Culture of Appreciation

[scott snedeker]

Alas, I have returned from the fall gathering of Radical faeries at The Short Mountain Sanctuary.

This was the most intimate and the most meaningful experience I have enjoyed there to date. By the second day of my 6-day retreat I was immersed in loving kindness and appreciation. One of last year's equality riders was there and shared his experience in a heart circle. He is a beautiful and courageous fellow. I wish I had spent more time talking to him.

Actually I wish I had spent more time on the sanctuary in general. One of the stewards just finished his graduate degeree, and is with the help of others, planting the seeds of a new Culture of Appreciation.

Recent financial and political apocalypses in the US have given definition and purpose to a new Culture of Sustainability. Resources that are renewable will need to be developed. Cooperation and appreciation have better results than competition and self-righteousness.

Like Terminus in Isaac Asimov's Foundation series, cultural development will need a new mindset to turn to. Short mountain and the Radical Faeries potentially could be the "Terminus" to this nation's "Trantor"

The impermanence of all things is a buddhist lesson cultivated by centuries of meditation. In the case of our American culture I believe that many americans would claim that it is somehow uniquely immune to impermanence. I believe that to find a Buddhist who agrees with this claim would be impossible as one scarcely exists.

To Accept that our "American way of life" will someday end without fear or glee was one of the goals discussed. Instead accepting that death and rebirth is natural and necessary. Loving kindness and appreciation are our "Foundation" principles cultivated to grow on their own truth and merit. In the future these have the potential to provide sanctuary from the unavoidable chaos that comes with the inevitable end of a culture.

Heady or what?

[Gregory_de_Bois]

I was thinking about this too, just a while back. You have very profound thoughts. Especially about the death and rebirth of societies. The Mayans, I think, believe something similar. It makes me wonder if what they viewed as the end in 2012 was the end of modern civilization and the rise of something new. America's end probably has come, and I think we need to accept it. Not in a sadistic way, but in the way that the prophets speak of nations rising and falling, and only the LORD remaining.

Ah... my brief rambling doesn't do this thread justice.

[labguy22]

It does seem as though this bailout/rescue plan is the result of those who see their death close at hand. I commented to my husband, I would like to see no action taken and see where we end up. You can expend all your time, energy and resources into trying to keep something that is dying, alive; there comes a time you must simply let it die.
I hadn't even considered the Mayan prophesy regarding 2012; very cool.
We are certainly living in interesting times. If memory serves, "May you live in interesting times" is actually an ancient Chinese curse.

[Daniel]

My own place of employment -an opera house- just laid-off 11 staff members this past week. A shrinking economy. Less funding for the arts.

It certainly has been an interesting time, especially so since 9/11. I live in the city where the attacks took place. And here it is, years later, and again, ground zero is downtown- this time Wall Street. And it wasn't terrorists from abroad that attacked us: it was an inside job.

No more cookies in the jar to steal.

Has American's end come? Could be. But only because the rise of China and India. They are going to eat up all the energy we have been eating up for the last 100 years.

And guess who gave them those values?

