On this Day of Remembrance...

A red poppy - to remember the ultimate sacrifice made by those who fought in the wars of this century, and to honour the women and men who continue to serve our country.

A white poppy - to redouble my efforts to build a world of peace, where our differences are the source of not what embattle us, but what enrich us.

Let it begin with me. 

Mony  

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#monydojeiji #walkingforpeace #consciousness #remember #RemembraceDay #ArmisticeDay #Peace

Reflecting on "Moving Forward" and the U.S. Elections

Today, as I was walking in the forest, reflecting on this unforgettable day, I began to think about laying down our burdens, and all the heaviness, so that we may begin to walk the path of healing, free and light. 

Then, on my way back, a second reflection came to me! 😁 

These two videos I share with you here. May these words serve this moment.

Love, always 🙏🏽💖

Mony 

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#monydojeiji #walkingforpeace #peace #lifepilgrim #weareone #pilgrim #election2020 #healing #love

Peace - a channeling

 

"Under the Storm" by Alberto Agraso

May these words from my meditation bring you peace: 🙏🏽

"The louder the world becomes, the more powerful becomes the call for stillness.

It is in stillness where the raging storms calm; and where peace can finally inundate heart and mind.

Peace.

That is truly what we seek now.

We look out onto the world, a world of distraction and separation, expecting it to offer solutions to our inner conflicts, inner divisions, inner torments, inner terrors;

But peace is not there. And never shall be.

Peace lies beyond… beyond all concepts that we hold of peace, beyond all ideas of who and what we are, beyond all definitions of self and existence.

It calls to you now. Heed its call.

The breath is your way-shower.

Breathe deeply now…and release.

Breathe again…and feel your heart.

This is where Peace resides. Feel Its presence, Its power, Its infinitude.

This is what you are. What I am. What each and every one is.

Rest here. And breathe.

Allow it to enfold you. Feel It expanding within your heart. Feel Its warmth. Feel Its embrace. Here, you are safe. Always.

Surrender all to It: your every fear, every worry, every bit of unknowing.

It wants to take them, and give you Peace.

Accept this sacred gift.

Embrace the Love that offers it to you.

It is, in truth, what you are and ever shall be.

In that eternal embrace of Oneness you remain; a light unto the world, an ocean of calm in a stormy world of illusions."

❤

This illustration is by Alberto Agraso, one of the 31 illustrations he has created for this year's #inktoberchallenge. It perfectly captures the stillness amidst the storms.

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#monydojeiji #consciousness #walkingforpeace #writer #writing #channeling #channelingspirit #channelings #Spirit #spiritspeaks #Peace #peaceandlove

The Labels we Cast Upon Another

Mony Dojeiji

Four years ago, we were living through a period of suicide bombings. Fear gripped us as we witnessed the horrors in countries around the globe. The entire world was on edge, not knowing how to respond or even contain these acts.

A good friend sent me a private message then, asking:

“What is going wrong with the world, Mony?”

Not a loaded question, eh?! 😄

I’ve taken my original response to her, and expanded on it. The focus is around the idea of LABELS.

Of course we know that today, even as then, we were going through a deep transformation, confronting the ever-fundamental questions of who we are, what we believe about ourselves and others, and what kind of world we choose to live in. And with each cycle of change, we face our hidden biases, our deepest fears and prejudices, perhaps even our shame and guilt at the feelings that these events awaken in us. We go through this inner reckoning individually and collectively.

Our mind loves to separate, to divide, to create bundles and pieces of information. It does this because it needs order. And with order, comes the belief that it is in control. And in its quest for order, the mind creates labels:

Terrorist. Fanatic. Radical. Extremist. Zealot. Maniac.

Even as I’m writing these words, I feel the energy shift within me. I feel the characterizations that these words carry. I feel them feeding the separation between me and the person, dehumanizing them, making them into an object upon which I can thrust all of my judgments.

These labels, however, are artificial; inventions of a mind seeking to understand what is often un-understandable…not with our human mind anyways.

The more we hold on to these labels, the more we keep them in our collective consciousness.

The more attention we pay to them, the more of them we see.

The more that we believe that “those people” are incapable of change or growth, the more we keep them where they are, and look for any action to support what we believe.

We do this individually, and collectively.

But we can change those labels, because what’s a label? Nothing more than an idea, a thought, a perspective… And an idea can always be changed. It can always be replaced by another idea.

So, let’s consider that “extremist”…

What if I choose to see him as a fellow human being, a brother, who has chosen terribly, whose life journey has led him to such desperation and hopelessness that the only solution he saw was this terrible act?

Would that influence what I say and how I act? I believe it would…

And what if I believe that there is nothing random in this Universe? That it is, in fact, a Loving Universe? That Love is the only Truth, and what moves all things? What if I believe that this person is a spiritual being having a physical experience, as I am, as you are, as we all are? How do I know how his actions affect his soul journey, the highest within him? Who am I to judge that? How do I know the sacred agreements involved with others? How do I know what their soul journeys are all about? What they have agreed to do? I have no idea… but again, this is all based on my belief that there is nothing random in this Universe, and only Love exists.

