The Golden Rule - we all know - "Do unto others as you would have done unto you." BUT - have you stopped to reflect what you want with "do unto you". Virtually all religious traditions have some way of putting this out there. The Golden Rule is, at its core, the notion of relational reciprocity. That being the case, we might well think of this as part of what it means to be human.
After all, our human existence is about relationship. We are social beings who interact within larger and smaller societies and social groupings. For most, family is the core of relationships and acts as the foundation for the ways in which we interact with others outside the family.
In meditation, we can begin to explore what it is that we ask of others when we think about how we want to be treated (as opposed to what we are prepared to put up with) and what we expect of others (which is about what we expect within ourselves). Too often, we are on autopilot and have not really thought through what it is that we ask and given in a reciprocal relationship. When meditating, visualize being "done unto" to see what is there. Here is a list of some possible items:
How do I wish to be
After all, our human existence is about relationship. We are social beings who interact within larger and smaller societies and social groupings. For most, family is the core of relationships and acts as the foundation for the ways in which we interact with others outside the family.
“Every religion emphasizes human improvement, love, respect for others, sharing other people's suffering. On these lines every religion had more or less the same viewpoint and the same goal." The Dalai Lama
In meditation, we can begin to explore what it is that we ask of others when we think about how we want to be treated (as opposed to what we are prepared to put up with) and what we expect of others (which is about what we expect within ourselves). Too often, we are on autopilot and have not really thought through what it is that we ask and given in a reciprocal relationship. When meditating, visualize being "done unto" to see what is there. Here is a list of some possible items:
How do I wish to be
- loved
- respected
- cared for
- addressed in conflict
- consulted
- spoken to
- shown compassion
- allowed to express self
- show my identity
- free
- alone
- supported
- shown emotions
- expressing emotions
- heard
- touched
- valued
- invited
You may well add to the list - it's not meant to be exhaustive.
She entered the forest
enveloped by the lushness of the moss underneath
and the aroma of the cedar
In the distance could be heard the ocean
she stopped, feeling the child within
thinking of the rhythm of ocean and child
She recalled the
love and passion
as she conceived the child
Smelling the forest
she hoped to introduce her child
into the ways of nature
Overhead an eagle cried
she touched the tree
feeling its roots to the earth
Her child existed she knew
Because of
her place in the universe
She longed to introduce
the sky, the ocean, the forest
the way of the world
Could the world provide for her child
would it remain alive and pristine
as it felt to her at this moment
She dreamed for her child
she saw not things to be gained
but love, connection and bravery to the self
To nurture that is her gift to her child
nothing else could matter
for if her child is not true to self
what else could matter
© Peter Choate, 2016
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