Inner Work

For the week of May 29, 2006

The Sacred Chorus

Although a great part of spiritual practice must be an inward, solitary affair, we are not alone in our inner work. Beyond whatever spiritual communities you participate in face-to-face, consider all the people on this Earth who practice prayer, meditation, or presence in all their multifold varieties. These millions, perhaps billions of “voices” form a chorus singing the spiritual song of the Earth in service to the sacred. To the extent that we ourselves participate in that sacred chorus, it reciprocates in supporting us, making our path more possible, making more energy available to us, and strengthening our intention to practice. To be a part of that is a blessing and a privilege.

It is also an obligation we all share: to add our own “voice” to that sacred chorus. What if you knew that human violence on this Earth waxes and wanes in response to the amount and quality of your own personal inner work, whether solitary or with others? What if you knew that the Earth actually has an inner ecosystem of the spirit, to which your practice contributes? Would you then feel the need to make your spiritual “voice” strong and pure in supporting this sacred human chorus? Even if we cannot know these things directly in the ordinary way of knowing, we can see their truth in our vision and understanding.

We each can contribute our own unique “voice” to the spiritual ecosystem, in which it blends to create a wholeness far surpassing our individuality. Just as a group meditation brings strength beyond the sum of the individuals in the group, so does our practice create a synergy with others around our planet. At any given moment, untold millions of people across the Earth engage in prayer, meditation, or conscious presence. Whether conscious of it or not, the inner energies we produce thereby spread their beneficial influence far and wide. But by looking at the state of our global civilization, it becomes painfully obvious that the need for these energies outstrips the current production.

For this week, take it as a working hypothesis that the sacred chorus exists and that its efficacy depends on you personally. Let that vision inspire your determination to sense your inner body more and more, to raise the quality of your prayers, to deepen your meditation, and to open your heart in kindness.

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