Sangha of Auspicious Companions

November 26, 2019

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The Emotional Life of Animals

Any animal lover knows how intelligent our four-footed friends are, and how many emotions they share with us–especially the positive ones. And now scientific research tells us they have sensory and motor abilities that dwarf ours. Dogs are able to detect diseases such as cancer and diabetes and warn humans of impending heart attacks and strokes. Elephants, whales, hippopotamuses, giraffes, and alligators use low-frequency sounds to communicate over long distances, often miles. And bats, dolphins, whales, frogs, and various rodents use high-frequency sounds to find food, communicate with others, and navigate. Read on for empathy among elephants and chimpanzee waterfall dances. { read more }

Be The Change

There are many stories about animals rescuing members of their own and other species, including humans. Their display of compassion and empathy for those in need is a lesson for us. How can you help someone in need this week?

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November 25, 2019

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Falling in Love With the Earth

“The natural world is one of the most resplendent and consistent sources of generosity in our lives whether we experience it directly moment-to-moment or not. When we allow ourselves to tune in and pay attention, our Earth is perpetually nourishing and providing for us, sustaining life and offering its abundant gifts with a breathtaking and consistent flourish. We are fed, literally and figuratively, by the Earths offerings every day.” { read more }

Be The Change

Practice giving silent thanks each day for the countless ways in which you are sustained by the Earth.

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November 24, 2019

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Between Worlds

What is it like to be a living member of a dying community? Climate change is making this an increasingly common reality. Isle de Jean Charles, a slip of land off the coast of Louisiana is one such place. This island is home to a hundred or so people, members, mostly, of a Native American tribe called the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw–the BCC for short. For eight generations, the people of Isle de Jean Charles thrived, eating the bounty of the land and the sea: shrimp, crawfish, fish, and oysters, as well as plants they wild-harvested and grew in gardens. The tribe was so self-sufficient that when the oil and gas companies began prospecting nearby, they were surprised to discover people. But global warming is causing their land to disappear from under their feet. Anya Groner visited this magical place and shares her journey into the mystery of trying to stay grounded as a people while facing the inevitable loss of a homeland. { read more }

Be The Change

Consider what parts of your physical surroundings are central to your self of who you are. Bring this to mind next time you meet someone without this groundedness, a person living on the street, a newly arrived foreigner, or a an older person recently re-located to assisted living. How might you bring them into the human circle of their surroundings.

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November 23, 2019

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Secret to Life

This lyrical video introduces us to Antoinette, who immediately draws us into her welcoming world of nature and a life lived in sync with the rhythms of the natural world. Early in her life Antoinette was called to living in the wild. “This was the fire that ignited my soul.” Antoinette’s passion and wisdom are conveyed in her simple words that are poetry to the ears while speaking directly to the heart. Enjoy Antoinette’s warm, engaging presence, listen, let her wisdom speak to you, and learn her secret to life. { read more }

Be The Change

Learn more about the life journey of the amazing Antoinette. { more }

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November 22, 2019

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Lily Yeh: Fire in the Darkness of a Winter’s Night

Lily Yeh was a successful painter and professor at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts when she returned to Beijing in 1989 to display her artwork. While there, she witnessed the tragic events of Tiananmen Square and came to realize that, “being an artist is not simply about making art…It is about delivering the vision one is given…and about doing the correct thing without sparing oneself.” She pursues her vision through her organization, Barefoot Artists, Inc., which instructs resident and artists on how to replicate the Village model in damaged communities worldwide. In this interview, Yeh recounts the influence of her home country, China, the teachings of the Tao, Confucius, and Buddhism, and describes the process of the Village model as she initially conceived it and its organic and on-going evolution. { read more }

Be The Change

How does your vision of art compare to the service Yeh is providing to hurting and damaged communities? { more }

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November 21, 2019

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Complicating the Narratives

“Complicating the narrative means finding and including the details that don’t fit the narrative — on purpose. The idea is to revive complexity in a time of false simplicity. ‘The problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue but that they are incomplete,’ novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie says in her mesmerizing TED Talk “A Single Story.” ‘[I]t’s impossible to engage properly with a place or a person without engaging with all of the stories of that place and that person.’ Usually, reporters do the opposite. What if journalists covered controversial issues differently — based on how humans actually behave when they are polarized and suspicious?” This post explores that question in depth. { read more }

Be The Change

Watch Adichie’s TED Talk here. { more }

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November 20, 2019

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Ben Quilty: Artist Activist

Ben Quilty is one of Australia’s best-known artists. Internationally acclaimed and award winning, he is described as “complex, flawed, obvious, messy, courageous, funny,” and an activist. An official war artist in 2011, he produced work for the Australian War Memorial’s National Collection. The book, Home: Drawings by Syrian Children is the result of his experience visiting refugee camps in Greece, Serbia and Lebanon. In this interview with Jessica Raschke, he talks about “art, politics, compassion, and family, and how us humans could change things for the better.” { read more }

Be The Change

How can you use art as an expression of your activism while centering it on compassion and a shared humanity? { more }

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