Acknowledgment: A Gateway to the Divine Presence

[Guest guest]

by Jasmine Bharathan

 

Acknowledgment comes in many forms: a thank you note, a hug, even a

slip of paper from the post office. But I am fascinated by that form

of Acknowledgment which provides recognition of the " other " as a

human worthy of respect, and having a valid point of view even if you

are not in agreement of the point made. Acknowledgment is a very

basic and universal need, just as our need for food, water and

oxygen. It can be seen both as an inner need, and as an expressed

validation of another individual.

 

We see it in the spontaneous behavior of a toddler who, in spite of

being unable to verbalize his feelings clearly exhibits his hunger

for acknowledgement and delights in it when it arrives. A young child

appears thrilled when he comes home and proudly displays a star that

his teacher has given him. Even in the agony of defeat a young

athlete is deeply touched and inspired when his effort and his

courage is acknowledged.

 

By acknowledging, we validate something that lies beneath the surface

in the other person; the effort that has gone into a task, the

emotion which has remained invisible and silent. There is recognition

of what lies beneath the surface, what lies hidden or what has gone

before. By providing acknowledgment I am saying...... " I know, I can

see, I care. "

 

I see this as an outward expression of the Bond we share as human

beings.

 

My uncle related an incident about a meeting he attended where the

speaker was a world renowned figure. There was a minor interruption,

the sound of a door opening, and someone walking in rather timidly.

Many heads turned, some perhaps in annoyance. The speaker very calmly

acknowledged the latecomer, her perseverance and courage, pointed to

a seat towards the front, and continued. My uncle recounts that he

learnt more from that action than from all the rest of the material

presented.

 

Does Acknowledgment always require another person? I think we can

certainly benefit from giving Acknowledgment to our own Inner Child

or other " selves " within us. It does help us to become aware of our

own inner selves; wounded or otherwise. An honest introspection of

our own deeper emotions and needs provides us an avenue for the

gentle healing or nurturing that we ourselves need.

 

Allow me to take my fascination in a different direction: one that

has led me to a deeply moving realization and the start of another

journey.

 

Remember the story of a man trapped on an island who kept waiting for

God to help him?

 

A man was trapped in his house during a flood. He began praying to

God to rescue him. He had a vision in his head of God's hand reaching

down from heaven and lifting him to safety. The water started to rise

in his house. His neighbor urged him to leave and offered him a ride

to safety. The man yelled back. " I am waiting for God to save me " .

The neighbor drove off in his pick-up truck. The man continued to

pray and hold on to his vision. As the water began rising in his

house, he had to climb up to the roof. A boat came by with some

people heading for safe ground. They yelled at the man to grab a rope

they were ready to throw and take him to safety. He told them that he

was waiting for God to save him. They shook their heads and moved on.

The man continued to pray, believing with all his heart that he would

be saved by God. The flood waters continued to rise.. A helicopter

flew by and a voice came over a loudspeaker offering to lower a

ladder and take him off the roof. The man waved the helicopter away,

shouting back that he was waiting for God to save him. The helicopter

left. The flooding water came over the roof and caught him up and

swept him away. He drowned. When he reached heaven and asked, " God,

Why did you not save me? I believed in you with all my heart. Why did

you let me drown? " God replied: " I sent you a pick-up truck, a boat

and a helicopter and you refused it all. What else could I possibly

do for you!? "

 

Yes; this is merely a story; whether true or not, God alone knows!

But think about it the next time you sit at a meal. The food on the

plate in front of you did not come crashing through the ceiling

directly from heaven. It was made possible " through " the hard work of

hundreds of people right from the time of sowing of the seed and then

its journey to you. We must acknowledge them all for we owe them a

debt of gratitude.

 

Divine presence is experienced in everyday living.

 

Each and everyday, each and every one of us can experience the Divine

hand working through the Human hand. The process is fascinating. You

might have made a wish or declared an Intention. Then a miraculous

process is unleashed. Someone says something that leads to someone

doing something that result in a newly created reality for you.

Voila! Your thoughts have manifested as Reality.

 

All the Divine miracles are manifested through us. All the Intention

manifestations are experienced through us. All our life's learning is

experienced through us. Although many of us do acknowledge and thank

the Divine, I wonder how different the world would be if we also

expressed our acknowledgment and gratitude to all the human channels

that participated in the process.

 

I have learned much about acknowledgment from one of my teachers, Dr.

Richard McHugh. He doesn't teach acknowledgment. He lives it. It is

his being. Just being around him is, for me an experience of a deep

acknowledgment of my own spirit and I am always enveloped with a deep

sense of Gratitude and Love.

Several years back, in a large gathering, I witnessed a Guru walking

along, acknowledging hundreds of people, walking by each person,

patting on the heads of some, nodding, smiling and listening. In the

background was the melodious bhajans of Sat Nam.

 

I was so moved by the Guru's acknowledgment of every human present

there that my being was an experience of immense love; although tears

covered my face, I only felt love and joy. The Guru suddenly turned

and walked several meters up to me and placed his hand on my head, as

if he understood what I was experiencing. It felt like a " forever

moment " .

 

As I acknowledge, express appreciation and gratitude everyday for

every human through whom the Divine is manifest in my life, I feel

alive. I experience magic in my own " presence " . I experience love all

around me. I feel abundant. I experience calm even in " difficult "

situations.

 

Quoting from an interpretation of Rumi's work, " Gratitude as a

spiritual practice only requires that we open ourselves to that sense

of appreciation for all that surrounds us and is part of us, to walk

on the earth with gratitude in every step, every breath. When we

know we are part of this incredible creation, we can know that in the

way the world supports us, so can we support the world with our love,

compassion and strength. "

 

Allow me to appreciate your presence while you read this article,

acknowledging my thoughts! Thank you!!

 

Jasmine Bharathan is a

therapist.

She uses Energy Psychology in her work.

Her website is www.heal-empower. com

She can be reached on jiyojas