Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

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Don't Resist, Part 2

     Last week we were discussing how it is futile to resist the people or social or political issues we see in our world today.  Rather than resist, be open.  Show compassion.  Listen.  Be tolerant.

     But I see that as a first step.

     It has become more and more important in my mind that we take the next step, which is to lead.  While it is good to be home and meditate to develop a compassionate heart, it is vitally important at this time that we also go out and work.  We need to be leaders in how to put our actions where our hearts are.  Some examples:

     Do you care about the hungry?  Donate food or volunteer at a food bank.

     Do you want more equality for the underprivileged?  Serve as a tutor or donate to works programs.

     Are you concerned about the environment?  Write your congressional representative.  Give generously to animal protection agencies or nature conservation groups.  Pick up trash.  Recycle.  Don't drive so much.  Teach others to do the same.

     I've only scratched the surface.  There are a million ways that you can lead.  But it is important that every day, even in a small way, you take the charge to lead.  Your actions count.  Let's make this world a better place.

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Don't Resist

     I've ranted before about how resistance is futile in combating the social and political changes we see in our world these days (you can read about it here.)  Remember, resistance only breeds resistance.  We need a different way.

     I found a wonderful quote by the Zen teacher Normal Fischer who addresses this very issue:

As a spiritual practitioner you are more committed to caring for others than you are to a side or a cause.  Caring for others doesn't mean caring only for the ones you are sympathetic to; it means all others.  If it's only some, then you're gong to end up being aggressive toward the others who seem to behave unjustly toward the ones you care about.  And aggression breeds aggression.  You might win with aggression, but there is always backlash, and pretty soon you lose.  I have seen this many times.  I am convinced that only real, heartfelt nonaggression works in the long run.  And this isn't something you can just decide you are going to feel.  It is challenging to be genuinely caring and loving.  It takes spiritual work, psychological work, meditation, cultivation.  But there is no doubt that, for me, this is the only way.

     Wow, what a challenge.  But it really is the only way.  And it is the necessary foundation for the next step.  More on that next week.

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Let Your Voice Be Heard

     Here in the United States, we face an important election in the next few days.  I think far too many still have the attitude that we should let "others" make the decisions and then live with the results as best we can.

     May I offer a different point of view?

     Imagine if you were in a band, and as a flute player, you decided that you wouldn't play because you didn't feel like it.  Or maybe you felt that your little instrument wasn't as big and loud and impressive as a tuba or French horn.  Or maybe you felt that you didn't have as many years of lessons as the oboist and were an inferior musician.  Or maybe you were just feeling ornery or lazy.

     What would the band sound like without your flute?

     Probably not great.  Every voice matters.  Every point of view matters.  You matter.

     Vote.

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Happy Hallowe'en

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An Oldie But Goodie, Part 2

     Last week I was recommending a good book to read, Hot Chocolate for the Mystical Soul: 101 True Stories of Angels, Miracles, and Healings, edited by Arielle Ford.  For those of us interested in spiritual and mystical experiences, this is a good pick.

     I think my favorite section was "Romances of the Soul."  Of course, some of the stories touched on my favorite theme, Twin Souls.  For example, Tom Youngholm's story, "Redhead," explores why he continually dated the same type of woman -- blond, about his height -- but that the relationships never worked out.  Finally, he had a vision of a woman in the 1800s who was dancing with him.  What did she look like?  Blond, about his height.  She told him that she was his soul mate (Twin Soul, in my estimation).  When she said this, he broke down in tears.  He recounts:

[She] told me that we were soulmates -- that our energies complemented one another, and that when we were together, we were truly One.  I questioned her:  I thought one was supposed to find a soulmate here on Earth?  She chuckled, and said most soulmates are not together in the same lifetime.

     She continued, saying that the reason he was having so much trouble finding a mate in this lifetime was because he was still searching for her.  She said to let that go.  She visited him several times after that, but he was able to let go of his obsessive search for her and to find a new type of woman in his life.  A redhead.

An Oldie But Goodie

     Low on funds (and room) for a new book to read, I searched my bookshelves for an old book to re-read.  And, what a nice find!  It's Hot Chocolate for the Mystical Soul: 101 True Stories of Angels, Miracles, and Healings, a collection edited by Arielle Ford.

     The stories are grouped by categories which include "Mystical Places, Magical Moments," "Divine Guidance and Inner Direction," "Romances of the Soul," "Spiritual Healing," "Help from Above," "Vision," and "The Other Side."  The stories run the gamut from very personal visionary experiences to recollections of extraordinary situations that occurred to several people.  It's also very easy to read.

     To be honest, I think I enjoyed the stories that included other people's experiences besides the authors' because some of the personal visionary stuff was a little hard to relate to in some instances.  It's like when someone tells you their dream -- they may have been very moved by it, but you may have a hard time relating because the symbolism is very personal.  Still, if you want to measure your own visionary experiences against some other people's, this may be a good book for you.  All in all, if you have a mystical bent, this is a terrific book to pick up.