Organized, corporate religions are their own role model. These organizations have a very specific, often rigid structure, which unfortunately, in many instances discourages uncomfortable questions, new discoveries or controversial philosophies. Many of them have a predictable script, which never seems to vary. If you don’t provide the right answer according to the script, then you are not of that religious ‘body.’
My first role model was the Catholic Church. While there are, I am sure, wonderful people who attend and who administer church doctrine, I did not find that. Imagine being nine years old and being told that your parents are living in mortal sin because they are practicing birth control. I remember thinking how bizarre it was for the priest to be punishing me for something I wasn’t supposed to even know about, much less actually do something about. I also found it presumptions for this never-married man to judge a family for its decisions of responsibility: he certainly didn’t have to feed, clothe or educate four children. How dare he judge any of us! Needless to say, I was thrilled when we walked away from that suffocating place. However, it was a most enlightening experience of an ‘abuse of power’ role model.
My next religious experience were the various people I met, who attended all the various churches in the city of Greensboro, North Carolina where we lived. We tried other churches, but the script was always the same: You are born in sin and you will die in sin. We are all sinners every one: sinners! Sinners! Sinners! Everyone wanted to know if we had found Christ – as if somehow he was lost, and we had to find him. If you answer no to that question (because you never actually lost him), then you aren’t ‘Christian.’ If you answer yes to that question, then you have to identify what church you go to, who your pastor is and how many times a week you go to church. I was also told, repeatedly, that if you did not believe as they believed that no matter how good you are as a person, you will, at death go immediately to hell. That seemed like quite a lot of fear to me. Obviously these folks believed that they were all the chosen ones. These religious people were role models for what being judgmental and fearful looked and felt like.
Then I discovered Buddhist philosophy, the concept of opening your heart to all people, all living things. This was totally refreshing. This philosophy, and the people who walked this path taught me what it looks and feels like to be non-judgmental. They offered an example of kindness and openness. The Dalai Lama is still that spiritual role model for me to this day. My own spiritual teacher, Tashi Leo is a most precious role model in the honored tradition of the Dalai Lama. Tashi's patience with my personality is a constant reminder for me as I approach each new situation.
In my spiritual studies, I discovered all kinds of people who claimed to be the reincarnation of some great person, or of being totally ‘enlightened’ and of having ‘great powers.’ I quickly realized that none of these people, no matter how well intentioned, were the real thing. Many were examples of people who thought they had power and who really had very little.
However, along my fascinating path, I discovered a man named Edgar Cayce, a psychic who eventually founded the Association for Research and Enlightenment, in Virginia Beach Virginia. This was a man who discovered from an early age that he truly had a unique psychic ability. As he matured, this ability manifested in an astonishing ability to go into trance and allow what was termed a Universal Spirit of goodness to over-shadow him. At this point he was able to provide absolutely accurate information on diagnosis and healing of various clients anywhere in the world.
Mr. Cayce was a simple man, an ordinary man who had a devout and unshakable belief in God, in Christ and in his own Divine connection – and yet he was utterly honest, true to himself and his family. He was a psychic, yet he was humble, kind, caring and above all dedicated to the service of mankind. Perhaps he is my favorite spiritual role model because he taught by example the need to love and care for all humanity. In the purity of the soul that was Edgar Cayce, we have the embodiment of the message that Christ came to Earth to share: love one another. Help one another in whatever capacity you are able to provide. Respect the path of another, whether or not that person goes to your church!
Cayce reminded me to remember that you cannot heal everyone. Christ did not heal everyone because not everyone had the karma to be healed – and that is also true today. Help those you can and then respect their path without judgment.
Edgar Cayce was willing to look at things outside of his original range of knowledge. He did his spiritual job to the best of his ability. He loved with all of his heart. At the end of his precious life, he could look back and marvel at all he had learned and all the lives he felt he had humbly touched. Perhaps he felt honored to have been allowed to have that ability and to use it, the way that he did.
Perhaps Edgar Cayce represented the best role model I could have, because he was a flawed human being who did his best every day, accepted those tough days and still keep going, lighting the way with his own goodness. I can only hope to fill a tiny portion of the giant footprints Mr. Cayce so generously left behind.
