Principles of Spiritual Activism

[Editor's Note: These 13 suggestions for ethical behavior and spiritual progression are based on principles which operate throughout the universe. Some people call them Universal laws When you reach the point in your life when you begin to take notice of these inviolate rules and consciously apply them, you begin to notice changes in your awareness, in your sense of fulfullment, satisfaction, and peace. You will also notice material and spiritual rewards coming to you in greater abundance. When you follow these spiritual Rules of the Road for Life's Journey, you will find yourself in harmony with the Voice of the Creator and life will flow through you like a river. Christ was able to distill a fair share of the ideas embraced here when he laid out the principle of Golder Rule: "Do unto others as they would do unto you" and "Love thy neighbor as thyself". Jesus didn't do such a bad job expanding these concepts with the Beatitudes either. Print this list out and tape it to your refrigerator or slip it into a page protector and put it somewhere where you and other people will notice it and read it. Daily reminders are the best way to adopt new patterns of behavior. ..Ken]

Original Title - Principles of Spiritual Activism 

 

The following principles emerged from several years' work with social change leaders in Satyana's Leading with Spirit program. We offer these not as definitive truths, but rather as key learnings and guidelines that, taken together, comprise a useful framework for "spiritual activism."

1. Transformation of motivation from anger/fear/despair to compassion/love/purpose. This is a vital challenge for today's social change movement. This is not to deny the noble emotion of appropriate anger or outrage in the face of social injustice. Rather, this entails a crucial shift from fighting against evil to working for love, and the long-term results are very different, even if the outer activities appear virtually identical.  Action follows Being, as the Sufi saying goes. Thus "a positive future cannot emerge from the mind of anger and despair" (Dalai Lama).

Dreams..

 “Dreams pass into the reality of action.

From the actions stems the dream again;

and this interdependence produces the

highest form of living.”

-Anais Nin

The Invitation

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.  I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are.  I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

A Hopi Elder Speaks:

"You have been telling people that this is the 11th hour.
At such a time, we must consider certain things.

Where are you living? What are you doing?
What are your relationships? Are they in order?
Where is your water? Know your garden.

It is time to speak your truth. Create your circle.
And do not look outside yourself for the leader.

There is a river flowing now very fast.
So great and swift is it that many will be afraid.
They will try to hold on to the shore.
They will feel torn apart, and will suffer greatly.
Know the river has its destination.
The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above water.

See who is in there with you.
At this time in history, take nothing personally, least of all ourselves.
The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves!
Everything done in a sacred way, and in celebration.
We are the ones we have been waiting for."

If Beauty Were A Sound

by Heather Fraser

As I write this, a brilliant full moon is beaming it's luminous light through my bedroom window.

All seems still in this moment, except for fingers moving across a keyboard, the steady rhythm of a heart beating,

blood flowing through veins, breath moving in and out of lungs, and earth hurtling through space.

The sound of silence embraces all that lives within the temple of my Being.

If Beauty were a sound, it would be the sound of silence.

The kind of silence that comes from within.

The kind of silence that I can actually hear as a mystical tone in my ears when I am fully present and pure

awareness floods my mind.

I am hearing God.

And she is everywhere.

In this moment, I am seeing her as the dance of moonlight sparkling like a million crystals from the frost on my window.

Is there anywhere that beauty cannot be found?

She is the mirror of my soul.

In everything and everyone, she shows me who I am.

I am eternal awareness.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

This is It!

I found a better layout than the ones before!

Designed by Pietro Russo, it is a low-maintenance, modern, well-designed green housing alternative.  I think I will need two.  Or just one, and a separate guest cottage.  Throw in some solar panels, a dome green house.  A pond by the herb garden near a river.  What do you think?

Ahhh...now where is that land?

Trust & Be Willing To Risk It All..

"Get on with your own creative life. Ideas are free. They don't cost you a thing. You can live in the world of thought all the days of your life and never go broke.

You will also die unfulfilled, because an idea that never incarnates, that never becomes physical and grounded in this world, will eventually feel like the most painful burden you ever had to carry - one that you can never put down.

People who have had near death experiences report that there is indeed a life review that happens upon our death, and that a part of that life review is to make note of what could have been in our lives had we chose otherwise.

Falling into that category are all the creative opportunities the universe provided for us that we let fall by the wayside because our fears carried more authority within us than our faith.

Trust in the life support system that is inherent in your creative spirit. You will draw to yourself all that you need as you need it, but you must first be willing to risk it all."
 
- Caroline Myss, best-selling author & speaker.

What Makes You Happy?

Thank you Ryan Fisher for reminding us of this:

You will discover your best life when you seek out what you can GIVE to the world instead of what you can GET from it. 

You were born as a unique being that will never be replicated again in all of eternity. You have a gift, talent and vision within you that the world needs to become a better place. 

Get in touch with what makes YOU happy. It's not wise to live your life as a people pleaser. Worrying about what everyone will think, how they will lose from your empowerment, or feeling guilty for doing what you love when others won't approve - these are all blocks to giving this world your gift. 

Get in touch with what makes you happy. Know that happiness and living an amazing life is not a right reserved for "special people" or "other people". This life can and will be yours as you decide and choose it to be more and more. It is not reckless to pursue your dreams - it is mandatory.  

What makes you happy? What lights you up? These things are key indicators pointing to who you really are. Have the courage to pursue them day by day and a new world will open to you. It takes courage, but so does ANYTHING worth doing!