Adi Vajra Shambhasalem Ashram
(Feb 2007)

Meditation places are appearing around BC and each group, in its own special way, contributes to the feeling of oneness so that peace can prevail on the planet. This month’s front cover introduces the Adi Vajra Shambhasalem Ashram in the Cranbrook area. For more information, please read page 10.

In honor of Eileen Caddy, who died peacefully in her home at the Findhorn Community in Scotland on December 13, 2006 at the age of 89, I would like to continue telling the story of the community she founded because of her trust in the Divine. To celebrate her passing into the light, let me start with one her many quotes from one of her many books: “You have a tremendous work to do. It is the silent work of creating more love in the world.”

I am still reading the books I acquired at Findhorn, and even re-reading others now that I have a better understanding of the people, place and dynamics involved. Richard and I are endeavoring to create a spiritual community at Johnson’s Landing, so it is good for me to understand why people came and/or what they learned while staying at this famous successful community.

In the various reading materials, it says that many felt drawn like a magnet or had some direct guidance, since they had asked, that this is where they were to be. Many stayed because they wanted to be part of the New Age awakening process. David Spangler describes the New Age as an awareness of the oneness of all life and the creative divinity inherent in that life which is taking form within us and about us. The role of Findhorn, since its inception, has been to demonstrate communion and cooperation with nature based on a vision that life has a purposeful intelligence.

I thought I would start with a little history of Findhorn. For the first nine years, Eileen Caddy received guidance directly from God which was manifested outwardly thanks to Peter Caddy’s willingness to be of service. Their vision of co-operation with the nature devas was channelled though Dorothy Mclean and reflected in their surroundings by the growing of large cabbages. Then came the learning … live in a new way that was more in harmony with their ideals and nature.

As more people became attracted to the energy, the flow of leadership changed. David Spangler ‘democratized’ the vision so the level of co-creation between founder-leaders of the community and its members could go beyond the obedience that had started the process. Eileen was told by her guide to stop channelling guidance for other people: they had to learn to receive their own guidance. Decisions were now made through group attunements.

As the decentralization process continued, focalizers learned to reflect clearly the vision of a new way of living together. They learned how much to give and receive by trusting their instincts, all the while listening to the needs of the community. With continued growth, Findhorn had approximately 260 people wanting to live better — using fewer resources and creating less environmental damage while at the same time having more freedom to co-create with Spirit. They found middle ground between self-sufficiency and interdependence. One of the short stories mentioned that there were often a dozen meetings a week that an individual could choose to attend that would help the community and the individual to grow.

I enjoyed an article from a ‘doer’ who came from the business world where meetings were considered a waste of time. At Findhorn, he discovered that meetings were different, that they helped to create a tangible unity as people reined in their rational minds and tuned into Divine Will and came up with answers that felt intuitively right. He writes, “No one left a meeting feeling resentful and there was no sense of pressure that they must decide today. There were lots of laughs and lots of synergy. My rational mind calls it unnatural but it feels strangely satisfying. Each group meeting finds me ever so slightly less fond of speed, efficiency and decisiveness.”

Another writer describes the lessons of Findhorn as uncatalogued, unrequired and yet unavoidable. No one’s spiritual progress is graded and no bells go off when the lessons are done. A young woman describes her gifts as more self-confidence, deeper self-knowledge and acceptance of her limitations, a broader understanding and acceptance of others, better listening skills, scores of practical and group skills, more joy in the simpler things that happen, hope, inner peace and a commitment to live more lightly on the Earth.

An older lady said that after creating several expensive errors, it slowly dawned on her that we are here to learn to live with others, and to be responsible for our communal as well as individual lives. A long-term resident added that Findhorn is primarily a group experience. This is not group conformity, where everyone acts and thinks the same, but rather group consciousness. We are here to learn how we can uniquely contribute in balance with the whole and at the same time further our spiritual growth.

The Magic of Findhorn as I am coming to know it is essentially an experiment in consciousness, in creating an ideal environment in which education, in its truest sense, becomes the essential work of grounding their spiritual vision by living and putting into practice their Common Ground ideals (which were printed in the last edition and are available on their website, www.findhorn.org). Their basic aspiration is to demonstrate to a skeptical world that living in harmony while speaking their truth and earning a living is indeed possible. Community members choose to serve from an inner center of peace, love and joy, knowing it will make a difference in their lives and to the world.

And closer to home, I would like to remind you that magic will again be happening at the Spring Festival of Awareness at Naramata Centre this April 27-29. For those of you who have admired the new poster, which is also the back cover, I would like to explain the symbolism. The second year we hosted the event, it happened on April Fool’s Day, so a jester was chosen for the poster. The artist captured the light-heartedness of the Festival Deva while at the same time reminding us to use light as a reflection to see ourselves.

I feel connected to the essence of the jester and like the fact that he was able to amuse kings while speaking the truth and keeping his head and could even juggle if need be. I also like color so I created a thirty-foot rainbow as the backdrop for the stage, and I own a print of a rainbow woman that I think represents me running through life. I like rainbows because of the harmony and magic they create, each color magnifying the group effort… just like people when they work together. I told the graphic designer I wanted an angel blended with all these images as well as the feminine and masculine jesters dancing in celebration. I was delighted with his creative efforts.

And lastly, many thanks for all the wonderful comments and cards we received about the pictures and editorials on our wedding and honeymoon. I am so delighted that you appreciated my sharing for it was a wonderful time and you folks are like family to me. You make this magazine possible.