walk with me into the field down to the sea of love,
awesome place of power, vibrant wellspring of love
here we breathe in deeply, preparing to go under
down, down to the river below, sacred space of surrender
giving our all to beloved undams the river of joy
always flowing inside of us, flowing forevermore…
Happy 75th Day of Continuation, John!
today’s walk on the wild side is resting in a field out beyond, a breathing space, a visionary place to commit acts of imagination on this ground of shifting sands, dreamscape of unknowing where i dream our collective dream forward of living in the moment in peace sharing our world as one… may we all come together and live John’s call to action now…
Power To The People
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people, right on
Say you want a revolution
We better get on right away
Well you get on your feet
And out on the street
Singing power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people, right on
A million workers working for nothing
You better give ’em what they really own
We got to put you down
When we come into town
Singing power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people, right on
I gotta ask you comrades and brothers
How do you treat you own woman back home
She got to be herself
So she can free herself
Singing power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people, right on
Now, now, now, now
Oh well, power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people, right on
Yeah, power to the people Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people, right on
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people, right on
Ode to Sea/Odyssey
wandering along pacific coast, listening to ocean,
she lulls us into hypnotic trance as we drink in her magic potion.
naked in the now, we’re open to receive
everyday what isness as wondrous revelation
everyday what isness as true refuge destination
everyday what isness as gifts of the sea, moments to treasure eternally.
today, rain spirits return to the Pacific Northwest bringing the feel of turning of the seasons, a day to turn inward and return to the deep inner wellspring, the spring of wellness where all is well eternally, where we listen deeply to ancestors as alive in this present moment as future children and re-member everything continues forever for we, like clouds, never die; rather, we change form while always and forever we are light waves of love…
may we all return with every in breath to the innermost chamber of our still heart and behold with awe the unfolding elegance of cosmic grace…
a day of soular presence, a day of soular trust, a day of soular surrender under the divine waning moon… thank you for gathering together in the shadow of cascading mountains to hear, sing and dance the words of the Star Goddess, the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven, whose body encircles the universe:
“I who am the beauty of the green earth and the white moon among the stars and the mysteries of the waters,
I call upon your soul to arise and come unto Me. For I am the soul of nature that gives life to the universe. From Me all things proceed and unto Me they must return.
Let My worship be in the heart that rejoices, for behold — all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals. Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you.
And you who seek to know Me, know that your seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless you know the Mystery: for if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without.
For behold, I have been with you from the beginning, and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.”
“I want my life to challenge people to think philosophically. I want people to ask themselves and each other what time it is on the clock of the world.”
Grace Lee Boggs, 1915 – 2015
In honor of Grace and her life of sacred activism, may we all live this question as contemplative quest and re-member some more of her sage words on what time it is on the clock of the world…
“We need to find that balance of life that respects each other, that thinks that the most important thing at this time on the clock of the world is not our accumulation of things, is not economic growth which threatens and imperils all life on this planet including ourselves, that the time has come to grow our souls, to grow our relationships with one another, to create families that are loving and communities that are loving, to bring the neighbor back into the hood.”
What time is it on the clock of the world?
“The Great Peace towards which people of good will throughout the centuries have inclined their hearts, of which seers and poets for countless generations have expressed their vision, and for which from age to age the sacred teachings of humankind have constantly held the promise, is now at long last within the reach of the nations and the human family. For the first time in history it is possible for everyone to view the entire planet, with all its myriad diversified peoples, in one perspective.World peace is not only possible but inevitable. It is the next stage in the evolution of this planet!”
Universal House of Justice
a day of dancing down the path of devotion, a day of healing/wholeing the world with singing,storytelling and silence in communion with beloved bodies of water – friends, river, waterfalls, clouds, trees, waves of light…
a day of walking in beauty deeper and deeper into the core, feeling the plates of the earth continuing their millions of years of shifting and morphing as the waters of life carve arteries of flow delivering us into this moment, this beautiful moment…
a day of celebrating… wind song, water song, earth song and birdsong in the blessed silence of the scenic, still heart…
Dear Family,
as we all shift into an updated consciousness, may we walk this prayer…
So long as space remains,
So long as sentient beings remain,
We will remain,
In order to help, in order to serve,
In order to make our own contribution.
I share now some wisdom from His Holiness, the Dalai Lama on how we shift…
In my own case, at the age of 16, I lost my freedom, and at 24, I lost my country. I have been a refugee for the last forty years, with heavy responsibilities. As I look back, my life has not been easy. However, throughout all these years I learned about compassion, about caring for others. This mental attitude has brought me inner strength.
That sort of thinking has brought purpose to my life. No matter how difficult or complicated things may be, if we have this type of mental attitude we can have inner peace.
Spiritual growth need not be based on religious faith. I believe that the methods by which we increase our altruism, our sense of caring for others, and by which we develop the attitude that our own individual concerns are less important than those of others, are common to all major religious traditions. Though we may find differences in philosophical views and rites, all religions advocate love, compassion, and forgiveness. And even persons who do not believe in religion can appreciate the virtues of basic human values.
Since our very existence and well-being are a result of the cooperation and contributions of countless others, we must have a proper attitude and way of relating to them. In the past, countries, regions, and even villages were economically independent of one another. Under those circumstances the destruction of one’s enemy might have been a victory for oneself. Today we are so interdependent that the concept of war has become outdated. When we face problems or disagreements today, we have to arrive at solutions through dialogue. We cannot destroy our neighbors! We cannot ignore their interests! Doing so would ultimately cause us to suffer.
