We are all connected by our fundamental Oneness in Spirit. Together we form an intricate web of life energy, and what happens to one part of the web affects other parts. As sentient nodes with free will, each of us can use our connectedness for the benefit or detriment of all. In particular, we can either support or block the free flow of the healing energy of Love through the channels that connect us to others. Becoming a source and conduit of loving energy benefits the sender and the receiver. Love nourishes the growth of Spirit in the individual, and the more freely it flows, the greater its power to cleanse and brighten the dark corners of the small self and remove obstacles to the flowering of the soul. Love strengthens the bonds between us and helps us understand the importance of the well-being of each individual to the well-being of all.
Ego tries to block the flow of Love because Love is antithetical to its goals. Ego seeks to direct attention to itself to the exclusion of others by denying our connectedness. Ego erects barriers of pride, distrust, and hatred to keep the small self from recognizing that it exists only as a part of the web of life. The closer the individual comes to realizing the infinite and intimate connectedness of that web, the closer that individual comes to accepting Oneness as the principle of its existence. Accepting Oneness means recognizing the welfare and happiness of others as equivalent to the welfare and happiness of the self. Indeed, those qualities exist in the self only as reflections of their presence in the whole. To the extent ego succeeds in cutting the individual off from the web of life, that individual's development is stunted by the lack of access to spiritual nourishment and to the realization of Oneness.
All of us have egos that, left unchecked, will try to keep us from sharing in the flow of Love. The antidote is, first of all, to meditate on Love and compassion so as to raise the awareness of loving connection. Second, to be mindful of the influence of ego on attitudes and behavior. Third, to direct loving consciousness into the web of life, breaking down ego's barriers and seeking out the connections that lead ultimately to the realization of Oneness.
Namaste.
