Today Paul and I spent from 12:00-1:30 pm, online with 4500 other folks from around the world, the first of three sessions, with poet David Whyte. THE COURAGE IN POETRY -  Reassessing and Emboldening Our Lives. An Invitation to Solace, Companionship and Courage. 

It was an extraordinary event. There are no words. However I am reminded of times during summer programs in the Great Hall with 1,000 people when.....

I first ran into David Whyte in a 1996 weekend with Angeles Arrien at her workshop in Marin County, Embracing the Sacred Other. I've been to several of David Whyte's readings, listened to his recordings, and now being in an online event....extraordinary.

Beret 

On Sun, Apr 12, 2020 at 2:53 PM Ken Fisher via OE <oe@lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:

Iain McGilchrist:

Metaphor is not just a reflection of what has been, but the means whereby the truly new, rather that just the novel, may come about … All understanding, whether of the world or of ourselves, depends on choosing the right metaphor.  The metaphor we choose governs what we see.  Even in talking about understanding, we cannot escape metaphors.

Q. Which metaphor would you choose for ‘Being’ as the educational context for the process of becoming who we are?

Iain McGilchrist:

That’s quite a question!  Of course, there can’t be a metaphor for being as such, since it is the core mystery, along with time, as Heidegger saw, and we can’t compare it – or time, for that matter – with anything else at all.  But I would try to answer you by saying that we are all in the process of becoming what we are, and that everything that is, is also only becoming.  And so there never is an ‘is’ in the static sense.  We are always, all our lives, work in progress – and so, actually, is everything that ‘is’.  I suppose one of my cardinal points is that everything, for us as human beings, exists under two aspects: one is static, fixed, isolated and certain, and that corresponds with ‘being as representation’ (what the left hemisphere delivers); and the other is flowing, changing, connected and uncertain, and that corresponds with ‘being in itself’, which is also a ‘being as becoming’ (what the right hemisphere delivers).  But ultimately the first is only a special way of conceiving the second, once time has been removed from the picture.  The reality, as Heraclitus saw, and others in the East have seen before and since, is that ‘everything flows’.

http://towardsmagz.org/?page_id=320

Ken

On Apr 12, 2020, at 9:35 AM, Jack Gilles via OE <oe@lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:

Dear Colleagues,

The poet’s task is to communicate truth in a ways that cannot be communicated by prose. And I emphasize “cannot”. Language is the tool of the left brain. The rational, verbal scientific paradigm that replaced (or displaced) the two-story paradigm did a great deal for understanding and discourse. We are able to grasp the insight, see mistaken literalism. The right brain is mute. It sees wholes, not parts. 

But that does not mean that therefore the rational, impersonal, and statistical probability of how this planet functions is truth. That viruses just arise, that the Earth doesn’t consciously (not human thinking consciousness) communicate messages with intent. It does. This planet is alive, all of it, as an integrated system. Pain is real, death is real, and even a fly can sense when it is in danger. That system, that infinitely complex, but totally integrated system communicates by harmony. The even shifting, the ever changing and the ever evolving is a great Dance. And when we, the only part of creation that is capable of destroying the rest of creation do not dance, but march as masters of the fate of what actually sustains and enables us to actually live, then it consciously responds. 

We discerned a lot of that complexity in our Social Process Triangles. We knew intuitively that every triangle was connected to every other and we saw how our home works, at least the human sociality part. But it is only one triangle of three that actually needs to be grasped as an integrated system. That a is what the very top triangle in the culture does; The Myth Factor. It is about integrating the whole Social Process. And with that Myth Factor we dialogue with two other triangles. 

The Social Process is about how the human beings organizes themselves into a system. It does not speak anything about either how this Earth functions or how my personal, unique, unrepeatable self functions. I am more than a cog in the social machine, and I am more than just a victim of a unconscious planet. I am a live, free, responsible, creation of a Mystery I will never understand, but who is as close as my breath, and knows every hair. And this Mystery loves his creation with infinite Mercy and Compassion. 

The whole triangle  I call The Human Process.  It is a dialogue (dynamic) of The Natural Process, The Social Process and The Individual Process. 

