Light Upon The Path
The Mindfulness Trainings for an Interfaith Community
"Love all of God's creation, love the whole, and love each grain of sand. Love every leaf, every ray of light. Love animals, love plants, love every kind of thing. If you love every kind of thing, then everywhere God's mystery will reveal itself to you. Once this has been revealed to you, you will begin to understand it ever more deeply with each passing day. And finally you will be able to love the whole world with an all-encompassing universal love." -- Dostoevsky (a saying of Fr. Zosima from The Karamazov Brothers)
While assuming that this quotation resonates with your mind and heart, it nevertheless still begs the question, "How does one go about re-creating one's mind?" Our experience is that this process of re-creation is not, fundamentally, a matter of "right belief": in other words, it is not a matter of simply changing your religious opinions or faith community membership (although that might be very helpful). Rather, it is about activating one's heart in compassion and clear intention, and then fine-tuning one's mind into this new channel. This is known as a "Mindfulness Practice". 30 years of life in intentional community and ministry contributed significantly to this understanding... without a radical sincerity to change, to grow, and to become Love-in-action, one will inevitably stagnate, slip into internal justifications, and cause great harm to the others one is in community with (as well as to the surrounding world).
Vietnamese Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hahn, has perhaps been the foremost teacher of mindfulness since his exile from Vietnam during the war. From his "Plum Village" community in France, he has a world-wide following and a consistently beautiful teaching. Our version of the trainings reflect our experiences of intentional community in the United States -- and of our perception of the need for greater clarity in regards to personal responsibility for the well-being of everyone in community... they are offered to you as a form of spiritual assistance... and your divine consideration... [We apologize to Thich Nhat Hahn and every sincere practitioner of his teachings if this "massaging" of the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings causes any distress: our intention is to simply apply a great wisdom to a specific time and place with a personalist and interfaith spirituality.]
1. Aware of my desire to love and the possibility of building Paradise upon this precious blue Planet, I commit my life to this sacred work. I will to live as an agent of transformation. I will help in the building of a new world of justice, equality, peace, and liberation for everyone, everywhere!
2. Aware of the possibilities within gratitude and passion, I am determined to be expansive and delightful as I serve others and share in the mutual liberation of our dreams and visions for everyone on this precious blue Planet.
3. Aware of the sacrament of conversation, I am committed to maintaining an attitude of humility and a spirit of kindness in my family, associations, and communities. I will look for ways to honor, engage, and serve the "Other" by the practice of Beauty and Compassion.
4. Aware of how my heart thrills to love, I will focus my daily intentions and actions upon living in solidarity with all those for whom to live means to suffer. I will listen deeply to hear their stories and their wisdom. I will walk with all of my sisters and brothers into our mutual liberation.
5. Aware of the common human desire for happiness, safety, health, and the sure knowing of being "wanted", I will exercise my will and energy in humble service of this common good.
6. Aware that I am alive and of the preciousness of time, I am choosing to live with ecstasy and to serve others, and all life, with compassion, kindness, and holy joy.
7. Aware of being here now, I am choosing to live with an everyday consciousness of having surrendered my mind, heart, and life over to the Beauty that is Love. I will make the actions that flow from this surrendering the story of my life.
8. Aware that I desire harmony and peace, I will manifest harmony and peace in my every encounter today. I will be compassion and kindness. I will listen with care. I will revere the different, the Other. I will find ways to become the change I am helping to build in the world.
9. Aware of my contributions to suffering, I am choosing to activate my passion for possibilities! I am choosing to practice beauty and liberation through my everyday choices and actions. I am choosing to stand and act in solidarity with everyone who suffers from injustice and oppression. I will serve the dignity of every person especially the most powerless among us.
10. Aware that the end is the creation of the Beloved Community, I will practice an every-day spirit of inclusion and consideration: I will include in my community everyone on the margins of our Planetary society and I will consider the well-being of this precious blue Planet and every life that lives upon it -- seven generations forward -- in my everyday life, in how I live, in what I buy and sell, and in how I vote.
11. Aware of the opportunity before me to become an agent of transformation, I will to live as a possibilitarian for Justice and Beauty -- for our precious blue Planet and for the well-being of all life. I will become a living flame of love energized for greatness!
12. Aware of the failure of the dominator paradigm, I am choosing to write a new story with my life: it will be a story of Divine, and Every Kind, of connection. It will be a story of fraternity with this precious blue Planet and with a beautiful future for every child. It will be a story of gratitude, sufficiency, graciousness, and harmony. It will be a story of Beauty and Paradise, wild with passion and infinite possibilities! Watch me!
13. Aware of the One Love alive in my heart, I commit my life to Beauty and Kindness and to the manifestation of Only One in how I think, speak, and act. I will to act great and become an instrument of transformation for everyone and for this incredibly precious blue Planet! This is my joy!
14. Aware of the graciousness of the sun and of this precious blue Planet and of Her great and abundant life, I will live in gratitude and with enthusiasm for the opportunity to love, to love so profoundly that I just might become Love myself. I will honor those on the journey of life with me by my steady practice of kindness and remembrance. I will strive to Kiss More and Laugh Often!
So! Tell us your thoughts and the ways you are implementing the Love Call outlined by Dostoevsky... Dorothy Day responded to her reading of Dostoevsky with an openness to hear the prophetic words of Peter Maurin: together, they founded a "viewspaper" called the Catholic Worker and a movement that has over a hundred soup kitchens, hospitality houses, retreat centers, and farming communities around the world. Dorothy, and her followers have done all of that -- and much more besides! -- now what are you fully capable of doing with your incredibly beautiful and precious life? Tell us how you are refusing to settle for a life someone is trying to sell you -- and how you are summoning the grace and courage to light up your corner of the world! [If you would like a copy of the Mindfulness Trainings Ritual for Groups please make a request in the comment section of the Contact Page.]