If I didn’t believe this, I couldn’t possibly make sense of this world.

And because I believe that the outer world is a projection of my inner world, that what I see “out there” is showing me what is happening “in here” (in the inner universe of my mind, my heart, my beliefs, my memories)…then I must also look within me to whatever has brought this event into MY awareness. If I’m aware of it, then it’s my task to take responsibility for whatever my part in it is – conscious or, more likely, unconscious.

How could I possibly contribute to the creation of a terrorist or extremist?

By holding on to any belief that violence is justified:

That the means justify the ends. That there is a “just” cause. That sometimes the only way forward is through violence, even the threat of violence. That I have a right to take out my anger, frustration, hurt and helplessness on another. That violence is the only way I can be seen or heard, my cause taken seriously. That my violent thoughts towards another have no effect, if I don’t act on them.

With ALL of these beliefs do I contribute to the “extremist”. And whenever I see their actions, it just confirms what I already believe anyways.

And so in this cycle I remain. Until I am ready to stop it at its root. Within me. How?

I take every thought of violence and attack; every judgment and label; every emotion; every act I may have taken (known or unknown)… and I bring them in offering to the altar of Love. To the place where all is forgiven. Where I can lay down my shame, my pain, my guilt. Where all the errors in my thinking and perceptions can be corrected. Where my heart can be healed. Where I can be transformed, by Love. Where I can finally be at peace.

And in that peace, I can see more clearly. Understand in new ways. Look upon “the other” as my brother. See the light and awakening arising in him, in the same way that it is in me. See him changing in every moment, as I have, in every moment becoming more and more filled with wisdom, with light…and acting in consequence.

But I can only see that in another if I am able to see that in myself first.

Could this be the meaning of the teaching by Jesus: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”

I do this work for every person I’m tempted to label and judge. And I stubbornly hold on to my vision, no matter what others choose to say or do.

There’s also a lot RIGHT with this world. There are so many people working from a consciousness of love, bringing that into the world, building the world we want to live in. It is happening now, and gaining momentum. That’s why all that was hidden needs to come to light. So that we can see it, and liberate it. We’re ready for it.

Hugs, my friend. Just keep on keeping on!

Love, always, 🙏💖

Mony

#monydojeiji #consciousness #walkingforpeace #love #judgment #labels #peace #innerworld #healing #transformation #onlyloveisreal #awakening #lightworkers #violence #lightandlove

To Mask or not to Mask

Mony... and the Mask!

That seems to be the question these days, as the mere mention of the word brings up so many emotions, so many guttural reactions, so many beliefs!

And in this space that appears so divisive, I see a grand opportunity for liberation, for transformation, for love to enter.

As always, let it begin with me.

At the core of these conversations seems to be our beliefs about FREEDOM:

That, as a free person, I have the right to decide what is best for me, and no external force can make me do anything I don’t want. The virus isn’t dangerous, we’re all going to be infected anyways, and even if I did believe in the virus, my faith/ immunity/ body are strong enough to handle it.

vs.

As a free person, what I do for myself impacts others – no matter what I believe – because with freedom, comes responsibility to the community that we all share. What affects one, affects all.

This is all – once again – the outer manifestation of an inner conflict that just happens to be playing out right now in the conversation about masks. I’m sure similar inner dialogues happened when helmets, seat belts, vaccinations, etc. were introduced.

As I now turn my attention away from the outer world of effect, to my inner world of cause, I ask myself:

Why is wearing a mask so triggering to me?

The answer to this question will be unique to the person answering it. I don’t know the original cause for it and, to me anyways, it doesn’t matter. Whether the original trauma happened in this lifetime or another, my childhood or adolescence… what matters NOW is that I acknowledge that the trauma is within me, playing out like a record-on-repeat, triggering emotions in me that are making me respond in one way or another.

It is at this level that I do the inner work. Again, today it’s a mask triggering me. Tomorrow, it will be something else. I’d rather do the work of healing now.

Freedom is the gift given to us by a God Love. Each soul here on this Earth is inherently free, because that is the nature of God. That is the nature of the universe and all creatures and creations. It is a universe that is in continual expansion fueled, in my opinion, by love.

I get that we don’t want anything that limits our freedom.

But if we look at our Mother Earth, at the wisdom of Nature, at the plant and animal kingdoms, we see that relationships among its members are often symbiotic. The members care for each other and, in so doing, ensure the health and well-being of all and of the ecosystem that supports them all.

Humans are no different. We are wired to care. We are wired to love. We are wired to look after one another. That IS our true nature, given to us by a Creator whose nature IS this.

What gets in the way of the natural expressing of that brotherly relationship are ideas that we have learned that somehow:

To love is to lose.

