Sangha of Auspicious Companions

InnerNet Weekly: What I Learned In Africa

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. What I Learned In Africa by Henning Mankell [Listen to Audio!] I ended up in Africa because the plane ticket there was cheapest. I came and I stayed. For nearly 25 years I’ve lived off and on in Mozambique. Time has passed, and I’m no longer young; in fact, I’m approaching old age. But my motive for living this straddled existence, with one foot in African sand and the other in European snow, in the melancholy region of Norrland in Sweden where I grew up, has to do with wanting to see clearly, to understand. The simplest way to explain what I’ve learned from my life in Africa is through a parable about why human beings have two ears but only one tongue. Why is this? Probably so that we have to listen twice as much as we speak. In Africa listening is a guiding principle. It’s a principle that’s been lost in the constant chatter of the Western world, where no one seems to have the time or even the desire to listen to anyone else. From my own experience, I’ve noticed how much faster I have to answer a question during a TV interview than I did 10, maybe even 5, years ago. It’s as if we have completely lost the ability to listen. We talk and talk, and we end up frightened by silence, the refuge of those who are at a loss for an answer. […] A number of years ago I sat down on a stone bench outside the Teatro Avenida in Maputo, Mozambique, where I work as an artistic consultant. It was a hot day, and we were taking a break from rehearsals so we fled outside, hoping that a cool breeze would drift past. The theater’s air-conditioning system had long since stopped functioning. It must have been over 100 degrees inside while we were working. Two old African men were sitting on that bench, but there was room for me, too. In Africa people share more than just water in a brotherly or sisterly fashion. Even when it comes to shade, people are generous. I heard the two men talking about a third old man who had recently died. One of them said, "I was visiting him at his home. He started to tell me an amazing story about something that had happened to him when he was young. But it was a long story. Night came, and we decided that I should come back the next day to hear the rest. But when I arrived, he was dead." The man fell silent. I decided not to leave that bench until I heard how the other man would respond to what he’d heard. I had an instinctive feeling that it would prove to be important. Finally he, too, spoke. "That’s not a good way to die — before you’ve told the end of your story." It struck me as I listened to those two men that a truer nomination for our species than Homo sapiens might be Homo narrans, the storytelling person. What differentiates us from animals is the fact that we can listen to other people’s dreams, fears, joys, sorrows, desires and defeats — and they in turn can listen to ours. –Henning Mankell, translated from Swedish by Tiina Nunnally Share the Wisdom: Latest Community Insights What I Learned In Africa PK wrote: I am a talkative guy. When i listen to something deep or interesting, it stirs some memories, insights and then I talk. There were a few situations, where, i just listened and did not know what … Ganoba wrote: Listening from the heart begins when we listen to our own voice. This prepares us to listen to others, particularly when they ramble. When a person is beating around the bush he/she has somethin… Derek wrote: When we listen more.. we connect more…… Ricky wrote: What an amazing insight, not only with the observation about western culture and it’s incessant white noise, but about the art of listening, and the application of the African parable two ears, … Conrad P. Pritscher wrote: When it comes to hearing about my flaws, I find I am a poor listener. I immediately start thinking of how I might defend myself. My experience with a wide variety of exercises at the… David Doane wrote: I also think we talk compulsively and listen poorly. As Alcoholics Anonymous points out, we would do well to get the cotton out of our ears and put it in our mouths. Talking can be v… Manisha wrote: Months ago I was sitting by the fire on a chilly night in the mountains. We had just finished watching the sun set and I turned my attention downward, looking deep into the lake. There was the crackle… 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 The Great Dictator … Some Good News 11 Amazing Thank You Notes 7 Habits of Mindful Eating Valentine’s Day Wisdom Video of the Week Dan’s Coffee Run Kindness Stories A Spirit Guide To Lean On Cat Calls Or Hot Chocolate Can I Borrow Your Kids? 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 70,287 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 20

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Week 20: Sustaining Wholesome Desires To receive Phillip’s weekly teaching, click here: http://www.lifebalanceinstitute.com/ dharmawisdom/dancing-with-life/ teaching/sustaining-wholesome-desires 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.

