.

Little psychological cuts incurred in childhood may define who we become as a person. Our father on a bad day may have called us ugly and this curse burnt itself into our soul. We choose a career to compete with the best and the brightest to compensate for the fact that you can never be stunning like our friends. Our husband tells us how beautiful we are, yet,  he clearly must be lying. One little event, perhaps as innocent as finding a gray hair in the mirror, or not fitting into a tight jeans and this pain body gets activated again. Out comes the fury at work and a few poor guys  get caught in the cross-fire.

You may laugh at this story line but you know what, it is unfortunately very real. We all behave like little children as we know deep down inside that we don't experience the love that we deserve. Yet, we very much have the ability to step out of this childish movie plot and the Tao encourages us to do exactly that. Sometimes it is about catching ourselves when we set out again to conquer the world. Often  it is about catching all the negative mental loops that are running non-stop:  “you are ugly”, “you are stupid”, “you are a loser”, “no one loves you". Awareness of what is going on is step one In the healing process. Step two is to realize that life encourages you moment by moment to connect with a Force that is beyond us, yet part of us. It is as if a red threat appears on the floor with the message, "look here and lose your ego in the process". The Tao heals your pain body if you only let Her.

By Christian and Su Zhen

The Dance of Creation

You probably have seen a symbol of Shiva in His cosmic dance position. You can think of the Tao in the same way. Everyone and everything you encounter is dancing with you. In this holy Now divine energy flows through you. Sure, you always carry your persona around; your ego defines your perspective, the stuff you want to get out of life, the way of looking at things and people, but all this gets completely absorbed in the interaction with life. And no matter how crooked your view might be, know that the sister who dances with you right now will straighten you out.

How different are things when you just sit there and stew over events that might have been, or when you fantasize about finally having it your way in the future. Thank life for the problems you have to solve right now, the weight you have to carry, and the infinite upside you can manifest. It is this activity that keeps you connected with your Self. For most, life's healing forces are subconscious, but you can make this process very much a conscious experience. Life reacts to every thought of yours and you can become aware of the yin and yang that happens.That is the way of the Tao and from that point on the journey home is short and sweet. Life becomes an ongoing waltz once you connect with the Tao.

Water flowing in a river, a stream or a brook is beautiful to behold and is a spiritual phenomenon; stagnant water withers away. Participate in the dance of creation and be grateful for everything that comes your way today. Sure, there are times to be active and engaged with others and there are times to be still and by yourself. Yet, this rhythm will be set by the Tao as well and all you have to do is to follow Her lead. Soon you are about to realize that you are the dance of creation.

Selective Storytelling

Can you imagine giving a retirement speech, celebrating the end of an important professional chapter? Just think  how you will interpret events that happen to you today in this light. So-called obstacles  will in retrospect be viewed as opportunities that have guided you into a new direction. A while back a colleague had to leave the company I work for and asked me how to share this news with others. I advised him to present the story he is likely to tell during his retirement speech in a couple of decades. Don't you think he will have quite a different interpretation by then?

History lives, just as the future depends on how we approach it today. Everything is connected with that holy center of power, called  Now. Spirituality is the insight that everything we experience is just a veil except for one thing which is real,  love. I know it is hard to believe but your life has only one purpose, to guide you home to the  Source in the fastest way possible. Most undertake this journey subconsciously, while you have the potential to make it a conscious one.

 Everything is perfect as is from this perspective of bringing you home and once you live by that rule you can actually have so much fun along the Way. So no matter what happens to you, be always be on the lookout for love, be open to heal the past in the same way as you are always open to new opportunities to express yourself creatively, passionately and lovingly in the future.  Discover how with this new perspective "history" will heal magically for you.  People will give you belated reasons why they separated from you or mistreated you which will put the past in a completely new light. Or people may reveal to you that they have completely forgotten events that you still feel bad about years after they transpired.

In the same spirit, if you have to face confrontations today, contemplate what this event will likely stand for. Of course you should never fight anyone for that would mean that you are only fighting yourself. But then, there are opportunities to stand firm with  others just as there are times when you stand firm with yourself, right? If there is conflict, already start telling yourself a story that explains the "happy ending" for everyone. Sure you will make mistakes, sure you will be naive at times, but keep on interacting with the Tao and She will show you the signs that tell you how the story-line is connected and how it is changing for all parties involved. So keep on telling your story and stand ready to revise and edit it along the Way until everything finally makes sense. You know when you are done. It is when you see love no matter where you look.

