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On Dec 12, 2011 Pancho wrote on Letter to My Grandson, by Daniel Gottlieb:
My family calls me Pancho and many of you don't know me, but I'd like you to know that I love you all. Last Wednesdays I shared a brief story and a reflection of our true nature. The CF-parents were not at the Kindness Temple since they were spreading loving-kindness and the real (r)evolution in the part of the Planet we call India. This snippet gives you a flavor of the magnitude of an entire family in full service to humanity. Subtle beauty at its best :-) Because Mamá Harshida and Papá Dinesh weren't physically there with us, I'm writing this piece. These were the three points that flowed through me, and while I shared only two that night, here are three ;-): 1. Cultivating Gratitude: Not So Lost Wisdom2. Every Breath, Every Step3. The US% 1. Cultivating Gratitude: Not So Lost WisdomAll Wednesdays and Saturdays, we host a vegan lunch --cooked by one of the anchor volunteers-- for all volunteers at the Free Farm. Last Wednesday, as we were about to hold hands before lunch, a group of students from London showed up to learn about the farm. They only had an hour or so to be with us, so they chose to have a tour instead of having lunch. A kind veteran volunteer offered to give them the tour. Then a dear sister, a woman descendent from Native Americans, approached me and the sweet elder asked me: "I saw you preparing that beautiful plate of food, and then you left it on the center of the table, and it's been sitting there. Are you offering it to the Great Spirit?". It caught me by surprise. I was not thinking about the Great Spirit or the Creator. I was preparing a plate of food for the tour-guide volunteer. So my answer was: "No" and then I corrected myself and said, "but Yes and No" :-) I explained that my original purpose and then she, very gently, and full of love as if she wanted me to feel without any sort of guilt, she suggeste... [View Full Comment]
On Aug 3, 2011 Pancho wrote on A Blessing for One Who is Exhausted, by John O'Donohue:
My family calls me Pancho and many of you don't know me, but I'd like you to know that I love you all.
Last Wednesday at the Kindness Temple we have a strong doses of the Feminine Divine. Hermana Pavi hosted the sharing circle with such grace and fluidity as her poems and writings. Then sister Mia opened the circle to anchor us on the soul-force. All the sharing was coming from the soul. A feast hearts' authenticity. Hermana Gurita spoke about the natural philosophy of time and then hermana Pavi, again, had prepared a balm for the spirit when she closed with her embodiment of generosity by referring to the hosts as: my "Mother-in-Love" and "Father-in-Love". Baeutiful. :-)
These were the three points I shared:
1. The Most Important People
2. SOULlar Charger
3. Schedule
1. The Most Important People
After a long day at the Free Farm, a group of teens from the local high school showed up as we were about to close the farm. 25 young people excited to know about practicing permaculture in the city. I had an appointment and my tired body made me hesitate for split of a second, but I recovered. As long as the heart is pumping blood, there's no pretext to not be of service. I surrendered to the now, perhaps, welcoming the blessing for one who is exhausted.
And what a blessing! :-)
The kids without personally knowing me, tag me with a beautiful sign with expressions of gratitude, love and inspiration. The best present I got, by far, as later I told them, was their attentive presence.
At the farm, we have two circles of sharing, ala Wednesdays.
