Sangha of Auspicious Companions

Becoming a Presence Activist

The dream was always running ahead of one. To catch up, to live for a moment in unison with it, that was a miracle. — Anais Nin

~~~~ Inspiration of the Day: “A friend of mine is visiting from out of town and staying in East Oakland, in an area that’s infamous for its gang violence and unrest. This friend happens to be a monk. He shaves his head and dresses in the traditional brown robes of his monastic order — not the kind of person who blends easily into the background. Having spent many years making compassion a conscious practice, his response to situations is to try to do his bit to spread goodness. So he went out for a walk, just to engage with the community. As he was walking up 35th Avenue, a couple of tough-looking street youth yelled out to him: ‘Hey man!’ He turned around, looked at them and said, ‘Yes?’ ‘Are you a Buddhist monk?’ ‘Yes, I am.’ ‘You look hella peaceful, man!'” A poignant reflection on what it means to become a ‘presence activist.’ http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=1699BDB:C3009629A010612C7F57536DF18E7A80B4B847859706E37D&

~~~~ Be The Change: Give the gift of presence: shine extra care and attention onto all your interactions today.

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InnerNet Weekly: Psychological Materialism

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Psychological Materialism by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche [Listen to Audio!] Even if you are against the materialism of society and you do not want to support it, refusing to work is still grasping at the wrong end of the stick. Not taking part in work and practical activity is not going to achieve anything. More than any anything else, it will simply magnify your own negativity. By not doing anything to help, you will merely feel the sense of being useless in society. If you really take this kind of nonparticipation to its logical conclusion, it means that you shouldn’t eat, you shouldn’t even breathe, because the air you breath also belongs to the world and society. This approach could become quite extreme. If you take it all the way, it means you shouldn’t exist at all. There’s a great deal of confusion about materialism and society. Just taking care of one’s business or even running a business doesn’t amount to materialism. There’s nothing wrong with that at all. What really produces the materialistic outlook towards society is psychological materialism. Materialism has a pervasive kind of philosophy connected with it that is passed from one person to another orally and taught to everyone through examples. One person catches it from another. However, trying to reject that contagion by purely not doing anything, not caring for anything at all, simply doesn’t work. Not doing anything takes the form of laziness, and in order to be lazy we have to develop a certain kind of intelligence. Laziness has tremendous intelligence in it, in fact. When you are lazy, as soon as you have the urge to do anything, immediately a kind of answer comes to you that you can present about why you don’t have to do it. Later you can say: "I didn’t do it because I didn’t have time. Thus and such happened and I didn’t have a chance to do it. It was because of that." This automatic answer that comes to you is very convenient. One has to be very intelligent to find these kinds of excuses. There is tremendous intelligence in laziness, but it is misused intelligence. The best way to use our intelligence is to learn to feel what the skillful action in a situation is. To do that, we have to relate to the earth as directly as possible. Interestingly, we call this being "grounded." In this approach, we do not regard work as just a job but as a way of expressing our ourselves. It could be work in the garden or work around the house—cooking food, washing the dishes—whatever. These are not really jobs, but they are what has to be done because nature demands attention. It is very interesting that if you leave something undone or do not relate to even a small matter like, for instance, cooking with full and proper attention and clear thinking, then some kind of chaos is going to come up. This will happen because you are not relating properly; you are not expressing your love properly toward the earth. Either you are going to break a dish or you’re going to spill something, or the food you’re cooking is going to turn out badly, or something else will go wrong. Nature tends to react very sensitively this way. If you don’t feel the relationship between the work and yourself, then chaos is going to arise. A balanced state of mind depends on the way you do things, the way you pour a cup of tea and the way you put sugar and milk in it. It may seem like a really insignificant thing, but it means everything. You can always tell whether a person feels the activity she is engaged in as dealing with the earth or whether she feels it as just some casual thing or something she is doing because she has to. If the person is not relating to the earth, then you can always feel a certain clumsiness, even if the person’s action appears to be smooth. This is very evident and easy to sense. –Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche Share the Wisdom: Latest Community Insights Psychological Materialism Thierry wrote: To be non materialistic does’nt mean rejecting in a block society pretexting that it is all too materialistic. Is it what the rimpoche means? Taking philosophy as a pretext to be lazy and casual … Ravi Sheshadri wrote: Dear Charity Focus,These reflections are helping me clarify my life. Whenever I read these reflections I get an answer to the question I was working on.Just an hour before I was questioning myself pos… Conrad wrote: My groundedness seems to come from knowing I do not know. Arising from that seems to be groundedness coming from no separate ground. I’m not separate from the ground or anyone or everything else… Share/Read Reflections >> Wednesday Meditation: Many years ago, a couple friends got together to sit in silence for an hour, and share personal aha-moments. That birthed this newsletter, and later became “Wednesdays”, which now ripple out to living rooms around the world. To join, RSVP online. Audio Reflections From last week’s Bay-Area circle on Giving Somebody Your Heart … Some Good News 25 Insights on Becoming a Better Writer In Praise of Selflessness Be Vocal in Times of Beauty Video of the Week The Calm Within Kindness Stories Taking Grandmother To The Temple Angels Of The Rest Area Incense and Generosity Bridge Faith Divide About Back in 1997, one person started sending this simple “meditation reminder” to a few friends. Soon after, “Wednesdays” started, CharityFocus blossomed, and the humble experiments of service took a life of its own. If you’d like to start a Wednesday style meditation gathering in your area, we’d be happy to help you get started. InnerNet Weekly is an email service that delivers a little bit of wisdom to 68,364 subscribers each week. We never spam nor do we host any advertising. Archives, from the last 10+ years, are freely available online. You can unsubscribe anytime, within seconds. A Gift Economy offering of CharityFocus.org (2008)