 You may think this is a strange theory and that it will make you susceptible to self-deception. Well, give our healing theory a shot and see for yourself whether the evidence is lining up for you. Life is a fairy tale if you believe that it is. All the monsters are transient while the Hollywood-ending is guaranteed. Why? Because it is your story and you have the most resourceful movie- director behind you, the Tao. Start telling your story and start living it!

Your Brother as a Mirror

That's why the healers's prayer is: let me know this brother as I know myself.
A Course in Miracles

We all tend to differentiate people, family, friends, colleagues, strangers, insiders or outsiders, the same race or a different race, good people and bad people, the same religion or different religions. We will then treat people differently according to our belief set.  We prefer some who we label as insiders.  But do you know what? You can actually observe that by treating some people as outsiders you actually hurt not only them but yourself in the process. Every brother who comes your way is a mirror of your being and offers you a priceless opportunity to transcend your struggles. So please take a good look even if sometimes you don't like what you are seeing.

 Our differentiation and prioritization of people is a symbol of the split that exists inside ourselves. We want something from people, we are sometimes afraid and gravitate towards those that we think can give us security, while we shun those that supposedly stand in our way or who we perceive as unfriendly. In fact, everyone is here to help us to recognize the split inside ourselves and can help us overcome it.  We certainly have to accept who we are; we can't wish away our drives and worries. But we can let our mind be washed clean by the magic of the holy encounter. Every time someone enters our life, we have a golden opportunity to be healed by the moment. Every person who comes our way is meaningful in that regard. Embrace every meeting wholeheartedly even though some encounters are tougher to deal with than others. We have said that every brother is really a mirror of your being. So please look really closely and see how the frown that you perceived before is turning into a smile and how out of a sudden all you can perceive is beauty.  It is within you, let your brother show who you truly are.

 By Christian and Su Zhen

Just Look

Has it ever happened to you that someone says something " accidentally", but it feels like you are cut by a knife? Is that person just mean and wants to intentionally hurt you, or is she triggering a fear that is hidden deep inside? Do not lose sleep over the intention of your friend, do something about the fear inside that needs to be worked on. Perhaps you can observe for yourself, the more you try to avoid the issue inside you that you need to face, the more often it comes up in conversations.

 Maybe you can untie this knot yourself.  We know it is hard to face your fears and hurt feelings, but if you are just willing to look at these issues they are never as insurmountable as it first appears. You probably want to run away from these feeling like we all do. It is as if a little child is waiting inside of us who has no clue what is happening. The inner child needs your support and your fearlessness to look. So what exactly is inside that haunted house? When you take the inner child by the hand and you both look together you will almost always find some links to the past. Understanding where your fears come from is an important first step in tackling your problems, accepting your weaknesses and trying to move ahead despite of them is the road towards healing the old wounds altogether.

Your psychological land mines are already there, hidden deep in your subconscious. What the people say to you is just a reaction to your own energy field. You literally invite others to step on them. The good news is you can make an end to these panic attacks. If you are willing to look you can defuse your psychological mines and the longer you do this, the more you realize that even if one or two still get activated by others, it is nothing but hot air. It was you who heard the explosion before, no one else ever did.

Nothing happens by accident. Friends my have "accidentally" touched an old injury or your so-called foes may have deliberately dug the knife a couple of inches deeper. It doesn't matter. One thing you can be sure of, when you address your fears those incidents will naturally fade out of your life. Friends will no longer mention it, while your so-called foes will naturally disappear out of your life for the very reason that they  no longer serve a purpose. Try it and experience this healing process for yourself.

By Su Zhen and Christian

The Power of Intentions

There is no miracle you cannot do if you desire healing.
A Course in Miracles

Did it ever occur to you that your attitude towards people and a situation determines how they will interact with you? Say you are visiting a new country and already at the immigration office you discover hostility. Perhaps the immigration officer had a bad day, but it affects you, unconsciously bad vibrations start building inside of you and hardly have you reached the hotel that you are bound to pick a fight with the hotel staff and your partner.