Non-violence does not mean that we remain indifferent to a problem. On the contrary, it is important to be fully engaged. However, we must do so in a way that does not benefit us alone. We must not harm the interests of others. Non-violence, therefore, is not merely the absence of violence. It involves a sense of compassion and caring. I strongly believe that we must promote non-violence at the level of the family as well as at the national and international levels.
We must try to develop greater perspective, looking at situations from all angles. Usually, when we face problems ,we look at them from our own point of view. We even sometimes deliberately ignore other aspects of a situation. This often leads to negative consequences.
Sometimes, due to a very small matter, a fight starts between a husband and wife, or a parent and child. If you focus merely on the immediate problem, then yes, it really is worth fighting and quarreling. It is even worth divorcing! However, looking at the situation with more perspective, we see that though there is a problem, there is also a common interest. You can come to feel, “This is a small problem which I must solve by dialogue, not by drastic measures.” We can thereby develop a non-violent atmosphere within our own family, as well as within our community.
Another important practice in training our minds involves learning to distinguish between the negative qualities of conceit or arrogance and those of positive pride or self-confidence. In my own practice, when I have an arrogant feeling, “Oh, I’m somehow special,” I say to myself, “I’m a human being and a Buddhist monk. I thereby have a great opportunity to practice the spiritual path leading to Buddhahood.” I then compare myself to a small insect in front of me and think, “This little insect is very weak, with no capacity to think about philosophical matters. It has no ability to develop altruism. In spite of the opportunity I have, I behave in this stupid way.” If I judge myself from this point of view, the insect is definitely more honest and sincere than I am.
Human emotions are very powerful and sometimes overwhelm us. This can lead to disasters. I think that anger and hatred actually cause more harm to us than to the person responsible for our problem. Imagine that your neighbor hates you and is always creating problems for you. If you lose your temper and develop hatred toward him, your digestion will be bad, your sound sleep will go, and you will have to start to use tranquilizers and sleeping pills. You will have to increase the doses of these, which will harm your body. Your mood will be affected, and as a result your old friends will hesitate to visit you. You will gradually have more white hair and wrinkles, and you may eventually develop more serious health problems. Then your neighbor will be really happy. Without having inflicted any physical harm he will have fulfilled his wish!
If, in spite of his injustices, you remain calm, happy, and peaceful, your health will remain strong, you will continue to be joyful, and more friends will come to visit you. Your life will become more successful. This will really bring about worry in your neighbor’s mind. I think that this is the wise way to inflict harm upon your neighbor. You must not consider tolerance and patience to be signs of weakness. I consider them signs of strength.
When we are faced with a person or group of people wishing us harm, we can view this as an opportunity to develop patience and tolerance. We need these qualities; they are useful to us. And the only occasion we have to develop them is when we are challenged by an enemy. So, from this point of view, our enemy is our Guru, our teacher. Irrespective of their motivation, from our point of view they are very beneficial, a blessing.
There is a Buddhist practice where one imagines giving the source of all joy to another person, thereby removing all their suffering. Though of course we cannot change their situation, I do feel that in some cases, through a genuine sense of caring and compassion, through our sharing in their plight, our attitude can help alleviate that person’s suffering, if only mentally. However, the main point of this practice is to increase our inner strength and courage.
I have chosen a few lines that I feel would be acceptable to people of all faiths, and even to those with no spiritual belief. When reading these lines, if you are a religious practitioner, you can reflect upon the divine form that you worship. A Christian can think of Jesus or God; a Muslim can reflect upon Allah. Then, while reciting these verses, make the commitment to enhance your spiritual values. If you are not religious, you can reflect upon the fact that, fundamentally, all beings are equal to you in their wish for happiness and their desire to overcome suffering. Recognizing this, you make a pledge to develop a good heart. It is most important that we have a warm heart. As long as we are part of human society, it is very important to be a kind, warm-hearted person.
May the poor find wealth,
Those weak with sorrow find joy.
May the forlorn find new hope,
Constant happiness and prosperity.
May the frightened cease to be afraid,
And those bound be free.
May the weak find power,
And may their hearts join in friendship
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso is the head of the Tibetan Government in Exile and the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people.
“to lift up in the heart, that which is worthy of praise, this ts the greatest blessing”
~ the Buddha ~
a day of lying in the grass, simply being loving presence tuned into the cosmic hum… a day of being a hollow reed with the music of the spheres singing me,,, a day of softening into opening, being organically present in the emptiness of now where there is only this moment breathing me… a day of hearing ancestors’ whispers blowing in and out with the wind as i float down the river below the river seeing everything through newborn’s eyes… present moment, wonderful moment…
in this moment, this beautiful moment
may we all be peace, may we all be love
may we all flow in beauty everywhere
one with source with heart as guide…
dear beloveds, you know how i love to start each new month with this blessingway for a new beginning, especially, on this moon of October while we are still in the powerful portal of the super moon with waves of light transporting us so dramatically into the new, perfectly poised to open into a new way, an organic way, flowing naturally with what is, one with source…
so here I AM being organic in the state of Oregon when alerts flow in about a terrible tragedy, another school shooting upending the lives of so many while across the country the other coast is battening down the hatches for a storm of another kind…
in this moment of feeling so profoundly the great turning, i feel the necessity of breathing in source, pausing in sacred space, softening into great mystery and breathing out and out and out into the furthest reaches of our ever expanding cosmos…
thousandfold thanks for inspiring living organically, naturally, one with all that is and loving beyond into the great beyond with the courage to face the winds… may we all re-member we are always held in loving embrace and trust in the arc of justice, the path of balance always moving us into greater light…