Sangha of Auspicious Companions

September 9, 2019

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Inner Preacher vs Inner Teacher

Between message and meaning, “Art is co-created by artist and audience, by writer and reader.” In this Ursula K. Le Guin essay, Maria Popova explores the questions of where to find strength and hope, what is a writer’s calling in this time and place, what work will make a difference, and how we might create a community of purpose. To each, Le Guin’s answer is in trying to write well. Writing is not the “vehicle of a message.” It is lines of words that try to express things that are true and important. Truths are not put there but revealed “out of the corner of (the reader’s) eye.” It is not preached, but taught in the “area of silence, that empty space, in which other and further truths and perceptions can form in other minds.” { read more }

Be The Change

Reflect on the questions posed to Le Guin based on your own situation: where do you find strength and hope, what is your calling in this time and place, what work will make a difference, how might you create a community of purpose?

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September 8, 2019

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Artists as Hoarders

When does collecting material for prospective art projects cross over and become hoarding? When it takes up so much space it requires a warehouse? When the time to collect and sort and store it all amounts to your entire lifetime? And what kind of imagination plus dedication does it take to finally assemble all the bits and pieces into something qualifying as art? Mirka Knaster opens the portal into the fascinating world of artists around the globe who hoard their way to stunningly beautiful and creative pieces of art. Dive in and become amazed. { read more }

Be The Change

Open the junk drawer. Dump it out and sort it by color. Create something; anything. Hang it up and sit silently with your creation, the way you would pause in front of a masterpiece.

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September 7, 2019

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A Three Year Road Trip Documenting Kindness

Do you see the world as a place of hope and optimism? Understandably, many people don’t as the barrage of bad news hits the news feed every day. Mary Latham is not one of those people though. Instead of withdrawing from the world after the loss of her mother, in 2016 she began a journey to find and create kindness as she traveled across the US. Over the past years, she says she’s found nothing but goodness and kindness in the people who offered her hospitality. Read on to discover the truth in what Mary’s mother told her: “Mary, there are always going to be tragedies in the world, but there will always be more good you just have to look for it.” { read more }

Be The Change

As you head out your door, resolve to do an act of kindness at least once during your day.

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September 6, 2019

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The Bad Kids

Vonda Viland is a mother figure, coach, cheerleader, and counselor. She has to be. As the principal of Black Rock Continuation High School on the edge of California’s Mojave Desert, Ms. V–as she’s known to her 121 at-risk students has heard countless stories of personal or familial alcohol or drug addiction, chronic truancy, and physical and sexual abuse. Over 90 percent of the school’s students live below the poverty line; most have a history of serious disciplinary issues and have fallen too far behind at traditional schools to catch up. As a new documentary about the school titled “The Bad Kids” explains, Black Rock is the students’ “last chance.” { read more }

Be The Change

For more inspiration watch “Teach Me to Be Wild” which tells the story of an animal sanctuary where injured animals and wounded youth heal together. { more }

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The Teachings of Grass

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September 5, 2019

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How Space Can Heal What Divides Us

The Overview Effect is the experience many astronauts describe after seeing the Earth from space. “There, devoid of territory lines and set in the vast backdrop of the universe, this spectacle gives them a new perspective on our need to come together as a global society. For most, it is profoundly life-changing.” Two years ago, MaryLiz Bender was so inspired by this phenomenon that she sold her belongings and set out for a minimal life on the road in search of answers from astronauts to better understand their transformation. In all of her interviews, the common theme was that seeing the Earth from space causes a shift in perspective that elevates empathy. In this article, Bender shares what she’s learned and provides insights into the profound effects of living from a place of awe and wonder. { read more }

Be The Change

Visit MaryLiz’s website, Cosmic Perspective, to see how she and her partner Ryan use film and innovative techniques that fuse art and technology to take people on a journey at the forefront of space exploration. { more }

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September 4, 2019

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My Small Moment of Mending Brokenness

“I used to believe that I was a very accepting person. But a few weeks ago, something happened at my workplace that made me recognize my own brokenness — it helped me see the disconnect between my values, and how I respond in certain moments. I work at the front desk of a hotel. On multiple occasions over the past couple of weeks, a sex-worker reserved a room on our property. Sitting at the front desk I’d see her interacting with people in the corridor, I’d see her check-in and check-out. And I would have this incredibly palpable feeling of disgust come up whenever she walked by…But there was another side of me which was like, “Wait a minute! At the end of the day, she’s a human being with a soul and inside of her is the beauty that Mother Earth puts in each and every one of us. So why am I judging her?” What follows is a simple yet profound story of healing. { read more }

Be The Change

Experiment with regarding people ‘in the light of what they suffer’ this week. Notice whether this practice catalyzes any shifts within you.

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September 3, 2019

a project of ServiceSpace

Send Silence Packing: A Mission of Hope

Sometimes things fall apart in a way that we simply fall silent. Sometimes there simply are no words we can say or hear to help us deal with our trauma. Such quiet time can provide the buffer necessary to absorb the impact. Staying here too long though can bring the necessary healing process to a halt, both for ourselves and others suffering in similar ways. Read this story of how one woman decided to break the silence about her brother’s mental health struggles and subsequent suicide in a mission to change the stereotypes that lead to silence and unnecessary suffering. { read more }

Be The Change

How might you risk breaking a silence in your own life to bring healing, for yourself and others.

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