Sangha of Auspicious Companions

October 9, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

The Art of Seeing

Something happened to successful artist Jane Rosen when she came to California — something that changed the trajectory of her work. “The exposure to the beauty of the place — the coast, the hills, the redwoods — made a deep impression. One day, as she stepped out of her house, she looked up and saw a red-tailed hawk soaring above her. “As I stood looking up at the hawk, in a voice as clear as day, I heard these words: ‘Tell my story’.” Rosen’s drawings and sculptures are born from the perennial questions: What can nature show us? And what is seeing? Her work shows us something about that. I met the artist at her studio and ranch in San Gregorio, California to talk specifically about seeing.” Richard Whittaker dialogues with Rosen in this Parabola Magazine article. { read more }

Be The Change

Experiment today with the art of seeing: try nudging your experience beyond the immediate, visible reality.

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October 8, 2011

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Four Shelters Later, Still a Star Athlete

After holding together his family through a house fire, six address changes since his sophomore year and a violent encounter with his mother’s boyfriend, high school basketball star Marquis Barnett told recruiters he is not about to abandon them now, insisting on staying local. “Marquis is fiercely loyal to his family,” said Ron Naclerio, Barnett’s coach in New York the past two seasons. Barnett is one of about 2,500 young people ages 13 to 17 living in shelters across the five boroughs. He has endured six-hour round-trip subway rides to school and, along the way, has been supported by the kindness of others struck by his sincerity, including a coach who buys him clothes and a social studies teacher who feeds him daily. { read more }

Submitted by: Amita

Be The Change

The next time you encounter a setback, “turn your face toward the sun.”

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Steve Jobs Commencement Address

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October 7, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

The Spiritual Wisdom of Simplicity

The wisdom of simplicity is a theme with deep roots. The great value and benefits of living simply are found in all of the world’s major wisdom traditions. Jesus taught by word and example that we should not make the acquisition of material possessions our primary aim. Eastern spiritual traditions such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Taoism have also encouraged a life of material moderation and spiritual abundance. The Greeks, Puritans, and Quakers all placed a similar emphasis. As well, the Transcendentalists, whose thinking is best exemplified by the lives and writing of Emerson and Thoreau. The simple life is not a new social invention — what is new is the urgent need to respond to the radically changing material and ecological circumstances in which humanity finds itself in the modern world. Duane Elgin, author of the classic, “Voluntary Simplicity,” shares further. { read more }

Be The Change

Take an additional step toward voluntary simplicity today, both internally and externally.

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October 6, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

Remembering Steve Jobs’ Insights

Steve Jobs, the iconic founder of Apple, died yesterday, and though the world will remember him for his legendary leadership, his creative genius, or his passion for design, he was also a man of inspiring insights. In this powerful 2005 commencement address at Stanford, Jobs shares three personal stories, urging his audience to always “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish.” { read more }

Be The Change

“Death is an important ally for appreciating life […] an honest recognition of the short time we have to love and to learn on this earth.” Author Duane Elgin shares a poignant reflection. { more }

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October 5, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

How to Live a Single-Tasking Life

Multi-tasking is no longer about being productive — it’s a way of living. It’s not a sane way of living, however, and it’s not necessarily the most effective way of working either. Imagine instead, a single-tasking life. Imagine waking and going for a run, as if running were all you do. Nothing else is on your mind but the run, and you do it to the very best of your abilities. Then you eat, enjoying every flavorful bite of your fresh breakfast of whole, unprocessed foods. You do your work, one task at a time, each task done with full focus and dedication. You spend time with loved ones, as if nothing else existed. It sounds nice, but how do you live a life like this? Like anything worth doing, it takes practice. Here’s what author Leo Babauta recommends. { read more }

Be The Change

Run some conscious experiments with single-tasking today.

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October 4, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

National Treasures: Wild Horses, Wild Kids

Jean Albert Renaud sleeps in a barn. His bedroom shares a wall with the stall of a stallion named Incitatus. On winter nights, he can hear the wind whistling across the hills, but Renaud (or Jar, as he is known) is warm in the company of his eight horses. He sleeps there because he wants to. Jar’s life has never been conventional, but today it is focused on his noblest effort yet — preserving and nourishing what he calls America’s two most precious and least appreciated treasures: the wild Mustang and our marginalized children. “We treat children like we treat the wild horses,” Jar says. “We rarely take the time to look at the world from their viewpoints. So many of them know and survive the streets without us. They are like wild horses. So, like the horses, how do you approach these ‘wild’ kids?” { read more }

Be The Change

Is there someone or some group you hold assumptions about? Make an effort to see the world from their viewpoint.

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