To offer is to be deprived.

To belong is to disappear.

Even if I don’t buy into the symbiotic nature of our existence and I believe myself to be the master – all on my own – of my own domain, then how can anything outside of me imprison or suppress me?

If I hold the idea that some outside political, social, economic force is trying to control me, suffocate me, silence me, lie to me, manipulate me…. then I have already muzzled myself by that belief. Not only by projecting that belief, but by interpreting everything I see through its lens. Of course this will be my experience. It’s what I believe. And what I believe, I will see.

I appreciate that removing the mask feels like I’m removing the very symbol of what’s trying to silence me.

But if I were truly free, no face covering would trigger me.

And all the outcries that we see are the acting out of the anger and guilt that we feel at our own self-imposed imprisonment.

There is nothing and no one in this world that can give – or take away – the state of being called FREEDOM. It is an inner state.

Freedom is of the mind that knows the truth, unwavering, of who it is.

Freedom is of the heart, awakened in love and compassion, which only wishes to extend itself into the world.

Freedom is of the spirit, which is already free, and doesn’t need to prove that to anyone else.

The ultimate freedom is freedom from the illusions of this world:

The knowing that I am always one with my Creator. That I am loved, and forgiven. That nothing in this world can bind me. That when I am bound to God Love, I am free, for nothing that is asked of me in this material world (be it a mask, confinement, social distancing, a vaccine, a law…) can affect the knowing that I am already – now and forevermore – free.

Alberto and I wear masks when we enter any indoor space. Why?

Because, to us, that is the most loving thing we can do at this time; to not add to the anxiety, tension and divisiveness that we see. We know who we are, and Who is with us, in every moment. A mask will not change that.

To us, this is the meaning of the teaching by Jesus: I render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s (i.e. the mask, what is of the world), and render to God the things that are God’s (my freedom, what is of the Spirit).

In fact, when we go into a store, we remind ourselves of that. And that we are here not to defend against a virus, but to leave seeds of light, of peace and love, of wisdom, of consciousness… with whoever we see and in every aisle that we walk. This is all inner work. This is all light-work, and has nothing to do with what we see in the outer world as a virus.

When we feel that we are losing that feeling of oneness and connection – because, hello, we are still human! – we go home. We go inwards again, and recommit to the inner union.

A grand opportunity for healing and transformation is before us once again. We can take up the task of clearing those beliefs that veil the light and love that we are. Or we can keep the veil in place, believing that something outside of us is trying to hurt us.

And while we decide, Love always waits. Ever patient. Ever extending a hand to help us walk through this “darkness” to the other side where only light exists. Where only love is real. Where brotherhood is the only truth.

Love, always 💖🙏
Mony

BTW, all credit to Alberto for the inspired Hamlet reference in this pic! 😁

And yes, please feel free to share!

#monydojeiji #walkingforpeace #consciousness #mask #COVID19 #love #freedom #free #WeAreOne #brotherhood #transformation #healing #light #lightworkers 

Healing our Racism

Mony Dojeiji

Carl Jung famously said, “Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.”

And what a time of awakening we are living through!

So much is being revealed, collectively and individually. So much pain awaiting transformation. So much division awaiting reconciliation.

As always, let it begin with me.

This is how I understand racism and injustice:

Racism is of the heart and mind. It is ideas, beliefs, thoughts, programs that convince us that we are somehow more than another, separate from another, with an inherent right to thrive and develop our full potential while denying those same basic rights and freedoms to another.

Injustice is the result of putting these beliefs into practice, creating systems that entrench the separation and feelings of entitlement and superiority.

Healing racism is inner work. Healing injustice is outer work.

Those of you who follow my writings know that I believe that the outer world is a projection of our inner world. We are either projecting our fears (in the form of denial, attack, racism) or expanding love (in the form of forgiveness, empathy, building equality).

So if I’m angry, resentful, entitled… what kind of just or equitable laws or systems am I going to build?

I was going to write about applying one of my favourite spiritual tools – Ho’oponopono – but instead felt called to approach the inner work from a different perspective today.

Peel back enough layers of hatred, and you will inevitably find pain. Guilt. Shame.

I’m not excusing any behaviours here, just trying to go beyond the surface. It’s easier to attack and hate than to look at the pain that keeps the hate alive; than to look at the shame of having attacked and hurt another; than to face the guilt that our individual and collective actions have caused.

Hearts divided into so many fragments cannot mend.

Souls obscured by so many layers cannot shine.

If acknowledging the shame and guilt and betraying the truth of who we are is hard, imagine how hard it is to consider forgiveness.

That we are forgiven. Because we are all children of a God Love.And a loving God would never punish a beloved child.

One of the most difficult phrases I ever read – and eventually understood – was that even Hitler went to heaven. That’s from “Conversations with God Book 1” by Neale Donald Walsch. Why? Because he too was a child of God. I encourage you to read this book for deeper context.

