November 17th sees the Findhorn Foundation celebrating its 57th birthday. On such occasions we often reexamine our convictions in light of their fruits—the truth of how things are. Here are a few reflections inspired by words spoken to Eileen Caddy, and the words of her co-founders Peter Caddy and Dorothy Maclean.
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(click to enlarge) The Still, Small Voice said to Eileen Caddy: “Hold ever before you the vision of the new Heaven and new Earth.”
‘Heaven’ manifested upon planet earth. What does heaven look like? What practical principles and essences could renew the bits of the Earth that we steward? One possibility is even more SERVICE.
This is the concept behind PET, its associates & members, and the ideas they manifest: doing successful social, environment and well-being stuff differently. Originally given to Eileen, we too are receiving the invitation to “dedicate yourself [to the service of Spirit], and to the service of humanity. Service is a wonderful healer, for as you forget yourself in service, you will find you will grow and expand in the most wonderful way. You will reach great heights and plumb great depths, and your love and understanding of Life will begin to mean something to you. This day will afford you countless opportunities for stretching and growing. Accept each one with a heart filled with love and gratitude, and feel yourself growing in consciousness and in wisdom. Live it fully and abundantly with no restrictions, no limitations. Expect only the very best in everything and everyone, and see it come forth. Keep your heart open to one another. Look for the highest good in each other, and work from that higher level of consciousness. Encourage one another in every way possible; every soul needs encouragement. You will find as you help others, you help yourself to grow at the same time.” Opening Doors Within*
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Peter Caddy was known for the following advice: to make the best of any situation you should love where you are, love who you’re with, and love what you do.
The difficulty is that the type of service needed sometimes doesn’t quite match our own calculation of how we could be of most service… In this case a helpful principle might be MODESTY.
The programs and projects that PET engages in are pretty elementary for an ecovillage—community development, protection and improvement. However donors, members and associates understand that only by bundling their individual actions together can they help a Whole vibrant Community—socially, environmentally and in terms of well-being. This is LOVE in action where ‘love’ actually is a verb; not a reply to past hurts with barriers but one with union and extension of good will. ‘Modesty’ becomes still more comprehensible when we realise we’re being invited to perceive the Wholeness already present in all of nature, all people and all relationships; by expecting “… your every need to be met, expect the answer to every problem, expect abundance on every level, expect to grow spiritually. You are not living by human laws. Expect miracles and see them take place. Hold ever before you the thought of prosperity and abundance and know that doing so sets in motion forces that will bring it into being.”*
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Dorothy Maclean says: “When a smile touches our hearts. When the forest stills us to peace. When music moves us to rapture. When we really love, laugh or dance with joy. We are at one with the Angels.”
Really is the operative word, because only we can define and manifest what the “highest” and “best” is for ourselves alone. PET’s aim is to practically reflect its motto CARE in action. The human desire to be deeply touched, stilled and moved charges us to TRUST to our highest Self‘s abilities, to others’ highest Self and to Life, all without reservation. According to the Still, Small Voice, the way to do this is to “concentrate on the wonders and joys of this life, and accept the very best which is your true heritage. It is not being an ostrich, afraid of life and not facing it. It is seeing the reality of this glorious life which is yours, and in doing so, helping to bring it about. The more clearly you can see it, the more quickly will it come about.”*
Vision in action
“Your vision,” wrote Carl Jung, “will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” Principled action often equates to discomfort, as each of the co-founders’ stories show. But as Thomas Merton wrote: “it is in this loneliness1 referring to our own, personal responsibility to actively self-examine; Jung’s “looking inside.” And in another sense, actively perceiving is serving the ‘Perfection’ that only=already exists in all we relate to… so that service itself is MEDITATION in action!!! that the deepest activities begin. It is here that you discover act without motion, labour that is profound repose, vision in obscurity, and, beyond all desire, a fulfilment whose limits extend to infinity.” Just a little clarity of true Vision, and you know the need and the energy to see it fulfilled.
Obviously there are different degrees of fulfilment. The Still, Small Voice advises: “do not just talk about the new heaven and new earth; it is up to you to bring it down into your life to make it reality.2 So that we are not asked to make humanity divine by human standards, but rather to be what we already are: divine. Do not talk about love and loving; live it so that all can see what it means. Words without actions are meaningless and useless. They are like hot air that evaporates into nothingness. You are to bring down My kingdom on earth by the way you live and behave, so your life is an example, a joyous example, which all will want to follow. No one wants to go through life overburdened, lacking joy and spontaneity. Blessed is that person who brings joy to those souls who are burdened and lack sparkle in life. Cast all your burdens upon Me, and bring joy and freedom to all those souls you contact. Be joy and inspiration, and reflect Me in all that you do, say and think. Be at perfect peace as you do My will and walk in My ways, glorifying Me.”
On this note, Happy Birthday Findhorn Foundation! Thank you for your continued example of PEACE and JOY in action. And thank you of course to the Founders, for your PERCEPTION in action—the ever renewing inspiration!
PET's 2019/20 CARE in action spans the following projects and programs: supporting Dorothy's care at home, offering a Carbon Emission Calculator and Offsetting service, and funding our latest affordable Housing construction project North Whins. Thank you for your DONATION in action!
*Opening Doors Within3 here’s a 1m35s youtube clip can be purchased at the Phoenix Shop or online.