While assuming that this quotation resonates with your mind and heart, it nevertheless still begs the question, "How does one go about re-creating one's mind?" Our experience is that this process of re-creation is not, fundamentally, a matter of "right belief": in other words, it is not a matter of simply changing your religious opinions or faith community membership (although that might be very helpful). Rather, it is about activating one's heart in compassion and clear intention, and then fine-tuning one's mind into this new channel. This is known as a "Mindfulness Practice". 30 years of life in intentional community and ministry contributed significantly to this understanding... without a radical sincerity to change, to grow, and to become Love-in-action, one will inevitably stagnate, slip into internal justifications, and cause great harm to the others one is in community with (as well as to the surrounding world).
Vietnamese Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hahn, has perhaps been the foremost teacher of mindfulness since his exile from Vietnam during the war. From his "Plum Village" community in France, he has a world-wide following and a consistently beautiful teaching. Our version of the trainings reflect our experiences of intentional community in the United States -- and of our perception of the need for greater clarity in regards to personal responsibility for the well-being of everyone in community... they are offered to you as a form of spiritual assistance... and your divine consideration... [We apologize to Thich Nhat Hahn and every sincere practitioner of his teachings if this "massaging" of the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings causes any distress: our intention is to simply apply a great wisdom to a specific time and place with a personalist and interfaith spirituality.]
1. Aware of my desire to love and the possibility of building Paradise upon this precious blue Planet, I commit my life to this sacred work. I will to live as an agent of transformation. I will help in the building of a new world of justice, equality, peace, and liberation for everyone, everywhere!
2. Aware of the possibilities within gratitude and passion, I am determined to be expansive and delightful as I serve others and share in the mutual liberation of our dreams and visions for everyone on this precious blue Planet.
3. Aware of the sacrament of conversation, I am committed to maintaining an attitude of humility and a spirit of kindness in my family, associations, and communities. I will look for ways to honor, engage, and serve the "Other" by the practice of Beauty and Compassion.
4. Aware of how my heart thrills to love, I will focus my daily intentions and actions upon living in solidarity with all those for whom to live means to suffer. I will listen deeply to hear their stories and their wisdom. I will walk with all of my sisters and brothers into our mutual liberation.
5. Aware of the common human desire for happiness, safety, health, and the sure knowing of being "wanted", I will exercise my will and energy in humble service of this common good.
6. Aware that I am alive and of the preciousness of time, I am choosing to live with ecstasy and to serve others, and all life, with compassion, kindness, and holy joy.
7. Aware of being here now, I am choosing to live with an everyday consciousness of having surrendered my mind, heart, and life over to the Beauty that is Love. I will make the actions that flow from this surrendering the story of my life.
8. Aware that I desire harmony and peace, I will manifest harmony and peace in my every encounter today. I will be compassion and kindness. I will listen with care. I will revere the different, the Other. I will find ways to become the change I am helping to build in the world.
9. Aware of my contributions to suffering, I am choosing to activate my passion for possibilities! I am choosing to practice beauty and liberation through my everyday choices and actions. I am choosing to stand and act in solidarity with everyone who suffers from injustice and oppression. I will serve the dignity of every person especially the most powerless among us.
10. Aware that the end is the creation of the Beloved Community, I will practice an every-day spirit of inclusion and consideration: I will include in my community everyone on the margins of our Planetary society and I will consider the well-being of this precious blue Planet and every life that lives upon it -- seven generations forward -- in my everyday life, in how I live, in what I buy and sell, and in how I vote.
11. Aware of the opportunity before me to become an agent of transformation, I will to live as a possibilitarian for Justice and Beauty -- for our precious blue Planet and for the well-being of all life. I will become a living flame of love energized for greatness!
12. Aware of the failure of the dominator paradigm, I am choosing to write a new story with my life: it will be a story of Divine, and Every Kind, of connection. It will be a story of fraternity with this precious blue Planet and with a beautiful future for every child. It will be a story of gratitude, sufficiency, graciousness, and harmony. It will be a story of Beauty and Paradise, wild with passion and infinite possibilities! Watch me!
13. Aware of the One Love alive in my heart, I commit my life to Beauty and Kindness and to the manifestation of Only One in how I think, speak, and act. I will to act great and become an instrument of transformation for everyone and for this incredibly precious blue Planet! This is my joy!
14. Aware of the graciousness of the sun and of this precious blue Planet and of Her great and abundant life, I will live in gratitude and with enthusiasm for the opportunity to love, to love so profoundly that I just might become Love myself. I will honor those on the journey of life with me by my steady practice of kindness and remembrance. I will strive to Kiss More and Laugh Often!
So! Tell us your thoughts and the ways you are implementing the Love Call outlined by Dostoevsky... Dorothy Day responded to her reading of Dostoevsky with an openness to hear the prophetic words of Peter Maurin: together, they founded a "viewspaper" called the Catholic Worker and a movement that has over a hundred soup kitchens, hospitality houses, retreat centers, and farming communities around the world. Dorothy, and her followers have done all of that -- and much more besides! -- now what are you fully capable of doing with your incredibly beautiful and precious life? Tell us how you are refusing to settle for a life someone is trying to sell you -- and how you are summoning the grace and courage to light up your corner of the world! [If you would like a copy of the Mindfulness Trainings Ritual for Groups please make a request in the comment section of the Contact Page.]