This post provides a reflection on suffering.
Table of Contents
Seeing my kids suffer
Seeing one’s children suffer through illness causes heartache, while the uncertainty, fear and exhaustion of caregiving bring their own level of pain. As the caregiver of a child with chronic illness, I have found much solace in the poetry of Ruth Krall. [i] Krall, a professor of religion and psychology, writes about her personal struggle with debilitating chronic illness. She says, “In the moment of acceptance of our situation exactly as it is … our sorrows and our losses become our transforming powers.” Her poetry examines the archetypical story of the ancient Sumerian goddess Inanna’s descent into the underworld and her return to the earth in rebirth.
Inanna’s journey
Krall sees Inanna’s journey as a metaphor for coming to grips with physical limitation, fear, and pain, and finding a way through suffering back to life. Here is part of her poem:
“I have crossed through a gate I did not see.
I have passed under a portal I did not know existed.
Innocence has been mauled
Simplicity has been assaulted
Contentment has been attacked
Vulnerability has been abused
There are secret corridors here
There are chaotic labyrinths here
Harmony has been corroded
Trust has been disrupted Joy has been buried alive
Abundance has been plundered” (p. 53-54)
I have reread Krall’s poetry over and over in the dark days of caring for my daughters’ illness, and each time I read about that moment of transformation and rebirth it touches me with hopefulness, and strengthens my faith. Krall says, “We open inner doors of the spirit – doors we previously had no knowing of – and find new spaces in which to create and live our lives.” Here is another section of Krall’s poem:
“It is said that suffering makes us wise
And becomes our truest teacher.
It is said that suffering is a result of sin
And by repenting we can stop its ravaging of our spirits.
It is said that suffering is due to our attachments
And all we need to do is to let them go.
It is said that suffering is inevitable
And by accepting our fate we can live honorably.
It is said that suffering is karmic
And by this life we redeem our past.
It is said that suffering is what makes us most human
And that we can offer it our thanks.
It is said that suffering is caused by our weakness
And by choosing to be strong we can grow beyond it.
It is said that suffering is our rite of purification for rebirth
And by embracing it we are transformed.
It is said that suffering connects us most deeply with others And by drinking from the well of suffering we learn, at last, compassion.” (p. 85)
Letting go
The therapeutic value of acceptance, forgiveness, and letting go, can be key to transformation. Krall writes about accepting suffering as our “most reliable guide through the wilderness …” The notion of accepting suffering as a guide through pain, and forgiving it, has sustained me and has transformed my pain again and again. Here is another section of the poem that touches me:
“The woman who decides,
However it is that she decides such matters,
To conceive and give birth to a new self,
This woman rushes inward
To congratulate herself on her wisdom.
She shouts with freedom at her liberation.
A woman who decides,
However a woman makes such a decision,
To give birth to herSelf,
Rejoices that she has thought of such a thing at all.
She stands under the new moon,
Flexing and rippling her birth muscles.
She stretches like a Persian cat just awake from sleeping.
And, afterwards,
She flings her body upside down and somersaults joy.
In the full moon’s voluptuous light she skips a path into being
Between cosmos, rosemary, and fragrant lavender.
Catching fireflies,
Tugging at spider webs,
Teasing a ground beetle,
She whistles with a blade of grass between her teeth.
Coming to a moment just before the moment of her birthing
She squats in the time of the dark moon
And ponders what she has done.
In that fertile darkness of brooding silence and waiting
She enters the night sky to divine the signs.
With awe and reverence she weaves herSelf
A bright red ribbon to wear around her left wrist.
She crochets an indigo silk sleeping cap
To protect her from hostile winds and
Embroiders a cashmere dreaming blanket to shelter her fears,
To comfort her times of aloneness.” (p. 91-92)
Here is the link to Krall’s entire poem.
[i] Krall, Ruth “Inanna’s Way” in Chronic Illness, Spirituality, and Healing: Diverse Disciplinary, Religious, and Cultural Perspectives, Stoltzfus, Michael J., Green, Rebecca and Schumm, Darla, eds. (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013).
Intention
The Sacred Self-Healing Method relies on the power of intention. Intentions are more than goals, but your co-creative participation in your life path and healing. By setting an intention you add your desire to be a partner in your destiny, in combination with the seen and unseen forces at work in the Universe. Whether you are setting an intention for a successful root canal, for finding a great new job, or for a business meeting to go well, the act of putting forethought about the outcome into the process can be a powerful tool.
Intention is the driving force behind any energy healing modality, from Reiki to sound healing to prayer.
The universal equation for healing is:
Intention + Frequency = Healing
The “frequency” part of the equation is whatever healing modality is being used.
Intention can be used in health healing, job search, fitness, relationships, and pretty much everything.
This post has more information on the power of intention.
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Disclaimer
The preceding material does not constitute medical advice. This information is for information purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, cure or treatment. Always seek advice from your medical doctor.
