Sincerity and the Fate of Nations - 2

In Sincerity and the Fate of Nations we saw an example of the role of sincerity in the fate of Germany. In Invocation for a Nation we saw Carol Osborn’s powerful I Ching inspired invocation for a nation (or individual) in crisis. If we look at our historical example, does the invocation pan out?
After Germany invaded Poland, Britain declared war on Germany thus respecting their recent pledge of alliance to Poland. It was a noble decision and very bold in that a successful outcome to the war was far from certain. Britain’s lead brought similar declarations of war from Australia, New Zealand and later France, South Africa and Canada. Britain was no longer alone against the greatest military machine the world had yet seen. But things got worse quite soon. After the fall of France and the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk, there was no reason to suppose that the fall of Britain was not a question of weeks away. But the British, utterly alone in their struggle, did not give up. They found their strength in sincerity. Faith in a positive outcome never left them. Through the courage of their armed forces the threat was met. And in time help from unexpected quarters came – the New World came to the aid of the Old.
And what about Germany at the end of the war? Their industry was in ruins, the flower of their youth had fallen in a war on two fronts, and worst of all, their country was divided in two, the eastern half disappearing behind an Iron Curtain. There was virtually nothing from which the Germans could now draw strength – except in sincerity. But in their darkest hour of the soul, help came from an unexpected quarter also. A conquering enemy that had every reason to feel bitterness, was made of finer stuff: a generous United States offered economic and technical assistance to all European nations, including Germany, in the form of the Marshall Plan. The Germans, always a steadfast and hard-working people, asked for no more in order to accomplish their Economic Miracle. And many who saw those dark days lived even to see the reunification of their nation.

All that is truly meant to be mine will be returned to me in time…
I can begin anew the moment I envision the best rather than the worst possible outcome…
I can make myself receptive to new possibilities…
I see only a small patch of darkness surrounding me…but even here I can have faith…

The wisdom contained in Carol’s invocation is the truth of ages and has its roots in human nature and the forces of the universe. Let us take strength in it today.

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.Photo by Cheryl Empey

Invocation for a Nation

As we saw in my last post Sincerity and the Fate of Nations, nations have their karma as do individuals. Nations feel collective guilt, anger, indignation, fear, and hatred: also pride, generosity, resolve, courage and steadfastness. Nations go through their crises of the soul as do men. At this time of national crisis, I think it would be a good time to post an invocation that helped me through my own personal crisis many years ago.
It comes from the book How would Confucius ask for a raise? by Carol Osborn. It is a beautiful invocation, poetic, sincere and powerful. It contains the wisdom of the ages, expertly condensed by Carol from the I Ching. It is a suitable invocation for any individual and any nation in a time of crisis. Read it and feel its power working on you even before you reach the end.

Invocation for New Beginnings

All that is truly meant to be mine will be returned to me in time.
Even if I fear I do not deserve it.
Even if I fear I have thrown it away.

May I remember that any moment can be a turning point.
I can begin anew the moment I envision the best rather than the worst potential outcome.

Although I find this difficult right now, I can make myself receptive to new possibilities that arise from outside my existing expectations and experiences, trusting that everything that happens to me has a purpose.

From my limited perspective, I see only the small patch of darkness surrounding me. But even here, I can have faith. For my willingness to invoke my higher self shines like a beacon of light showing the way through the darkness quenching my regret with the comforting thought:

Where else but in the dark could light shine?

Sincerity and the Fate of Nations

With the power of sincerity and the weakness of insincerity in mind, it is revealing to look at history and the fate of nations. Where truth is suppressed and trampled upon by dictatorship, where there is injustice and error, there is no inherent strength and the nation suffers the consequences.
At the 1919 Treaty of Versailles at end of the First World War, Germany was ‘punished’ with the imposition by the victors of excessive war reparations. The sum – 269 billion marks - was later reduced to 132 billion, which was still an astronomical amount and Germany would have been required to pay until 1984. The German people felt betrayed, and I am sure that Marshal Foch of France was speaking the minds of many in France, England and Germany when he said of the Treaty: ‘This is not a peace. It is an armistice for twenty-one years.’

The Germans found their strength in the sincerity of their grievances, expressed forcefully by Adolf Hitler, who galvanized them into a unity of purpose to right the wrongs of Versailles. The moral superiority of sincerity was on Germany’s side and the allied nations, in their heart of hearts, must have felt this and feared it. Then, as Hitler’s lust for and abuse of power increased, the moral advantage slipped away from him, and the German people in their turn must have felt their loss of strength as the justness and sincerity of their cause faded away.

Such is the strength and significance of sincerity for nations as well as for individuals. We had best beware we are sincere.
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Image from Wikimedia: decorative Hindu swastika. The swastika is a recurring ancient and often holy symbol going back 5,000 years to the Neolithic period. It symbolises peace and harmony and can be found in many Eastern traditions, notably Buddhism.