The "Love Connection"

It has been about 11 days since I had my last posting. Although I have not recently posted, partly due to a number of visits from relatives, I have continued to "think and reflect." It has been growing in my mind that there is a definite "attitude adjustment" that would come with the "universal love" religious world view. As I have been reviewing the "sayings" of Jesus and some readings in the Mohist cannon, it appears clear that there is a certain dual effect of this practice. First, we have the "internal" effects of the attitude adjustment. I truly think that it may be reasonably correct that practicing this attitude does improve feelings of well-being and, well, happiness. The external effects would seem to be significant as well. Generally, for the most part, persons who are treated well and with love have a greater tendency to respond in kind. I speculate, though, that there may be a more "spiritual" effect perhaps. It seems that there is a certain resonance that the more positive internal orientation creates in other persons. To the extent that my internal state of being is "positive," it seems to create a higher likelihood of others experiencing the same thing. Whether this is through subliminal clues, body language, pheromones or what, I do not know. It is rather like setting a tuning fork vibrating and then noting that it induces a vibration at a similar frequency in an adjacent string or tuning fork. Perhaps this is what is meant when someone is described as having an emotion that is "infectious." Although perhaps excessively "utopian," one could see that, if there were enough people "vibrating" on this frequency, the whole world could eventually fall in tune with it. Conceivably, the opposite effect could occur as well. To the extent that we are internally self-focused, angry, hateful, prejudiced, etc, we will induce negative "resonances" in others that can be "infectious" as well.

There seem to be intimations of this in some of the "sayings" of Jesus when he tells stories about the "Kingdom of Heaven." Yeast makes the whole loaf rise. The light on the lampstand lights up the whole world. You are the salt of the earth. The smallest of seeds grows up into the largest of trees. It might also give some meaning to some of the "backwards" or darker versions such as the "Beware of the leaven of the scribes and Pharisees," where the "negative" leaven can also get into the loaf and have significant ill effects.

The place where Christianity is a bit lacking, perhaps, is in concrete suggestions or a specific program to create this internal change. It is hinted at in imagery such as being "born again," but this is too tied up with the theistic god, redemption, original sin schema to hold much appeal for me. I have had, for weeks now, a phrase going repeatedly through my head, rather like a mantra. "Cultivate an attitude of calmness and compassion." This would seem to encapsulate both the "Take no thought for the morrow," with regard to personally centered anxieties as well as the "Golden rule" principle. Although it may not be enough for the longterm, I have found it helpful to "pray" this phrase repeatedly. When I find myself, for example, getting irritable, angry or upset---in short when the calmness and compassion start to fade--- then this is a time for reflection. Why did I change, do this, think this, feel this? How can I respond differently? Am I being truly compassionate? Am I practicing the "Golden Rule?" Finally, make a conscious effort to "Cultivate an attitude of calmness and compassion." Strangely, far from being an attitude that leads to apathy, it allows me to accomplish a great deal more. I begin to doubt the "power of negative emotion" such as the so-called "righteous anger." I wonder if, no matter what the outcome, the anger behind the intent somehow adversely taints the results. Yes, the concrete desired "result" may occur, but at what personal cost? I may "get the job done," but I wonder if I have not somehow damaged myself (and others) in the process? I seem to recall from reading some years ago in writings of Mahatma Gandhi where he implied that negative means inevitably produce negative ends. It is, perhaps, a failure to really believe this that makes us imagine that war can produce peace. We might, possibly, force a regime change. We might, for a time, reduce the number of "opponents" or their capacity to do violence, but ultimately, the anger/hatred/ill-feeling that war produces will have its effect, and that will of necessity be a negative one.

In a more personal sense, a "calm and compassionate attitude" truly appears to help one accomplish the daily "grind." I was reminded, on a Disneyland trip over the weekend, of the Mary Poppins "Spoonful of Sugar" song. "In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. Find, the fun, and the job's a game." If we cultivate the "attitude of calmness and compassion" the "happiness" aura that surrounds it certainly lessens the "medicine" of accomplishing many "jobs that must be done." Here I've been looking for help in centuries-old religious texts, and all I had to do was listen to Julie Andrews!

Jeffrey Shy
(Having a "spoonful of sugar")
Mesa, Arizona