Every place has an energy field and every encounter with others creates one. It turns out that your attitude towards that encounter matters a lot. You can be a polluter of this space, your bad vibrations can literally pull others down with it, or you can be a healer. A Japanese scientist ran an experiment when he took pictures of water as he played different music and consciously displayed different emotions. Believe it not, but these water pictures reflected the scientist's attitudes right back and it turns out that the water picture taken when the scientist experienced love was by far the most beautiful.

You may then ask what to do with this observation. Well, from now on visualize your intent of a place or a meeting beforehand and just see what happens. Yes, you can be a healer of a situation but you also have to learn how to detox yourself when you have been exposed to a polluted environment. You can be a healer, you can be a bearer of light. The magic is to discover that your environment interacts with you. The Universe just mirrors your own intentions back to you. When you wholly desire healing, love will be wherever you are.

By Christian and Su Zhen

Just Solve the Riddle

There is no miracle you cannot do when you desire healing.
A Course in Miracles

Your shadow is safely swept under the carpet because you deem some of your personality facets too ugly to look at so you don't want to deal with them. Yet at night it comes out. The anger eruptions, the panic attacks, the paranoia, the lust, the violence, the desire to submit, the indifference and coldness towards people you care about.

Shadow work involves two steps, first bring the stuff that you have so carefully swept under the carpet out in the open. So what if these facets of your personality aren't so kosher, so what if they seem to be in conflict with what some religions say, or with what your parents and society may have taught you. What choice do you have anyway if your objective is to become whole rather than just looking good on the surface?

The Tao is the way of paradoxes. Hot and cold, yin and yang, dominance and submission, attack and defense. The Tao is the Way of the Middle, engaged but detached, following, but leading, last, yet first. A Tao traveler doesn't have to be afraid of shadow work - we specialize in paradoxes. There is an exciting riddle waiting for you to be solved, a Mission Impossible made possible just for you if you choose to accept. When you are done solving yours you will have literally turned the world you live in upside down. You will have redefined spiritual norms, you will have expanded the spiritual possibility frontier. Face your desires and express them creatively. When it comes to becoming whole, no miracle will be spared for you. Solve this magnificent riddle, help will be just around the corner.

The Tao of Healing

Think of the Tao of healing like a house. If you want to experience sunshine you need to open your blinds to let the light come in. If you want to let in the fresh Spring air, you need to open your windows. Similarly, along the Tao, you have to merge with life and have to open your heart to the flow of energy that surrounds you. You also have to face everything that comes your way, no matter whether it looks appealing to you on first sight or not.

If you want to have a clean and tidy house, you need to organize and clean your house all the time. Or the clusters start to build up in every corner, and after some time, you even forget what is in that pile and you have difficulty to find things. Your house and life become chaotic. But as soon as you are willing to take the effort to clean up the piles and clusters, things become organized and everything is in order again. The same is true of your soul. Every one has a history of struggle; some pains are safely swept under the carpet. However, even you close your eyes and do your best and try to forget about it, these wounds are still there and they hurt when they open up again. A trigger and all these pains come back to the surface.

Pain and grief are not something you can repress or get rid of. On the contrary, they are the emotions you need to accept and understand. Think of your family living in the house; you can't pretend they don't exist either. You have to open up to them, understand and deal with them if you want to experience any peace of mind. With your acceptance and understanding, your troubled family member will start to change. In the same vain, open up to all your pains from the past and experience how a stone will be lifted from you.

When you refuse to look at wounds and injuries, when you refuse to understand your emotions, these energies start to pile up in your body and cause many blocks. With blocked energies you experience your life as heavy and hard. But as soon as you are willing to take time and courage to face these emotional turbulence in your life, they clear up one by one. The more you clean up, the lighter you feel, until all is that is left is light.

It is tempting to plaster the pains of the past and the present over with all kind of distractions and temporary highs, but your energy system can't be fooled. We all carry the pain of the past with us, so you are not alone. Be brave and open up to them. We know this is hard to believe but every pain you face comes with a present attached. Take your courage and open it. Yes there is pain, but you will also see a basket of beautiful flowers open up in front of you. Gather the energy and start the spring cleaning and enjoy a functional and beautiful house for all other seasons.

