Monday, February 9, 2009

Love and Gratitude


It seems that our world today exists in a state of disharmony. Neighborhoods can’t get along, communities bully each other and governments oppress their people. Violence surrounds us in many aspects of our lives and even invades our homes when we turn on the television.

Violence comes in many forms too. There is loud destructive music, sirens that herald someone in peril, horns that sound as warnings to others, words spoken in anger and hate, and weapons that “bang” warning of death.

So how do we eliminate the disharmony of a violence that surrounds us? Is there hope for harmony on this planet we call home?

Dr. Masaru Emoto believes there is. He says the way to a harmony that swells and conquers the world is represented by the simple words, “Love and Gratitude”.

Dr. Emoto has spent his career testing water and photographing water crystals. He has come to believe that water holds the key to understanding and healing the Earth. He speaks a bit about God, but a great deal about the intricacies of exposing water to words and vibrations.

He uses a special microscope to photograph water crystals exposed to a variety of stimuli. For example, his biggest and most important realization came when he took photographs of water that had been exposed to the words, “Love” and “Gratitude” before it was frozen. The crystals were intricate and beautiful.

He then exposed water to the words, “Hate” and “Kill”. The resulting frozen water revealed no crystals at all. In fact, they were devoid of any shape. Their forms were chaotic at best.

Of course, Dr. Emoto expanded his research to include speaking in pleasant tones versus angry and ugly tones, exposure to classical music and violent heavy metal music, and many other stimuli. He used different types of water. Water from polluted lakes to pristine rivers, all gave different results. If you are interested in seeing some of these pictures, go to WellnessGood.com.

Dr. Emoto summarized his thoughts on the power of words in his book, The Hidden Messages in Water. He said, “The vibration of good words has a positive effect on our world, whereas the vibration from negative words has the power to destroy.” (pg xxv)

I think we can see this in many ways around us. Whether it is how we speak to our children, or make a passing remark to a stranger, words and tones make all the difference in the world. For Christians, we already know this in our hearts.
For Jews and Christians, water is symbolic in many ways. In the Old Testament, water is at the very heart of creation on the second day, Noah and his family experienced the flooding of the Earth and Moses parted the Red Sea. In the New Testament, Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, his first miracle was to turn water into wine, he walked on water towards the apostles, and the soldier who pierced his side found blood and water. There is an identity that we must consider in a more serious way than Dr. Emoto presents.

We must internalize the teachings of our religion with the findings of science to produce an attitude that we know must exist for this world to continue. Together, science and faith sound the trumpet of truth that we cannot deny, love and gratitude must be our state of being.

Dr. Emoto expresses this thought in his book when he says, “Water has taught me the delicacy of the human soul, and the impact that “love and gratitude” can have on the world.” (pg xxvi)

In our hearts, we know this to be true. As humans, we have the responsibility to carry this burden as part of our stewardship of the earth. Dr. Emoto agrees as he points out that humans are the only creatures who have the extreme variations in tones and voices. “Humans are the only creatures that have the capacity to resonate with all other creatures and objects found in nature. We can speak with all that exists in the universe. We can give out energy and also receive energy in return. However, this ability is a two edged sword. When people act out only on their own greed, they emit an energy that serves to destroy the harmony within nature.” (pg 51)
In the book of Genesis, God spoke to Adam and Eve and said, “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth.” (Gen 1:28)

What an awesome responsibility God gave us! To give dominion doesn’t mean to destroy it, but to nurture it.

What we say and do has an effect on everything around us. It is no longer acceptable to say that we live in a bubble. We do not. What we say affects those around us, which in turn relates to what they say to others. Our actions in either denying or nurturing life will directly affect the state of the earth and those who inhabit it. Actions are never just done to one person; they spread out to others.
Living in a pool of fear and greed leads to stagnation and death. Living in an ocean of love and gratitude escorts us to unlimited life. Which would you prefer?

(The crystal image is from the same link as above, it is water from Sanbu-ichi Yusui Spring.)