Several years ago I was in the gorgeous, dark, rainy, bustling city of Vancouver, BC.
Vancouver is only 3 hours drive from my city of Seattle. And about the same color of green-blue-gray, huge old evergreen trees, dramatic dark green mountains, and lots of coffee houses.
Only it’s Canada. There’s something cooler about being in Canada.
Everyone secretly agrees. (OK, that may not be true).
So there I was staying with a dear friend, reuniting with her after something like thirty years (she immigrated to Vancouver, which is one of the things that makes that city cool).
During the day, I attended a very small conference, with perhaps 40 people. Our speaker was the fascinating Dr. Hew Len who practices ho’oponopono, a method of cleaning, clearing, un-doing the overwhelming energy of personal stories, stress, pain, unhappiness.
My favorite!
At first, I thought he was bonkers.
Although he was academically trained, and had successfully earned a medical degree, he spoke of going beyond the mind.
Or actually, leaving the mind out altogether.
Leave the mind out? What? But I LOVE my mind! And it likes to THINK! And feel superior!
I got to have lunch with him. There were several of us, and I sat right next to him.
I asked him “How did you find this process you’re teaching? How did you find ho’oponopono?”
He looked at me gently and said with a twinkle in his eye “I stumbled into it. Just like you are, right now.”
Pause.
What? No story?
This was interesting. I noticed my mind really wanting to ask questions. I was also a little nervous. I felt like I was in the presence of someone very special. Very wise.
(See the Grace Note from last Sunday morning for more on that).
He wasn’t imposing himself or his ideas on me.
It was awesome. And different.
We were quiet a moment, perhaps someone else asked him something, or said something that I can’t remember, and then I asked again, going off on another hook, hoping for relief, “what do I do about my rage at my daughter?”
Again, a short answer.
He said “clean”.
Clean up your thoughts, un-ravel your negative thinking. Say “I love you” to her silently. Thank you, please forgive me, I’m sorry.
All in a flash of a moment, I was back to myself.
He had used the word “stumbled”. I liked that. I realized this meant that he was actually talking about the universe or something else, NOT ME, being the one in charge.
Who would I be without the thought that any of my contentious relationships, that any of my little annoying exchanges, or any of my so-called problems or my “dilemmas” need to be handled, yesterday?!
I would pull my head up out of the underwater world of believing EVERYTHING I think and I would feel some space.
I would feel emptiness and silence and big question marks….but it would be fine to not have any answers.
Oh.
Maybe that IS the answer.
Maybe you just stumble into it. The empty unknown magical mystery of it all.
“What seemed terrible changes once you’ve questioned it. There is nothing terrible except your unquestioned thoughts about what you see. So whenever you suffer, inquire, look at the thoughts you’re thinking, and set yourself free. Be a child. Know nothing. Take your ignorance all the way to your freedom.” ~ Byron Katie
Last two spaces left in Pain, Sickness and Death telecourse that starts TODAY at 5:15 pm Pacific time. Click here to read more.
Join me and this wonderful group to take a look at the Biggies that tend to cause us to seek out some answers from other people besides ourselves.
Maybe you’ve got the answer inside of you, already. Ya never know.
Love, Grace