The first one at the beginning to introduce ourselves and to share a person, alive or dead, who inspires us and/or we admire. We invoked Gandhi, Malcolm X, Mother Theresa, moms, sisters, brothers, aunts, fathers but the last kid of the circle was about to blow our minds and hearts. With ... [View Full Comment]
On Jul 5, 2011 Pancho wrote on The Mystery of Love, by Kent Nerburn:
Metta-morphosisMy heart had a metamorphosis of love and kindnesssince I met you, beloved one. To Be in Receptive Silenceis a translation ofa universal love into human spirit.Did you know that the soul is made out of love? If we don’t lovewe begin to die inside.So love without limits,Be courageous without limits,Be compassionate without limits! Every time that universal loveflowsthrough us,the soulshaped out of itgets stronger. Love is the reality,poetry the drumthat calls us to act.The soul livesin the quiet breath… Somewhere onthe ocean floor of the mindlies the pearl of existence,where stillness becomesawareness and equanimity…currents of attentive presence,the buoyant force of lifeemerges on the surface,as ripples of kindness,as waves of compassion,as Tsunamis of love!Go ahead and shape the shore of humanity,as the Moon of Justice and Servicegently shapes the pearl of our existence! This is the forceof light and gravity.It comes from cosmic courage, ever dynamic,inspired always by this love.And thus, I sink again into darkness,casting the anchor of a secret smile,where photons cannot reach,the eyes cannot seeand yet, with hearts wide open,I feel the sun of your love, beloved one,shaping the space-time of life bykissing the heart of hearts,one wave at a time. Sometimes happiness is the source of my smile;sometimes my smile is the source of happiness.Sometimes fearlessness is the source of my loving eyes;sometimes my loving eyes are the source of fearlessness.Sometimes courage is the source of stillness;sometimes stillness is the source of courage. Can you tell the difference, beloved friend?Can you tell where the ocean kisses the sky?Can you see that spot in the horizon where the Sun turns red?Where your presence turns into red gold?Can you tell that we live in a round borderless country,where the color of our skin, legs and heartare our passport and visa?Can you tell if the moving cloudsare reflect... [View Full Comment]
On May 23, 2011 Pancho wrote on Paradox of Noise, by Gunilla Norris:
Hermano Viral asks: "Which of life's paradoxes helps you attune more deeply to reality?"
The first time that really looked deep into the dark sky and scratched the surface of the-beyound-comprenhenshion vastness of the Cosmos, felt insignificant and at the same time very special for humanity is the Universe that took consciousness of itself.
To look for groundedness in this way, brings up the ultimate reality, brings up the importance to live in the present moment. In the vacuum of the intergalactic/interstellar/interplanetary space, there is a silence astronomically beautiful: Love is the breath of the Cosmos... silence is where we come from and our destiny. The meaning of our existence, the unfolding story of life, the blueprint of humanity is embedded in this beginningless note, in this endless symphony...
If we pay attention, this silence is between inhale and exhale; between exhale and inhale. It's all the time with us. It is the loud music of our attentive presence. This is one of life's paradoxes that fosters oneness at its best: to be in receptive silence to become the harmony of our hearts...
On May 2, 2011 Pancho wrote on The Test for Meditation in Action, by Shinzen Young:
Hermano Viral asked us: "What is your own test for meditation in action?"
Putting meditation in action --outer service-- is when my courage and kindness are aligneed and in great timing with the Universal Love.
On Apr 11, 2011 Pancho wrote on Cultivation of that Dormant Love, by Radhanath Swami:
My family calls me Pancho and many of you don't know me, but I'd like you to know that I love you all.
During the circle of sharing of "aha moments" many people were moved to share quotes. I followed the momentum and shared some insights from a renown permaculturist. The timing of this passage with the visit of citizen of the World hermano Roberto Pérez Riveiro couldn't have been better. Permaculture is about respecting the Earth, respecting the peoples of the Planet and sharing the surplus. Fueled by creativity and courage, the work of this brother is an inspiring example of the power of community and how they survived peak oil.
Hermano Roberto visited the Free Farm and later he gave a talk in the Secret Garden at the Mission in San Francisco. There, in an outdoor classroom showered by the shadow of a plum tree, he stressed the importance of food sovereignty and shared with us that people in the part of the Planet we call Cuba spend 75% of their income on healthy food; school gardens are maintained by the whole community, which also has access to the school's computers. While they have some of the best doctors on the Planet they don't have medicines because most of the pharmaceutical corporations are still under the influence of the U.S. blockade. This forced doctors to rely more on complementary and alternative medicine, herbal medicine also called "Green Medicine". Now their health care system is producing a population that is as healthy as those of the world's "wealthiest countries" at a fraction of the cost.
Later that week, hermano Roberto visited us at the Sustainable Living Center in Oakland. There, we asked him what were 3 things he would tell to enthusiastic young people and in general to the people of the movement. This were his 3 (paraphrasing) points:
1. Get Together
2. Baby Steps
3. Celebrate
1... [View Full Comment]
On Apr 4, 2011 Pancho wrote on Storyteller Consciousness, by Charles Eisenstein:
My family calls me Pancho and many of you don't know me, but I'd like you to know that I love you all.
