The Essence of Pure Love

On the last Sunday of October, 2007, Spirit gifted my family with a life-altering, spiritual experience unlike no other. (Get your cup of tea or coffee and stop whatever you are doing this instant to listen to this story!)

Let me set this story up first. My spiritual home, Agape, had announced that they would be hosting Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne as their guest speaker at the end of October. He would be speaking at all three services and doing an afternoon workshop as well. Honestly, I had never heard of this man before, but when I would open my church program, and look at the little flyer of his upcoming program, I felt drawn. There was a picture of this man’s face, and when I looked into his big, brown eyes, I could hear his spirit telling mine to “Come”. I heard it as loud as you can hear a silent call. It was very clear and it happened every time I gazed at his beautiful photo. I knew that I had to hear this man speak, and planned that nothing would prevent me from attending his talks.

As the last weekend of October approached, I became more and more excited. To add icing on the cake, my sweet, healing sister Anika, called to tell me that she was flying in for the weekend to see her Love (with a capital “L”) She vowed she would have time to come to the afternoon workshop and see Dr. Ariyaratne.

When Sunday came, I was high on God and grateful to go to service anyway, with the added bonus of hearing Dr. Ari speak. I just knew he would be something special. Remember, I still don’t really know who this man is or what he has done. It was only his picture and his energy that drew me in so strongly.

After all the wonderful singing, prayers and affirmations, Rev Michael begins to introduce his friend, Dr Ari. Dressed very simply in white pants and white shirt, this tiny little cherub of a man comes to the stage. His eyes are luminous, his demeanor, one of pure, yet fierce peace. He begins to speak about his work in Sri Lanka, where he is from.

There is know way that I could describe all that Dr Ari is or all that he is doing and has done in this life. This story is not just about that but about my experience meeting him, so I urge you strongly to go to his website http://www.sarvodaya.org/ and learn and be healed by this incredible man and the spirit of his work. In a nutshell, in the span of 50 years, Dr Ari and his followers have developed over 15,000 sustainable eco peace villages in Sri Lanka, and other parts of the world. If you don’t know, Sri Lanka is a small country, racked by civil war, religious and ethnic violence, inept and corrupt government, not to mention being further devastated by the 2004 Tsunami. Dr Ari stated that his country makes the MAJORITY of its income from child sex slaves/workers that are used in Sri Lanka and exported to India and other countries.

Did you get that? Their gross national product is top heavy with income from little 9, 10, 11 years old girls and boys being forced to sell their bodies. Dr Ari explained some of the reasons for this,including the number one reason, poverty and few viable opportunities to make income for your family. No money, sell your daughter, so that the rest of the family can live.

I do not judge my brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka and neither does Dr Ari. He has devoted his life to his people and done whatever he could to help them, for over 50 years!
Dr Ari is called “the living Gandhi” and that almost says it all, however, let me tell you a little bit about his power.

When going from village to village to provide support, he never comes into a village announcing what he was going to do to help the people. Cloaked in the power of humbleness, he goes village to village asking them what they need, what are their concerns. After much discussion and council, he acts as a feisty grandfather, gathering resources and bringing disparate entities to the table to work together. He believes that THE GOVERNMENT WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO HELP THE PEOPLE,That we can only be saved by ourselves, by PEOPLE POWER.

One of the first stories that he shared had to do with one of their programs for pregnant couples. He said “Can you imagine a little girl of 10 or 11 pregnant, unsure of what is even going on in her body? How can she raise a child? I believe the roots of all violence come from parents who are unable to raise their children in the right way, because they just don’t know.” He works with pregnant couples. He describes the “young mother and the drunken fathers” that he encounters. He then talked of how he will teach anywhere from 60 to 600 pregnant couples how to meditate together and talk to the unborn spirit of their child. This small step helps to bring peace to mother and father, which in turn brings parents who can raise children in consciousness.

Think about this, family.
This is not hard.
This is not rocket science.
This is something we can all learn to do, and teach others how to do.

You don’t even need a degree. You just need LOVE.

He recognizes what people need to have is peaceful, sustainable communities and he knows that it doesn’t come in the form of a handout from a government agency.
Peace comes from knowing how to connect with pure Spirit and how to let that wonderful Spirit shine through you, first to heal yourself, and then, from the overflow, heal your children, and all those who you touch, working together for healing of the community.

Again, this is just but one small morsel of a story about this man and his movement. I urge you to go to his website, and hey, if you can afford it, sponsor a child for $25 dollars a year, or support another one of his fine works.