Year of Dancing with Life – Week 2

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Week 2: Suffering Is Impermanent To receive Phillip’s weekly teaching, click here: http://www.lifebalanceinstitute.com/ dharmawisdom/dancing-with-life/ teaching/suffering-impermanent May your study of this material deepen your meditation practice and inspire your dance with life. If you are interested in studying Dancing with Life in more depth, sign up to receive your on-line study guide and other supplemental materials.

Smile Newsletter: I Wish You Enough

Oct 17, 2011 “You may say that I’m a dreamer but I’m not the only one, I hope someday you’ll join us and the world will be as one” — John Lennon “On a cold winter day we got a small group of students to come together and make one hundred hot chocolates. It was for no reason other than simply to brighten people’s day!” — jump4joy [ share your story >> ] You can also contribute comments on each story! A Letter to My High School Teacher >> Taking Grandmother To The Temple >> I Wish You Enough >> More Stories >> “Years ago, I was traveling with my baby across-country to join my husband. After driving for many miles, I was tired and needed to stop for a bathroom break. The rest area was mostly deserted, on an isolated stretch of Interstate highway. I parked the car and carried my infant daughter, into the restroom. Coming out again I saw a middle-aged couple hanging around. It turned out they were waiting for us! The lady said, “We wanted to wait for you to come out and see you safely back into your car. Sometimes rest areas can be an unsafe place for a young lady. We have a daughter almost your age and we wanted to make sure you got safely back on your way”. I was very touched by their consideration. I thanked them for their kindness. My daughter and I continued our journey and reached our destination (and my husband) safely. I never got their names but thirty years later their kindness is not forgotten. Sometimes angels come in disguise and just because you can’t see their win gs it doesn’t mean they aren’t angels!” –moral12 What is a “smile card”? It’s a game of kindness — do something nice for someone and leave a card behind asking them to pay it forward. To date, 966,513 cards have been shipped without any charge. The ‘Smiles’ newsletter is emailed to 84,657 subscribers with the intent of spreading more smiles in the world. You can unsubscribe anytime. get smile cards | donate | write to us

Time is Precious: Dr. BJ Miller’s Journey

Every man dies – not every man really lives. — William Wallace

~~~~ Inspiration of the Day: Dr. BJ Miller is only 40 but he thinks about death a lot. He is the new executive director of the Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco and a palliative care specialist at UCSF Medical Center. He is also a triple amputee, co-founder of a tea company, owner of a farm in Utah and a newlywed who still looks like the Ivy Leaguer he once was. “I have no fear of death,” Miller said. “I have a fear of not living my life fully before I die.” On Nov. 27, 1990, he came close to dying. As a result of Miller’s encounter with 11,000 volts of electricity, his left arm was amputated below the elbow and his legs below the knees. He still has flashbacks to the explosion and remembers the difficulties of fitting his nearly 6-foot-5 frame into a helicopter bound for a burn unit. When it was time to find a calling, Miller chose medicine because he could use his experiences to connect with people and he felt an affinity for anyone going through an illness.
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~~~~ Be The Change: Read the inspiring last words published by Dr. Elizabeth Kubler Ross, the thanatologist who helped bring the hospice movement to the U.S. http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=1699917:C3009629A010612C01ECB5C71F0DD99EB4B847859706E37D&

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Be Vocal in Times of Beauty

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? — Mary Oliver

