The following article was first published in One Earth Magazine Volume 7 Issue 1, December/January 1986/87

Richard Coates has been a dedicated member of the Findhorn Foundation for the last nine years during which time he has enjoyed a wide and varied career as mechanic, printer and Erraid rustic. More recently, he has discovered that his ‘gift of the gab ‘ through leading workshops on ‘The Laws of Manifestation ‘, is proving effective in promoting a consciousness of prosperity in his own life and in the lives of those with whom he connects. Interest is growing in his work both from inside and outside the Foundation, and it is increasingly clear that his particular formula for transformation is meeting a need, not only for prosperity consciousness but for personal empowerment.

Soon to assume the responsibility of a financial advisor to the Foundation, he spoke recently to One Earth about the origins of his ‘new’ career and shared his views on the creation of the proposed prosperous village.

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The roots of my current fascination with prosperity lie in my materialistic upbringing where comfort and abundance were things I hankered after as a way of life. When I came to live at the Findhorn Foundation in 1978, after several years of a successful business career, I was able to live on the money that I had earned and continue to have everything I wanted until, of course, the money ran out. I really looked forward to learning what it would be like to live on a Foundation allowance which at that time was £5 per week and felt that spiritual courage would undoubtedly grow with financial depletion.

When I actually got there it was absolute hell and I fought and struggled not to be poor. I fixed peoples’ cars on the weekend, and did everything I could to keep myself in the manner to which I had been accustomed. For a couple of years it was horrible; then I went to live on the isolated island of Erraid. There were no pubs, clubs, shops, cinemas or any other distractions and I began to get in touch with my real needs. I discovered that my needs for emotional fulfilment, relationship and the beauty of nature were far greater that my need for material comforts.

Discovering my real needs as a human being was as frightening as it was revealing. That time of crisis and fear changed my thinking and made me realise that it was important to put God first in my quest for prosperity, and that true riches reflect the quality of my experience of my life.

I think that the most important work I do now is, firstly, to acknowledge that the only real way to teach prosperity consciousness is by demonstration and, secondly, to communicate that material prosperity isn’t that significant. It’s a spin-off – evidence of an individual’s power to create. For instance, if I want a nice sports car and somehow it turns up in my life, I need to remember that the only real thing I have gained is an awareness and understanding of the benevolence of the universe, and of my own creative power.

We need to recognise that we do get what we ask for. We need to acknowledge the material things we want in our lives because these are indicators of the essential qualities that will make our lives more fulfilled experiences. For instance, I have a motor bike which somebody gave me. I love it. It’s nice to be able to get away to the woods and mountains – to give myself breathing space from the intensity of community and balance my life. But it is more than just a toy. It is clear to me that the manifestation of the motor bike was a symbol for, and statement of, my freedom.

It’s important to honour and acknowledge the essence of the material things we want. From my experience, it is apparent that in responding to requests for ‘goods’, the universe delivers the appropriate, individually styled set of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual lessons and revelations. Every experience we create has a purpose and much of our manifestation is unconscious. For instance, if you trip and break your leg – it’s not because your guardian angel inadvertently nodded off to sleep or because you are just unlucky – it could be because you need to slow down in your life or take more care of your environment and fix the staircase.

Money itself is simply a form of energy. Our society has given it misleading weight and importance. One of the things I ask people to do in my workshops is to experiment with ‘other’ energy streams. If I go home and empty my cupboards and drawers, off-loading extra or redundant possessions, then I create ‘space’ in my life and open up a channel to manifest what I need. I also need to clear out old emotions that I hang on to, and redundant thought forms. How many unnecessary thoughts, attachments and grudges do I lug around, how many people do I need to forgive? Freeing up all of these enhances our personal power and allows us to create fulfilled lives.

My own faith is challenged regularly. During the most recent class that I ran for the Foundation, I gave away my last £20 to a woman who had committed herself to having an exotic holiday. She had made her commitment, and then sat there during our evening session looking like a stunned mullet, wondering how or if the universe was going to answer her request. I was glad to help her do it. I also felt depressed and wondered what on Earth I thought I was doing encouraging her. I was flat broke and on my last ration of faith in my own life and I thought, “I’ve blown it. There is no abundance – it is just a matter of luck after all.”

After a couple of hours of despondency I decided to open a letter from my mother, something I had delayed all day. Inside was a totally unexpected gift of £1,500. It was a financial miracle, as I literally had nothing left, and a good example of how the universe reassures me that letting go of my false sense of security in money makes my life more effective. Up till now I have always held an attitude to money where I ‘put some by for a rainy day’, but money has no value except in circulation. The same is true of talents, skills and love. They serve nobody whilst locked in a tin box under the bed.

