Perfectly Human

"Just as a jewel that has been buried in the earth
for a million years is not discolored or harmed,
in the same way your noble heart can be brought out
into the light at any time, and it will glow
as brilliantly as if nothing had ever happened."

Pema Chodron

WisdomAtWork.com

Invitation from the Living Universe

     by Duane Elgin http://fujideclaration.org/invitation-from-the-living-universe/

      A living universe paradigm: A self-consistent pattern of thoughts, concepts, and assumptions about the nature of reality is rapidly emerging. Simply stated, we are seeing a profound shift from a non-living view of the universe to a view that regards the universe as uniquely alive. This is not a “new” perspective as, more than two thousand years ago, Plato said that, “the universe is a single living creature that encompasses all living creatures within it.” What is new is how a living systems perspective is drawing upon insights from science to validate this emerging paradigm that regards the universe as a unified system that is sustained continuously by the flow-through of phenomenal amounts of energy and whose essential nature includes consciousness or a self-reflective capacity that enables systems at every scale of existence to exercise some freedom of choice.

      A bio-cosmic identity: The paradigm of a living universe reveals that we are much more than biological beings whose identity extends no further than our skin. Instead, we are “bio-cosmic” beings that participate in the aliveness of a living universe. The energy of divine aliveness pours through and sustains the entire universe. Awakening to our identity as both distinct and intimately interconnected within a living universe transforms the feelings of existential separation and species-arrogance that threaten our future. We are participants in a cosmic garden of life the universe has been patiently nurturing over billions of years. A living universe invites us to shift from feelings of indifference, fear, and cynicism to feelings of curiosity, love, awe, and participation.

      A surpassing purpose: Living is more than “only not dying.” Our purpose in being here is to learn how to live sustainably and compassionately within a living universe. Our life is our gift from the universe and how we choose to live is our gift to the universe. We are on a sacred journey of discovery. In freedom, we are discovering our identity as beings of both earthly and cosmic dimensions. After nearly 14 billion years of evolution, we stand upon the Earth as agents of self-reflective and creative action at a time of great transition for the entire Earth community.

      A thriving planetary civilization: Through history, humanity’s capacity for self-reflective consciousness has developed progressively—from the magical world of the hunter-gatherer, to the nature-based world of the agrarian farmer, then into the dynamic world of the urban-industrial society, and now into a holistic perspective and collective consciousness rapidly awakening within our global brain. This new consciousness provides the basis for a new, global civilization. If our lives are nested within the larger aliveness of a living universe, then it is only fitting that we treat everything that exists as alive and worthy of respect. Every action has ethical consequences that reverberate throughout the ecosystem of the living cosmos. Our collective purpose shifts from seeking high-consumption lifestyles toward simpler ways of living that enable us to connect more directly with a living universe of which we are an integral part. Humanity’s journey of awakening has reached a critical turning point. We now confront the supreme test of living sustainably on the Earth, in harmony with one another, and in communion with the living universe.

