“It is only through an open heart that we will get to the heart of the matter.”
What if we are all, every one of us, joined by an “amazing web of consciousness?’ Would there be an ‘other’ or would we all simply be ‘us’? And if that is the case, what would happen to things like war, abuse, addiction, global chaos? Perhaps they would become obsolete. Unrealistic? Not in my mind, nor in the mind of Ramananda John Welshons who was my guest on It’s All About Relationships on Thursday May 30th. In our powerful from start to finish, conversation, we explored topics ranging from forgiveness, to empathy, from karma to parenting, from seeing the light in all creation to world events. I think of him as a ‘grounded mystic.’
RAMANANDA JOHN E. WELSHONS is a highly respected contemporary spiritual teacher who lectures and leads meditation courses throughout North America. He has practiced meditation and various forms of yoga since 1969, and is the author of three critically acclaimed books: One Soul, One Love, One Heart; Awakening from Grief; and When Prayers Aren’t Answered. He has traveled extensively in India and is a gifted counselor and teacher who – in addition to working closely with Ram Dass for more than forty years – has worked closely with Stephen and Ondrea Levine, and trained with Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross.
He sees relationships as powerful tools and declares “Finding our way into Oneness draws us back into relationships.” and affirms that “We all want to go back home.” He evidences this in one of my favorite stories about the experience he had in a contentious relationship with his father that he presented to his dear friend and mentor hoping for confirmation that he was right and his father was wrong.
In true to form fashion, Ram Dass reminded him that “All anger is anger at God,” and he went on to say “If I were God, I would have made the Universe better than this. Your father is the way God made him. If you get angry with him, that’s your problem.”
He suggested that indeed, his father was his guru. That became a pivotal point in John’s life and relationship with his father. He discovered that when dealing with difficult people in our lives, we have the choice to view that person as our spiritual teacher. They are there to show us the stuff in ourselves that is keeping us from living in love.
He laughed as he shared what Stephen Levine reminded him: “Our parents are really good at pushing our buttons, since they installed them.” That was a lesson John learned and at the end of his father’s life, in the midst of a barrage of verbal haranguing, he was able to step back and express love. His father’s reaction was to smile and offer love in return. He passed the next day. According to John, “He was the greatest teacher in this lifetime about what unconditional love could look like.”
He finds that forgiveness is “one of the great stumbling blocks” of human existence that has massive ramifications on all of our relationships. “Our tender emotional hearts get hardened.” He related that at age 12, in the midst of his parents’ alcoholism, as he prayed and wept he was aware that “If I was going to survive this, I would have to stop feeling.” Survive it he did and blessedly began to feel again and glean both meaning and healing from his experiences. “You can’t turn off the sadness without turning off the joy.” All feelings are needed. Our heart (or ‘heart cave’, as he framed it) is often blocked by the boulders of anger, pain and resentment. Once we move the boulders, we can access that love and joy and indeed the light that we are.
I was delighted to discover that the title of John’s book, One Soul, One Love, One Heart, was inspired by one of my favorite musicians Bob Marley and his song One Love. http://youtu.be/4xjPODksI08. I found myself singing along in my head at that point in the interview. He describes it as “The spiritual path and how it manifests in our relationships with ourselves and others.”
What it all comes to down to is this: “In the long run, the light always wins.”
Please listen to this inspiring interview.
Written by Edie Weinstein
Edie Weinstein, MSW, LSW (Bliss Mistress) is a colorfully creative journalist and interviewer, internationally known transformational speaker, licensed social worker, interfaith minister, Bliss coach and the author of The Bliss Mistress Guide To Transforming The Ordinary Into The Extraordinary. Over the past 25 years, she has interviewed such notables as Jack Canfield, Marianne Williamson,Dan Millman, Shirley MacLaine, Ram Dass, Ben & Jerry and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. She is a regular contributor to Beliefnet, Elephant Journal, Wisdom Magazine, The Whirling Blog, Identity Magazine and Bellesprit.
2 comments
I just saw your interview with Natalie Ledwell yesterday on her Inspiration Show. I was intrigued and wanted to check out your blog/ site.
It is facinating to me how many roles that you haven taken have or maybe I should say all the areas that encompass you. Where did it all start for you and how did one role attract another and then lead to yet another? How have you been able to add a role/ passion and still keep all that you worked for and were already doing?
I received my degree in Marketing first, then realizing that was in no way “me”, I went back to college to get my degree in Elementary Education. I taught for a very short time, and am not sure I have chosen the right path for myself. I have so many passions, I just don’t want to pick and choose between them. I am not sure how to use / build upon what I have already worked for and still add my other passions to it so it is all encompassing. When explaining to most poeple all my different passions or interests, they seem to have the attitude of “you just have to pick one” and go with it. So, my question for you is, how does one intertwine all of their passions so that they are living their lives doing what they are passionate about?
Thank you, Holly for responding to this blog post. Natalie was such a delight to converse with. I was always a multi-faceted multi-tasker and as a result, I don’t get bored. My resume is two pages long and growing and my degrees are in Psychology and Social Work (1981 and 1985, respectively). I joke that I’m not really a Social Worker, I just play one on tv(: I have served various populations, bit inpatient and outpatient (for 11 years in an acute care psych hospital…I left last June to focus on promoting my book and working with people who are looking to enhance their lives) I trust what I’m drawn to and feel that I don’t need to choose. Before I left that job, I seed planted for what I am doing now. I call myself ‘functionally manic'(not an official diagnosis:) so I can keep a lot of plates spinning. Yes, there are times when I need to be disciplined and focused, and I can diversify. In my coaching practice, I help people live their passions and focus on what they want to do. Feel free to be in touch, if you want to talk more about this. Listen to the radio show too, if you haven’t heard it. This week is Mariel Hemingway and Bobby Williams. http://www.vividlife.me Blissings, Edie <3