“What is it that I love when I love my God? It is a certain light that I love and melody, fragrance, food, embrace of the God within, where, for my soul, that shines which space does not contain; that sounds which time does not sweep away; that is fragrant which the breeze does not dispel; and that tastes sweet, which, fed upon, is not diminished; and that clings close which no satiety disparts – this is what I love when I love my God.” – St. Augustine.
Recently, I ‘met’ Jeff Brown on a social networking discussion group and learned of his friendship with a man who is homeless in Toronto (Slim) and was inspired. Jeff is a former criminal lawyer and author of ‘Soul Shaping’, a book about expanding our consciousness and ‘every person’s journey from self-alienation to soul-satisfaction in the heart of modern life’.
Here’s an excerpt from a post by Jeff on The Homeless Challenge:
“The HOMELESSNESS CHALLENGE is very simple. I challenge everyone of us who is in a position to do so, to give ONE homeless person something that they can do this year that will bring them back into the world in some small way. It can be an errand you need done, a car that needs washing, something that they can sell for you, perhaps even an ongoing job. It is fine and often necessary to gift money and food, but it is even better to remind them that they are still needed for what they have to offer. We talk about ‘unity consciousness’ in our spiritual inquiries, we hear ourselves say that “everyone is connected”, but how far do we take that? Do we exclude those individuals that make us uncomfortable and remind us of our own fragility? Do we keep the homeless at a comfortable distance because we want to keep our own fear of homelessness at arm’s length? How far are we willing to go to give meaning to the idea that “everyone is connected?” How willing are we to open our hearts and bring everyone from our flock back into the fold of the connected heart?
This idea was born in my recent experience with Slim, a homeless man in Toronto, Canada. For years, I had seen Slim pushing his cart around the area where I live. It is a big cart, almost like a caravan, filled with all kinds of mysteries. Whenever I would sit down to talk with him, I was startled by the positive energy that came off him. His energy was positive, his eyes alight. As we talked, I would notice others walk by, often racing to work or home. I noticed the discrepancy between Slim’s energy and theirs. He was so positive, they seemed dreary and worn. Yet he was the homeless one. Or was he?
As I was in the midst of writing a book about spiritual homelessness, my discussions with Slim always stoked the fire of my inquiries. When I finished Soulshaping, I added Slim to my gratitudes section. He had made a big difference. There was something between us, something…
The other day, I sat and talked with him at Starbucks. Somehow the idea emerged- Slim could sell the book. It seemed preposterous at first. I was met with my own judgments about the homeless- “they don’t want to work”, “they will rip you off”, “they are crazy”. But I came back to my senses and went home and got him 5 books. When I came back to see him the next day, the books had been sold. He placed an order for 11 more. I brought them to him, and then saw him later in the day. He had sold another 3. All the books he had yet to sell were wrapped up in protective plastic, with pride, and so as to protect them from the rain that falls onto his push cart.
I had given Slim money many times. He had accepted it, but he never looked happy about it. Today he looked happy. He had earned something for himself again, and he relished it. He let me know how many he planned to sell in the coming months, and what his financial goals were. For many years Slim has been studying the stock market. I called him ‘the push-cart guru’. He seemed to know a tremendous amount about investing in the money markets. Now, instead of dreaming about it, he has a way to bring it on home.
Since then, he has sold another 54 books. He has developed a plan to sell these books everywhere in the city. He is working on a sign for his cart, and he has asked me to open a bank account for him to make card deposits. Yesterday I took him out for his first real restaurant meal in years, and we got some t-shirts he could use as advertising for his new venture. I had tears in my eyes, as he stood in the store paying painstaking attention to the placement of the letters. It needed to be “just right” to help him achieve his goals.
There is much learning here for all of us. First, let it not be said that homeless people don’t want to work. Perhaps some are not in a state to do so, but many of them are and many of them want to. They just need an opportunity and someone who believes in them. They just need a gig. Second, this experience confirmed my own belief in human connectiveness. When we are left to our own devices, we are limited in our resources. Those eight books would still be sitting in a box if Slim and I had not connected. Instead, they have landed in the hands of those who need them because we crossed the barrier and made a human connection. Third, those of us who are on a spiritual path often get lost in the quest for egolessness. But we must also remember that there is a lot to say for self-esteem. Buddhists say “you have to become something before you becoming nothing…”. In simple terms, this means that before we can evaporate into oneness, we have to reach a certain stage egoically. Handing him money may keep him alive, but giving him back his self-esteem is the key to his future.
