In every religious tradition there is a common practice of chanting a rosary. The rosary is comprised of a specific number of beads, each shaped circular, threaded together and yet each bead unique. It is a powerful symbol of understanding that human life is so deeply connected with each other. Each bead, as unique as it is, reflects its own individual beauty, yet the beauty of the rosary is that these individual beads are able to come together. They are close yet unique, they are close yet separate, they are close and harmonise with each other.
Human life is reflected in the rosary. We are individuals, each with a unique personality and a unique role. However, as individual as we are we experience our wholeness through relationships. We know ourselves through our expression of ourselves in our relationships. We cannot know or be whole in isolation. Thus the expression, I am because we are holds such truth.
To offer the best of ourselves requires deep self reflection. The more self aware I am of my feelings, motivations, intentions and attitudes the more I am able to offer myself authentically and creatively. This is the work needed on each individual bead of the rosary. This inner work releases one from creating dependencies. Dependencies or attachments creates entanglement and complexity in relationships. It compromises the self which does not serve the self or each other. So it is so important to understand what love is and what attachments are. Love is the giving of oneself without expectation. Love is a deep regard of the other. Love is the appreciation of the other and their contribution. Love is expressing understanding, care and sharing beauty and joy. Love is the thread that holds the beads of the rosary together.
Another truth to recognize is that what I do to the other I do to myself. No individual is an island, there is the silent law of karma that underlines our relationship. When I treat the other with love, I enhance the experience of love within. When I express anger or dislike towards the other, I disconnect with the sacred in me. Therefore what I do to the other I do to myself. As I strengthen the core of love, I strengthen the self.
Practise: to develop a practice of appreciating every being for who they truly are beneath the masks of habit and conditioning, make a list of the most important people in your life. The list could include family, friends work colleagues, members of your wider community , people that you believe have an impact on your life. For each individual make a list of either five to seven positive qualities that you appreciate in them. Observe how this influences your attitude towards them as well as the changes in the dynamic of your relationship with them.