If we allow that thought – that we are forgiven – in, then that means we must somehow be worthy of forgiveness.

Which means we are somehow worthy of love.

“How can I accept this,” we reason, “with all the hatred that I have thought, felt, spoken and committed?”

Therein lies the greatest barrier to transformation, liberation and peace.

Because until we can accept forgiveness for the deep error in thinking we hold about who and what we are – and what we have done in consequence –, there is no room for love to enter. There’s no room for healing to take place. It’s easier to keep punishing ourselves for our errors than to accept forgiveness and love for them.

Unable to see ourselves as worthy of love, unable to accept forgiveness, we continue to perpetuate the attack, the hatred, the pain.

Unable to forgive ourselves, we cannot ask for forgiveness of another.

We cannot extend forgiveness to those who have erred, as we have.

And so in that cycle we remain, generation after generation. Until we finally say, “enough.”

This is the moment of healing we have all been waiting for. This is the love and light that’s been unleashed, and that’s bathing humanity at this time. This is the awakening we are being offered:

To finally liberate ourselves from the shackles of unworthiness,

And walk together into the promise of a world united in brotherhood, love and peace.

Let it begin with me.

Love, always 💖🙏
Mony

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#monydojeiji #consciousness #walkingforpeace #healing #transformation #racism #healingourracism #peace #love #innerwork #freedom #forgiveness

Power

As we approach the birthday of one of the great modern prophets of peace, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I am especially drawn to this phrase:

"Let no man pull you low enough to hate him."

Because in the moment they do, YOU have lost your power:

Your power to choose what to think.

Your power to choose what to believe.

Your power to choose how to act.

Your power to stand in the grace of who you are.

Your power to choose love, especially for those who demonstrate the lack of it.

Your power to choose understanding, even while others act from ignorance.

Your power to choose unity, even while the words of others create separation.

Your power to choose to listen with your heart, to hear the unspoken words and glimpse the wounds desperate to heal.

No one can control how you feel, what you think, and how you respond. That is the ultimate power you, and we, all possess.

My choice is clear. Despite all the outer noise and distractions, now more than ever, I stand for love.

And I especially weigh it down like an anchor in the hearts of those – my brothers and sisters on this journey – who cannot yet do it for themselves, and who have temporarily forgotten who they are.

May peace prevail in the hearts of all. 🙏💞
~Mony

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#monydojeiji #consciousness #walkingforpeace #love #peace #mlk #istandforlove #mlkday

(r)Evolutions

Mony Dojeiji - on the path

Watching the news these days is not for the faint of heart. The speed and complexity of events are dizzying. We seem to be riding a wave of emotions that never quite reaches shore, in a world that seems to be fraying at the seams.

It’s impossible to tune out completely, unless you isolate yourself from the world. Although important to do, I also believe we’re here to engage with the world in a meaningful way rather than try to escape it.

The question always becomes: what can I possibly do?

When I walked to Jerusalem, I was DOING something, responding to a situation (9/11) that left me feeling vulnerable and afraid. My pilgrimage for peace would be my contribution to the forces and energies of peace.

But I certainly wasn’t a person at peace.

I was full of judgments. I had so many expectations. So many rigid ideas of right and wrong, my way or no way. (Just ask Alberto! LOL) So many fears. So much anger at what I perceived as injustices in the world and those perpetrating it.

My big dream when I arrived in Jerusalem was to spark a massive march for peace, bring together people from all faiths and religions, Israelis and Palestinians, and whoever else wanted to join us in a march demanding peace in the Holy Land. I even wanted to live there, working for the UN or some NGO dedicated to peace.

It certainly didn’t work out that way.

Although my intentions were pure – creating peace – my heart was fractured. Conflicted. Bitter. In pain.

How could such a heart inspire peace in another?

What kind of peace would this heart be creating?

I was so focused on outer action, though, that I didn’t see this right away. The journey and its myriad experiences revealed these – and many more – truths to me, along with what was perhaps the most difficult to accept:

There is nothing out there.

It is ALL inside of you, revealing itself to you so that you may acknowledge it, accept it and liberate it.

The priest that I judged and criticized for turning us away was the loving opportunity to heal the fears, expectations and judgments within me.

The woman who brought me to tears because I couldn’t live up to her expectations of how a good pilgrim should behave was the loving opportunity to heal the wounded child within me.

The few people who mocked or dismissed my pilgrimage were the loving opportunity to stand confidently in my truth and to speak it with open heart, even as it was still forming within me.

The days and nights of anxiety and uncertainty when we didn’t know if we would have a roof over our heads were the loving opportunity to have faith in what we couldn’t see, and to know that a Great Love is always at work.

This was the true journey. The transformation that was taking place. So that Peace and Love would find a home within me. And inspire my action in the world.

THAT is the inner (r)evolution.

And the source of all outer (r)evolutions.

Gandhi. Martin Luther King. Marianne Williamson. They all understood this when they called for a revolution of Love.

And every revolution needs its revolutionaries:

Revolutionaries of Love,

Dissolving the bitterness and barriers within, so that they may be dissolved without.

When our inner walls crumble, the outer walls cannot help but follow suit.

~Mony 💖🙏

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#monydojeiji #walkingforpeace #consciousness #love #revolution #revolutionaries #lightworkers #peace #innerjourney #innerpeace #MarianneWilliamson #MLK #Gandhi #evolution #transformation #pilgrimage #peacepilgrim #pilgrim

We all Belong to One Canada

Photo by Cory Woodward on Unsplash

I know the election results thrilled many and disappointed others.

We were divided along red, blue, orange, green…

I say let’s create a rainbow with those colours!

Because, at the end of the day, we are all CANADIANS.

We all belong to this one country.

We all belong to each other.

The fabric of what holds us together has been frayed, but not irrevocably torn.

Now is the moment to take a deep breath;

Acknowledge our differences, and the fears that fed them; and

Begin the work of rebuilding confidence, trust and faith in ourselves, in one another and in our country.

Is there anything more 🇨🇦 Canadian 🇨🇦?

~Mony 💖


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#monydojeiji #consciousness #walkingforpeace #Canadian #cdnpoli #elxn43

The World needs more HEART-fullness

The world needs more heart-fullness.

Hearts bursting with love, compassion, brotherhood;

Which elevate the mind to its fullness;

Lead it to its sacred destination:

The Mind of God.

Where only inspiration exists;

All-possibility;

The one most perfect for you at this moment;

To receive;

Give thanks for;

And put into action.

In service to the world.

Let Love raise your every thought to its highest expression. 🙏💝

~Mony

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#monydojeiji #consciousness #walkingforpeace #love #speaking #mindfulness #heartfullness #FridayFeeling #inspiration

Laying Down the Cross

           

  

 

 Today, Alberto and I went for a walk on the path near our home. It had become a ritual to visit a certain bench along the way but, for some reason today, I didn't feel like going.

More accurately, something was telling me to stay behind and let Alberto go alone.

We parted ways on the bridge, agreeing to meet up shortly.

As you can see from the picture, there's a concrete 'ledge' on either side of the bridge. As soon as I stepped onto one side - where the waters run rapidly - a fire truck and ambulance siren began to wail. Loudly. I stopped and waited, understanding this was not the way, for whatever reason.

I crossed the bridge to the other side. Here, the water appeared to be at a standstill, almost stagnant, but as I looked more closely, I noticed that the waters were indeed flowing.

"How true is that," I thought. "The water always knows where it's going. And, inevitably, finds itself merging into more infinite waters. There's wisdom in that flow, and I surrender myself to it."

I stayed for a while longer, appreciating the flow, then turned to leave. At that moment, my eyes caught sight of emerald-coloured beads hanging on the branch beside me.

A rosary.

Without the cross.

Mary holding an infant Jesus on one side.

On the other side, an adult Jesus holding a chalice, from which a heart can be seen and what looks like a fountain coming out of that chalice.

As I held the beads in my hand, I understood the message:

Love. The fountain of life. Abundant. Ever-flowing. Inexhaustible. It abides in the heart of (wo)mankind. It's what nourishes and blesses one, and all. The Holy Grail.

The cross of expectations, obligations, fears, limitations, judgments...all of it, laid down. Transformed by Love into wisdom, understanding, peace.

We all carry one form of cross or another in our lives. The invitation is always there to lay it down. To let Love liberate it so that you may stand - confidently, authentically - as the fully-realized child of the Divine that you are.

Love always, 🙏💕
Mony

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#monydojeiji #walkingforpeace #consciousness #love #wisdom #peace

U.N. Day of Nonviolence and Gandhi's True Message

Today (Oct. 2) marks the U.N. Day of Non-violence and coincides with the 150th anniversary of his birthday.

So many things to admire about this man but, in this picture of him, I see in him a fellow pilgrim. Humility. Humanity. Perseverance. Love. Compassion.

While many reflect on his many accomplishments, I am drawn to these words from spiritual teacher and author Eknath Easwaran:

"Gandhi’s mission was not really the liberation of India. That was a tremendous achievement, but India was essentially a showcase, a stage for the world to see what nonviolence can accomplish in the highly imperfect world of real life. . . .

In today’s language, Gandhi gave us the basis for a technology of peace. He gave us tools for resolving conflicts of all kinds, which anyone can learn to use.

But it is urgent to understand his message that nonviolence is a way of thinking, a way of life;

Not a tactic, but a way of putting love to work in resolving problems, healing relationships, and generally raising the quality of our lives.

We don’t begin on the grand stage he acted on; he did not begin that way himself. He began with his personal relationships, aware that he could not expect to put out the fires of anger and hatred elsewhere if the same fires smoldered in his own home and heart.

