May All Relationships….
Another new (to me) practice that Phillip Moffitt offered at the Flowering Lotus retreat was Reconciliation Practice. We had already done Forgiveness Practice and Metta (Lovingkindness) Practice. The Reconciliation Practice, Phillip said, is particularly useful when Forgiveness seems too far out of reach.
Here’s what we did:
We sat in a circle, with our eyes closed, while Phillip said a phrase out loud. We then repeated that phrase, also out loud, in unison. Then he repeated it again and this time we also repeat it again — but in silence this time.
Then he said another phrase, and we followed in the same fashion.
Here were some of the phrases:
May all daughters and fathers be reconciled.
May all sons and mothers be reconciled.
May all daughters and mothers, sons and fathers be reconciled.
May all husbands and wives, partners and lovers, be reconciled.
May all brothers and sisters be reconciled.
May all communities be reconciled.
May all nations be reconciled.
May all people be reconciled.
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(image from “A Whole World,” by Couprie and Louchard)