Our Day of Peace

I can remember many years ago my grandmother, Grace Cooke, talking about White Eagle’s ‘white carpet of peace spreading all over the world’. We can read in her book MEMORIES OF REINCARNATION about White Eagle’s work when he was the Chief White Eagle, bringing peace to the warring nations of the Iroquois tribes—just one example of many lives of working for peace.

On Sunday 18th September we held our Peace Day in the Temple here at New Lands. This has become an annual event linking with the United Nations Day of Peace, and White Eagle groups all around the world joining in with their own local gatherings.

This year our focus for our prayers for peace was the war in Syria and the huge refugee crisis. I spoke about the Star symbolising both outer action and the inner action of prayer, and I read a few words from Amnesty International’s latest magazine about ‘Refugees—world on the move’, and the sad statistics that the richest countries of the world are helping the least. ‘The hardest thing about being a refugee is being made to feel unwanted’, was quoted. I then went on to speak about the magical power of the Star to open hearts and minds. For some, the best way to help will be by prayer, but for others there is the possibility for outer action too. But in both cases, we need to be careful not to try to impose our will on any situation about how we think things should turn out. My suggestion is to mentally bring all the suffering into the aura of Jesus, the Great Healer, who shines so brightly with the Christ healing light of the Star.

At the end of our meditation in the heavenly Healing Temple, where Jesus had been powerfully with us, I read these comforting words of White Eagle’s from his beautiful book SEEKING SERENITY: ‘We would help you to rise above the problems of the earth plane into the light of the Sun, to be at peace within. As this purifying light and power flows into your heart you will be able to see with clearer vision the outworking of a plan that is so wise and so good, for all humanity: something not easy to see with the little mind of everyday life. But as you open your hearts to receive this blessing from the heart of the Sun it will help you to see good, to see the outworking of a beautiful plan, in spite of the difficulties which are so apparent at the Earthly level.’

We ended our Day of Peace with a walk around our cross-within-the-circle, symbolic of our prayers embracing our whole planet and every nation joining together, heart to heart, to help one another.

The Star Shines in Nepal

Nepal is a country very dear to my heart. It is poor in material wealth, but rich in spiritual gifts. The first time I visited, nearly thirty years ago now, I experienced the power of the Star shining above the ‘holy mountain’ of Machhapuchhare and during my subsequent trek into the ‘Annapurna sanctuary’ felt sure that (at the etheric level) this is one of the meeting places of Elder Brethren. This feeling was confirmed on my subsequent trek eleven years later, after the passing of my former husband Geoffrey. He did not enjoy physical travel, but freed from his body he encouraged me on this (for me) very arduous pilgrimage. At a particularly difficult time, when I felt almost ready to give up, there he was holding up a shining lantern, encouraging me on.

Those familiar with White Eagle’s teaching will know how often he uses the phrase ‘keep on keeping on’. I believe that over the years he has encouraged hundreds to do just this in many different ways. Pilgrimages are not always about climbing physical mountains.

Just recently I have had the opportunity to return to Nepal—not to trek this time, but to visit our White Eagle group in Kathmandu and encourage them to ‘keep on keeping on’.

It was just over a year ago, in May 2015, that the devastating earthquakes suddenly shattered thousands of lives. Over one year on there are still signs of the earthquake in Kathmandu city itself—crumbling walls and buildings, broken up roads, electricity wires dangling dangerously across the streets. Not all parts of the city were affected, of course, and one of our White Eagle leaders, Keshav, a colleague of Krishna, told me: ‘We were so fortunate! I believe the Star helped protect us and our school. At the time of the earthquake I was on my way to a meeting with Krishna. Fortunately it was a Saturday and no children were in school. After we stayed out in the streets along with many others, not sure what would happen next. There were many aftershocks and buildings tumbling. People were amazing, all helping one another. We learned a lot about faith, and the power of prayer, and the Star.’

Krishna has a clear insight into the main essence of the White Eagle teaching. Introducing me on one occasion he said ‘It is not a religion—it is a way of life’. How true. It is a philosophy which truly changes lives and helps us deal in a serene and wise way (hopefully!) with whatever karmic challenge comes along—whether that be earthquake, flood, illness, bereavement, whatever.

A highlight of this brief visit to Nepal (no trekking in the lovely mountains this time!) was talking with two groups of teenagers from Krishna’s/Keshav’s schools. I talked with them about the power of the Star to help us (and the whole world) no matter what. Most of them were Hindus, with a few Buddhists and Christians, but all had an innate understanding of the inner unity of all religions. One of the many loveable things about Nepal is the religious tolerance, with Buddhists and Hindus often worshipping side by side. We can all learn so much, I think, from this example.

From ‘Healing the World’ p.28

‘Reach towards the heavenly light, remembering that you can be a reflector of that light. Look up to the sun-capped mountain range, the golden city, call it the kingdom of heaven if you like! But remember that the kingdom of heaven is not really a far country, the kingdom of heaven is found within yourself. You can make it a far country, or it can become close, a world of infinite beauty within yourself. People make it a far country, or it can become close, a world of infinite beauty within yourself. People find it such a temptation, so much easier, to go here, there, everywhere, rushing to all kinds of place, to the east, to the west, to the north, to the south, in search of a master—and all the time the Master is within, so close, nearer than breathing, closer than hands and feet. This is simple truth.’