Looking at some photographs on my photo disk, I was reminded of this:
A few weeks back, a couple friends--both of them good, giving people--were having problems with each other. I, along with another mutual friend, was invited to be part of a listening process. Both of the parties were able to speak to their pain and perceptions of the conflict, and things seem much better.
At the end of the session, I said I had a little homework for my no-longer-feuding-but-still-wary friends. I offered to take the photo of each of them and then give each of them a photo of the other. I meant it as a spiritual exercise.
I suggested that they put the photo that I gave them on an altar, or something like that: a prominent place where they would be sure to see it. And then, I suggested, they could visualize the other person they'd been struggling with and try to imagine their suffering, and try to think nice thoughts about them. It was a modified version on tonglen, or metta meditation: taking in the pain of the other, and then sending out healing energy.
They agreed. I took the photos, printed them out, and them handed them out. They took them home and at least one time--probably more--they looked at it and thought nice thoughts about the other person.
A week later one of the friends thanked me for the suggestion and said she found it very helpful. Things seemed to be going a lot better for her, and for the fragile friendship between the two friends. I was glad to hear it and thought: I should do more of this stuff myself!
But I don't just write this to recommend a spiritual practice. I also want to make the observation that it is a mediated spiritual practice. Through the picture, the practitioner takes in the negative energy of the other, and transmits positive energy. Through intention, and the medium (the picture, in this case), healing occurs. I imagine that other media can be used for a similar effect. Worth exploring.
OK, it's a little New-Agey, but I still think spiritual technologies are worth examining and thinking about. So I'm going to examine and think about them. And blogging about them here.
Posted by jeb at July 12, 2005 6:14 PM | TrackBack
I like what you have to say here, Jeb. I think that so much of what you mention here as mediation is crucial to the healing process. The medium heals only because it can't-- it's non-changing, static, unobtrusive. The feelings and emotions that exist outside of the picture are, of course, not. Somewhere between the static medium and the kinetic emotion a negotiation is made. You're a good friend for taking the time to show them this.
Posted by: marc at July 12, 2005 9:42 PM