My parents and I have just watched a compelling documentary chronicling the events leading up to and immediately following the US invasion of Iraq, an occupation which persists to this day. More than anything I am troubled. Sincerely my heart aches with sadness, not only for the thousands of American soldiers whose lives have been lost in this conflict and for the vacancies that are left in the homes of their families, but also for the hundreds of thousand of Iraqi soldiers and civilians who have been witness to and victims of some of the greatest horrors of our time.

At this juncture, I am becoming aware of a very interesting connection. In the summer of 2005 I participated in an internship program working in a hospital in Dresden, Germany. The city for centuries has been revered for its breathtaking beauty, resting on the banks of the Elbe with its elegant opera houses and ornate cathedrals. During the Second World War the city was all but completely devastated in what was the worst fire-bombing to date. The city of Dresden was not of strategic importance militarily. The attack was made perhaps not to secure a certain victory, but to ensure that the Germans were thoroughly defeated.

I am now on the eve of departing to work in Viet Nam, a country deeply affected by what they call the ‘American War’. The old demilitarized zone (DMZ) where we will spend a portion of our time was more heavily bombed than all of Europe during WWII. A country where presently children are born with severe abnormalities as a result of the residual and lasting effect of the chemical defoliants that saturated the landscape.

I am in awe of the capabilities of man to inflict pain and suffering on another man. This is destruction on a scale and scope that employs every effort of our imagination and empathy to comprehend.

Sadly these conflicts are not a thing of the past, but if we are willing we can work together to make them so.

In the military and in politics people speak in terms of victory and defeat. In society we speak of success or failure. In all of this I feel that what resonates is the excess and toxicity of the pride of man—a pride that infects us with a sense of ‘us’ versus ‘them’. That ‘they’ must be defeated so that ‘we’ may be victorious. That ‘they’ must be eliminated so that ‘we’ may prosper. This way of thinking is very destructive not only for our world but for ourselves.

So, today I pray for humility.

I pray for a humility that will enable us, enliven us, encourage us, and invigorate us. That no act be too great, nor none too small made in the name of peace and community.


“A funny feeling creeps inside
it cannot find a place to hide
in a cage its learned to hate
now I’m opening the gate

So that all may know and see it true
that they are all like us
And we are all like you

No line can divide us
or border deny us
the right to be free and in peace and alive

This feeling inside”
---source unknown

"committed to transforming consciousness"

After watching a talk given by Eve Ensler, the creator of "vagina monologues," I feel compelled to share some of her words about the journey she has embarked upon helping women around the world...

In the beginning "it felt too daunting, I felt like a war photographer who takes pictures of terrible events, without being able to intervene on their behalf...

Being in the face of things...is the antidote to depression.

I live in my body a lot these days, not as much in my head anymore. I think the world of "v world" is very much in the body, the species really exists in the body. There is a real significance in the connection between our bodies and our heads - their separation creates a divide between purpose and intent. The connection between body and head brings those things into union.

When we give in the world what we want the most, we heal the broken part inside each of us."

Eve Ensler is, along with millions of women around the world, committed to transforming consciousness.

Gung Ganapataye Namo Namah

november 7 was a glorious day. it began early, going out to rita's farm to help her pick vegetables...beautiful mustard greens, red and green leaf lettuces, snacking on wild spinach...brisk air, warm sun and cool bugs...
spending time that way-hands in the dirt, breathing fresh air and picking food from the earth- makes it difficult to think about days at a computer, inside and sterile. it would be amazing if more people returned to agriculture and community, if we could all grow our own food-being more sustainable and connected, while putting an end to coorporate agriculture.

that evening, paul, marissa and i were graced by the glowing presence of bhakti yogis, David Newman "Durga Das" and Mira. They played a live music yoga class at satsang and led a kirtan afterwards. Their divine serenity was powerfully infectious. Nada yoga (the yoga of sound) is very potent, resulting in opening of the heart and mind-allowing one to love and be loved.
Some things were said that evening which were very interesing...our identity begins to be developed as soon as we are born. with our sex/gender we begin to separate ourselves from others. as we grow older, that separation grows stronger as we indentify with concepts of race, culture, language, aesthetics, social roles and the like. we tend to glorify individuality and illuminate differences between us, but what about trancending the dualistic, linear thinking that leads to discrimination and intolerance? David said, when two people come together, that is the beginning of breaking down that separation-while still honoring the separation that exists. I think that is a beautiful statement. I think that duality exists, but that it is superficial and able to be transcended. Just like the way I believe things are cyclical, but we perceive things in a linear way so that we can "comprehend" or make sense of things, so that they are more palatable amd allow us to think we are in control. I think that when the mind is illuminated and is able to move beyond linear thinking, beyond dualistic thinking, it realizes how interconnected everything is, and the ego is no longer the most important thing. The divisions that seem real exist on an elementary level. With training of the mind, and opening of the heart, we can move beyond these superficial divisions-resulting in more accountability for what we think, say and do. you can't throw anything "away." if everything comes full circle, where is away?