Teaching the laws of manifestation helps me to raise my awareness of God and the oneness of all life. It shows me that my vision and intentions must be clean and clear and makes me thankful as miracles – which after all are just God’s use of natural laws – unfold. Indeed, it must be said that gratitude is a prerequisite of prosperity, not simply because it insures future ‘good manifestation’ but also as an ongoing affirmation of the benevolence and caring of a friendly universe. Working with these laws is a path to personal empowerment. They are also an important factor in the growth of the Foundation and the development of the Planetary Village.

My initial response to the village is to question why we want it – and in a sense the answer is as simple as why I might want a motor cycle or a holiday in some exotic climate. The deeper question is how does it serve?

Clearly we need a village for myriad reasons. We need to demonstrate a way of life that people can aspire to. We need to demonstrate kindness to each other and the planet, not wasting oil, not felling trees unnecessarily. We need structures, schools and community centres which give us joy, create smiles, open us up to each other and push us forward to grow.

The Foundation is a centre of demonstration. Three years ago when we bought the Caravan Park , we demonstrated to ourselves and to the world how powerful and effective an aligned and committed group could be. In the process of working with this project, we had to address our fears, negativity and pain, which made us build a tighter, better aligned and more focused community spirit and clearer more loving relationships with each other. I wonder if we worked hard to come together in order to buy the Caravan Park or whether God gave us the project in order to bring us together and raise our communal consciousness?

The purchase served us in many ways and clearly the creation of a village represents far mare to us ‘in terms of our spiritual and emotional growth than it does in having more comfortable homes and pretty landscapes. It represents an evolutionary step in our relationships with each other and with spirit. Perhaps more important than achieving the goal of the physical village is demonstrating the process of its creation as a way of life.

We need x thousand pounds to build our structures. But that’s not all we need. If some millionaire gave us this amount and we paid a local construction firm to build a lovely village for us, well, wouldn’t we be lucky? But what would we really have gained? A mere shadow of the experience of creation. If we cooperate together to create an atmosphere in which a true vision of God’s divine will can grow, the x thousand pounds will be there as we need it, and each brick and solar panel will vibrate with our love. It is magical how easily the form follows when the vision is clear and fully supported.

As a community we need to be united in our commitment to move forward. As a first step we must each find our way to support the village. We need to participate at meetings, to talk and create and be part of the vision. If I sit at home thinking, “This won’t affect me, I already own my bungalow, I’ll let people do what they want whether I agree or not,” then I actually undermine and inhibit the vision.

The real life force that we bring to bear in creating is our emotion. Fear, anger, sadness, love, joy, all of these feelings activate something – they give power to our vision. That may sound strange. We know love and joy are powerful and positive. But fear, anger and pain are powerful too. We need to let them surface, be experienced and worked through. There is a fine line between fear and excitement or enthusiasm. Ask any mountaineer.·

Building a beautiful village on the foundations of community laid over the past 24 years is also a statement that we are ready to embrace quality in our lives. The Findhorn Foundation is growing up to be a responsible custodian and is establishing itself as a way of life worthy of emulation. The key to our evolution and subsequent movement is to keep asking why we want it, keep giving thanks for what we have already and never give way to complacency. It’s an abundant and friendly universe as long as we stay ‘on our toes’.

TEN STEPS TO ABUNDANCE IN YOUR LIFE

Earlier this year the Findhorn Foundation declared an ABUNDANCE WEEK during which we individually and collectively explored improving the quality of our lives on all levels. Here is one of the tools that we agreed to use for at least that week. You may also care to ‘tempt the universe’ and ask yourself what you need and want in your life to make it more fulfilling. Remember to take responsibility for what you ask for! And have fun if you use these steps.
1 Affirm and be grateful for the abundance and richness of your life at least once daily.
2 Clear out a cupboard or drawer and give away unnecessary possessions.
3 Tithe 10% of your weekly income to someone or something that inspires you.
4 Forgive a debt.
5 Do at least one unusually good deed.
6 Ask someone else to do something for you.
7 Take special care of your home.
8 Be aware of consciously nurturing your relationships; give at least one special appreciation.
9 Listen carefully to the needs of your body and honour them.
10 Give yourself a special treat which you don ‘t usually allow yourself.

 

THE LAWS OF MANIFESTATION

The only successful manifestation is one which brings about a change or growth in consciousness.

As David Spangler says, there is only one law of manifestation and that is to be. Using these steps enables us to grow in our understanding of our oneness with spirit, our cocreativity with God and our own limitless power, leading us ever closer to full identification with the divine within.

1. Right Identification: Knowing and understanding our oneness with God and with all life. A consciousness of true Being from which all manifestation comes.

2. Right Imagination: A meditative exploration of the true essence behind the apparent need. To understand and experience our oneness with the fulfilment of that essence, with no sense of lack or separation from it.

3. Right Attunement: The alignment of the personality (mental, physical and emotional bodies) to the vision created in Right
Imagination in order to bring it into form.

4. Right Action: Doing whatever is necessary to allow the form to be created and then giving thanks, and demonstrating gratitude through good custodianship.