~~~~ Inspiration of the Day: “To stand up and speak out against cold injustice, against the blind wrong-doing that we see in the world — that is one kind of activism. But there is another kind. A rarer form of fire-in-the-belly commitment to a much less talked about cause. Tell me, do you stand up and speak out when you encounter a moment of unexpected joy, warmth, beauty or compassion in your life? Do you stop to say so when you stumble across something that makes you smile- or are you in the dull habit of registering the remarkable without remark? Are you a bystander of beauty, a mute spectator of special-ness? Do you let the silver-lining moments of the day slide into an insignificant silence — or do you seize them as the chance to make something bloom?” A stirring call to be vocal in times of beauty. http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16998AD:C3009629A010612C6BDC4CA2DC9FCD13B4B847859706E37D&

~~~~ Be The Change: Stand up and speak out when you encounter a moment of unexpected joy, warmth, beauty or compassion in your life.

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Kindness Daily: Incense and Generosity Bridge Faith Divide

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Incense and Generosity Bridge Faith Divide October 15, 2011 – Posted by hpotter In India, it is very common to see children and adults begging. Standing at high density intersections, they can collect a good amount of money each day, while also enduring verbal and at times physical abuse. It would be easy to say that they should be given work, but often they can earn more through begging than working. Without a doubt, there are those in genuine need who are begging, but there are many more who beg for a living. As I made my way towards the rickshaw I had spotted, I slowed my pace as there was a man near the driver. Moving closer, I saw that he wasn’t a passenger disembarking, but someone selling incense. Perhaps seeing me approaching, the driver put away his newly purchased incense and sent the man on his way. While the scene on the surface was nothing extraordinary, there was something out of place, the Muslim prayer cap on the driver’s head. As I stepped into the rickshaw, my eyes followed the man and I could discern that he also had a mental handicap. I too felt that I should buy some incense, but by then the man was too far away. "I never use incense," the driver said, interrupting my thoughts. "We never buy incense in my house." He had sensed my confusion and reiterated something I knew, that unlike Hindus’ prominent use of incense in rituals and prayer, Muslims did not have much use of incense. "He could have been begging, but instead he was working with honesty to earn his money, so I wanted to show my support," the rickshaw driver explained. I was taken back by the man’s sentiments. Just moments ago, I wanted to buy incense for the same reasons. He shared more on the ways to address the occupation of begging and I could not have agreed with him more. When we arrived at my destination, I gave him a 100 rupee note instead of 10. I wanted him to use the money for acts like the one he did that day. He refused to take the money. I then explained to him that this was not a "reward" or anything else to diminish the simplicity and authenticity of his act, but rather a request on my behalf to utilize the money for good. He was someone who spent his days on the road and he had eyes to see those who could use some support. He finally accepted and as I walked away, I could not help but smile. So often, there are stories of Hindus vs Muslims in India, but here was one of humanity. Add/View Comment >> About Newsletter Kindness Daily is an email that delivers today’s featured story from HelpOthers.org. If you’d rather not receive this email, you can also unsubscribe. Similar Stories No similar stories found. Helpful Links Smile Cards: do an act of kindness and leave a card behind to keep the chain going. Smile Decks: 52 cards with a kindness idea on each! Smile Groups: share your own stories, make friends, spread the good. Smile Ideas: loads of ideas that can support your drive of kindness. Unsubscribe If you’d rather not receive these stories by email, you can remove yourself with two easy clicks. Community

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Technology is Not the Answer

In our sheer preoccupation with technology, we do not realize the inherent artistic choices when creating technology … and the questioning and reflection that the process of creating art implies. — Tapan Parikh

~~~~ Good News of the Day: “Technology is not the answer. That’s the conclusion I came to after five years in India trying to find ways to apply electronic technologies to international development. I was the co-founder and assistant director of Microsoft Research India, a Bangalore computer-science lab, where one of our objectives was to research ways in which information and communication technologies could support the socio-economic development of poor communities, both rural and urban. […] In several projects to design educational technology for schools, we found that teacher and administrator attitudes were the real keys to success. Then, when we connected low-income slum residents with potential employers, limited education and training posed critical barriers. And again, when we used gadgets for microfinance operations, a capable institutional ally was indispensable. Our successes were due more to effective partners, and less to our technology.” Kentaro Toyama shares
further. http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16997E8:C3009629A010612CF8A7056D78E9228FB4B847859706E37D&

~~~~ Be The Change: We’re constantly creating, with objects, words, and actions. Today, question and reflect during the creation process.

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Dalai Lama Quote from Snow Lion Publications

Kindness Daily: Angels Of The Rest Area

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Angels Of The Rest Area October 14, 2011 – Posted by moral12 Years ago, when my daughter was an infant, I was traveling alone cross-country to join my husband. I had a small sports car crammed full of household items, clothing, and one baby car-seat. After driving for many miles, in an attempt to drive straight through, I was tired and needed to stop for a bathroom break. The rest area was mostly deserted, on an isolated stretch of Interstate highway. I parked the car and carried my infant daughter, in her car-seat, into the restroom. Coming out again I saw a middle-aged couple hanging around. It turned out they were waiting for us! The lady said, "We wanted to wait for you to come out and see you safely back into your car. Sometimes rest areas can be an unsafe place for a young lady. We have a daughter almost your age and we wanted to make sure you got safely back on your way". I was very touched by their consideration. Being young, and probably naive to the potential dangers of rest areas, it had never occurred to me that there was any possibility of something going wrong. I thanked them for their kindness. My daughter and I continued our journey and reached our destination (and my husband) safely. I never got their names but thirty years later their kindness is not forgotten. Sometimes angels come in disguise and just because you can’t see their wings it doesn’t mean they aren’t angels! Add/View Comment >> About Newsletter Kindness Daily is an email that delivers today’s featured story from HelpOthers.org. If you’d rather not receive this email, you can also unsubscribe. Similar Stories No similar stories found. Helpful Links Smile Cards: do an act of kindness and leave a card behind to keep the chain going. Smile Decks: 52 cards with a kindness idea on each! Smile Groups: share your own stories, make friends, spread the good. Smile Ideas: loads of ideas that can support your drive of kindness. Unsubscribe If you’d rather not receive these stories by email, you can remove yourself with two easy clicks. Community

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