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Contemplative Action: Now

1/30/2017

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Aware of our Home Planet @ risk, we vow to sweeten our lives with contemplative action... 

​This root awareness is the beginning of both personal and social transformation: @ risk... at risk of a meaningless life, we consider alternatives (perhaps the real alternative facts): perhaps the Wisdom Traditions of our Earth Spirituality do have something of immense importance to say to all of us today... Consider: "The holy land is everywhere." (Black Elk)... "The price of the kingdom is the food you give to those who need it." (St. Leo the Great)... "We were created by Love, for Love, to become Love." (Simone Weil)... Wisdom re-orients us from the dominate paradigm of "acquisition" (or "power over") to the alternative of "mutuality" (or power in service of the other)... This is of fundamental importance!

We cannot "acquire" grace, love, purpose, or justice: we can though, purchase privilege, sex, comfort, or power: "mutuality", on the other hand, requires the active condition of sharing, of unity, or oneness: "I am You, You are Me, and We are All Together: One"... One with each other (every other) in a unity made complete by our differences... The essential elements of earth, air, water, and fire denote the activation principle of Oneness: any without the others would be a world devoid of life: Native Americans were astounded by the invading white man's belief that these essential elements could be separated, bought, and owned by anyone, with the consequences of the abuses of ownership unfairly distributed to future generations...

We are now living in the "@ risk point": the natural Oneness of creation has been subdivided so many times over that everything is not only "for sale", but the existential catastrophe of the extinction of thousands of life-species every year is completely ignored: by none more so than those who claim they are "pro-life"! Climate change is not really about the weather. If it was that simple, perhaps we could adjust. But instead, climate change is the @ risk point of this Planet's ability to sustain life! The Quantum Consciousness -- the Activating Principle of Evolution -- is begging us, each one of us, right now, to awaken to our moment in time...

The "pro-life" movement can no longer pretend that the lives of the unborn matter, while at the same time supporting the abortion of all life on Planet Earth by means of Plunderful Capitalism, gross consumerism, and justified-violence-without-end. Similarly, to be "pro-choice" must now become a deliberate decision to completely reject the dominate paradigm that the end justifies the means: that the "right of acquisition" trumps the radical incarnation of equality, justice, and peace...

"The radical incarnation of equality, justice, and peace"... these few words begin to articulate the vision of the contemplative activist: with absolutely everything at stake now, we simply can no longer afford a vapid spirituality: "big box religion" is a contradiction -- not just of the Gospel, but of all the Wisdom Traditions that have been born upon this Planet! If you have yet to recognize it, but the Christ Consciousness is Unleashed: we are supposed to tune in and turn up our wave: we are supposed to be vibrating with an existential ecstasy: and we are supposed to be engaging in life-sustaining radical transformations! We are supposed to become the contemplative-activists who have a two-handed spirituality: interior explorations into and conscious activation of oneness, and exterior engagement with community building and organizing for systemic changes toward nonviolence, earth-regeneration, equality, and social justice... It will take our best efforts, but we can nudge the @ risk designation into, finally, @ hope... And the next generation, our children, will be tasked with bringing everyone Home... And then, when we come to our last breath, we can mutter to all the world, "I was really here! I lived!"   
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    Robert Daniel Smith was privileged to serve the homeless and marginalized for 30 years in California. He is living now almost within shouting distance of the Twin Cities. He is a poet, artist, writer, and long-time  Companion of the Way still dreaming... 

    ​Recommended Reading:

    ​Son of Man by Andrew Harvey


    ​Be Love Now by Ram Dass

    ​Be Here Now by Ram Dass

    The Rebirthing of God by John Philip Newell

    The Hope by Andrew Harvey

    The Return of the Mother by Andrew Harvey

    ​Creation Spirituality by Matthew Fox

    Loaves and Fishes by Dorothy Day 

    Sacred Pleasure by Riane Eisler

    Occupy Spirituality by Adam Bucko and Matthew Fox

    Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda

    The Self-Aware Universe by Amit Goswami, Ph.D.

    Bhagavad Gita by Eknath Easwaran

    The Wisdom Jesus by Rev. Cynthia Bourgeault

    ​Living the Eternal Way by Rev. Ellen Grace O'Brian

    Listening For The Heartbeat of God by John Philip Newell

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