Insights for November/December 2016 and January 2017
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Awakening:"There's an unbroken wisdom tradition inside you. That's one way to understand your intuition." Dana Gerhart, 'Why Naked?’ The Mountain Astrologer, Oct/Nov 2016, p. 10.
"How do we know if we are attached to something? Because it creates tension in your mind. Sending love to all beings. May we all learn that when we let go we can be more present and loving."
"Letting go doesn't mean forgetting,it just means we stop carrying theenergy of the past into the present."Yung Pueblo beautifully describes letting go and healing.
"Healing begins with acceptance and culminates with letting go.
They taught us that we can't change the past, but in a very intimate, profound, and beautiful way we can. When a great misery occurs it remains with us for as long as we hold on to it, attachments become attachments because of the energy we use to keep what happened or the image of what we want to happen locked away within our mind and body - this is the cause of tension in our being. When we hold on to these attachments they travel with us as a burden, from the past, to our present, and into our future. They can even travel forward in our lineage long after we are gone.
The miracle of healing ourselves is so powerful, because in the movement of accepting and letting go, we relinquish the energy of burden not only in our present, but in our past and future as well. Imagine the timeline of your life, now imagine the burdens that you carry as an extra line layered on top of your normal timeline. As we let go of our miseries, this extra layer becomes thinner and thinner. Yes, it may not change what happened, but the extra energy we carried because of these occurrences will no longer weigh down the timeline of our life. What happened happened, but now these moments are no longer attachments of pain and sorrow, now they are lessons we learn from, lessons that bring us into a present of greater freedom, happiness, and wisdom.
Letting go is not an easy process, it requires a practice that produces results and a commitment to continue delving inward so we can release deeper and deeper attachments. We all heal differently, but know that there is something out there for you. Be bold, courageous, find a practice that suits you and meets you where you are. Healing will come to those who seek it. Sending love to all beings. May we all reap the benefits of letting go. May we all be happy and peaceful."
"the goal the universe has for you is freedom." yung pueblo (follow him on Facebook and Instagram.)
"Truth is one of the vehicles for deepening spiritual awareness through another human being, and if there is a license for that in the relationship, in any relationship – with guru, with friend, with lover, with whatever it is – it is an absolutely optimum way of coming into a liquid spiritual relationship with another person. But it’s very, very delicate because people feel very vulnerable. They have parts of their mind that are cut off, that the idea that’s been socialized is, “If I show this part of me, I would not be acceptable.” And the ability to risk that, finally you learn how to have your truth available." Ram Dass
"To learn to trust - start with 'I don't know.'" Adam Gainsburg, January 2017, astrologyhub.com.
"Empower your own truth (your internal truth is connected to your heart and your soul) and that'll weaken their truth."
"Make space for essential self and you'll feel your creative source; your unique mission for the shift."
I love this, from Monique Leurink: "What is your truth? What do you hold inside? How much percentage do you live this truth? Please increase this percentage."
"I rule my life using my creative force."
"Don't stay focused on what doesn't work. Focus on what works and it will expand."
"The more you take power in the more power you will have." Monique Leurink, January, 2017, astrologyhub.com
"I'm done limiting how I show up in the world. I’m done hiding. I’m going to take the blessing of being sensitive and let go of the curse. I’m not interested in avoiding negativity. I want to help heal it. The weight of the world is not on my shoulders, but bringing a peaceful world out of my heart is. There are two ways I handle the negativity of others. One believes that even though I feel it, I don't have to allow it close to me. Being sensitive doesn’t mean I don't have a choice as to what I take into my heart. I absolutely have a choice. Once empowered by this, I no longer feel vulnerable. I don't have to avoid the news or negative people. I can stand in my light and trust myself. The other way..." Search elephantjournal.com for "Protecting my Sensitive Self: How to Cope with Anxiety about the world." to read the rest of the article. elephantjournal on Instagram.
"What raises consciousness? Sustained intention." Margaret Gervais 11.15.16 Portland
"When you get a cellular calling, respond." Isabeau Corbridge, 12.25.16, Portland.
"If you tell a mountain that it should be an eagle, surely that mountain will spend its days wishing it could fly, instead of being proud of its incredible strength." Topher Kearby, spiritualrevolutionary, Instagram.
"feel everything, because you're healing. and because you are allowed to experience all of your emotions at once or in waves. feelings give you permission to start the process of making your way back home. why get lost in hiding from yourself?" spiritsoul, Instagram.
Astrology for 2017:
"Be radiant like your sun [sign] and combine it with your truth:
Aries - boldness
Taurus- down to earth
Gemini - wit
Cancer - tenderness
Leo - strength
Virgo - attentiveness
Libra - justice
Scorpio - depth
Sagittarius - fiery depth
Capricorn - class
Aquarius - freedom
Pisces - mysticism" Monique Leurink, January 2017, Astrology Hub.
Meditation:
"Much of the time our mind is thick, with thoughts and emotions and cognitive content, but when focused on the breath or on some other object it narrows, gets sharper and more precise, and is increasingly capable of becoming aware of just that thin sliver of experience presenting itself in the present moment." Andrew Olendzki, "Giving Pain the Slip."
"When do we know if we are attached to something? Because it creates tension in your mind. Sending love to all beings. May we all learn that when we let go we can be more present and loving." yung pueblo.