      by Duane Elgin http://fujideclaration.org/invitation-from-the-living-universe/

A living universe paradigm: A self-consistent pattern of thoughts, concepts, and assumptions about the nature of reality is rapidly emerging. Simply stated, we are seeing a profound shift from a non-living view of the universe to a view that regards the universe as uniquely alive. This is not a “new” perspective as, more than two thousand years ago, Plato said that, “the universe is a single living creature that encompasses all living creatures within it.” What is new is how a living systems perspective is drawing upon insights from science to validate this emerging paradigm that regards the universe as a unified system that is sustained continuously by the flow-through of phenomenal amounts of energy and whose essential nature includes consciousness or a self-reflective capacity that enables systems at every scale of existence to exercise some freedom of choice.
A bio-cosmic identity: The paradigm of a living universe reveals that we are much more than biological beings whose identity extends no further than our skin. Instead, we are “bio-cosmic” beings that participate in the aliveness of a living universe. The energy of divine aliveness pours through and sustains the entire universe. Awakening to our identity as both distinct and intimately interconnected within a living universe transforms the feelings of existential separation and species-arrogance that threaten our future. We are participants in a cosmic garden of life the universe has been patiently nurturing over billions of years. A living universe invites us to shift from feelings of indifference, fear, and cynicism to feelings of curiosity, love, awe, and participation.
A surpassing purpose: Living is more than “only not dying.” Our purpose in being here is to learn how to live sustainably and compassionately within a living universe. Our life is our gift from the universe and how we choose to live is our gift to the universe. We are on a sacred journey of discovery. In freedom, we are discovering our identity as beings of both earthly and cosmic dimensions. After nearly 14 billion years of evolution, we stand upon the Earth as agents of self-reflective and creative action at a time of great transition for the entire Earth community.
A thriving planetary civilization: Through history, humanity’s capacity for self-reflective consciousness has developed progressively—from the magical world of the hunter-gatherer, to the nature-based world of the agrarian farmer, then into the dynamic world of the urban-industrial society, and now into a holistic perspective and collective consciousness rapidly awakening within our global brain. This new consciousness provides the basis for a new, global civilization. If our lives are nested within the larger aliveness of a living universe, then it is only fitting that we treat everything that exists as alive and worthy of respect. Every action has ethical consequences that reverberate throughout the ecosystem of the living cosmos. Our collective purpose shifts from seeking high-consumption lifestyles toward simpler ways of living that enable us to connect more directly with a living universe of which we are an integral part. Humanity’s journey of awakening has reached a critical turning point. We now confront the supreme test of living sustainably on the Earth, in harmony with one another, and in communion with the living universe.

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Come Together ...

    "It is possible that the next Buddha will not take the form of an individual.
     The next Buddha may take the form of a community - a community practicing understanding and loving kindness, a community practicing mindful living.
     This may be the most important thing we can do for the survival of the earth."                                                       Thich Nhat Hanh

www.wisdomatwork.com

Guardedness, Appreciation, and Opening One's Heart & Life

     "Sometimes people with early childhood scarring complain that they are unable to feel their emotions. We all have emotions, but some of us have learned to ignore them and turn away. I often suggest that those who ignore their emotions awaken to their emotional life through tenderness: looking around until something stirs their humanity, then resting their gaze quietly upon that. When they begin to experience a felt sense of beauty, they will also feel tender, open, and peaceful. Their emotions will begin to percolate through this process, and appreciation will arise within that tenderness. Appreciation is the quiet thank-you of the heart that opens across the landscape."

       Rodney Smith. Awakening. A Paradigm Shift of the Heart. Shambhala, Boston, 2014.

October on Lewis Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada

 

Struggle & Transformation

     "What we do in theatre and opera is make something that is regenerative, restorative, and allows people to reclaim their full humanity. That's Shakespeare's point, that's Handel's point.
     And it's not easy - it's a struggle! But exactly because it's a struggle, it's transformative."

     Peter Sellars, American theatre director, interviewed by Eleanor Wachtel on CBC Radio:
     http://www.cbc.ca/player/Radio/Ideas/ID/2442656684/

Will they meet?

Meditation Teachers & Students - Both Responsible, Both Vulnerable

     Teachers as well as students are both "vulnerable to their unconscious longing for perfect attunement, for a merger experience in which idealizations obscure a realistic view of an actual human being. ...
     It is tempting to ignore the reality that there are two sentient beings in this dyad, and that both have psyches that make them capable of unskillful actions. Teachers, in fact, are vulnerable to the ways in which students project onto them both salvific & destructive capacities. And when a student idealizes the teacher to the point where he or she can't see the guru as human, it becomes nearly impossible for that student to take into account both the teacher's gifts and vulnerability.
     A teacher who has the maturity to be seen as a whole being - in addition to having a kind heart and a liberated mind - may invite the student to curb the idealizations and work instead toward cultivating the wisdom and agency they have been ascribing exclusively to the teacher.
     Teachers & students alike pay a price when this mutuality does not develop."

       Pilar Jennings PhD "Looking into the eyes of a master. A relational psychotherapist explores how we can see our teachers as people, both gifted and flawed." Tricycle Spring 2004