His nonviolence is NOT a political weapon or a technique for social change so much as it is an essential art—perhaps the essential art—of civilization.

In other words, nonviolence is a skill, just like learning to read. Love is a skill. The transformation of anger is a skill. All these can be learned...

Finally, for spiritual seekers of all persuasions, Gandhi showed us that the spiritual life need not mean retiring to a monastery or cave. It can be pursued in the midst of family, community, and a career of selfless service.

Even without reference to spirituality, if we look upon the overriding purpose of life as making a lasting contribution to our family and society, Gandhi gave us a higher image for ourselves, a glorification of the innate goodness in the human being, whose joy lies in living for the welfare of all.

This is Gandhi’s ultimate message for us, and no sentence of his is more significant than when he says—and remember, this is a man who never let even a word stand if he did not know it to be true from his own experience—

“I have not the shadow of a doubt that any man or woman can achieve what I have, if he or she would make the same effort and cultivate the same hope and faith.”

From the book: Gandhi the Man: How One Man Changed Himself to Change the World (Nilgiri Press: 1972, 2011), 22-23.

May all beings know peace.🙏
~Mony

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#monydojeiji #walkingforpeace #consciousness #peace #love #ahimsa #Gandhi #nonviolence #UNDayofNonviolence #spiritual #loveinaction #pilgrim

What can I Do to Support an Arising Consciousness?

What can I do to support this arising consciousness of Love in our politics, our economics, our world, ourselves?

It’s a question I ask myself often, especially as we here in Canada and the U.S. enter an election season where it’s easy to be swayed by all the emotional turbulence. The response, without fail, is usually:

Stop judging!

Stop judging the person. The situation. The emotions they evoke in you. Your thoughts.

Better yet, stay in a field of Love, and extend that field out to people you strongly disagree with, and situations that are beyond your control.

Oh, is that all?! LOL

Sure, it’s easy to extend Love in meditation or prayer, but how do you do that when interacting with the world?

That is, by far, the greatest challenge of my spiritual journey. It’s also the most rewarding when I manage to do it, even for a few moments.

I don’t have an easy answer, but I do have one practice that I consistently go to that keeps me anchored in Love.

As I go about my day, in the back of my mind, I have trained myself to repeat the words:

THANK YOU. I LOVE YOU.

Over and over and over again.

It’s like a non-stop record. I repeat both phrases – or just one – upon waking, in the shower, when I’m driving, before I go into a meeting, before I speak or write. I especially repeat them before, during and after the news!

Who am I saying them to? No one. And every one!

To myself. To the Universal Consciousness. To my family. Passersby. The cashier. The barista. The coffee. The trees. The sun. The sky. The rain. The earth. My feet. My body. My eyes. The sidewalk. The room. The buildings. The city. The country. The car. The person who cuts me off. The helpers and the builders. The deniers and the dividers. The lovers and the haters. The emotions (anger, fear, sadness, disbelief) that are still there even as I write these words. The thoughts of futility that still interject themselves.

To ALL of it, I say:

THANK YOU. I LOVE YOU.

Along with deep breathing, these words bring me a sense of deep calm: mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. A sense that all is OK. When I do speak, I feel I am speaking from a place of greater inspiration. When I do act, it feels like I’m doing exactly what I need to do in that moment. I feel less rushed, more in flow, more connected to that field of Love and Wisdom, confident that it’s doing its thing through me and that all is Perfect.

Yes, I still get angry. I still lose my patience. I still judge. But I also get back to that field of Love a lot more quickly than I ever used to.

If each one of us was able to do this, imagine the transformations that would take place within us: in our minds, hearts and spirits. Imagine how those ripples of energy would change our world.

May these words serve you in your journeys. I’d love to hear what you do to also stay in consciousness.

Shine on!
Mony

***

Art by A. Wyron on unsplash.com.

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#monydojeiji #walkingforpeace #consciousness #love #politics #loveinpolitics #peace #lightworkers #dailypractice #thankyou #iloveyou #gratitude #hooponopono #iamawake

U.N. International Day of Peace Declaration - why reading it matters

UN International Day of Peace - September 21

There is great power in ritual. In pausing for a moment to reflect on who we are, and why we are participating in any act or thought.

The reading of the U.N. Secretary General's Day of Peace Proclamation has been taking place at Parliament Hill for the last 13 years. Led by peace elder Bill Bhaneja, the words are spoken so that we may all reflect on what it means for each of us to BE peace in that moment, and to rededicate our efforts to expanding that peace in our lives, communities and world.

It also helps us all see we are not alone in that task, as the task may seem quite lonely at times.

If you're in Ottawa on Sat. September 21 at 11:45 a.m., I will be there - among many others - at the Centennial Flame to participate in the reading, and be an active part of the field of love and peace that I know is created when all gather with intention.