Current Affairs:
A Trump Presidency Need Not Be the End TimesPosted on November 9, 2016 by Bhikkhu Bodhi |Ven. Bhikkhu BodhiIt was with feelings of shock and dismay that early this morning I woke up to learn that Donald Trump had been elected president of the United States. Although, as a monk, I do not endorse political candidates or align myself with political parties, I feel that as a human being inhabiting this fragile planet, I have an obligation to stand up for policies that promote economic and social justice, respect for the innate dignity of all human beings, and preservation of the earth’s delicate biosphere. By the same token, I must oppose policies detrimental to these ideals. I see politics, not merely as a naked contest for power and domination, but as a stage where great ethical contests are being waged, contests that determine the destiny—for good or for ill—of everyone in this country and on this planet.Trump’s presidential campaign challenged each of the ethical ideals I cherish, and if he acts upon his campaign pledges, his policies may entail misery for people in the United States and all across the world. His campaign repeatedly demeaned people because of their ethnicity, religion, and national origins. He threatened to deny women their reproductive rights and access to critical healthcare. He said he would cut taxes on the rich, curtail essential social services for working families, and deport millions of undocumented immigrants. He proposed to deal with crime by imposing “law and order,” a code expression affirming the harsh American system of mass incarceration, particularly of black males. Most alarmingly, he said he would promote an energy boom in fossil fuels—just at a time when we desperately need to be launching a renewable energy revolution. If he actually acts on his words, carbon emissions will soar, climate change will spin out of control, and water and air will become terribly polluted. Huge swaths of the planet will be rendered barren, decimating ever more species and bringing disaster and death to hundreds of millions of people.In the face of Trump’s victory, we are likely to feel dejected and demoralized, but this is exactly what we must resist. Yes, we should feel saddened. Yes, we should feel worried—very worried. We should feel moral outrage at what his victory portends. But we should not feel despondent and resign ourselves to a passive acquiescence in our fate. We have to preserve hope. We have to arouse courage to withstand the tides of hatred, bigotry, and resentment that may be unleashed by a Trump administration. We need to resist the growing tide of fascism, in whatever guise it may appear, and to root out the lies and disinformation that nourish it. No matter how ominous the coming years may be, we must remain determined to preserve our democracy from being undermined from within and transformed into an autocratic plutocracy—government by the rich and privileged.In my view, the struggle that lies ahead requires that those devoted to a progressive vision of American society transcend the particular interests of the groups with which they are personally aligned and form alliances to create a broad-based progressive movement rooted in a recognition of our shared values. Whether one’s calling be with Black Lives Matter, with the living wage campaign, with women’s reproductive rights, with gender rights, with environmental and climate issues, with contemplative spirituality, or any other, we must come together under a common banner, recognizing that it is only by standing together in a unified front that we can prevail against the regressive forces that will be trying to destroy our noblest ideals and greatest democratic achievements.While Trump’s victory probably stemmed largely from the support he gathered from white working class people whose jobs had been exported overseas through free trade agreements, it is far from certain that the policies he adopts will actually benefit these people. If he fails to meet their expectations, it is possible that white working class people, whether in the Rust Belt or the South, will come to see that their interests, too, align with those of other members of the “underclass.” This could result in the emergence of a stronger united front, one that brings together minorities and white working people in a common demand for a new moral economy, a social and economic order that works for everyone and enables everyone to flourish.For the present, however, we have to be prepared to face dark times. To prevail against the darkness, we must hold fast to our cherished ideals of truth, love, compassion, and justice. We must also maintain the faith that, while ignorance and hatred may at times be dominant, through concerted action patiently pursued we can finally usher in an era of justice, love, and human unity.The above essay represents the personal opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the view of Buddhist Global Relief as an organization. This entry was posted in News item, Politics & food justice, Social justice and tagged Bhikkhu Bodhi, Engaged Buddhism, Global warming, Poverty in America, Social justice.
"Now is the Time to Stand Up", Jack Kornfield, https://jackkornfield.com/now-is-the-time-to-stand-up/"Collective wellbeing arises when we govern by wisdom and loving-kindness instead of fear. “Human beings should refrain from causing harm to one another and not allow their actions to be based on hatred and greed,” said the Buddha, in words that speak directly to modern times. 'They should refrain from killing, from stealing. They should refrain from occupations that bring suffering, from weapons trade, from any actions that bring the enslavement of others.' Through these words, he was not proclaiming a religious code. He was providing a social psychology for the happiness of individuals and the collective." Jack Kornfield, "The Wise Heart.""For each of us, you’ve got to be very quiet to hear your unique dharma, your unique way of expression.Somebody comes along and their major thing in life is to regain the rights of indigenous peoples.Someone else comes along and their major thing is to awaken people to environmental degradation.Someone else comes along and their major thing is to clean up the incredible oppression of women.It isn’t a question of which thing is worse, or which is more worthwhile. Each person has to hear what is their part in the whole process of how their compassion expresses itself.I am doing this gig. This is my part. It’s no better than your part, it’s just my part. I’m not under some illusion that I have a different part and I honor everybody else’s part, I just have to constantly keep listening to hear what my part is anew." Ram Dass 1.8.17
"At the worst extreme, good intentions can be mixed with profound delusion. Stalin and Mao Tse-tung each claimed good intentions, trying to purge the exploitation of the past, and to enhance the power of the masses. Under their deluded intentions, millions were starved or murdered. To be wise, we have to examine our intention to ensure that it is free from delusion. The ends do not justify the means. If our actions will bring harm to others, even in the service of some “good,” most likely they are deluded. If our actions do not come from a kind heart, from loving courage and compassion, they are deluded. If they are based on “us” and “them,” they stem from delusion. Only to the extent that we act from the wisdom of no separation, understanding how we are woven together, will our intention bring benefit." Jack Kornfield, http://ow.ly/HrRd306rlgF" `