Paul and I are leaving charleston very soon...(next week)...that reality is just beginning to sink in and these last few days have been/are/will be precious. I think what I am going to miss about charleston the most is satsang. I would say people, but as paul said, the people aren't charleston. those i love and care about will not be in charleston forever-so i am grateful for this place where i have forged these beautiful bonds, but accept that it is time to go, and that while this is the end of my time is this space, it is only the beginning of many incredible friendships. Andrea (one of our yoga teachers) left town for 10 days, so we had to say goodbye to her after the kirtan, as we will not see her again before we leave. I tried to maintain composure while thanking her, but I couldn't. Nor could I truly express how grateful I am for her satsang. So we all hugged and the tears came and she told us she loves us and said, "give lots of love, don't forget the yoga practice; that is why your are going."
and she is right.

Jai Ganesha Jai Ganesha Jai Ganesha Pahiman

Shri Ganesha Shri Ganesha Shri Ganesha Rakshaman

Gung Gananpataye Namo Namah.

[Salutations to Ganesha the remover of suffering and the bestower of grace.

My we seek your protection and refuge.]

love.

"This is not mayonnaise, this is yogurt!"

Once a dear friend told me that we laugh because something happens or is said that contrasts what we are anticipating, what we expect to come next.

for a trick of the eye, and hopefully a laugh, or at least a smile-check out Trompe l'oeil...

*note, i consume neither mayonnaise nor yogurt...it is a joke from czech language class in prague*

[world_ view]

Let us remember "the central revelation of anthropology, and that is the idea that the world in which we live in does not exist in some absolute sense, it is just one model of reality, the consequence of one particular set of adaptive choices that our lineage made, albeit successfully many generations ago...there are different ways of being, thinking and orientating yourself..."

-Wade Davis

I feel as though I experienced a revelation this past weekend. For weeks, months, years, I have been turning some thoughts over in my mind...reading about veganism, ethics, various religions, philosophy...of course, everything you do, think and say, becomes subtlely woven into one's personal fabric and over time, as more threads are added-we begin to not only feel, but to physically notice a greater change in ourselves.

For so long, I have been searching, reaching almost blindly for something intangible and elusive. I feel I have come to a point where I am more firmly rooted. The impact from some recent events; seeing the Dalai Lama speak, making small changes in my daily life to be more mindful and equinimous, spending time with certain exceptional individuals, practicing yoga, and a phone call from a friend this weekend have all been simmering in my mind, the cacophany of flavors and aromas mixing and mingling...

The result...I feel more firmly rooted in ahimsa, or non-harming. I feel compelled to live a life of service, devoted not necessarily to a certain faith, but to being kind, compassionate and humble.

The Dalai Lama spoke of the importance for eductation to encompass both inner space of the self and outer space (ie. western science & eastern philosphy). Inner disarmament will lead to outer disarmament. In order for there to be non-violence, and world peace, we must have inner peace. We must educate humanity warmth and compassion.
Destruction of the enemy is destruction of yourself. Dialogue is necessary- respect and the spirit of compromise. Reconciliation. He spoke of different religions and began by saying " I am a simple monk, no different from you-we are all the same"
If someone practices a certain religion, they should practice their faith, allowing their faith to be strong and deep, but with respect for others.

For non-violence between peoples of different cultures, faith and status- there must be dialogue. And for there to be dialogue there must be respect. For there to be respect there must be compassion, for there to be compassion there must be self-confidence. For there to be self-confidence, there must be affection.
So compassion and affection are the roots of non-violence, the roots of peace, both inner and outer...

War photographer, James Nachtwey is an inspiration. His mission to strive for peace by illuminating social issues, is one I feel aligned with and I agree with him that "on a higher plane, the press is a service industry, and the service it provides is awareness...every story is not to sell something, there is something to give."

With these things in mind, [Ahimsa Photo] was created. This is only the beginning, and this trip to Viet Nam is only the first step. Here are two more quotes that have affected me deeply, (thanks alan, for sharing the last one...)

"Sometimes I can stand before the world. I want to say this; transformation is a difficult and slow process. Sometimes I can stand before the world and say, my name is Chris Abani, I have been human six days...but only sometimes. But this is a good thing. It's never going to be easy, there are no answers...Truth be told, there are no essential Africans, most of us are as completely ignorant as everyone else about the continent we come from, and yet we want to make profound statements about it. I think if we can just admit that we're all trying to proximate the truth of our own communities, it will make for a much more nuanced, and a much more interesting conversation.
I want to believe that we can be agnostic about this, that we can rise above all of this...the cause of all of our trouble is the belief in an essential, pure identity...religious, ethnic, historical, ideological..."
-Chris Abani

"If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. Wherever you are -- if you are following your bliss, you are enjoying that refreshment, that life within you, all the time......Now, I came to this idea of bliss because in Sanskrit, which is the great spiritual language of the world, there are three terms that represent the brink, the jumping-off place to the ocean of transcendence:sat-chit-ananda. The word"Sat" means being. "Chit" means consciousness. "Ananda" means bliss or rapture. I thought, 'I don't know whether my consciousness is proper consciousness or not; I don't know whether what I know of my being is my proper being or not; but I do know where my rapture is. So let me hang on to rapture, and that will bring me both my consciousness and my being.' I think it worked."

-Joseph Campbell

Om Shanti,
eva

"I think harmony..."

"I think harmony with nature is possible only if we abandon the idea of superiority over the natural world. Levi-Strauss said that our profound error is that we have always looked upon ourselves as 'masters of creation,' in the sense of being above it. We are not superior to other life-forms; all living things are an expression of life. If we could see that truth, we would see that everything we do to other life-forms we also do to ourselves. A culture which understands this does not, without absolute necessity, destroy any living thing." -Bill Mollison