iamom | Latest Spiritual Chicks newsletter

I really dig these women. They have a way with words which allows them to express very esoteric concepts in regular language, and I believe in language which is largely bereft of an objective stance "one way or the other" that could alienate anyone. Their most recent newsletter, which sits on the front page of their website whenever updated, is concerned with what we should do when we perceive that there are problems in the world. Anyone such as myself who has been caught up in the injustice of this or that situation might benefit from their description of "divine indifference." Further context is set through the excellent insight of how the One is manifest through the Many, and how every manifestation that we see (good or bad) has an equal right to exist by sheer virtue of the fact that it does exist. Anyway, it's a great article:

Subject: If everything is from the divine, does that mean I have to accept what I feel is wrong?

To most of us spiritual seekers, the idea that there is one underlying essence in the universe that permeates everything is extremely comforting. When things don't go our way, we say to ourselves, I'm not running the world, and the earth needs rain just as much as it needs sunshine. From this vantage point life's rainy days are a lot easier to accept, and perhaps even become enjoyable.

But somewhere along our path of "loving what is" (as Byron Katie puts it), we come across something so miserable, so objectionable that it's very existence makes us feel criticism, anger, condemnation, fear--all those things that separate us from our source. Our source, this One Life essence, is all powerful and all knowing, so how can we criticize how it expresses itself? Yet, at the same time, it doesn't feel very spiritual to ignore all the problems of the world or those around us. The trick to perfecting this balancing act between acceptance and right action is what many spiritual teachers, including Dr. Thurman Fleet, the founder of Concept-Therapy, call "divine indifference." While this term might seem a bit of a contradiction in itself, it's actually a beautifully succinct description of what it is to know the ONE as it expresses itself through the MANY. Here's how it works.

First, if we accept the One Life Principle we know that there is a single power expressing itself through an infinite number of equally valid forms. By valid we mean they all have a right to exist because they do exist! It's that simple. Each form directs the expression of the divine according to its beliefs, ideas and genetic code. We don't expect rocks to express themselves as trees, so we shouldn't expect Republicans to express themselves as Democrats, the French to express themselves as Americans, musicians to express themselves as carpenters, or murderers to express themselves as saints, or vice versa. That's the thing about life. We are each designed to play a different role, and it is each person's job to play that role well, even if it is the most despicable role by most people's standards.

So, do we just let the despicable do their thing? Divine indifference tells us simply to act in the interest of the One as best we can. It's OK to be discerning, in fact it's quite necessary in life, but our judgment should be as free from selfish interest as possible. If someone is encroaching on our well being, we have the right to stick up for ourselves--it's our responsibility to the One to take care of ourselves so that we can contribute to life. But again, when our motives are free from selfish interest, we're not dragged down by wounded pride or resentment. Similarly, if someone in our charge is not acting appropriately, we can meet it head on with firmness and compassion. And if we have a vision of how to help evolve the world consciousness we can go forth with a determination that is not slowed by our criticism or hatred of even the most "despicable" forms we meet along the way, and really make a difference. But again, each of us can only do this to the limit of our beliefs at any given time. The stories of Jesus and Buddha are examples of what it is to act on pure faith with little or no selfish interest, while Hitler is an example of the opposite extreme. Most of us are somewhere in between!

In our culture, indifference is often equated with apathy or not caring. But from a spiritual point of view, it liberates us from the influences of people, places, situations and things, and allows us to act in accordance with our highest wisdom--that voice within each of us that questions everything but condemns nothing. Then we are free to align ourselves with divinity in its highest form. This is divine indifference.

--Karen Weissman and Tami Coyne