Page 15 - News and Views Spring 2023

If we focus on the word ‘harmony’ we can realise that it has both a literal and a metaphorical
meaning. In music, many different instruments and voices produce glorious, even transcendent,
th
sounds. For me, Beethoven’s 7 Symphony is such a piece of music..

In life, diverse personalities with a vast range of talents come together to enrich one another’s lives.
This enables us to realise beauty, to appreciate it in others and in the natural world. As Advices and
Queries 42 concludes: Rejoice in the splendour of God’s continuing creation.

We have already seen Meister Eckhart’s comment: The path is beautiful and pleasant and joyful and
familiar. Julian of Norwich’s famous words are: All shall be well again, I know. How can a mystic,
who has experienced even one moment of divine truth and love, be other than in a state of bliss?
My feeling is that it is tragic that religion has so frequently focussed on guilt and misery, rather than
joy and peace.

To return to return to the ways mystics focus on love.

A metaphor often used is that love is like a fountain. It rises up as a single stream, but falls in
thousands of droplets. The droplets are the qualities which naturally flow from love, such as
kindness, generosity, patience and consideration. Any progress on the path is realised within the
being, not by a show of words, spoken or written. (cf. George Fox’s injunction to be patterns, be
examples). We might see this as a duty – walk the talk – but also as a way.. then you may walk
cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in everyone. QF&P 19.32

Another image is of lives being like rivers flowing into the ever-accepting ocean.

Let’s look at another faith group for a moment – those belonging to what are called the earth
traditions. These include various Native American groups, Maoris, aborigines and others. They offer
us an age-old understanding of and respect for the sacred nature of the earth and indeed of the
other elements – water, fire and air. Mystics and others believe that these elements spring from the
original source element of ether. There is a poem by Rumi called ‘Only Breath’...*

There is a practice called the Element Purification Breaths. Breath connects us all and the root of
the word for it in Latin – spiro – is spirit. When the breath has gone, the spirit has left the body.

First, focus on the earth, the ground which supports us. Relax and breathe in and out through the
nose five times.

Relax again and then focus on water flowing inside and outside. Breathe in through the nose and
out through the mouth five times. Relax.

Then focus on fire, its warmth and energy. Breathe in through the mouth and out through the nose
five times, Relax.

Now focus on air, pure and light. Breathe in out through the mouth five times. Relax.

Finally, focus on ether, the source. Breathe in a gentle and refined way through the nose five times.
Relax.

Be still and experience the play of the elements within.

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