Anther ONE-derful Wednesday at the Kindness Temple with kindred spirits. These were the 3 things I shared:
1. Kindness
2. Kindness in Silence
3. The Earth CommUNITY
1. Kindness
Hermano Rahul shared how important was for him the realization of Rev. Heng Sure's determination to walk 3 step and one bow until he could "straighten his tongue". Then, there is something intrinsically powerful about a person whose thoughts, words and actions are aligned. Ernesto "Che" Guevara once said: "Say what you think, do what you say." and he added:
"...let me say that the true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love. It is impossible to think of a genuine revolutionary lacking this quality... We must strive every day so that this love of living humanity will be transformed into actual deeds, into acts that serve as examples, as a moving force."
Along these lines then, this (mix)quote came to mind/heart:
Kindness in words creates confidence
Kindness in thinking creates profoundness
Kindness in giving creates love
Therefore, the highest form of wisdom is kindness
If you want to be a rebel, be kind
Human-kind, be both
2. Kindness in Silence
and last Wednesday's night in the middle of our collective silence, I realized that:
Kindness in silence creates unity.
3. The Earth CommUNITY
There is no community without a unifying story.
We are living very exciting times in the history of humanity. The Earth Charter captures this cosmic ephemeral moment:
"We stand at a critical moment in Earth's history, a time when humanity must choose its future. As the world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile, the future at once... [View Full Comment]
On Mar 28, 2011 Pancho wrote on A Deep, Uncritical Love, by Bhante Gunaratana:
My family calls me Pancho and many of you don't know me, but if you could imagine and feel your heart smiling, that's how much I love you all. :-)
This was a very rich passage. I wasn't able to share all that came to the mind/heart at the circle of sharing because we were 60 people! Through the magic of the electron land, I will let flow the information that was resonating with the being last Wednesday. Here are 3 points:
1. Unconditional Loving, Mirror Neurons and True Compassion
2. Enlightened Anarchism or Non-hierarchical Compassionate Organizing
3. The Power of Being in Receptive Silence
1. Unconditional Loving, Mirror Neurons and True Compassion
There is something that permeates one's soul when one is at the Kindness Temple. Is there something more powerful than the love felt by a mother towards her children? What if mother and father treat everybody in their home as if they were their family, as if they were their children? What if a whole family, the mother, the father, the brothers and their wives, treat you as their own family? Welcome to Wednesdays! :-)
And once a few human beings perform the outrageous boldness to leave the doors open for anybody to come to their home and love them and serve them with no strings attached, it becomes contagious. The scientific explanation of the beauty of this kind of love can be briefly glimpsed in this TED talk about Mirror Neurons -- or Gandhi Neurons as Vilayanur Ramachandran calls them. This is intimately linked to true compassion.
However, no TED talk, book or post will give us the full experience of love and compassion. We must live it.
On Wednesdays in Santa Clara, we come to train these mirror neurons, our subconscious being and to develop our compassion, so that when the time comes to face physical, emotional or psycological violence from other beings, we are prepared to empathize ... [View Full Comment]
On Mar 23, 2011 Pancho wrote on Freedom Manifests in Action, by Rabindranath Tagore:
My family calls me Pancho and I'd like you to know that I love you all.
It is always a joy to share spacetime at the Kindness Temple. I've noticed that the number of siblings coming to Wednesdays have increased in the last weeks. More souls have been touched and the ripples of the insurrection of love only get stronger and stronger. These were the 3 points I shared that Wednesday:
1. Fearlessness
2. Freedom
3. Gandhi, Tagore and the Ultimate Freedom
1. Fearlessness
One could be not afraid of anything but that doesn't mean one is fearless. Because if we are courageous and feel no fear of anything but some people are afraid of us, we have not reached true fearlessness. To be fearless is to be respectful and loving towards all living beings.
2. Freedom
One could claim to be free and have no physical chains but that doesn't mean one is free. Because if we are have the ability to pick our choices but we promote economic slavery, we foster war we support oppressive regimes, we have not reached freedom at all. Te be free is to respect and honor the freedom of all living beings.
3. Gandhi, Tagore and the Ultimate Freedom
Perhaps Gandhi was one of the most powerful spiritual geniuses of the ages. He was a genius in the art of living. Right before the starting of his most powerful satyagraha, his very close friend Tagore asked him what was the next step he was planing for the independence of the part of the Planet we call India. Gandhi had no idea, he was "waiting for a Divine Call". Gandhi's inner freedom allowed him to wait equanimously while many people were feeling the precious opportunity to overthrown the British was slipping from their hands. Little did they know, the Mahatma --as Tagore, and later most of the World, called him-- was about to birth one of the most spectacular nonviolent direct actions humanity has ever witnessed.
