January 1, 2020

Peace Is Sanity

Sit Alone Now In Trust Yield—Weekly Meditation on Peace
By Carletta Joy Walker

Joy Works Journey

In the early nineties during a meditative period, I drew a picture that for me represented the consensus/synthesis of many of the religions existing in the world. Ankhs and crosses, animal totems, stars, moons and holy sites were included as well as figures and shapes coming from what I think of as some collective unconscious that meditative practices allow me to sit inside. The drawing was exquisite, certainly something I wanted to keep, take pride in in an ego way. Simultaneous to my attachment feeling came the very clear message that I should burn this picture. I knew resistance was futile so this time I didn?t even try too much to reason my way out of it. I burned this precious and beautiful picture over the altar where I?d gathered the spiritual oneness to be able to draw it.

Later, as often happens with my meditative practices and explorations, I found a religious/spiritual precedent for the action. Burning an image or icon is part of bringing the image, the representation to fruition. This burning ritual marked the solidifying from the ethereal to the real Joy Works Urban Heart Center, which became Joy Works Everywhere! Inc.

JOY is an important spiritual concept. Joy is my middle name, given to me by my grandmother as, I like to think, a gift to carry me through until I could walk, soar on my own. She done well by me, and I have shared that Joy name vibration with two godsons and my sister gave it to my youngest niece. Joy is life elixir and barometer; when it flows smooth, starts to be steady in the face of sadness or pleasure on through the range of human emotion we begin to know stillness, glimpse oneness. Joy Works Everywhere!, Inc works for this JOY. We live mindbodyspirit wholeness/perfection. This mindbodyspirit labyrinth includes the politic of life and the intellect needs and understanding, the spiritual/religious/soul need, the physical body & body needs.