“The rise of consciousness is necessary for true healing to begin.” Dr. Mikao Usui
My beautiful friend and teacher lay comfortably cushioned on the massage table. Her impish inquisitiveness still outshined the limitation of fragile physical form. Sea-green eyes spoke volumes, even in quiet glances. The shared time between us bridged any notion of hospice or cancer. It marked two souls who touched one another on this ride called, “Life.” I left her that day, and cried inconsolably for nearly two hours. I was losing her, for whatever that concept of loss may hold.
A suggestion came to me, that I see her whole. And spell this whole with a “w.” Remove the “w,” then only the hole, the incomplete remains. If I only thought about the cancer, then this is all I would bring to her. Many schools of thought discuss the body, mind and soul connection. Albert Einstein wrote, “I admit that thoughts influence the body.”
So I decided to choose the whole instead of the hole and feel their comparison within my body. I witnessed a diminishment of actions influenced by limitation and helplessness. This brought empowerment and ability to make better choices. I noticed confidence and freedom to create in the moment. I could see a bigger perspective, the whole picture rather than the limited segment. Wholeness definitely outweighed fear.
Supported in this wholeness intention, I could bring so much more to my friend. The vibrancy of seeing her in whole light replaced the theft by terminal cancer. The bravery in which she lived and departed continues to fill my heart to this day.
Wholeness does not amplify the flaw. Nor does it amplify delusion. This awareness allows a more conscious choice to be present, in a nourished state, free from lack.
Now, since that experience, I consciously choose to see the “whole” in everyone, including myself. This requires practice indeed, with plenty of opportunity in today’s world to do so. The choice of wholeness gives an easy reset to quiet the over-active mind. And it empowers healthier actions. It’s truly an incredible foundation from which to create choice and action.
A traditional closing prayer in Sanskrit describes the whole as always whole.
“ That is the whole, this is the whole.
From the whole, the whole arises.
Taking away the whole from the whole, the whole remains.
Originally published at medium.com