Gandh... [View Full Comment]
On Mar 21, 2011 Pancho wrote on Practically Preposterous, by Pavithra Mehta:
My family calls me Pancho and I'd like you to know that I love you all.
Practically Preposterous! I've been many times to this home, the Kindness Temple, and yet I was nervous. One of the poets of all times who has inspired me the most was right here with us. The author of the passage! The one and only hermana Pavi :-) To make the impossible possible, I tried to bring to the living room --never and adjective was so perfect!-- another of the most influential poets in my life: Rumi. I did my best and recited the poem with the heart. Here is one of the poems that have stirred the soul very deeply.
Like This
by Rumi
If anyone asks you
how the perfect satisfaction
of all our sexual wanting
will look, lift your face
and say,
Like this.
When someone mentions the gracefulness
of the nightsky, climb up on the roof
and dance and say,
Like this?
If anyone wants to know what "spirit" is,
or what "God's fragrance" means,
lean your head toward him or her.
Keep your face there close.
Like this.
When someone quotes the old poetic image
about clouds gradually uncovering the moon,
slowly loosen knot by knot the strings
of your robe.
Like this?
If anyone wonders how Jesus raised the dead,
don't try to explain the miracle.
Kiss me on the lips.
Like this. Like this.
When someone asks what it means
to "die for love," point
here.
If someone asks how tall I am, frown
and measure with your fingers the space
between the creases on your forehead.
This tall.
The soul sometimes leaves the body, then returns.
When someone doesn't believe that,
walk back into my house.
Like this.
When lovers moan,
they're telling our story.
Like this.
I am a sky where spirits live.
Stare into this deepening blue,
while the breeze says a secret.
Like this.
When someone asks what there is to do,
light the candle in his hand.
Like&nb... [View Full Comment]
On Feb 7, 2011 Pancho wrote on Help Comes From the Strangest Places, by David Brooks:
My family calls me Pancho and some of you might think that you don't know me but I'd like you to know that I love you all.
These were the three points I talked about during the sharing circle at the Kindness Temple last Wednesday:
1. Unexpected Birds
2. The Origin of the (R)evolution.
3. Invitation: Filial Insight
1. Unexpected Birds
One never knows who will benefit from our learning experiences and work. During the last weeks the Free Farm in San Francisco, has been hosting incredible guests. Somehow this green patch in the middle of the asphalt jungle has become more than a church without walls. As described by a volunteer:
"The workdays feel alive with activity and conversation and when the volunteers leave, it feels like the farm comes alive in a different way. A Red Tail Hawk came and perched up on the tall flagpole...she hunted mice in front of us, eating her kill on the frame of the new hot house.[...] It was a reminder of all the creatures, visible and invisible, and all the relationships that exist on this third of an acre. There are the micro-organisms in the soil that create the nutrients for plants to grow and flower, which brings the bees, who pollinate the flowers that create fruit, which brings the mice and small birds, which brought this hawk. This is the beauty of interdependence.
This hawk symbolizes how the farm is increasing in biodiversity and becoming a sanctuary for many lives, including us humans."
Also last Wednesday, three of us were in the lunch area by a little bush we decided not to cut last year. All of a sudden, a beautiful metallic blue and green hummingbird made an incredible ritual: he spent close to 3 seconds in front of each one of us --as if he were saying 'Namaste'-- and then he had a feast with all the flowers that are blooming from the little bush.
We never planned all this. The Un... [View Full Comment]
On Jan 31, 2011 Pancho wrote on Making a New Start, by Patty De Llosa:
My family calls me Pancho and I'd like you to know that I love you all.
Once again I felt like sharing space/time in a different way on Wednesdays. Hermano Rahul did a great opening and I had to follow. I did it in silence ;-) but this is what was flowing on my mind and heart at the time the mic was passing through me:
1. Penetrating Insight
2. The New Renaissance of Humanity
3. Healthy Food and Meditation
1. Penetrating Insight
"The courage to penetrate and power to see clearly the meaning of things hidden beyond the situation prevailing around us and to act up to the discovered meaning is what is known as revolutionary insight ... Revolution can take place only where there is this power of penetrating insight." -- Vinoba Bhave
If we are skillful, patient enough and brave enough to penetrate beyond and within our habits, the (R)evolution in our lives will be inevitable.