This particular stream of the OE Dialogue is not where I want to share more detail on this. All I want to communicate is that this glorious Earth is a Great Poem, it is a Great Song, but most of all it is a Great Dance. And I learned that from Judy.

Peace,

Jack

On Apr 12, 2020, at 02:15, the telfords via OE <oe@lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:

Thank you Bill for your insight.

The poet sort of implies that the current virus pandemic is a result of the way we have been treating the earth.

Personally I don't believe that to be true.

But I think the poet is saying that this is giving us an opportunity to take stock of 

what is happening to our world as a result of our actions and now is the time to

stop being blind to the consequences of what we have been doing - take off the 

dark glasses and to change our behavior.

Certainly in Australia the unprecedented fire season we have just been through has 

been a real wake-up call to stop our denial of the part we have/are playing in causing

the drying up of the Darling River, the bleaching of the corals on the Great Barrier Reef etc.

So we pray that at this time we continue to love our neighbours, 

and start caring about the earth and all its creatures

A pretty appropriate message at Easter time.

 Peace

John

On Sat, Apr 11, 2020 at 11:35 PM William Schlesinger via OE <oe@lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:

So another thought.  When some religious figures read Katrina as God's response to gender and sexuality preferences, we did not agree.  They created that meaning, and we saw another reality.

For those of us in the Christian tradition, our central text contains a story - 'who sinned that this man might be born blind'?  And the answer was - 'No one sinned.  This is an opportunity to show the works of God'  (Matthew's gospel if you needed the citation).

Viruses mutate.  It's in their nature.  And some mutations are more effective than others at spreading, infecting, and not killing the host quickly so they can continue to spread.  For some of us, this is not 'caused' by human blindness or fear, but is an opportunity to show compassion, embrace forgiveness, and take responsibility.

Care for the earth - but don't use blaming and shaming in the process.

Bill Schlesinger

Project Vida

3607 Rivera Avenue

El Paso, TX 79905

(915) 490-6148 cell

On Sat, Apr 11, 2020 at 12:02 AM the telfords via OE <oe@lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:

A friend sent this to us so we thought we would share it with you all.

The earth whispered but you did not hear 

The earth spoke but you did not listen,

The earth screamed but you turned her off.

And so I was born.

I was not born to punish you..

I was born to awaken you..

The earth cried out for help..

Massive flooding. But you didn't listen..

Burning fires. But you didn't listen..

Strong hurricanes. But you didn't listen..

Terrifying tornadoes. But you didn't listen..

You still don't listen to the earth when:

Ocean animals are dying due to pollutants in the waters..

Glaciers melting at an alarming rate. Severe drought..

You didn't listen to how much negativity the earth is receiving..

Non-stop wars. Non-stop greed. You just kept going on with your life..

No matter how much hate there was.. No matter how many killings daily..

It was more important to get that latest iPhone than worry about what the

earth was trying to tell you..

But now I am here..

And I've made the world stop in its tracks..

I've made YOU finally listen.. I've made you take refuge..

I've made you stop thinking about materialistic things..

Now you are like the earth.. You are only worried about YOUR survival.

How does that feel?

I give you fever.. as the fires burn the earth.

I give you respiratory issues.. Has pollution filled the earth air.

I give you weakness as the earth weakens every day.

I took away your comforts.. Your outings.

The things you would use to forget about the planet and its pain.

And I made the world stop..

And now.. China has better quality air..

Skies are clear blue because factories are noy spewing pollution into the earth's air.

The water in Venice is clan and dolphins are being seen.

Because the gondola boats that pollute the water are not being used.

YOU are having to take time to reflect on what is important in life.

Again I am not here to punish you.. I am here to AWAKEN you..

When all this is over and I am gone.. Please remember these moments..

Listen to the earth. Listen to your soul. Stop polluting the earth.

Stop fighting with each other. Stop caring about materialistic things.

And start loving your neighbours. Start caring about the earth and all its creatures.

Because next time I may come back even stronger....

by Vivinne R Reich - Feel free to copy and send.

Grace & Peace

John & Elaine

Virus-free. www.avast.com

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