7 Habits of Mindful Eating

Our own life is the instrument with which we experiment with the truth. — Thich Nhat Hanh

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Tip of the Day:
“The rhythm of life is becoming faster and faster, so we really don’t have the same awareness and the same ability to check into ourselves.” These words from an unexpected source: a Harvard nutritionist. Dr. Lilian Cheung, with Nobel Peace Prize nominee Thich Nhat Hanh, co-wrote ‘Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life.’ “That’s why mindful eating is becoming more important. We need to be coming back to ourselves and saying: ‘Does my body need this? Why am I eating this? Is it just because I’m so sad and stressed out?'” In this 3-minute video, Dr. Cheung explains how honoring and being mindful of the food we eat makes us healthier. She offers seven practices for mindful eating — simple steps that we can take to maintain a healthier weight and live a happier life. We are what we eat — and how we eat it.
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Be The Change:
The next time you eat, engage all your senses: the flavor, the beauty, the aroma, the texture, the sound, the feeling.

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Smile Newsletter: One Last Visit To The Beach, On Her Doorstep

Feb 19, 2012 “You’ll be bothered from time to time by storms, fog, and snow. When you are, think of those who went through it before you, and say to yourself, “What they could do, I can do.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupery “The other morning, I went by the bus stop and saw a woman trying to keep warm. It was very cold that day and she had to keep her hand over her face to protect herself from the wind. Seeing her struggling, I decided to stop and give her a smile, and a scarf that I had made. I try and keep these scarves in my backseat during the winter for this purpose. Giving her the scarf and seeing her smile made my day!” — craftyjaw [ share your story >> ] You can also contribute comments on each story! Can I Borrow Your Kids? >> Starting A New Life With Smile Cards >> One Last Visit To The Beach, On Her Doorstep >> More Stories >> “I have made a conscious decision to live each day of my life through the eyes of service. This is the legacy I wish to live and leave” — Analola 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, 1,007,846 cards have been shipped without any charge. The ‘Smiles’ newsletter is emailed to 88,114 subscribers with the intent of spreading more smiles in the world. You can unsubscribe anytime. get smile cards | donate | write to us

Going into Debt to Rescue Abandoned Dogs

The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that’s wrong with the world. — Paul Farmer

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Good News of the Day:
“On any given Saturday, you’ll find volunteer rescuer Tracie Mitchum sitting outside in front of the Whole Foods Market with an array of cats and dogs she’s rescued. She brings the pets to the parking lot hoping to find applicants to adopt them and to raise funds to provide veterinary care. “I feel welcome at Whole Foods and it’s refreshing,” Tracie says during our recent chat on the campus of the College of Charleston where she works as an adminstrative professional. “I need to be there on weekends because if I can squeeze out another $50, I can save another life.” And saving lives she does. Last year, Tracie spent nearly $15,000 caring for rescued animals. Her boyfriend helped with part of those costs and the rest has gone onto credit cards which she’s trying to make a dent in each month.” More on Tracie’s touching dedication to animals.
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Be The Change:
In this short passage, “Liking is for Cowards, Go for What Hurts,” author Jonathan Franzen talks about how his love for birds triggered more than what he expected.
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High Schooler Devises Potential Cancer Cure

When a child enters your life it’s time to learn [not time to teach]. — Jaggi Vasudev

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Good News of the Day:
17-year-old Angela Zhang’s after school project may change the world. Zhang has been making headlines recently after taking home a check of $100,000 from the national Siemens science contest, and now it has been suggested that her research could lead to a potential cure for cancer. “I created a nanoparticle that’s kind of like the Swiss Army knife of cancer treatment in that it can detect cancer cells, eradicate the cancer cells and then monitor the treatment response. So the major aim of the project was to personalize cancer medicine,” Zhang told ABC News. The teen began reading doctorate level work on bio-engineering when she was a freshman.
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Be The Change:
Face the next “problem” in your day with child-like openness and enthusiasm.