2. The New Renaissance of Humanity
When Galileo discovered the fascinating worlds of Callisto, Ganymede, Europa and Io orbiting Jupiter, the perspective of Humanity changed forever. In the West, this discovery of the Galilean moons proved that the Earth and humans were not the center of the Universe --the insight and reasoning of Copernicus were correct-- it called into question the oppressive-obscurantist system of the Inquisition and thus opened the road to the Renaissance.
Just a few decades ago, our species ventured into space to look back and see ourselves as one people sharing a common destiny on a living spaceship, the Earth. Nowadays, we are trying to put the Solar System in context by finding planets orbiting other stars. The discovery of these extrasolar planets are opening the door of our collective consciousness. How come?
Imagine that we are building a catalogue of Earth-like planets and Super Earths --a terrestrial planet a few times the mass of the Earth-- and we human beings start to unde... [View Full Comment]
On Jan 25, 2011 Pancho wrote on Instilling Discipline and Responsibility in our Lives, by Angeles Arrien:
My family calls me Pancho and I'd like you to know that I love you all.
As unusual as it is for me to not share some points on Wednesdays, the flow was proper to expand the sharing via the magic of electron land. Here we are able to deepen our interactions and learning from each other. These are the 3 points that were inhabiting my mind and heart that Wednesday.
1. Servant Leaders & the Salt Satyagraha
2. Spiritual Discipline
3. Collective Wisdom
1. Servant Leaders & the Salt Satyagraha
One of the best examples of servant leadership and one of the most impressive nonviolent direct actions of all times was the Salt Satyagraha. In happened on March 12th, 1930 on the part of the Planet we call India. It was a civil disobedience campaign to shake the British colonial rule to the core. A spiritual community, characterized by servant not leaders, decided to never come to their Ashram until achieving independence. And they did.
How one can achieve such a gargantuan and courageous task?
2. Spiritual Discipline
The foundations of being the change we want to see in the Universe is grounded on spiritual discipline. To cultivate a strong determination to follow love and truth no matter what happen to us, it requires a lot of practice to still our mind and exercise our courage. Who started the Salt Satyagraha campaign? Gandhi and 78 satyagrahis had developed a deep devotion to the pursuit of Truth, nonviolence, fearlessness and humility, and lived on a daily basis the principles of egalitarianism, co-operation, equitable distribution of resources, respect for all faiths and Nature, and simplicity. This is a life time endeavor. They spent 15 years living in community building trust among one another in a joyous form of spiritual discipline. Right before the march he wrote, "When I am Arrested"
"So far as I am ... [View Full Comment]
On Jan 17, 2011 Pancho wrote on Entertainment Vs. Art, by Lariv Athem:
My family calls me Pancho and I'd like you to know that I love you all.
It is not news to be deeply touched by the love and generosity offered at the Kindness Temple. This time Mamá Harshida embodied what it means to be a selfless servant leader. All week I have been sending her concentrated loving-kindness so that she gets well. She had fever and yet she cooked for us and heat the delicious meal. When I shared the details of the story with my biological parents -- who live in the part of the Planet we call Mexico-- they were equally touched and asked me to send her all our blessings. I hope they have reached her in different ways. When I hugged Mamá Harshida before leaving, I felt her high fever but she was only concerned about feeding me physically and spiritually. She inspired me beyond comprehension and my son's heart, in deep gratitude, only hopes to become a more fervent disciple of hers. These were the 3 points I shared last week:
1. Balance
2. (r)Evolution of Living
3. Recognizing and Celebrating the Art of Living
1. Balance
When science and art are in balance the beauty of life blossoms at its best.
Balance between chaos and structure, between mind and heart, between theory and practice, between equanimity and awareness... Indeed, it is an art to find balance in life.
2. (r)Evolution of Living
First we understand intellectually the principles of life. Once we comprehend them, we practice the art of applying them in life. And finally, the most challenging stage, we embody those principles and master that art. This is the Total (R)evolution of the Human Spirit.
