NEW & SELECTED TEACHINGS

The world is in great need of caring spirit. The suffering and tragedy we see, hear about, and directly experience can give rise to feelings of sadness, rage, disempowerment, and heartbreak. These (and other) feelings are valid, and I encourage your allowing yourself to have them. Truly allowing feelings—our own and those of others—is part of caring for the world.

Another part of caring is recognizing wisdom, light, and love and allowing them as well . . . allowing them to be known, to soothe, to heal, and to empower. These divine qualities can be brought to bear upon our feelings, challenges, and actions. Wisdom and love are pillars of the incredible world of care within; they uphold honor and regard for the world in need of care without. 

The notion of “allowing” is sometimes discounted when it comes to suffering. This often occurs because pointers like “allowing what is” are misinterpreted to mean condoning ills. However, it is when we allow the reality of things to truly register that resistant energy is freed and transformed into effective response.

Often when giving counsel, I like to say, “On the other side of every ‘no’ is a ‘yes’ for something else.” For true caring to express, first recognize what you are resisting. Then, look on the other side of “no” or “against” to what you are for. Once you are clear and conscious of what you value, you’ll have your bearings and know what values and principles to nurture.

Can you imagine giving your attention to loving for a whole day? A week? A year? Even longer? Why not go beyond imagining and make it an intention and practice?

In my own life, I have frequently contemplated what a loving heart is and how it functions. In fact, when I made wedding invitations for my marriage to Adya, I stamped each to look gold-embossed with the phrase “A Loving Heart Is the Truest Wisdom.”  I’ve reflected on why I’d been so very drawn to those words. I’ve even contemplated their truth, for certainly a heart can be loving, yet lack wisdom and therefore become misguided.

I’ve appreciated how Adya’s teachings beautifully marry love and wisdom. In his audio set, Caring for the World, and in other talks, such as those in his Redemptive Love course, Adya bridges Christian principles of “Love Thy Neighbor” and selfless love (i.e., agape) with Buddhist principles of wisdom-informed compassion.

Whether one orients to Christ consciousness or the Buddhist principle of “right view,” such perspectives espouse the underlying unity of life. Unitive consciousness mightily informs a wise, loving heart. Such a heart transforms division, separation, and lack—the underpinnings of suffering. Such a heart offers the genuine caring our world needs so very much.

We have a great opportunity before us to steward our consciousness and cultivate what we are for. What we give our attention to grows in our experience, in our fundamental knowledge (i.e., knowledge of being), and in our expression. What we give our attention to is indicative of what we care about.

When we give our attention to wisdom born of silence and to love born of unity, these divine qualities emanate our expression and perfume our presence. Your presence is your light to shine in the world, rippling from your corner and far beyond. The great fulfillment of humanity’s purpose is found in firmly knowing the immeasurable value of our inner light; in lovingly caring for that light; and in making way for that light to shine true.

© 2026 Mukti Gray. All rights reserved.