By Christian and Su Zhen

Pain Buddies

In our relationships with others, whether it is a parent-child relationship, the relationship between lovers, or perhaps just friendships, there are sometimes mutual learning opportunities that involve pain. We are often unwilling to accept these dark spots in ourselves, yet others, often people we care a lot about, force us to confront them. A little prick and all hell breaks loose. At this point we don't even see our friends and family, we only see our own projections of the painful situation. We are unable to see the whole picture just because the dark spot is in the way.

This undigested pain is taking reality away from you time and time again. Whenever it is active, you relive your past and can not see reality as is. You are literally living in the dark. You probably know by now the situations and the people that trigger your pain body. Once activated, you are reliving your past in the new situation. You have a chance to erase the dark spot, but you must be willing to look. The darker the spot, the more intensely you have to look. If you just project your pain to the party who triggered it, the movie will keep on replaying itself.

This is your movie and you have a possibility to step out of it, very much like an actor is leaving a movie set after the movie is finished. The moment you realize that the inner movie is replaying itself, you have a chance to free yourself from this pain body. The demons of the past will vanish if you like a heroine are willing to face the pain this time around. No projection, just objectively looking at the situation despite the tears, despite the anger and despite the incredible pain. The pain from the past needs to be healed, so stay with it until the pain calms down by itself.

Many of us have the expectation that the ones who are so dear to our heart will love us unconditionally. While this expectation hopefully comes true, there are several problems. When we are experiencing our pain, we are actually not able to see clearly. Our friends and soul siblings stand there with a stretched-out helping hand, yet, we accuse them of causing our pain. We accuse them of not loving us. It takes a lot of faith to keep on walking despite the doubts that torment our mind. The other problem is that our friends and soul siblings have their psychological baggage that they need to let go of. You have searched and found each other to heal each other. You are pain buddies. May you both have the faith, patience and strength to carry each other.

My dear friends, yes there is pain but if you put your best foot forward, trust that your friend and soul sibling will be able to do the same. Trust each other, trust that you each have the key in your hand to unlock the other's closet that hides the monsters of the past. Trust that your friend and soul sibling will be worthy to make it through your dark side. When we wrote this note, Kelly Clarkson was playing on the radio. It looks like she puts her faith into her pain buddy herself:

Oh no, oh oh, there's a place that I know
It's not pretty there and few have ever gone
If I show it to you now
Will it make you run away?

Or will you stay
Even if it hurts
Even if I try to push you out
Will you return?
And remind me who I really am
Please remind me who I really am!

Everybody's got a dark side
Do you love me?
Can you love mine?
Nobody's a picture perfect
But we're worth it
You know that we're worth it
Will you love me?
Even with my dark side?

Like a diamond
From black dust
It's hard to know
What can become
If you give up
So don't give up on me
Please remind me who I really am!

Don't run away
Don't run away
Just tell me that you will stay
Promise me you will stay
Don't run away
Don't run away
Just promise me you will stay
Promise me you will stay

Will you love me? ohh

Don't run away
Don't run away

Don't run away
Promise you'll stay
(Kelly Clarkson, Dark Side)


By Christian & Su Zhen

The Miracle Worker

There is no miracle you cannot do when you desire healing.
A Course in Miracles

When Moses led 600 000 Jews out of Egypt he reached the water with the Egyptian army approaching rapidly. He needed a miracle or otherwise all hell would break loose. He raised his magic staff and nothing happened. He then reached for the hand of his sister and they both jumped into the water. Behold, the water parted.

You probably find the Moses story hard to believe. The story also leaves a bad taste behind; after all, the Egyptian army was destroyed in that miracle. It doesn't matter whether this Moses miracle was fact or fiction, what really matters is that you accept your role as a miracle worker. The life you see is not real, it is a virtual reality play. Do you really want to know the magic sauce of how to become a miracle worker? Believe with your heart and soul that you have been put into the situation you are in for a reason. Understand what your true desires are, understand what you truly want to get out of a situation. Accept all that and then turn your attention to your soul siblings who stand by your side extending their hand to you. Use this golden opportunity life brings to you to heal; heal the situation you are in, help the people you love and heal yourself in the process. Life and this world exists so that you can accept your Moses role. Choose love and no matter what happens, the miracle of healing will take place.

