Sangha of Auspicious Companions

November 20, 2017

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Ani Choying: Gratitude and Service

Ani Choying Drolma never expected to be a Rockstar Nun. She only wanted to be of benefit to others in her life and has done so in many ways. She suffered abuse as a child, yet her heart is full of compassion, not resentment. She went on to adopt a child and eventually inspired a foundation to support others in helping orphans. Her gift of singing was eventually shared not out of ego, but out of a wish to share wisdom with anyone who might be inspired by her songs. Reading about her remarkable life here and listening to her songs may inspire all to find the path of peace in their own lives, whatever sufferings they may have encountered. { read more }

Be The Change

Do you have a talent or something that you enjoy doing, that you can offer in service to others? See where your joys can be offered as a way to lift others up.

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November 19, 2017

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A Lesson in Letting Go From My Mother

This delicious essay is a paean to a mother who nourishes and nurtures, is selfless, gracious, and wise. . . even when a domestic ritual changed forever. The source of many happy memories for the writer as a teen was watching her mother make fresh roti (Indian bread). There was a process she followed — one that was methodical, careful, and slow, that included plenty of leisurely talk while calmly juggling several tasks at once. An essential instrument in this process was her chokla, the round, marble surface on which she shaped the dough. This particular chokla was a special piece with a long history. Its surface helped shape nourishment that over the years filled many souls and lifted many spirits…Read on to learn the fate of the chokla and the insights it revealed. { read more }

Be The Change

Don’t wait until Mother’s Day to thank your mom for all the wonderful things she’s taught you.

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November 18, 2017

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5 Schools Moving the Needle on Sustainability

When it comes to formal education in schools and colleges, sustainability is too often boiled down to the technical study of environmental science in a classroom setting. But how do we teach our students to actually practice sustainable living? In the wake of the loosening environmental regulations in the United States, read about the efforts of these five colleges and universities which are committed not only to cultivating sustainable campuses and future environmental leaders, but also impacting the world in a deeper way. { read more }

Be The Change

What can you do today to take a step towards sustainable, ecologically responsible living? Perhaps opt to walk, bike, or take public transit during your commute, or grow edibles in your garden, or take the stairs instead of the elevator, or get to know and support your local businesses.

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November 17, 2017

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In the Beginning Was Love

“I think he [Robert Lax] understood the difference between hearing and listening, and he really emphasized the listening. In fact, one of the things he’d say when we walked along the Patmos shoreline was, ‘Well, I’m going to go back up to my place now. There’s a lot of listening I have to get to.’
And listening for what? I think for all the cosmic sounds, his own heart, his own soul..” A long-time friend of Trappist monk Thomas Merton, and an accomplished poet in his own right, Robert Lax spent the latter part of his life on a Greek island where he practiced his art, and exercised a profound influence on those who knew him. This interview with one of his close friends shares more. { read more }

Be The Change

As you touch the simple objects in your day, try to see the light within them at the point where their essence is beyond names, identities or categorization.

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November 16, 2017

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The Gift of Cold

“For our ancestors, winter was a test of survival,” writes Fabiana Fondevila, a journalist, children’s book author and ritual maker from Buenos Aires, Argentina. She remarks that “although … many of us … have heated homes, transportation and warm clothing, the season of bare trees takes us back to the experience of that first vulnerability.” In this poignant essay on winter, Fondevila encourages us to reflect on what gifts winter brings us. “If we could for a moment disconnect from screens and lights, we would feel winter’s whisperings calling us like it calls the seeds, the leaves, the sap descending, the animals changing coat, the grass that stops in its tracks and saves its strength for spring.” { read more }

Be The Change

Take a moment to see the gift in a winter-like situation, person, or time in your life – one that leaves you feeling bare and vulnerable, and yet, more open-hearted.

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November 15, 2017

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One Activist’s Oath, First Vow Not to Burn Out

Mushim Patricia Ikeda is a teacher, artist and activist. She’s worked tirelessly for the upliftment of the marginalized. Through her work, Ikeda realized that the major danger for activists is burnout. âWe need tools to address and prevent burnout and we need to go to the root of it,â she said. It was in her earlier years during activist work that she recognized an acceptance, if not cultivation, of a mindset that understood being an activist meant martyring oneself to whatever cause they chose to work for.

Burnout was expected. Everyone was expected to work themselves into the ground and always be unable to make rent.â she said. Ikeda urges social activists to take steps to fight that bias and actively work to avoid burnout in order to be able to ultimately do the most good. { read more }

Be The Change

Take some time to consider the questions Ikeda suggests for those working on behalf of social justice: “How can you make your life sustainableâphysically, emotionally, financially, intellectually, spiritually? Are you helping create communities rooted in values of sustainability, including environmental and cultural sustainability? Do you feel that you have enough time and space to take in thoughts and images and experiences of things that are joyful and nourishing? What are your resources when you feel isolated or powerless?”

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November 14, 2017

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Pass It Along: A Luthier Shares a Song

The saying “we are all connected as one” is a seeming platitude we have all heard, yet this piece shares fascinating evidence to confirm the truth that we are indeed connected on an atomic level. “Long story short, it turns out that no matter where you go in the world — Antarctica, North Pole, Africa, you name it — every meter sphere of air around you contains 50 carbon atoms from each one of your exhales over the last year. That’s worth a pause. 50 carbon atoms from each one of your exhales over the last year will greet you no matter where you go on Planet Earth.” Fabrizio Alberico shares more in this beautiful reflection that includes a recording and the lyrics to a beautiful song titled, “Pass It Along” that poignantly reminds us of the transience of our lives, out deep interconnection, and the power of generosity. { read more }

Be The Change

The next time you are in a group of other people, no matter how different they may appear, feel the connection you have with them as you breathe and extend silent kindness to each person.

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