Wherever you are that Day of Peace, I hope you will pause and take a moment to breathe in the peace I know we all, in our hearts, desire; and allow all that is not peace to be taken away on the breath.

Love is always present, if we but allow it to unfold.

Blessings, 🙏💞

Mony

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#monydojeiji #albertoagraso #walkingforpeace #consciousness #DayofPeace #InternationalDayofPeace  #peace #love #ParliamentHill #CentennialFlame #Ottawa  

Remembering 9/11

Photo: Andrew Kelly, Reuters

Most of us can recall where we were or what we were doing on this fateful day.

I was in Lebanon, fresh off the Camino, visiting my family after my grandmother’s unexpected passing. I had just come back from a girls’ shopping spree in Beirut and was stepping into the house when my phone rang. My best friend was crying into the phone, trying to explain these attacks in New York, and how I needed to get back to Canada right away because they were closing airports and talking of bombing southern Lebanon.

I went numb and, as I sat watching the news reports, only felt the horror of that moment.

But that day galvanized me, and placed me firmly on the path of action:

I would walk to Jerusalem for peace, and dedicate my every step to peace. Peace within me. Peace in Jerusalem, and beyond.

I reflect on this day often, on how easy it would have been to fall deeper into fear and shut myself off from the world. I saw that same struggle on the faces of so many people.

But I also saw so much grace and dignity, so much love and compassion, so many people refusing to bow to fear and to carry on, choosing to light the way rather than close off into the darkness. If there was to be a gift from this day, that would be it for me.

May all be blessed on this – and every – day.

~Mony

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#monydojeiji #walkingfopeace #consciousness #september11 #peace #love #pilgrimageforpeace #pilgrimage #pilgrim #light #lovewins #lightworkers

A Conscious Politics

One of the most profound and authentic conversations that I see taking place these days is from this woman: Marianne Williamson.

Marianne Williamson (Image from NY Times Magazine article)

 It’s not even about her run for the American presidency, but the deep truths that she’s speaking.

It’s about the consciousness she represents, where LOVE – for each other, for the planet, for our highest ideals – is at the core of all that we as individuals (and collectively as societies and governments) do.

She puts forth the “radical” notion that individuals are here to thrive;

That we have the right to fully realize our potential;

That we are here to be unburdened emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually – liberated from these slaveries, so that our creative brilliance may shine through and raise the world in which we live.

As we have all witnessed – in the US and beyond – fear has been harnessed to divide us. Love, humanity, compassion are all too often derided and dismissed as naïve and sentimental, lacking the power to create any lasting change.

But I say it is ONLY LOVE that will transform us. It is ONLY LOVE that will unite us. It is ONLY LOVE that will guide us.

And that journey must begin in the heart of each and every one of us.

It takes courage to embark on this journey. We must be willing to look deeply into the shadows of our own souls – our fears, our prejudices, our helplessness – and shine a light upon them. The lamp we carry is LOVE.  

ONLY LOVE can transform our deep pains and traumas into peace.

ONLY LOVE can transform our thoughts and beliefs into inspiration.

For LOVE is the greatest Liberator.

Until we can know that God is Love, and that Love is our true nature, then we will ridicule what we don’t know and crucify those who challenge us in our beliefs.

What gives me incredible hope is a certainty that people are waking up to this deep truth and that the wave that has now begun cannot be stopped.

Her website is a fountain of knowledge, and ideas that make me think even deeper. I encourage you to check it out. marianne2020.com.

This is a recent article about her from the NY Times Magazine https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/03/magazine/marianne-williamson-2020.html.

May we all walk forward together in consciousness and unity.

~Mony

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#monydojeiji #walkingforpeace #consciousness #loveinpolitics #mariannewilliamson #marianne2020 #marianneforpresident #love #transformation #bigtruth #wisdom

Inquiry into MMIWG - Healing the Soul of a Nation

Digital Art by Janelle Richardson

Last week in Canada, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) presented its report to Canadian government officials. This Inquiry was set up to understand why indigenous women are so disproportionately affected by violence, why so many go missing or are murdered, and why the justice system has failed them at every turn. They called the events a genocide.

I watched the presentation, and felt witness to a watershed moment in Canadian history. When faced with painful Truth, I’ve observed that the mind either denies and attacks, or bows to the calling of the heart to heal. Those who immediately focused on the word “genocide”, arguing whether its use was legal or correct, showed they were incapable of bowing to that call to heal, yet. Their hearts aren’t ready.

But I believe the vast majority of Canadians are ready. They simply don’t know how.

We are a good, kind and decent people, who try to do the right thing, so it’s difficult for us to conceive of this happening in our own country; that our own elected officials and the laws they enacted enabled this. But until we are willing to acknowledge what happened, and the well of emotions this Truth has now evoked, then we will perpetuate this trauma and inhibit our ability to move forward as this great united nation we claim ourselves to be. It is a deep, painful, collective memory we all share. It is in our collective psyche as Canadians.

