By Wasentha Young

 

Can thoughts create reality? Although philosophers, religious leaders, and scientists have for centuries shown us the obvious answer to this question it is still illusive and therefore can provoke disbelief. If thought and imagery can create reality as we know it, then why is life so painful? Surely we must all think we deserve the best in life. Somewhere in the depths of this notion, thought creates reality, is a foundation of authentic faith and belief.

 

To define something such as faith is a challenge. Today, I live my life in faith “of” not faith “in” something. Whatever faith is for me, it is a view of truth that brings inspiration and meaning to my life.  In James Fowler’s book, Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning, he quotes a religionist Wilfred Cantwell Smith on faith as “a meaning that is profound and ultimate, and is stable no matter what may happen to oneself at the level of immediate event.”

 

Faith has a connection to the heart and is undisputed; whereas belief seems to be based in the micro day-to-day of events, is thought based, and attached to my reality. I believe and therefore it is, for me. This belief, my belief, may not be real to someone else. 

 

I think that in the initial intent and meaning of the words faith and belief prior to modernization, both words were far more synonymous. Both were connected to divine energy, as a fact of the universe and given that, there was an alignment in life accordingly, and a pledge of love and devotion to a relationship with natural law. Since then, however belief has lost its fiber that truly connects it to our divinity.

 

You may have noticed that I have not mentioned religious faith. The choice of an institutionalized religion is personal, and I would like to stay away from personal religious and political agendas so that the message of what I am about to propose is clear.

 

This article/proposal is inspired by a number of films like, Mindwalk, What the Bleep, and The Secret, and countless visionaries, humanitarians, and inventors like Einstein, Tesla, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, the Great Trio of ancient Greeks, Sakyong Mipham, and prophets alike all have put the notion of “thought creates reality” to the test and history has recorded their success. 

 

Personally, I am working to integrate my faith and belief in a way that will allow me to experience heart and mind as one; where my day-to-day events are based in faith, and knowing that my reality is created in faith and connected to the Divine. In this case, I reference the Divine as a higher vibration level that is innately within every living thing. Similarly described by Sakyong Mipham in his book Ruling Your World, it is our “basic goodness, a pure radiance that has never been stained by ignorance, anger, jealousy, or pride,” and is void of personal and political agendas. 

 

In our development as a species, we have allowed our actions to be ruled by a “whole ‘nother level.” My sense is we have fallen in vibration and it is difficult for us to realize the full potential of our thoughts creating the reality we would like to live within. As I continue to be poignantly aware and disappointed in our worldly trauma the latest personal growth film, “The Secret,” has inspired me to move through this suffering and once again embrace my faith and belief. 

 

So here is what I propose… For one year we follow this 12 month plan to bring life on this planet into a peaceful and harmonious place. On the first Sunday of the month we sit or move in intentional thought and meditate/pray on the below topics. During that month, we live our lives within the image. We can have fun with this as we let our minds paint the picture and our reality becomes the image. I have included a few suggestions for actions during the month, but know that the canvas is yours. Every accomplishment great and small begins with a thought, a vision. 

 

Thought: Right and sustainable relationship with the environment 

Imagine: This world and your life - how it look, sound, smell, and feel with human beings living in harmony with the environment

¨      Buy energy saving bulbs

¨      Use your car less often

¨      Share films and books that bring into awareness environmental issues

¨      Donate to an organization that focuses on environmental issues

¨      Make an effort to recycle everything you can

 

Thought: Healing the AIDS and HIV virus 

Imagine: The world and our lives free of the AIDS and the HIV virus

¨      Volunteer to do something special for someone with AIDS or HIV

¨      Give to an organization that focuses on aiding or a cure

¨      Educate on safe sex

¨      Learn something about the disease  

¨      Get tested

 

Thought: Harmonious conflict resolution 

Imagine: Nations learning to peacefully resolve conflict

¨      Learn about and support nonviolent leaders

¨      Practice personal harmonious conflict resolution

¨      Keep an open mind about others different from yourself

¨      Get in touch with your biases and internalized racism

¨      Make harmonious conflict resolution a part of your value system

 

Thought: Everyone is nourished 

Imagine: Nations environmentally harmonious and in a sustainable way growing produce and sharing proper nourishment globally