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Dalai Lama Quote from Snow Lion Publications

Dalai Lama Quote of the Week The quality of one’s rebirth in the next life is determined by the quality of one’s mental activity in this life. Generally speaking, we have no power to choose how we are born; it is dependent on karmic forces. However, the period near the time of death is very influential in terms of activating one from among the many karmas that a person has already accumulated, and, therefore, if one makes particular effort at generating a virtuous attitude at that time, there is an opportunity to strengthen and activate a virtuous karma. Moreover, when one has developed high realization and has gained control over how one will be reborn, it is possible to take what is called “reincarnation” rather than mere rebirth.(p.42) –from The Dalai Lama at Harvard: Lectures on the Buddhist Path to Peace by H.H. the Dalai Lama of Tibet, Tenzin Gyatso, translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, published by Snow Lion Publications The Dalai Lama at Harvard • Now at 5O% off! (Good until February 24th).

Kindness Daily: A Spirit Guide To Lean On

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A Spirit Guide To Lean On February 17, 2012 – Posted by upasaka A few months ago an elderly lady from our meditation group dropped and broke her favorite cane. She was quite upset because it was her favorite cane and she could not afford to buy a new one. Being a wood carver I decided I would make her one. This lady is from a Native American background and I asked her what her spirit animal was. Some Native Americans believe they are guided on their journey through life by the spirit of an animal. Her spirit animal was a crow. This week I presented her with the finished cane. The top of the cane has a hand carved, highly detailed, painted and realistic looking crow head, actual size with glass eyes. Below that is a black suede braid around the shaft of the cane tied in a fancy knot called a Turk’s Head knot, From the knot hung two black feathers with wooden beads. Below this, carved onto the face of the cane was a medicine wheel. A medicine wheel is a circle with four spokes, and the four spokes divide the wheel into four colours, red, white, black, and yellow. The colours represented the four races of man, and the medicine wheel represented healing of the four races. Also on the face of the cane were her initials. Because she was worried about dropping and breaking another cane, I also included a strap that she could put her hand through so that even if she dropped the cane it would not fall to the ground. The look on her face when I presented the cane to her and her reaction was worth more than any amount of money. It was a great feeling to do something nice for someone who otherwise could not afford to do for herself. 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 London Cabbie’s Payment-in-Kind!, by T.S. My Friend, Howie, by roxanne916 Carnations with a Smile at a Supermarket, by Kat C. A Neighbor’s Blessings, by Agnes Haddaway Eleven Envelopes with 101 Dollars, by Sukh 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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Video of the Week: Dan’s Coffee Run

You’re receiving this newsletter because you are a KarmaTube subscriber. Having trouble reading this mail? View it in your browser. Not interested anymore? Unsubscribe Video of the Week Feb 17, 2012 Dan’s Coffee Run Every Thursday morning, Dan Dewey orders 12 to 24 coffee items from the Starbucks in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He then delivers the coffee to patients and staff at the Michigan Cancer Institute (MCI). The tradition started when he took his own father to MCI for treatment. His father has since passed away, but Dan keeps the coffee, and the smiles, flowing. Share: Related KarmaTube Videos The Fun Theory: Piano Stairs Playing For Change Change for a Dollar Steve Jobs Commencement Address About KarmaTube: KarmaTube is a collection of inspiring videos accompanied by simple actions every viewer can take. We invite you to get involved. Other ServiceSpace Projects: DailyGood // Conversations // iJourney // HelpOthers MovedByLove // CF Sites // Karma Kitchen // More Thank you for helping us spread the good. This newsletter now reaches 41,297 subscribers.

Gandhi on Knowledge Without Character

We have guided missiles and misguided men. — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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Good News of the Day:
“We have not yet learned to make use of our most civilizing capacities: the creativity and wisdom we all have as our birthright. When even one person comes into full possession of these capacities, our problems are shown in their true light: they are simply the results of avoidable — though deadly — errors of judgment. Gandhi formulated a series of diagnoses of the modern world’s seemingly perpetual state of crisis, which he called ‘the seven social sins.’ I prefer to think of them as seven social ailments, since the problems they address are not crimes calling for punishment but crippling diseases that are punishment enough in themselves. The first — and the one we will focus on here — is knowledge without character. It traces all our difficulties to a simple lack of connection between what we know is good for us and our ability to act on that knowledge.” The late Gandhian scholar Eknath Easwaran shares further.
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16A692D:C3009629A010612C0AAEC27663696193B4B847859706E37D&

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Be The Change:
“I believe that what self-centered men have torn down, men other-centered can build up. […] I still believe that we shall overcome.” An inspiring passage from MLK’s Nobel acceptance speech.
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