“Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet, we all breathe the same air, we all cherish our children’s future, and we are all mortal.” 

John F. Kennedy

I believe, as humans, we all carry the desire, however hidden it may be, to uplift and care for each other. After all, we’re all in the same boat here on Earth. We are all subject to suffering as well as joy.

These days, as we are suddenly hyper-aware of transferring the virus to each other, I am reminded of something from my first trip to the ashram in India. Yes, we had to be aware of all the bugs there and take precautions, but that’s not what it reminds me of. It’s something more positive. We were told that as we evolved, through experiencing the transformational energy and spiritual practices on the course, that we would be able to transfer our state of consciousness to others. They told us, for example, we could touch the fruits and vegetables in the market and the next person who touched them would receive a blessing. (Of course, now it would have to be a mental intention).

Whether it’s true that we could transfer blessings to others through the produce in the market, at the very least, our intention to uplift others does change us. Our desire to relieve the suffering of others, to wish others well is a reflection of our connectedness, our unity with all humanity. As you may have noticed, the more you desire happiness for others, the happier you become. There was no way to measure the effects of our blessing the vegetables, but silently wishing for the well-being of our fellow shoppers in the grocery store seems like a beautiful practice—especially now.

I remember a training I attended when I was working at hospice. It was called “Taking in the Good,” and was intended to be a tool to help our clients who were dealing with loss. It was based on research showing that intentionally focusing on something positive for several seconds several times a day actually made positive changes in the brain over a period of time. We learned that we humans inherited an evolutionary bias toward focusing on the negative—on threats to our survival—and  that we tend to overlook the positive. Even though we live in a very different world than our distant ancestors, we still carry the same predisposition wired in our brains. But, due to the neuroplasticity of the brain, we can learn to override this negative tendency.

We could take this practice a step further. Knowing that wishing others to be happy increases our own happiness, we could extend “taking in the good” to include sending out to others the good we take in. Since we are intrinsically one, we are happy when others are happy. Of course, we get caught up in our selfish nature at times, and we may not always want to wish others well. But even then, we could extend compassion to ourselves instead of judging ourselves as bad or wrong. As we become more and more conscious, the awareness of our oneness grows. We are all in the together.

Naturally, we can get caught up in selfishness when we forget we are connected and think we are separate, individual entities roaming the world alone, needing to protect ourselves from everything that isn’t us, needing to grab as much of the seemingly limited supply of things for our survival, instead of realizing we are all part of the whole—unlimited, eternal, and supported by the grand design of whatever this is. To recognize this, is the purpose of the spiritual path.

The spiritual masters tell us evolution means realizing our intrinsic oneness, becoming present in our lives, which leads to caring for ourselves and others. And those of us on a conscious spiritual path have an opportunity right now to dive deeper into our inner quest.

The current global chaos and uncertainty invites those of us on a spiritual path to put our consciousness to the test. Do we really believe we are supported no matter what is or is not happening? When the fears come up, do we get caught in them and allow our thoughts and imaginations to take us down the proverbial rabbit hole? Can we turn our attention to who it is that is experiencing the fear and discomfort? The nature of life is uncertainty. The control we think we have over our lives is illusory. The pandemic is bringing this fact front and center and giving us the opportunity to awaken to the deeper reality that is our only security.

So, use your sanitizer, wear your mask, but ultimately remember what really keeps you safe. Rely on that. Trust that you are supported no matter how things look. And remember to shed light on the melons and oranges at the market (without touching them, of course).

Be well!