www.theburninghand.com
  • The Beat
  • blog
  • CW Photos
  • Thin
  • Praxis
  • Person
  • Rule
  • Soup
  • Bread
  • Human
  • Contact
  • Rumi
  • The Watcher
  • Heaven-Become
  • Seed Only
  • Dorothy
  • Interior Landscape
  • Subtle River, Subtle Moon
  • Feather
  • Lessons
  • Sabbath-Day
  • Gandhi
  • Hummingbird
  • Meditation

The Three C's...

1/31/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
                                                         Ram Dass, Author Be Here Now and Be Love Now


​Ultimately, we all have only one teacher, and that is life itself. Oh, to be sure, many different folks will cross our paths, and books as well... Some, we'll never forget... Others, we'll always regret having met them, read that particular book, or believed that certain dogma...

​To be sure, I have my own list of regrets... but, that which I now categorize as a "regret", in fact contributed something, in its own way, to the the me of now... I suppose that the one most important tool of discernment is simply that of whether or not we like the person we are becoming... or, at least, are we tending towards becoming the person whom we most desire to become...

The Ram Dass quote that resonates most deeply with me is this one: We are all just walking each other home... Isn't that a sweet way to view the world and our relations with others? In pondering this sweetness, I focus in on the Three C's as core attributes of this walking each other home... They are care, cooperation, and compassion...

​Regardless of where you stand, sit, or avoid in regards to religion, these Three C's are the essence of every truthful and practical application of any and every world religion... I hope the day will come in which no one operates from the presumption that a particular religion is, in absolute terms, the only way home... This is not a helpful attitude, perspective, or belief...

​On the other hand, the Three C's offer a  simple and clear means for personal and social reflection and analysis... Let's begin with care... The simple heart-action of caring about oneself, one's family, relations, neighbor, community, and nation is where we all have to begin. If one cares, then, as a matter of course, one wishes no serious, intentional, harm upon another person: but more, caring implies intentional planning, action, and then the  construction of networks of liberating possibilities for everyone... and not the continued "liberation" of the lucky or the few, but new systems that genuinely serve and lift up everyone... 

Caring is directly connected to cooperation... cooperation is oftentimes relegated to a child's school or playground: but isn't it very strange that cooperation, once we become adults, diminshes in perceived value? Charles Darwin suggested that the strongest and the quickest to adapt were most likely to survive and thrive. Peter Kropotkin sensed that Darwin had overlooked an essential insight and proposed that species survive and thrive to the degree that they cooperate with one another... Kropotkin's term for this cooperation was mutual-aid... We see significant evidence of the grit, grace, and power of mutual-aid in times of crisis: earthquake, tornado, hurricane, flood, mudslide, fire, or other catastrophe, automatically has us looking out for one another... 

​My question is: where does all the cooperation and mutual-aid go when the catastrophe passes? 

​One of my favorite words is radical... Peter Maurin and Dorothy Day of the Catholic Worker Movement correctly pointed out that the word radical most genuinely means getting to the roots... The word now, in common usage, has come to be a label someone or other applies to one's political enemy (overlooking the reality that very few in politics get anywhere near where the roots of anything are)... Nevertheless, both caring and cooperation have their roots in activated compassion... The Dalai Lama has, many times, said, if you want to be happy, practice compassion...

​An activated compassion is the most powerful force in the world.

​Compassion, intentionally linked to care and cooperation,
as one of the Three C's, is the root of all truth in every religion: exactly to the degree that we personally and collectively practice and organize ourselves by the inspirations of compassion, are we practitioners of any religion! Obviously there are both haters and blamers who use their religion to justify all sorts of cruelties, injustices, and divisions: but this is not religion! If you are actually interested in real religion, read A Global Ethic, The Declaration of the Parliament of the World's Religions! 

​The Three C's might be likened to the finger that points at the moon... they are not the end point, but words to help in the walking of each other home...  

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    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

