A Life Connected

A teacher and friend offered me Eknath Easwaran’s book “Meditation” to read and add to my Nonviolence tool belt some lessons on training the mind for difficult times…

I kept getting distracted by Easwaran’s metaphors when he writes of animals as if they were ours to train and to bring to submission. He used an elephant metaphor saying it was important to train an elephant to carry a staff with her trunk to keep her from doing what would come natural to an elephant — to eat the fruit she passes through the market place.

and

“Untrained horses can break away and run where they will, here and there, perhaps leading us to destruction… But trained horses – horse lovers know the delight of this – respond to even a light touch of the reins.”

I believe he meant no harm by these metaphors, but as I’ve moved along the Nonviolence path, metaphors like these now strike me as hurtful, oppressive, and domineering.

There’s a low budget classic movie from the early 1970s called “Billy Jack.” The opening sequence is of locals rounding up wild horses to haul them off to slaughter to make a few bucks. The wild horses are beautiful and graceful… and the human greed and bravado causing their panic and stampede are in stark violent contrast. The scene seems to go on way too long… uncomfortably long. I would like to think if this movie were shot again today, they wouldn’t be allowed to cause for our “entertainment” this kind of brutality — horses slipping on the rocky surface of the desert high cliffs, stumbling, falling, confused, and in utter terror.

I think of the “horses and elephants” Easwaran invites us to “train.” A metaphor that would be more meaningful to me and less violent to me would be to let the elephant be what an elephant is meant to be — kind, loving, free, peaceful, and strong. And allow the horses to be set free to be elegant, graceful, and wise. It reminds me that our minds are not wild and obstinate by nature, but are actually innately peaceful and creative.

Our challenge then is to FREE the mind, not to train it — to allow it to be in its natural state rather than pushing it to unnatural states.

Of course, we’ve gone so far now — marinating our brains in everything unnatural, violent, and disconnected — that it’s difficult to know which way nature lies. Still, it’s interesting for me to think that “training” the mind is really an act of liberating the mind, setting it free. It’s not confining, it’s freeing. It’s not controlling; it’s reminding. It’s not taking it places it doesn’t want to go; it’s just trying to set it free… to arrive home.

I believe Easwaran and I are talking about the same process and the same goals, but the metaphor changes things for me. It reminds me of when we speak to folks about living A Life Connected. It’s not that we’re asking people to change. Rather, we are offering them the tools to be who they truly are — compassionate, caring, connected individuals.

All one,

:) m

Take part TODAY!

The Compassion and Health Campaign – The World Peace Diet.

An extraordinary one-day event to spread the word about “The World Peace Diet.”  Lots of free gifts available if you take part in this one-day-only opportunity.  Here’s the message from our friends at The World Peace Diet…

As seekers of truth, compassion, and health, we are learning to question the assumptions of the established order, and to rely more on our inherent wisdom to bring healing and peace to our lives.

There is a book, written by our friend Dr. Will Tuttle, called The World Peace Diet. It helps you understand the power of food, and the cultural mentality reinforced by our practice of food, for many levels of healing-–physical, psychological, cultural, ecological, and spiritual.

Many people have called it a revelation, and one of the most important books of the 21^st century.

Today, Friday, March 12, Dr. Tuttle is coordinating a special offer for this critically-acclaimed book called “The March 12 World Peace Diet Compassion and Health Campaign.” Please pick up a copy of The World Peace Diet today and pass one along to a friend, library, school, etc.

Many generous and caring sponsors have donated excellent bonus gifts and prizes to anyone who buys The World Peace Diet (today only).  Including NonviolenceUnited.org! :)

There are downloadable audio books, recipes, music, e-books, discount coupons and the chance to enter drawings for some terrific prizes! There are over 50 gifts and prizes, all told, and anyone who buys the book on March 12 (only) is eligible to receive them. Here’s the link to this special campaign http://worldpeacediet.org/promo.htm

It’s a great way to help animals, the Earth, hungry people, and all of us, and spread the message we believe in.

This is the page to go to – http://worldpeacediet.org/promo.htm – everything is explained there.

P.S. – Please share this special offer with your friends and colleagues, and encourage them to do the same.  This is not an exclusive offer. The more of us who participate, the better it will be for everyone.  This is a one-day offer–March 12 only.  Thanx!

Mother Teresa asked us to “find someone who thinks they are alone and let them know that they are not.”

It might be as simple as a smile or a conversation with a homeless person. It might be a “thank you” to the weary cashier. It might be stopping traffic to allow a frightened animal cross the street. It might be more involved volunteer work, or a phone call, or a supportive email to someone working for an organization you admire, or lending an ear to one of your fellow advocates struggling through the pain of awareness.

Being connected takes courage.  Whatever the struggle, we don’t have to go it alone. You might be surprised how this continued practice of being kind and helping others will come full circle. You might find that, in fact, you weren’t holding up your friend, but that you were holding up each other.