Where does the universe need me to be? Where is action welcome and evolutionary?
These are questions I have been asking since last week. Last Monday, I got word that the meditation course I was going to teach in Iowa needed to be postponed to April. I was a little disappointed but figured there must be a reason. An hour later, an old friend from England emailed to say that his brother living here in L.A. had taken his own life. My friend was acquainted with his brother's cricket team but didn't know anyone else in the area.
Obviously he was in a place of great need. I was able to be there for him because I did not leave town to teach. I won't go into the grisly details of what was required to come to his aid. The important thing is that it was satisfying to be strong for someone else and to be of use.
Taking one's life is counter-evolutionary and I felt a tremendous sadness both for my friend and his brother but I hope that in providing solace and service for my friend that something good has come of this -- perhaps the good is that my friend knows that he is not alone in this world, that he is loved and that when tragedy occurs, humanity prevails.