3. Recognizing and Celebrating the Art of Living
A tragedy occurred in Tucson last weekend. But in the midst of all the violence, in the midst of all the hate, if we pay close attention, love, compassion and courage always find their way to shape our souls. We only need to recognize ... [View Full Comment]
On Jan 5, 2011 Pancho wrote on Individual and Social Ethics, by Bertrand Russell:
Many thanks for your kind message brother Sanjeev. As you will see soon, I'm only a fierce mirror reflecting the light of the universe. What you are seeing/reading is no other thing but you ;-) This is my job: to live in radical joyous shared servanthood, and the way that I do it, is through finding the incredible inspiration inside each one of us. When the time comes, I'd be delighted to attend to the Wednesdays hosted by you so that we can connect further at the SOULlular level. Certainly, I promise to be an attentive guest _listener_ ;-)
As a matter of fact, I got so inspired by hermano Hari's profound messages that poetry flowed through me, two poems out of two messages! I see it as another evidence of being a fierce mirror: depending of the paradigm, a mirror tries to mimic, reflect, copy or collaborate with the image in front of it. So, this is the collaborative poem co-created by this space (astronomical thank yous hermano Hari!):
In an Instant Time is Eternity
True Love, Willing Bird,
how to know if I will recognize you?
A horrible answer, never.
Excruciating torture, tomorrow.
The worst of all, yesterday.
What the soul yearns, Now.
May your song fly in-between heartbeats and breath!
And then, I see the whole Universe in your eyes, Beloved Angel,
in an instant,
in all that present greatness,
have no choice but to see your sorrow, your beauty, as you see mine
in an instant.
Reality is based on our experience
but have we experienced everything?
No
our experience is incomplete.
Words fall weightless
and awe is all there is
and wonder.
And so we feel the beginningless silence
without heartbeats
of our still hearts
break open
and then I feel the whole Universe in your touch,
in an instant,
in all that tenderness,
beyond the mind
the hands were cold
but our rubbing spirits on fire
supported by
the smell of stars and reality
in your hair
my favorite star in the whole Cosmos
the star of your love,
the Un... [View Full Comment]
On Dec 24, 2010 Pancho wrote on Individual and Social Ethics, by Bertrand Russell:
My family calls me Pancho and I'd like you to know that I love you all.
We had another incredible Wednesday at the Kindness Temple and the presence of a surprise guest. Hermano Somik, once again, has done a great job summarizing many of the highlights --if not all of them! A poem flowed through me on Thursday, right after I read Hari's interview done by hermao Ricardo. Then, I mixed it with these three points.
1. A Harmonious Life.
2. "Yes" and "Thank You" :-) the Guru is Everywhere.
3. Nonviolent Roses
1. A Harmonious Life.
Bertrand Russell has been one of the most influential philosophers of my life. His love for humanity and critical thinking helped me to move one step forward in the path of finding truth during my years in the so called "scientific community". The bold Russell-Einstein Manifesto against the atomic bombs, converted him in one of my "gurus". But perhaps what captivated me the most, was his way to connect the heart and the mind:
"A good life is inspired by love and guided by knowledge."--Bertrand Russell
It is unbelievable how in the intellectual arena many times we forget about the heart. He had a great secret of Nature to share with the rest of us, so that we can cultivate our citizenship of the World. And I did. Now, that the guru is dead, his quote can be improved by saying:
"A harmonious life is one inspired by love, guided by knowledge and experienced by wisdom."
2. "Yes" and "Thank You" :-) the Guru is Everywhere.
It was very touching to witness the great devotion and love that Hari feels for his Guru. He shared with us:
"If you have the fortune of living with a Guru, a true master, at the end of the day, you only have two statements: 'Yes' and 'Thank You'. 'Yes' to his instruction, guidance and mission and 'Thank You' for the opportunity and... [View Full Comment]
On Dec 21, 2010 Pancho wrote on Ancient Law of Hospitality, by Thomas Berry:
My family calls me Pancho and I'd like you to know that I love you all.
