he Fire forced us to stop, listen deeply to the land and to our souls and enter a regenerative period of realigning to purpose and reflecting on those group patterns and behaviors that needed transmuting and healing.
In the Ageless Wisdom teaching we are told that transformation is the shift to a higher state of consciousness ‘through the agency of fire’ while a Biblical reference reminds us that, ‘Our God is a consuming fire’
In the early hours of December 5th, 2017, the intense wind-driven Thomas wildfire swept through and beyond Meditation Mount. We suffered extensive damage. It consumed the oak trees and chaparral brush on a large part of our 32-acre property, scorched the International Garden of Peace and burned a residence to the ground.
Every wall, every piece of fabric, every rubber hose and sprinkler were impacted or compromised by the fire or its smoke. Every system ceased to function normally and as the ashes smoldered and the smoke rose, the challenges before us seemed overwhelming.
When something this dramatic happens in the life of an individual or a group, nothing is ever the same again. There is the initial shock of the event itself and then a series of emotional after-shocks that create a visceral knowing that all earthly forms are temporal and the only true security is built upon the firm foundation of a living relationship with our inner nature – our fiery Essential Divinity. This initial period of pain and detachment marked a necessary prelude to the renewal process – opening us up to all manner of creative possibilities wherein the future promised to be more glorious than the past.
We realized that with the wisdom available to us, inspiration from the subtle realms and our cumulative intuition, we had before us an opportunity to co-create a new Mount – one better suited to serve a rapidly evolving humanity. Gradually excitement began to replace grief as we cleared, and cleaned, and commenced the work of regeneration.
In nature there is a term that describes the effect on plant life in the wake of a wildfire and that term is Pyrophytic. While many plants are destroyed, there are others which have implemented wildfires as a strategy for survival and proliferation. The best known of these adaptations are the species which actually require the heat of a wildfire to melt the resin encapsulating the seed – thus triggering the germination process. Is it possible that the divine seed inside Meditation Mount and inside each of us requires a similar fiery baptism and quickening to reveal its true beauty and purpose?
Our relationship with the Thomas Fire has shifted during these past 3 ½ years. At first, it was considered to be a curse while now we regard it as a real blessing. The Fire forced us to stop, listen deeply to the land and to our souls and enter a regenerative period of realigning to purpose and reflecting on those group patterns and behaviors that needed transmuting and healing. The Mount now looks and feels more beautiful and ‘magnetically attractive’ than a few years ago.
This internal process confirmed for us that life is a burning ground where the Presence of Love is eventually revealed and realized after the dross has been sufficiently burned and the shadow side of our nature courageously faced.
To safely invoke and house the fire we must first build a suitable fireplace and the most apposite hearth is an open and loving heart.
Like other serving groups around the world, Meditation Mount affirms that the Light seeking to be born on Earth right now is the Incandescent Fire of Love – that divine conflagration we call Christ Consciousness. We know that a spark of this Eternal Flame is housed within each human heart and is being called forth at this unprecedented time in history.
Liberating this Fire of Love as a radical agent of renewal and spiritual renaissance is our shared task.
Michael Lindfield
Board President Meditation Mount
Ojai, California