If unity consciousness means anything, it means bringing us all together, doing things that remind us of our shared humanity. I invite you to make the HOMELESSNESS CHALLENGE a part of your humandate for this year. Give ONE homeless person ONE opportunity to re-connect with humanity. Anything that reminds them that they still exist in the eyes of the world. Anything that allows them to feel heartfully connected to someone who has faith in them.
No, wait a minute….I don’t invite you…I CHALLENGE you. I CHALLENGE YOU. Lets get out of the theoretical quest for unity and bring it on home..”
Want to learn more about The Homeless Challenge? Check out these You Tube video’s where you can meet Slim and hear Jeff talk more about this project (in two parts).
The Karma Yogini Journals explores contemplative service (aka karma yoga, seva, engaged spirituality) from an interspiritual perspective.
Interested in staying connected? You can subscribe to the blog by RSS feed or receive email updates. Feel free to comment on posts of interest or email if you’d like to jayne (at) karmayogini (dot) net.
As an introduction to contemplative spirituality, I’ve included quotes, websites, articles, video links, and recommended books from three of the most well-known teachers on contemplative spirituality: Thomas Merton, Fr. Thomas Keating and Henri Nouwen. Although all three come from a Christian tradition, I believe that their wisdom is universally relevant.
Contemplative Spirituality is a way of focusing one’s life completely on God and awakening to the presence of God in the human heart and in the universe which is around us.
I. Thomas Merton
“How mistaken I was to make contemplation only a part of life. For a contemplative, his whole life is contemplation.”
“Contemplation is the perfection of love and knowledge.”
“Contemplation goes beyond concepts and apprehends God not as a separate object but as the Reality within our reality, the Being within our being, the life of our life.”
“Contemplation is a mystery in which God reveals Himself as the very center of our own inmost self.”
“Contemplation is the highest and most paradoxical form of self-realization, attained by apparent self-annihilation.”
The Merton Institute for Contemplative Living
The Meaning of the Contemplative Life According to Thomas Merton
Best Books about Contemplative Spirituality
II. Father Thomas Keating
“Finally, there is a place beyond every tradition where I think every human being has the potential to meet. It’s that place of unity and oneness to which all traditions are pointing that suggests there is something so deep in human nature that it can be awakened and addressed regardless of religion or no religion.”
“You don’t have to do anything to earn God’s Grace, all you have to do is not run away from it.”
Who is Father Thomas Keating? (Integral Institute)
Resources: Articles/Audio/Video
Video: Religious, but Not Spiritual? with Ken Wilber
Video: Centering Prayer – The Guidelines
Best Books about Contemplative Spirituality
III. Henri Nouwen
“We are the Beloved. We are intimately loved long before our parents, teachers, spouses, children and friends loved or wounded us. That’s the truth of our lives. That’s the truth I want you to claim for yourself. That’s the truth spoken by the voice that says, ‘You are my Beloved.’ Listening to that voice with great inner attentiveness, I hear at my center [God's] words that say: ‘I have called you by name, from the very beginning. You are mine and I am yours. You are my Beloved, on you my favor rests. I have molded you in the depths of the earth and knitted you together in your mother’s womb. I have carved you in the palms of my hands and hidden you in the shadow of my embrace. I look at you with infinite tenderness and care for you with a care more intimate than that of a mother for her child. I have counted every hair on your head and guided you at every step. Wherever you go, I go with you, and wherever you rest, I keep watch. I will give you food that will satisfy all your hunger and drink that will quench all your thirst. I will not hide my face from you. You know me as your own as I know you as my own. You belong to me. I am your father, your mother, your brother, your sister, your lover and your spouse…yes, even your child … wherever you are I will be. Nothing will ever separate us. We are one.’”
“Solitude, Community & Ministry: Three Ways to Create Space for God”
Video Clips: Journey of the Heart – the life of Henri Nouwen is a powerful 60 minute film on the life of Henri Nouwen produced by Windborne Productions in 2003.
Best Books about Contemplative Spirituality
The Karma Yogini Journals explores contemplative service (aka karma yoga, seva, engaged spirituality) from an interspiritual perspective.