    Archives

    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    September 2010

    RSS Feed

Copyright (c) Michelle Smith   All Rights Reserved  2017
Photos from tejvanphotos, heather aitken, PixFav.com, Rennett Stowe, Never Edit, dsgetch, Jeffrey, spiritchasa, red line highway, luciefly, np&djjewell, Milton Keynes Museum, pmarkham, Wonderlane, Flikkersteph -4,000,000 views ,thank you!, KOREA.NET - Official page of the Republic of Korea, homethods, igo.rs, Daniel Dudek-Corrigan, WarmSleepy, MizGingerSnaps, niiicedave (back from AK USA), rachel_titiriga, neotint, mRio, regan76, Chilanga Cement, Goldmund100, nevil zaveri (thank you for 20+M views:), Sasha Y. Kimel, Evoflash, ianmalcm, National Farm Worker Ministry, CapCase, Larry Lamsa, nathanborror, philozopher, iamathis, keepitsurreal, Elvert Barnes, NASA Goddard Photo and Video, *ErinBrierley*, archer10 (Dennis) 85M Views, Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com, recommendgroup3, normalsanik, philwarren, Rod Waddington, Nic's events, edenpictures, ell brown, Eneas, skugga2shadow, PiConsti, matsuyuki, Lucie Bluebird-Lexington, Christiaan Triebert, Kyle Taylor, Dream It. Do It., Schwarzkaefer, K. Kendall, satanoid, Rod Waddington, Adrian Thomson, Rod Waddington, Neon Tommy, Javmorcas, EU Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection, hams37, DigitumDei, Dean Hochman, Rob React, Marion Doss, Celestine Chua, Bold Frontiers, Bobfantastic, Daniel M. Hendricks, The National Guard, micadew, Pero Kvrzica, Pan American Health Organization PAHO, Feed My Starving Children (FMSC), Abode of Chaos, zugaldia, jorgemejia, 1nativeTexan, A. Strakey, STUART_BURNS1, Jan Tik, erix!, greensefa, Meanest Indian, miketnorton, eliduke, K. Kendall, willthomas7, Southbank Centre London, fuseboxradio, alden0249, Chuckfranky, **** j a z z z i ***, eliduke, kevin dooley, iz4aks, Loco Steve, U.S. Embassy New Delhi, geckzilla, InSapphoWeTrust, PhotoHenning, Miradas.com.br, srslyguys, otterbeintheatre, Sasha Y. Kimel, Dick Thomas Johnson, justin, cattan2011, Rebecca Harms, ** RCB **, jdg32373, thisisjamesj, Glyn Lowe Photoworks., www.ilkkajukarainen.fi, eugenenoodleman, swong95765, WarmSleepy, scazon, albany_tim, hoyasmeg, austinevan, Easa Shamih (eEko) | P.h.o.t.o.g.r.a.p.h.y, Filipe Moreira, Old Sarge, BlatantNews.com, .shyam., puroticorico, Jim, the Photographer, rajkumar1220, mike.benedetti, Lost Albatross, babasteve, Alex E. Proimos, Falling Heavens, cliff1066™, pixiduc, To Tuscany, Space Ritual, Walt Hubis, qwrrty, Geoff Livingston, nyoin, jeffreyw, Cea., tibchris, Friar's Balsam, Pink Sherbet Photography, Trilok Rangan, cscott2006, Kris Krug, spratmackrel, Celestine Chua, Shashank Mhasawade, AlicePopkorn, mhiguera, waitscm, mikekwaan, Lost Albatross, rajkumar1220, Alan Cleaver, philipmatarese, @jbtaylor, Anosmia, ryPix, Illusive Photography, Beverly & Pack, Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com, Paul Lowry, Ben Sutherland, kamshots, National Farm Worker Ministry, k763, Wonderlane, BAMCorp, bm.iphone, QuotesEverlasting, markbyzewski, greensefa, DonkeyHotey, Feed My Starving Children (FMSC), VinothChandar, jamarmstrong, Ian W Scott, olcoge, carulmare, eleephotography, rajkumar1220, AlicePopkorn, billy verdin, Melody Campbell, PixFav.com, cyberien 94, symphony of love, Cory Kipa Photography, Mulligan Stu, Jack Heart, creativedc, yummyporky, Liz Henry, beaumontpete, Karen Eliot, Formula_d, cuatrok77, Eneas, Monica Arellano-Ongpin, YIM Hafiz, AlicePopkorn, dalbera, TausP., Song_sing, Duncan~, Ed Coyle Photography, h.koppdelaney, L. N. Batides, oseillo, K. Kendall, omnos, francesco sgroi, akshay moon, popejon2, Waiting For The Word, DeeAshley, rajkumar1220, mira66, NASA Goddard Photo and Video, Jean-Luc Toilet, Morgaine, Јerry, silviostarr, mahalie, jGlidePhotoATL, bixentro, AirHaake, VinothChandar, niyam bhushan, tedeytan, Kıvanç Niş, kevin dooley, secretlondon123, mike 23, christian.greller, OliBac, quinn.anya, goat_girl_photos, yeowatzup, revmags, jlwelsh, doubledareyaa, bberburb, Cea., clkohan, Feed My Starving Children (FMSC), garlandcannon (on hiatus), kdinuraj, TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³, Raphael Goetter, omnos, jeet_sen, rajkumar1220, gbaku, Pink Sherbet Photography, payneshut, timmarshall, cutemosaic.com, Balaji.B, Morgaine, sadeog, DrStarbuck, michaelvito, VinothChandar, Emily Stanchfield, ninja 4 life, Carly & Art, The Jewish Agency for Israel, McD22, Ashok666, Zanastardust, grahamc99, Sharon Mollerus, dental ben, WarmSleepy, Flikkesteph, quinn.anya, h.koppdelaney, Katrin Lorenzen, ernenn, Fairy Heart ♥, Spirit-Fire, Lynda W1, Bob Doran, miheco, micadew, e-strategyblog.com, The Center for Interfaith Relations, Nagarjun, Morgaine, mollyktadams, Marco Gomes, Bennilover, sergei.gussev, U.S. Institute of Peace, symphony of love, waferboard, Abode of Chaos, Br. Christian Seno, OFM, Rod Waddington
  • The Beat
  • blog
  • CW Photos
  • Thin
  • Praxis
  • Person
  • Rule
  • Soup
  • Bread
  • Human
  • Contact
  • Rumi
  • The Watcher
  • Heaven-Become
  • Seed Only
  • Dorothy
  • Interior Landscape
  • Subtle River, Subtle Moon
  • Feather
  • Lessons
  • Sabbath-Day
  • Gandhi
  • Hummingbird
  • Meditation