Knocking on Heaven's Door

Mama take this badge from me
I can't use it anymore
It's getting dark, too dark to see
Feels like I'm knockin' on Heaven's door

Knock-knock-knockin' on Heaven's door

Mama put my guns in the ground
I can't shoot them anymore
That cold black cloud is comin' down
Feels like I'm knockin' on Heaven's door

Knock-knock-knockin' on Heaven's door
Guns N' Roses, Kocking on Heaven's Door

A spiritual awakening process is exactly like that. One day you wake up and suddenly can't do the activities you have been doing all your life. What used to give you meaning suddenly feels like a ruthless ego struggle. All you can do is to put your badge and your gun on the ground and amidst all the darkness, you suddenly knock with good faith on Heaven's door. A friend of mine did that a while back; from one day to the next she quit her job because, as she put it, she couldn't handle the negative energy at that place anymore.

Sai Baba of Shirdi was more a God than a man based on the descriptions of eye witnesses at that time. Yet, one day he wanted to spiritually advance one of his disciples so he took on his karma and consequently fell violently sick. The doctors of the town declared that he had only a few more hours to live when suddenly he requested a glass of water, poured it over himself as a symbolic act of cleansing, got up and gave the lecture he was scheduled to give.

The point is that you will always experience your ups and downs independent of what you do and independent of what your spiritual development might be, but the more you follow your purpose- driven path, the easier the going will get for you and the more meaningful and beneficial the impact will be for all parties involved, even in your down phase. In the case of my friend, she now heals people instead and helps them discovering their spiritual path as a spiritual coach which is much more uplifting and purposeful than her previous occupation. She still experiences down days though given that she steps right into the paths of her struggling clients, but that is a worthwhile price to pay if you can help your soul siblings advance on their spiritual journeys.

A spiritual path is a demolition course. Life knocks on the armor of the 'I' that you, and the environment you have been born into, have so carefully crafted over decades. But when the chink in the armor is found, a little targeted knock takes the entire structure down and all the King's horses and all the King's men can't put it together again. This is a blessed day indeed despite all the darkness that surrounds you. At that moment you will surely stumble on your purposeful path and soon enough you will be knocking on Heaven's door. If there is one certainty in this Universe it is Matthew 7:7: 'Keep on knocking and the door shall open'!

It is Always Darkest Before the Dawn

We all have had this experience that it seems like we are walking through a long dark tunnel and we don't know when this is going to end. In the meantime, we couldn't help thinking of giving up. When we are at the beginning of this tunnel, we are scared, we can not see the light and have no idea when we are going to finish this tunnel. In life, we all have this experience and it seems that the pain is endless and unbearable, you don't know how to end this suffering, you think life is just a torture. Giving up your life seems to be a worthwhile option.

My dear friend, you are not alone. Actually it is a very common experience that each and everyone has to go through. Yet, you think that you are the only person who has this issue, whereas everyone else is happy and normal. My dear friend, hang on a little bit, soon you will see the light shining in the end of the tunnel. Keep your faith. I know it is hard but you will feel so glad that you hang on a little longer, and see the sun, your family and friends and experience your life with new strength and a new perspective. Yes, you are deeply loved by your friends and families, even though you may not believe this now. But you will see the truth when you get out of this tunnel.

When people are going through this darkest moment, they tend to think they are all alone, and they are deserted by the world. Hey, buddy, it may look like it, but it is simply not true. See, I am here writing this article on a beautiful Sunday morning for you. Everything is planned by the Soul, your trouble, your sorrows and your help out of this hole. This darkest moment is just your Soul's plan to show you the way towards joy, love and the abundance of life.

So, my dear friend, don't be frustrated. A holy Force is watching over you and you are never alone. We are all here for you. We are here to accompany you to walk out this darkest moment of your life and we are sure that you can make it. Don't give up your life! Life is wonderful as long as you give yourself a little more time, and then you will realize, that the struggles that you are facing are nothing but a bad dream.

By Su-Zhen