But it can be healed. It can be transformed, and become powerful wisdom to guide us forward as a nation. It takes courage, which I know we have. Our courage to do this work will liberate us and all involved from this trauma. It is only then that creative, inspired solutions for reparations can be considered. Only then can we become the “True North, strong and free.”

We have before us an opportunity (and obligation, I feel) to heal the soul of a country harmed by actions inspired by ignorance and fear, and power exercised without wisdom or compassion.

This is all inner work, which means we each have the power to do this. Now, we only have to be willing. :-)

What can I do? That’s usually the question. I didn’t do anything. I wasn’t here when all this happened. The government has the report. They’ll work on the laws and policies that need changing. They’ll pay whatever needs to be paid.

But reconciliation has nothing to do with money. This is not a financial matter, but an emotional, mental and spiritual one. We each have a role to play to liberate these energies within us.

How do we do this? What I share with you now is the inner work that I'm doing, what I'm saying to myself:

I take 100% responsibility for having this shared memory in my psyche. I may not have personally committed these acts, but I take responsibility for the fact that they happened in my country, in my history, by officials elected by me or my ancestors to create laws and policies that represented my values as a Canadian.

I take responsibility for the suffering they inflicted, despite the fact that this “was the accepted thinking of the time.”

I take responsibility for every mother, sister, aunt, daughter and child murdered or missing as a result of these laws. I take responsibility for all that they could have been… and never were.

I take responsibility for every disparaging thought and judgment I’ve had about indigenous people. I take responsibility for every moment I walked past anyone in need or looked the other way.

I take responsibility for the depth of emotions this has evoked in me, and wanting to bury them or ignore them.

That is my part in all of this.

Until we can see each and every one of these women as OUR FAMILY, our beloveds, then we will not grasp the heart calling to make this right.

I cannot change what was, but I have it within me to change what is… WITHIN ME.

These words I speak right now:

* To every emotion * running through me right now, from guilt, shame, horror, rage, disbelief, denial, helplessness…I see you. I see each and every one of you. This Inquiry is allowing me to see you, and for that, I say thank you for showing yourself to me. You are in me, so you are my emotions, no one else’s. I take responsibility for you, and say I am sorry. I love you. Thank you for the chance to liberate you. Thank you for the opportunity to be at peace, to have the chambers of my heart filled with peace. Thank you for the opportunity to now bring this peace into the world as inspired action, inspired words, inspired thoughts.

* To this memory * buried in my psyche that I share with all Canadians – a memory that is within me because I am Canadian – I say I’m sorry. I’m sorry that you are in me, in my country, in its people, in my land. Please forgive me, and all those who acted in my name, who had a hand in creating you. I know you don’t want to remain this heavy, dark shadow within me, lurking and unseen. You want to be in the light too. You want to be free. You want to shine. Thank you for the opportunity to free you, to bring you healing, to bring you peace. I see you. I love you.

I know I am connected to every other Canadian and human being on this planet and, in doing this work, I am not only freeing you within me, but doing my part to free you inside each and every person who has this memory in them too. In Canada, and around the world.

* To each and every indigenous * woman, girl and all her relations… to every victim… I am sorry for the pain that we inflicted upon you. I am sorry for all the wrong that we did to you. I’m sorry that we didn’t know any better. Without even realizing it, in harming you, we were also harming ourselves. We were losing our humanity. Please forgive us.

* My Creator *, I know I don’t need to ask your forgiveness because I am always loved, but I am sorry for my part in having this memory within me. I didn’t know any better. We didn’t know any better. I alone can’t do this work of transforming and liberating this trauma. I know you seek our highest good, and our continued growth into ever-greater versions of Love. I love you.

Thank you for liberating this memory within me, and all who may harbour it, in this country or another, this lifetime or another.

Thank you for this opportunity to grow in wisdom, love and compassion. Thank you the opportunity to apply this wisdom and love in service to all Canadians, to care for all, love all, and serve all, so that we may move forward as “the True North, strong and free” that we truly are.

Love is the most powerful force in the Universe and, with Love lighting the way, this is done.

And so it is. 💖🙏💖
~Mony

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Image by digital artist Janelle Richardson. She’s a member of the Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation and was born in Whitehorse, Y.T.to the parents Dorothy Washpan and Alvin Washpan. She was separated from her other 4 sisters who were all part of the 60's scoop era. She currently resides in the State of Georgia where she earned a Bachelors. Her youngest sister Tina Washpan a.k.a. Cindy Burke was one of the MMIWG of the Yukon. She dedicates this logo to her sister Tina, whom she never had the opportunity to meet, but will forever be in Janelle's heart.

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#monydojeiji #consciousness #walkingforpeace #peace #love #reconciliation#MMIWG #Canada #Canadian #healing #transformation #trauma#loveistheonlytruth #wisdom #indigenous #truth #bigtruth