Page 81 - Nursing: The Philosophy and Science of Caring

fr om caratIve fact or 1 to C a r i t as Pr oC e s s 1
As one allows the sensations to flow, that flow forms a kind of psy-
chic purification of the feelings so one is more authentically available
to experience loving-kindness as the wellspring that helps to access the
inside rather than a superficial external facade.
It does not work to “put on” an overcoat of loving-kindness when
anger, hurt, despair, worry, and similar feelings are present. Only after
those feelings have been allowed to flow can the deep wellspring of
authentic Caritas emerge, radiating out from self to others and one’s
field (Young personal communication, 2006).

loving-Kindness
Loving-kindness gives birth to a natural compassion. The compas-
sionate heart holds the pain and sorrow of our life and of all beings
with mercy and tenderness. . . . It is the tender heart that has the
power to transform the world.
KornfIeld (2002:102)

Considering the first Caritas Process in depth and accessing the intent
related to loving-kindness and equanimity invite a form of mindful-
ness/meditation in action. Exploring this aspect of meditation for
Caritas Consciousness is one way to attend to this foundational way of
Being as the basis for caring, healing, and wholeness. It is a core prac-
tice and process that prepares us with the skill and ability to commit to
and engage in lifelong compassionate human service that is life giving
and life receiving.
Everyone has an intrinsic wellspring of loving-kindness, caring,
and friendliness. However, this basic intrinsic way of Being often gets
coated over and buried under conventional social customs and work-
place norms. At the same time, loving-kindness is a natural state of
being and living, in that when we feel it fully, it brings joy and peace to
our lives and to those around us. The challenge within a caring-healing
professional practice and a special challenge for a Caritas Consciousness
model is learning how to access these feelings directly so you are radi-
ating that energy to self and to the field around you.
Remember the truism: the universe is a hologram. Then, the
holographic notion applies here: if the part is in the whole and vice

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