Interested in staying connected? You can subscribe to the blog by RSS feed or receive email updates. Feel free to comment on posts of interest or email if you’d like to jayne (at) karmayogini (dot) net.
“A pear seed grows into a pear tree, and a hazelnut seed grows into a hazelnut tree and a seed of God grows into God. God does not ask anything else of you but to let yourself go and let God be God in you.” Meister Eckhart
I first heard this quote when leading a dances of universal peace dance titled A Seed of God Grows Into God. This morning I was inspired to work with the phrase (from the dance/song):’ A seed of god grows into god, let yourself go, let god be god in you’ as part of my contemplative prayer practice. On the inbreath – ‘a seed of god grows into god’ and on the outbreath ‘let yourself go, let god be god in you.’ Holding this phrase loosely with spaciousness to allow for listening.
As I was writing this post, I found a you tube video of the Dances of Universal Peace dance from a Lava Hot Springs dance retreat – and found myself in the middle of an experience – if you watch it (and I’d recommend you do), the guitar player is my soul brother Jon Jon who just died this past year with his 3-year old son in a car crash – I hadn’t seen this video until 5 minutes ago and it brought me to tears. A beautiful soul. The saxophone player is my former husband, Chalazon – we’re now great friends. Many of the dancers are friends as well.
Many blessings,
Jayne
Last week was a challenge. I moved – sorting, organizing, throwing away, giving away, locating boxes, changing address, cleaning, renting a truck…. (I’m single and so this was pretty much a solitary project with some help with the moving objects and cleaning part). On top of this I was sick – quite sick. This viral upper respiratory thing that’s going around and putting people under for 3 weeks. Last week was week one for me (however, I’m quite better now.) I couldn’t even swallow water without wanting to scream in pain. And, amidst all of it – I direct a homeless shelter and oversee 4 staff members and several hundred volunteers. OK, you get the picture!
I’m moving through all of this with as much focus and grace as I can bring to it all when within the course of 10 minutes, I receive a phone call and a letter (two different subject matters) that ’should’ have floored me. Either one should have at least caused me to swear maybe or sit down and breathe deeply or cry. I am choosing to keep the subject matter personal as it relates to other people, but suffice it to say that one of the issues was what I considered in the past to be my greatest fear. Here’s the surprise. I had no reaction to either and this was not based on supressing emotions or my already overwhelmed state of being (as mentioned above). I was completely centered in an observing sort of state and this went on even after some time when I examined the situations from various angles. It took me a little bit to recognize that I was practicing equanimity. I, however, also observed within myself that equanimity can feel at first glance as uncaring indifference – unsympathetic – cold detachment.
In contemplating on this situation, I thought of the quote I read in Grace and Grit by Treya and Ken Wilber on passionate equanimity. I like this term as my mind can go (and did) to equanimity as being uncaring and cold.
Here’s an excerpt on equanimity from Buddha Takes No Prisoners: A Meditator’s Survival Guide by Patrick Ophuls.
…”But what is equanimity? It is not merely keeping a stiff upper lip or having a rhinoceros hide. Nor is it maintaining a stoic indifference to pain and pleasure. Still less is it feeling a pitiless detachment from the human condition. Rather, it is something far more positive, implying tremendous strength of character and mind. The dictionary definition is good as far as it goes, calling equanimity ‘the quality or characteristic of being calm and even-tempered; composure.’ Also, ‘mental balance and evenness of temperament, usually as a characteristic state.’
“To achieve this much would already be remarkable, but the equanimity of a buddha is yet greater, precisely because it is allied to metta, karuna, and mudita. Hence it manifests as a radical openness to the whole catastrophe of life — a soft receptiveness that allows us to see experience clearly and to feel experience deeply but that does not react for or against it. (Contrast this with our habitual state of mind: whatever we cannot ignore or deny, we love or hate and behave accordingly.) But how is this radical openness expressed in practice, both on retreat and in daily life?
“First, equanimity is spacious. Imagine a pebble dropping into a cup full of water: SPLASH! Now imagine that same pebble or even a rock falling into a pond: barely a ripple. And it takes an asteroid to roil the ocean. In the same way, the mind of equanimity is vast, remaining composed even under duress. So when difficulties arise, they make wavelets, not tsunamis.
“Second, equanimity is panoramic. When you have tunnel vision, everything coming down the tracks looms large. The same event viewed from a mountaintop is no big deal. Thus equanimity lets us take in the whole show, rather than fixating on the tiny part that is painful or difficult.
“Third, panorama implies perspective. When we have equanimity we know that Rome was not built in a day, that a journey of a thousand leagues begins with a single step, that this too shall pass, that empires rise and fall, and so on. In short, we don’t take things personally, because we know in our bones that life is so much bigger than ego’s petty concerns and limited views. Above all, with equanimity we understand that pain and difficulty are an intrinsic part of life, so we don’t struggle against them.
“Fourth, however, equanimity is more than a point of view, because it is the art of retaining ones mental and emotional balance amid the ever-changing circumstances of life. A rider is said to have a good seat when her fanny sticks to the saddle no matter what the horse does. This image captures the dynamic quality of equanimity: can our hearts and minds stay firmly seated when the horse threatens to shy or bolt? After all, any fool can stay cool in routine circumstances; the challenge is to remain poised when pain, difficulty, failure, or calamity strike.
“Last, this dynamic quality is the reason why the image of the mountain, one of the traditional metaphors for equanimity, is misleading. Equanimity is not unshakeable because it is a rigid, immovable mass immune to all disturbance. Rather, it is strong because it is resilient. Like a good tire, it easily absorbs the shock of life’s little potholes. So equanimity is like Bibendum, the fat and jolly Michelin man, who cruises down the pike of life bouncing off things that are too big to bounce off him.”
The Four Immeasurables
May all sentient beings have happiness and its causes;
May all sentient beings be free of suffering and its causes;
May all sentient beings not be separated from sorrowless bliss;
May all sentient beings abide in equanimity, free of bias, attachment and anger.
Photo Credit: Creative Commons License. Peace by Azizul Hadi on Flickr.
Need some inspiration? I just finished watching a video on TED by Bill Strickland, President and CEO of Manchester Bidwell Corporation and its subsidiaries, Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild and Bidwell Training Center.The video is a slide show of the Guild narrated by Bill with Herbie Hancock on stage playing piano in the background.
I became familiar with Bill and his work when I worked as an arts administrator in arts education and later the performing arts for a state arts agency and then two non-profits and then a city arts agency. When I came upon this video tonight I hesitated to watch it as I’m no longer in the arts (I am director of a homeless shelter) and thought it would have little relevance to my life and work now. I was wrong.
Among Bill Strickland’s beliefs:
People are born into this world as assets, not liabilities. It’s all in the way we treat people (and ourselves) that determines a person’s outcome.
The sand in the hourglass flows only one way. Stop going through the motions of living–savor each and every day. Life is here and now, not something waiting for you in the future.
You don’t have to travel far to change the life you’re living. Bill grew up in the Pittsburgh ghetto, four blocks from where he came to build one of the foremost job training centers in the world. He now speaks before CEOs and political leaders, church congregations and civic leaders. You only need to change your thinking to remake your world.
Here are some quotes from the video that I personally found relevant and inspiring:
Do yourself a favor and watch this video (the whole thing!). If you’re someone with a desire to change the world (in a small or a large way), this will lift you up and maybe stoke your creative fire.
Video:
Rebuilding America, one slide show at a time: Bill Strickland on TED.com
With subtle accompaniment by longtime friend Herbie Hancock, and a slide show that has opened the minds (and pocketbooks) of CEOs across the country, artist and youth activist Bill Strickland tells a quiet and astonishing tale of redemption through arts, music and unlikely partnerships. (Recorded February 2002 in Monterey, California. Duration: 35:28.)
Book:
Make the Impossible Possible by Bill Strickland
“Bill Strickland is a genius, because he sees the inherent genius in everyone. Bill’s ability to inspire hope is powerful, universal, and world changing. Make the Impossible Possible will show you how you can achieve even your wildest dreams. Bravo!”
—Jeff Skoll, first president of eBay, founder and chairman, Skoll Foundation
“Are you yearning to pursue what others say is an unrealistic or impractical dream? This is the book for you. By telling his remarkable story, Bill Strickland shows us that an impossible notion is just an idea nobody had the guts to try. With great flair and amazing range—you’ll read about jazz, pottery, airplanes, even orchids!—he reveals how each of us can change our part of the world. Like the man who wrote it, this book is inspired and inspiring.” —Daniel H. Pink, New York Times bestselling author of A Whole New Mind
“One of the most innovative social enterprise thinkers I have ever met. The ‘Strickland’ thought process is that of a highly trained jazz musician, coupled with a keen business sense . . . He is definitely one of my major heroes.”
—Quincy Jones
Articles:
Two years ago, I worked seven nights a week at a homeless shelter and experienced more balance in my life than I have this year! This year, I’ve paired my work hours down to 40 hours a week (versus 80) but have experienced a great deal more stress and imbalance on all levels. How can that be so?
Rewind to two years ago – I was a nun and had dedicated my life to God. My lifestyle on all levels supported this focus. I lived in a monastery that was conducive to living a contemplative life. I knew what my purpose was and had a one-pointed focus towards that end. I felt, in a way, like an athlete preparing for the Olympics – everything was aligned with the goal. All that didn’t serve the goal was eliminated.
One of my practices was to block out two hours a day just prior to going to work for (what I called) active meditation. At least 3 days a week, I rollerbladed on the greenbelt by the river (a place of beauty). This was sacred time and I wouldn’t change it for anyone or for any reason. Other days, I’d sit by the river or walk in a nature park downtown. Usually afterwards, I’d go to a coffee shop or restaurant and eat dinner and read. When I went into work, I was full – overflowing and could then give from this abundance. And, from this space of connection to the divine, I was an effective vehicle for love and compassion. I could tell this was working by the consistent feedback I received from the shelter guests. Most would line up after they checked in for hugs and just collapse in my arms saying ‘i’ve been waiting for this all day’. When I left at midnight, I was more full than I had been before I started.
A little over a year ago, I left the path of nun to live and do the work of spirit in the middle of life. This has been a year of experimentation and has been a bit messy! After six years on the path of nun, I entered into a relationship a year ago that just ended a few weeks ago. For the past year, my focus has been scattered and I have not taken care of myself the way I had been. I spread myself too thin and did not take the time to fill up. I ended up giving from an empty bowl – meaning that the giving was drawing on my personal reserves versus flowing through me from source. As a result, my work was not at the level that I expected and this created inner turmoil. I have been accused (and rightly so) of being overly optimistic – and I was. I thought I could do it all. Give 100% of myself to God. 100% to my people. 100% to my relationship.
Right now, I am reveling in my aloneness and taking the time to fill up and make myself more available – fully – again to my people (those that I serve). Interestingly enough, at the same time that my relationship ended (which was a gift really – both the relationship and the ending), I was promoted to Shelter Director which means that I don’t do the night shifts at the shelter anymore. I work more during the day in a managerial role. For the past two weeks, I’ve mostly stayed away from the shelter at night (we are an overnight shelter) and focused on getting caught up with work as well as self-healing. I felt the call to begin going in at night for a few hours several times a week to reconnect with our guests. The first night back, one of the guests, a man who had stayed with us last year as well, came up to me. I reached out to hug him as I could see he was open. We embraced and he then stepped back. He put his hand on his heart and got teary eyed and said ‘I love you. You know that you are like a mother to me – to many of the men here. I want you to know this.’
There are sacrifices that need to be made in order to live a life of service at this level. To do service every now and then – no. But to live a life that is in service of the divine requires personal sacrifice and a lifestyle that allows you to fill up on a daily basis and connect to source. I have learned that if I want to live up to my own expectation of what this service will look like, then I need to make the commitment to self-care and a lifestyle that supports this work. It’s a matter of finding what works for you and then making a commitment to this – making it ’sacred time’. We can’t give from an empty bowl. This is why people burn out – they give from their own personal reserves. That is not possible at this level of service. It is to connect to source and allow that pure love to flow through you – it doesn’t come from you but through you. The litmus test is whether you feel more full or drained. If you are drained, then you’re drawing on your own reserves.
Many blessings on your path!
Photo Credit: Pray by Saad.Akhtar on Flickr. Creative Commons license.
Daniel Goleman , author of the New York Times bestseller Emotional Intelligence, talks about Compassion on this YouTube video. The essence of his talk is about helping and that we’re all hard wired to help – but then, why don’t we? He shares several interesting stories on this topic, but one in particular caught my attention. He said that at one point he went out on the streets with social workers and learned that most of those who were homeless and on the street had psychological issues. Beyond that though, he said his ‘urban trance’ weakened and he was then able to notice those who were homeless. One day he was walking through the subway and noticed a man huddled up on the floor with no shirt. He walked over to him to see what was wrong. The man had fainted from lack of food. When Daniel walked over to him and spoke to him, others as well awoke from their trance and saw the man and came over to see what was wrong. Someone offered to go get juice, etc.
Daniel shares that we don’t help because we are too focused on ourselves – so focused that we don’t notice the other. Perhaps in too much of a hurry or absorbed in our heads about some issue. He shares a great story about divinity students at Princeton Theological Seminary who were given the assignment of writing a sermon on the parable of the good samaritan. They were told to write this and then go to another building to deliver the sermon. On the way, they passed a man hunched over in pain. How many do you think stopped to help?
In my work as a shelter director, one of my jobs is working with the volunteers. Since our inception two winters ago, we’ve scheduled 80-90 volunteers each week to run the shelter (along with 2 -4 paid staff). I hear this all the time from volunteers. ‘Until I started volunteering for Interfaith Sanctuary, I never noticed how many homeless were on the street. Now I see them everywhere.” They woke up from their urban trance.
Perhaps in this day as we head out into the world, we’ll walk in mindfulness – awake to the people around us – present – available to lending a helping hand and open to compassion.
Photo Credit: Walk on By – Socialtimes on Flickr. Creative Commons License.
I read this piece by Sri Chinmoy and it quite resonated with how I approach working with those who may be – well – challenging and perhaps not so easy to love at first sight. I work with those who are homeless – many of whom also have mental illnesses and addictions. To see the face of God in everyone is a practice.
The Heart of a Lover by Sri Chinmoy
It is quite easy for one human being to love another if he sees the divine in the other person. It is always advisable to go to the root, which is God. If we want to love someone, the best thing is for us to love the One who is all Love. If we know how to love Him in Himself, then it becomes extremely easy to love Him in a human being.
When you see that a person’s defects and bad qualities are obvious, try to feel that they do not represent him totally. His real self is infinitely better than what you see now. Try to see the divine in others in spite of their limitations.
By seeing someone’s limitations, we do not help the other person in any way. We only delay our own progress. If we find fault with somebody, his undivine qualities are not going to disappear, nor are ours going to decrease. On the contrary, his undivine qualities will come to the fore in his defense, and our pride, arrogance, and feeling of superiority will also come to the fore. But, by seeing the divine in someone, we expedite our progress and help the other person to establish his own life of reality on a divine foundation. We have to see others with the heart of a lover and not the eye of a critic.
To see the divine in others, we have to love. It is truly said that where love is thick, faults are thin. If you really love someone, then it is difficult to find fault with him. Love means oneness. A mother, in spite of knowing her child’s countless limitations, does not stop loving him, because she has established her oneness with him. If there is imperfection in the child, the mother claims the imperfection as her very own.
If you find it difficult to love the human in someone, then love the divine in him. The divine in him is God. God exists in that person just as God exists in you. To love God is extremely easy because God is divine and perfect. Each time you look at an individual, if you can consciously become aware of God’s existence in him, then you will not be disturbed by his imperfections or limitations.
Photo Credit: Amodiovalerio Verde on Flickr. Creative Commons License.
The Karma Yogini Journals explores contemplative service (aka karma yoga, seva, engaged spirituality) from an interspiritual perspective.
Interested in staying connected? You can subscribe to the blog by RSS feed or receive email updates. Feel free to comment on posts of interest or email if you’d like to jayne (at) karmayogini (dot) net.
“Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer, whatever you give away, whatever austerities you perform, do all of them as an offering unto Me.” – Bhagavad Gita
Article: THE ART OF BUILDING SHRINES: A LESSON IN KARMA YOGA by Swami Atmajnanananda
Photo Credit: Locator on Flickr. Creative Commons License.
Interested in staying connected? You can subscribe to the blog by RSS feed or receive email updates. Feel free to comment on posts of interest or email if you'd like - jayne (at) karmayogini.net.