We did.


~~~~~~

Addendum

An elegy to our high rolling past....

End of an Era on Wall Street: Goodby to All That

http://nytimes.com/2008/10/05/business/05era.html

[scott snedeker]

The Dow Jones drops again as it must.

Not because there isn't enough money, or oil, or food.

Because of greed. Incredible insatiable greed. We don't need more oil, more food, or more money.

We need more Love and compassion.

We need to act out of kindness and rationality. Action based on greed or fear, or ignorance or hate results in disaster.

I know! I've done it enough times! Karma can be defined as "Ya don't get away with nothin' "

What do you want your world to be? A cold affluent place where nothing matters and nobody cares because to fill any fleeting desire is effortless on your part? And all the while the planet chokes on the partially used discarded resources because temptation makes resisting your greed impossible? Greed that blinds you to all else!

Or a place where folks care, in part because they need to care and need for others to care for them? Where compassion and understanding are desired and necessary. With the knowlege that we are all connected in so many ways we find that we affect one another, good and bad, with everything we do.

I for one embrace the change!

[labguy22]

The Dow Jones drops again as it must.

Not because there isn't enough money, or oil, or food.

Because of greed. Incredible insatiable greed.

Some commentator last week on NPR was very proud of the idea that the entire financial system is "greed driven" and without greed there would be no incentive. My head is still spinning from his statements. He actually seemed proud that greed was the driving force behind the economy.

[BruceChris]

Bottom line, the only two forces operating on Wall Street are greed, and fear. Yet sensible and humane things do still happen in our economy.

Daniel: Not too long ago, Britain and Spain had vast world empires. The empires are gone, but Britain and Spain are very much alive. What will undoubtedly happen is that most of what is left of America's "Manifest Destiny" will grind to a halt, and this will very likely come to be known as the Chinese Century.

Has American's end come? Could be. But only because the rise of China and India. They are going to eat up all the energy we have been eating up for the last 100 years.

And in our own, and everybody else's best interest, we may be forced to supply China and India with renewable energy sources.

Peace and Love, Bruce Chris

[Gennee]

:pray:While the economy is in a tailspin, there are still numerous opportunites for growth, personal enrichment and spritual revival. I see this as a time to minister to people who are stressed, without hope, or need encouragement.

During my morning devotions, I read in Galatians 4:6 that we are to let our conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone. Meditating on these words, I see many people who need an encouraging word, a listening ear, or hope beyond what they see around them. I point out that God cares for them as individuals and he controls what is in the future. The opportunities to do these things can make a difference in someone's day.

Gennee

:love::dove:

[Daniel]

And in our own, and everybody else's best interest, we may be forced to supply China and India with renewable energy sources.


But only if there is a buck to be made off it! :rolleyes::lol:

[scott snedeker]

"Recent gatherings of hundreds of thousands of people around the world including in the U.S. can have a profound effect the war makers and oppressors of the world."

This from a moderator on he topic of violence in the Gaza strip




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What that reaction is will determine our near and distant future as a species. All through the article were descriptions of hate. Past hate of Nazi's being kept alive as justification for hate TOWARD others who almost certainly never knew them, BY others who never knew them. This is why hate will never be ended with hate in return or collateralized. Only love and forgiveness will end hate. This the ancient truth of Buddha.

Buddhist teaching of being caught in internal unrest of fighting with what is and therby never achieving inner peace is referred to as Samasra. The middle East is a macrcosmic manifestation of multiple beings suffering their Samsara. As they suffer and pay the moments of their lives away with feeding their hate instead of inner peace the world pays with them!


Abrahamic texts, the Koran, the Tora, The old testament, are filled with passages that are used to justify hate, violence and oppression. These are the weapons used by sanctimonious predators used for millenia..

Instead of feeding their Samsara and growing our own in reaction to them, We can exercise our power to grow inner peace. We can cultivate and nuture inner peace in others. Our energy is not dashed on reacting to the violence of others or allowed to be used as fuel for building and perpetuating Samsara. It is focussed on building and creating healthy minds and hearts that pracitce letting go of suffering. We learn to let go of baggage that prevents us from letting in the joy of the miracles we see, hear and touch every day with daily practice of lovingkindnesss and forgiveness. Without these life is unbearable. We only have to turn on the television to see the truth of this if we ever doubt it.

Right now the season is winter. We raise cassowaries, a rare cousin of the emu on the precipice of extinction. they mate in the cold weather with their courtship dance and booming noise. Some day the results of our efforts here may add to this magnificent species survival. Winter is a time of renewal promised. Last year's suffering and pain is replaced by thhis year's joy started from the humbllest beginnigs. Do you remember the unfettered joy of watching the Krokus and snow drops pushing through the barren cold soil as a child? There was no worry about the world. Or running through Dandilion heads just to watch thousands of tiny parachutes fly? Why does this seem impossible for so many today?

It is possible and how we live and think makes it so.

[scott snedeker]

Often Forgiveness may not be easy, but to be a part of the Culture of Appreciation all you need to start is look within and ask: In my heart, What do I really want most of all? Answer Love, to be loved. To embrace with love. To be embraced with love. To Cherish some one who needs to be cherished To be Cherished yourself. To be included . To include someone who feels left out and see his face light up. To laugh until your belly hurts. To make some one laugh until they can't breathe. To give a gift. To be given one. To be at peace with yourself and appreciate your invaluable part of this world and see others enjoy this peace and appreciation with you.

And if these are the things that you really want, guess what? It's what everyone really wants! If some one lets down their defenses and shows these desires and you let down yours....what a beautiful sharing and warmth and fortune! To bask in opening your heart to another, no longer closed and empty and alone!

Gratification by preying and fighting and embarassing your enemy? Yuck!

Opening your heart and appreciating one another is so much Yummier!

Like learning to play piano, if you practice every day you will get better and better at it!