EILEEN CADDY

The God Within
Contacting the God Within. Listening to the God Within.
This is Eileen‘s heritage, which became one of the pillars
of our community.

Eileen loved sweetpeas

Eileen Caddy’s personal relationship with the God Within is well known by most who have been involved with the Findhorn Community. Her experience of developing her connection with the inner voice that told her to ‘Be still and know that I AM God’ is simply and profoundly described in her powerful autobiography Flight Into Freedom, with which I was honoured to be involved.

To turn within to listen to one’s inner voice could be described as the Findhorn path, as Findhorn’s spiritual practice has no specific teaching or meditation method. Each person is encouraged to find his or her own way to their inner knowing, their own guidance. Not everyone is fortunate enough to hear a voice as clearly as Eileen did. This took years of meditating, listening, writing down every word she heard, and learning to discriminate between God’s voice and the many others that intruded in her mind, especially in the beginning. The early training that Eileen, Peter and Dorothy received with Sheena Govan, which continued for at least ten years before they found themselves living in the caravan park at Findhorn, was key. Each found their own way to connect within: Peter developed a remarkable intuition and never ‘heard’ a word; Dorothy described hers as an experience that she then translated into words; Eileen heard a clear voice and wrote every word down. After years of practice they all came to trust their own and each other’s inner voices and inner promptings.

Eileen and Peter Caddy

Eileen accepted the discipline of listening to her inner voice because it was so compelling. The words she received were so profoundly enriching that she couldn’t help herself from walking down to the public toilets early in the morning to spend two or three hours in silent meditation. This was the only place she could find solitude when she, Peter, Dorothy and three lively little boys lived together in a small caravan in the Hollow on the Findhorn Bay Caravan Park.

They also meditated together daily to strengthen the Network of Light. Eileen was given a vision of the world, with tiny lights all over it, switching on one by one, with silver threads passing between them. The lights gradually grew stronger, until the whole planet radiated light. These were the groups of people who were awakening to the new spiritual impulse and the small group at Findhorn sent Love and Light to each one. Sometimes they received impressions of these groups, aborigines in Australia, a group living underground in Siberia, and a group of businessmen in Turkey. They had no proof of their existence. Imagine the thrill when the Turkish group actually arrived at Findhorn to meet them in person! They had been meditating for many years on the word Findhorn without knowing what it meant, until one day a hitchhiker had mentioned he was on his way to Findhorn and they discovered each other.

As this small group began to grow into a community, daily group meditations were essential. Everyone was expected to attend and if they forgot or overslept, Peter was on their case immediately! He would read the guidance Eileen had received earlier that day, words of great inspiration, always encouraging unity and love. This tradition of a community morning meditation continues today and often Eileen’s guidance provides the point of focus and inspiration.

In front of Joanie’s bungalow

As the community grew and changed, so did the dependence on Eileen’s guidance. Initially Peter had turned to her for guidance on every detail, down to the most mundane issues. Her inner voice was the final word. However, as the aim at Findhorn was for everyone to learn to find their own inner wisdom, Eileen received guidance to stop giving guidance to others and to encourage them to turn within and learn to hear their own inner voice. A practice of attuning before each activity, whether before a meal or the start of the working day, became part of the way of life: a moment of silence, joining hands, minds and hearts to be ‘at one’ with each other, the task ahead, and the spiritual forces within and around us. Over the years, attunement has become an intrinsic part of the Findhorn ‘way’. So simple, but it works.

Working with Eileen for ten years on her autobiography was an opportunity for which I shall always be grateful. When I first met Eileen I was in awe of this modest, quiet, motherly woman who had a direct connection with God! Over the years, she became a firm friend with a huge capacity for being with whoever came to see her, in the most personal way. She was interested in everyone and everything, no matter how trivial. So many times, when I popped in for a fleeting visit, she would ask me how I was, and I’d grumble about something or other in my life. She would smile sweetly and say, “Now is the time for you to count your blessings, isn’t it dear?” Of course it was. I’d read this a thousand times in her tiny handwriting in the little receipt books that held her wonderful inspirational messages. Eileen learned to put her guidance into practice, herself. She encountered every disturbing human emotion, and each time, no matter how hard it was, she would apply the principles of forgiveness and loving unconditionally to herself until she succeeded. She took every word to heart, and worked on herself until the last months of her life.

Eileen and all her eight children

I was the recipient of this once, when we were travelling in South Africa. Eileen was a great perfectionist, and I was spontaneous, even a little chaotic. One morning I came down for breakfast late. She sat me down and said, “I received guidance this morning that I want to share with you.” Painfully aware of my shortcomings, I waited for a dressing down. Then Eileen read out the words: “My beloved, if you are to give workshops on Unconditional Love, you need to start with yourself: it is time you practise loving Liza unconditionally. Highlight what she can give, and not what she cannot. If you are to give workshops on the Challenge of Change, you need to be willing to change, and to allow her to play her part.” Eileen was not a victim of pride. She changed. She accepted me and included my contributions in our work together. We spent four inspiring weeks sharing with so many people and forging a love and respect for each other that lasted the rest of our lives. For me, this was the mark of a great teacher.

Liza Hollingshead

 

THE GOD WITHIN

‘BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD’