Sangha of Auspicious Companions

InnerNet Weekly: We Are Between Stories

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. We Are Between Stories by Judith Thompson [Listen to Audio!] We live in an exciting time. As cultural historian, Thomas Berry put it: "We are between stories." The old story — bracketed on the one side by reductionist scientific materialism, and on the other by institutional religious dogmas — is no longer able to guide us toward human or planetary flourishing. Instead, the chasms created by both science and religion, and the various social philosophies they spawned, are implicated in pushing us toward the precipitous edge upon which we now stand. At this edge we see both breakdowns and breakthroughs. While the story of scientific materialism has been part of our evolutionary journey, it has created a map of reality — a worldview — that de-legitimized a vast portion of wisdom and experience. It placed reason over intuition, intellect over emotion, material over spiritual, objectivity over subjectivity, exteriority over interiority, and condensed this into a story that we live in a mechanistic, material world that can only be known through objective and measurable observation in which human reason reigns supreme. Institutionalized religion upheld a story that gave male authority figures the power to interpret and mediate purported divine laws and construct theological justifications for power over women, children, the natural world, and non-believers. While scientific and religious stories were at odds with each other, both saw it in their interests to label metaphysical or spiritual worldviews outside their boundaries as heresy, superstition or witchcraft. Yet ironically, science itself has now begun to step into the realm of the mystics. The "new sciences" story finds biologists and neuroscientists astounded by the hitherto unstudied capacities of the human brain and heart, indicating our ability to intentionally amplify love and compassion. It finds psychologists exploring the territory of contemplatives and revealing a map of human consciousness far beyond the individual ego-self. It finds physicists discovering that the presumed separation of observed and observer doesn’t exist. Much like the African worldview of Ubuntu — “I am because you are” – all things exists as a communion of subjects, not an assortment of objects. The new story frames the human journey, not within the context of tribes or nations, but embedded in a constantly evolving planet and cosmos, interconnected and interdependent at every level. The implications of this framing could signal dramatic changes in every field of human endeavor. The trends we are seeing within restorative justice, reconciliation, transitional justice, dialogue and other forms of peace practice, are evidence of new ways of addressing human conflict that are moving beyond the old dichotomies. We have chosen to name this trend social healing partly because we see an evolving paradigm that is not fundamentally hinged around the dualities of good vs. bad and right vs. wrong, but is rather inclined toward viewing human conflict through the lens of wounding and healing. Social healing, then, is not guided by revenge, retribution or punishment, but rather by the compassionate response of relating to all people — victims, transgressors and bystanders alike – as inextricably connected. –Judith Thompson, in Social Healing Project report Share the Wisdom: Latest Community Insights We Are Between Stories PK wrote: I love this piece because it resonates where I see myself — right in the middle of two paradigms, two worldviews — neither of them wrong nor right. Neither is fully present nor absent. It is t… Catherine Todd wrote: "…We have chosen to name this trend social healing partly because we see an evolving paradigm that is not fundamentally hinged around the dualities of good vs. bad and right vs. wrong, but is… Conrad wrote: Thanks for the opportunity to respond. Evolution is accelerating, especially the Lamarckian type. We are evolving into noticing, not that we have found a new home, but rather, we are now noticing that… Catherine Todd wrote: Conrad wrote: "Zen …insists that the whole trouble is just our failure to realize that there is no problem, and of course, this means that there is no solution either.” &nbs… Edit Lak wrote: Hmm – We are Between Stories – How do you relate to the old and new story? Interesting….Hmm –Do we relate at all? Or are we just passing through it, and once we have passed through it,&n… 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. Some Good News How Doctors Die 7 Spiritual Perspectives on Personal Leadership Stepping Out of the “Should” Trap Video of the Week “I’m Being Santa” Kindness Stories The Angeldog Just 1 Card To Say Happy Birthday… Parking Lot Surprise! 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 69,402 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)

Kindness Daily: The Angeldog

kindness daily home smileCards smileGroups

The Angeldog December 19, 2011 – Posted by wayfarer So, here’s the story the way it appeared to earthly eyes. Julie and I were out on the perimeter road that runs around where we live. Two dog walkers passed by and we heard one of them say, "Never seen that dog around here before." We looked down the hill and saw an old black labrador stumbling painfully up the hill. It reached us, and the legs kinda fell out from under it. We bent down, talked gently to the mutt and patted it. I checked and there was a collar. There was a phone number on the collar, but no one answered. The dog was so painfully thin that there seemed nothing between its ribs and its pelvis but spine. It didn’t have many teeth left and, well, it just seemed done. Julie ran home to get some of our dog’s food and mush it up in some milk while I tried to entice the dog to come along with me. Julie got home and back again when I was only half way there. So, we sat down on the pavement while our new friend made short work of the food. Eventually we got her home. We gave her a blanket, more food, kept her warm and wondered what to do next. After phoning and phoning we got a response from the number. A lady came around with a bunch of flowers for us. She explained that Tara had been her father’s dog. She was very old and should probably be put to sleep, but the lady just couldn’t bring herself to do it. She was so glad we had found her because Tara was almost blind and almost deaf. If she had wandered onto the road … So, Tara was safely returned home. Now, here’s the story from Heavenly eyes. Julie and I were out that morning because I was leaving. She was trying to talk me into coming back, but I wasn’t hearing anything that made that sound likely. I was about to turn and go – when an old, worn out dog walked between us and collapsed. Suddenly we had something more important than our problems to worry about. There was a creature in need right before us and we had to work together to help it. We did help it. And here am I writing the story in my own home, amongst my own family. In the song "Love Is Not A Fight" Warren Barfield talks about marriage and its trials. At one point he sings, "And if we try to leave, may God send angels to guard the door." Sometimes angels come disguised as dogs. 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 Who’s Thirsty?, by dancingDog What The Geese Taught Me, by JZ My 24 Hours With Hope, by liliana A True Story From Kolkata, by allen Five Year Old Jacob’s Chocolate Cookies, by brighteyes 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

Delivered by HelpOthers.org Click here to unsubscribe

Secret Santas Take the Country by Surprise

The heart of the giver makes the gift dear and precious. — Martin Luther King, Jr.

~~~~
Good News of the Day:
The young father stood in line at the Kmart layaway counter, wearing dirty clothes and worn-out boots. With him were three small children. He asked to pay something on his bill because he knew he wouldn’t be able to afford it all before Christmas. Then a mysterious woman stepped up to the counter. “She told him, ‘No, I’m paying for it,'” recalled Edna Deppe, assistant manager at the store in Indianapolis. “He just stood there and looked at her and then looked at me and asked if it was a joke. I told him it wasn’t, and that she was going to pay for him. And he just busted out in tears.” At Kmart stores across the country, Santa seems to be getting some help: Anonymous donors are paying off strangers’ layaway accounts, buying the Christmas gifts other families couldn’t afford, especially toys and children’s clothes set aside by impoverished parents.
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16A074D:C3009629A010612CEBA6E78DFE920DCBB4B847859706E37D&

~~~~
Be The Change:
Do an anonymous act of kindness today. Check out this link for some ideas.
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16A074E:C3009629A010612CEBA6E78DFE920DCBB4B847859706E37D&

**Share A Reflection**
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16A074F:C3009629A010612CEBA6E78DFE920DCBB4B847859706E37D&

Smile Newsletter: The Homeless Man Who Wouldn’t Shoot

Dec 18, 2011 “The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention… A loving silence often has far more power to heal and to connect than the most well-intentioned words.” –Rachel Naomi Remen âLast night was date night with my little girl. She wanted to conduct another kindness “special ops” mission for our evening. That afternoon, we made up some kindness envelopes, full of a smile cards, a few dollars and a special note. She decorated the outside of the envelopes with smiley stickers and the words “Open me, Iâm a gift for you!” She wanted to go to the mall and secretly place envelopes around to spread some Christmas smiles. When we dropped our first one and walked off without being seen, the look on her face was priceless. She was beaming and had a joyful kick in her step. I love how she loves our kindness missions! When we got home, she excitedly told her Mom all the things we had done and said we had the best date ever. I couldnât agree more!ââ makesomeonesmile [ share your story >> ] You can also contribute comments on each story! The Smile Project >> Homeless Man Who Wouldn’t Shoot >> Developing the Intention to Help >> More Stories >> “What are we here for if not to feel compassion and care for each other? That can be a real challenge in our world at times. Being mindful and helping those less fortunate is one way of connecting. In learning how to help others, I have found that I feel hope and love as well. Everyone wins!”–Behappy2 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, 989,349 cards have been shipped without any charge. The ‘Smiles’ newsletter is emailed to 86,415 subscribers with the intent of spreading more smiles in the world. You can unsubscribe anytime. get smile cards | donate | write to us

The Never-Ending Story

Everything is held together with stories. That is all that is holding us together, stories and compassion. — Barry Lopez

~~~~
Good News of the Day:
In 2006, Jonathan Harris and a colleague launched We Feel Fine, a project that took the Web’s emotional pulse by culling personal data from blogs. It was the first of several groundbreaking websites that Harris helped to create, and the project attracted widespread attention. In the following years, however, Harris began to feel like a voyeur. Determined to find a more open, transparent way to chart shared human experiences, he retreated into solitude, altered his approach, and developed a new digital storytelling platform called Cow Bird. The platform, which recently launched, encourages people to tell long-form stories online using photos, sound maps, timelines, videos, and casts of characters. It then spins a larger “meta” tale from their commonalities. With Cow Bird, Harris aims to revive letter writing in the digital era-providing the Internet generation with a deeper, more reciprocal means of communication than shouting into a disconnected social media void.
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16A05B2:C3009629A010612C9CDFD32E8C659D88B4B847859706E37D&

~~~~
Be The Change:
Write a meaningful personal story, no matter how short it is, and share it online or on paper. For inspiration, Cowbird.
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16A05B3:C3009629A010612C9CDFD32E8C659D88B4B847859706E37D&

**Share A Reflection**
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16A05B4:C3009629A010612C9CDFD32E8C659D88B4B847859706E37D&

The Never-Ending Story

Everything is held together with stories. That is all that is holding us together, stories and compassion. — Barry Lopez

~~~~
Good News of the Day:
In 2006, Jonathan Harris and a colleague launched We Feel Fine, a project that took the Web’s emotional pulse by culling personal data from blogs. It was the first of several groundbreaking websites that Harris helped to create, and the project attracted widespread attention. In the following years, however, Harris began to feel like a voyeur. Determined to find a more open, transparent way to chart shared human experiences, he retreated into solitude, altered his approach, and developed a new digital storytelling platform called Cow Bird. The platform, which recently launched, encourages people to tell long-form stories online using photos, sound maps, timelines, videos, and casts of characters. It then spins a larger “meta” tale from their commonalities. With Cow Bird, Harris aims to revive letter writing in the digital era-providing the Internet generation with a deeper, more reciprocal means of communication than shouting into a disconnected social media void.
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16A0566:C3009629A010612C0E1BF7DF6AB4ECABB4B847859706E37D&

~~~~
Be The Change:
Write a meaningful personal story, no matter how short it is, and share it online or on paper. For inspiration, Cowbird.
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16A0569:C3009629A010612C0E1BF7DF6AB4ECABB4B847859706E37D&

**Share A Reflection**
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16A056B:C3009629A010612C0E1BF7DF6AB4ECABB4B847859706E37D&

The Never-Ending Story

Everything is held together with stories. That is all that is holding us together, stories and compassion. — Barry Lopez

~~~~
Good News of the Day:
In 2006, Jonathan Harris and a colleague launched We Feel Fine, a project that took the Web’s emotional pulse by culling personal data from blogs. It was the first of several groundbreaking websites that Harris helped to create, and the project attracted widespread attention. In the following years, however, Harris began to feel like a voyeur. Determined to find a more open, transparent way to chart shared human experiences, he retreated into solitude, altered his approach, and developed a new digital storytelling platform called Cow Bird. The platform, which recently launched, encourages people to tell long-form stories online using photos, sound maps, timelines, videos, and casts of characters. It then spins a larger “meta” tale from their commonalities. With Cow Bird, Harris aims to revive letter writing in the digital era-providing the Internet generation with a deeper, more reciprocal means of communication than shouting into a disconnected social media void.
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16A0484:C3009629A010612CFFD06A7FC14732A4B4B847859706E37D&

~~~~
Be The Change:
Write a meaningful personal story, no matter how short it is, and share it online or on paper. For inspiration, Cowbird.
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16A0488:C3009629A010612CFFD06A7FC14732A4B4B847859706E37D&

**Share A Reflection**
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16A0489:C3009629A010612CFFD06A7FC14732A4B4B847859706E37D&

Kindness Daily: Parking Lot Surprise!

kindness daily home smileCards smileGroups

Parking Lot Surprise! December 17, 2011 – Posted by nancy.schotter My mom was recently hospitalized at a local inner city hospital that requires visitors to pay for parking. I cannot fault the organization for accepting revenue for parking when it is difficutl to find addequate spaces to park at many hospitals. As I was leaving I was reflecting on how very fortunate I am that she is improving daily and that I have a job and can afford to pay for parking. Having a family member or someone you care about to be in a hospital is difficult enough, many folks are grieving or afraid so to extend a small favor like a parking fee, maybe would help just a bit. So as I left, I gave the parking lot attendant double the parking fee each time I visited and asked her to use the extra money to pay for the next person in line’s parking. I have no idea if the person behind me felt any better about the "free parking" but I did! 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 My Most Prized Possession, by Anon An Experiment in Teaching Children Philanthropy, by Author Unknown No Choice But To Do Something, by Will Glennon Survivor Flowers, by Kat Callaway I Bow to the Paint on my Walls, by Sukh Chugh 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

Delivered by HelpOthers.org Click here to unsubscribe

The Never-Ending Story

Everything is held together with stories. That is all that is holding us together, stories and compassion. — Barry Lopez

~~~~
Good News of the Day:
In 2006, Jonathan Harris and a colleague launched We Feel Fine, a project that took the Web’s emotional pulse by culling personal data from blogs. It was the first of several groundbreaking websites that Harris helped to create, and the project attracted widespread attention. In the following years, however, Harris began to feel like a voyeur. Determined to find a more open, transparent way to chart shared human experiences, he retreated into solitude, altered his approach, and developed a new digital storytelling platform called Cow Bird. The platform, which recently launched, encourages people to tell long-form stories online using photos, sound maps, timelines, videos, and casts of characters. It then spins a larger “meta” tale from their commonalities. With Cow Bird, Harris aims to revive letter writing in the digital era-providing the Internet generation with a deeper, more reciprocal means of communication than shouting into a disconnected social media void.
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16A03ED:C3009629A010612C3068430DC0E548E9B4B847859706E37D&

~~~~
Be The Change:
Write a meaningful personal story, no matter how short it is, and share it online or on paper. For inspiration, Cowbird.
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16A03EE:C3009629A010612C3068430DC0E548E9B4B847859706E37D&

**Share A Reflection**
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16A03EF:C3009629A010612C3068430DC0E548E9B4B847859706E37D&

Dalai Lama Quote from Snow Lion Publications