There is so much more to tell. Honestly, I could write a book on the this one day that I was in this man’s presence. I am keeping this story very short for the interest of this forum, however, read on, there is more.

After his talks during service, my hubby and I gathered up the kids, and brought them back to the afternoon workshop. There we met my mom and Anika. We felt so blessed to be in this room with man. Now there were maybe 100 people instead of the hundreds that had been there for the church service, so it was very intimate.

Rev Michael had mentioned earlier that when you go to Sri Lanka to visit him, that you can barely walk around with him, because as soon as people see him 1000’s swarm around him, just to kiss his feet. When you go in peoples homes, he said, Dr Ari’s picture is on there wall. I couldn’t help but to THANK GOD for inviting me in to this close gathering. I still couldn’t help but wonder, however, why so few people came out to hear his message?

Of course the workshop was awesome, his words answering so many questions I had in my own life. In fact, it was if every question I ever had about my life and my purpose was answered, EVEN THOUGH I NEVER ASKED HIM A QUESTION. Thank you GOD!

Yet it gets better. After his talk, I felt as if I was floating and I knew for sure I was glowing. As a matter of fact, everyone who was there was now walking around in the light. The glow was so bright, without hurting your eyes. It was around, Anika, my mom, my children, my husband. As we milled around the sanctuary, being in this feeling of pure love and joy, a wonderful thing happened.

Rev Michael, while talking to hubby, invited our family to come and join him and his posse for dinner with Dr Ari and his entourage. Imagine, my friends, if you where invited to have dinner with Dr. King or Bob Marley, or Gandhi? WOW! We of course accepted and immediately cancelled any other plans we had for the evening.
Driving to our hosts home, where we would meet for dinner, I couldn’t help but notice that the hosts home was on “Noble Ave”. Hmmm, God, you are something.

We arrived ahead of Rev Michael and were greeted by Dr Ari and his staff with hugs, kisses and love. Although Rev Michael had not arrived, we were encouraged to begin eating. A gorgeous spread of home-cooked Sri Lankan food was waiting for us on the table (check out pictures on my daughter’s blog, peacegangsta.blogspot.com). Shortly after we began eating, Rev Michael, Dr Ricki, and their crew came in. Needless to say, we had a wonderful time.

We were all in this glow, my feet did not feel as if they were on the ground. And in this space I felt nothing but pure love, joy and gratitude. I felt as if I had been healed from the inside out. I also noted that we felt as at home as if we were on our own house. Nothing was different except the setting and the food. Here we sat with other brown people from across the globe whom we had barely met, yet felt completely at ease and in joy with. Dr Ari, his assistant Krishna (I love you Krishna!) and everyone there, engaged our children, loved our children and made us feel completely at home.

When it was time for us to leave, these folks grabbed their cameras and took pictures of us with them as if we were the famous ones! Even trying to describe this to you beloved ones, brings fresh tears to my eyes. We left floating on a cloud. Driving home it felt as if GOD had our car in the palm of his hand. We got home swiftly, and although we had been in another part of the city, it felt as if we had left someplace just around the corner.

I could barely sleep that night. After the house was quiet, I spent an hour or so in meditation just thanking GOD. Eventually I went to bed. I could feel my feet tingling for over a half an hour, It wouldn’t stop and I wasn’t sure if I wanted it to stop! Close to dawn, I awoke from a wonderful dream. Sorry to keep you in suspense, but I will write about that in another post.

That Monday morning, I was supposed to go on a management retreat for my job. I cancelled. I was too high on Spirit and knew that that was not where GOD wanted me to be (part of the answers to my questions) I was floating so that I forgot to drink my morning cup of coffee. I didn’t have any desire to do so for that whole day. (Those of you who know me know that I do nothing before my morning cup of coffee!) I didn’t need it! I felt more awake, alive and inspired then I had felt in a very, very long time.

This feeling lasted for days. I have remnants of it now. But I know that that joy is embedded in my spirit and I am so very grateful.

Dear GOD,
I give thanks and praises to you always and forever. When I have question for You, You always answer. When I have a need You always fill it. My cup of healing, prosperity, understanding and love overflows. From this overflow I give to my husband, my children, my family the community and the world. I thank you GOD. Thank you for Rev Michael, Dr Ricki and their staff, and to Dr Ari and their staff and hosts. I live in gratitude everyday.
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You
A-men