When the Universal Love is flowing through us, are we giving or receiving? As the generosity of life manifests through us, from the sole of our feet to the top of the head, from our hearts to our eyes, how not to be blessed with the ultimate reality of interconnectedness? This blessing flowed through some of us last Wednesday, during the precious dance of giving and receiving. Many of us didn't know if we were giving or receiving at that point... These were the 3 points that flowed through me:
1. Resistance to Civil Government: Thoreau and Gandhi
2. Family
3. Radical Hospitality
1. Resistance to Civil Government: Thoreau and Gandhi
During the circle Gandhi and Thoreau were mentioned and immediately Thoreau's essay on Civil Disobedience came to mind/heart. As a compassionate resident of the Earth, Thoreau was fiercely opposed to the imperial behavior of his government and its endless wars --like the one against the Mexican government in the 1840s where the U.S. government colonized the present day states of California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, most of Arizona and Colorado, and parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Wyoming. When Gandhi read Thoreau's essay he fully understood the importance and similarities between the abolition of slavery movements in the parts of the Planet we call the U.S. and South Africa. On Gandhi's words:
"Thoreau was a great writer, philosopher, poet, and withal a most practical man, that is, he taught nothing he was not prepared to practice in himself. He was one of the greatest and most moral men America has produced. At the time of the abolition of slavery movement, he wrote his famous essay On the Duty of Civil Disobedience. He went to gaol for the sake... [View Full Comment]
On Dec 13, 2010 Pancho wrote on Building a Creative Temple, by Martin Luther King, Jr.:
My family calls me Pancho and I'd like you to know that I love you all.
The Kindness Temple is creative indeed ;-) It is impossible to quantify the impact that this family of the Planet --the Mehta Family-- has done to our communities and souls. It is an honor to be embraced by their unconditional love and their strong self-less service. Home is everywhere we go, but on Wednesdays at Santa Clara, I particularly feel more at home. This is what I had to share last week at the Kindness Temple:
1. Cosmic Companionship
2. (Inner) Compost
3. Why Do We Sit To Be In Receptive Silence?
1. Cosmic Companionship
Marting Luther King Jr. is a champion of nonviolence, service and love. He often reminds us that: the Universe is in the side of justice... [as I type these words I can hear his voice reverberating in my soul... papá Dinesh provided us the powerful audio in his comment].
So, "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice" he says. We, humans, can always choose to make a right or a left on the path of life but in the final hour, right before we leave this body, the Universe of Love will tap us on the shoulder, give us a warm hug and whisper in our ear: "Did you love enough my child? Did you stand up for justice, love and compassion long enough that your legs are strong enough and ready to become wings? Are you ready to fly?"
Human beings are not intrinsically good or evil. We are about choices. In any given circumstance, sometimes we only see one option but in reality we always have many options. That's why we spend time in receptive silence, to be creative and find new choices. We all love to have another chance to live a life aligned with the arc of the Universe that bends towards justice. The act of bending is love:
"Power at its best is LOVE implementing the demands of Justice. Justice at its best is LOVE correcting everythin... [View Full Comment]
On Dec 7, 2010 Pancho wrote on You Carry Your Wound, by Osho:
My family calls me Pancho, some of you might think that I don't know you, but I'd like you to know that I love you all.
I found myself trying to translate some of the meaning of the passage by removing the judgement. Why it was said a "man of Tao" and not "a woman of Tao"? Do we carry something else other than wounds? Hermano Chris opened Wednesdays and provided a lot of food for thought and feeling (I hope he can share it later!) with an analogy of four flows. These were the 3 points I shared:
1. The Scar During and After the Wound
2. Clad in the Armor of Love
3. The Deepest Flow
1. The Scar During and After the Wound
What else do we carry with us? When we are physically (or emotionally) wounded a miraculous process start to happen. A process that took billions of years to be possible. A concert of cooperation among cells from platelets to neurons. Information and proteins are efficiently shared without asking for "documents". When injured, a healthy human body and soul will begin to heal by themselves: solidarity at its best for the well-being of all. When our being is aware of the wound, the capability to self-heal starts. Inside all of us there is a powerful source of love that is capable to heal us. If we are able to tap into this wisdom, into this incommensurable source of love, we will find the answer to all our questions. In this way, during and after the wound we carry with us the scar of the Universal Love. For me, this scar is a beautiful reminder of this phenomenal demonstration of solidarity, a reminder that we always carry with us this infinite source of compassion and love.
During the circle of sharing, I could not say it better than sister Shanti: on Wednesdays we strive in silence for the Universal Love.Then we listen, share and unite. This process we experience brings an deep sense of happiness and peace.
On Wednesdays we ar... [View Full Comment]
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On Dec 10, 2012 Pancho wrote on 10 Principles of The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron:
Such a beautiful thread of the visible and invisible ripples of Wednesdays! :-)
May all become compassionate, courageous and wise.
In radical love,
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