¨      Volunteer to serve at a food program

¨      Give a sandwich or meal to someone who is hungry

¨      Support provision of healthy food in all neighborhoods

¨      Grow some of your own food or spices and sharing the yield

¨      Donate to a “feed the world” organization

 

Thought: Healthcare for everyone

Imagine: A world where healthcare is accessible

¨      Support legislation that advocates for national provision of healthcare

¨      Give to organizations that provide global healthcare

¨      Give blood

¨      Learn about healthcare that is provided for people who do not have insurance and share the information

¨      Start at home and learn about global healthcare issues

 

Thought: Access to clean water 

Imagine: Streams, lakes, oceans plentifully pure, and everyone having access to clean drinking water without depleting resources.

¨      Use less water

¨      Read labels and use nonpolluting detergents and salts

¨      When it rains, turn off the timer for watering your lawn

¨      Support legislations that focus on keeping our water clean

¨      Join a group that cleans riverbanks

 

Thought: No species endangered  

Imagine: The natural balance of species in place

¨      Support legislation protects endangered species

¨      Donate to organizations that offer refuge for wildlife

¨      Learn about the endangered species in your area and what is being done to save them

¨      Learn what you can do to preserve endangered species

¨      Find out the causes that endanger different species

 

Thought: Freedom of spirituality

Imagine: All spiritual practices having equal rights to peacefully worship

¨      Keep an open mind about all spiritual practices

¨      Respect an individual’s right to perceive the unknown as they choose

¨      Respect all peaceful spiritual practices

¨      Understand religion as a choice

¨      Base yourself in your religious practice as others will

 

Thought: Freedom to love

Imagine: Life with the freedom to rightfully express love towards any reciprocal and consenting human being adult

¨      Open your mind to love being unbiased

¨      Turn no one away because they love

¨      Know that there is health in loving

¨      Understand that sharing a healthy love is a choice

¨      Reflect on the goodness in loving

 

Thought: Freedom to pursue dreams 

Imagine: A natural flow for anyone, regardless of gender, to pursue their educational and life dreams in accordance with harmonious living

¨      Follow your dreams

¨      Let others find and follow theirs

¨      Donate to foundations that give educational opportunities to others less fortunate

¨      Understand that there are many paths

¨      Find your passion in your work, life, and future

 

Thought: Balance of biological and intuitive sciences

Imagine: A mutual curiosity, admiration, reliability, and respectful interaction between biological and intuitive sciences for the betterment of humankind and the environment

¨      Contemplate your relationship with science

¨      Trust in your intuition and consult with science

¨      Support the complementary relationship between mind, body, and spirit

¨      Support legislation and science that respects natural law

¨      Monitor and hold accountable the scientific experimentation on animals and humans

 

Thought: Genuine and authentic politics

Imagine: States of politics with a base in honesty, fairness, foresight, care of nature and the environment (all species included), all human life, religious and gender unbiased, freedom, true justice, and compassion

¨      Vote for politicians that

¨      Support politicians that

¨      Advocate for politicians that

¨      Join with politicians that

¨      Intentionally live your personal politics in a way that

Shows honesty, fairness, foresight, care of nature, the environment (all species included) and all human life, with religious and gender unbiased, respects individuals freedom, reflects authentic justice, demonstrates compassion.

It takes work to live in faith and “dwell in the possibilities of building a dream.” Miracles can and do take place and I believe that we can live in alignment with the natural laws of the universe. Since creation is always happening, let’s focus on how we would like to live our lives and the kind of world we would like to hand “up” to our future. This could be our legacy – unmatched by any other era. Know that whatever we think today is creating our future. Share this vision internationally.

 

You do not need to do the intentional thought meditation/pray at any specific time. You can spend time in intentional thought anytime you choose, and of course the action of living within the image is most important. If you care to sit with a group you can start your own, or on the first Sunday of every month the Peaceful Dragon School will open its doors from 11:30 – 12:15 PM for the focused meditation/pray of that month. There will be no meditation instruction given, just a reminder of the topic, and we will sit in verbal silence. If you would like to sit on the carpeted floor, please bring your own meditation cushion – some chairs are available.