Sangha of Auspicious Companions

February 8, 2017

a project of ServiceSpace

To Heal the Human Heart

The science of empathy is now one of the most celebrated subjects of psychological and neuro-psychological enquiry and it has the potential to transform human society in spectacular ways. For instance, if a human being’s central nervous system carries blueprints for empathy, and if the health and vitality of one’s empathy circuits depend on one’s environment from conception through adulthood, what does that mean about our moralistic judgments of good and evil, and of punishment and reward? This well-written piece on the latest findings on empathy and on its limitations offers some surprising and heartening answers. { read more }

Be The Change

The next time someone irritates you with something they said, try to understand where they may be coming from and how they may be feeling. Can you try to respond with compassion instead of anger?

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February 7, 2017

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Singing to Tomatoes

“Modern biological science has developed highly sensitive tools that perceive the continuous movement of living cells, including plant cells; movement that creates a fluctuating rhythm. This knowledge seems to match the insights of indigenous science, these ancient ways of knowing that also perceive the vibration of plants, their song. But they perceive it through other states of consciousness, through the heart’s perception rather than the senses we usually employ in the world of matter. On this day, is it my heart’s response to tomatoes that allows me to perceive their song? Is my impulse to sing to the tomatoes because they are singing to me? Are they always singing? Is this the day I perceive the sensitivity and delicateness of their song?” A writer-gardener shares more in this poetic reflection. { read more }

Be The Change

Tune in to the hum and vibration of life all around you, in the growing plants, in the birds, in the breeze. Listen to the music.

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February 6, 2017

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How to Find and Support Trustworthy Journalism

In this world of fast-paced news and the proliferation of news sites– some reliable and some far less so– how can we make sure the journalism we rely on to help us learn about the facts and events unfolding around us is reliable? This insightful piece from Shareable.com suggests some ways that we can evaluate the news sources we use and encourage responsible journalism on the issues we care about. { read more }

Be The Change

Consider the sources you rely on to inform you. Are they reliable? Are you getting your news from multiple sources and viewpoints? What can you do to encourage responsible, thorough journalism?

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February 5, 2017

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Are You A Leader or a Follower?

Whenever we put all our energy into staying focused on the Main Chance or making it to the top of the heap, we miss half of the equation of life. There’s taking but also giving; acquiring but also letting go. It’s just as important to follow your energy as to put pressure on yourself to get where you want to go. Following is the purest attitude we can have as we move around our world, “taking part” in rather than “doing” life. Patty de Llosa shares more in this thoughtful piece. { read more }

Be The Change

Do you think of yourself as a leader or a follower? In either case, see if you can let go into the present moment, and the next moment after that, becoming available to yourself, to others, and to life.

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February 4, 2017

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It’s About Critical Connections Not Critical Mass

Connection to others is important in many aspects of life, from establishing a sense of self to securing basic safety. In this piece, Curtis Ogden shares the story of a couple who discovered this truth while hiking in the mountains of Nepal during the 2015 earthquake and makes a compelling case for why critical connections are a key to resilience and to moving from chaos to order in times of crisis. { read more }

Be The Change

Call a dear friend with whom you have lost touch. If it feels right, while catching up, let them know that you are there for them if they ever need someone!

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February 3, 2017

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Barbara Crooker: Poetry as a Form of Love

“I believe the way we most fully integrate ourselves with the world, is through our senses. When I teach creative writing classes, I love it when I get a five-day class, so that each day I give them an exercise based on one of the senses. I think the electronic world makes us out of touch with our embodied selves. For me, nature is a huge source. I want to be outside. I want to turn to it. I want to be observing it as much as possible because that’s the source for everything.” Poet Barbara Crooker’s life and writing encompass harsh losses and radiant gifts. In this in-depth interview interspersed with a selection of her luminous poetry, she shares reflections on grief, parenting, nature, the writing life and much more. { read more }

Be The Change

Do you have a favorite poem? Share it with someone today. For more inspiration join an Awakin Call this Saturday with poet Marjorie Maddox. More details and RSVP info here. { more }

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A Band Of Bikers That Battles Child Abuse

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February 2, 2017

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Bloombars: A Conversation with John Chambers

“I think I was the only person of color in my entire school who wasn’t placed in Special Ed. There was definitely an expectation of failure. So I left my senior year to attend Solebury School in New Hope, PA. This one-year experience really changed the way I thought, and it also forced me into leadership positions. I kind of reinvented, or discovered, myself — probably both, to be honest. How fast a person can change in a nurturing environment was another lesson.” John Chambers is the inspired, and inspiring, founder of Bloombars, a creative, positive alternative to the ordinary booze-bar. Read more { read more }

Be The Change

Take a creative action today, big or small to help nurture community in your corner of the world. Learn someone’s story, volunteer your time, hold a living room dialogue with people from different backgrounds.

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February 1, 2017

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The Boy In The Magic Shop

“Dr. James Doty is the founder and the director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at the Stanford University School of Medicine of which the Dalai Lama is the founding benefactor. He also happens to be a professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Stanford and the New York Times bestselling author of Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeons Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart that has been translated into 22 languages. Dr. Doty also is an inventor with multiple patents and is a well-known entrepreneur who at one-time was the CEO of Accuray, a company that went public in 2007 with a valuation of $1.3B. Amazingly, having lost essentially every penny he had in the dot com bust, he gave all the stock he had in Accuray away to live up to charitable commitments. He ultimately gave over $30M to charity when he was effectively bankrupt.” Doty shares more from his fascinating journey in this in-depth interview. { read more }

Be The Change

What are your mind and heart’s deepest intentions at this stage of your own journey?

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