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 satyagrahishad 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 livingin 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 concerned, my intention is to start the movement only through the inmates of the Ashram and those who have submitted to its discipline and assimilated the spirit of its methods. Those, therefore, who will offer battle at the very commencement will be unknown to fame. Hitherto the Ashram has been deliberately kept in reserve in order that by a fairly long course of discipline it might acquire stability. I feel, that if the Satyagraha Ashram is to deserve the great confidence that has been reposed in it and the affection lavished upon it by friends, the time has arrived for it to demonstrate the qualities implied in the word satyagraha. I feel that our self-imposed restraints have become subtle indulgences, and the prestige acquired has provided us with privileges and conveniences of which we may be utterly unworthy. These have been thankfully accepted in the hope that some day we would be able to give a good account of ourselves in terms of satyagraha. And if at the end of nearly 15 years of its existence, the Ashram cannot give such a demonstration, it and I should disappear, and it would be well for the nation, the Ashram and me."
3. Collective Wisdom
It is impossible for a single man to go to the Moon or achieve Independence or run the Internet because we are interdependent. Our existence is based upon the interbeing of all the subjects in the Universe. We are not isolated. When it comes to celebrate the higher aspirations of humanity we must relay on each other without forgetting that, at the same time, all the answers are within ourselves.It is a fine balance between self-government and vulnerable dependence.
When brother Hari came to Wednesdays he later wrote a insightful remark here. He said:
"A persons Reality is based on their experience, But have you experienced everything? No."
While I was aware of perspectivism, the way hermano Hari shared this truth served me to acquire a new profound dimension. Take the example of Vinoba Bhave who was celibate since he was 13 years old. The insights one must have during puberty and young adulthood most be quite powerful and grounding when one is in this celibacy framework. At the same time, those who have experienced the magic of making love with a partner can testify about the beauty of connecting with another human being with not only one, or two or three but all six senses. The beauty of appreciating everyone's perspective is that otherwise our reality is incomplete. Vinobaji wasn't able to experience how it feels to wake up surrounded by the arms of your beloved and a new born after a night of compassionate deep making love, and I am not able to ever experience how if feels to harness all that energy of the late twenties to do constructive work to unify humanity the way Vinobaji did. But when we put all our perspectives and experiences together, the Grand Human Family starts to operate as a unity.
Think and feel about human cells now. For example, while a red blood cell brings nutrients and oxygen to other cells, a fibroblast maintains the structural integrity of connective tissues (like our pumping heart!). It is impossible for the red cell and the fibroblast to "experience" the same function at the same time (or at any time!) but combined they are part of the ~30 trillion cells that are making possible for me to write this words and for you to read this ideas. The two cells are part of a grand human body operating in heart unity, literally ;-)
That said, it is undreamed the potential we have to develop our unique and individual sensitivities to awaken our most profound self in the pursuit of an evolving consciousness. We most support each other, we must learn from each other's perspective and experience. It is easier to have trillions of cells doing small tasks than 1 cell doing trillion tasks. The collective energy of a group is incredibly powerful to support our individual journeys. We must rely on our collective experience, our collective wisdom to let the Universal Love flow through our cells, organs, bodies, families, society and through the entire Earth Community.
May all become compassionate, courageous and wise.
Pancho
On Jan 25, 2011 Pancho wrote :
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 concerned, my intention is to start the movement only through the inmates of the Ashram and those who have submitted to its discipline and assimilated the spirit of its methods. Those, therefore, who will offer battle at the very commencement will be unknown to fame. Hitherto the Ashram has been deliberately kept in reserve in order that by a fairly long course of discipline it might acquire stability. I feel, that if the Satyagraha Ashram is to deserve the great confidence that has been reposed in it and the affection lavished upon it by friends, the time has arrived for it to demonstrate the qualities implied in the word satyagraha. I feel that our self-imposed restraints have become subtle indulgences, and the prestige acquired has provided us with privileges and conveniences of which we may be utterly unworthy. These have been thankfully accepted in the hope that some day we would be able to give a good account of ourselves in terms of satyagraha. And if at the end of nearly 15 years of its existence, the Ashram cannot give such a demonstration, it and I should disappear, and it would be well for the nation, the Ashram and me."
3. Collective Wisdom
It is impossible for a single man to go to the Moon or achieve Independence or run the Internet because we are interdependent. Our existence is based upon the interbeing of all the subjects in the Universe. We are not isolated. When it comes to celebrate the higher aspirations of humanity we must relay on each other without forgetting that, at the same time, all the answers are within ourselves.It is a fine balance between self-government and vulnerable dependence.
When brother Hari came to Wednesdays he later wrote a insightful remark here. He said:
"A persons Reality is based on their experience, But have you experienced everything? No."
While I was aware of perspectivism, the way hermano Hari shared this truth served me to acquire a new profound dimension. Take the example of Vinoba Bhave who was celibate since he was 13 years old. The insights one must have during puberty and young adulthood most be quite powerful and grounding when one is in this celibacy framework. At the same time, those who have experienced the magic of making love with a partner can testify about the beauty of connecting with another human being with not only one, or two or three but all six senses. The beauty of appreciating everyone's perspective is that otherwise our reality is incomplete. Vinobaji wasn't able to experience how it feels to wake up surrounded by the arms of your beloved and a new born after a night of compassionate deep making love, and I am not able to ever experience how if feels to harness all that energy of the late twenties to do constructive work to unify humanity the way Vinobaji did. But when we put all our perspectives and experiences together, the Grand Human Family starts to operate as a unity.
Think and feel about human cells now. For example, while a red blood cell brings nutrients and oxygen to other cells, a fibroblast maintains the structural integrity of connective tissues (like our pumping heart!). It is impossible for the red cell and the fibroblast to "experience" the same function at the same time (or at any time!) but combined they are part of the ~30 trillion cells that are making possible for me to write this words and for you to read this ideas. The two cells are part of a grand human body operating in heart unity, literally ;-)
That said, it is undreamed the potential we have to develop our unique and individual sensitivities to awaken our most profound self in the pursuit of an evolving consciousness. We most support each other, we must learn from each other's perspective and experience. It is easier to have trillions of cells doing small tasks than 1 cell doing trillion tasks. The collective energy of a group is incredibly powerful to support our individual journeys. We must rely on our collective experience, our collective wisdom to let the Universal Love flow through our cells, organs, bodies, families, society and through the entire Earth Community.
May all become compassionate, courageous and wise.
Pancho